Com Lag: 2+2=5 (Dig) [Enhanced, EP]

Radiohead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, EP
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000OCXF4M
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,178 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2007 enhanced UK reissue of this collection of b-sides and rarities, originally released in 2004 as a Japan-only compilation album. Features an enhanced video of '2+2=5' (Live At Belford Festival) plus 10 audio tracks including live tracks, remixes and non-album cuts. 11 tracks total. Parlophone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Songs Good Value, May 28, 2007

By 

Christopher Martin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Com Lag: 2+2=5 (Dig) (Audio CD)

Live tracks are nice. I don't think they add much to the songs like some of the live recordings on "I Might be Wrong" but their still nice

Remixes are fine. Some really different renditioning of some Hail to the Thief songs. One is even by Four Tet. That's neat.

B-sides is the reason to purchase this though. If you don't want to pay an absurd amount for expensive B-side CD's (which why the hell would you) then this alone makes a worth while purchase. I really like Fog (again), Citizen Insane, and Where Blue Birds Fly (not a Somewhere Over the Rainbow cover, more of an ambient electronic mass of bleeps and bloops. Apex Twin-esque) This makes the disc alone worth the fifteen dollars.

Not to mention the album art on the inside is actually really clever and funny. And I guess there's a live video? Neat? If you watch videos off of Cd's (Yes all three of you) then there is one.

I can't whole heartedly give this a 5 seeing as though in some form of another all these songs have been previously released (including the remixes); but that aside, buy this, especially if you haven't heard these songs before.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars... a 'must-have' for any Radiohead fan, March 1, 2008

By 

Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Com Lag: 2+2=5 (Dig) (Audio CD)

Radiohead is not shy about issuing its B-sides and other assorted "left-overs". "My Iron Lung" is one of the best examples, "Airbag/How Am I Driving" is another. Not merely a single or an EP, but not quite yet an album's worth of music, these releases are hard to classify. After the release of "Hail to the Thief", Radiohead issued another such "maxi-EP", but only for the Japanese market, namely "Com Lag"

"Com Lag" (10 tracks, 36 min.) was originally released in 2004 in Japan, but finally re-released for wider audiences in 2007. This compilation is a hotch-potch of (then) unreleased tracks, B-sides, live tracks and remixes, and so not surprisingly this is all over the place. It starts off very strongly with a live version of "2+2=5" (from London's Earl Court in November '03). The outstanding instrumental "I Am Citizen Insane" reminds me musically of the Thom Yorke solo album "The Eraser". Other highlights for me are "Paperbag Writer" (which is the best track on here for me personally), "Gagging Order" (just Thom Yorke and acoustic guitar), "Fog (Again") (just Thom and piano; recorded live) ; "I Am a Wicked Child" and the closer "Where Bluebirds Fly". I can do without the 2 remixed HTTT tracks: a nervous remix of "Myxomatosis", and a slightly better remix of "Scatterbrain".

In the end, "Com Lag" reflects both the scattered sense of these types of grab-all compilations and the scattered sense of the Hail to the Thief album. However, if you are a Radiohead fan, you will cherish this release. (Last but not least, I stumbled upon this recently while browsing in the used CD bin at my local indie-record store, and picked this up for only $7.99!)

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 actually. Not a perfect album, but damn close, July 4, 2004

By 

omar r. (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Com Lag: 2+2=5 (Audio CD)

This CD takes all the best b-sides from Hail To The Thief singles. The worst song on this album has to be 'Remyxomatosis', which is just...wrong. Not all of the other versions of HTTT are mistakes though. I personally prefer the live '2+2=5', the Los Angeles version of 'I Will', and the 'Scatterbrain' remix over the album versions. The "You have not been paying attention" part of '2+2=5' is done with all the energy that the album version should've had. The b-sides 'I Am A Wicked Child', and 'I Am Citizen Insane' are probably both equal, but the latter may be a bit repetitive for some. 'Paperbag Writer' definitely takes some getting used to, and even once you're used to it you probably won't like it much. It's really eerie sounding. 'Gagging Order' and the live version of 'Fog (Again)' are both beautiful, sad songs. They make this EP worth it for me. I always stop the CD before 'Where Bluebirds Fly' because it's just messed up. It starts with a click beat then comes in with what sounds like cluster chords on some weird synth thing, and then has strings that come in over top of the frenzy, except it's slower and seems out of place. It definitely creates the feeling of bluebirds though.

Overall, I actually like this more than HTTT. If you do plan on getting this, I suggest that you don't buy it on Amazon, because I bought it for $13 canadian, and I've seen it in other stores for a max of $19 canadian.