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45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great music, but for whom is this intended?, June 3, 2008
Music: 5 stars.... Compilation: 3 stars
When Radiohead decided with the "In Rainbows" album not to re-up with EMI, it was only a matter of time before the label would squeeze a few more drops out of the money machine that Radiohead was for EMI. The label simply had to find a good time and excuse to do so, and that time has come now (new tour!). The band has made clear that it has nothing to do with this "best of", all the while also acknowledging that EMI has the legal right to do this. Now the question is: is this compilation any good?
"The Best of Radiohead: Special Edition" (2 CDs, 30 tracks, 135 min.) is a very generous overview of Radiohead's best songs from the 7 albums it recorded for EMI. CD1 (17 tracks; 76 min.) brings the "greatest hits", and hence not surprisingly focuses on tracks from three albums: a whopping 6 tracks from 1995's commercial breakthrough album "The Bends", including the singles Just, My Iron Lung, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Street Spirit (Fade Out) and also the fabulous title track. 1997's "OK Computer" album, viewed by many as one of the most important albums of the 90s, gets 4 tracks, including the singles Paranoid Android, Karma Police, No surprises, and also Lucky. 2000's so-called experimental "Kid A" album gets 3 tracks: Optimistic, Idioteque, and Everything In Its Right Place. With that, 75% of this "best of" compilation is filled. The remaining 3 studio albums get a mere 4 tracks: the monster hit Creep from 1993's "Pablo Honey"; Pyramid Song from 2001's "Amnesiac; and finally There There and 2+2=5 from 2004's "Hail to the Thief".
CD2 (13 tracks, 59 min.) brings deeper tracks from the various albums, and is just slightly more of a headscratcher to me than CD1. There are 2 singles that didn't make CD1 (Knives Out from "Amnesiac" and Go to Sleep from "Hail to the Thief"), and after that it's a bit all over the place: You and Anyone Can Play Guitar From "Pablo Honey"; Planet Telex from "The Bends" plus Talk Show Host, a B side of that era; Airbag, Let Down and Exit Music (For a Film) from "OK Computer"; The National Anthem and How To Disappear Completely from "Kid A"; I Might Be Wrong and Knives Out from "Amnesiac"; and even the live mini-album "I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings" is represented with "True Love Waits".
In all, while it is always possible to split hairs and argue over the selection of the tracks, it is difficult to be upset with the final result. EMI actually did a pretty good job of it! I will say that I am not crazy with the sequencing of the album. I would have preferred a chronological sequencing, for one. Notice that on CD1 the 3 tracks from "Kid A" are scattered and buried in the second half for some reason. For anyone not all that familiar with Radiohead, if you are wondering whether to buy this, or to buy the single CD, I would urge to buy the single CD compilation. If you like what you hear there, the next step is to explore the individual studio albums of Radiohead. I have no idea to whom the 2CD Special Edition is marketed to, to be honest. The causal Radiohead fan doesn't need that much and the rabbit Radiohead fan already has all of this. But the music is fantastic, let there be not doubt about it.
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A compilation done right, June 3, 2008
On Amazon U.K., a number of Radiohead fans are already complaining that this compilation is unwarranted, unnecessary and unjust, and I'm sure they'll be doing the same here soon. Many of these fans argue that Radiohead should not be anthologized because their albums should be heard as albums, not as parts of a collection. While I can respect that opinion to a point, Radiohead has released singles for every album, and I see no reason why those singles can't be anthologized for neophytes. Almost every band in history has been anthologized at some point. Why is Radiohead different? What makes them above a "greatest hits" collection? Even Pink Floyd has had the compilation treatment, and they are the epitome of the difficult to anthologize, album-oriented band.
Sure, I'll agree that new fans should check out the individual Radiohead albums (especially "The Bends," "OK Computer" & "Kid A"), but what's wrong with starting with this collection first? When I was younger, I was turned on to R.E.M. through the compilation "Eponymous;" I got into the Psychedelic Furs with "All of This and Nothing;" and I discovered Echo & the Bunnymen on "Songs to Learn and Sing." All of these bands were album-oriented artists, and hearing those collections made me go out and purchase the original albums by those bands. So, if you're already a die-hard Radiohead fan, obviously this compilation is not for you, but if you're new to the band, this is not a bad place to start.
Also, any fan could criticize certain omissions (for me, "Stop Whispering," "Morning Bell," and "You and Whose Army" were the most strangely M.I.A.), and certain albums get more exposure than others (seven songs from "The Bends" seems a bit excessive), but overall this compilation has a strong track selection. The track listing is a bit haphazard at times (a straightforward chronological order might have been preferable), but again, that's a minor complaint.
As for the also-prevalent fan criticism that this is a cash-grab from the record company, what compilation isn't? Record companies are in the business of making money (in exchange for promoting artists and bringing them to a wider audience), and I for one see nothing wrong with that, especially considering how many people download albums for free from P2P sites these days (wrong in my opinion), leaving record companies little choice but to try and make money wherever possible.
Finally, I like that this compilation is being issued as both a single-disc and a double-disc collection, depending on how interested you are in the band. If you've never heard anything besides "Creep" on modern rock radio, stick with the single-disc version. If, however, you've heard over half of the singles on the first disc, and you like them, you should probably consider getting the double-disc version. Overall, if you want a well-put-together collection by one of the most influential bands of the last fifteen years, ignore the naysayers and pick up this set. It's a great place to begin.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For everyone else (and you), June 4, 2008
Radiohead fans will want every complete release. Because everything they do IS the best of. Sure, this is a compilation of highlights, but Radiohead has never made anything less. There are no filler songs on a single one of their cds.
Of course, die-hard fans have to get it all. A special edition collectors booklet is just enough carrot. Even a little Radiohead goes a long way.
So who is this really for? Everyone else. Get this for the friend who thinks you're talking about a part of your stereo system when you mention the band's name. Best Of is for your lover who wants to know you better. It's for anyone who doesn't know Radiohead.
Everyone needs to know Radiohead.
And yes, this is for you, the fan, even though you already have every single thing they've ever released. Even though you know that the best of is this and the rest of. It's everything they've done, are doing, and will continue to do.
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album The Best Of 
