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Radio Retaliation

Thievery Corporation Format: Audio CD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 229 ratings
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MP3 Music, September 23, 2008
$11.49
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$70.68
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Audio CD, September 23, 2008
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's ironic that a band with its musical head so firmly in the clouds thinks so much about what’s happening down here on Terra Firma. Yet, that’s what Thievery Corporation's Radio Retaliation is all about. The musical approach is the same; just as they have on releases like 2005's The Cosmic Game, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton still bring the dub-oriented beats, silky textures, world musicology and outer spacescapes. And while Thievery Corp have always been tuned into the strange currents and impulses of the now, words have never been so central to their work. Femi Kuti lets loose on Africa's long, sad history of oppression on "Vampires" while Seu Jorge preaches the gospel of peace on "Hare Krisna." Both those tracks are killers, but the record has a way of topping itself. In the midst of all the charged slogans and lullaby charm (listen to LouLou's Gallic flow on "Le Femme Parallel" for an example of the latter), Garza and Hilton will drop a celestial bomb like the painfully gorgeous "The Shining Path." So, while there's no missing how politically engaged they are (the liner notes include relevant words of wisdom from a range of open minds including Einstein, John Lee Hooker and Mos Def), Thievery Corp can still help us return to the serenity of nothing. --Matthew Cooke

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 5.55 x 0.63 inches; 3.32 ounces
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ ESL MUSIC
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 795103014022
  • SPARS Code ‏ : ‎ DDD
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ July 29, 2008
  • Label ‏ : ‎ ESL MUSIC
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001DDBD72
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 229 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
229 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

hemmster
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album!
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2012
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First I would like to say that this album is phenominal! My only gripe with the CD itself was that it was packaged in a very rugged case made out of cardboard. The actual CD was inside a giant album cover poster, but the CD was not well supported inside its housing and as a result, was warped when i inspected it. The CD will not download or play properly because it has skips on the warped parts. Just as a warning this CD came in a very cool case, but not a very safe or practical one. I am currently returning my copy but I'm going to replace it immediately!

I don't want to deter anyone from buying this album. It is great! Just a fair warning on the packaging of the CD..
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SNJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Great "world" music album from TC
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021
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One of my favorite albums from thievery corporation. I believe they did a fantastic job when this was released in 2008. Still holds up quite well in my opinion.
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A Forest Fan
5.0 out of 5 stars Blasting through the city tonight...
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2015
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I love hearing Notch on "Blastin' through the City", so a great mood set by his singing. The highlight of the album is included almost as an afterthought at the end, "Sweet Tides" featuring LouLou Ghelickani. My CD came with a fold out Thievery poster, try to get that edition if you can.
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Super_K
4.0 out of 5 stars Good music; bizarre (and not so good) CD case!!
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2015
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**Intro**
Thievery Corporation is based on Washington, DC, but is operated by only two guys, and then they find a whole bunch of guest singers **from around the world** (and I really mean everywhere) to help them make their music. The result is music that I can only really call "World" in genre if I'm quickly summarizing it all, but there are distinct elements from something like 10 genres here. Get excited about this!!

**The music**
You'll hear songs on this album that have distinct elements of Reggae, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Dub, Electronic, Turntable-ism, Latin American formal dance, and probably others that I'm not recognizing. The Reggae songs have Reggae style beat and vocals, but may have accompanying melodies that are more Electronic for example, such as the first song. This is what makes Thievery Corporation super unique.

The lyrics and sounds in the music cover themes that range from political protest and revolution like Sound The Alarm and Radio Retaliation to sexy, super chill music with female vocals, like Beautiful Drug and La Femme Parallel. Generally, the album as a whole seems suggestive of a elite, expensive, classy, formal dance club on the surface, but if you listen carefully to it, the lyrics are about sophisticated political and social issues confronted by our modern society.

**My take on this album compared to other TC work**
Though this music on this album is certainly good, and has been/will continue to be popular with Thievery Corporation fans, I feel like there is more political drama and musical creativity in some of their other albums like Culture of Fear, Cosmic Game, and Outernational Sound. I certainly like this album, but I just like the others more. If you are new to TC, check and see if you like any of the other albums better if you are looking for more dramatic, psychedelic, and unusual stuff.

**The weird CD case**
As certain other reviewers have mentioned, the CD case for the CD version of this album is very unusual. It consists of a corregated carboard sleeve with the design printed on the brown corrugated cardboard, a generous sized booklet inside that is kinda neat, and the CD just loose inside the cardboard sleeve, and not very protected. Additionally, the cardboard sleeve is taller than a normal jewel case, so it probably won't fit in your CD rack, even if you have slots designed for double albums, because it's just way taller than a normal CD. Though it is creative, it's not very practical.

**Verdict**
The music is good, and indicative of Thievery Corporation's typical work, and for this, it is great, but due to the things I mentioned about the music not being as interesting on this album, and the strange design of the CD case, I'm giving this four stars. If you are a TC fan, you should still buy this album, definitely. If you are a first timer, you should preview some other albums before pulling the trigger on buying this one, and make sure that this is your favorite one. Finally, look out for the weird case, and go see these guys and their associates live if you can;l they are really great to see in person!!
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Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful album, great recording
Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2020
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Crystal clear recording. A classic TC album worth adding to the collection.
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Jerian
5.0 out of 5 stars Still Great
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2008
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I have been a Thievery Fan for a few years now. Few other Bands can incorporate as many different instruments and styles/vocalists as they do and still come off with a great album as Radio Retaliation! If you like the more progressive underground scene and appreciate a move away from the cookie cutter pop scene where innovation and talent rule over sex appeal and glossy videos than this is for you.
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CHollrah
5.0 out of 5 stars Uhhh, Yeah!
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2017
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If you're reading this, then you're probably already a Thievery Corporation fan. If so (or even if not), your music collection os not complete without this album. BUY IT!
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ooime
5.0 out of 5 stars radio retaliation
Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2011
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I had never heard of Thievery Corporation until i heard them at a friends home. Radio Retaliation was the CD and just loved it straight away. Bought the CD and play it constantly. Great brass and tribal tunes, buy it you'll love it too.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mr. Cohete
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente Disco!
Reviewed in Mexico on May 5, 2021
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Este disco fue con el que conocí a Thievery corporation. Es un excelente disco, siempre lo busqué. Simplemente genial, un disco que deleita a cualquier persona que se digne a escucharlo. Ampliamente recomendado.
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igloo
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, dances with your ears, reference sound quality, a tour d’force of sound quality CD 5* Vinyl 2*
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2021
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Vinyl Review - interim review until sound quality evaluated

Terrible unlined scratchy paper sleeves, both records have some warping. Despite ultrasonic clean some surface noise, needs full 3 deep cleans. Test listen 2** only, flat lifeless. heavily compressed sounds like cut from poor CD except that the CD sounds better! - May be an AVOID. Full review to follow

CD Review

The punch, crispness, clarity , driving bass and percussion, allied with the floating eastern tones, then add the uber sexy horns. What a recording, the sound quality is outstanding.

A watershed recording that stands at the crossroads of the early lounge sounds and the later more political offerings. This recording is often overlooked yet the sound quality is outstanding. The sound ebbs and flows, relaxes then drives. Add to the mix the cutting lyrics and you’ve got a winner.

A must have for any collection to test the abilities of your hifi.

I have not set out to write reviews of the music content as “beauty is in the ears of the listener”. These reviews are about the quality (or not) of the recorded sound. To read about how the reviews are done please see my profile.

• Clarity - Staggering
• Channel separation - excellent
• Channel balance – a stunning mix, uses the channels like an instrument, dancing with your ears
• Sound Stage – very, very good, artificial but what a stereo image. So wide, high and deep like having your own private performance. Effects are used carefully to enhance the experience
• Distortion – non audible
• Compression – not too loud, great frequency and dynamic range, not overly limited
• Atmosphere – ranges from deep bass, aggressive lounge to light touch eastern sounds. Floating atmosphere but with deep pounding undertones
• Bass – low frequencies – wow stunning, driving, pulsing, dominating but with light gentle eastern tones. However the bass will pound you into submission as it is so clear. The assorted percussion has the ability to rattle windows. The bass guitar is sparse but lays down the fundamental beats which are clear and detailed. From the opening the bass and percussion on this recording is impressive
• Treble – high frequencies – so clear and detailed, the tablas ring and resonate, the guitars “scratch” the rhythms on the reggae tracks. The snare and cymbals sounds are the only weak items on this recording. They are in reality not that weak it is just that everything else is staggeringly good
• Vocals – crisp, clean, clear with an edge that adds credibility to the political undercurrent of the lyrics. Not overly echoed or reverb-ed.

As a general rule of thumb recordings from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s are nearly always better on the original vinyl. Remasters often fail to please as it’s just not possible to make a silk purse from a sows ear, i.e. the original recording lacks the necessary detail to be processed digitally and show an audible improvement. Indeed such processing can make the sound worse.

Modern recordings which have been processed digitally from start to finish can be as good as vinyl. CD’s are often unfairly criticised for being poor quality. This is not the case, it is the original recording or the process which is to blame. Modern “remasters” can both enhance and degrade a recording. The statement GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out) is the limiting factor. Ignore this at your cost.
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Maxime VE
5.0 out of 5 stars Très bien
Reviewed in France on April 29, 2021
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Groupe découvert par hasard mais très belle surprise, excellent album à découvrir ainsi que les autres
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Claudia Berardi
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb production
Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2019
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One of my favourite TC albums, I had to get the vinyl version. I am not disappointed!
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Torsten
5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the roots
Reviewed in Germany on March 24, 2009
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Nach dem die letzten beiden Alben der Thievery Corporation, "Versions" und "Cosmic Game" wesentlich elektronischer ausgefallen sind, kehrt das Downbeat-Duo aus Washington D. C. wieder zu seinen Wurzeln zurück. "Radio Retaliation" erinnert musikalisch wieder mehr an das Thievery-Meisterwerk "Richest man in Babylon", kommt allerdings nicht an die Klasse dieser Downbeat-Perle heran.

Musikalisch liegt das Hauptaugenmerk wieder auf den "Revolution-Sound", den man aus den älteren Thievery Corp. Alben kennt. "Radio Retaliation" bietet eine gelungene Mischung aus Downbeat mit Einschlägen aus Raggae, Jazz und orientalischen Klängen. Abgerundet wird das Ganze mit einer ordentlichen Prise guter Sängerinnen und Sänger. Zweifellos kann man "Radio Retaliation" als das abwechslungsreichste Thievery-Album bezeichnen. Keiner der 15 Songs gleicht dem Anderen und auch die Mischung aus Instrumental- und gesungenen Songs ist mehr als gelungen und sehr spannend abgemischt. Die saubere Produktion, mit teilweise treibenden Bässen rundet das Ganze gekonnt ab. Die Songs sind überwiegend im beruhigenden Mid-Tempo-Bereich angesiedelt, einige tanzbare Up-Tempo-Nummern werden aber auch angeboten. Demnach eignet sich die CD hervorragend für schöne Abende zu zweit oder auch beim Autofahren ;-)

Die stärksten Songs des Albums sind, meiner Meinung nach, der Opener "Sound the alarm" und "Radio Retaliation", die beide mit flotten, coolen Raggae-Grooves aus den Boxen stampfen, das eindeutig kubanisch angehauchte "Pueblo Unido" (ist meiner Meinung nach der beste Song des Albums), die wunderschönen Balladen "Beautyful Drug" und "Sweet Tides" und Last but not least das französische "Femme Parallel".

Die Verpackung/das Cover ist ebenfalls sehr gelungen. Diese besteht komplett aus geklebtem Papp-Karton (kein DigiPack), in welches das gefaltete Booklet, samt CD, geschoben ist. Das ausgefaltete Booklet kommt auf eine stattliche Postergröße von 60x60 cm.

Alles in allem sollte sich kein Thievery Corporation Fan den neuen Longplayer nicht entgehen lassen. Der neue Silberling bietet 56 Minuten extrem coole und groovige Musik. Alle anderen, die sich mit chilliger Musik und Downbeat anfreunden können, sollten hier allerdings auch mal reinhören und wer es noch nicht haben sollte, sich auch gleich die "Richest man in Babylon" ebenfalls zulegen.
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