In Rainbows by Radiohead is one of the best and most influential albums of the 00's, certainly one of the Top 10 rock albums of the decade and not to be missed. It must be enjoyed with the best possible sound quality on vinyl where the best mastering of this masterpiece can be heard. In Rainbows won the Grammy Awards Best Alternative Music Album in 2009.

Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rated 336/500

2009 Grammy Award Winner for Best Alternative Music Album

Rated 4.5/5 Music and 4.5/5 Sound by The Absolute Sound


Variously hailed as "the best band in the world" (Q Magazine), "Rock's best live band" (Rolling Stone) and No. 1 of Spin's 40 Most Influential Artists, Radiohead has arguably become the most acclaimed and adventurous force in modern music.

In Rainbows, as a title, implies a sense of comfort and delightfulness. Symbolically, rainbows are more likely to be associated with kittens and warm blankets than the grim and glum circumstances Radiohead is known for soundtracking. There's a slight, if expected, twist at play. The band is more than familiar with the unpleasant moods associated with colors like red, green, and blue -- all of which, of course, are colors within a rainbow -- all of which are present, and even mentioned, during the album. On a couple levels, then, In Rainbows is not any less fitting as a Radiohead album title than "Myxomatosis" as a Radiohead song title.

The one aspect of the album that becomes increasingly perceptible with each listen is how romantic it feels, albeit in the way that one might find the bioport scenes in David Cronenberg's to be extremely hot and somewhat unsettling. Surprisingly, some of the album's lyrics are even more personal/universal and straightforward than anything on The Eraser, the album made by singer Thom Yorke and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The album is very song-oriented, with each track constantly moving forward and developing. Yet there are also abstract electronic layers and studio-as-instrument elements to prevent it from sounding like a regression. In Rainbows will be remembered as Radiohead's most stimulating synthesis of accessible songs and abstract sounds, rather than the world's first pick-your-price download.

The band had worked on In Rainbows for more than two years, beginning in early 2005. In between recording, the band toured Europe and North America for three months in mid-2006. The announcement of details about the album led to media attention centered around the band's decision to first release the album online as a digital download for which fans could decide the price they paid.

The album release marks the band's first album after the end of their contract with EMI and the end of the longest gap between studio albums in their career. Upon its initial release as a digital download, the album earned widespread critical acclaim, though the commercial success of the web-released album is still unclear. However, In Rainbows entered the UK Album Chart at number one upon its retail release, and also topped the US Billboard 200 chart.

Yorke, in reference to the lyrical content on the album, has said "It's about that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, 'I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else'... it's similar to OK Computer in a way. It's much more terrifying. But OK Computer was terrifying too—some of the lyrics were."

"...the heavyweight vinyl pressing that makes the investment worthwhile. With the newly widened soundstage, 'Nude' is nearly cinematic in scope...and Thom Yorke's relaxed vocals have never sounded better anywhere or on any format." - Andy Downing, The Absolute Sound


Track Listing:

01. 15 Step
02. Bodysnatchers
03. Nude
04. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
05. All I Need
06. Faust Arp
07. Reckoner
08. House of Cards
09. Jigsaw Falling into Place
10. Videotape

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫