Radiohead Announce Digital Release of ‘Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009’

Radiohead are revisiting one of their most beloved albums, 2003’s electro-rock classic Hail to the Thief with a new live collection chronicling six years of performances of tracks from the Nigel Godrich-produced LP.

In an announcement on Wednesday (Aug. 13), the Thom Yorke-led group heralded the digital release of Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009, a 12-track compilation that helped the band “re-evaluate their relationship with their 6th studio album.”

“In the process of thinking of how to build arrangements for the Shakespeare Hamlet/Hail To The Thief theatre production, I asked to hear some archive live recordings of the songs,” said Yorke in a statement about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of the classic Shakespeare play cued to orchestrations by the band’s singer that ran in Manchester in April and May and at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in June of this year.

“I was shocked by the kind of energy behind the way we played. I barely recognised us, and it helped me find a way forward,” Yorke said. “We decided to get these live recordings mixed and released (it would have been insane to keep them for ourselves). It has all been a very cathartic process. We very much hope you enjoy them.”

Available now to stream, fans can pre-order the one-off vinyl pressing in limited-edition red colorway from independent record stores or in black or cyan vinyl from the band’s online store; the vinyl is due out on Oct. 31, click here to pre-order. The album, mixed by Ben Baptie and mastered by Matt Colton, features performances recorded in Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Dublin and London between 2003 and 2009.

Hail to the Thief debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart in June 2003 following a disruptive internet leak of the unfinished recordings two months before its initial release.

Check out the track list for Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009 and a live 2009 performance video of “There, There” from Buenos Aires below.

Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009 track list:

“2+ 2 +5”

“Sit Down. Stand Up”

“Sail to the Moon”

“Go to Sleep”

“Where I End and You Begin”

“We Suck Young Blood”

“The Gloaming”

“There, There”

“I Will”

“Myxomatosis”

“Scatterbrain”

“A Wolf at the Door”