Three years after the underground sensation that was Dub Side of the Moon, Easy Star Records presents their follow up: Radiodread, a similarly reggae'd up recording of Radiohead's OK Computer. As with the previous project, there are some tricky bits and some spots where the idea really shines.
Well, my original plan was to write yet another very glowing review of an album that I got on impulse. However, it's been a while since I've listened to it and the euphoria has worn off a step. It's actually pretty much what you'd expect. I was impressed at how well the heavy riffs and solo of "Paranoid Android" translated into blasts of horns, while the last few minutes of "Airbag" retain some swirly guitar wailing. The rewording of "Fitter, happier" made me smile quite a bit. Female vocals mix things up on "Paranoid Android" and "Climbing Up the Walls," which benefits from a haunting horn line and spooky dub echoes. A lot of the songs sound fairly similar to the originals, but reggae legends Toots & the Maytals take the mopey, atmospheric "Let Down" and turn it into one of their signature reggae/ska/gospel stomps. Purists might hate it, I love it. And what are purists doing buying a reggae tribute, anyway?
The downside is that if you've got OK Computer then there really isn't much that's new, besides "Fitter, happier."
Probably the coolest two things about this album are found in the liner notes: the album is [a]done entirely without samples and [b]done with Radiohead's permission and blessing.
Final Verdict: Great, but mostly as a novelty. It gets four stars because it's hard to go wrong with OK Computer

Recommended: Yes