Jump to content

The King of Limbs

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The King of Limbs
Studio album by
Released18 February 2011 (2011-02-18)
RecordedMay 2009 – January 2011
Studio
  • Home of Drew Barrymore (Los Angeles, California)
  • Radiohead studio (Oxfordshire)
Genre
Length37:34
Label
ProducerNigel Godrich
Radiohead chronology
In Rainbows – From the Basement
(2008)
The King of Limbs
(2011)
TKOL RMX 1234567
(2011)

The King of Limbs is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in North America.

Following the more conventional instrumentation of In Rainbows (2007), The King of Limbs saw Radiohead move further from standard song structures and recording methods. They developed it with their producer, Nigel Godrich, through sampling and looping. The singer, Thom Yorke, described it as "an expression of wildness and mutation". The artwork, by Yorke and his longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood, depicts nature and spirits inspired by fairy tales.

Radiohead released no singles from The King of Limbs, but released a music video for "Lotus Flower" featuring Yorke's dancing that inspired an internet meme. In 2012, they began an international tour, with several festival appearances. To perform the complex rhythms live, they enlisted a second drummer, Clive Deamer. The European tour was postponed after the temporary stage collapsed in Toronto's Downsview Park, killing the technician Scott Johnson and injuring three others.

Though its unconventional production and shorter length divided listeners, The King of Limbs was named one of the best albums of the year by publications including Rolling Stone, The Wire, NME and PopMatters. At the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, it was nominated in five categories, including Best Alternative Music Album. The download version sold more than 300,000 copies in two months, and the vinyl became a bestseller in the UK. The retail edition debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200. The King of Limbs is the only Radiohead album not to achieve gold certification in the US. It was followed by the remix album TKOL RMX 1234567, the live video The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement and the non-album singles "Supercollider" and "The Butcher".

Recording

[edit]
Jonny Greenwood wrote sampler software used to create The King of Limbs.

Radiohead worked on The King of Limbs intermittently from May 2009 to January 2011 with their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich.[1] The sessions included three weeks at the home of the actress Drew Barrymore in Los Angeles in early 2010.[2][3][4]

Radiohead wanted to avoid repeating the protracted recording process of their previous album In Rainbows (2007).[5] According to the singer, Thom Yorke, they felt that "if we are gonna carry on, we need to do it for a new set of reasons".[6] The cover artist, Stanley Donwood, said that whereas In Rainbows was "very much a definitive statement", Radiohead wanted to make an album that was more "transitory".[7] The multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood said: "We didn't want to pick up guitars and write chord sequences. We didn't want to sit in front of a computer either. We wanted a third thing, which involved playing and programming."[1]

Whereas Radiohead had developed In Rainbows from live performances, The King of Limbs developed from studio experimentation.[8] Yorke sought to move further from conventional recording methods.[1] After he and Godrich became interested in DJing during their time in Los Angeles, Godrich proposed a two-week experiment whereby the band used turntables and vinyl emulation software instead of conventional instruments.[1] According to Godrich, "That two-week experiment ended up being fucking six months. And that's that record, the whole story of all of it."[9]

Radiohead assembled much of the album by looping and editing samples of their playing using software written by Greenwood.[1][10] Yorke wrote melodies and lyrics over the sequences,[11] which he likened to the process of editing a film.[12] The guitarist Ed O'Brien said: "The brick walls we tended to hit were when we knew something was great, like 'Bloom', but not finished ... Then [Colin Greenwood] had that bassline, and Thom started singing. Those things suddenly made it a hundred times better."[1] According to Godrich, the result of the recording sessions was a "gigantic mess that took me about a year and a half to unravel".[13]

On 24 January 2010, Radiohead suspended recording to perform at the Hollywood Henry Fonda Theatre to raise funds for Oxfam responding to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The show was released free online that December as Radiohead for Haiti, and included a performance of the King of Limbs track "Lotus Flower" by Yorke on acoustic guitar.[14] In February, at a benefit concert in aid of the Green Party, Yorke performed songs including "Separator" (then titled "Mouse Dog Bird") and "Give Up the Ghost".[15] An acoustic performance by Yorke of "Morning Mr Magpie" was previously released on the 2004 DVD The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time.[16]

Music and lyrics

[edit]
The album title derives from the King of Limbs, an ancient tree in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire.

Yorke said The King of Limbs was a "visual" album, with lyrics and artwork about "wildness" and "mutating" inspired by his environmental concerns.[17] The title derives from the King of Limbs, an ancient oak tree in Savernake Forest in Wiltshire, near Tottenham House, where Radiohead recorded In Rainbows.[18]

According to Rolling Stone, The King of Limbs saw Radiohead move further from conventional rock music and song structures in favour of "moody, rhythm-heavy electronica, glacially paced ballads and ambient psychedelia".[19] Several critics noted dubstep influences.[20][21][22] The album features extensive sampling, looping, and ambient sounds,[23][24][25] including natural sounds such as birdsong and wind.[26] Pitchfork said it comprised "aggressive rhythms made out of dainty bits of digital detritus, robotically repetitive yet humanly off-kilter, parched thickets of drumming graced with fleeting moments of melodic relief".[27] O'Brien said "rhythm is the king of limbs", and that rhythm "dictates the record".[28]

The first track, "Bloom", was inspired by the BBC nature documentary series The Blue Planet.[29] It opens with a piano loop and features horns and complex rhythms.[26][30] "Morning Mr Magpie" has "restless guitars".[26] "Little by Little" features "crumbling guitar shapes" and "clattering" percussion.[30] "Feral" features scattered vocal samples[24] and "mulched-up" drums.[30] "Lotus Flower" features a driving synth bassline and Yorke's falsetto.[26] "Codex" is a piano ballad with "spectral" horns and strings[26] and a Roland TR-808 drum machine.[3] "Give Up the Ghost" is an acoustic guitar ballad with layered vocal harmonies.[26] The final track, "Separator", has guitar, piano, a "brittle" drum loop and echoing vocals.[26]

At eight tracks and 37 minutes in length, The King of Limbs is Radiohead's shortest album.[31] O'Brien explained that Radiohead felt the ideal album was around 40 minutes long, and cited Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971) as a classic record shorter than The King of Limbs.[32]

Artwork and packaging

[edit]

The King of Limbs artwork was created by Yorke with Radiohead's longtime collaborator Stanley Donwood.[33] As with previous Radiohead albums, Donwood worked as the band recorded nearby.[34] He painted oil portraits of the Radiohead members in the style of Gerhard Richter, but abandoned them as "I'd never painted with oils before and I'm not Gerhard Richter so it was just a series of painted disasters".[35] Instead, the music made Donwood think of "immense multicoloured cathedrals of trees, with music echoing from the branches whilst strange fauna lurked in the fog".[34] He and Yorke drew trees with eyes, limbs, mouths, and familiars,[34] creating "strange multi-limbed creatures" inspired by Northern European fairy tales.[36]

For the special edition of The King of Limbs, Donwood wanted to create something "in a state of flux".[34] He chose newspaper, which fades in sunlight, for its ephemeral nature.[36] This reflected the album's nature themes, mirroring the natural decay of living things.[34] Donwood took inspiration from weekend broadsheets[36] and underground 1960s newspapers and magazines such as Oz and International Times.[34] The special edition includes a sheet of artwork on blotting paper of the kind used to distribute LSD; Donwood said, "In theory, not that I would propose such an illegal thing, but somebody could ... And I don't think that's been done as a marketing thing before."[37] The special edition was nominated for the Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 54th Grammy Awards.[38]

Release and promotion

[edit]
Singer Thom Yorke distributed a free newspaper promoting The King of Limbs at Rough Trade in London

Radiohead announced The King of Limbs on their website on 14 February 2011.[39] It was released on 18 February, a day early, as the website was ready ahead of schedule.[19] The download version was sold for £6.[40] A special edition, released on 9 May, was sold for £30.[40] It contained the album on CD and two 10-inch vinyl records, additional artwork, a special record sleeve and oxo-degradable plastic packaging.[40]

The NME reporter Matt Wilkinson argued that the surprise release was "a stroke of genius" that created excitement and "made being a fan seem like you're part of a brilliant, exclusive club".[15] However, the NME deputy editor, Martin Robison, dismissed it as a promotional exercise: "the pose of anti-consumerism to win fans, then the total exploitation of that loyalty via consumerist means".[15]

On the day of the release, Radiohead released a music video for "Lotus Flower" on YouTube,[19] featuring black-and-white footage of Yorke dancing. It was directed by Garth Jennings and choreographed by Wayne McGregor.[41] The video inspired the "Dancing Thom Yorke" internet meme, whereby fans replaced the audio or edited the visuals,[42] and "#thomdance" became a trending hashtag on Twitter.[43] A promotional broadcast in Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, was canceled due to security concerns.[44]

The King of Limbs was released on CD and vinyl on March 28 by XL Recordings in the UK, TBD in the US and Hostess Entertainment in Japan.[45][46] To promote the release, Radiohead distributed a free newspaper, the Universal Sigh, at independent record shops across the world.[47] Donwood and Yorke distributed copies in person at the Rough Trade shop in East London.[48] Influenced by free newspapers such as LA Weekly or London Lite, the Universal Sigh is a 12-page tabloid printed using web-offset lithography on newsprint paper.[49] It features artwork, poetry and lyrics, plus short stories by Donwood, Jay Griffiths and Robert Macfarlane.[50]

Sales

[edit]

On the Radiohead website, where it was exclusively available for nearly two months prior to its retail release, The King of Limbs sold between 300,000 and 400,000 download copies.[1] Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford estimated that Radiohead made more money from The King of Limbs than any of their previous albums, as most sales were made through their website without a record company.[1]

The retail edition debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart,[51] ending Radiohead's streak of five consecutive number-one UK albums,[52] and sold 33,469 copies in its first week.[51] The vinyl edition, excluding special edition sales, sold more than 20,000 copies in the UK in the first half of 2011, 12% of all vinyl sold in that period,[53] and became the bestselling vinyl album of 2011.[34] As of April 2015, it was the decade's second-bestselling vinyl in the UK.[54]

In the US, the retail edition debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 69,000 copies.[55] The following week, it reached number three, its highest position, selling 67,000 copies.[56] By April 2012, The King of Limbs had sold 307,000 retail copies in the US, making it Radiohead's first album not to achieve gold certification there.[1] This was credited to the surprise release; Radiohead's co-manager Bryce Edge said some fans did not realise Radiohead had released a new record.[1]

Further releases

[edit]

On 16 April 2011, Radiohead released more tracks from the King of Limbs sessions, "Supercollider" and "The Butcher", as a double single for Record Store Day. Radiohead released both tracks as free downloads for those who had purchased The King of Limbs from their website.[57] In June, Radiohead announced a series of King of Limbs remixes by various electronic artists, released as vinyl singles.[58] Yorke said Radiohead had wanted to experiment with the music further by giving it to remixers, and liked the idea that it was not "fixed and set in stone".[59] The remixes were compiled on the album TKOL RMX 1234567, released that September.[60]

Radiohead performed The King of Limbs in its entirety for The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement, broadcast in July and released on DVD and Blu-ray in December.[61][62] Godrich said the performance was an effort to record the "very mechanised" album again and show it in a new light.[63] On 11 February 2014, Radiohead released an app, Polyfauna, featuring music and imagery from The King of Limbs.[64]

In 2017, Radiohead collaborated with the composer Hans Zimmer to record a new version of "Bloom" for the BBC nature documentary series Blue Planet II. The track, "(ocean) bloom", features new vocals by Yorke recorded alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra. In a press release, Yorke said that "Bloom" had been inspired by the original Blue Planet series and that it was "great to be able to come full circle with the song".[29]

Tour

[edit]

Radiohead did not perform The King of Limbs live until several months after its release, as Yorke wanted to continue studio work and it took some time to arrange the album for performance.[1] To perform the complex rhythms, they enlisted a second drummer, Clive Deamer, who had worked with Portishead and Get the Blessing. Selway said: "That was fascinating. One played in the traditional way, the other almost mimicked a drum machine. It was push-and-pull, like kids at play, really interesting."[65] Deamer joined Radiohead for subsequent tours.[66]

On 24 June 2011, Radiohead played a surprise performance on the Park stage at Glastonbury Festival, performing mainly new material. The Guardian critic Rosie Swash gave the performance a mixed review, saying the audience had hoped for older songs.[67] In September, Radiohead played two dates at New York City's Roseland Ballroom and performed on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live and an hour-long special of The Colbert Report.[68][69][70] In 2012, Radiohead toured Europe, North America and Asia, with appearances at the Bonnaroo, Coachella and Fuji Rock festivals.[71] They played mainly arenas, as O'Brien said the "precise and detailed" King of Limbs material would not suit outdoor venues.[72]

On 16 June 2012, the stage collapsed during the setup for a show at Toronto's Downsview Park, killing the drum technician Scott Johnson and injuring three other members of Radiohead's road crew.[73] After rescheduling the tour, Radiohead paid tribute to Johnson and their stage crew at their next concert, in Nîmes, France, in July.[74] In 2013, Live Nation Canada Inc, two other organisations and an engineer were charged with 13 charges.[75] Following a delay caused by mistrial, the case was dropped in 2017 under the Jordan ruling, which puts time limits on cases.[75] A 2019 inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.[76]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[77]
Metacritic80/100[78]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[23]
The A.V. ClubB+[79]
Entertainment WeeklyB[80]
The Guardian[81]
The Independent[82]
NME7/10[83]
Pitchfork7.9/10[30]
Q[84]
Rolling Stone[85]
Spin8/10[86]

At Metacritic, which aggregates scores from mainstream critics, The King of Limbs has an average score of 80 based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[78] Michael Brodeur of the Boston Globe praised "the tense calm these eight songs maintain—a composure that feels constantly ready to crack", and wrote that "where In Rainbows was mellow but brisk – an album that felt on its way somewhere – these songs are eerie and insidious, creeping like shadows".[87] PopMatters' Corey Beasley wrote: "The King of Limbs is a beautiful record, one that begs more of a conscious listen than its predecessor, but one that provides equal – if different – thrills in doing so."[88]

François Marchand of the Vancouver Sun said The King of Limbs "bridges Radiohead's many different styles" and was "worth embracing".[89] The critic Robert Christgau awarded it a two-star "honourable mention" and recommended the songs "Little by Little" and "Bloom".[90] The Quietus critic Ben Graham felt it could be Radiohead's best work, writing that it returned to the style of their albums Kid A and Amnesiac with "a greater maturity and weight of experience that enriches both the songs and the process".[91]

Some felt The King of Limbs was less innovative than Radiohead's prior albums. Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork wrote that it was "well-worn terrain for Radiohead, and while it continues to yield rewarding results, the band's signature game-changing ambition is missed".[30] The AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "Radiohead doing what they do ... without flash or pretension, gently easing from the role of pioneers to craftsmen".[23] Luke Lewis of NME felt it was "a record to respect for its craft, rather than worship for its greatness".[83]

In the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers wrote that The King of Limbs had divided listeners, with some finding it too low-key, abstract, or "doomy", or too similar to Radiohead's previous work.[25] Some fans, having waited years for the follow-up to In Rainbows, were disappointed by a shorter album that felt "relatively dashed together". Unfounded rumours spread of a second album soon to be released,[92] bolstered by the lyrics of the final track, "Separator": "If you think this is over then you're wrong".[93]

Accolades

[edit]

The King of Limbs was named one of the best albums of 2011 by several publications, including the Wire,[94] the Guardian,[95] Mojo,[96] NME,[97] PopMatters,[98] Uncut[99] and Rolling Stone.[100] At the 54th Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. "Lotus Flower" was nominated for Best Short Form Music Video, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.[38]

Legacy

[edit]

In a 2015 article for Stereogum, Ryan Leas concluded that The King of Limbs was "very good, occasionally great music by a pivotal band that nevertheless felt like something of a letdown because it wasn't, ultimately, some genius stroke none of us expected".[92] Many listeners preferred The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement,[93] including Leas, who wrote: "You hear muscle and movement and bodies existing where the now tapped-out ingenuity of Radiohead's electronic impulses has begun to make their recorded music brittle."[92] Writing for the New Republic in 2016, Ryan Kearney criticised Yorke's use of idioms, which he felt had worked on previous albums but less so on the "musically diffuse" and less "transportive" King of Limbs.[101]

In 2021, the Consequence of Sound critic Jordan Blum and the Stereogum writer Chris DeVille wrote that The King of Limbs remained Radiohead's most divisive record.[93][102] Some fans found it too short,[93] or too "shallow and ephemeral".[102] Blum and DeVille attributed the disappointment to expectations set by the "warm and approachable" In Rainbows,[93] whose innovative pay-what-you-want release had boosted Radiohead's influence.[102] DeVille also speculated that the running order, with the less accessible songs on the first half, had lost some listeners.[93] In 2024, Rolling Stone named The King of Limbs one of the 50 most disappointing albums, writing that it had followed perhaps the "best 12-year runs in rock history". However, they wrote that it was nonetheless "sensational" and "would be seen as a masterpiece if almost anyone else had released it".[103]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Radiohead.

The King of Limbs track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Bloom"5:15
2."Morning Mr Magpie"4:41
3."Little by Little"4:27
4."Feral"3:13
5."Lotus Flower"5:01
6."Codex"4:47
7."Give Up the Ghost"4:50
8."Separator"5:20
Total length:37:34

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications and sales

[edit]
Sales certifications for The King of Limbs
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[119] Gold 40,000^
Spain 2,287[120]
United Kingdom (BPI)[121] Gold 100,000^
United States 370,000[122]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Fricke, David (26 April 2012). "Radiohead reconnect". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 17 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  2. ^ Michaels, Sean (23 March 2011). "Did Radiohead record King of Limbs at Drew Barrymore's house?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Gilles Peterson, Four Tet sits in". BBC Radio 6 Music. 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Have Radiohead recorded a new album in Hollywood?". NME. 4 February 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  5. ^ Rodrigo Davies (21 June 2010). "Ed O'Brien says band have changed direction with new material". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 June 2010. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  6. ^ "'Everything in Its Right Place' interview outtake: "Outtake from my recent @npratc interview with Thom and Ed. About the weirdness of celebrity"". All Things Considered. NPR. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  7. ^ "Take Cover: Radiohead: The King of Limbs". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 5 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  8. ^ Oliveira, Michael (20 September 2010). "Radiohead going back to the studio to 'take stock' of new recorded material". The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  9. ^ Greene, Andy (8 June 2017). "19 Things We Learned Hanging Out With Radiohead". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ^ Buxton, Adam (7 July 2013). "Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood and Adam Buxton sit in, Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  11. ^ Al tuntún (2 September 2011). "Uno tiene que encontrar su voz". Archived from the original on 29 November 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  12. ^ "Everything In Its Right Place". All Things Considered. 7 October 2011. NPR.
  13. ^ Snapes, Laura (25 February 2020). "Nigel Godrich: your questions answered on Radiohead, Macca and Marmite". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  14. ^ Appleford, Steve (25 January 2010). "Radiohead Rock For Haiti at Small Los Angeles Benefit Show". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Lewis, Luke (26 February 2011). "Radiohead's royal return". NME.
  16. ^ "Ranking: every Radiohead song from worst to best". Consequence. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  17. ^ "'Everything in Its Right Place' interview outtake: "Another outtake from my @Radiohead interview on @npratc with Thom and Ed. What's The King of Limbs about?"". All Things Considered. NPR. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  18. ^ Goodwyn, Tom (16 February 2011). "Radiohead unveil first King of Limbs band photo". NME. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Matthews, Perpetua (18 February 2011). "Radiohead Release New Album The King of Limbs One Day Early". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  20. ^ McCormick, Neil (11 February 2011). "Radiohead: King of Limbs, Album Review" Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  21. ^ Hermes, Will (18 February 2011). "Radiohead's 'The King of Limbs': A Track-by-Track Breakdown" Archived 20 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  22. ^ Downer, Adam (19 February 2011). "Radiohead – The King of Limbs (staff review)" Archived 3 February 2013 at archive.today. Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  23. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The King of Limbs – Radiohead". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  24. ^ a b Alexis Petridis (25 February 2011). "Radiohead: The King of Limbs review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  25. ^ a b Powers, Ann. "Snap Judgment: Radiohead's The King of Limbs". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g Gill, Andy (19 February 2011). "Listen: The King of Limbs, Radiohead – Reviews". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  27. ^ Harvell, Jess. "Radiohead: TKOL RMX 1234567". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  28. ^ O'Brien, Ed (12 April 2012). "Radiohead: Amor y Luz". La Semana De Frente (Interview). Interviewed by Por Rulo.
  29. ^ a b "The ultimate chill out song? Radiohead record new music for David Attenborough's Blue Planet 2". The Telegraph. Press Association. 14 September 2017. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  30. ^ a b c d e Pytlik, Mark (24 February 2011). "Radiohead: The King of Limbs". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 23 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  31. ^ "Radiohead The King of Limbs Album Review". Rolling Stone. 17 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  32. ^ "Radio 5 live Programmes – Fighting Talk, Music Special". BBC. 16 April 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  33. ^ Goodman, Elizabeth (12 June 2006). "Radiohead's Secret Weapon". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g Bennett, Ross (29 November 2011). "Radiohead Breathe New Life into Vinyl". Mojo. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  35. ^ "NME Blogs | Stanley Donwood on the Stories Behind His Radiohead Album Covers". NME.COM. 27 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  36. ^ a b c "Stanley Donwood: Work on Paper". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  37. ^ Williams, Ezra (27 April 2011). "The King of Limbs newspaper album by Stanley Donwood". Creative Review. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Nominess and Winners". Grammy.com. 1 December 2011. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  39. ^ "Radiohead releasing new album The King Of Limbs on Saturday (19 Feb)". NME. 14 February 2011. Archived from the original on 18 February 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  40. ^ a b c Swash, Rosie (14 February 2010). "Radiohead to release new album this Saturday". The Guardian. London: GMG. OCLC 60623878. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  41. ^ Young, Alex (18 February 2011). "Watch: Radiohead – 'Lotus Flower'". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  42. ^ Adam Markovitz. "Dancing Thom Yorke meme meets Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses, 'Black Swan': Which is your favorite?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  43. ^ Mike Diver (18 February 2011). "Review of Radiohead — The King of Limbs". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 January 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  44. ^ Wilks, Jon (18 February 2012). "Radiohead tweet Tokyo". Time Out Tokyo. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  45. ^ Ela, Priya (22 March 2011). "Radiohead thank Drew Barrymore on The King Of Limbs sleeve". NME. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  46. ^ Comer, M. Tye (14 February 2010). "Radiohead to Release New Album, 'King of Limbs,' on Feb. 19". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  47. ^ "Radiohead fans read all about it in the Universal Sigh". The Guardian. 28 March 2011. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  48. ^ "Stanley Donwood on Radiohead's Universal Sigh newspaper". NME. 4 April 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  49. ^ "Stanley Donwood on Radiohead's The Universal Sigh newspaper". NME. 4 April 2011. Archived from the original on 9 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  50. ^ Phillips, Amy (28 March 2011). "Read the Radiohead newspaper". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  51. ^ a b c Jones, Alan (3 April 2011). "Adele claims album record but loses to Lopez in singles". Music Week. United Business Media. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  52. ^ "Radiohead". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  53. ^ Lindvall, Helienne (22 July 2011). "Behind the music: Should the music industry put digital first?". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  54. ^ "The Official Top 40 Biggest Vinyl Singles and Albums of the decade so far". Official Charts Company. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  55. ^ Caulfield, Keith (6 April 2011). "Britney Spears Snares Sixth No. 1 on Billboard 200 with 'Femme Fatale'". Billboard. Los Angeles: Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  56. ^ a b c d e Caulfield, Keith (13 April 2011). "Adele's '21' Hits 1 Million, Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Los Angeles: Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  57. ^ Peoples, Glenn (20 April 2011). "Radiohead thanks online buyers with two free tracks". Billboard. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  58. ^ O'Neal, Sean (6 June 2011). "Radiohead to repackage The King of Limbs again as a vinyl remix series". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  59. ^ "Radiohead's Thom Yorke: 'Remix culture is healthy for music' – audio". NME. 27 September 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  60. ^ Hyden, Steven (9 September 2011). "Radiohead remix album set for release in September". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  61. ^ Jonathan, Emma (3 May 2011). "BBC Worldwide takes exclusive Radiohead performance to the world". BBC. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  62. ^ "Radiohead: From the Basement – on DVD and BluRay". 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  63. ^ Yoo, Noah (2 August 2021). "Nigel Godrich talks From the Basements return, Radiohead webcasts, and more". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  64. ^ Carrie Battan (11 February 2014). "Radiohead Release PolyFauna App". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 14 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  65. ^ "Phil Selway and the evolution of rock drumming in the digital age". Mono. 9 November 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  66. ^ Monroe, Jazz (20 May 2016). "Radiohead in Amsterdam: a tour opener live blog". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  67. ^ Swash, Rosie (24 June 2011). "Radiohead at Glastonbury 2011 — review". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  68. ^ Fusilli, Jim (29 September 2011). "Radiohead rocks Roseland". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  69. ^ Anderson, Kyle (27 September 2011). "Radiohead drop woozy 'Lotus Flower' and 'Staircase' on SNL: What did you think?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  70. ^ Freeman, Hadley (27 September 2011). "Radiohead deliver a few surprises on The Colbert Report". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  71. ^ Young, Alex (5 May 2012). "Radiohead announces more U.S. tour dates". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  72. ^ Garvan, Sinead (4 February 2011). "Radiohead UK arena tour". BBC Radio 6 Music. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  73. ^ "Radiohead stage collapse 'kills one' in Canada". BBC News. 17 June 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  74. ^ "Radiohead Honor Late Drum Tech at First Show Since Stage Collapse | Music News". Rolling Stone. 11 July 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  75. ^ a b "'I feel so let down by Canada': Radiohead and drum tech's parents demand answers in his Toronto death". CBC News. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  76. ^ Sodomsky, Sam (11 April 2012). "Radiohead share statement following stage collapse inquest". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  77. ^ "The King of Limbs by Radiohead reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  78. ^ a b "Reviews for The King of Limbs by Radiohead". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  79. ^ Hyden, Steven (22 February 2011). "Radiohead: The King of Limbs". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2 October 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  80. ^ Petrusich, Amanda (24 June 2011). "The King of Limbs". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1144. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  81. ^ Petridis, Alexis (24 February 2011). "Radiohead: The King of Limbs – review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  82. ^ Gill, Andy (19 February 2011). "First listen: The King of Limbs, Radiohead". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  83. ^ a b Lewis, Luke (26 February 2011). "Album review: Radiohead – The King of Limbs (XL)". NME. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  84. ^ "Radiohead: The King of Limbs". Q (298): 106. May 2011.
  85. ^ Dolan, Jon (24 February 2011). "The King of Limbs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  86. ^ Martins, Chris (22 February 2011). "Radiohead, 'The King of Limbs' (Ticker Tape)". Spin. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  87. ^ Brodeur, Michael (23 February 2011). "Radiohead fans' patience pays off". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  88. ^ Beasley, Corey (21 February 2011). "Radiohead: The King of Limbs". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 28 April 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  89. ^ Marchand, Francois (19 February 2011). "Multi-faceted King of Limbs worth embracing". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
  90. ^ Christgau, Robert (15 November 2011). "Odds and Ends 002". MSN Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  91. ^ Graham, Ben (19 February 2011). "A Track-By-Track Review of Radiohead's King of Limbs". The Quietus. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  92. ^ a b c Leas, Ryan (10 March 2015). "In defense of The King of Limbs". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  93. ^ a b c d e f DeVille, Chris (18 February 2021). "Radiohead's The King Of Limbs came out 10 years ago today". Stereogum. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  94. ^ "2011 Rewind: Releases of the Year 1–10". The Wire. No. 335. London. January 2012. p. 32. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via Exact Editions.(subscription required)
  95. ^ Jonze, Tim (1 December 2011). "The best albums of 2011: 50–11". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  96. ^ "MOJO's Top 50 Albums Of 2011". Stereogum. 2 December 2011. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  97. ^ Chester, Tim (8 December 2011). "NME's Top 50 Albums of the Year 2011". NME. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  98. ^ "The 75 Best Albums of 2011, Page 7 of 8". Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  99. ^ "Uncut's Top 50 Albums Of 2011". 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  100. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2011". Rolling Stone. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  101. ^ Kearney, Ryan (31 May 2016). "The Radiohead Racket". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  102. ^ a b c Jordan, Blum (18 February 2021). "The King of Limbs remains a crucial piece of the Radiohead puzzle". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  103. ^ Greene, Andy (11 October 2024). "The 50 most disappointing albums of all time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  104. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Radiohead – The King of Limbs – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  105. ^ "Radiohead Album & Song Chart History". Canadian Albums Chart for Radiohead. Nielsen Business Media. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  106. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Radiohead / Longplay". Media Control Charts (in German). PhonoNet GmbH. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  107. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  108. ^ 2011年04月第3週の邦楽アルバムランキング情報 (in Japanese). Oricon. 13 April 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  109. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  110. ^ "spanishcharts.com – Eric Clapton – Clapton". PROMUSICAE. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  111. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2011: Alternative Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop Flanders. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  112. ^ "Rapports Annuels 2011: Albums" (in French). Ultratop Wallonia. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  113. ^ "Top Albums annuel (physique + téléchargement + streaming)" (in French). SNEP. 2011. Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  114. ^ "End of Year Charts: 2011" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  115. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  116. ^ "Alternative Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  117. ^ "Independent Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  118. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  119. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Radiohead – The King of Limbs". Music Canada.
  120. ^ "Britney, 4.621 copias; Radiohead, 2.287". El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 March 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  121. ^ "British album certifications – Radiohead – The King of Limbs". British Phonographic Industry.
  122. ^ "Radiohead's Digital Album Sales, Visualized". Forbes. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
[edit]