Radiohead - In Rainbows

Standard Edition:
180-gram LP
NO digital copy included
Retail price about $17

Audio Quality: 4.25/5
Song Quality: 5/5
Packaging: 3/5



Deluxe Box Edition:
2x 180-gram LPs
Half-speed mastered (45rpm)
Includes full album on CD and bonus CD with 8 bonus tracks
Includes 12-inch artwork booklet
Original retail price about $80, now sells on eBay for $150+

Audio Quality: 5/5
Song Quality: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5


So this is a new idea for me, and the idea is to review two different releases/pressings of the same record and judge whether one is superior to the other. With so many alternate versions of records coming out recently, my goal will be to inform people whether spending extra for a fancier version will be worth your presumably hard-earned currency. This review genre will probably not appear too often, as it's unusual that I have access to two versions of the same album. The next time it'll happen is probably whenever I muster up the coin to buy that newly remastered version of Paul's Boutique. But for now, I borrowed my friend's deluxe edition of In Rainbows to compare to my non-deluxe edition and see if one was sonically superior. You may remember this box set from when Radiohead did the "pay what you like" download of In Rainbows. It was initially the only physical release of the album offered, sold directly from the band to the fans, and it was a very limited pressing. Naturally, they sold out very quickly, despite the somewhat hefty price tag of £40, which at the time equated to over $80. I passed on the deluxe edition, and picked up the standard edition when it was released a few months later. I was recently reminded that my friend Kyle managed to get his hands on one of these limited sets, and I asked him if I could borrow it, curious of how different the sound on his double LP version of the record could be from my single LP. He obliged, and I had a back-to-back listening session, starting with the deluxe edition.

Holy shit. I was absolutely STUNNED at how different these two versions of the album sounded. I mean, I did expect there to be an audible difference, and I did expect the deluxe edition to sound superior, what with it being a 45rpm double LP and all. However, nothing could have prepared me for the amount of richness, depth, and articulation in the deluxe edition that was mostly absent from the standard. The deluxe edition contains tremendous and warm bass sound, incredibly articulate and vibrant drum sounds, and lush guitar and string arrangements. Not to mention Mr. Yorke's vocal sound, which always sits perfectly front and center, sometimes with light reverb and other times as dry and natural as any vocal performance I've ever heard. Really, there are very few records I've ever heard that play back sounding so alive. This sounds as amazing if not better than the best sounding records I've reviewed thus far.

Now, as for the standard edition (inner sleeve pictured here to the right), which as a reminder, is a single 33 1/3rpm LP. If I had only listened to this for review, I would probably have bumped it up to a 4.5 or maybe even higher. However, with the deluxe edition as basis for comparison, a 4.25 was as high as I could go. The first thing I noticed was that it plays back noticeably quieter than the deluxe edition. I had to turn up the volume quite a bit before the levels felt equal. From there, the standard edition definitely sounds nice. It plays back warmly and the individual instruments are clear and well-separated. In fact, the overall instrumental mix sounds like it's probably exactly the same as the deluxe edition. However, the extra care that went into the half-speed mastering on the deluxe edition really shows, and it gives the tracks far more depth and articulation than in the standard edition. If you can't get your hands on the deluxe edition (understandable since it's now long out-of-print), the standard is definitely a great sounding representation of these songs. But it pales in comparison to the quality you get from the half-speed deluxe version. If I had known the difference was going to be this immense, I would have happily shelled-out the $80 for the box set. But now I'm gonna have to snoop around on eBay until I find a good deal. Woe is me.

As for the songs, they are just excellent. Personally, I found their previous album Hail To The Thief to be a bit of a mixed bag. This album, however, shows the band with renewed focus taking yet another step forward musically. I can't really express how much I love this record. I'd say that of these ten tracks, my least favorite is probably "House of Cards," which is still a beautifully composed piece of music with great lyrics, and the orchestral arrangements that arise throughout the song are gorgeous. It's just the least interesting track as far as I'm concerned, but that's not even really putting it down, because it's up against a collection of incredibly compelling songs. Somewhat unfortunately, this album will go down in history less because of it's content than because of Radiohead's revolutionary "pay what you want" download system that tossed the music industry rule book clear out the window. That was a great accomplishment for Radiohead, no question, but I hope this record is also remembered for the music within. They are all fantastic songs by an incredible band who prove once again that they truly deserve a spot among the great recording artists of all time.

Ahh the package. Let's get the standard edition out of the way quickly. You get a 180-gram LP in a printed sleeve with lyrics and artwork, held within a slipcase package. No digital download, no CD, no poster... that's it. The deluxe edition on the other hand (photographed on right and below), comes in a large gatefold book that is encased in a hard outer shell. The two LPs are held in custom black paper sleeves with protective plastic sheeting. Opening the gatefold, you see the two CD's attractively held in place, one of which is an 8-song bonus disc that, to date, is available nowhere else. Quite a nice perk there. You also get a tall and narrow booklet built into the package that contains all the lyrics. There's a nice size art booklet held within the packaging in a sleeve that makes it look like it contains a third LP within, but no such luck. I considered knocking the points down a bit for this package only because of the high price, but really, the price is more than fair for such a high-quality, comprehensive set.




Truly, I'm amazed at the difference here. Copies of the deluxe edition do pop-up on eBay from time to time, so I would say that if you're a seriously dedicated Radiohead fan and a freak about great sounding vinyl like myself, nab the first copy you see that's less than $150. The standard edition vinyl is a fine sounding rendition of the record, and if you're a more casual buyer it'll definitely leave you satisfied. But for my fellow audiophile freaks, go grab this one immediately. After I get mine, that is.

Search for the deluxe edition on eBay
Buy the standard edition at ElusiveDisc.com

Tomorrow: The Postal Service - Give Up