Easy Star All-Stars: Radiodread (2LP) [EASY STAR]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set gives the track-for-track reimagining room to breathe, plus bonus dubs on Side D. Thom Yorke praised it, and Jonny Greenwood called it truly astounding.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Bonus dub tracks

About the album

Producer and arranger Michael Goldwasser looked at OK Computer and saw a reggae record hiding in plain sight: strong melodies, big dynamics and plenty of trippy space. The odd time signatures and chord changes were less obviously Kingston, but he decided it was an album the Easy Star crew simply had to do, following the same track-for-track approach as their Dub Side of the Moon, and keeping OK Computer's running order exactly.

The guest list is a who's who of Jamaican vocal greats. Horace Andy opens with "Airbag," Toots and the Maytals take "Let Down," Sugar Minott slows "Exit Music (For a Film)" into a lament, Citizen Cope sings "Karma Police" and Morgan Heritage tackle "Electioneering," while Israel Vibration, Frankie Paul and Tamar-kali also step up to the mic. "Fitter Happier" gets a Rasta rewrite approved by Radiohead, and Side D adds "Exit Music (For a Dub)" and "An Airbag Saved My Dub."

It's turned plenty of Radiohead fans on to roots reggae and a fair few reggae fans on to Radiohead. Somewhere in Oxford, a very anxious robot has finally learned to relax.

Also at Kops: more Easy Star All-Stars on vinyl · browse Reggae & Caribbean

Tracklist

Listen

On Easy Star Records (cat# ES-1055V), a reissue of the 2006 album.