It collects B-sides from Radiohead's sixth album, Hail to the Thief (2003), along with remixes by Cristian Vogel and Four Tet and two live performances.
"Paperbag Writer", whose title references the Beatles song "Paperback Writer", features "sinister fractured funk".
"I Am a Wicked Child" is a "tainted, eerie missive" with harmonica. "Where Bluebirds Fly" is a "rattling, fidgety" electronic piece Radiohead used as the introduction music for their Hail to the Thief tour.
"I Will (Los Angeles Version)" is an alternative version of "I Will" from Hail to the Thief, and "Fog (Again)" is a live performance of the Amnesiac B-side "Fog", rearranged for piano.
Useful only to the most devoted Radiohead followers (who will probably have most of the contents to begin with), Com Lag is a patchwork of live material, remixes, B-sides, and other assorted scraps. Naturally, the release isn't nearly as cohesive as Hail to the Thief; its apparent intent is to supply the fans with another stream of the band's recordings, regardless of both how they fit together and how mixed the tracks are to begin with.
The B-sides aren't nearly as solid as the ones collected on the Airbag/How Am I Driving EP, not to mention most of the intervening extras that trickled out between that release and this one -- though the live, solo piano version of Amnesiac-era B-side "Fog" is a definite standout, and the likes of "Paperbag Writer," "I Am Citizen Insane," and "Gagging Order" are hardly throwaways.
A Cristian Vogel remix of "Myxomatosis" is far more nerve-racking than the original, full of clattering percussion; Thom Yorke's vocals are placed higher in the mix and possibly multi-tracked to make them sound as if they're on the brink of lunacy. Another standout is a ferocious live version of "2+2=5" recorded at London's Earls Court. To make the release a little more enticing, no expense was spared with the packaging.
The cover art is by artist Stanley Donwood, who has designed all artwork for Radiohead since 1994. Donwood said he imagined a range of Delftware that featured "a modified bear, and a despot sperm monster". A jigsaw puzzle based on the cover was released in 2020.
Track listing
1. 2 + 2 = 5 (live at Earls Court, London, 26 November 2003) - 3:34
2. Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel Remix) - 5:08
3. I Will (Los Angeles Version) - 2:13
4. Paperbag Writer - 3:58
5. I Am a Wicked Child - 3:05
6. I Am Citizen Insane - 3:32
7. Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix) - 4:26
8. Gagging Order - 3:35
9. Fog (Again) (Live) - 2:19
10. Where Bluebirds Fly - 4:23
All music is composed by Radiohead.
Personnel
- Radiohead – production
- Nigel Godrich – production, engineering
- Graeme Stewart – engineering
- Darrell Thorp – engineering
- Stanley Donwood – design
- Cristian Vogel – remixing
- Four Tet – remixing
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – EMI Records Ltd.
- Copyright © – EMI Records Ltd.
- Recorded At – Earls Court
- Filmed At – Les Eurockéennes De Belfort
- Pressed By – www.mediamotion.com
Credits
- Artwork By [The Decorations Were Executed By] – Dr. Tchock, Mr. Stanley Donwood
- Design – Mr. Donwood
- Engineer – Mr. Darrell Thorp (tracks: 1 to 4, 7), Graeme Stewart (tracks: 5, 8, 10)
- Producer – Radiohead (tracks: 5, 8, 10)
- Producer [Originally Produced By] – Mr. Nigel Godrich (tracks: 1 to 4, 7), Radiohead (tracks: 1 to 4, 7)
- Recorded By [Live] – Nigel Godrich (tracks: 1, 2)
- Written-By – Radiohead
Notes
Released: 24 March 2004
Recorded: September 2002 – February 2003, 26 November 2003
Genre: Experimental rock
Length: 36:21
Label - Parlophone
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