Com Lag (2plus2isfive), stylized as COM LAG (2plus2isfive), is an EP by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 24 March 2004. It compiles 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.
| Com Lag (2plus2isfive) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 24 March 2004 | |||
| Recorded | September 2002 – February 2003, 26 November 2003 | |||
| Genre | Experimental rock | |||
| Length | 36:21 | |||
| Label | Toshiba-EMI | |||
| Producer | Nigel Godrich, Radiohead | |||
| Radiohead chronology | ||||
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Music
edit"Paperbag Writer", whose title references the Beatles song "Paperback Writer", features "sinister fractured funk".[1] "I Am a Wicked Child" is a "tainted, eerie missive" with harmonica.[1] "Where Bluebirds Fly" is a "rattling, fidgety" electronic piece Radiohead used as the introduction music for their Hail to the Thief tour.[1] "I Will (Los Angeles Version)" is an alternative version of "I Will" from Hail to the Thief,[1] and "Fog (Again)" is a live performance of the Amnesiac B-side "Fog", rearranged for piano.[2] The EP also includes remixes by Christian Vogel and Four Tet and a live version of "2 + 2 = 5".[2][3]
Cover art
editThe cover art is by 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" and was "loosely inspired by the work of Tadeusz Kantor."[4] A jigsaw puzzle based on the cover was released in 2020.[5] Stanley Donwood self-released a screen print of the Com Lag cover image in November 2024 limited to 150 copies. The Japanese text spoken by the bear loosely translates to "say cheese".
Release
editCom Lag was released in Japan and Australia on 24 March 2004, in Canada on 13 April 2004, the United Kingdom on 16 April 2007,[6][7] and in the United States on 8 May 2007.[8][9][10] Early Japanese pressings were printed with a fault that produced static in some tracks.[1]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [11] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [12] |
| NME | 7/10[1] |
| Pitchfork | 4.0/10[2] |
Reviewing Com Lag for NME, Anthony Thornton wrote: "Never content with relaxing into an accepted way of doing things, this record, while being flawed – it is a B-sides compilation after all – confirms Radiohead as the true inheritors of the Beatles' legacy rather than Oasis."[1] The Paste critic Jeff Elbel described the Com Lag as "an appealing but inessential curio".[13]
AllMusic's Andy Kellman wrote: "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."[11] Chris Ott of Pitchfork wrote: "You'd expect more from ideas that Radiohead fleshed out as a unit, but the stolen-time experiments and solo performances on this EP's tail end far outshine its exhausting first half."[2] In 2020, the Guardian named the "thrilling" live version of "2 + 2 = 5" the 31st-greatest Radiohead song.[3]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Radiohead
| No. | Title | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | " 2 + 2 = 5 (Live at Earls Court, London, 26 November 2003)" | Previously unreleased | 3:34 |
| 2. | "Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel Remix)" | "2 + 2 = 5" (UK CD single) | 5:08 |
| 3. | "I Will (Los Angeles Version)" | "2 + 2 = 5" (UK CD single) | 2:13 |
| 4. | "Paperbag Writer" | "There There" (single) | 3:58 |
| 5. | "I Am a Wicked Child" | "Go to Sleep" (Canadian/UK CD single and US 7") | 3:05 |
| 6. | "I Am Citizen Insane" | "Go to Sleep" (Canadian/UK CD single) | 3:32 |
| 7. | "Skttrbrain (Four Tet Remix)" | "2 + 2 = 5" (UK CD single) | 4:26 |
| 8. | "Gagging Order" | "Go to Sleep" (UK/US CD single) | 3:35 |
| 9. | "Fog (Again) (Live)" | "Go to Sleep" (Canadian/UK CD single) | 2:19 |
| 10. | "Where Bluebirds Fly" | "There There" (single) | 4:23 |
| 11. | "2 + 2 = 5 (Live Video)" | Previously unreleased | 4:01 |
| Total length: | 36:21 | ||
Personnel
edit- Radiohead – production
- Nigel Godrich – production, engineering
- Graeme Stewart – engineering
- Darrell Thorp – engineering
- Stanley Donwood – design
- Cristian Vogel – remixing
- Four Tet – remixing
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[14] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Thornton, Anthony (12 September 2015). "Radiohead : Com Lag : 2+2=5". NME. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d Ott, Chris (4 April 2004). "Radiohead: Com Lag EP". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ a b Monroe, Jazz (23 January 2020). "Radiohead's 40 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
- ^ "Stanley: Com Lag Art Legit, New RH.com Coming Soon". ateaseweb.com. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ Monroe, Jazz. "Radiohead to Release Jigsaw Puzzle". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
- ^ "Radiohead post update on new album". muse.ie. 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 20 November 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ "Com Lag (2Plus2IsFive) EP set for re-release". ateaseweb.com. 12 April 2007. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ Chammas, Joe (18 April 2007). "Radiohead Reissue 'Com Lag (2+2=5)' EP". soulshine.ca. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ Mason, Taylor (16 April 2007). "Radiohead Re–Release". CMJ.com. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ "For The Record: Quick News on Outkast, David Banner, Radiohead, Joey McIntyre, Metallica, Ruben Studdard & More". MTV. 11 February 2004. Archived from the original on 20 February 2004. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
- ^ a b Allmusic review
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Radiohead". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Elbel, Jeff (1 June 2004). "Radiohead – Com Lag". Paste. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ "Japanese album certifications – レディオヘッド – コム・ラグ：2＋2＝5" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 5 October 2019. Select 2004年3月 on the drop-down menu