The opportunity was once afforded to me to acquire a copy of the infamous pre-released version of Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief. I had already become familiar with the released version of the album, so I was curious to hear the evolution from the unfinished form.

Expecting a lo-fi rough-cut, I was surprised to find that this alleged early version was rather polished. There’s only a handful of spots where I could tell the difference between the two, the most notable being Sit Down. Stand Up. Frankly, I prefer the early version of that song over the final rendition.