reissued albums as Collector’s Editions

In 2009, EMI reissued the albums recorded while Radiohead was signed to them in a series of expanded “Collector’s Editions”, without Radiohead’s involvement. Press reaction expressed concern that EMI was exploiting Radiohead’s back catalogue. In May, Radiohead began new recording sessions with Godrich. In August, they released ” Harry Patch (In Memory Of) “, a tribute song to Harry Patch , the last surviving British soldier to have fought in World War I , with proceeds donated to the British Legion . The song has no conventional rock instrumentation, and instead comprises Yorke’s vocals and a string arrangement composed by Jonny Greenwood. Later that month, another new song, ” These Are My Twisted Words “, featuring krautrock -like drumming and guitars, was leaked via torrent , possibly by Radiohead. It was released as a free download on the Radiohead website the following week. Commentators saw the releases as part of Radiohead’s new unpredictable release strategy, without the need for traditional marketing.