[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Thievery Corporation — Radio Retaliation
Album: Radio Retaliation
Avg rating:
5.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 984









Released: 2008
Length: 3:23
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Don't switch da dial, I say do not switch da dial, this is a test of the Thievery Corporation on Radio Retaliation!

Woooah now, retaliation,
Singin' woooah now, we a go wake up the nation
Radio retaliation
It's such a different corporation

We takin' over your station And we a go change the vibration
People fi get up and pump them fist when Sleepy talk
Hear mi trasmission whether you drive or whether you walk
Put up me antenna inna the middle of the park
And transmit mi signal inna the light and inna the dark

Radio retaliate, and never ever get caught
And change the stereotype of people's washover thoughts
50,000 watts of Thievery hit them like poison darts
And watch the whole system what them build up fall apart

Singin' woooah now retaliation
Singin' woooah now, we a go wake up the nation
Radio retaliation
It's such a different corporation
We takin' over your station

And we a go change the vibration
Mi have the basic qualification just fi get people straight
And juggle the microphone from 8 o'clock back to 8
People give me the recommendation from the musical senate

Fi juggle the roundest sound, the mellowest sound, the sound with the most weight
Them stand up out of the corner inna the driveway, outta mi gate
To hear the chief rocker them a fling dubplate
All who want fi challenge Thievery, then its your time fi wait

And re-emerge from the scene, and wipe away all the hate
Radio retaliation, is such a different corporation
We takin' over your station
And we a go change the vibration

Chief rocker Thievery Corp them pon the attack
With melody and sophistication make you bound have to rock
Sleepy Wonder deh pon the mic, the ragga muffin speed rap
And if your vibes is inna the gutter, I will lift it up to the top

Eric and Rob them produce the beat, and invite Sleepy down fi chat
The combination of the crew, destroy your whole habitat
The main objection of the track is to tear the whole place flat
And have the people inna the lounge, them want to get up, and they are singin'

Woooah now retaliation,
Singin' woooah now, we a go wake up the nation
Radio retaliation
It's such a different corporation

We takin' over your station
And we a go change the vibration.
Comments (97)add comment
Had RP running in a separate environment, had to switch to see who was playing this Baddazz heavy-hitting reggae funk. Instant 9, with a wonder how anybody who likes reggae could dislike this wicked take.

Getting me some more of them ...
Radio Paradise = Radio Retaliation 
Me love a bit of ragga and a spliff😎
Isn't the act of singing itself "faking" a stylized mode of speech?

And musicians affecting accents goes back to antiquity.
A solid 3
 Jota wrote:
Nailed it. 

These dyed in the wool conservatives miss the fact their dismissal of new fusion styles is a mirror image of older conservatives dismissing the Grateful Deads fusion style in the 1960's.  When that happens music, a fluid, evolving art form, is left frozen in the time warp in the heads of the conservatives.

The ultimate nightmare for them is they have become the people they rebelled against. 

fredriley wrote:

(shrug) You could say the same thing about blues or soul or (shudder) hip-hop or any other restrictive musical form. And all of those continue to grow and change. This song is not just reggae, but has other styles mixed in, as is the case with so much Thievery Corporation songs. A 20% sucko-barfo rating says something about the RP audience, and is disappointingly indicative of its conservatism.

 


 

I agree with what Fred and Jota up until Jota’s last sentence. His “conservatives” don’t become the people they rebelled against. They just stay the same narrow minded music “purists” that the preceding generations’ purists were. Both should be pitied for missing out on a lot of great music. 
Naw. They don't even realize.



Jota wrote:

Nailed it. 

These dyed in the wool conservatives miss the fact their dismissal of new fusion styles is a mirror image of older conservatives dismissing the Grateful Deads fusion style in the 1960's.  When that happens music, a fluid, evolving art form, is left frozen in the time warp in the heads of the conservatives.

The ultimate nightmare for them is they have become the people they rebelled against.



 



maboleth wrote:
How I hate that fake Jamaican accent in "reggae" songs. So *artificially* induced.

 
h8rhater wrote:

Sleepy Wonder, the singer on this Thievery Corp. track, IS Jamaican.  I wonder how he faked his own accent or how someone's real accent could be artificial. 

Maybe it would make more sense to wonder how you became so *clueless*. 

https://jamaicans.com/interview-sleepy-wonder/



 bindi wrote:

agreed.

It looks like quite a few people love - and defend this, but to me it sounds more like a SNL parody of a cheesy cruise ship reggae band. 


 
Cool, then I'll never run across you at their absolutely fantastic live shows.
4 seems under-represented in the ratings for this piece of crap.  Therefore: 4!
 maboleth wrote:
How I hate that fake Jamaican accent in "reggae" songs. So *artificially* induced.

 
Caution: Self-avowed h8rs at work.  We have truly become a country of folks who fire off hot takes without even taking a single second to fact check themselves.
 
Sleepy Wonder, the singer on this Thievery Corp. track, IS Jamaican.  I wonder how he faked his own accent or how someone's real accent could be artificial. 

Maybe it would make more sense to wonder how you became so *clueless*. 

https://jamaicans.com/interview-sleepy-wonder/
How I hate that fake Jamaican accent in "reggae" songs. So *artificially* induced.
 fstory wrote:

Your comment reminds me of a Savoy Brown song "I'm Tired" with the lines:

You know some people are different
Now ain't that a crying shame
Now wouldn't be a real drag if we were all the same

I have to agree.

 
I find a huge number of people scratching their heads wondering what it's like to be musically eclectic.  It's sad.
 LawrenceSheppard wrote:

And then there are some of us who just find this uninteresting. I enjoy many genres of music, but this does nothing for me. If we all had the same tastes the world would be a boring place indeed.

 
Your comment reminds me of a Savoy Brown song "I'm Tired" with the lines:

You know some people are different
Now ain't that a crying shame
Now wouldn't be a real drag if we were all the same

I have to agree.
5.4 ?!?!?!  Noooo.... I will rate it 10 just to keep a little justice...
What's worse: dreadful or awful?  How many adjectives can be applied to one song?  

Is there a good grammar rule? 
PSD!
  thewiseking wrote:
OK, so this is awful.Strictly for the white boys with dreadlocks crowd. TRUSTAFARI!

LowPhreak wrote:

Yeah, we all gotta be poor black Rastas from Kingston or not legit. {#Rolleyes}

"Stay awey from da voodoo, mon..."

 
{#High-five}
 Jota wrote:
Nailed it. 

These dyed in the wool conservatives miss the fact their dismissal of new fusion styles is a mirror image of older conservatives dismissing the Grateful Deads fusion style in the 1960's.  When that happens music, a fluid, evolving art form, is left frozen in the time warp in the heads of the conservatives.

The ultimate nightmare for them is they have become the people they rebelled against. 

fredriley wrote:

(shrug) You could say the same thing about blues or soul or (shudder) hip-hop or any other restrictive musical form. And all of those continue to grow and change. This song is not just reggae, but has other styles mixed in, as is the case with so much Thievery Corporation songs. A 20% sucko-barfo rating says something about the RP audience, and is disappointingly indicative of its conservatism.

 

 
And then there are some of us who just find this uninteresting. I enjoy many genres of music, but this does nothing for me. If we all had the same tastes the world would be a boring place indeed.
So depressed after the recent election but should have remembered this album, plugged in the phone jacks and blasted it all morning the day after.
 thewiseking wrote:
OK, so this is awful.Strictly for the white boys with dreadlocks crowd. TRUSTAFARI!

 
Yeah, we all gotta be poor black Rastas from Kingston or not legit. {#Rolleyes}

"Stay awey from da voodoo, mon..."
OK, so this is awful.Strictly for the white boys with dreadlocks crowd. TRUSTAFARI!
Is he singing "Cheeseborger Cheeseborger" at the end of this?
{#Notworthy}  rockin you mon
Nailed it. 

These dyed in the wool conservatives miss the fact their dismissal of new fusion styles is a mirror image of older conservatives dismissing the Grateful Deads fusion style in the 1960's.  When that happens music, a fluid, evolving art form, is left frozen in the time warp in the heads of the conservatives.

The ultimate nightmare for them is they have become the people they rebelled against. 

fredriley wrote:

(shrug) You could say the same thing about blues or soul or (shudder) hip-hop or any other restrictive musical form. And all of those continue to grow and change. This song is not just reggae, but has other styles mixed in, as is the case with so much Thievery Corporation songs. A 20% sucko-barfo rating says something about the RP audience, and is disappointingly indicative of its conservatism.

 


I love that I'm listening to music that a few years back, the like of which would only get broadcast on pirate FM (in London)
pretty good, I love the mix
I love the reggae groove and love Thievery Corporation, but THIS song?  The title was not lost on me (I get it—Radio Retaliation), but please add some others in the mix.  Thanks!
      And if your vibes is inna
 The gutter, I will lift it up to the top.


Aunt Peg.
Nutmeg.
Dirty dreg.
Ow..my leg!
Beer in a keg?

Those be my mutha%^&**! lyrics. Now's where my mutha ^&&**& recording contract?

I'm one talented mutha!#&*, boooooy.   
 fredriley wrote:

Count me in on that addiction, though I mainly listen to it at work to leaven the misery and tedium of wage-slavery, and to shut out the many audible irrations of the cube farm. There is so much dub out there these days, and pretty much all of it free under Creative Commons licences. A very good starting point (which you put me on to, IIRC), is Pete Cogle's Dubzone.

Mind you, going by the ratings on RP for dub and its progenitor, reggae, I dare say that our addictions aren't shared widely here...

 
Splendid! Can I give you another fine Reggae nugget? Balaganjah - its a very unique and tasty selection of tunes recorded live on real vinyl by a couple of Dreads living (of all places for dub reggae) Tel Aviv!

Anyway. . . apologies to RP for giving out other musical links and a Ya Boo Sucks to anyone who can't stand Reggae.
 Poacher wrote:
When I am not listening to RP and at home in Poacher Mansions THIS kind of dub is what will mostly be playing for hours and hours and hours on end. I probably have enough dub reggae to play endlessly for months without repeating and occasionally do just that. 

Yes, I am addicted to dub, overriding any other musical style. There. . . I'm out and proud to be out. 

 
Count me in on that addiction, though I mainly listen to it at work to leaven the misery and tedium of wage-slavery, and to shut out the many audible irrations of the cube farm. There is so much dub out there these days, and pretty much all of it free under Creative Commons licences. A very good starting point (which you put me on to, IIRC), is Pete Cogle's Dubzone.

Mind you, going by the ratings on RP for dub and its progenitor, reggae, I dare say that our addictions aren't shared widely here...
When I am not listening to RP and at home in Poacher Mansions THIS kind of dub is what will mostly be playing for hours and hours and hours on end. I probably have enough dub reggae to play endlessly for months without repeating and occasionally do just that. 

Yes, I am addicted to dub, overriding any other musical style. There. . . I'm out and proud to be out. 
 rdo wrote:

That is so wrong, to say that people who do not like this song are conservative.  I find that to be one of the single most prejudicial and ignorant things i have read here at RP.
 
By conservative do you mean similar to:

     Liking the Grateful Dead is conservative
     or liking Thomas Jefferson is conservative 

That is musically conservative or politically conservative.
 
I don't feel that I am conservative, but this gives me constipation. In a compilation.  For the Nation.  Etc
Another middle aged white guy who love Thievery Corporation. Definitely one of the treasures that RP turned me on to.
I like it. Bill, play some Black Uhuru!  {#Cool}
 fredriley wrote:

(shrug) You could say the same thing about blues or soul or (shudder) hip-hop or any other restrictive musical form. And all of those continue to grow and change. This song is not just reggae, but has other styles mixed in, as is the case with so much Thievery Corporation songs. A 20% sucko-barfo rating says something about the RP audience, and is disappointingly indicative of its conservatism.

 
That is so wrong, to say that people who do not like this song are conservative.  I find that to be one of the single most prejudicial and ignorant things i have read here at RP.
I don't like this song that much but I love TC.
I would love to see them live sometime but I think Sweden is to cold for them. They seem to tour in Brazil a bit......
 ralphf wrote:
Agreed. Also, as a middle-aged white guy (and Gawd-Dang proud of it!), I gave this an 8 (and Gawd-dang proud of it!).  
 
Another middle-aged white guy who LOVES this band, voted it a 9, and suggests that "inebriation" rhymes equally well.
 oldsaxon wrote:

It's a bit edgy and the demographic here tends to drift toward middle aged white blokes. Just saying this is great and deserves better ratings. I gave it an 8. 

And I'm saying this as a middle aged white bloke so keep the flames away, please. 

 
Agreed. Also, as a middle-aged white guy (and Gawd-Dang proud of it!), I gave this an 8 (and Gawd-dang proud of it!).  
 stevieslo wrote:
I too, am mystified by the low ratings (not to mention the pompous haters!)...oh well, my own little paradise...can't wait to see them next month...woohoo!

 
It's a bit edgy and the demographic here tends to drift toward middle aged white blokes. Just saying this is great and deserves better ratings. I gave it an 8. 

And I'm saying this as a middle aged white bloke so keep the flames away, please. 
I too, am mystified by the low ratings (not to mention the pompous haters!)...oh well, my own little paradise...can't wait to see them next month...woohoo!
 Govi wrote:

One answer is that the reggae style has exhausted itself.  It is so hard to create something new within a confined small space such as is reggae.  As with any form, when it's done too much and too often, only geniuses of the art form can find ways to make new statements about it, within it.  And geniuses are rare, sadly.


 
(shrug) You could say the same thing about blues or soul or (shudder) hip-hop or any other restrictive musical form. And all of those continue to grow and change. This song is not just reggae, but has other styles mixed in, as is the case with so much Thievery Corporation songs. A 20% sucko-barfo rating says something about the RP audience, and is disappointingly indicative of its conservatism.
How many other words can we rhyme with shun? Vacation,libation,sequestration.......
Not my favorite TC album, but still a good one.

Unbelievably low rating, what a shame... Solid 7 at least.


Sounds Great
Love this. Can't believe it's so rarely played here. I've seen Thievery Corporation  three times. ...and I'd go again. They absolutely rule!
 Govi wrote:

One answer is that the reggae style has exhausted itself.  It is so hard to create something new within a confined small space such as is reggae.  As with any form, when it's done too much and too often, only geniuses of the art form can find ways to make new statements about it, within it.  And geniuses are rare, sadly.

 
That's quite a proclamation there; what makes the reggae style more "confined" than any other music style - other than that you apparently do not like it?  Every art form has been done - the ability to make new statements about or within them is not exclusively restricted to geniuses.  Yes, geniuses are rare, but I don't know if that's necessarily a "sad" thing.
 ZedLeppelin wrote:

Mate you really have a Radiohead chip on your shoulder. Let the anger out!

 
A bit gratuitous, I'll admit.

Saw Thievery Corp live last year at Summerfest...wasn't expecting much of a show (kinda mellow, couple DJ's, right?) - and they absolutely blew me away. Full band, horn section, multiple drum kits, guest singers, costumes, light show, dancers...I think at one point there were over 15 people on the stage. The talent they put together was amazing and they had the whole crowd dancing. Hard for me not to like this song after that...
 Poacher wrote:
I listen to a LOT of RP. I also listen to a quite a lot of dub offline amongst all kinds of music. Far as I am concerned this is just sublime and a solid 9. 

I know RP has a high number of people who just don't get this kind of music, but I just love it. Nothing better than standing by a huge sound system and feeling the base.

But hey. . . whatever floats you boat eh? But I admire Bill for keeping playing bits of dub and reggae here and there because we all need to hear different 'stuff'. This site would not be RP if you liked every single track. . . the ying AND the yang are important.

/ramble
 
I respect your opinion and agree. Bill and Rebecca have given me roughly two years of musical bliss; more than a hundred tunes purchased after a first listen here at RP.

I listen to a LOT of RP. I also listen to a quite a lot of dub offline amongst all kinds of music. Far as I am concerned this is just sublime and a solid 9. 

I know RP has a high number of people who just don't get this kind of music, but I just love it. Nothing better than standing by a huge sound system and feeling the base.

But hey. . . whatever floats you boat eh? But I admire Bill for keeping playing bits of dub and reggae here and there because we all need to hear different 'stuff'. This site would not be RP if you liked every single track. . . the ying AND the yang are important.

To say Reggae has had its day flies in the face of what is out there and the masses (and great stuff too) that is still being produced today. What I think you mean is 'I don't like reggae and so have not bothered to find out if there really is much around'. While there are not any big stars means nothing, reggae has never been mainstream (apart form a few notable exceptions) like a lot of music styles. 

But this track is Dub. . . dub should really be seen as a subsection of reggae, and part of its charm is the fact it is just so cut down, dub is all about the feel and the beat. 

/ramble 

Just my opinion ... but I absolutely switch the channel as soon as I hear this reggae crap. Sorry.
 keller1 wrote:


A Renaissance man. You need to go and explain groove to the rest of the Radiohead crowd.  A lot of them are still in their mothers' basements listening to Creep.

 
Mate you really have a Radiohead chip on your shoulder. Let the anger out!

 sub-arctic wrote:

But I like Radiohead and dub! {#Ask} {#Think}
 

A Renaissance man. You need to go and explain groove to the rest of the Radiohead crowd.  A lot of them are still in their mothers' basements listening to Creep.

 keller1 wrote:

I'm pretty sure that's what too much Radiohead will do to you.

This is a great slice of reggae dub.

 
But I like Radiohead and dub! {#Ask} {#Think}
 Oscar_the_Grouch wrote:
Typical RPers, claiming to be worldy and open minded until... they hear something new or different that luls them out of their comfy complacent politically correct world view and they BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW like a 6 month old that just had her binky stolen.

You guys really suck. No really, you suck.
 

new and different? since when is some poseur douchebag ripping off another music style (in this case it''s dub...again) and doing it badly "new and different"?
this is the sort of crap we were subjected to when we were on campus.

thievery corporation? yup. sounds about right.
 Oscar_the_Grouch wrote:
Typical RPers, claiming to be worldy and open minded until... they hear something new or different that luls them out of their comfy complacent politically correct world view and they BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW like a 6 month old that just had her binky stolen.

You guys really suck. No really, you suck.
 
Hear, hear.

I have said on other posts that a lot of RP listeners wouldn't know a good groove if it jumped up and bit em on the ass.

I'm pretty sure that's what too much Radiohead will do to you.

This is a great slice of reggae dub.

if I had a bottle of Red Stripe I would hurl it at this poseur douchebag
 Govi wrote:

One answer is that the reggae style has exhausted itself.  It is so hard to create something new within a confined small space such as is reggae.  As with any form, when it's done too much and too often, only geniuses of the art form can find ways to make new statements about it, within it.  And geniuses are rare, sadly.
  Now _that_ is a superb explanation.  Thank you.
(still not a 1 though, I don't think)


 fredriley wrote:

...do RP listeners really hate dub reggae that much? {#Stupid}
 
One answer is that the reggae style has exhausted itself.  It is so hard to create something new within a confined small space such as is reggae.  As with any form, when it's done too much and too often, only geniuses of the art form can find ways to make new statements about it, within it.  And geniuses are rare, sadly.

 rtwingo wrote:
I'm pro banning any song with the word "Retaliation" in the lyrics.

 Yes we can! {#Pray}

 
agreed.

It looks like quite a few people love - and defend this, but to me it sounds more like a SNL parody of a cheesy cruise ship reggae band. 


 themediamojocom wrote:
Check them out live and you would think differently. This is a group that incorporates numerous instruments and genres into their music.
 
Hell, check the CD - there are a wide range of musical styles on that, which was bought for my last birthday and is the absolute dog's bollocks. The variety isn't surprising given that TC is just two people (Wikipedia entry) so most of the sounds come from 'guest artists'. I'm a bit stumped that there are so many 1 ratings for this - do RP listeners really hate dub reggae that much? {#Stupid}
Really dig on this song...  {#Music}
Hey, it's de reggae mon. :)  Nice tempo, ay?
Check them out live and you would think differently. This is a group that incorporates numerous instruments and genres into their music.
 Oscar_the_Grouch wrote:
Typical RPers, claiming to be worldy and open minded until... they hear something new or different that luls them out of their comfy complacent politically correct world view and they BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW like a 6 month old that just had her binky stolen.

 
You said it Oscar.. For an collection of "eclectic" music lovers, it's amazing how much electonica, reggae and trip-hop gets blasted.


cRappy {#Puke}
bleh 
There's a fine line in this kind of dub where the artist must balance between "laid-back" and "torpor."  I find that Thievery Corporation doesn't really master that balance very well, and too often wallows in torpor, despite their activist ethic.  This song is no better.
 bindi wrote:
I really hate it when people use the puking Emoticon to express their opinion about a song that other people really love, but seriously, I have to leave before I hurl.
 
Sorry, already at the toilet, you'll have to wait...ahh, that's better. Switched channels pending RP playing non-Reggae again.

To paraphrase a post I made for another TC track - Go see them live. Then judge.
Saw them about 3 weeks ago - 2+ hours of awesomeness from about 7 or 8 different vocalists. 
I really hate it when people use the puking Emoticon to express their opinion about a song that other people really love, but seriously, I have to leave before I hurl.
 zaknafein wrote:
One of my favorite new records, highly recommended.
 
 {#Yes} This CD is one of the tastiest I've purchased in quite some time.

One of my favorite new records, highly recommended.
Typical RPers, claiming to be worldy and open minded until... they hear something new or different that luls them out of their comfy complacent politically correct world view and they BAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW like a 6 month old that just had her binky stolen.

You guys really suck. No really, you suck.


 bindi wrote:
{#Frustrated}  please make it stop!
 
Worst of the Thievery Corp songs played on RP of late...{#Beat}
thievery corporation are the best...
listen to dee bass maan....
{#Bananajam}
Painfully cheesy. {#Wall}
{#Frustrated}  please make it stop!
dub-YAH!
 rtwingo wrote:
I'm pro banning any song with the word "Retaliation" in the lyrics.

 Yes we can! {#Pray}

 

LOL!  Hilarious.

 

 

On a more serious note:  Yes, it is possible to resist without resorting to retaliation.



 drews wrote:
a decent slice of roots reggae dub, rare on most airwaves, even RP
 
Right enough. We used to get a lot of it played on the John Peel Show on Radio 1 back when he was alive, but since then you just don't hear this kind of music on air unless you tune into some niche digital station. This sound really takes me back to the 80s, rolling trumpet spliffs at parties with a big stupid smile on my face. Clang! Honk! Tweet! (Furry Freak Bros fans will understand that reference {#Smile})
sounds good, Mon!
Kind of ... annoying.{#Arghhh}
I'm pro banning any song with the word "Retaliation" in the lyrics.

 Yes we can! {#Pray}

 seekinggrace wrote:
Good groove. Okay CD. Like other posts, I agree the CD has a few good tracks but it's nothing like DJ-Kicks or Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi or even Richest Man in Babylon.
 
not to forget Lebanese Blonde. But on Radio Retaliation, the track "The Forgoten People" is actually quite good (and also on the RP playlist).

Good Movin Music..mann
Must be good, I can't keep my head from bobbing. 
Good groove. Okay CD. Like other posts, I agree the CD has a few good tracks but it's nothing like DJ-Kicks or Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi or even Richest Man in Babylon.
I agree with all of your statements.  Some earlier TC releases really pulled me in immediately - this one hasn't.  But some good tracks. 

hippiechick wrote:
Just got this album; haven't listened enough to make a judgment, but it didn't impress me on first listen.

Really great packaging though, and very eco-friendly.
 


Just got this album; haven't listened enough to make a judgment, but it didn't impress me on first listen.

Really great packaging though, and very eco-friendly.
Good groove.  I'm downloadin it.

I just took a spin though this album online.  Lotta really good ambient/trip hop/dub stuff.

a decent slice of roots reggae dub, rare on most airwaves, even RP
bad joke - down boy.
you're joking right?