Radiohead’s ‘The King of Limbs,’ Visionary or Cautionary?

The Takeaway

Radiohead  is famous for for pushing the envelope in music, even as the band sells millions of records. But in recent years the group has also taken a hard look at the music industry itself, and made some very public bids for new ways for major bands to interact with fans in the music marketplace. The latest of these moves comes today, as the band releases its seventh proper studio album "The King of Limbs" directly to the masses. Fans can choose from four options, from a $10 digital download to a $53 custom package, including clear vinyl records and over 600 pieces of artwork. Are their efforts revolutionary, or run-of-the-mill? To help answer these questions is Eduardo Porter, author of the book "The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do"

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.