Remember the story of the goose that laid the golden eggs? Eventually when it stopped laying, the farmer cut it open to get to the gold inside and see if he could make a final quid or two. It didn't work, he just ended up with a mess. The goose wasn't too happy about it either. Never has such an amazing collection of songs disappointed me so much.There are probably very few people reading this that haven't heard a Radiohead album. There are probably not even that many who don't own three, four or all of them plus a CD-R that a mate copied for them with ‘Radiohead rare stuff' scrawled across it in felt-tip. So we all know what's going on here.Let me make one thing clear- almost every song on this CD is practically flawless. The problem is of course that Radiohead did not decide to release this album, and in all probability would probably never have chosen to. Why would they? It's all already out there on a series of fantastic albums.Listening to this gave me a very familiar creeping feeling along my spine. You know when that ‘opera' (snarf) band from Pop Idol sang Creep? Remember the agony? That Mark Ronson cover of ‘Just? It's like that. It's not Radiohead, it's Radiohead for dummies and it misses the point completely.To me it's a shame that potential fans of the band might be drawn away from making a start on the magnificent back-catalogue and instead opt for this pot-noodle of a compilation. Radiohead are special precisely because of the distinct character of each album. Getting to know each one individually, intimately is part all part of the joy.For anyone who has yet to explore Radiohead please heed this warning - If you don't take the real Radiohead albums on one by one in chronological order, taking time to appreciate the personality of each record and the progression they represent, you might as well not bother. Radiohead are one of the most important bands of our generation and you won't get a feel for that by spending a measly two hours (if you count the ‘bonus' CD) with this cash -in.Any fan of the band will immediately see this for what is - it's about as palatable as a curried strawberry ice cream smoothie with black olives. It's a mish mash of good things blended in no particular order that's bound to leave a bad taste in the mouth. Even the live version of True Love Waits that you get on the ‘Special Edition' has been out on the ‘I Might Be Wrong' live album for years.Radiohead are in a good place right now. In Rainbows was an absolute triumph in every way possible. For god's sake, go and buy that. Go and buy a proper Radiohead album, one that they made. One that they would want you to hear. Seriously, if you're new to Radiohead there is still hope. You've missed out more than a decade of your life, but it's okay. Start with Pablo Honey and The Bends and work your way forward, you'll be a like a love-struck teenager for years to come. 25%[Download Radiohead The Best Of]Links Radiohead [myspace] [official site]