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08/03/2004 Radiohead for beginners
A friend was going on and on how music today is forgettable, blah, blah, how no artists are willing to take chances anymore, blah, blah... The main cause, he claimed, is corporate media's gobbling up of independent record companies, discouraging artistic creativity. There's something in his rant, but he exaggerates: there are bands making intelligent, intriguing music. The best of the bunch, without a doubt, is the British band, Radiohead, one of the few contemporary rock bands that all music lovers, of any age, should sample. Radiohead comprise lead singer Thom York, guitarists Johnny Greenwood and Ed O’Brien, bassist Colin Greenwood, and drummer Phil Selway. Over the past ten years, the band has evolved from better-than-average rockers to an experimental, challenging band that pushes the boundaries of several genres. You couldn't have foreseen this after Radiohead’s first release, Pablo Honey, in 1993. The songs on the CD are influenced by what was popular back then —alternative and Brit rock. Pablo Honey’s big hit, Creep, even featured the then-dominant distorted guitars and angst-filled lyrics. Despite that, it's an interesting album, with songs like the frantic Stop Whispering and the mellow Lurgee effectively showcasing the young band’s musical talents. What came next was stunning. The Bends (1995) is a near-masterpiece. While sticking with its rock roots, the music on this release is much more challenging, yet still very melodic - just listen to the guitar-driven title track. However, the slower, acoustic songs are just as good. High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees feature gorgeous melodic singing by Yorke. Radiohead’s next release, OK Computer (1997) is widely considered as one of the best recordings of the past 30 years. Once again, the guitar is featured prominently, but, by now, electronica is also creeping into the songs. The CD is a concept album about, of all things, computers. Surprisingly, it works beautifully. The songs are complex, sometimes almost symphonic. Repeated listenings are required in order to appreciate the greatness of OK Computer. Despite the new mass fan base Radiohead was attracting, the band wanted to do something completely different. The next two releases, Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001), ignore the guitar-driven sound in favour of techno and electronica. Largely absent are the accessible melodies and choruses, replaced by experimental keyboard sounds and strange lyrics. Both releases can be considered hit or miss, though. Great songs like Kid A’s Idioteque and Everything in It’s Right Place, and Amnesiac’s I Might Be Wrong, and Knives Out are hindered by some other songs that, while they might be intriguing, just don’t work. The band rebounded nicely with 2003’s release, Hail to the Chief, a combination of the early guitar-driven sound and the newer electronica. The emphasis, though, is back on the songs and there are some classic, challenging numbers on the album - the hypnotic Where I End and You Begin, the atmospheric Sail to the Moon, and the pulsating Sit Down, Stand Up are among the highlights. Even those few songs which don’t measure up to Radiohead’s best are interesting, at the very least. Radiohead are the premier contemporary rock band; they just can't be ignored. By constantly taking chances with their music, they keep even their most loyal fans on their toes. A band this talented is almost bound to come up with more outstanding music, regardless of what they do next. Watch this space.
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