Radiohead United Kingdom
"I'm writing this review as I listen to the album on my record player ... the vinyl edition is amazing, even topping the limited edition of Porcupine Tree's Fear of a Blank Planet. Interestingly the vinyls are 45 rpm (and 180gr which goes without saying) which is usually only found in audiophile circles. Musically the album is quite strong, with a definitive move towards Post Rock. Overall its quite dark and moody, but also harmonically diverse and an eclectic range of rhythms, sounds etc.."
"The alternating bars of 12/8 and 11/8 that drive "Pablo Honey's" opening track, "You," should have given some indication to the masses that Radiohead would not be forever content to dwell in indie rock's lo-fi world. Though a solid debut effort, "Pablo Honey" gives little indication that Radiohead would go on to influence an entire generation of bands (Coldplay, Travis, Doves, Keane, et al).
"Pablo Honey" is most famous for the hit single "Creep," a simple post-grunge pop song completely atypical of the Oxford quintet's style. In fact, the song was never originally intended for the album. As the story goes, Thom Yorke had written it years before and was strumming it in the studio, when a passing record exec heard it and insisted on including it on the record. The rest is history, as they say. Though "Creep" ranks among Radiohead's least distinctive songs, it did put them on the music world's map, for which we should be eternally thankful.
Beyond "Creep," only a few songs stand out: "You" with its driving odd meters; the heartfelt ballad "Thinking About You;" the energetic "Ripcord;" and the dynamic "Stop Whispering," which starts as a catchy pop tune but builds to a ferocious crescendo that foreshadows Radiohead's evolution towards more complex arrangements. "Pablo Honey's" performances and production values are solid but lackluster, and may disappoint those expecting the studio wizardry and technical virtuosity Radiohead would go on to achieve on "The Bends," "OK Computer," and "Kid A."
All in all, "Pablo Honey" is a decent record, far overrated by the indie mavens who disowned Radiohead after they went "art rock," and unlikely to satisfy those more familiar with their later, more progressive work. It's a worthwhile debut, but remains a curio in Radiohead's increasingly impressive and accomplished oeuvre."
"Since "OK Computer", Radiohead spent several years fiddling with their Powerbooks and producing some of the best innovative music of these times with "Kid A" and "Amnesiac". But these albums were full of restless experimentation, and never stood still. With "Hail to the Thief" we get a sense that they've finally arrived where they wanted to be - with a sound that they're confident with. The itchy, bubbling layers of contemporary electronics are now a vital part of their music, while their more conventional chiming guitars and pianos are given equal importance here. But it's still innovative, and highly satisfying, even if it does take several listens to get under its skin.
"2+2=5" is a great opener, bursting out in the middle with an unrestrained punkish thrash. "Sit Down, Stand Up" is built on hypnotic layers of metallic sounds which crescendo up to a brilliant climax. Thom Yorke gives fans of his melancholy crooning exactly what they want with "Sail to the Moon" - an almost operatic aria with some wonderful harmonies. Another stand-out track is "Where I End And You Begin" - with some rich multi-layered drumming and a screeching electronic backdrop.
The more straightforward guitar-rock tracks include "Go to Sleep", which wouldn't have been out of place on The Bends. However its superior brother is "There There" - whose insistent riff, chorus and drumming are close to perfection. The intimate little song "I Will" recalls "You and Whose Army". Another great simpler number is "Scatterbrain", built on their familiar chiming guitar and soaring vocal line.
"We Suck Young Blood" has a sneering and sarcastic feel with some rather scary behind-the beat clapping. "A Punch Up at a Wedding" starts with a mellow bassline, which reminds me of David Sylvian. It has a good tune, but doesn't go anywhere. "Myxomatosis" is dominated by an old-fashioned techno synth sound and Thom's savage ranting. The less interesting tracks are the purer electronic ones, including the slippery "Backdrifts", and "The Gloaming", which could have ended up on Amnesiac. If it wasn't for these, this might have deserved full marks. But Radiohead always end albums with a gem, and this one is no exception. On "A Wolf at the Door" Thom's paranoid raps and rants are unrelenting, and its anthemic chorus is full of bitterness."
"This surprised everyone coming only half a year after "Kid A", but it's a collection of leftover material from the same sessions. As such it doesn't hold together nearly as well. Even though it's not a "proper" album, it's a valuable insight into this band's period of huge creativity, and between the fluff it has its share of fine moments.
The itchy electronica, and relentless experimentation, which had replaced their guitar rock, is still the driving force. The clanking metallic noises of "Packt Like Sardines" firmly establish this mood. The most effective use of electronics here is on "Like Spinning Plates", where the wobbly backwards noises actually evoke the title. The taunting of "You And Whose Army" is enhanced with humming backing vocals. Along with the muffled strings on tracks like "Dollars And Cents" these effects help to create an old-fashioned vinyl feel. But "How to Disappear Completely" and "Motion Picture Soundtrack" were much better showcases for this style.
"Pulk Pull.." is a merely B-side quality techno instrumental (think "Fitter Happier" as a full track). "Morning Bell" is an interesting remake of the song on Kid A, which actually sounds bell-like. It's mildly too happy-clappy though. The previous version had a more powerful edge with its jagged guitar ending, and probably deserves to be called definitive. The guitar noodle of "Hunting Bears" seems rather a pointless addition.
However they were still not afraid to simply write good songs. With "Pyramid Song" they are back in familiar territory, with Thom Yorke's beautifully plaintive lament over lazy piano chords. "Knives Out" sees them return to their OK Computer days with a simple but piercing tune and sinister culinary imagery. "I Might Be Wrong" recalls "Optimistic" with its sparse rhythm guitar backing.
As Radiohead have always done, they end the album in style. "Life in a Glass House" starts off as another plaintive piano ballad, but Thom is soom joined by a traditional jazz band. But unlike "National Anthem", the horn-blowers don't go bonkers, instead they each seem to independently lament their own bluesy dirge, as if they had got quietly drunk in an old Western bar."
"What is to say about this album that hasn't been said already? After the mostly-ordinary "Pablo Honey", Radiohead released this, often considered the pinnacle of 90's "alternative" rock (OK Computer was prog rock!). I do like The Bends lots, but find their later experimental stuff more interesting. Some of the tracks here are still in the straightforward grungy guitar style ("Bones", "Just", "Sulk"), but decent stuff anyway. The "Radiohead style" was finally defined by songs like "Bullet Proof...", "High and Dry", "Nice Dream", laid back, semi-acoustic, earnestly floaty singing. Spawned a few imitators, but the sound is strong and hasn't dated. Two tracks in particular - "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit" have the kind of simple beauty that elevated them to iconic status, and foreshadow what was to come. They could only get better..."
"Another one I don't have anything to say about that hasn't been said before. How on earth is it possible to fit so many flawlessly good songs on one album? Pink Floyd did it two decades previously with "Dark Side of the Moon", and this is often called the 90's equivalent. For example it seems like they hit on two classic anthemic endings with "Lucky" and "The Tourist", and couldn't decide which one to include, so settled on both. It's pure prog rock - an ornate production with crystally guitar arpeggios, floaty keyboard pings, snatches of sound effects. And there's Thom Yorke's fluidly smooth tenor and the urban-alienation lyrics, which verge towards too knowingly cool (especially the fridge-poetry style bit-track "Fitter Happier"). To excuse them, although lyrics about the corporate soulnessness of these times might now seem hackneyed, it's a good thing that the definitive statement of this era is an album with such outstanding music. I'll give the blow-by-blow account a miss, because if you've never heard it before, why haven't you? They hit on a timelessly good sound, and I lapped it up, along with millions of other people."
"After Pink Floyd made "Dark Side of the Moon", they became gradually more cynical and bloated, before eventually imploding under the weight of Roger Waters' ego. What a blessing, therefore, that Radiohead didn't go the same way after the revered "OK Computer". Instead they went back to basics, shrugged off history and the expectations placed on them, and began to approach music-making from a completely new angle. The first of the two albums resulting from these sessions was "Kid A", which had the far superior material.
"Everything In Its Right Place" was a firm slap in the face to make it clear to everyone that they were back, and going to damn well write songs the way they liked. No guitars. A stately techno refrain, a mangled burbling of backing vocals, and Thom Yorke's insistent sneering about sucking a lemon. The title track takes us even further away from floppy-haired indie rock, with some Aphex-like ambient techno and a vocal line distorted into oblivion. "National Anthem" is a daring composition, with an ever-present bass riff which is gradually swamped underneath a chaotic jumble of jazz horns.
Their familiar symphonic rock melancholy is back under a shimmering new guise - "How To Disappear Completely". As Yorke laments "I'm not here, this isn't happening" and strums his guitar, the orchestral backing is contorted and spliced just enough to cross the line from sentimentality to other-worldliness. The following instrumental "Treefingers" is reminiscent of Brian Eno's ambient productions, and didn't sound out of place when played on BBC Radio 3's late night eclectic music show.
The second half begins straightforwardly with "Optimistic", a reminder of the harder-edged indie rock of The Bends. "In Limbo" may have come from OK Computer, with its distinctively Radiohead chiming guitar and organ. However the next two tracks are Radiohead in firmly contemporary mode. The itchy, restless electronica of "Idioteque" is followed by a more restrained, but spooky "Morning Bell". In both of these, Thom's voice and melody soars effortlessly over the scratchy background.
"Motion Picture Soundtrack" ends the album theatrically with another idea seemingly pulled out of nowhere. A glittering curtain of harps surrounds the sampled show chorus and grinding organ. Another reviewer pointed out the similarity with the end of Beatles' White Album - certainly not too lofty a comparison. After all this may become the reference standard years from now."
"I like Radiohead best when they find a good balance between catchy tunes, odd/quirky bits and brilliant political/social lyrics. So on this album I prefer the songs that they also published as singles, plus the more melodic ones. The dissonant, noisy songs on this album are good, but not brilliant - other bands do a better job at that kind if music. Still those songs are very worth listening to, and after all they provide a good contrast to the melodic ones."
