Radiohead, Part 3

Radiohead - Complete Discography - Part 3

COM LAG (2plus2isfive) (EP) (2004)

Rating: 8

"You have not been paying attention"

Best Song: I Am a Wicked Child

Worst Song: Where Bluebirds Fly

       Hmmm....I adore the original album that all of these outtakes are from...but I sure can't make the connection between Hail to the Thief and this. Sure, there's a live version of "2 + 2 = 5", an alternate version of "I Will", and what appears to be an early version of "There There", but the rest sounds strangely Amnesiac-esque. And that's funny, too, because two of these tracks are remixes of songs from HttT. Both "Remyxomatosis" and "Skttrbrain" are nothing but directionless beats, a la "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors". Blech.

      "Where Bluebirds Fly" is another one that consists of not much more than boring blips and bloops, as is "I Am a Citizen Insane". "Citizen Insane" does have a bit more melodic know-how going on than "Bluebirds", though. I'm also not too crazy about the semi-similar "Paperbag Writer". (What a hilarious pun. Ha. Ha. Ha.) That one has a decent guitar line, as well as a decent melody, but those irritating strings don't fit in AT ALL and mostly serve to bring the song down. Take out the strings and it's decent, but with the strings....ugh.

      So why does COM LAG get the rating it does? Simple, the rest of the material's great. There's the aforementioned rip-roaring live version of "2 + 2 = 5" that's even more energetic than the original, the very pretty piano ballad "Fog", the even prettier acoustic ballad "Gagging Order", and an alternate take of "I Will" that stands alone much more effectively than the original, thanks to some percussion. However, the absolute best thing here is the slinking, snake-y "I Am a Wicked Child". I may be completely wrong here, but the almost tribal beat and uneasy feel lead me to believe that this is an early take of "There There"...but again, I'm just guessing. Heck, it's almost worth hearing if only to hear an incredibly cool, eerie harmonica on a Radiohead track. And that's forgetting the awesome vocal melody!

      So yeah, half the album's great and similar to Hail to the Thief, and half the album's mediocre and similar to Amnesiac. If you're a fan of either (or both) album(s), you could do a lot worse than pick this up. And "I Am a Wicked Child" is practically a must-own. 

In Rainbows (2007)

Rating: 11

"You are not to blame"

Best Song: Reckoner

Worst Song: Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

       You know, I feel really bad giving this album an 11. There is some REALLY good stuff here. I mean, "Reckoner" is probably in my top 10 Radiohead songs, and "Bodysnatchers", "15 Step" and even "Nude" are up there in my top 20 - 30! So why does it only get an 11?

       Because there's a loooot of filler, that's why. Not BAD filler, per se, but it's just very...blah. And, to make matters worse, a lot of it sounds rather similar. It also doesn't help that most of the worst songs are all bunched together, but I'll get to that in a minute.

       The album starts off with one heck of a bang -- that's right, it's "15 Step"! A great vocal melody, cool blippedy-bloopedy electronic percussion, children screaming "Yay!", a nifty bass line -- this is one heck of a track and a great way to start the album. Score one Radiohead. "15 Step" is then followed up by an even better song, the rocking "Bodysnatchers", which is rather reminiscent of "2 + 2 = 5". It may not reach quite the same heights as that track, but it does indeed come mighty close. It's got a simply awesome riff, and Yorke's frenetic screams of "IIII HAVE NOOOO IDEAAAAAAA / WHAT YO' TAAAAALKIN' ABOOOUUUT!" always bring a smile to my face, if only for the frenetic energy that they bring to the song. I also dig how the melody completely changes halfway through the song, thus keeping the song from becoming repetitive. (They should have remembered this tactic a few songs later...)

       After that is the extremely pretty ballad, "Nude". Funny enough, this song was apparently written somewhere around the OK Computer era, but it still fits in perfectly here. It starts out as nothing more than a dreamy ballad, albeit a very good and melodic one. However, the song instantly elevates itself to "classic" status when it reaches its apex, that's right, when the instruments drop out and Thom sings "You'll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking". That's a major chill-bump moment for me.

       And after that amazing 3-song streak, we get the much less amazing 3-song streak of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "All I Need", and "Faust Arp". None of these songs are bad per se, but they are all very similar, in that every one of them is mid-tempo, and every one of them goes for a sort of....uh...dreamy mood? No, that's not it...it's uh...a hazy mood? Uh...I dunno...yeah, they all have the same sort of mood. I can't tell you what it is, but if you've heard the songs then you know what I'm talking about. 

       My least favorite of the three is "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" which is also, coincidentally, one of the longest tracks on the album. Big. Mistake. The only real highlights of the song are the guitar arpeggios, which is rather fitting, being as the word "arpeggi" is in the title. Yorke's melody is rather mediocre, and it's also very repetitive. So, we get pretty guitar harmonies and a mediocre, repetitive vocal melody for 5 and a half minutes straight. Woo. 

      After the dreary lull of "Weird Fishes", the perfect thing for Radiohead to do would have been to follow it up with a rousing rocker, or some such. (Might I suggest "Bangers and Mash" from In Rainbows: Bonus Disc?) However, no, the boys then proceed to follow the song with yet ANOTHER song that forms the exact same, haze-y mood. However, this song, "All I Need" is somewhat better than "Weird Fishes", and if not directly following it, I'd probably like it quite a bit. Sadly, though, it DOES follow it, and this weakens the song greatly. That's not to say that the song doesn't have any positive qualities, though. The bass line, in particular, is amazing.

      After yet another sleepy, mid-tempo song (the short "Faust Arp"), we finally come to the album's centerpiece. That's right, it's "Reckoner". One of Radiohead's greatest ever tracks, "Reckoner" is certainly a force to be.....reckoned with.....hee hee. In all honesty though, this is one of those songs that I really love, and I think it's really great...but I can't really explain why. Well, first off, the melody's epic. But it's a Radiohead song, so that doesn't mean much, does it? Hmm...well, the a cappella section is breathtaking, the percussion is very interesting, and the Encio Morricone-esque strings that come in about halfway through the song are very, very cool. So there you go. That's why I love "Reckoner" so much.

      Following "Reckoner" up is the album's very longest track, "House of Cards". I'm not exactly thrilled with it, and it still kinda maintains that dreary mood, but I definitely enjoy it more than "Weird Fishes". The melody is very pleasant, particularly the "tonight" hook, and the mood is slightly more welcome coming after "Reckoner" than "Nude", or another track with the same mood. After that is "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", which is essentially the band creating an uptempo song, but still using the same, now-infamous mood that I've spoken of about 892 times. It's fine, and completely unoffensive, but again, I'm not too crazy about it.

      The album finishes off with (FINALLY) a somewhat strong track in "Videotape". It starts out as a stereotypical (but pretty!) Radiohead piano ballad. However, over the course of the song, subtle industrial loops are thrown into the track, making for a very interesting listen. 

      Is In Rainbows a good album? Most certainly. I give it a very high recommendation, and I think that "Reckoner", "Nude", "15 Step", and "Bodysnatchers" are among the greatest songs that Radiohead's ever done. The rest of the album's a bit more iffy, but it's still most definitely worth a purchase, if only for those four songs.

     

In Rainbows: Bonus Disc (2007)

Rating: 7

"Because down is the new up"

Best Song: Bangers and Mash

Worst Song: Anything other than Down is the New Up or Bangers and Mash

       Well, this is a bad outtakes collection. Okay, not bad, but most certainly bad for Radiohead. For anyone wondering, it's also my least favorite output by the band other than Pablo Honey. Yeah. Yikes.

       Let's see..."Bangers and Mash" is absolutely awesome, and is essentially what gives the album the 7. It's a rocker sorta like "Bodysnatchers", and it's really catchy, really fun, and overall a really great song. Heck, on the real album it'd be one of the best songs. "Down is the New Up" is also rather good, what with its neat melody and extremely dramatic strings.

      Sadly, everything else here is a completely melody-less, mid-tempo bore. And that's all I'm gonna say about this here outtakes collection.

The King of Limbs (2011)

Rating: 10

"If you think this is over / Then you're wrong"

Best Song: Morning Mr Magpie

Worst Song: Feral

      Hrm, interesting. That's what this album is. Not always pleasant, but most certainly always interesting, and it sounds nothing like anything else that the band has ever done before. What is the sound? Well, it's sorta like a darker, less catchy version of Talking Heads' Remain in Light. What do I mean? I mean that the songs are made primarily of loops, but unlike Amnesiac and others (and much like Remain in Light), all of these loops are made by real instruments, not computers.

      Of course, there are some electronic touches in here (mild synths and beats), but generally this album feels strangely (and simultaneously) earthy and mechanical at the same time. So that's pretty cool. But yeah, this album just doesn't click with me in quite the same way that most other Radiohead albums do, for whatever reason, and that's a little troublesome.

       But hey, that doesn't mean that it's not a darn fine album! Both "Little by Little" and "Morning Mr Magpie" are quite good. The former has a really neat acoustic guitar riff and some particularly inspired percussion, and "Magpie" has yet another great riff (this 'un's electric), as well as what is the album's greatest vocal melody. Great songs.

       "Codex" is a very pretty, space-y piano ballad that's extremely pleasant on the ears, as well. (Also of note...is it just me, or is the piano chord progression remarkably similar to the progression from "Sultans of Swing"? Just a thought.) The trumpets that come in halfway through are very cool as well, and they add quite a bit to the track. 

       "Give Up the Ghost" is yet another pretty song, this one being an acoustic ballad rather than a piano ballad. The vocal melody isn't too special, but it's most certainly unoffending, and it works fine. The Kid A-esque vocal effects are a nice touch, too. "Seperator" also suffers from the problem of having a simply decent, forgettable vocal melody, but hey, at least it's got some cool guitar licks, hypnotizing vocal overdubs, a cool drum beat, and a nice bass line.

       Also having an awesome bass line (wow, there are a lot of segue-ways in this review) is the album's lead single, "Lotus Flower". Sure, the vocal melody is, yet again, pretty forgettable (but a little less so than the previous two songs I've discussed), and it goes on for a bit too long, but I must admit....that's one HECK of a drum/bass/synth-noise groove. 

       I'm not too big on the noise-fest "Feral", which I find ironic, as I like most of the noises therein. I just don't lime the way they're put together, AT ALL. It's just noisy randomness for noisy randomnesses sake, and I just can't dig that. Somewhat similar is the opening "Bloom", but at least there's a bit more sense put into placing the sounds in a coherent form on that one.

       I most certainly don't dislike this album (heck, I like large parts of it), but there's not enough stuff on here that makes me go "Wow!" for me to give it higher than a 10. Again, none of these songs are really BAD, per se, it's just that none of them are really that great, either. Still though, it's definitely worth a listen, especially if you're a fan. I'm just wondering what they'll do next....

Order of Accessibility

-------------------------------------

       Hey there, folks. So now you know what Radiohead's best and worst albums are. The question remains, though...in what order should I purchase them? For that reason, here's my thoughts on Radiohead's order of accessibility. 

       So, first off, I need to ask you something -- are you more familiar with electronic music or rock? If you're more familiar with rock, start with The Bends. If you're more inclined to electronica, go ahead and spring for Hail to the Thief, which, in my opinion, is one of the more easily accessible later period Radiohead albums. (Also, if you started with The Bends, then proceed to HttT after that.) After you've experienced Hail, go onto OK Computer. (Alright, now the folks who started with Hail to the Thief can pick up The Bends) Follow that up with In Rainbows, or if you're one of those "I don't care about albums, I just want the best songs" types, just grab "Reckoner", "15 Step", "Bodysnatchers", and "Nude" from that album. Now, finally proceed to Kid A, and then follow that with Amnesiac and The King of Limbs, in that order. Now, you can begin the EP collection. This really depends on your favorite albums by the band. If you like The Bends, grab Itch and (especially) My Iron Lung. If you like OK Computer, grab the Airbag EP. And if you like Hail to the Thief, go for COM LAG. They're all pretty good.

       So basically, we end up with this:

1) The Bends

2) Hail to the Thief

3) OK Computer

4) In Rainbows (or simply the best four songs from In Rainbows)

5) Kid A

6) Amnesiac

7) The King of Limbs

Radiohead, Part 2

Radiohead - Complete Discography - Part 2

Amnesiac (2001)

Rating: 10

"Catch the mouse"

Best Song: Knives Out

Worst Song: Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

       In a decidedly un-Radiohead like fashion, the band decided to follow up their masterpiece with an....outtakes collection?!? That's right, kiddies, an outtakes collection! And no, our boys didn't go to any lengths to try and mask this fact by, like...I dunno...linking the tracks together or...uh...actually FINISHING the tracks, on some occasions. But still, as far as outtakes collections go, this one isn't bad. (Metamorphosis, this ain't) However, being as all the songs are outtakes from one of the greatest albums ever, that should be expected.

       That's not to say that that all the tracks are great, however. By no means is that the case. The absolute worst thing here, and probably my least favorite Radiohead song of all time is the ugly, pointless "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors". There's an irritating percussion loop, and Thom speaks through an annoying high-pitched filter.  That's all there is to the song. And it lasts, like, 4 minutes. WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS?!?

       Lots of people hate on the track "Hunting Bears", and I can most certainly see why. I personally don't mind it, simply because it's so short, but the whole idea of taking a guitar lick (however cool it may be) and repeating it for 2 minutes with no variation is a bit ridiculous. I'm not too crazy about the first half of "Pyramid Song", either, but once the strings come in, it completely redeems itself. I feel the same way about "Dollars & Cents", I.E., the melody itself isn't anything too special, but the orchestral arrangement is so beautiful and dramatic that I end up liking the song. 

       There's also an alternate version of "Morning Bell" from Kid A, and while I may not like it quite as much as the original...it's still great. It takes out pretty much all of the electronic flourishes from the original and replaces them with creepy choirs, pianos, and an acoustic guitar. Very cool. Also, Thom sounds much more gripping here in his vocal delivery, for whatever reason. It's particularly noticeable in the "Cut the kids in half" section. 

       On the "hey, I actually like these songs with no reservations!" front, we have the western-y rocker "I Might Be Wrong" (which might be just a tad too repetitive...but ah, who cares?), the very melodic and pretty "You and Whose Army", the big-band closer "Life In A Glasshouse", and last but not least, my personal favorite -- "Knives Out". 

      "Knives" is a pretty mid-tempo ballad that's rather reminiscent of Radiohead from about...eh...4 years earlier. It's got a great melody, a cool, creepy mood...yeah, it's the best thing here, and one of Radiohead's best ever songs -- period. "Like Spinning Plates" is also very good...at least while Thom's singing. It's got a cool vocal melody, but when he's not singing, there's nothing left but a boring synth loop and reversed drums that are very reminiscent of Can's "Oh Yeah". Blah.

      If you like Kid A and OK Computer, get this. It's got elements of both albums, and there are some seriously good tunes on here. Of course, there's also some seriously weird filler on here, but hey, there's not much, and even the worst stuff is....interesting. So yeah. It's a good album.

I Might Be Wrong - Live Recordings (2001)

Rating: 12

"Women and children first"

Best Song: Idioteque

Worst Song: True Love Waits

       Ooooo, a live album...interesting. Oh, and it's actually good! Like, really good! It's comprised of nothing but songs from Kid A and Amnesiac (and one rarity), but hey, I love both of those albums, so that doesn't bother me at all. It's also rather short, and I'm really not sure if it's supposed to be an EP, or what, but it's long enough where I decided to classify it as a regular album. 

       One thing I find interesting about this album is that the two albums whose material it is drawing from are just so studio-heavy. I mean, the entire point of those albums, particularly Kid A, was to capture the feeling of depression and isolation via endless-sounding aural landscapes that are virtually impossible to reproduce live. Thus, all of these songs sound very different than their studio counterparts, and that makes this album much easier to recommend than lots of other live albums, whose songs sound virtually identical to the original version.

      The album kicks off with "The National Anthem", and while this version doesn't have the awesome horns of the original, Thom gives a much more enthusiastic vocal performance, and the bass is much cooler sounding and more distorted. Also, the band is smart enough to end the song about a minute earlier than the studio version. So yeah, it's about equal to the original, surprisingly. 

      Also equally as good as the original version is "Everything in Its Right Place", which runs for nearly 8 minutes long! The synth chords and drums are much more alive sounding than in the original cut (Well, duh, it's a live album!), and this improves the song greatly. Also, over the course of the song, samples of Thom's voice are gradually spliced in over the proceedings until the entire song is nothing but a wall of Yorke wailings. Sure, it could afford to be a little shorter, but it's so awesome that I really don't feel the need to complain.

      Representing Amnesiac are "I Might Be Wrong", "Dollars and Cents", and "Like Spinning Plates". The worst of these is most certainly "Dollars and Cents", because if you remember correctly, back in the Amnesiac review I said that the only thing that made me like the original version were the cool, dramatic orchestral swells. Well, now the orchestral swells are gone, leaving us with nothing but the generally boring melody.

       The other two, however, are far better. "I Might Be Wrong" rocks harder and more convincingly than the original, and "Like Spinning Plates" sounds completely different. It's actually something of a pretty piano ballad, as opposed to an ugly, industrial Can-esque track. Cool.

        None of this, though, compares to their rendition of "Idioteque". It absolutely blows my mind every time I hear it. It feels, again, much more loose and, well, live than the original, but that's not what makes it so great. No, it's Thom's absolutely insane, manic delivery that pushes this rendition of the song into classic status. He sings the meaningless lyrics with so gosh-darn much CONVICTION that it absolutely blows my mind. Great, great rendition of a classic song.

       If you're a fan of Kid A and Amnesiac, there is absolutely no reason for you to not get this. The only weak links I can find are the slightly boring "Dollars and Cents" and the bland acoustic ballad "True Love Waits". Everything else is AT LEAST as good as its studio counterpart. Heck, I like it more than Amnesiac.

Hail to the Thief (2003)

Rating: 13

"We are accidents waiting to happen"

Best Song: There There. (The Boney King of Nowhere.)

Worst Song: We Suck Young Blood. (Your Time is Up.)

       After the extreme electronic overload that was Amnesiac, the band decided to strip their sound back down to something that sounds simultaneously just like OK Computer and completely different than OK Computer. The sound is very acoustic-driven, but there are still quite a few synths and drum machines being used. However, these elements are used much more as...finishing touches to the songs, rather than being predominant features. This definitely needed to be done, as one more radically electronic Radiohead album may have been just a bit too much.

      Also of note is the fact that unlike Kid A, OK Computer, and to some degree, Amnesiac, this album really doesn't have a flow or a predominant mood. It's just a collection of songs. Very, very good songs, but still, it is a bit odd to hear a Radiohead album where you think, "You know, if I just put my iPod on shuffle and listened to this, it'd be just as good!". 

      There is one 3-song stretch, however, where the songs really work together excellently. I am speaking, of course, of the tracks "There There", "I Will", and "A Punchup at A Wedding". All three are fantastic, and all three work perfectly in a row. Heck, "I Will" even fades into "A Punchup", ever so slightly.

      The first of the three, "There There", is the best of the trio. Heck, it's the best song on the album! It begins with some cool, pseudo-tribal drumming. Eventually, a guitar comes in, and I've gotta tell you, this track has what is quite likely the best riffing since "Paranoid Android". Really. Anyway, after the awesome riff begins, Thom begins singing an absolutely amazing vocal melody, and it gets even BETTER when the background vocals kick in. Wow. This all keeps gradually building until it finally reaches its climax, the end-song chorus. And man, is it a doozy. Thom screams "We are accidents waiting to happen" like he's singing for his life, and the whole thing is just unexplainably amazing. Wow.

     The tribal uneasiness of "There There" is then followed up by the short, eerie "I Will" which works PERFECTLY coming right after "There". The slightly creepy mood of the former is completely fulfilled by this little ballad, and it is absolutely effective. "I Will" then goes directly into the funky "A Punchup at A Wedding"....okay, maybe not really funky, but it's as funky as Radiohead's gonna get, eh? (Sorta like LCD Soundsystem, now that I think about it) Anyway, you have this catchy, kinda-funky electronic beat that leads into the track. This is then joined by some really cool piano chords and a fantastic Yorke melody, and the whole thing eventually falls out amid some cool synth bloops. Great track. 

    Also great are the "hey, I'm like "Pyramid Song", except I actually have a decent melody" "Sail to the Moon", the acoustic grower "Go to Sleep", and the hard-rocking "2 + 2 = 5". That one's probably my second favorite track of the album. It starts out as a relatively straightforward Radiohead track, but it eventually transforms into an epic that rocks harder than about anything Radiohead's ever done. Sure, it could go a bit longer (one more repetition of the "You have not been paying attention" section would work wonders), but hey...beggars can't be choosers. And if I wanted to hear more of it that badly, I could just start it over again, right?

    Sadly, there are a handful of tracks I really don't care for. "Scatterbrain" is essentially a "Knives Out" remake, except this time there's no melody. "Myxomatosis" has a distorted bass line that's simultaneous cool and irritating, but the real problem here is, again, the melody. It's completely unmemorable. Also not too great is "We Suck Young Blood", which is like a...creepy...vampire...torch ballad...or something. Anyway, it's cool for about one minute, but it goes on for four, and it does the same thing for all four of those minutes, so I just cannot approve. 

    Much better is the blackmail tale (I think?), "A Wolf at the Door". It features Thom doing a sort of pseudo-rap, and I've gotta say -- it's probably my favorite Yorke vocal delivery EVER. It's almost stream-of-consciousness-esque, and yes, Thom Yorke doing "Subterranean Homesick Blues"-esque stream-of-consciousness is as awesome as you would think it would be. Not to mention that the melody itself is catchy as heck.

     So yeah, I like it better than both Amnesiac and The Bends. I kind of like to think of this as Radiohead's White Album, their Blonde on Blonde. It's not as good as either of those albums, but the general idea is the same -- a culmination of all sides of an artist, allowed to fully stretch out without any boundaries. No concept, no theme, no mood -- the band just wanted to create a collection of good songs, and that they did. Great album.

Radiohead, Part 1

Radiohead - Complete Discography - Part 1

Album Ranking
-----------------------------
1) Kid A
2) OK Computer
3) Hail to the Thief
4) In Rainbows
5) The Bends
6) Amnesiac
7) The King of Limbs
8) Pablo Honey

       I would love to hate this band. I could spit in the face and defy all of the mainstream critics -- "HA!  You idiots think this over-hyped indie band is good?!? What are you, crazy?!?" -- but alas, I love them about as much as everyone else. (I'll have to save that sentiment for when I review Nirvana... *snicker*snicker*) I think pretty much every album from The Bends to In Rainbows (12 years and 6 albums!!!!) is a must-own, and heck, a good case could be made for The King of Limbs to be required listening as well. What a group.

       For those that don't already know, I'll tell you the general arc of the band. They started out as a generic 90s alt-rock band, making generic 90s alt-rock. They then made what is quite possibly the greatest "pure 90s guitar rock" album ever, before taking that formula and sprinkling electronics, beauty, pretentiousness, and strong melodies over it. They then created what many consider to be the greatest album of the 90s. They then, very bravely, decided to veer as far as humanly possible away from the rock stylings of that album and created a purely electronic album that any uninitiated music listener would consider extremely difficult. Ironically, this became the band's first album to hit #1 on the Billboard Album Charts. The album then won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album. After releasing an outtakes collection, the band made a drastic switch back to the more rock-oriented stylings of their older material, but they still kept some of the lessons they had learned from their time as an electronic band. They recorded two albums in this vein. Those two were proceeded by an album that sort of returned to the old electronic style. However, the twist this time was that the synths and drum machines were replaced by guitars and drums, thus creating an album that SOUNDED like an electronic album, but was actually created primarily by regular instruments. 

     And that's as far as the band has come. As far as my thoughts on the individual albums go, check the individual reviews. Also to note, for some reason I decided to track down every little bitty EP the band has ever put out for review. YOU'RE WELCOME. Oh, and to check the band's order of accessibility, see the end of Part 3. 

Pablo Honey (1993)

Rating: 6

"I wish I was special"

Best Song: Creep

Worst Song: How Do You?

        Yeah, I'm not too crazy about this one. There are a few decent cuts on here, but I tell ya, this is about as generic as early 90s alt-rock gets. Yorke's voice is not nearly as cool or interesting as it would eventually get, the production is horrible (waaay too treble heavy), and generally the melodies are completely forgettable, and at times even ugly. 

        Some are alright, though. "Creep" is by far the most famous thing here, and with good reason. The melody is actually interesting, for once, and Yorke's voice sounds rather pretty and genuine. It also helps that for perhaps the only time in the Radiohead catalog, the lyrics seem downright confessional. No "Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon"'s here, no, on "Creep" we get a sad story of some poor loser who knows that he'll never get the girl of his dreams. Are the lyrics particularly inspired? No, but they are somewhat effective, and again, the fact that it seems that Thom has actually lived through the events being discussed adds another layer to the song. It's not in the very top tier of Radiohead songs, but it's definitely in the top tier of mid-tempo early 90s alt-rock songs, for what that's worth.

        Speaking of mid-tempo songs, now's a good time to say that pretty much every song on here that's at some level of decency is mid-tempo. All the rockers kinda suck. (This pattern would be completely reversed on The Bends, ironically enough) The only truly good rocker is "Ripcord". "Ripcord" sounds like what would happen if you mixed R.E.M. and "Bones" from the next album. In short, a jangly, uptempo rocker with a catchy melody and some squealing guitar licks. That chorus is particularly pleasant on the ears.

        My other favorite mid-tempo song is the great "Vegetable", which has a truly great melody and is downright pretty. The "I'm not a vegetable" line is an especially good hook. "Thinking About You" is a short, pretty acoustic number that's very pleasant, and "Stop Whispering" is another decent mid-tempo song....but it's pretty dull.

        Also dull are "Blow Out" and ESPECIALLY the horrible "Lurgee" which is three minutes of ballad-y boredom. On the rocker front, we have the uneventful "You", the anthemic and somewhat decent "Prove Yourself", the noisy and surprisingly pleasant "Anyone Can Play Guitar", and the god-awful, ugly "How Do You?" which needs to be wiped off the face of the earth. If that's not the most irritating Thom Yorke performance I've ever heard, I'm deaf.

        In short, it's a mediocre collection of early 90s alt-rock tunes. If you're a major, major fan of Radiohead, grab it. Otherwise, snatch up "Creep" and "Ripcord", and if you're interested, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Vegetable". Nothing on here is completely essential, not even "Creep", so don't feel obligated to get it, even if you like golden era Radiohead. It's not "the great lost Radiohead album"
or anything like that.

Itch (EP) (1994)

Rating: 8

"I'm not a vegetable"

Best Song: Faithless, the Wonder Boy

Worst Song: Killer Cars (Acoustic)

        Hey, now this is pretty good! Quite a bit better than the debut, and funny enough, it essentially consists of nothing more than alternate/live versions of songs from Pablo, or outtakes from it. Who knows how I can dislike that one so much and enjoy this one so much at the same time, but hey...I do!

        We start out with an alternate version of "Stop Whispering", that adds a much more majestic and pretty feel to the song (complete with strings!) that improves upon the original greatly. The soft, acoustic feel matches the melody much better than the more abrasive original. Good move.

        Speaking of completely shifting arrangements, the short, two minute acoustic ditty from the last album, "Thinking About You" is changed into a.....two minute punk song?!?! Seriously! This sounds like one of early Green Day's sweeter songs like, I dunno, "When I Come Around" or some such. And...it's actually good! I liked the original in this case, and the band actually improves upon it! Wow! What's next?

        Why, the best song of the album, that's what! "Faithless, the Wonder Boy" is an outtake from Pablo, and FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I cannot figure out why the band didn't include this on there! This version has a slightly unfinished feel, but that's okay, because the melody is AWESOME. Seriously, it's probably the best melody I've heard from a very early Radiohead song. It's kinda like an updated version of those classic, mid-60s Who singles, both in melody and lyrical content. And when I compare a melody to one from a mid-60s Who single, you should know that I think extremely highly of it. (Well, you wouldn't know, because I've never reviewed anything by The Who before. Don't worry, I'll get to that. I love The Who.)

        The next two aren't as great, but they're still....eh...decent. "Banana Co" would be completely unremarkable, if not for some neat-o guitar lines and a piano/synth part that sounds mysteriously like where the band would be in about 3 years. "Killer Cars" is fine, but still, a bit dull.

        After this, we get some live versions of two tracks from Pablo, "Vegetable" and "You". If you remember correctly, I quite enjoyed "Vegetable" and wasn't too crazy about "You". Well, for the live versions of these tracks, my opinion is the exact opposite. I love the live version of "You", which is far more exciting and rousing (Just listen to that riffage!!! Oh, and that vocal delivery!!! Awesome!) than the album version. "Vegetable" loses the succinct neatness of the album version and becomes a bit too sloppy for my tastes, even if I do enjoy Thom's interaction with the crowd (He's an actual person? Shock!) 

        We wrap the EP up with an live, acoustic version of "Creep" that consists of nothing more than Thom and an acoustic guitar. I don't enjoy it quite as much as the original, but the bare-boned-ness of the arrangement makes for a very gripping, honest read of the song. I like it.

        So yeah, I like the live/rarities EP better than the original album. If you really want to hear early Radiohead, this should be your first stop...if you can find it.

     

My Iron Lung (EP) (1994)

Rating: 9

"We are grateful for our iron lung"

Best Song: Permanent Daylight

Worst Song: Lewis (Mistreated)

        Hey, this is really good! Almost as good as The Bends, even! Yeah, you heard me. This short, small EP is nearly as good as the next album, to my ears, and I think you would agree with me if you gave it the chance. 

        Now, for sake of full disclosure, my copy doesn't have the live version of "My Iron Lung" that opens the album or the acoustic version of "Creep" that closes it, but I do indeed have all of the other tracks on here that you've probably never heard before, and that's all that matters, if you ask me. My copy kicks off with the very solid, very dark "The Trickster". It's got a really great riff, as well as some cool, early Flaming Lips-esque guitar noise that provides a very interesting contrast to the rest of the song. Yorke's vocal melody is also very good, particularly in the verses.

        Next is the punky "Lewis (Mistreated)", which is pretty decent, and following that is "Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong" which sounds shockingly similar to "Subterranean Homesick Alien" from OK Computer. Seriously, check out that synth loop, those gentle, jazzy drums, the dreamy guitar -- it sounds nothing like the band's other material from this era. Also of note are the cool steel guitar swells.

        Another great one is the Sonic Youth-esque "Permanent Daylight". And when I say Sonic Youth-esque, I really, REALLY mean it, because this isn't too far away from being a redux of "Teenage Riot". That's not to say that it's a bad song in the slightest, however. It's got a cool melody, Thom is singing through a unique sounding filter, the guitar work is awesome -- a fantastic song.

        "Lozenge of Love" is an acoustic number that sounds like a perfect precursor to, believe it or not, In Rainbows! The melody reminds me of both "Bodysnatchers" and "Reckoner", and believe me, that's a very good thing. Both very pretty and very pleasant, "Lozenge" is yet another winner. 

       That's followed up by the short, sad "You Never Wash Up After Yourself", which has some nice, simplistic guitar picking, as well as yet another great melody. And that's the EP.....and it's a very, very good EP. In some ways, it sounds even more advanced than The Bends, funny enough. Also, the melodies are almost as great as they are on that album and there's no filler on this one. Of course, its short length keeps it from advancing beyond that one, but I have no regrets giving this one nearly the same rating. I can't tell you if the live version of "My Iron Lung" or the acoustic version of "Creep" would change my thoughts in anyway, but I highly doubt they would. Definitely worth a listen.

The Bends (1995)

Rating: 11

"You do it to yourself / Just you"

Best Song: Planet Telex

Worst Song: (Nice Dream)

        Do you like U2? Do you like Nirvana? Would you like it if both of those bands were smashed together? If so, buy The Bends. Seriously, that's the best description of this album I can think of. Still though, this is a big step up from Pablo by our boys, no doubt. Unlike that album, there are really no offensive tracks here. They all have some degree of decency. There's also loads of cool guitar textures and some pretty cool vocal melodies, but again....U2 and Nirvana. 

        And thus, I have the same problems with this album that I do with most of the music by both of those artists, particularly Nirvana. And that is....it's just guitar rock with some decent melodies. There's really not a whole lot of depth here, I mean, it's just....guitar rock with some decent melodies. I suppose if you're an angsty teenager, you'll find some solace in these lyrics....but again, Nirvana waves hello. 

        For some reason, this album is praised immensely by critics. (Rolling Stone even put it AHEAD of OK Computer on its "Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Really?!?) Sure, like I said, the melodies are solid and there's some really neat guitar riffage going on here,  but that's...pretty much it. (And therein lies my problem with Nevermind) 

       I know what you're thinking: "Hey, didn't you give Cosmo's Factory a 14 mainly for its amazing melodies?" Yes, that is true. (Of course, "Long As I Can See the Light" affects me deeply as well, but that's beside the point.) But those melodies are absolutely CLASSIC. These?...eh, these aren't THAT far beyond your average alt-rock song. But they are at least somewhat beyond that, so that's why it gets as high of a grade as it gets.

       Another thing that keeps this album from getting too high of a grade is its lack of variety. Pretty much everything here is either an anthemic rock song, a pretty ballad, or some combination therein. But again, these are very well put-together anthemic rock songs, and very pretty ballads, so there you have it. An 11.

       With all of that staggeringly long exposition out of the way, let's talk songs. The album kicks off with three total winners, one after the other. "Planet Telex" features the first prominent use of synth effects and innovative guitar noise on a Radiohead LP, and it works brilliantly. Also to note is that Yorke sounds absolutely awesome on this track, and it also has one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, early Radiohead melody. There's also loads of genius riffage going on here too, so yeah...it's the best thing on the album.

       The next track, "The Bends", comes mighty close though. The sounds a bit more eh..."normal" than most Radiohead songs, but that doesn't bother me one bit. It's still great. "High and Dry" is also fantastic, with a much more gentle, acoustic feel than the previous two tracks. A great, simplistic guitar solo and some lyrics that I personally think are great ("You kill yourself for recognition") round out the track.

       Other highlights are the forward-sounding, creepy album-closer, "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", the very catchy "Just", and the head-banging "Bones". I especially love Yorke's snide delivery in "Bones". However, all of the songs I've mentioned so far are uptempo...so what do I think of the ballads? Well,  "(Nice Dream)" is incredibly dull, and "Fake Plastic Trees" is pretty much the same, with the exception of that one verse near the end of the song where it sort of builds up into something sounding relatively OK Computer-y. "Black Star" is anthemic, but forgettable. "Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was" is pretty, but bland...yeah, I'm not too crazy about the ballads.

       But still, the awesomeness that is the rockers, and the relative inoffensiveness that is the ballads is enough to guarantee this album an 11. You should probably own this, and it's also pretty accessible. So, it might not be a bad first Radiohead album. Just know going in that there is a bit of filler.

OK Computer (1997)

Rating: 14

"No surprises, please"

Best Song: No Surprises

Worst Song: Climbing Up the Walls

        Well, here we are at what many consider to be the greatest album of the 90s, as well as Radiohead's crowning achievement. Now it very well may be the best album of the 90s, but I still consider Kid A to be Radiohead's greatest stride. However, even if Kid A is indeed better, OK Computer is still one heck of an album. This is an album with some seriously good tunes on it. 

       Now, apparently this is supposed to be a concept album...Yeah, I don't see it. Surrre, "Fitter Happier" makes perfect sense as a centerpiece to a rock opera of sorts, but...I don't see any other tracks that deal with this kind of thing. Not a single one. They all seem to be completely different lyrically, and while this doesn't bother me, it does make me roll my eyes whenever I see someone claim that they like this album because of the "concept". But I can totally see how someone could like it because of the songs. It's just flat-out full of great melodies and ideas. And I will say one thing about the concept -- all the tracks share a similar feel. No, not a lyrical idea, but a feel. An emotion. I always picture a cold winter morning whenever I hear these songs....kinda like the wintry looking cover, now that I'm thinking about it. They're all sort of chilly and sleek, but at their heart, they're actually warm-feeling. 

       OK, enough about "emotions" and such. Let's talk songs, shall we? You have they "Sexy Sadie" rewrite, "Karma Police", which starts out well enough but eventually builds into a giant wall of guitar effects and beautiful Thom Yorke wailings of "For a minute there, I lost myself". After reaching this apex, an awesome, unexplainable effect occurs, where the song essentially breaks down into computer-y gurgles that eventually segue straight into "Fitter Happier", which is a spoken word piece by, what else, a computer. The effect is genius.  

     

       Another great one is the shifty "Paranoid Android", which goes from a gentle, almost flamenco-esque acoustic guitar-driven melody, to a hard rocking guitar solo, to a creepy, gospel-ish "rain down" section, and then back to the awesome guitar solo....all in about six minutes. Also of note is the dark, moody "Exit Music (For a Film). It's a fine little acoustic ballad for a while, but when the distorted bass line and Selling England by the Pound-era Genesis-esque choirs (a mellotron, I think) come in about 3/4 of the way through the song, it's a major goose bump moment for me. Well done, gents. 

        You also get the heartbreakingly gorgeous "No Surprises" which is essentially a dreamy, gentle lullaby with a beautiful guitar line and some chilling xylophone parts. Oh, and did I mention that the song is about suicide, to boot? Yeah, it's a sad one. But oh so beautiful. My other favorite of the album, "Let Down" is quite similar. The whole "dreamy" effect is in full force here, and it, just like "No Surprises" is breathtakingly beautiful. The melody and instrumentation is what mostly grabs me, but I've gotta say...that little electronic breakdown in the bridge that lasts for about 7 seconds or so? Yeah, that blows my mind every time I hear it. Wow.

        The only "bad" track I can think of is the ugly "Climbing Up the Walls". I totally get that they're going for a dark, oppressive mood here, but they might just hit it a little too well, if you know what I mean. Also, it's a bit long, especially for this album. I suppose I could also say that perhaps "Electioneering" is a little uninspired and that "Subterranean Homesick Alien" gets a little boring in places, but eh?....I won't.

       So, there you have it. Is it overrated? ....I want to say "yes", but I just kinda have to agree with everyone on this one. It's probably my favorite album of the 90s, and I love it about as much as everyone else. It's a modern classic, and you need this in your library.

No Surprises/Running from Demons (EP) (1997)

Rating: 8

"I'll take a quiet life / A handshake of carbon monoxide"

Best Song: No Surprises

Worst Song: Melatonin

      Apparently there were also some rarities from OK Computer, and the band released these on this here (and the Airbag one, as well) EP. None of the songs are really bad, per se, but they're all kind of "blah", with the exception of the opener (the excellent "No Surprises", from the original album), "Pearly" (a neat number with a really great, albeit repetitive) vocal melody, and the "Subterranean Homesick Alien"-esque "A Reminder". The rest are mid-tempo and somewhat forgettable. It also doesn't help that they're all in a row, either.

       The best of these mid-tempo songs is "Bishop's Robes", which is quite pretty and has a very pleasant vocal melody. The worst of these is the boring "Melatonin", which is like all those short, pretty numbers yet to come from Radiohead ("Faust Arp", "I Will", "Fog", etc.), except really boring. "Meeting in the Aisle" is the band's very first instrumental, and I can really tell -- it's pretty directionless.

       So yeah, No Surprises/Running from Demons. It's not bad, but you can get nearly all these songs ('cept for "Bishop's Robes"), as well as much better ones, on the next EP.

Airbag / How Am I Driving? (EP) (1998)

Rating: 10 

"In an interstellar burst / I'm back to save the universe"

Best Song:

Worst Song: Melatonin

       Well, this is almost the same album as No Surprises/Running From Demons. There are a few minor differences, though. Instead of having "No Surprises" be the opening track, this one has "Airbag", and instead of having "Bishop's Robes" be one of the rarities, this one has the morphing "Polyethylene [Parts 1 & 2]" and the hard-rocking "Palo Alto". 

       So, which one's better? Well, "No Surprises" is a better song than "Airbag", but both "Polyethylene" and "Palo Alto" are at the very least equal to the pretty "Bishop's Robes", so overall, it's a more enjoyable EP than the other. Also, the version of "Pearly" here is the original version, not the remix. There isn't much difference between them.

       In short, if you have OK Computer and you want some more tracks like the ones on it, grab this one, not Running From Demons. It doesn't really matter that "No Surprises" is a better song than "Airbag", because...well....you already have OK Computer. So yeah, grab this one.

Kid A (2000) 
Rating: 14

"This is really happening" 

Best Song: Idioteque 

Worst Song: Untitled (Yes, I took the easy way out) 

        Call me hipster, but I love this album. It takes a couple of listens to really hook you, but when it does....man. It's got you. And in all honesty, there's only one flaw with the album, and that's the fact that most of the songs only work within the context of the album. In other words, to enjoy the music of this album, you pretty much have to listen to it beginning to end. Other than that...it's pretty much flawless.
      

         And yes, I like the ambient drone of "Treefingers", unlike a lot of people. But, to tell you the truth, I myself didn't really enjoy it for a while. No, it took until one day when I was sitting on the beaches of Destin, Florida, for me to enjoy it. I pulled out my lawn chair, sat under an umbrella, stuck my feet in the sand, and turned on the album in question. I enjoyed it immensely, as always, but when "Treefingers" finally came up, I was a bit disappointed. "Aw man," I thought, "now I've got to wait through 3 minutes of boringness to get to the fantastic 'Optimistic'. Crap." However, as I sat there, completely relaxed and staring at the waves crashing on the shore, the song began to affect me in a way I never thought possible. That was quite possibly the most relaxing three minutes of my life. And ever since then, I've loved "Treefingers". Yup.
        

        But of course, "Treefingers" isn't the only great song on the album. No, there's also the apocalyptic, free-form jazz (isn't that something if an oxymoron?) "The National Anthem", which has an extremely simple, but really effective bass groove. Also, the whole "horn section crescendoes and crashes in great fashion" thing is jaw-dropping. Just...wow. 

        I can totally see why someone would dislike the title track, but that little lullaby-esque keyboard riff is completely mesmerizing to me, as is the bouncy, shuffling rhythm. I also dig the random whale noises at the end. They're completely out of left field, but they work...somehow. Also of note are the cool, nagging synth noises that pop out all over the place. By the way, the vocoderized lyrics mean nothing. Don't even bother trying to decipher them. Please.
        

        "How to Disappear Completely" is an absolutely gorgeous ballad, and even if I don't like it quite as much as the closing "Motion Picture Soundtrack" (I'll get to it in a minute), it's still a great ballad. I especially like that those two notes that the guitar and orchestra keep repeating throughout the song are eventually sung beautifully by Thom in the outro, to great effect. Also, the sample of the cascading synthesized trumpet that pops up about halfway through the song is really, really cool to my ears. Lots of people don't like "In Limbo", and while I'm not the biggest fan of it myself, it works SO WELL as an introduction to "Idioteque", which is obviously the album's centerpiece, that I have no objections to its inclusion. The way that the wall of utter noise built up by the song's end completely subsides to make way for the stark, industrial beats of "Idioteque" never fails to give me chills.
        

        And that brings us to "Idioteque" itself. What a song. The samples used are simply brilliant, as are those haunting four chords played repetitively on the synth. Man, are those chords effective. That chorus just blows my mind every time I hear it. Thom's voice works PERFECTLY with the song, and he sings the lyrics with amazing conviction....even thought they mean nothing. And that's not to mention the chilling harmonies....that thar's a song, my brutha.
        

        Also of note is the closest thing this album has to a "Radiohead rocker", the guitar-driven "Optimistic". Not only is the riff great, the drumming on this track is simply fantastic, booming through the speakers with fantastic power. (Random thought: wouldn't a version of the entire song made in the style of that little bit at the end be awesome?) Speaking of awesome drumming, we have "Morning Bell", which has an extremely strange time signature (5/4), neat-o synth textures, and some very intense and minimalistic drumming. Also, isn't it extremely cool when the band finally breaks out after the "round and round" bit? Great track.
        

        The album then ends on a definite high note with "Motion Picture Soundtrack", a devastatingly mournful ballad. It works perfectly as a sort of "calm after the storm", following "Idioteque" and "Morning Bell", and yes, the melody is spectacular. After "Soundtrack", there's a short, hidden track which consists of a some synth noises being played for a minute or so.
        

        And that's Kid A. Oh, I didn't even mention the fantastic, rave-like "Everything In Its Right Place"!! OK, I just did. Anyway, this is definitely an album to get, definitely Radiohead's best, and PROBABLY the best album of the 2000s. Probably. I haven't heard 'em all. Still though, this is amazing, and you will be emotionally affected, I guarantee it! (Unless you're not emotionally affected, in which case I don't guarantee it.)