Radiohead

A first Draft at a review is at the lower end of this page. OVERALL? Gonna play it again! It demands a repeat!

Comments anyone?

In defence of creativity (written Sept. 29th.2000)

Apparently this album is a complete break. (I have NOT heard any of it as yet. It seems a band is damned if they change (REM, Mansun) and damned if they don't (Oasis). As I write I'm playing "Monster" (thanks "Anonymous" in this weeks NME) which I rate highly, As for that matter I rate "Six" too!

Comments in NME suggest it is "unlistenable nonesense", amongst other things. Thats how I rate Radio 1 Friday (21.30 to 22.15 or so) with some of the "dance" stuff if that's what it is? As regards the "difficulty" making an album, Thom is QUITE RIGHT to make the "writers block" comment. The same thing happened to Rachmaninov and to Sibelius who wrote almost no music in his last 30 years for a similar reason. (More on the latter elsewhere).

From the NME comments it looks as if the band has actually looked back to a period in 30's France, perhaps. But again more on that later after I actually hear the album. I refer to the electronic music period, Xenaxis, Stockhausen by the way, Way before Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerke. That period too was one of edit and assemble techniques, but NOT on the "pop" side at all. Radio "samples" and reverse play were used then.

For a full recording of the Mixing It interview, see the special section which may still be on the Radio 3 website. There was a complete transcript too, and a discography. I wrote to Radio 3 early on just after the broadcast, and its great to see them using the net in this way. The series is on Saturdays by the way. Feb 7th. 2001.

Song Lyrics link

Does not as yet include Kid A

Kid A reference site, including lyrics etc. Feb 21st 2001

Just mentioned in the Radiohead Newsgroup and looks a pretty good stab at analysing the album and with the lyrics. It also asks for any alternatives, should you hear differently.

Pablo Honey.

Impressive Debut album.

The Bends.

OK Computer.

First to top the charts

Hidden Track.

Kid A. Aha there's a hidden track at the end! Very large booklet, mainly graphics, but the credits are in there at the end, including samples from 1976.

Everything in the Right Place

Kid A

The National Anthem

How to Disappear Completely

Treefingers

Optimistic

In Limbo

Idioteque

Morning Bell

Motion Picture Soundtrack

The notes below were written ON FIRST HEARING the album.

If you have not heard Kid A yet, borrow a copy if you can, make sure you have 50 mins free and just let it play!

So interested in the CD itself (hidden track search) that I failed to spot the Graphic visible through the CD tray spider. Open the tray carefully for a second booklet! It contains excerpts from the group website and other little doodles! So thats why the tray is glossy black! Watch you don't crack the tray though!

1 Everything in the Right Place. The track has initial rhythm and electronic effects and an underlying melodic line all the way through, with other lines, including multiple vocals, with repeated lyrics above and around it. There are some phased electronic effects also, and the track fades into-

6 Optimistic A total shift here,.A steady rhythm here, (which I'm sure I've heard somewhere else), with a more traditional "group" sound, but with extra percussion "Big fish eat the little ones!" Extra vocal lines build to a climax, Thom is at the top of his range here. The rhythm is near constant.

2 Kid A. The Title track.which begins quietly with chiming sounds, then a complex percussion, and vocal fragments which have been electronically shifted. Traditional drumming takes over, but with numerous electronic fragments and a slowly shifting phased keyboard line

7 In Limbo Continues the drum pattern but overlays it with a whole series of complex, almost Ivesian lines leading to a phased electronic collapse not unlike "Day in the life". Not an easy track this!

3 The National Anthem Bass, which underpins the whole track and standard drum sounds here but over a wash of phased electronics, slowly shifting, in the manner of "Hymnen" by Stockhausen at times. The brass intervene almost in an improvisatory way, with high solos over a more regular repetitive brass pulse, leading to a markedly Ivesian discordant close, again fading into nothingness!

8 Idioteque. This track includes the samples from a 1976 album of electronic music. Strong Percussion here, but far from regular in pattern! The vocal line is supported here by string like sounds. Phased electronics, including the Ondes Martenot enter later over the percussion, as does a repeated lyric as, in effect using the voice as an instrumental line.

4 How to Disappear Completely Simple guitar here, and very quiet keyboard background sounds over a simple vocal line, Very atmospheric, but building as strings and a stronger rhythm enter. Reminds me of Unbelievable Truth actually! "I'm Not here, This isn't Happening" Builds and ascends the vocal scale until a wordless section concludes.

9 Morning Bell. The Yorke voice is again in high register over keyboard and standard drumming, though with a complex beat! The accompaniment becomes more complex, with numerous Jazz like solo interventions. Very striking!

5 Treefingers Organ like "pedal" chords open, slowly shifting in an atmospheric, very relaxing way, not unlike Tangerine Dream.

10 Motion Picture Soundtrack Harmonium like start, with phasing effects too, And Thom in a richer lower register, Then a fuller toned section with cascading keyboard / harp like sounds and an impressive crescendo.

Refer to the "Starsailor" Album By Tim Buckley. "The Healing Festival" bears a strong resemblance to National Anthem as regards the brass effects. It dates from 1970 by the way. Tim uses the voice as an instrumental line in places, with a huge tonal range! (Feb 14 2001)

Wait for it! A long pulse, then a tonal cascading crescendo, with ripple effects. Not long, but it'll give you a start!

There were sound experiments by Matthieu at http://www.multimania.com/radioblips/sounds.htm

Matthieus other site was http://www.radioblips.com but that seems gone too.

Fan teletext and other comments. Dates as posts.

Vibe Oct 19th.
How come it is alright for Radiohead to produce a poor album in Kid A, but Oasis get slated for SOTOG, which is a ten times better album? It actually has decent lyrics and melodies. Leo
And Kid A doesn't?

Void Oct 19th.
Radiohead should have called their new album "Emperor's New Clothes" Sharron.

Void Oct 19th.
All this talk of Kid A is really getting me down. It pales into insignificance next to the modern masterpiece that is Primal Scream's Xtrmntr, a criminally overlooked album I dare anyone to rubbish. Kid A will be looked back on as self-indulgent tripe. Shame on you people. "Kill all Thom Yorkes" Belfast.

Vibe Oct 19th. (in reply to Benny)
Thom Yorke has joined the list of great songwriters. Lennon and McCartney experimented with Sgt. Pepper, which at first was disliked, as was Dylan turning electric and Cobain with every album. If Radiohead didn't change, they wouldn't innovate. The Rogue

Void Dec 8th.
Radiohead haters always call the band boring and depressing, but they're neither - and compared with Travis, Oasis and the Stereophonics they're positively revolutionary! The new album is mediocre, though.

P J Marvey

Void Dec 8th.
How can idiots class Muse in the same category as Radiohead? Radiohead are over-rated depressing hypocrites who have made milions, yet complain about how terrible life is. Muse have more alternative/rock leanings and their sound is more mature than Thom Yorke's recent effort. Ben Thompson

Hopefully links to lyric and music tabs sources (obviously not for all tracks) will follow. Also looking into what the box of tricks Jonny was using is and does. From descriptions it sounds like something from way back! Refer to the link in the review and illustrations below. (Dec 19th. 2000) See Radio 3 website "Mixing it"
Now how about a reappraisal of 13 by Blur? Oct23rd

This is an image of the concert version of the Ondes Martenot, as used by Olivier Messiaen in Turangalila and other works.

Dec 19 2000

This is an early version,

This page PKM 29th. Sept 2000.Edits Oct. 2nd. 3rd. 4th. Also see dates on the page. (Links 2002)

1 Everything in the Right Place. The track has initial rhythm and electronic effects and an underlying melodic line all the way through, with other lines, including multiple vocals, with repeated lyrics above and around it. There are some phased electronic effects also, and the track fades into-	6 Optimistic A total shift here,.A steady rhythm here, (which I'm sure I've heard somewhere else), with a more traditional "group" sound, but with extra percussion "Big fish eat the little ones!" Extra vocal lines build to a climax, Thom is at the top of his range here. The rhythm is near constant.
2 Kid A. The Title track.which begins quietly with chiming sounds, then a complex percussion, and vocal fragments which have been electronically shifted. Traditional drumming takes over, but with numerous electronic fragments and a slowly shifting phased keyboard line	7 In Limbo Continues the drum pattern but overlays it with a whole series of complex, almost Ivesian lines leading to a phased electronic collapse not unlike "Day in the life". Not an easy track this!
3 The National Anthem Bass, which underpins the whole track and standard drum sounds here but over a wash of phased electronics, slowly shifting, in the manner of "Hymnen" by Stockhausen at times. The brass intervene almost in an improvisatory way, with high solos over a more regular repetitive brass pulse, leading to a markedly Ivesian discordant close, again fading into nothingness!	8 Idioteque. This track includes the samples from a 1976 album of electronic music. Strong Percussion here, but far from regular in pattern! The vocal line is supported here by string like sounds. Phased electronics, including the Ondes Martenot enter later over the percussion, as does a repeated lyric as, in effect using the voice as an instrumental line.
4 How to Disappear Completely Simple guitar here, and very quiet keyboard background sounds over a simple vocal line, Very atmospheric, but building as strings and a stronger rhythm enter. Reminds me of Unbelievable Truth actually! "I'm Not here, This isn't Happening" Builds and ascends the vocal scale until a wordless section concludes.	9 Morning Bell. The Yorke voice is again in high register over keyboard and standard drumming, though with a complex beat! The accompaniment becomes more complex, with numerous Jazz like solo interventions. Very striking!
5 Treefingers Organ like "pedal" chords open, slowly shifting in an atmospheric, very relaxing way, not unlike Tangerine Dream.	10 Motion Picture Soundtrack Harmonium like start, with phasing effects too, And Thom in a richer lower register, Then a fuller toned section with cascading keyboard / harp like sounds and an impressive crescendo.
Refer to the "Starsailor" Album By Tim Buckley. "The Healing Festival" bears a strong resemblance to National Anthem as regards the brass effects. It dates from 1970 by the way. Tim uses the voice as an instrumental line in places, with a huge tonal range! (Feb 14 2001)