Radiohead album by album

Live in Chile 2018

 

That song is an absolute beast live. I remember listening to bootlegs of it from the TKOL tour and the studio version more than exceeded my expectations.

 

Caught this one in Detroit 2012. They had just debuted it the night before in IL. When Thom introduced the song, I remember thinking he said Faust Arp, due to his accent. I don’t think I was alone as others around me cheered a decent amount. Then they played this one and it was clear that is NOT what he said

 

The last three tracks all sound promising to me, although none of them has grabbed me quite as much as hearing the tracks on the previous albums for the first time. I'd say "Ful Stop" is the pick of the three at the moment.

 

Track 6: 'Glass Eyes'

By David Pollock

Tender, kitchen sink anxiety builds beneath soft, cinematic sweeps of string and piano, again fusing the two key themes (so far) of alienation from society and perhaps from an individual. The narrator alights from a train into an unfamiliar town, and picks his way through faces of 'concrete grey' and towards the mountain. It defies much more description than that; let's just say it's as hauntingly, humanly beautiful as anything this band have done.

 

"Glass Eyes" is absolutely transcendent. I love it. The strings are crushingly beautiful. Thom's vocal is gorgeous as ever.

 

“Glass Eyes” really is gorgeous and a bit devastating. I never thought I’d hear a Radiohead song start with the lyric “hey, it’s me.” It’s one of the most direct songs they’ve got, and surprised me a lot when I first heard it

 

On 19 August 2016 'Identikit' was released as a promo single

By David Pollock

Yorke's echo-heavy, rhythmic vocal and the warmth of the bassline skipping around reverb-laden guitar swooshes reminds of another survivor of the more cerebral end of 90s rock, Fife's own Steve Mason. There is, unfeasibly, a certain low-key soulfulness here, infused with a very thin drop of reggae, as Yorke hollers that 'broken hearts make it rain' and contemplates 'pieces of a wreck of mankind that you can't create.'

 

Live at NOS Alive Festival 2016

 

"Glass Eyes" is very nice, but "Identikit" might be the best track I've heard so far on this album - understated and atmospheric yet full of ideas.

 

Track 8: 'The Numbers'

By David Pollock

Woah, positivity. And a lot of it. Again, amid a heavy dose of reverberating studio production, the folk edge is accentuated, but this time alongside an electric guitar which growls in the background and strings which make the hair prickle with their sense of purpose and determination. It's only a more commanding vocal from Yorke away from being a protest anthem for our times, bringing to mind the arrangements of John Martyn or Gil Scott-Heron as Yorke asserts 'the people have this power / the numbers don't decide … we'll take back what is ours.'

 

Live Jonny and Thom

 

I love those videos they did with the CR-78. I’m convinced they changed the name of that song from “silent spring” to “the numbers” just to make the aphabetical track list work!

 

I could watch Thom Jonny and that drum machine play all day long. Wish they'd do more.

 

Gave a listen to my vinyl copy of AMSP the other day. What a beautiful and weird album. It’s definitely in a category of its own. Glass Eye has grown on me quite a bit.

I love all the outdoor videos too, so glad someone thought of doing that. That’s my favorite version of The Numbers at the moment.

 

I am actually listening to the vinyl in headphones. A sink-into-it-album. It is actually quite a bit guitar based if you really listen.

 

On 28 October 2016 'Present Tense' was released as a promo single


By David Pollock

There are no fillers on this exceptionally well-conceived album, but this feels closest to it, a typical ambient Radiohead number built upon shuffling drums, swirling guitars and that cycling vocal trick Yorke used beautifully on 'How to Disappear Completely'. The choir is astonishing, however, as is the poetry in his words; in particular, 'distance is like a weapon of self-defence / against the present tense' chopped up and repeated as an opening verse of singular rhythmic potency.

 

Live Jonny & Thom

 

Great track, and I like both the studio version and the CR-78 version about equally. I can never remember if the opening lyric is “distance is like a weapon” or “this dance is like a weapon.” Just pulled out the special edition and its actually “this dance.” I think I might like “distance” better as a lyric!

 

Track 10: 'Tinker Tailor ...'

By David Pollock

The keyboard chime which sets the scene sounds like it's been stolen from an early 90s rave anthem, but slowed down to almost painfully somnambulant levels. Like 'Burn the Witch' and 'Ful Stop', with a lyrical thrust which is heavier on hard-to-read metaphor, this is one of the songs on the album which most precisely fuses musical ambition with thickly-layered atmosphere and that special kind of alchemy that a band like Radiohead have made their reputation with.

 

“This dance” reminds me of a Hindu myth I learned of recently, wherein the god Shiva dances to express grief and pain over the loss of his first wife. From Wikipedia:
When Sati (first wife of Shiva, who was reborn as Parvati) jumped into the Agni Kunda (sacrificial fire) in Daksha's Yajna and gave up her life, Shiva is said to have performed the Rudra Tandava (dance) to express his grief and anger.

 

Just been back in the thread and seen that OKNOTOK is going to be discussed at the end of the thread - which is great because I picked up a copy of the triple vinyl yesterday! Listened to the third disc earlier, hearing all the songs for the first time, and the whole disc sounds awesome.

 

I have the 2-CD version and I agree it's a great listen. I listened to it two days ago, in fact.

I'm currently a casual... listener (wouldn't call myself a "fan"... yet) of Radiohead, IMO they are a band you have to sort of ease into. I have a few of their albums (The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A) and I really need to start devoting some time to give these a close listen.

 

“Tinker Tailor” is a decent song but it doesn’t do a whole lot for me. I have a hard time remembering the melody sometimes.

 

Not many live performances around