...from Kip's Movie & Music Reviews...
Everybody likes Radiohead, right? Michael Stipe (of REM fame and one bald motherfucker to boot) once said that if his band was as good as Radiohead they would have broken up after their 3rd album. Which, of course, only makes us wish that they WERE as good as Radiohead.
Then again, had they called it quits at that point in their career they would no doubt be remembered as being every bit as good as Radiohead is, and better. Alas, they went on to release "Up".
Noone can do what Radiohead seems to pull off effortlessly. Some have tried with a modicum of success (Coldplay). Others have failed miserably (about 2/3 of every whiny indie band who came on the scene since the release of "OK Computer"). The ones who got lucky, conjuring up the spirit of the band without sounding like copycats, have made some very enjoyable music. The failures, who definately are in the majority here, make you wish Radiohead had never gotten a record deal.
Which is a testament to how great "OK Computer" really was...am instant classic. Hipsters balked at Rolling Stone magazines comparison of the album to Pink Floyd's masterpiece "Dark Side of the Moon". Personally I don't see it. I hear much more Allman Brothers influence. Songs like "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and "Airbag" make me think of "Eat a Peach" every single time. The Floyd connection is understandable, but I hear more Gregg Allman than Roger Waters on that album.
Now, three frenzetic albums later, Yorke and Co. return with the much-anticipated "In Rainbows". With it's release the band can once again claim the level of greatness that Michael Stipe was so jealous of. It looks as if they are destined for immortality with this record, which may be their best work since "The Bends".
"In Rainbows" kicks off with "Black Dog", a lumbering, sweaty, sex-charged number that features the mammoth drum stylings of Phil Selway. His technique can only legitimately be compared to the early work of Phil Collins, as evidenced by the incredible flourishes that introduce the next track, "Rock and Roll". Rarely has Thom Yorke's voice conveyed the sheer bliss that comes with true rockin' as he does here. The last time he came this close was on "Fake Plastic Trees".
Shifting gears radically, Jonny Greenwood picks up an acoustic guitar as Yorke spins a Tolkien influenced yarn, "The Battle of Evermore". The spooky atmosphere is only heightened by the vocal stylings of Judy Collins, who is the perfect duet partner for this kind of "Lord of the Rings" flavored nonsense.
Once again shifting gears, Greenwood retains the acoustic guitar and gingerly opens the album's centerpiece, "Stairway to Heaven". Cryptic lyrics match perfectly with the serene music wafting in and out of the first half of the song. Then, straight out of nowhere, Ed O'brien's processed electric guitar shatters the tranquility and leads the song into territory previously uncharted by Radiohead, an almost pre-metal cacaphony. Fine solos by Greenwood and O'Brien abound. Yorke delivers one of the best lyrics he's ever written, "To be a rock and not to roll". Classic! All the naysayers who slagged "Kid A" and "Amnesiac" will surely celebrate the band's return to guitar based music.
"Misty Mountain Hop" (yet another Tolkien reference...these guys must have a lot of time on their hands) and "Four Sticks" open the second half of "In Rainbows". Both are fine songs, but they lose a bit of momentum in following "Stairway to Heaven". It must be noted, however, that Selway once again kicks ass on "Four Sticks". There are several times in this song where he manages to conjure the spirit of John Bonham.
Thom Yorke sounds more relaxed than he ever has on "Going to California", in which he laments the cruelty of a woman unkind who smoked his stuff and drank all his wine. This is as laid back as I've ever heard him. Maybe TOO laid back. At times he sounds like he's fighting an unsuccesful battle with rapidly approaching sleep. But it works, much in the same way that "Everything In It's Right Place" was the perfect opener for "Kid A". This time Colin Greenwood gets to lay down the bass and show you what he can do with a Martin acoustic. He is a fine player, and his style is remakably different than his brother Jonny's more intricate picking (just compare this one with "The Battle of Evermore"...you'll see what I mean...and if you don't, well my friend, you've got a tin ear).
"In Rainbows" concludes with the thunderous behemoth "When the Levee Breaks". Radiohead have never been a band to flirt with Mississippi delta blues, but they have succeeded here in merging Son House with Iron Butterfly. John Popper (of Blues Traveler fame) sits in and lays down a blistering harmonica track that is as far removed from his usual over-played fare as this album is from "Pablo Honey" (Radiohead's 3rd...many say it's their best). A crazy good song that will make you want to push the "repeat" button before you listen to the rest of the album again and again and again and again and again and again and again...because THAT'S what Radiohead fans do.
All in all, "In Rainbows" is a very satisfying outing from a band whose 9 albums have covered the spectrum from grunge that would have made the late great Cobain proud to a jazz fusion sensibility culled from months of listening to Pat Metheny records. Oh, they've had their rough times---who can forget their tribute to Pete Seeger or the "all-covers" project that ingeniously reconstructed chestnuts from influences like Giorgio Moroder, Hanoi Rocks, Bob Wills & Hoobastank---but all in all this band has delivered the goods more times than the Pizza Hut guy on April 20th.
"In Rainbows" will go down in the rock history books as one of the greatest albums of all time. It would not surprise me if Rolling Stone had the gall to compare it to "Led Zeppelin IV". If they do, the Radioheads of the world will have a good reason to boycott that silly magazine. If you're going to compare it to anything, at least be realistic...the album sounds more like "Appetite for Destruction" than anything else.
5 out of 5 stars
Everybody likes Radiohead, right? Michael Stipe (of REM fame and one bald motherfucker to boot) once said that if his band was as good as Radiohead they would have broken up after their 3rd album. Which, of course, only makes us wish that they WERE as good as Radiohead.
Then again, had they called it quits at that point in their career they would no doubt be remembered as being every bit as good as Radiohead is, and better. Alas, they went on to release "Up".
Noone can do what Radiohead seems to pull off effortlessly. Some have tried with a modicum of success (Coldplay). Others have failed miserably (about 2/3 of every whiny indie band who came on the scene since the release of "OK Computer"). The ones who got lucky, conjuring up the spirit of the band without sounding like copycats, have made some very enjoyable music. The failures, who definately are in the majority here, make you wish Radiohead had never gotten a record deal.
Which is a testament to how great "OK Computer" really was...am instant classic. Hipsters balked at Rolling Stone magazines comparison of the album to Pink Floyd's masterpiece "Dark Side of the Moon". Personally I don't see it. I hear much more Allman Brothers influence. Songs like "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and "Airbag" make me think of "Eat a Peach" every single time. The Floyd connection is understandable, but I hear more Gregg Allman than Roger Waters on that album.
Now, three frenzetic albums later, Yorke and Co. return with the much-anticipated "In Rainbows". With it's release the band can once again claim the level of greatness that Michael Stipe was so jealous of. It looks as if they are destined for immortality with this record, which may be their best work since "The Bends".
"In Rainbows" kicks off with "Black Dog", a lumbering, sweaty, sex-charged number that features the mammoth drum stylings of Phil Selway. His technique can only legitimately be compared to the early work of Phil Collins, as evidenced by the incredible flourishes that introduce the next track, "Rock and Roll". Rarely has Thom Yorke's voice conveyed the sheer bliss that comes with true rockin' as he does here. The last time he came this close was on "Fake Plastic Trees".
Shifting gears radically, Jonny Greenwood picks up an acoustic guitar as Yorke spins a Tolkien influenced yarn, "The Battle of Evermore". The spooky atmosphere is only heightened by the vocal stylings of Judy Collins, who is the perfect duet partner for this kind of "Lord of the Rings" flavored nonsense.
Once again shifting gears, Greenwood retains the acoustic guitar and gingerly opens the album's centerpiece, "Stairway to Heaven". Cryptic lyrics match perfectly with the serene music wafting in and out of the first half of the song. Then, straight out of nowhere, Ed O'brien's processed electric guitar shatters the tranquility and leads the song into territory previously uncharted by Radiohead, an almost pre-metal cacaphony. Fine solos by Greenwood and O'Brien abound. Yorke delivers one of the best lyrics he's ever written, "To be a rock and not to roll". Classic! All the naysayers who slagged "Kid A" and "Amnesiac" will surely celebrate the band's return to guitar based music.
"Misty Mountain Hop" (yet another Tolkien reference...these guys must have a lot of time on their hands) and "Four Sticks" open the second half of "In Rainbows". Both are fine songs, but they lose a bit of momentum in following "Stairway to Heaven". It must be noted, however, that Selway once again kicks ass on "Four Sticks". There are several times in this song where he manages to conjure the spirit of John Bonham.
Thom Yorke sounds more relaxed than he ever has on "Going to California", in which he laments the cruelty of a woman unkind who smoked his stuff and drank all his wine. This is as laid back as I've ever heard him. Maybe TOO laid back. At times he sounds like he's fighting an unsuccesful battle with rapidly approaching sleep. But it works, much in the same way that "Everything In It's Right Place" was the perfect opener for "Kid A". This time Colin Greenwood gets to lay down the bass and show you what he can do with a Martin acoustic. He is a fine player, and his style is remakably different than his brother Jonny's more intricate picking (just compare this one with "The Battle of Evermore"...you'll see what I mean...and if you don't, well my friend, you've got a tin ear).
"In Rainbows" concludes with the thunderous behemoth "When the Levee Breaks". Radiohead have never been a band to flirt with Mississippi delta blues, but they have succeeded here in merging Son House with Iron Butterfly. John Popper (of Blues Traveler fame) sits in and lays down a blistering harmonica track that is as far removed from his usual over-played fare as this album is from "Pablo Honey" (Radiohead's 3rd...many say it's their best). A crazy good song that will make you want to push the "repeat" button before you listen to the rest of the album again and again and again and again and again and again and again...because THAT'S what Radiohead fans do.
All in all, "In Rainbows" is a very satisfying outing from a band whose 9 albums have covered the spectrum from grunge that would have made the late great Cobain proud to a jazz fusion sensibility culled from months of listening to Pat Metheny records. Oh, they've had their rough times---who can forget their tribute to Pete Seeger or the "all-covers" project that ingeniously reconstructed chestnuts from influences like Giorgio Moroder, Hanoi Rocks, Bob Wills & Hoobastank---but all in all this band has delivered the goods more times than the Pizza Hut guy on April 20th.
"In Rainbows" will go down in the rock history books as one of the greatest albums of all time. It would not surprise me if Rolling Stone had the gall to compare it to "Led Zeppelin IV". If they do, the Radioheads of the world will have a good reason to boycott that silly magazine. If you're going to compare it to anything, at least be realistic...the album sounds more like "Appetite for Destruction" than anything else.
5 out of 5 stars
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