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RadioheadAlbums ReviewedPablo Honey (1993)Itch (1994) My Iron Lung (1994) The Bends (1995) OK Computer (1997) Airbag/How Am I Driving (1998) Kid A (2000) Amnesiac (2001) I Might Be Wrong (2001) Hail To The Thief (2003) Com Lag (2004) Pablo Honey(1993)Convening informally way back in 1986, and originally known as On A Friday, the five members of Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School in Oxford. Although they existed for years before making their debut (it is possible to track down recordings they made several years earlier as On A Friday), the band didn't start in earnest until the early nineties once all the members had completed their education. The key members are singer/guitarist Thom Yorke and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Greenwood, who are responsible for much of the songwriting, and provide the band with most of its personality - Yorke provides neurotic lyrics and expressive and athletic (if sometimes grating) vocals, and Greenwood supplies inventive and almost psychotic guitar parts. Drummer Phil Selway, guitarist Ed O'Brien and bassist Colin Greenwood are all strong musicians as well, but far more anonymous. Especially at this stage, the band do share the anthem like qualities of early U2, with Yorke's soaring vocals, but his voice and lyrics are far more ambiguous and less strident than U2's black and white early work. This album is also infused with a healthy dose of nineties alt-rock; it's hardly British sounding at all - take away the accents, and it totally sounds like an American rock album. Pablo Honey is generally viewed as their weakest studio album, and it is more generic and predictable than their later work, but it's hardly an embarrassing start by any stretch of the imagination. The single (which received far more attention that the album itself) was 'Creep', which has proved somewhat of an albatross for the band as it's still arguably their best known song even though it lacks the subtlety of their later work, although it's still admirable with Johnny Greenwood's spasms of guitar noise. The stop start dynamics of the opening 'You' (betraying a hint of Pixies influence) are effective, while the anthemic 'Stop Whispering' is also effective. The acoustic 'Thinking About You' is a simple, low key winner, while 'I Can't' balances a hard guitar sound and introspective and pleasant vocals. The guitar freakout of the closing 'Blow Out' is also one of Johnny Greenwood's best moments on the disc. The punky 'How Do You Do' is too far out of character to be particularly enjoyable, while some of the other songs are generic and unremarkable ('Lurgee', 'Ripcord'), especially by Radiohead's standards. These explain why Pablo Honey doesn't score particularly highly, but I'd still be willing to wager that it's still one of the stronger alt-rock albums of its era. Radiohead improved significantly quickly, but this is still a solid record; after years of trying, Coldplay are still to make an album this good. It's just below the level where it's a must-own for anyone who's not a Radiohead fanatic, especially since most of their later albums are easily better, but it's a perfectly respectable debut. 
 Itch(EP, 1994)I'm fond of Radiohead, but they're more of a band that I respect than one that I'd follow to the ends of the earth and buy all their EPs and live albums. I'm only reviewing these records due to the courtesy of my nice friend who has them all. My view on 1994's Itch EP is that Pablo Honey is passable, but not so good that I'm queuing up to hear its outtakes and alternate versions. I like 'Stop Whispering', but I'm not worried about trying to distinguish between the USA version and the original album track. This EP also features relatively redundant live versions of 'Vegetable' and 'You', an acoustic version of 'Creep', also available on the easily superior My Iron Lung EP, and a reworked electric version of 'Thinking About You' that's well worth hearing. Of the three new songs, the promisingly titled 'Faithless, The Wonder Boy' turns out to be a fairly generic rock track, but 'Killer Cars' and 'Banana Co' are a different story entirely, short and interesting live acoustic recordings; 'Killer Cars' is perhaps a little unsubtle by Radiohead standards, but pretty and melodic. There are at least three tracks on Itch that will interest Radiohead fans, but this hardly justifies spending tons of money for an eight track import EP; you might want to try and hear 'Killer Cars' and 'Banana Co' somewhere though.
My Iron Lung(EP, 1994)Despite being a short collection of outtakes from The Bends session, this is a big step up from Pablo Honey, and almost marks the moment where Radiohead started to make an impression of being more than just another promising band, displaying the inclinations and idiosyncracies that would make them one of the most closely watched entities in the current music scene. My Iron Lung is bookended by two otherwise available tracks ('My Iron Lung' later appears on The Bends, which you should probably get first, while the live version of 'Creep' doesn't really fit in), but the songs in between are surprisingly substantial. In many ways My Iron Lung EP is on a similar level to The Bends and OK Computer; it just doesn't have as much time to make an impression, and doesn't feature any songs quite as splendid as 'Bones', 'The Tourist' or 'Karma Police'. The acoustic pair of 'You Never Wash Up After Yourself' and the Eastern-influence 'Lozenge Of Love' are less adorned than anything on their studio records, while 'Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong', with a beautiful ringing guitar hook, is absolutely gorgeous. 'The Trickster' and 'Lewis (Mistreated)' are solid rockers that would have been right at home on The Bends, while 'Permanent Daylight' has a similarly epic feel as the best songs on OK Computer. Get The Bends first, but it's a comfort to know that there's a companion piece floating around that's almost as good. You might struggle to find this if you don't live in Australasia or Japan, but it's definitely worth tracking down the best songs.
The Bends(1995)If you're a mainstream music listener who's somehow managed to avoid the most discussed band of the late 1990s, The Bends is definitely the place to start with Radiohead. Until I heard this, I was mostly unimpressed by Radiohead outside of 'Creep' and 'Karma Police', dismissing them as a bunch of over-exposed moaners. Even now, they're still more of a band that I respect than a band that's going to be one of my personal favourites, but their best albums are well worth hearing, and they're impressively consistent. Like Pablo Honey, The Bends is basically guitar rock, but it's just a lot more interesting, displaying more personality than its worthy but somewhat bland predecessor. Yorke's persona is far more developed, and Greenwood's given a lot more room to impress; his ballistic solo in 'Just' is one of the record's best moments. 'Planet Telex' opens the record with an awesome reverbed keyboard effect, while the anthemic title track feels instantly British, unlike the Americanisms of the previous record. 'Bones' is the overlooked track here, an aggressive rocker that's right up amongst my Radiohead favourites, although the equally intense 'Just' is rightly recognized as a highlight. The delicate melody of 'Fake Plastic Trees' showcases Yorke's upper register, while 'My Iron Lung' is an effortless multi-part rocker. The most revered song on The Bends seems to be closer 'Street Spirit', although I'm not totally sure what its appeal is. The Bends balances mainstream accessibility, quality songwriting, and innovative production to satisfy repeated listens. Fanatics will probably prefer the more challenging OK Computer and Kid A, but if you're interested in Radiohead's credentials as a rock band, start here.
OK Computer(1997)I used to intensely dislike OK Computer as all the hype of "the first great album of the twenty first century" meant that it inevitably failed to measure up to my expectations. After a couple of cursory listens the whiney 'No Surprises' and the mantric 'fitter happier' irritated me so much I lost all respect for Radiohead, and it wasn't until The Bends incident of 2000 (see above) and repeated exposure of 'The Tourist' in the webmaster's car that I allowed OK Computer a second chance. While the best tracks on OK Computer are far more developed than anything on The Bends, the latter scores through consistency and accessability, as my finger always itches to skip 'No Surprises', 'fitter happier' and 'Electioneering.'. Elsewhere though, OK Computer is wonderful, containing some of the best songs of the 1990s enhanced with innovative production and complex textures. The best moments are gorgeous as Thom Yorke utilises the full emotive potential of his wonderful voice; 'The Tourist' is my favourite while 'Subterranean Homesick Alien', 'Climbing Up The Walls' and 'Lucky' are also poignant. There are two great singles; 'Paranoid Android' is in the same echelon as 'Supper's Ready', 'Suite: Judy Blue Eyes' or 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as a coherent and entertaining multi-part epic, while 'Karma Police' boasts a lovely chord progression. My Radiohead loving friends cite 'Exit Music (For A Film)' as the standout, but I'm afraid I haven't yet fathomed its apparent greatness. OK Computer is an artistic triumph, but it's a little overhyped - try finding songs as bad as 'Electioneering' or 'fitter happier' on Pet Sounds or Close To The Edge.
Airbag/How Am I Driving(EP, 1998)Although I'm not of a school of thought that views OK Computer as the greatest album ever made, the quality of outtakes presented in this EP is a convincing argument for anyone seeking to prove that it is. While the EP opens with the awesome 'Airbag', also the lead off track from the parent album, the rest of this stuff is previous released and highly impressive. These songs do feel less ambitious and less claustrophobic than those that made the album proper, but even so it's tempting to imagine OK Computer with a couple of the best tracks from here substituted on for 'Electioneering' and 'Fitter Happier'. The standout tracks here are the awesome ambient groove of the 'Meeting in the Aisle', which is impressively memorable for an instrumental, and especially the amazing 'Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)', which is extremely catchy and easily one of my favourite Radiohead songs. I guess it wouldn't fit onto OK Computer, since it's too blatantly straightforward and anthemic, but it deserves a better fate than to be buried in an EP. 'Pearly' and 'Palo Alto' are neat rockers, and the closing 'Reminder' is also pretty; the whole EP is substantial and shaped nicely, like a miniature album in its own right. This is a surprisingly impressive release; anyone who's a major fan of OK Computer would be well advised to pick this EP up.
Kid A(2000)Kid A emphasises the textural areas that OK Computer suggested. Once hailed as the potential saviours of rock and roll, on Kid A Radiohead are more concerned with subverting the genre than preserving it. Kid A polarised fans; one sector intrepidly followed Radiohead into their deconstruction of rock, while the other sector sat by their firesides and moaned about how Radiohead had shafted them. While I'd prefer Radiohead to stay in the more conventional territory that they excel in, they are surprisingly effective in their new self-appointed role. Despite the peculiar sonic territory that Kid A explores, Radiohead have generally remembered to write good songs. Each track has distinctive musical ideas, some of which are downright catchy like the keyboard riff in 'Everything In Its Right Place'. The major flaw with Kid A is that it fades into monotony towards the end. The first six tracks are all very distinct texturally: the brassy 'The National Anthem' is poles apart from the Eno-esque 'Treefingers'. The last four songs are relatively staid, following the same mellow downbeat textural template. Like Eno's Before and After Science, Kid A probably works well as a sedative as it mellows out towards the end, although in that case the bonus track is ill-designed. If you don't want to go to sleep, it might be a good idea to put Kid A on random; the last four songs are individually enjoyable, but their similarity makes it more difficult to access an intricate album. Commendably, lots of peoples musical horizons have doubtless been broadened by following Radiohead through Kid A's unconventional sonic palette, and Radiohead should be applauded for that.
Amnesiac(2001)Recorded during the Kid A sessions, Amnesiac was promised as more of a rock album than Kid A, but that's hardly true. It's arguably more accessible than Kid A, but it delves even deeper into electronic territory; a lot of these tracks have little guitar at all, and it's quite a distance between this and The Bends. It's perhaps more cohesive in tone, but it's even less song orientated than its predecessor. There's almost a case that the strongest material from this and Kid A should have been consolidated into one record, but each has its individual feel, and they're both strong enough to easily merit individual releases. 'Morning Bell' from Kid A is recorded again here, in a different version, which would help a case arguing that a separate release for Amnesiac is redundant. There's no denying, however, that Amnesiac certainly has its highlights; the somber yet trippy 'You And Whose Army' and the rocking guitars and burbling electronics of 'I Might Be Wrong' are two clear examples. The transition from the electronica of 'Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box', to the stately piano of 'Pyramid Song' gets me every time, and the well sequenced first half alternates between trippy electronic tracks and slow piano pieces. I normally get turned off by electronica, but 'Pull/Pulk Revolving Doors' is entertaining, with its awesome stops where it drops down to a little keyboard twinkle. The second half isn't as memorable - 'Hunting Bears' isn't really anything more than some experimental guitar noise, and 'Dollars and Cents' isn't very exciting. In fact, Amnesiac is one of the most front loaded albums I've encountered; the first six songs are all better than anything on the second half. This lack of a strong second half makes Amnesiac the weakest Radiohead studio album since Pablo Honey, but it still has its share of highlights and anyone who enjoys their other key albums would be foolish to pass this up.
I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings(2001)Hot on the heels of Amnesiac came this live album, focusing completely on Kid A and Amnesiac material. Of its eight songs, three come from each album, along with 'Morning Bell' which appeared on both, and a new song. Due to this set list it's hardly a fan-friendly live greatest hits - if anything it's the equivalent of a seventies progressive rock band releasing a live album so they could prove they could play their complex instrumental parts live. This album demonstrates that Radiohead were capable of making the relatively esoteric and electronic material from Amnesiac and Kid A into songs that could be performed in a live context with a traditional band format. Of course this means that some of these songs are substantially altered from their studio incarnations, tending towards more organic sounding instrumentation - 'Like Spinning Plates' is pared down to a gorgeous piano and vocal piece, the bass line takes over the title track and 'The National Anthem', while Idioteque' captures an intensity that it doesn't quite manage on record. The new track, 'True Love Waits', is the most straightforward of the songs, an solo acoustic declaration of love for Thom's son, and an outtake from the OK Computer era. As much as this is an interesting record, and fans should definitely hear the excellent remake of 'Like Spinning Plates' and the new 'True Love Waits', you might think about how much of a Radiohead fan you are before you pay too much for an eight song, forty minute live album. I Might Be Wrong has much more artistic integrity than the average fan-milking live release, but as a result of this it also has a more limited appeal.
Hail To The Thief(2003)For the first time in Radiohead's history, their new album fails to open up any new avenues for the group to explore. The textural cut and paste of their previous pair of albums is still present, but has been toned down into more conventional song structure; it would have served as a helpful bridge between OK Computer and Kid A. Due to the failure of Hail To The Thief to define any new territory for the band, there's scope for a school of thought that the album is underwhelming and disappointing. Because Radiohead have spent the last ten years genre-busting, however, taking an album to take stock and consolidate their strengths is a sensible course of action. And because this album doesn't require the same effort to interpret as their previous few releases, it's crossed the line for me from a musically and intellectually admirable album to a likeable album much more quickly than their previous releases. The voicings used are generally more conventional than on Kid A, with more guitar and a surprising amount of piano present, while the textures used throughout the album are similar enough to give Hail To The Thief cohesion, a feeling that most of the tracks are cut from the same cloth. The lyrics are back to OK Computer's paranoia at the state of modern society; the title is a reference to George W. Bush's controversial election win. The one downer of the album is located dead in the centre; 'The Gloaming' is a dull spot of babbling prog-rock that doesn't go anywhere. Elsewhere, there's plenty of great material; the single 'There, There' has a unique marching ballad feel, with the guitars belting out a gentle rhythm under ther plaintive melody. The reflective piano inflected 'Sail To The Moon' might be the prettiest song Radiohead have recorded yet, although 'Scatterbrain' certainly runs it close. 'Myxomatosis' trudges astride a huge fuzzy synth-bass line, while 'A Punchup at a Wedding' cruises with a stylish piano riff. There are a lots of wonderful songs, and for once with a Radiohead album, there's no great musical manifesto that you need to decipher before you reach the heart of the record. Hail To The Thief is another excellent album in one of the best sequences of work unfolding in modern music; it may not be as ambitious as what's come before, but there are just as many good ideas as ever. Meanwhile, Yorke promises that this album is merely a transition, and that in two years the band will be floating free in uncharted waters.
Com Lag(2004)Com Lag is a collection of Radiohead b-sides that, for once, actually mostly sound like b-sides. These songs are culled from the Hail To The Thief singles, and although that is sometimes my favourite Radiohead album, it's clear that they had a lot less awesome material left over than they did from the OK Computer or Bends sessions. Many of the songs are reworkings of Hail To The Thief tracks: remixes of 'Myxomatosis' (the best thing about it is the inevitable 'Remyxomatosis' title) and 'Scatterbrain', and alternative versions of '2+2=5' and 'I Will'. There are some solid tracks to make it worthwhile for Radiohead completists; Thom Yorke's solo performance of Amnesiac b-side 'Fog', the nice acoustic if generically Radiohead 'Gagging Order' and the serviceable 'I Am A Wicked Child' are all worth a download if you can't justify buying the whole thing. But in you decide to track it down as an import from outside the Pacific Rim where it has been officially released, Com Lag is possibly the worst value for money Radiohead release available.
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Written 2001-2007, Graham Fyfe
