Anxiety said:

Its a safe record.

I'm sure it will be most peoples 4th favourite album this time next year.

I think the Washington post said it well....

"In Rainbows is arguably Radiohead's least ambitious album to date, at least when compared with previous offerings. There is no great artistic leap as found on OK Computer or dramatic genre shift as on Kid A. It's instead a summation of the different sounds the band has embraced over the past decade."

SquirrelMeat said:

oh stop it!

plnet earth absolutely sucks. i mean, really, it sucks BIG time. it doesn't suck because its not a new direction or experimental...i don't care about that. it sucks because it lacks any interesting moments, the lyrics are top 40 formulaic (and ultra bad top 40 at that), and the flavor is so super bland compared to p's typical super badness.

in rainbows, we agree is nothing new. but it's good. i mean a steak restaurant that's famous for its steaks doesn't need to reinvent the dish. just keep serving it up in that fantastic way that everybody expects. in rainbows serves up what we expect from radiohead.

ok, bad analogy but what do you want from me at 10am?

Album of The Year.

I hope the extra tracks on the disbox version are this good.

melody wise it's fantastic, for my tastes it's my favorite.

THis is from Rollingstone




Radiohead

In Rainbows

RS: 4.5of 5 Stars Average User Rating: 4.5of 5 Stars

2007

These wily boys may have a secret album-title exchange program with Kelly Clarkson, but everything else about In Rainbows is typically hard-rocking Radiohead. Like every other Radiohead album except Kid A — still their most famous album, but they only made it once — In Rainbows has uptempo guitar songs and moody acoustic ballads, full of headphone-tweaking sound effects. All of it rocks; none of it sounds like any other band on earth; it delivers an emotional punch that proves all other rock stars owe us an apology.
In a brilliant move, Radiohead released In Rainbows via optional-pay download; I paid $5.27, in honor of my mom's birthday. Almost all the songs are already familiar to fans from live versions, but here they become expansive new creations. "Arpeggi" and "Bodysnatchers" ride on white-heat rhythm-guitar overdrive, while "House of Cards" is a fragile lovers-rock ballad closely resembling Dusty Springfield's (and the Byrds') "Going Back." "All I Need" has erotic pleading ("I'm an animal trapped in your hot car"), sad chimes in the "No Surprises" mode, and an ominoso synth-piano rumble.

On 2003's Hail to the Thief, Yorke's vocals were all punk rage, but here his voice has an R&B lilt that suits the songs' romantic directness. The end of "Videotape" is the only time the band dips back into dated glitch-blip electronics. Otherwise, the music is full of vividly collaborative sonic touches, from the Gary Numan synth-nightmare drones of "All I Need" and "House of Cards" to drummer Phil Selway's surprisingly deft way with his brushes and woodblocks. No wasted moments, no weak tracks: just primo Radiohead. Hell, I'm going back and tipping them another quarter just for the finger-cymbal solo on "Reckoner."



Rob Sheffield

(Posted: Oct 18, 2007)

Just listened to the whole thing.

It's definitely gonna take a couple more listens to totally sink in, but already, I can pinpoint highlights.

The climaxes to "All I Need" and "Reckoner" are EPIC.

I love the jazzy leanings and aquatic feel of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi."

I can totally picture "Nude" (amazing pop-esque song) and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" as singles.

"Videotape" will probably go down as a Radiohead classic.

Anxiety said:

Wow. I have had nothing but trouble trying to get this download. Either the site is unavailable or when it is I get to a certain point in the process and it crashes. Has anyone else 'across the pond' been able to actually download this thing? I see a lot of reviews on this thread from overseas listeners, but not a whole lot from America.

Who do you have to sleep with to download this thing?

Jestyr said:

I downloaded mine in Canada with one click.

Cinnie said:

It's an anti-US conspiracy!

MikeMatronik said:

But where is Anxiety living at these days?

Cinnie said:

nobody knows, for i am a man of great mystery.

i got mine today with no trouble at all...well, except for misreading the instructions and only paying $5 bucks...i swear i was trying to pay $10. oh well.

Cinnie said:

Well whew. I finally got it. What a weird hassle. And then it was very quick once I finally got the site to actually work. I'm not as excited about hearing it now. Maybe I'll check it out tonight.

I donated 10 pounds.

Anxiety said:

Wasn't he on iceland stalking Björk or something like that...?

Here are the lyrics, which help with understanding or appreciating the songs.

"15 Step"

How come I end up where I started
How come I end up where I belong
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out the you cut the string

How come I end up where I started
How come I end up where I belong
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out the you cut the string

You used to be alright
What happened?
Did the cat get your tongue
Did your string come undone
One by one
One by one
It comes to us all
It's as soft as your pillow

You used to be alright
What happened?
Etcetera etcetera
Facts for whatever
Fifteen steps
Then a shear drop.



"Bodysnatchers"

I do not
Understand
What it is
I've done wrong
Full of holes
Check the pulse
Blink your eyes
One for yes
Two for no

I have no idea what I am talking about
I'm trapped in this body and can't get out
Ooooohhhh

Make a sound
Move back home
Get an invitation
With the edges
Sawn off

I have no idea what you are talking about
I'm trapped in this body and can't get out
Ooooohhhh

Has the light gone out for you?
Cause the light's gone for me
It is the 21st century
It is the 21st century
You can fight it like a dog
And they brought me to my knees
They got scared and they put me in
They got scared and they put me in
All the lies run around my face
All the lies run around my face
And for anyone else to see
And for anyone else to see

I'm alive.


"Nude"

Don't get any big ideas
they're not gonna happen
You paint yourself white
and feel up with noise
but there'll be something missing

Now that you've found it, it's gone
Now that you feel it, you don't
You've gone off the rails

So don't get any big ideas
they're not going to happen
You'll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking


Sometimes Thom adds this verse when performing:

She stands stark naked and she beckons you to bed
don't go, you'll only want to come back again.



"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"

In the deepest ocean
The bottom of the sea
Your eyes
They turn me
Why should I stay here?
Why should I stay?

I'd be crazy not to follow
Follow where you lead
Your eyes
They turn me

Turn me on to phantoms
I follow to the edge of the earth
And fall off
Everybody leaves
If they get the chance
And this is my chance

I get eaten by the worms
Weird fishes
Get towed by the worms
Weird fishes
Weird fishes
Weird fishes

I'll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

I'll hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape.



"All I Need"

I'm the next act
waiting in the wings
I'm an animal
Trapped in your parked car
I am holidays
that you choose to ignore

You are all I need
You are all I need
I'm in the middle of your picture
Lying in the leaves

I am a moth
who just wants to share your light
I'm just an insect
trying to get out of the night

I only stick with you
because there are no others

You are all I need
You are all I need
I'm in the middle of your picture
Lying in the leaves

It's all wrong
It's all right
It's all wrong.



"Faust ARP"

One two three four

Wakey wakey
rise and shine
it's on again, off again, on again
watch me fall
like dominos
in pretty patterns
Fingers in the blackbird pie
i'm tingling tingling tingling
it's what you feel now
what you ought to, what you ought to
reasonable and sensible
dead from the neck up
because im stuffed, stuffed, stuffed
we thought you had it in you
but no, no, no
for no real reason

Squeeze the tubes and empty bottles
take a bow take a bow take a bow
it's what you feel now
what you ought to
what you ought to
an elephant thats in the room is
tumbling tumbling tumbling
in duplicate and duplicate
plastic bags and
duplicate and triplicate
dead from the neck up
guess im stuffed, stuffed, stuffed
we thought you had it in you
but no, no, no
exactly where do you get off
Is enough is enough is enough
I love you but enough is enough, enough
a last stop
There's no real reason

you've got a head full of feathers
you got melted to butter.



"Reckoner"

Reckoner
Can you take it with you
Disavow the pleasure

You were not to blame for
Bittersweet distractors
Dare not speak his name
Did I cater to all you
All your needs?

Because we separate
it ripples our reflections
Because we separate
it ripples our reflections

Reckoner

Did I cater to all you
All your needs?



"House of Cards"

I don't want to be your friend
I just want to be your lover
No matter how it ends
No matter how it starts

Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

Fall off the table,
Get swept under
Denial, denial

The infrastructure will collapse
Voltage spikes
Throw your keys in the bowl
Kiss your husband goodnight

Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

Fall off the table,
And get swept under

Denial, denial
Denial, denial
Your ears should be burning
Denial, denial
Your ears should be burning
Denial, denial.



"Jigsaw Falling into Place"

Just as you take my hand
Just as you write my number down
Just as the drinks arrive
Just as they play your favourite song
As the magic disappears
No longer wound up like a spring
Before you've had too much
Come back and focus again

The walls abandon shape
You've got a cheshire cat grin
All blurring into one
This place is on a mission
Before the night owl
Before the animal noises
Closed circuit cameras
Before you're comatose

Before you run away from me
Before you're lost between the noise
The beat goes round and round
The beat goes round and round
I never really got there
I just pretended that I had
What's the point of instruments
Words are a sawed off shotgun

Come on and let it out
Come on and let it out
Come on and let it out
Come on and let it out

Before you run away from me
Before you start unravelling
Before you take my mic
Just as you dance, dance, dance

Jigsaws falling into place
There is nothing to explain
Regard each other as you pass
She looks back, you look back
Not just once
Not just twice
Wish away the nightmare
Wish away the nightmare
You've got a light you can feel it on your back
You've got a light you can feel it on your back
Jigsaws falling into place.



"Videotape"

When I'm at the pearly gates
This will be on my videotape, my videotape
Mephistopheles is just beneath
and he's reaching up to grab me

This is one for the good days
and i have it all here
In red, blue, green
Red, blue, green

You are my center
When i spin away
Out of control on videotape
On videotape
On videotape
On videotape

This is my way of saying goodbye
Because I can't do it face to face
I'm talking to you after it's too late
From my videotape

No matter what happens now
You shouldn't be afraid
Because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen.

Old Thom loves to repeat his lines lots doesn't he.

I think he went to the Le Bon/Bono school of lyrics. Perfection in talking bollocks whilst sounding deep.

SquirrelMeat said:

so true

SquirrelMeat said:

Completely disagree. This album has some of his most poignant lyrics about love and relationships.

Thom's lyrical strength has always been making powerful statements amidst apparent random chaos.

retina said:

radiohead.com gets you the album, ok. so stop the whining and pointing
fingers at other people and dragging the "fee" into it.

Bfunkthe1 said:

i love amnesiac. it's because it's been recorded mostly together with
kid a, along with all of amnesiac's b-sides and some of the HTTT ones
that also still stem from those recording sessions.

they make for a great great 3 disc album, kid a, amnesiac and this 1:

the amazing sounds of orgy
worry wort
i am citizen insane
fog
trans atlantic drawl
cuttooth
paperbag writer
kinetic
fast track
true love waits

The above review was spot on - there's nothing new here, but that isn't a bad thing. It's a beautiful album.

And this is NOT Radiohead's "Planet Earth". The fact that they're both giveaways is their ONLY thing in common.

Radiohead survive without much airplay or any videos because their quality is consistently top-notch. They're at the top of their game, even 14 years into it . . .

PurpleKnight said:

i don't see how they could completely reinvent themselves again anyway.

they've done most things by now with kid a/amnesiac and the bsides they
contributed.

there's only so much you can do before you go back to writing structure
and melody and just plain beautiful songs, contributing to them what is
best of the things you've experimented with.

in rainbows and the eraser together pretty much contain anything those
guys have done in their carreer: brilliant songwriting and lyrics some
experimental off center weirdness, great group efforts and cool glitch
electronics coupled with exquisite musicianship on guitar/drums/piano.

life, love, and death. some of the best records are about these three things. this radiohead release is one of them.

by the way...am i the only one who thought of terri schaivo/euthanasia when i heard the lyrics to "Bodysnatchers?"

Good Lawd I love this album and "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and such.

They drummer is Elvin Jones/Bobby Z great.

It makes Planet Earth look like 3121, if you know what I mean.


(15 Step ain't bad either.)





(P.S. Boris Yeltsin is a whore!)

sassybritches said:

You and Bill Frist!

2the9s said:

stevenpottle said:

god i wish i'd seen these first.i can never understand what the hell thom is saying.something in his voice though.about the only other singer than prince that really speaks to me,like.even if it all sounds like gibberish sometimes,lol.the album is cool though.only listened to it once(i didn't even know they had an album out)nothing really stood out but i will definitely listen to it again.they're stuff is always solid imo.kinda like prince's stuff even if it isn't all that i'll still like it because few artists interest me as much as them.

2the9s said:

you that bored with p&r, ehh?