Q Mag has another overpriced special issue all on Radiohead. Yes I bought it. I dont wanna hear no badtalk about Radiohead.

Who?

Just playing

twink69 said:

I still don't get this band.

I bought the first cd when people were comparing it to Dark Side of the Moon. It was good and really conveyed the depressing vibe well but it wasn't near all the hype.

Is it the live shows? Is it the new album?

What am I missing RD?

Slave2daGroove said:

give me a second

Slave2daGroove said:

The live shows are amazing form what I have read..and thats what Im gonna do to sell a certain someone on them...it took me a second to get it though. I felt some stuff but it took Kid A for me to go back and hear them..actually hear them...this si what egghead or future rock sounds like..not Thre Doors Down etc...someone once said its Masters Degree rock but it isnt ..it does have feling ...it takes a certain moment i time to have that shit hit you and when it does all dooors to understanding these fools will open. Took me liastening to Kid A to go back to other stuff and hear and see their journey to the level they are now..they are just fucking WICKED. And their live show is a mutha from all accts...Ill post that later...they doing som out there stuff..pretentious? hell yes! Honest and true to themselves? hell yes!? Mars Volta si supposed to be better or just as good for the out there style rock...I have to find out though. The music of Radiohead is just so intense ...its like reverse goth or cousin to it...I cant explain it but its experimental, melodic, tender, and robotic all at the same time...but it takes a inspoired moment to feel that. A nice atmosphere with soemthing might bring it out. But then again if one is expecting it clouds it.

a radiohead review. by ororo munroe
so, luckily i didn’t find out until AFTER the show in seattle that rh had performed “karma police” the night before with michael stipe on vocals. i would have been imagining his delicate, quivering vocals singing, “this is what you get...” and lamenting the show i missed...because i’m a spoiled brat like that. and also lucky that i didn’t find out they played “a wolf at the door” that night...at the show i missed...again, i’m spoiled. i wanted them to do a 40-song set just for me. but alas, it wasn’t to be...

so i guess i just had to settle for the BEST SHOW I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE *echo*...Life...life...

so with “where bluebirds fly” playing, the boys take the stage one by one. ed comes out and stands right in front of me. the first thing i notice is that he ain’t as pretty as he usta be...lol...then again, i had never seen him so close-up before. then colin comes out with his now famous “bread not bombs” t-shirt. next, phil comes out looking like dr. freeze meets hawaii five-o. he was looking slick in a white suit with a colorful hawaiian print shirt on underneath...no straw hat though. then came thom, in a shirt and sweater that were entirely too big for him, and jonny snuck on stage on the other side. i didn’t see much of him all night. he was too busy with his machines and gadgets anyways.

and so, the crowd (which, by the way is the BIGGEST crowd i have ever been a part of. i looked behind me, and there was just this sea of faces all the way to the back of the lawn) is losing their minds, of course, as they all take their positions behind their respective drum sets (ed and jonny had their own two-drum kits)...they immediately launch into “there, there.” and my, my was it ever so magical.

it has to be noted that radiohead’s sound man is second only to bjork’s sound man and that’s saying something. they need to shout that fool out at shows because he deserves a lot of love. the lighting cat as well. anyways, i think of that because i remember hearing a recording of “there there” where the drums where WAY too loud...and i was afraid of something like that happening, but nah, everything was on point. perfect for facilitating the connection we (the audience) had with thom and the boys that night.

next up was “2+2=5.” okay, i simply wasn’t ready for this fucking song live. i had NO idea what i was in for in terms of the energy that this song would draw out of me...with them playing less than 20 feet in front of me. especially the “you have not been paying attention” part...sheeit. it was a connection all around because we were all jumping around, rocking the fuck out. yeah...that was only song 2.

next up was “lucky.” nerd fans, heed. when thom flicks his wrist three times after singing, “we are standing on the edge,” he’s just counting the three beats before the band returns. seriously, people in front of me were acting like it was the latest dance craze...some people are weirdoes. anyways, it was really beautiful. especially when the sound fills out with the synth. jonny used a distinctly non-choral sound though, unlike the one on the record, but it was equally as fluid and gorgeous.

arguably, the most “fun” number of the night was next...”myxomatosis.” this performance secured thom’s already secure spot at the top of my “oh MAN could he get it or what?” list. lol. he was just so cute. he was all hugging on himself and gyrating as he sang, “i slept with who i like.” he was encouraging people to sing along with “i don’t know why i feel so tongue-tied.” and this was definitely a turning point in the show because it became super-interactive from this point on. they went from “radiohead, gods among insects,” to “radiohead, dudes you’d like to smoke out with someday.”

“where i end” was next, and i’m still so upset that they decided to release “go to sleep” over this. it’s just so accessible, but still signature radiohead in the imagery it paints, the melody, and of course, the rhythm...but alas. it’s not to be. oh and again, for the nerds...thom counted to seven during the music break, and my headphones suck, but when i got him, i checked it out, and i could hear it on the studio version, but really faintly...try it home with your friends!!!

then it was one of the songs i was really anticipating... ”backdrifts.” wait though...it was so funny. i don’t remember what phil was doing in the back, but that fool was getting his groove on. he was standing playing a shaker or programmer some shit...but he was getting down like somebody’s grandaddy at a wedding, swaying from side to side, shaking his thoinga thoing! and you remember that he's was wearing that white suit, right? i guess i always imagine him as very stoic, but seeing him up close, he’s actually very expressive. like many drummers, he’s literally counting out/mouthing the beats, scrunching his face up on the down beats, talking to himself...i was especially trying to pay attention to him since i was most impressed with him on HTTT and to ed, so i could solve the mystery of what he really does. unfortunately, the jury’s still out...either because i didn’t notice or didn’t remember...yeah, so “backdrifts” was effing great live by the way. thom changed up the melody in a few places, but other than that, it sounded mostly like the recorded version.

okay, if i continue writing a paragraph for each song, no one’s going to read this bitch, so i’ll try to tone it down since i’m only through one-fourth of the show...no guarantees though.

next up was “fake plastic trees.” didn’t realize this was a make-out song, but apparently, it gets radiohead nerd couples in the mood. lol. i wouldn’t know. never been with a fellow nerd. but yeah, lots of loving looks and snuggling during this number. pretty normal performance of it. the intensity with which thom sings “but i can’t help the feeling that i could blow through the ceiling,” will send shivers down my spine everyday of the week, every minute of the day...of course, this was a crowd favorite.

right into “paranoid android.” again it was a lot like 2+2=5 where you’re chillin’, you’re chillin’, you’re chillin’...aaannnd...YOU’RE LOSING YOUR FUCKING MIND!!! and back to chilling...with ed’s backing vocals this time, and the melody just carries you away, so you’re beyond chillin’...then back to rocking out and then “duh-nuh nuh nuh!” and you’re left hanging a bit.

they took a little break to roll the piano out. so me and the rh nerds around me...we’re all trying to guess what’s next...like spinning plates maybe??? the first chords rings, and it’s clear we’re all about to “sail to the moon.” (you like that? ) it was so beautiful, and since i’m thoroughly convinced that it’s a lullaby for his son, it had even more meaning, and thom seemed to really be singing it from the heart being as the band was going to be on a plane back to the uk the next day to see their families before the tour’s second leg...i was probably reading too much into it, but it felt very powerful.

then the roadie hauls out colin’s electric stand-up bass...and all of us rh heads know what’s coming... “you and whose army?” known around my house as “MUTHAFUCKA WHAT!?? (part 2).” you know, that thing i said earlier about “myxomatosis” being the most fun all night...well i said it was arguable because thom is a fucking fool during this song. those of you who have seen this know that this camera attached to his mic, and he’s just a comedian with it. funny faces, getting all close to it so it’s all up his nose. it’s defintely that thom yorke you want to smoke with...definitely. anyways, it’s the only time i wasn’t really watching the stage because the panels on the side where the screens are are where the show is at...hilarious.

but of course, they have to remind you that they are still radiohead, so next up was “dollar and cents.” though not my favorite rh song, live, this song just grabs you. the repetition of “we are the dollars and cents, the pounds and the pence, the mark and the yen” a la ed, while thom is chanting “why don’t you quiet down?” it’s just incredibly moving because it really envelops your senses with the lights, and the sound being so on point. i will go so far as to say it’s a song you NEED to see live to really appreciate the message fully.

then thom made his only real comment of the night (the only other thing he said was that they were heading back to england to be with their fams for three weeks before coming back and he thanked us for having them) where he mentioned how wto went down in seattle, and how it’s gonna be the same type of sham going down in mexico (where i’m guessing the next meeting is?). he had us rolling when he called what happened up here “world war III against a bunch of hippies.” then he said, “when is it going to fucking stop? this next one is ‘talk show host.’”

*cue colin*

the crowd, of course, went wild. i was right there with them. since “you and whose army?” is known as “MUTHAFUCKA WHAT!? (part 2),” i’ll give you ONE guess what “MUTHAFUCKA WHAT!? (part 1)” is...

yes. good job.

but the fact that they played both songs was like providence. i’ve been really struggling with a lot of different things, namely finding direction, and feeling empowered enough to pursue my dreams, and hot damn if both of these songs weren’t fucking EXACTLY what i needed to here on sunday night from my favoritest band in the world. anyways, if you’re still reading, you don’t need to know all that...all YOU need to know is that it was the shit, and their energy got the crowd fired up to a whole new level. watching phil work the drums was a special treat. he’s just so precise, but still there’s a fluidity...a sort of intangible fullness, soulfulness, if you will, to his style. in any case this shit was hot.

and it only got hotter.

can you say, “idioteque”?

okay...NOW can you say, “HOLY FUCK! ororo’s best concert moment ever in the history of concert moments!!”? i’ve seen the best live acts around. i’ve been moved to tears, had my pulse race to the point where i thought i was going to have a heart attack, straight out-of-body-experiences. nothing...NOTHING compares to the way i felt after this number. now this song has special meaning to me in my sojourn as a rh fan, because it was a live performance of this song that sucked me in...but i’m telling you...for duration of the song...i was the ONLY person in the universe. i still don’t know how to describe the feelings that were rushing in and out of me. i just remember screaming the lyrics at the top of my lungs (with everyone else...thom coaxed us into it...) and just feeling fucking high but paradoxically, the gravity of the lyrics and the music still impacted me. i’ve heard the song a million times. it’s become known as the “thom crazy dance” song. and he knows it because during the musical break he just froze in one position like a mime until the band came back in to join the drums...and oh man, all hell broke loose. so amazing, and then it stops so abruptly. and seriously, i stood there with my mouth gaping. just in AWE of what had just happened. and the girl next to me looked at me...saw my face and was like, “that was an experience. i felt it too. welcome back.” it was like a crazy acid trip or some shit. there are not words in my vocabulary to describe what happened accurately...only to say that i went some place...who the fuck knows where?...where i’ve never been before...and will likely never be again. i’m a fucking weirdo, i know. but hand to god, that shit was THAT deep.

and then after that was “scatterbrain,” which i absolutely love and was a perfect complement to the raw energy of “idioteque.” of course, since my emotions were all raging, i wind up fucking bawling during this one. the hopeful melancholy thom captures on record is only amplified live. very emotionally charged, without being overwhelming. it was gorgeous...

after, thom sang the opening melody to the “the star-spangled banner”...la-la la La LAAA! and the guitars overlapped the end with the beginning of “the national anthem.” oh yes. the beat is just so effing gully on this song. it’s hard not to get caught up in it...NEER-neer-neer nuh-NEER-neer-neer-neer...

question: how do you get thousands quiet enough so that you could literally hear a pin drop? let thom break the acoustic out and start lightly strumming “exit music.” the masses will shut the fuck up and listen, and listen HARD. yeah, all i can say is that it was beautiful. jonny used an delay effect on his telecaster to replace the “bird” sounds from the album cut, but it was much more aggressive than the effects i’ve heard him use before. it had almost the “crunch” effect that made “creep” a classic, but then he faded it out to sounds like waves...

after that, the piano reappeared and thom sat down and “sit down, stand up” was the number that closed out the original set. and you would think that may not be the best choice...i mean, it’s not the most titillating song in the world, now is it? well, live, this song is like, “um...you...yeah, you right there...yes you...*ahem*...STAND THE FUCK UP!!!” lol. seriously, i’m so amazed at how radiohead can take you from point a all the way to point z within the course of a 4-5 minute song...and they can do it over and over again without wearing you out. by the time it got to the “raindrops” part and phil did his thang, you realized that this is the best song to end a concert in the history of concerts...or something like that.

so, then we wait for the inevitable encore(s)

the band re-emerges from stage right, thom takes the mic and says, “this one’s for the jicks.” crickets man. lol. i had honestly forgotten who they fuck they were for a hot second. thom’s face was like, “come on y’all...remember, they opened? show some love people!” remember when i asked why people didn’t mention the jicks in their reviews. i understood why at that moment. by the way, the jicks were tight. malkmus has great stage presence and the band is great, the songs were great. i especially enjoyed a little ditty called “ramp of death” off of pig lib i guess. but yeah...i don’t envy anyone who has to open for radiohead...in any case, after that, they did “we suck young blood,” which is really nice live, and they apparently love performing it. next was “punch-up” and damned if i didn’t want to put thom right in my pocket because he was grooving in his chair, did a little chair-booty dance during the whole thing. too cute. and i guess i’ll take this time to note how awesome it is to see a band like radiohead take chances with learning new shit. thom playing rhythm piano, jonny on whatever gadgets he was on, ed and jonny on drums at one point, phil on back-up vocals for several songs. and it wasn’t like mos or lauryn experimenting and playing shitty guitar. it was actually quite good. their versatility and creative drive really speaks to the innate musical ability these cats have i think. next was “go to sleep.” meh. still don’t like that song that much, but you know...it filled the time for the big finale to encore one, “how to disappear.” oh my goodness. people. this song. it’s just so...as much as “scatterbrain” moved me this song blew me away, really. again with the flood of girly tears, of course. then encore one was over.

we wait again as they set up for encore two. the xylophone comes out and we’re all like, HELL YEAH!

so the boys come back out, and sure enough, “no surprises” is next up. though, i think jonny unintentionally went a bit astray with his improving on the xylophone at some points...lol...it was just as dreamy and beautiful as it should be. of course, the highlight of the number is when the crowd (as they do in every city) pumps their fists up, scream or sing along to “bring down the government. they don’t, they don’t speak for us.” then the song is over, the lights come up, and they are setting up for the next song, and while the other band members are milling about on the house lit stage, thom says something to the guys, and just starts strumming the chords to “follow me around.” because i swear really loudly when i get excited, i scream, “holy fuck! are you kidding me?” um the people around me didn’t like that too much...he he...but hot damn! it was “follow me around.” acoustic, pure, and unadulterated...and a most welcome and pleasant surprise. so thom takes us through the entire song...all the three verses!!! and it’s really one of my favorite unreleased songs, so i was too happy. and then, the show closer, “everything in it right place,” followed it. we all know it’s the last song, so everyone’s singing along, and just soaking up every bit of rh energy we can...who knows when they’ll come around again? and they all exit one by one, thom, colin, phil, jonny, and lastly ed, each to immense applause (jonny got the loudest good-bye ovation). the last thing ed programmed was playing on a loop, all the stage lights were out, so all that was left was the background set, which was made up of about 15 narrow columns of lights...like the kind you see on the reader board in a sports coliseum. and it was flashing what looked like a mixture of different letters (gave up trying to figure out if they spelled anything) and images that were scrolling across really quickly, then after about three minutes, the sample and the lights just stopped and then that was it. house lights up, cue early bob marley

not that anyone is still reading this...but what a night. what a night indeed. my favorite band in the world, perfect weather, great sound...can’t think of how it could have been more perfect.

if you made it this far. thanks for sharing.



___

i just bought the latest disc, my first Radiohead purchase. i haven't listened to it much, but I'm looking for suggestions on what 2 other discs I should pick up for a good intro.

???

Awesome. Thanks for all of this. I'm going to check them out completely now.

madartista said:

Its like a prince catalogue..each release is different damn near and a different vibe..they say Pablo Honey s th e worst of t ebuch--their first but still legit...then their opus U2 like The Bends which is so great! So many greta s ongs and its sonic!! Fake Plastic Trees ois one of th e top 100 songs ever no lie...so emotional...then of course they did OK Computer..their SOTT..a different experimental out there sound...after that they had to do Kid A..Zappa style, Kradtwork style, Eno style etc all rolled into one. Then Anesiac , left overs so to speak of Kid A...and now Hail To Th e Thief...a culmination of their beginning and middle but sideways..Hail To Th e Thief at firs t ids damn near cold! After u listen to it it gets warmers and so miuch brilliance..hell Wolf At The Door and Punchup are great greta songs! There There is funky--yes I said funky..listen to the tribal beat..picture the foks doin the shoulder dance in Modenairre in Purple Rain to this jam...and the intensity of 2+2=5..fagedabouddit...Radiohead gives me a boner. But try The Bends--its a classic rock album..after that u can appreciate how they went left field and took it somewhere different when they could have just been another U2.
[This message was edited Wed Sep 10 10:25:00 PDT 2003 by rdhull]

rdhull said:

jesus fucking christ, you're gonna need to split this post up into volumes!

Radiohead is an amazing band. From OK Computer to their latest work is pretty much the best work they've ever released. Im goin to see them on october 2nd in New Orleans.. I dont have one doubt they will be great in concert. ALL of the albums from OK Computer are amazing.

Im seeing them at The Hollywood Bowl..my firts Head show and firt time at Hollywood Bowl..Imma git lit!

madartista said:

The Bends and OK Computer.

Essence said:

and if u got some change left over, I'd pick up OK Computer.. cause it could take a while to get used to...

rdhull said:

thanks for the info

Radiohead are Gods. They make the only real music left.

Damn Rd!

So you like Radiohead then?

minneapolisgenius said:

just in case though...I did not write that live review..that was ororo monroe

Listen to Ennio Morricone

RD, that's not a review, that's a chapter out of a friggin book!

2 words: gagging order. i'm totally into that song right now. like nick drake come back to life.

Aw yeah! Im going to see them on the 23rd at the Shoreline in Mountain View Ca!