When five band kids in an Oxfordshire boys’ school formed a band to rebel against strict school policy, nobody could’ve expected their future impact on music and culture. These classmates formed Radiohead, a critically acclaimed alternative rock band which completely paved the way for others in the genre. Throughout their 39 years of being a band, they have released many albums to critical acclaim however one hasn’t got as much credit as it deserves.
Radiohead is no well kept secret. In modern rock, the band is as textbook as it gets. Albums like OK Computer and Kid A are considered by many to be some of the greatest music ever and regardless of people’s opinions on the band, it’s a guarantee that they’ve at least heard Creep.
“It’s an album of sparking paradox. It’s cacophonous yet tranquil, experimental yet familiar, foreign yet womb-like, spacious yet visceral, textured yet vaporous, awakening yet dreamlike, infinite yet 48 minutes.”
Brent DiCrescenzo – on Kid A
They debuted their first album, Pablo Honey, in 1993. Since then, they’ve released eight other albums with the latest being in 2016. This nine-album run has consistently shown growth and experimentation within the band where no album is just like the last. Continuing to change lets the band enjoy making music without risk of stagnation, which can clearly be heard in the songs.
In 1997, they released their most commercially successful album in OK Computer, a somewhat experimental rock album which painted a picture of an anxious consumerist future. It strayed from the completely guitar-focused music of their past with abstract songwriting and technical production, however still stayed true to the rock sound. OK Computer was met with massive positive reception and went #1 in the U.S. and U.K. and to this day is considered by many critics to be the single best album ever released.
Despite eager fans looking for what could be a sequel to their beloved album, Radiohead threw everything away after OK Computer and took what can be considered as the most daring sound change in music history. The next two records, Kid A and its sister Amnesiac, are both heavily electronic albums which bare no resemblance to anything ever made by the band before. These releases polarized the fans with some despising their new direction and some thinking it was inventive and beautiful.
Luckily for everyone, the new project would be an amalgamation of all their previous albums with the traditional guitar rock with heavy electronic elements mixed in. On June 9th, 2003, Hail to the Thief was released with 14 tracks and went on to be one of their worst performing albums commercially. Was this because the album was bad? Had this new sound gone too astray?
The answer was no.
The new old Radiohead
2 + 2 = 5 is the first track on the album and instantly grounds the listener back into the familiar guitar rock. This is in context of two completely electronic albums where hearing a guitar was a massive surprise. As the opening track, it perfectly informs everyone of what they’re getting into with this album. With the Pixies inspired quiet-loud progression which they frequently used before; it was obvious they were going back into their roots.
“The whole record is about thinly veiled anger,”
Thom Yorke
Much of the record was inspired by anti-authoritarian beliefs as well as the U.S. election which just had elected George W. Bush as the president. Lyrics on this track such as “Don’t question my authority or put me in a box,” or the repetition of “You have not been paying attention,” in the chorus don’t leave much up for imagination. Radiohead had always included social commentary in their songs however this was by far their most political to date.
The next highlight from the album comes from track 3, Sail to the Moon. Compared to the high energy of the last two songs, it is an emotional piano track where Thom Yorke, the lead singer, displays his vocal abilities which are reminiscent of Jeff Buckley their third album, The Bends. The beautiful chord progression in addition to the complex time signature which counts and down from 7/4 to 4/4 is something seen nowhere else in music. Listeners can feel the water calming as the song plays on. It is a display of the amazing versatility of the band and is an amazing first listen.
After an electronic based Backdrifts and another guitar rock song in Go To Sleep comes Where I End and You Begin. This fast-paced haunting song once again sounds like nothing else in the band’s catalog. This song starts with Yorke singing in a passionless voice which slowly builds alongside the instrumental. The rhythm guitar is frantic, and the drum pattern compliments it very well. Like many Radiohead tracks, the listener is taken on an emotional journey, this time being a case of panic and unrest.
“There’s a gap where we meet
Where I End and You Begin
Where I end and you begin
And I’m sorry for us”
I Will is the 10th song on the album and is unlike most of the other tracks which include full complex instrumentals. It isn’t a display of pure musical talent like on Sail to the Moon or an intense electronic explosion like The Gloaming but is rather a minimalistic song which focuses on Yorke’s melodies and the guitar. This change of pace everything down and gives the listener a moment to breathe before the final act of the album which begins with the song perfectly transitioning into the next.
The last song of note is the closer, A Wolf at the Door. As much as 2 + 2 = 5 is the perfect opener, this song is the perfect way to finish this album off. A common theme within Radiohead songs is their emotional progression. Listeners can immediately tell the direction of this song as the drums begin to play. One by one the instruments overlap and by the start of the second verse listeners will wonder how it got to this point. Yorke sings with pure despair in his voice as this song recaps the themes of anxiousness and unrest perfectly. The song slows down at the end as the album closes, and everything fades out.
“I keep the wolf from the door but he calls me up
A Wolf at the Door
Calls me on the phone, tells me all the ways that he’s gonna mess me up”
Hail To the Thief is an angsty commentary about authority which musically is an amorphous blob of the band’s previous work. Once again, the band pushed themselves and delivered something new. The diversity of each song is intriguing and is a precursor to their next couple of albums which varies their sound even more. Every song on this album is extremely satisfying and listeners will feel the urge to replay songs just to try and replicate what they just felt again. No matter what type of Radiohead song you like, there is something for you on here.
Not every song was described on here as most of the value from music is gained by listening, not reading. Hearing any Radiohead album for the first time a great experience and is the only way to truly understand why they’re one of the greatest to ever do it.
“I think the most important thing about music is the sense of escape.”
Thom Yorke
Unfortunately for this album, it hasn’t had the spotlight like many other of Radiohead’s work. It’s the second least streamed album on all platforms and doesn’t have a breakout hit like many other of their albums. Many songs have been popularized again on social media platforms with songs like Creep and No Surprises having a sort of renaissance. The lesson here is for people to try new music out, especially if they the artist’s other work. Just like the band showed, change leads to new opportunities and enjoyment can be found outside the comfort zone.
People, especially teenagers, like to express themselves through music as it can totally dictate one’s emotions and is an easy way to connect with others. Looking for new music is a fun pastime which is more than just hearing new sounds. Listening to a new genre or band when there’s nothing else to do can lead to many discoveries and is easily worth the time. It’s impossible to tell how good something is until someone has experienced it themselves.
Sources:
Radiohead’s influence in the 90s
Radiohead experimentation article
Feature Image:
Image credit:
Pablo honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows, King of Limbs, A Moon shaped Pool
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