Radioheadub

[Firky]

Um... being the resident fan bwoy of radiohead, and with radiohead writing their new album. I found this quite interesting, from jonny

makes me all moise to think about

I often glibly add - ‘you could spend 6 months listening to just dub reggae, and it would all be worth hearing.’ I realize that sounds patronising, but I choose reggae because I know so many people who collect this kind of music and no other - which fascinates me - and because it’s mostly unknown to me. Not any more....I’ve just done it. Six solid months of nothing but Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Ken Boothe, Junior Byles, Marcia Aitkin and hundreds of others. It’s to make a compilation which may or may not ever be completed - I hope I’m not just proving a point to myself - but either way, there’s been nothing else on my ipod since April.

There’s something exciting about coming to musicians when they’re just names, when you’ve no idea who Derrick Harriott looks like, or what his reputation is - considered naff by real dub fans, maybe ? Derivative ? Or maybe ground-breaking ? I know the Stooges were ground-breaking - maybe that’s what has been putting me off. The weight of knowing already how good it’s meant to be. With this compilation, I’ve just ploughed through all these faceless names, liking things I probably shouldn’t (covers of soul songs! Spanish guitar solos!) and maybe finding nothing I like by the supposed classics (some of the very empty dub stuff is kind of....tedious) - or nothing I really like on the records I already have. Although Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry seems to me to deserve all respect he gets. His records are just magical. Ditto Linval Thompson, Sly and Robbie, and Scientist.

(Interesting how making a compilation for someone makes you listen to your music completely differently. Endless moments of 'do I really like that track, now I'm actually listening to it for someone else?' It's a great way to get rid of records that you only think you like.)

So it’s great music. If you don’t know any, it’s really worth getting into. There’s more than one speed, one rhythm, one mood - more than one gender, even, than you might suspect. Marcia Griffiths was a revelation. If I ever finish this thing, I’ll put the list up, and invite you to check it out. And disagree. "Ken Boothe ? Theat's not real reggae....Robbie Williams of his day.....might as well put 'I come from a land down-under' on... "

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

Um... being the resident fan bwoy of radiohead, and with radiohead writing their new album. I found this quite interesting, from jonny

makes me all moise to think about

Hey, you're not the only resident fan bwoy!

I've heard that the next album is to be another every-third-album cyclical departure a la 'Kid A', so anything is possible. And from this, it's looking very good.

 

[Firky]

I get *proper* excited when anything new comes our way from Radiohead

And I f'ing love a bit of reggae n dub, probably my favourite genre... so I am very very pleased. I could almost wank

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

It all makes sense really - here you have a rock band who in the last few years have nailed down (amongst other things) punk, middle-of-the-road, gothic (as opposed to goth), electronica, post-rock, free jazz and barbershop. An obvious next direction.

 

[poului]

It all makes sense really - here you have a rock band who in the last few years have nailed down (amongst other things) punk, middle-of-the-road, gothic (as opposed to goth), electronica, post-rock, free jazz and barbershop.

yeah but not always successfully IMO.


And to be frank the idea of messrs. Yorke, Greenwood and co. trying to incorporate stoned dub beats into their neurotic sound doesn't encourage me that much.

 

[Firky]

Normally you can sort of guess where they're going next with their album, see Meeting in the Aisle, which sounds like something off Kid A.

There's bits and pieces of HTTT that sound 'dubbish', The Gloaming has a deep deep throbbing bass line, but it sounds too lethargic. *


*that song made my eyeballs vibrate in their sockets, live... was a bit too close

 

[Kid_Eternity]

Hmmm, I love the Head but their last album was shite.

 

[poului]

Hmmm, I love the Head but their last album was shite.

wrong, their last album's easily their best. It's the first album of theirs that when listening to it doesn't immediately make you feel like you're 15 again.

 

[Kid_Eternity]

wrong, their last album's easily their best. It's the first album of theirs that when listening to it doesn't immediately make you feel like you're 15 again.

Eh? We are talking about 'theif right?! Everything but their first too fills your criteria btw...

 

[Firky]

wrong, their last album's easily their best. It's the first album of theirs that when listening to it doesn't immediately make you feel like you're 15 again.

I was 16 when the Bends came out. Listening to the Bends now always reminds me of sitting around my mates' house waiting for 'Just' to come on MTV.

My favourite is Kid A, everything about it - has to be listened to with headphones on, at 3am in pitch black darkness. Creates a landscape in my mind, an entire world, and I don't get that with any other album

Life in a Glasshouse has to be one of my all time Radiohead faves, heard that live? Stunning. That "only only only", bit I never want to end... then there's Like Spinning Plates. Which is 'I Will' reversed, and played with a backwards melody (but played forwards), and sung with a backwards melody... forwards! Feels 'spun' out as he sings the words

Um yeh... sorry, am embarrasing mysefl now

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

yeah but not always successfully IMO.


And to be frank the idea of messrs. Yorke, Greenwood and co. trying to incorporate stoned dub beats into their neurotic sound doesn't encourage me that much.

On the contrary, I'd say they do it with a remarkably consistent degree of success on the whole. And contextually, I can't think of another mainstream rock band to have swung so far to the left field, mastered its hazardous terrain so succinctly and then stayed with it (as opposed to it being a fad). The last example I can think of is possibly Scott Walker, and even his seriously obtuse music didn't really come until he was well out of the limelight.

Another thing: I find it hard to grasp that 'Life In A Glass House', 'The Gloaming' and 'Myxomatosis' were authored by exactly the same people as 'Creep', 'Prove Yourself' and 'My Iron Lung'.

I agree with Firky that 'Kid A' was probably their finest 48 minutes, but on a par with 'OKC' for me. Oh, the arguments I've got into defending the 'Head's 'right' to experiment...apart from anything else, it's been exciting - and after all, it's what The Beatles were renowned for.

The studio albums, IMO:

1= 'Kid A' 10/10
1= 'OK Computer' 10/10
3 'The Bends' 9/10
4 'Hail To The Thief' 9/10
5 'Amnesiac' 8/10
6 'Pablo Honey' 7/10

 

[Leon]

Ah lovely Radiohead - the band that take me back to age 16/17, Richmond College, playing footie on the park, never getting a shag and taking shit loads of acid (there's perhaps a connection between the last two).

Good to hear there are still some people out there who like Radiohead, because everytime I've said I'm a fan in the last 10 years it has provoked an instant dissing, followed by an argument which ends with me telling the whole world (or my office) that they're all wankers have no taste in music. Ah sweet, sweet Radiohead.

Bought the last two albums out of a bizarre sense of loyalty/hope that they would take me back to those heady days. Must've given Thief and Kid-A all of, say, half a listen before filing them in the back of my CD collection.

What a shame. I just haven't got the patience to get into their albums anymore.

The Bends and OK are awesome - everything else is too complicated for my 30 second attention-span.

 

[zenie]

OKC one of the best albums of all time

Radiohead doing dub

As long as it isn't something embarassingly sounding like UB40 - I really don't think white men should touch reggae

 

[Leon]

Hum, I agree. Why can't they just whack out a few tunes for us 90s kids? Sounds boring but to be honest I don't wanna hear their career "progress" more, I want a new Iron Lung or Karma Police.

 

[tangerinedream]

Well there is now't wrong with them doing dub. At least they've got the guts to stretch themselves. I for one was really disapointed to see Oasis shit out of working with Death in Vegas - I know there hasn't been a really decent oasis record since Columbia but it would have at least been a challenge to them and invoked a bit of thought from the listener on a 'do I actually like this or not?' level.
What am I talking about? - ah, yes. Radioshed, I agree in a way with Poului. I've reappraised Hail to the thief and to me, it's by far the most satisfying of their albums. I don't necacerily agree that amnesiac and Kid A make me feel 15, I just don't like some of the tracks very much and I think OKC is over hyped. It is for example, nothing better than 'daydream nation,' 'scream dracula scream,' 'young team' a number of calexico albums and so on and so on (many many many many albums) - yet because it recieved critical aclaim at the right time and is MTV friendly it gets voted 'best album ever' all the time which it isn't.
It's a good album, but not that good. It isn't 'icky mettle' for example
I very much doubt Radiohead doing dub will sound like classic dub, I would think Greenwood will be influenced by what he as learned about off beats and space and perhaps recording techniques and as such will probably produce something quite interesting to listen to.

Blur : Shite
Radiohead : Quite interesting
Mogwai : Tremendous

 

[William of Walworth]

This Radiohead go King Tubby thing : could well be a disaster, could well work very well. Depends entirely on how they do it. I'd rather judge it by results than predictions.

<reserves judgement>

 

[Kid_Eternity]

As long as it isn't something embarassingly sounding like UB40 - I really don't think white men should touch reggae

True for the most part.

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

OKC one of the best albums of all time

Radiohead doing dub

As long as it isn't something embarassingly sounding like UB40 - I really don't think white men should touch reggae

True for the most part.

Hmmm...I think Joe Strummer and Terry Hall might take issue with that.

Musical genre often has particular purple patches with respect to era, geography and ethnic origin, but great music does not take into account such boundaries or recognise skin colour. The idea that it should is restrictive and therefore potentially lethal. If it's good it's good, and it doesn't matter where it came from.

Personally I'd entrust any genre of music to Radiohead - a band that IMO features two geniuses of modern music - they just have a way with it. Sound is putty in their hands. And I look forward with salivating anticipation to their King Tubby album.

 

[silentNate]

yeah but not always successfully IMO.


And to be frank the idea of messrs. Yorke, Greenwood and co. trying to incorporate stoned dub beats into their neurotic sound doesn't encourage me that much.

Thank fuck someone said it

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

Thank fuck someone said it

Maybe it's what they need in that case...this is where they finally chill out.

 

[William of Walworth]

Maybe it's what they need in that case...this is where they finally chill out.

and I agree with acid priest's previous post as well.

 

[maldwyn]

Is it true okc was recorded at Jane Seymour’s crib (is that the wife of henry or dr quinn medicine woman)?

 

[sleaterkinney]

And to be frank the idea of messrs. Yorke, Greenwood and co. trying to incorporate stoned dub beats into their neurotic sound doesn't encourage me that much.

To be fair, I remember a b-side that they did which was fairly alright, can't remeber the name of it though..

I think it'll come out in their electronic sounding stuff, I don't think ub40 is a possibility.

 

[Firky]

Is it true okc was recorded at Jane Seymour’s crib (is that the wife of henry or dr quinn medicine woman)?

Yeah.

listen to Climbing up the Walls... they were jailed in there by the record company to finish the album. Shortly drinking had enduced reversed sleeping patterns, tension and long nights, and plenty of rope to smoking. OK Computer was born.

IIRC it was only the band and the odd visit from nigel godrich in about 4 months. they were left very much alone... yorke had a bit of a mental breakdown after OKC. doesn't really like success that boy.... how to dissapear completely is about this breakdown.

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

Yeah.

listen to Climbing up the Walls... they were jailed in there by the record company to finish the album. Shortly drinking had enduced reversed sleeping patterns, tension and long nights, and plenty of rope to smoking. OK Computer was born.

IIRC it was only the band and the odd visit from nigel godrich in about 4 months. they were left very much alone... yorke had a bit of a mental breakdown after OKC. doesn't really like success that boy.... how to dissapear completely is about this breakdown.

I get the impression that the whole of 'Kid A' was a violent withdrawal from the fame the band were experiencing around the time of 'OKC'. That it was such an unprecedented departure in its context made it on one hand great art and on the other impossibly exciting. Despite being on what I feel was 'Kid A''s slightly inferior sibling, 'Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box' is one of my favourite Radiohead tunes and sums up the feeling of claustrophobia and mind/soul control paranoia in a disturbingly vivid manner. And that's just the sound. Wicked stuff.

 

[miniGMgoit]

I think they could pull it off. It wont be your straight take on it after all. Everything they have done, all the different types of music they have touched upon, have all been done in there own way. That is a fact, weather you like them or not.
I think it will be interesting to hear what they can do with it. Maybe like that weird heavy one off of OKC, which i cant think of the name of.

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

I think they could pull it off. It wont be your straight take on it after all. Everything they have done, all the different types of music they have touched upon, have all been done in there own way. That is a fact, weather you like them or not.
I think it will be interesting to hear what they can do with it. Maybe like that weird heavy one off of OKC, which i cant think of the name of.

'Electioneering'.

Yeah, it's the alchemy of their own translation and the history of the genre that works so well. I mean, 'Idioteque' was apparently Radiohead's interpretation of dance music - the fact that it doesn't really sound like any other dance music speaks volumes. They have such strong sonic personality that it would be impossible for them to wind up sounding like UB40 no matter how much effort they put into it.

 

[Firky]

I get the impression that the whole of 'Kid A' was a violent withdrawal from the fame the band were experiencing around the time of 'OKC'. That it was such an unprecedented departure in its context made it on one hand great art and on the other impossibly exciting. Despite being on what I feel was 'Kid A''s slightly inferior sibling, 'Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box' is one of my favourite Radiohead tunes and sums up the feeling of claustrophobia and mind/soul control paranoia in a disturbingly vivid manner. And that's just the sound. Wicked stuff.

i still like some of his earlier song writing though, lyrics are really teenage but quite poignant, and stay with you... rather than a fleeting moment of angst.

think the most personal song he's ever written is 'how i made my millions', written on a sunday afternoon... you can even hear his missus in the background doing the dishes. i have no idea what its about, but there's something there that 'touches me'

I was, stronger.
I was, better.
Picked you out.
No i won't, say a word.
No don't, yell out.
Nevermind.
Let out, out.
Led you, back.
Stay on, sit down.
Let it, fall.
Let it, fall.
Let it, fall.
Let it, fall.

 

[Firky]

and i just like their attitude - they get their mates in on the albums n stuff, always thank people and mention them in their sleave notes. very honest bunch of chaps methinks, who seem to be uncomfortable with their success.

this made me laugh too:

antiMUSIC: What has been your personal favorite piece of art you've done for Radiohead (and also your favorite outside of Radiohead)?

Stanley: That is too hard a question for me. I've been pretty happy, on the whole, with all of the Radiohead work that I've done. Though maybe the long landscapes in the Kid A booklet could be a favourite. My personal non-Radiohead piece was a now-lost image which was composed of the advertising strapline, logo and blurb for a Ford car called the Probe. I replaced the picture of the car with a photo of a big erect cock. It was very popular, but the magazine that had commissioned the picture refused to print it.