Radiohead

[TryWhistlingThis]

I've had two listens so far. Here's my review:

 

Bloom – very Everything is in the right place featuring some out of time percussion. Definitely the sound of their post-Britpop disdain that we were treated to in the early 21st century. Familiar “hmmm-mmm-mmmm” harmony from Thom Yorke (distorted). Percussion slows to a synchopated, marching type beat with loads of synth seeping through. A good opener.

 

Morning Mr. Magpie –this song has quite a strange low-fi pop La Roux type sound, bass heavy, vocals almost become a little secondary in the way they fade in and out in the middle. Flows quite nicely from the first track.

 

Little by little – the first thing you will immediately hear are more live instruments, less electronica. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily make it a better song, Thom’s vocals make this song the album’s first real challenge. At the moment i'm feeling a little bored by this song, uninterested. But the music does have its moments. Thom’s vocals bring it down a bit. Eastern tinged guitar parts, background electronic percussion stragely reminiscent of “…sardines…” (the opening track from Amnesiac).

 

Feral – the first song I dislike on the album. Reminds me a lot of “Like spinning plates” from Amnesiac. The music is once again very electronic, lots of echo on the vocals. A very drowsy sound even by Radiohead standards. But, it’s also very inviting to sit at home DJs who remix music for a hobby. In fact, I don’t think there are any lyrics to be found in the vocals. Given that it’s an 8-track album, you get the impression (as speculated by an earlier review in this thread) that Thom wanted to really challenge the listener. I honestly find it hard to believe that they wanted an 8-track album of what they felt were the tightest and most cohesive songs from the album sessions for Limbs.... If we were to go through all the stuff recorded and demo’d for this album, I’m sure we could find at least 5 tracks we’d prefer ahead of this.

 

Lotus flower – interesting opening groove. I enjoyed this song from first listen when watching the video. Has a Where I end and you begin vibe (from the Thief... album). A great track but there’s a lot of layers to get through. Some are putting me off, some I love, it’s so far feeling like a song that will just present itself to me sometime in the future while listening to it on the way to Uni or work. But it’s cool. I must say, if I were a director developing a concept for this song, I honestly would never have thought of Thom Yorke dancing.

 

Codex – perhaps the song which is closest to continuing the feel of In Rainbows, but that’s still not saying a lot. The murky atmosphere from the previous tracks still runs right through it, but Thom’s melody’s are crystal clear which is a first for this album. A real highlight, I love this song. Probably the best song on the album. Minimal percussion, piano driven and obviously very moody with a touch of brass. Beautiful.

 

Give up the ghost – some acoustic stuff here with some very angelic vocals from Thom. This is very close to the In Rainbows sound and is probably the cleanest and least oblique on the album. It’s almost like a very solemn Led Zepplin. Not in the way of soaring vocals and epic guitars, but more along the lines of those opening moments in Stairway to Heaven. Another album classic.

 

Separator – back in Kid A mode. Nice piano arrangement, a very bright and optimistic sound. Surprisingly warm. A nice ending.

 

 

Overall: a good listen. The sound of the album is definitely embedded heavily in the Kid A/Amnesiac period of their career. In fact, if you were to consider Kid A as consisting of a trilogy of albums, this would be the third episode. In some ways it’s kind of like the link between Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief in the way that it combines a lot of the cryptic experiments of Kid A/Amnesiac but also sets up in some areas (Codex and Give up the ghost) the melody and more straight forward approach heard on the Thief record. For now, it’s hard to say where this album sits. Radiohead are clearly a band (if you didn’t realise it before) that are paranoid of boredom, even if it means confusing the audience. In fact, in confusing the audience, they become more intrigued on becoming lost in their creativity. They don’t ever want us to be correct in what we expect of the band. They don’t want us to know when or if it’s coming and that, as frustrating as it has the potential to be, is what makes Radiohead the band they are. On reflection, maybe the 8 track approach (clocking in at 37:29) is a welcome one at that. To endure 40 – 50 minutes of the album may reduce the desire for repeated listens.

 

For now:

 

3.5 out of 5

 

BUT with potential to really grow. It could easily be a 4 star album in another month, I doubt it will achieve the fifth though.

 

So far it’s looking like:

1. Kid A

2. In Rainbows

3. The Bends

4. Ok Computer

5. The King of Limbs

6. Hail to the thief

7. Amnesiac

[[email protected].]

http://nodata.tv/12367

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9k1Ahkl9ps]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9k1Ahkl9ps[/ame]

[Josh42]

Tonight my mom had her first listen. After the first half of the album was over, she said she 'wasn't really impressed'. However, she really liked the second half of the album and about a minute into Give Up the Ghost she broke down into fucking tears.

[Josh42]

Since U2 haven't yet been OFFICIALLY announced as the Friday headliner for Glastonbury, what do you guys think the chances are that Radiohead actually has that slot?

 

Radiohead as the third headliners under Coldplay and Beyonce?

 

lol...just lol...

[Josh42]

Wow...just wow...I'm sitting here researching plans for next year with The King of Limbs playing in the background. On Codex now and something just hit me. Like a brick wall. I'm beginning to understand the brilliance of this album I think. I can't even focus anymore.

[darkchoc92]

I've only had 2 listens so far but I prefer the second half - there is something hypnotic about Lotus Flower and Codex is growing on me a lot <3 I don't have Kid A/Amnesiac/HTTT but I guess these albums need more listening to then The Bends etc? Anyways I hope they do release some more songs it just sounds too short ! :(

[Tnspieler1012]

Yeah, the length is what I'm having trouble coming to terms with. If there were a few other solid songs interspersed throughout the first half, this would surely be one of their greatest albums.

[The Escapist]

I don't mind having a short album actually. I'm probably the only one. The band know what they are doing I'm sure. After my eighth listen, I really like the album. It's easy to get around once you are familiar with it yet holds my interest because you are never quite too familiar. I will probably look back on this weekend as a really significant one later in life. It's no In Rainbows or Kid A, but its definitely Radiohead.

[tauiwi]

It's very much a product of the radiohead "formula". Lotus Flower is fucking amazing, period. It's the song they've been working towards, 8 albums in. It's Thom Yorke hitting his vocal orgasm. The rest sounds too familiar but nonetheless a lot better than radio troll we're fed every day.

 

It's clear this album rewards multiple listens as I find myself discovering new parts or layers every time I listen to the tracks.

[tauiwi]

As for everyone wanting more songs...

 

Don't we recall the band saying last year they believed in only releasing EP's in the future?

 

Smaller albums might cut it

[Ms Magpie]

My parents approve of Lotus Flower and Thom's dance. I'm satisfied.

[i'maveryneatMonster.']

Don't complain about the lenght.

You got an album after all.

[Corkus]

I have had probably 10 Facebook friends post that Single Ladies video. Funny as it is, I'm getting slightly irritated at seeing it pop up everywhere.

 

After a few full-length listens yesterday, I found myself finally picking specific songs to listen to when I didn't feel like running through the full album, and doggone Codex really has me hooked. GUTG may be the closest this album gets to a "Reckoner" (and it's an amazing song at that), but I'm always a sucker for piano.

 

Regarding the short length, I suppose I can understand if Radiohead kept it at 8 because they feel it's the only way it would have flowed well and if the other tracks would have felt out-of-place. Still, I'd like to see more studio equivalents of new tracks that have been performed live, and I think we'll get them in some fashion eventually, even if it's not another album.

[fietssleutel]

As the world's bloggers and music critics fling around hastily-arrived-at opinions on Radiohead's new album 'The King Of Limbs', the truly important issue of the day has been overlooked - namely, just how does Thom 'Crazy Legs' Yorke pull off those liquid-limbed dance moves in the 'Lotus Flower' video?

 

Naturally people in living rooms and indie discos across the nation will be itching to imitate said moves this weekend. But, please, a word of warning: these are advanced techniques and should under no circumstances be attempted until you've read the following step-by-step instructions.

 

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=121&p=9804&title=radiohead_lotus_flower_those_dance_moves&more=1&c=1

 

asfgdsasdfghgfdsa :lol: :bomb: :awesome:

[NumbersGirl]

^ :lol:

 

I especially like this one:

 

4. The Electric Eel

The trick here is to vibrate all four limbs as fast as possible in the manner of a Capuchin monkey break-dancing across an electrified cattle-grid.

[EmmaLouiseSmyth]

I love it :heart: especially lotus flower and codex.

[coldplay_are_forever]

I actually really love the album :heart:. I think a lot of people tend to give an immediate judgment, but you always have to give Radiohead's album a few listens before you can even start to think about what you feel. The more I listen to it, the more I love it. Codex is a real standout. I also think Give Up The Ghost, Lotus Flower and Bloom are amazing.

I love the artwork and Lotus Flower's video too. Priceless :wacky:.

 

p.s. Btw what's all this hating on Feral? I mean it's surely not my fav RH song, but I do appreciate it. It reminds me of Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors in a way :nice:.

[shipoffools]

At first, I didn't get the first half and preferred the second half. Then, suddenly, the brilliance of the whole album hit me, and now I love it all.

 

This album is a great piece of art. It might turn out to be my favorite Radiohead album yet. Right now, it's at #4.

[Tnspieler1012]

p.s. Btw what's all this hating on Feral? I mean it's surely not my fav RH song, but I do appreciate it. It reminds me of Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors in a way :nice:.

it's almost like a brief interlude for me. I was playing around listening to the songs in a different order, and realized that for most of the track you just have an assortment of sounds without any clear musical pattern other than the drums. Only near the end to you have a consistent bass and a tiny loop of Thom's voice. I'm not saying this is a 'bad' thing, as I actually find it really soothing, but its not really a 'song' so much as an assortment of whatever sounds and loops they felt like throwing in, and some people find that frustrating.

[Ms Magpie]

^Exactly. I find it a bit irritating that amongst all the good songs they've decided to put one without lyrics/stand-out melody on the album. It's definitely growing on me, though.

 

One of the theories is that the next album will be released whenever there's a next holiday related to our limbs/body parts? :lol: Valentine's = heart = the king of limbs. I'm not sure how reasonable this is, but maybe it's worth a thought.

[Wherrwhfer]

As the world's bloggers and music critics fling around hastily-arrived-at opinions on Radiohead's new album 'The King Of Limbs', the truly important issue of the day has been overlooked - namely, just how does Thom 'Crazy Legs' Yorke pull off those liquid-limbed dance moves in the 'Lotus Flower' video?

 

Naturally people in living rooms and indie discos across the nation will be itching to imitate said moves this weekend. But, please, a word of warning: these are advanced techniques and should under no circumstances be attempted until you've read the following step-by-step instructions.

 

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=121&p=9804&title=radiohead_lotus_flower_those_dance_moves&more=1&c=1

 

asfgdsasdfghgfdsa :lol: :bomb: :awesome:

 

HAHAHAHA oh my god

[bedofroses]

:facepalm: This has probably already been posted, but it was kind of inevitable, wasn't it? :lol: :facepalm: :facepalm:

 

 

:lol: this fits together scarily well, how funny!

 

In regards to the album, I am on my third listen and really starting to enjoy it very much, I will wait longer until I post a review.

[Ms Magpie]

OMG that's hilarious!! :laugh4:

[Ms Magpie]

:lol: this fits together scarily well, how funny!

 

In regards to the album, I am on my third listen and really starting to enjoy it very much, I will wait longer until I post a review.

 

not this, of course, I was referring to those dance instructions. Glad you're enjoying the album!

[The Final Track]

My Dad bought me The King Of Limbs digitally, so I listened to it during warm up today. I thought it sounded a little dark and instrumental. Half way through I realized my earphones were halfway in :disappointed: (that has the same effect as listening to stereo with one speaker)