You're sitting in a dingy bar. You drain the dregs of the last alcoholic beverage you can afford for the night. You've got one shiny coin left. You look around for something to spend it on. There's a charity jar at the end of the bar, which you reach out for. But just beyond it you see a big flashing jukebox. You walk over and slot your coin in. Not sure what to choose, you hit RANDOM.
The discs whirr into place, and it comes up...
The discs whirr into place, and it comes up...
No Surprises - Radiodread
Posted 02-01-2009 at 06:51 AM by Hampers
Yes, I got my formatting wrong. Radiodread is the name of an album, not a band. The Easy Star All-Stars are a reggae/dub collective who cover famous albums. To date they have released Dub Side of the Moon (Dark Side of the Moon) and Radiodread (OK Computer)
You can hear their cover of No Surprises here.
So why single out No Surprises as a title for this blog? Well, I've been listening to a fair bit of Radiohead lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like them.
And this may just be my reading of Radiohead; having only listened through three of their albums (and believe me, I needed a good lie down in a darkened room to avoid slitting my wrists after those albums) but their songs (especially In Rainbows) seem to follow the same essential formula:
Step 1: Have twinkly chord-based piano/guitar riff. Especially one where the chord progression revolves around turning on Major thirds.
Step 2: Add tight drums to give the song some weight.
Step 3: Ignore your bass player
Step 4: Write lyrics complaining about a) your life b) your girlfriend c) 'The Man' d) Suburbia e) The plight of the oppressed f) All of the above.
Step 5: Ignore consonants.
Now, I'm prepared to accept that there are exceptions to this rule, off the top of my head I would say Paranoid Android, Just, and at a stretch, Creep. But it's interesting to note that these are the singles...
Radiohead songs seem to have the worst features of Leonard Cohen, and Coldplay.
Coldplay: Musician finds it difficult to sing songs in a style that isn't hideously whiney.
Musician's songs all sound the same.
Cohen: Musician writes songs that are in fact performed better by anyone else.
And this second point brings me back to the Easy Star All-Stars. If you re-arrange a Radiohead song to include some depth that extends beyond the juxtaposition of funk drums and Philip-Glass-esque keyboards, and a vocal range that isn't that of a falsetto child being denied a late bedtime, you reveal some excellent songwriting skills. Catchy melodies, impressive chord choices and lyrics that actually seem to have merit (not least because I can now understand them).
But who am I to judge?
You can hear their cover of No Surprises here.
So why single out No Surprises as a title for this blog? Well, I've been listening to a fair bit of Radiohead lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like them.
And this may just be my reading of Radiohead; having only listened through three of their albums (and believe me, I needed a good lie down in a darkened room to avoid slitting my wrists after those albums) but their songs (especially In Rainbows) seem to follow the same essential formula:
Step 1: Have twinkly chord-based piano/guitar riff. Especially one where the chord progression revolves around turning on Major thirds.
Step 2: Add tight drums to give the song some weight.
Step 3: Ignore your bass player
Step 4: Write lyrics complaining about a) your life b) your girlfriend c) 'The Man' d) Suburbia e) The plight of the oppressed f) All of the above.
Step 5: Ignore consonants.
Now, I'm prepared to accept that there are exceptions to this rule, off the top of my head I would say Paranoid Android, Just, and at a stretch, Creep. But it's interesting to note that these are the singles...
Radiohead songs seem to have the worst features of Leonard Cohen, and Coldplay.
Coldplay: Musician finds it difficult to sing songs in a style that isn't hideously whiney.
Musician's songs all sound the same.
Cohen: Musician writes songs that are in fact performed better by anyone else.
And this second point brings me back to the Easy Star All-Stars. If you re-arrange a Radiohead song to include some depth that extends beyond the juxtaposition of funk drums and Philip-Glass-esque keyboards, and a vocal range that isn't that of a falsetto child being denied a late bedtime, you reveal some excellent songwriting skills. Catchy melodies, impressive chord choices and lyrics that actually seem to have merit (not least because I can now understand them).
But who am I to judge?
Total Comments 2
Comments
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How did you know this would be the first comment...
It is great that you are listening to radiohead... but how can you not like them?
Firstly i would like to say: No Surpises isnt their best song, or even close (we all know which i think is.....) however i am not going to include that in what i say. No Surprises in a way is a lot like creep, over used and over listened too (no where near as bad as creep, firstly it is a better song, secondly rockband knows how to ruin a song better than anyone, now everyone who likes one of their worst songs say's they like radiohead...)
Secondly Radiohead are a very weird band in that way, i have been listening to them all of my life (my mum loves them) and it wasnt untill last summer that i learnt to like them. Thats right, it took me about 13 years to like them, especially using intensive listening.
I will admit some of that time was being open minded enough to listen to them, but not much of it.
As for the depressing bit, well, they really arnt THAT depressing, yes, they do have their moments, and yes, i have self harmed to them (amongst other things) it is just something that you learn to love.
As for the essential formuala, well, on a couple of songs, yes, this is true, but on a majority of songs that isnt the case, i would be interested to know which albums you have listened to because some are better than others (i can tell you have listened to In Rainbows Disc 1 and Ok Computer, in rainbows being my favorite, ok computer just being okay in my mind)
However as far as your formula goes, each song is different to the point where a formula can not apply, the twinkly chord-based piano/guitar riff is just part of their most common style, and does feature in many of their songs, but not too much, and not to the point where i would say its mostly what they do. The tight drums, well, that is just the drummers style, he is an amazing drummer, but doesnt do anything but keep the beat, it is a very complex beat normally, but that is all he does, and in my opinion, if he did anything other than what he does, it wouldnt be the same. Ignore the bass player? What the hell? there is a lot of bass in all radiohead songs, (not solo songs such as videotape ect...) other than that there is a lot of bass in all songs, your speakers may be damaged....
The lyrics... well... what else is he supposed to write about? to be honest they are too difficult to make out on most songs so it is best just to treat is as part of the melody.
Paranoid android is a very different song to their normal style, i absolutly love it, but it is different, as for creep, well, we all know what i think of that.
Uh... Radiohead in my opinion are too different to coldplay (never listened to Leonard Cohen so i wont comment). The biggest difference between the two is that coldplay seem to do it for the money, Radiohead dont care about the money... no seriously they dont.
and i cant find a way to comment on the last 3 paragraphs....
(what i have written is in order of the same paragraphs Hampers used....)Posted 02-22-2009 at 02:19 PM by Smile 
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oh i almost forgot, and i would edit, but it just wouldnt seem right in there....
Anyone who is a drummer on this site, try and drum to any radiohead song Exactly the same way he does...
That means:
100% on time
The Beat 100% correct
Drums tuned PERFECTLY
and no, i know it isnt easy...Posted 02-22-2009 at 02:29 PM by Smile
