popwreckoning

I was working at WUPX, the college radio station at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan during the 2000-2001 school year.  In addition to being the Classical Music Director, I also had a mid-day show where we had to play the songs in rotation.  I remember when Kid A first came out and our station director was really pushing multiple tracks in rotation, especially the title track “Kid A”.

Many of the college DJs were kind of scratching our heads at the song and the album as a whole; I mean we were all familiar with OK Computer, but where had Radiohead turned this time?  I remember the DJ before me was finishing up his show, and the last song he played was “Kid A” and he said something that stuck: “If you thought OK Computer was Radiohead experimenting, then explain to me what this is?”

In fact, even the experimentation on OK Computer, which I will call “pseudo-experimentation” compared to Kid A, pales in comparison to this album.  The closest song to the previous album would be “Optimistic,” but even then that had its alt-rock and early experimentation elements stripped from it.

While I compared OK Computer to U2’s Zooropa in terms of its experimentation and departure from anthem rock, then Kid A would be akin to U2’s Passengers. The only difference is, this was much more successful and not as pretentious.

Like Passengers, lyrics are stripped way back on Kid A, and are mostly instrumental, combining classical, techno, and just a hint of house-beats, as found in “Idioteque.”  The complete instrumental “Treefingers” always reminds me of “An Ending (Ascent)” from Brian Eno’s Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks album, which appeared in the film Traffic. The trippy “The National Anthem,” and the somewhat depressing “How To Disappear Completely” and the swirling  “Motion Picture Soundtrack” are definite standouts on this thoroughly constructed and artfully mastered experimental album from Radiohead.

The second disc contains live tracks from the BBC Radio One Evening Session on November 15, 2000, LAMACQ Live In Concert at Victoria Park in England on October 2, 2000, Canal+ Studios on April 28, 2001 and I Might Be Wrong live recordings.

The DVD is more of a let down than the one on the OK Computer deluxe edition.  This time, we are given three songs from the Jools Holland performance.  I realize that the DVD was limited since there were no official singles, and thus, no official music video promos, but surely they could have found more than three songs recorded on video for this album.

For instance, where was the video for “Motion Picture Soundtrack” that contained all of the 30-second films to promote Kid A originally seen on MTV?  After doing some searching on YouTube, I found the video that Radiohead released for this.  It appears that the poster changed some things in the video,  but it contains all of the original “blips.”  You can watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7RKakVGvPc

Since there were no official singles released, there are no sleeve covers in the deluxe edition.  However, in addition to the original CD insert, it also includes the hidden booklet that was in the original pressing.

Kid A (standalone album) – 5 out of 5 stars
Kid A (2 CD/1 DVD) – 3 out of 5 stars (For only 12 minutes of playing time on the DVD)

Disc 2 Tracklist:
(BBC Radio One Evening Session – 15/11/00)
1.  Everything In Its Right Place
2.  How To Disappear Completely
3.  Idioteque
4.  The National Anthem

(LAMACQ Live in Concert: Victoria Park, Warrington, England – 28/04/01)
5.  Optimistic

(Canal+ Studios – 28/04/01)
6.  Morning Bell
7.  The National Anthem
8.  How To Disappear Completely
9.  In Limbo
10.  Idioteque
11.  Everything In Its Right Place
12.  Motion Picture Soundtrack

(I Might Be Wrong – Live Recordings)
13.  True Love Waits

DVD Tracklist:
(Later…With Jools Holland -   09/06/01)
1.  The National Anthem
2.  Morning Bell
3.  Idioteque

Editors’ Note: PopWreckoning has one unopened copy of this special edition of Kid A to be given away to a resident of the United States. To win, all you have to do is comment with your favorite song from the album Kid A and explain why the song stands out to you. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you for mailing information. Contest will run until June 10.

It was evident on Radiohead’s 1995 sophomore release The Bends that the musical style was beginning to shift gears with songs like “Planet Telex,” and “Street Spirit (Fade Out),” even with its heavy alt rock-laden singles “Fake Plastic Trees” and “High and Dry.”  While other bands, such as U2, were trying their hand with experimentation in the critically successful Zooropa, they failed to generate that same success with Passengers: Original Soundtracks I, and thus ditched the experimentation in favor of commercial success.  Radiohead, influenced by the soundscapes that U2 created on Zooropa, took their own stab with electronica and synth textures in their effort to ditch the anthem rock mastered on The Bends.

Still considered in the alt rock genre, “Paranoid Android” was released as the lead-off single to OK Computer in late may of 1997.  With an anti-alt rock groove that begins the song, it is almost a a plea to forget everything you had ever known about Radiohead on Pablo Honey and The Bends. As it grooves along for the first couple of minutes, Thom Yorke suddenly jolts us awake as he belts “you don’t remember!” with scorching guitars and heavy drums.  After a short guitar solo, the third section of “Android” begins, much slower, solemn, before returning back to the scorching guitars for rockin’ outro truly making the listener paranoid – are we really hearing our beloved Radiohead in this A.D.D. of a song?  But it’s that sheer brilliance within the A.D.D. and paranoia that forces one to get the album upon its release.  And the album doesn’t fail; instead, if anything, OK Computer is Radiohead’s first complete thought and true album.

It is so hard to say which song is my favorite, as they are all great in their own right.  Take any of them away, and OK Computer is an incomplete album.  From the opening guitar strums in “Airbag,” to the mellow and laid-back “Subterranean Homesick Alien” and “Exit Music (For a Film),” the first third of the album leaves you wanting more, to see what other wondrous sounds they have created.

“Let Down” is far from being a letdown in itself, instead it’s the perfect bridge from “Exit Music” into probably one of the most popular and liked songs on the album “Karma Police.”  Even today, the song still gets regular play on alternative and college radio.  As a classically trained pianist, I can’t help but immerse myself in Jonny Greenwood‘s piano playing.  ”Electioneering” pays homage to early Radiohead, as if to say “yea, we’ve changed our sound, but still have our roots.”

If I had to pick two songs that would be standouts and my favorites, they would be the slow-building, heavy climatic “Climbing Up the Walls” and the slow waltz-like closer “The Tourist.”

Admittedly, my reviews on Pablo and Bends didn’t go into this much detail with the original release, but they didn’t hit me as much as OK Computer. In the many years of listening to Radiohead, OK Computer has gotten far more plays on my iTunes than the first two albums combined.

CD Two contains b-sides from the “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police” and “No Surprise” singles, including some remixes and live tracks, in addition to the BBC Radio One Evening Session from May 28, 1997.

The DVD is where I feel that this Deluxe Edition fell short.  The previous Deluxe Editions for Pablo Honey and The Bends had plenty of videos and live footage on the DVDs, but the OK Computer Deluxe Edition only has the music videos for the singles and live footage from Later…With Jools Holland with three songs.  Only live footage of three songs on the DVD for this masterpiece of an album?  If there was a time to say it, now is it – what a “Let Down”.

The Deluxe Edition also contains the sleeve covers for the three singles, and the booklet from the original CD release.

OK Computer (standalone album) – 5 out of 5 stars
OK Computer (2 CD/1 DVD) – 3 1/2 out of 5 stars (due to the limited live footage on the DVD)

Disc 2 Track list:
(Taken from “Paranoid Android” single)
1.  Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)
2.  Pearly
3.  A Reminder
4.  Melatonin

(Taken from “Karma Police” single)
5.  Meeting in the Aisle
6.  Lull
7.  Climbing Up the Walls (Zero 7 Mix)
8.  Climbing Up the Walls (Fila Brazillia Mix)

(Taken from “No Surprises” single)
9.  Palo Alto
10.  How I Made My Millions
11.  Airbag (Live in Berlin)
12.  Lucky (Live in Berlin)

(BBC Radio One Evening Session – 28/05/97)
13.  Climbing Up the Walls
14.  Exit Music (For a Film)
15.  No Surprises

DVD Track list:
(Music Videos)
Paranoid Android
Karma Police
No Surprises

(Later…With Jools Holland 31/05/97)
Paranoid Android
No Surprises
Airbag

Editors’ Note: PopWreckoning has one unopened copy of this special edition of Ok Computer to be given away to a resident of the United States. To win, all you have to do is comment with your favorite song from the album Ok Computer and explain why the song stands out to you. The comment that stands out to the Editors the most, wins.

Please remember to include a working email address so we might contact you for mailing information. Contest will run until June 10.

For those of us who don’t like to completely reevaluate artists every two seconds, there are those bands that have a formula and stick with it. Sometimes they do it better than others, but in a world of artists like Lady Gaga and Muse where they’re constantly trying to up their own ante, a band like British Sea Power can be very refreshing.

It’s a wonder that British Sea Power has released three studio albums since I saw them live back in 2005 opening for The Killers. Sure, one of them was the reworking of the soundtrack of the 1934 documentary film Man of Aran, but you gotta love a band that consistently puts out albums. It keeps them relevant, rather than a band like Maroon 5 (I know, terrible example) – that puts out one album and then tours for it for four years slowly drifting into a place where nobody really cares anymore.

Now, I’m not comparing British Sea Power to any of these artists (Gaga especially), but I’m trying to make a point. With Valhalla Dancehall, BSP stuck with what they’ve been doing since The Decline of British Sea Power, the experimental arena indie post rock (ironically titled since it’s their first album and the most progressive of all of them). I apologize for the ridiculous classification adjectives. I figure I’d get the buzzwords out of the way in case you’re one of those readers that ‘skim’ rather than read.

Valhalla Dancehall begins on a high note, the impeccably catchy “Who’s In Control,” which led me to believe that this record would be far closer to the “dancehall” the title proposed, but after that we’re taken back to the arena post rock (abbreviated for rhythm) we’ve been hanging with since 2002. “We Are Sound” feels like a bit of a filler track, one that I’ve surely heard on 2005’s Open Season or 2008’s Do You Like Rock Music?, the former I enjoyed more than the latter. “Georgie Ray” is a soft and lovely piano ballad, “Stune Null” is a dark and perplexing track, one that most parallels the jolty beats of the first album. But the stand out track on Valhalla Dancehall is “Mongk II,” a sequel to “Mongk” off the Duets EP. “Mongk II” features Yan’s fuzzy distorted vocals, the dense instrumentation (with a banjo cameo, I might add), and complex lyrics.

“Luna” and “Baby” feature Yan’s low whispery vibrato rather than the loud and distorted tracks that came before them. They’re much dreamier too, ones that you might slow dance to in a low-lit bar in Brighton somewhere. The first single “Living Is So Easy” is by far the sweetest song on the record. Like a real good piece of baklava, whereas the rest of the songs on the album are more like cheese danishes or poppyseed muffins. “Living Is So Easy” is almost too sugary, which made it a weird choice for a first single because it is SO far outside of the darkness of the rest of the album. After that, we go from another dancehall track to punk to the experimental post rock you’d most expect from BSP, but it all fits under the umbrella of their style, whatever style that may actually be. So maybe Valhalla Dancehall won’t create waves with any monumental genre-bending genius, but it sticks with what British Sea Power does, and what they do well.

I never really got the strong U2 comparison that places like Pitchfork made (quite literally, rating Do You Like Rock Music? with a U.2… real clever, guys). Sure they’ve got the dense sound that fits into the arena rock, but so does Arcade Fire. Do you ever hear people comparing Arcade Fire to U2? No. What British Sea Power has that does set them apart is a garage rock attitude with 6-minute epic post-rock melodies and deep, oblique lyrics. And they’re from Brighton for crying out loud. That’s like the San Francisco of Great Britain – it’s laid back. That’s what I get from British Sea Power, laid-back arena rock.

Now that’s a faux genre I’ll stand behind.

U2‘s frontman has undergone back surgery today. It is unclear if the group will have to cancel tour dates.

According to U2.com:

Bono has today undergone emergency back surgery for an injury sustained during tour preparation training. He was admitted to a specialist neuro surgery unit in a Munich hospital, and is under the care of neuro surgeon Prof. Dr. Jorg Tonn and Dr Muller Wohlfahrt. Bono will spend the next few days there, before returning home to recuperate.

Once his condition has been assessed further, a statement will be made regarding the impact on forthcoming tour dates.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the release of U2‘s 4th studio album,  The Unforgettable Fire, the band has remastered and re-released the record:

The Unforgettable Fire is available in four different formats:

• Limited Edition Box Set: containing 2 CDs (remastered album and bonus audio CD), a DVD with live footage, documentary and videos, a 56 page hardback book with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois, Bert Van de Kamp and Niall Stokes, and 5 photographic prints

• Deluxe Edition: containing 2 CDs; the remastered album, and the bonus audio CD which features B-sides and previously unreleased material, a 36 page booklet with liner notes by The Edge, Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

• CD format: featuring the remastered album

• 12″ vinyl format: 16 page booklet with liner notes by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Bert Van de Kamp

We’re celebrating the re-release by giving away U2′s re-mastered vinyl catalog. This includes: October, Boy, War, Under a Blood Red Sky, Joshua Tree and of course, the new release of  The Unforgettable Fire.

To win, share why you find U2 “unforgettable” in our comments section by Friday, Nov. 27 at 12 p.m. CDT. We’ll pick a winner then. Please use a valid email address and this contest is limited to U.S. residents.

If you don’t want to take your chances with our contest, buy the regular re-mastered album here or the deluxe version here.

U2: website | myspace

It’s very hard to try and put a genre label on One Republic. They utilize almost every type of music, from R&B to alternative rock to even some reggae influences. Most people try and compare them to fellow “piano-rockers” The Fray, but that’s just it: the only similarity linking the two bands is the piano element. So the question remains on how to classify One Republic and if that’s even possible. Their display of a soulful, R&B edge mixed with a melodic rock premise distinguishes them from any other band in the music industry today. They continue to illustrate that distinction even more blatantly on their much-anticipated 2nd full length release Waking Up.

As a follow up to their extremely successful debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, Waking Up is an album carefully comprised of 11 songs that individually have a completely different, unique sound and feel than the one preceding it. The rhythmically-charged album begins with “Made for You,” a haunting melody that transitions into a soulful chorus and starts the album off strongly. It is followed by their first single “All the Right Moves,” which is destined to be an instant hit due to the numerous hooks that are filled with a mix of strings and strong drums. This effectively eerie combination is very reminiscent of Paper Route’s Absence album’s tone and feel. A few songs later listener is hit with “Everybody Loves Me,” a Beck-like album staple that is in a direct contrast to any other One Republic song on either album. It may sound strange to compare One Republic to Beck, but it strangely works.

Waking Up peaks with what has become my personal favorite song on the album, “Good Life.” It is full of rhythmically perfect beats and feel-good harmonies that have a hint of an African tribal flair. It’s the song on the album that will probably not become a single, but will be an instant fan favorite. (It was on repeat on my shuffle for two days straight.) Next up, the U2-esque title track “Waking Up” could almost be considered a 2-part song. Three minutes of the song is a fist-pumping section full of effective chanting and lead singer Ryan Tedder’s Bono-inspired voice. In a stark contrast, the 2nd half of the song moves into a solely instrumental piece with a heart-wrenching melody provided by an immaculate combination of strings and piano, immediately making the listener stop and take notice. One Republic hasn’t entirely dismissed their catchy, melodic Dreaming Out Loud roots, as is displayed with Tedder’s enchanting piano playing on tracks “Fear” and “All This Time.” The album is wrapped up with a song entitled “Lullaby.” It is an appropriate mellow counterpart and conclusion to an otherwise energetic album. It is slowed down to a relaxed pace and enters an almost trance-like state with soft guitars, Tedder’s pure voice, and gospel-like harmonies.

Looking back over the past 45 minutes makes one realize that an album that has combined elements of Paper Route, Beck and U2 (and doesn’t turn out to be a disaster) can rightfully be considered successfully unique. Dreaming Out Loud was full of effective, but safe melodies and textbook undertones, but they definitely take the edginess of their band to a whole new level on Waking Up. With an album dominated by intense drums, clean harmonies, and daring beats, the band has stepped out of their comfort zone and has further created a genre of their own. They could have written a radio-friendly, similar sounding album to Dreaming Out Loud, but they chose to try out a new sound that allowed them to grow and evolve into a new, fearless bad that is taking all the right chances.

Waking Up is a brave album that will earn the band respect from old and new fans alike.

It is streaming on MySpace now and is physically available Nov. 17.

Track Listing:
01. Made For You
02. All The Right Moves
03. Secrets
04. Everybody Loves Me
05. Missing Persons 1 & 2
06. Good Life
07. All This Time
08. Fear
09. Waking Up
10. Marchin On
11. Lullaby

One Republic: website | myspace

Written by: Sarah Hassan