As an avid Radiohead fan I realized the other day that I probably should discuss their lastest album, The King of Limbs, so that's what I'm gonna do!
(I'll try to keep this from being too boring for non-Radiohead-ers, but no promises)
What got me thinking the most about this is that there is a satire clip from some BBC show going around the internet and Radiohead sites that shows a support group for Radiohead fans that really only like Radiohead's earlier work, mainly anything before Kid A. And I can understand how people would feel that way. Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer are more rock like, you can blast those songs and sing along (and of course you can look cool and Alt when you display your OK Computer poster in your bedroom, though I don't have one despite having 3 Radiohead posters, and I don't really want one).
And I love their early work, yes. OK computer is a fantastic piece of work, it moves and excites and lingers and is different than so much music before it. Pablo Honey is... I mean it's their first album, it grows on you, but you can tell by the raw sound and clearly stated slightly angsty rock star dreaming lyrics that it was the bands first. The Bends is really when Radiohead found their footing and figured out more what they wanted to be, with somewhat dream like but also rocking and beautiful lyrics over expertly played instruments, really showcasing what they were able to do.
Of course we have to address Kid A, which is praised for the way it changed and challenged music. An album that created a world of its own inside the music, a stark dreamscape (and yes, I am annoyingly aware how much I use the word dream, and I know I'm going to use it again, it's like I can't escape it... it's like... I'M TRAPPED IN A DREAM DREAM haha, get it? No? Not good? Sorry...). For Kid A Radiohead really started to challenge themselves and their fans, trying something new and different that not only had they not done before, but most bands at the time hadn't done before either. I love Kid A, it's a fucking fantastic album (though, I would say that about all but Pablo Honey, which is good, but not fucking fantastic, but all are fucking fantastic in very different ways). My tattoo is even art from the Kid A era (though his name, Lewis, comes from the My Iron Lung EP which is from The Bends era). Also one of my three posters is from the Kid A era.
But here's the thing, while many early fans fell out once Amnesiac came out, I wasn't even a fan yet!! That's not what I meant to say though.
Amnesiac is how I fell in love with Radiohead. See, I completely credit my music taste to my brother, and I thank him greatly for that, cause had I not stolen all his CDs I might be into artists like Ke$ha and Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber (gross, I don't like pop, except for dancing). He's who got me into Nirvana in middle school (and I was obsessed, had an entire wall dedicated to articles and pictures and a few books). And my dear brother Josiah is who I stole Amnesiac from freshmen year of high school. Now I know I had listened to that album and OK Computer, I think Kid A as well, through the start of that year, but Amnesiac is the one I remember taking the most, and I know the moment I really, truly fell in love with Radiohead, and it was to Amnesiac.
Freshmen year of high school my dad took me on a week long trip to New Mexico and Amnesiac was one of the CDs I brought and dad and I put it in the rental car CD player while we drove through New Mexico and it's stark but beautiful land late at night and we just listened to it over and over again and I fell in love. The songs sometimes feel like Thom Yorke woke up in the middle of the night from a dream and just wrote the thing down, This album is haunting and lovely and beautiful and it is what started this obsession that has been going strong now for 7 years.
Now we'll quickly address Hail to the Thief. Disliked by many for its political message, why should a British band write an entire album criticizing the American president? But I still love the album, I think it has brilliantly written songs that, yes, carry a strong political view, but they are also lovely when taken out of that context and create a world full of glittering spider webs and ships sailing through the night sky. And There There (The Boney King of Nowhere) is just a fucking awesome song, I mean really, don't even try to say it's not.
Then we have In Rainbows, the fist album to come out after I fell in love with the band, so it was really the first Radiohead album of my time in a way. And man that album washed through my in the best way. Every song spoke to me, moved me in different ways, stuck in my head in all the best ways... I mean, I just loved it, and it's b-side... mmmm. And the entire discbox that I bought. And it was that album that I saw the tour of, my first (and only so far) Radiohead show, a show that was pretty much a religious experience for me. And I mean, I have the tour poster, the tour water bottle, I have the fabric art from In Rainbows, I have the cover of Rolling Stone poster that Thom was on after that album "The Future Belongs to Radiohead". In Rainbows was my shit, not by favorite, but still my shit.
And now... the real point here...
The King of Limbs.
I heard early last year that Radiohead would be releasing their 8th studio album that year and I could not wait. Seriously, it needed to happen. I mean, new Radiohead! And, AND my favorite number is 8, so the 8th thing to happen of anything has to be good for me, and the 8th album from my favorite band of all time? Yeah, it has to be great.
Then, on February 13/14 I stayed up till about 2am, and when I checked my Twitter feed I saw the best tweet ever. It was done, the album was done and it was online to be ordered and it would be out that Saturday and it was called The King of Limbs and it was new Radiohead and it was a newspaper album (what the fuck is that? I don't know, we'll find out in May) and it was new Radiohead and it was new Radiohead and IT WAS NEW FUCKING RADIOHEAD!
I wanted to dance and yell and tell everyone, but everyone was asleep, but that didn't matter.
And then, and then! It came out a day early (again, I found out through Twitter, so I will never hate on Twitter again) and I downloaded my WAV files that I paid extra for and...
I couldn't be more pleased.
Seriously, I don't care what anyone else says, I love The King of Limbs. It's complex, it's intricate, it creates wonderful, beautiful images in my mind. I mean, listen to Codex, really, do it, it'll take you to a place that you will never want to leave, a place you might even feel like you've been before, in real life and loved just as much then. And it flows, oh it flows so nicely. Who cares if it's only 8 tracks and 37 minutes long? Seriously, if it does what it needs to, if it moves you and if there feels like there's nothing that needs to go away then why add more? Plus, 8 tracks, hello, favorite number!!
I adore The King of Limbs, and I mean, it's really bringing Radiohead into the spotlight because no album of theirs has been this discussed and argued over since Kid A, so I think that alone makes it great in its own way. Sure, it's causing a rift between some fans, cause some hate it, others love it.
To anyone doubting it, I say, have you listened to it more than once? Because if not, you really need to. The King of Limbs is the sort of album that must be listened to multiple times to really sink it. For me it took four times for it to really, really hit me and move me. I mean, yeah, I loved it after the first time, but I loved it 10 times more after the 4th time (and yes, I listened to it probably 10 times the first day, I'm not ashamed to admit it).
I'm a little shocked by how much I had to say in this, but then again, I'm a big Radiohead fan, I always will be, I think my feelings on The King of Limbs proves it a bit. Had I fallen in love with an album like The Bends or OK Computer first there's a chance my feelings about this album would be quite different, but because Amnesiac was my first it established a grounds for me to like all their sounds, I love Radiohead because they aren't scared to change their sound as they want to. Also, they are great people who make wonderful music on their own as well as together, who stand for admirable things like their strong green initiative and avid awareness of politics and the goings on of the world.
I will close with this.
I love Radiohead, always will.
I love The King of Limbs, and I really think every one of you who reads this blog post should give it a listen, actually, give it at least two listens, and don't do it while you write a paper, do it when you can really listen to it, it won't take that much time, just a little over an hour, so you can do it. And please, enjoy, and let me know what you think!
(I'll try to keep this from being too boring for non-Radiohead-ers, but no promises)
What got me thinking the most about this is that there is a satire clip from some BBC show going around the internet and Radiohead sites that shows a support group for Radiohead fans that really only like Radiohead's earlier work, mainly anything before Kid A. And I can understand how people would feel that way. Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer are more rock like, you can blast those songs and sing along (and of course you can look cool and Alt when you display your OK Computer poster in your bedroom, though I don't have one despite having 3 Radiohead posters, and I don't really want one).
And I love their early work, yes. OK computer is a fantastic piece of work, it moves and excites and lingers and is different than so much music before it. Pablo Honey is... I mean it's their first album, it grows on you, but you can tell by the raw sound and clearly stated slightly angsty rock star dreaming lyrics that it was the bands first. The Bends is really when Radiohead found their footing and figured out more what they wanted to be, with somewhat dream like but also rocking and beautiful lyrics over expertly played instruments, really showcasing what they were able to do.
Of course we have to address Kid A, which is praised for the way it changed and challenged music. An album that created a world of its own inside the music, a stark dreamscape (and yes, I am annoyingly aware how much I use the word dream, and I know I'm going to use it again, it's like I can't escape it... it's like... I'M TRAPPED IN A DREAM DREAM haha, get it? No? Not good? Sorry...). For Kid A Radiohead really started to challenge themselves and their fans, trying something new and different that not only had they not done before, but most bands at the time hadn't done before either. I love Kid A, it's a fucking fantastic album (though, I would say that about all but Pablo Honey, which is good, but not fucking fantastic, but all are fucking fantastic in very different ways). My tattoo is even art from the Kid A era (though his name, Lewis, comes from the My Iron Lung EP which is from The Bends era). Also one of my three posters is from the Kid A era.But here's the thing, while many early fans fell out once Amnesiac came out, I wasn't even a fan yet!! That's not what I meant to say though.
Amnesiac is how I fell in love with Radiohead. See, I completely credit my music taste to my brother, and I thank him greatly for that, cause had I not stolen all his CDs I might be into artists like Ke$ha and Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber (gross, I don't like pop, except for dancing). He's who got me into Nirvana in middle school (and I was obsessed, had an entire wall dedicated to articles and pictures and a few books). And my dear brother Josiah is who I stole Amnesiac from freshmen year of high school. Now I know I had listened to that album and OK Computer, I think Kid A as well, through the start of that year, but Amnesiac is the one I remember taking the most, and I know the moment I really, truly fell in love with Radiohead, and it was to Amnesiac.Freshmen year of high school my dad took me on a week long trip to New Mexico and Amnesiac was one of the CDs I brought and dad and I put it in the rental car CD player while we drove through New Mexico and it's stark but beautiful land late at night and we just listened to it over and over again and I fell in love. The songs sometimes feel like Thom Yorke woke up in the middle of the night from a dream and just wrote the thing down, This album is haunting and lovely and beautiful and it is what started this obsession that has been going strong now for 7 years.
Now we'll quickly address Hail to the Thief. Disliked by many for its political message, why should a British band write an entire album criticizing the American president? But I still love the album, I think it has brilliantly written songs that, yes, carry a strong political view, but they are also lovely when taken out of that context and create a world full of glittering spider webs and ships sailing through the night sky. And There There (The Boney King of Nowhere) is just a fucking awesome song, I mean really, don't even try to say it's not.
Then we have In Rainbows, the fist album to come out after I fell in love with the band, so it was really the first Radiohead album of my time in a way. And man that album washed through my in the best way. Every song spoke to me, moved me in different ways, stuck in my head in all the best ways... I mean, I just loved it, and it's b-side... mmmm. And the entire discbox that I bought. And it was that album that I saw the tour of, my first (and only so far) Radiohead show, a show that was pretty much a religious experience for me. And I mean, I have the tour poster, the tour water bottle, I have the fabric art from In Rainbows, I have the cover of Rolling Stone poster that Thom was on after that album "The Future Belongs to Radiohead". In Rainbows was my shit, not by favorite, but still my shit.
And now... the real point here...
The King of Limbs.
I heard early last year that Radiohead would be releasing their 8th studio album that year and I could not wait. Seriously, it needed to happen. I mean, new Radiohead! And, AND my favorite number is 8, so the 8th thing to happen of anything has to be good for me, and the 8th album from my favorite band of all time? Yeah, it has to be great.
Then, on February 13/14 I stayed up till about 2am, and when I checked my Twitter feed I saw the best tweet ever. It was done, the album was done and it was online to be ordered and it would be out that Saturday and it was called The King of Limbs and it was new Radiohead and it was a newspaper album (what the fuck is that? I don't know, we'll find out in May) and it was new Radiohead and it was new Radiohead and IT WAS NEW FUCKING RADIOHEAD!
I wanted to dance and yell and tell everyone, but everyone was asleep, but that didn't matter.
And then, and then! It came out a day early (again, I found out through Twitter, so I will never hate on Twitter again) and I downloaded my WAV files that I paid extra for and...
I couldn't be more pleased.
Seriously, I don't care what anyone else says, I love The King of Limbs. It's complex, it's intricate, it creates wonderful, beautiful images in my mind. I mean, listen to Codex, really, do it, it'll take you to a place that you will never want to leave, a place you might even feel like you've been before, in real life and loved just as much then. And it flows, oh it flows so nicely. Who cares if it's only 8 tracks and 37 minutes long? Seriously, if it does what it needs to, if it moves you and if there feels like there's nothing that needs to go away then why add more? Plus, 8 tracks, hello, favorite number!!
I adore The King of Limbs, and I mean, it's really bringing Radiohead into the spotlight because no album of theirs has been this discussed and argued over since Kid A, so I think that alone makes it great in its own way. Sure, it's causing a rift between some fans, cause some hate it, others love it.
To anyone doubting it, I say, have you listened to it more than once? Because if not, you really need to. The King of Limbs is the sort of album that must be listened to multiple times to really sink it. For me it took four times for it to really, really hit me and move me. I mean, yeah, I loved it after the first time, but I loved it 10 times more after the 4th time (and yes, I listened to it probably 10 times the first day, I'm not ashamed to admit it).
I'm a little shocked by how much I had to say in this, but then again, I'm a big Radiohead fan, I always will be, I think my feelings on The King of Limbs proves it a bit. Had I fallen in love with an album like The Bends or OK Computer first there's a chance my feelings about this album would be quite different, but because Amnesiac was my first it established a grounds for me to like all their sounds, I love Radiohead because they aren't scared to change their sound as they want to. Also, they are great people who make wonderful music on their own as well as together, who stand for admirable things like their strong green initiative and avid awareness of politics and the goings on of the world.I will close with this.
I love Radiohead, always will.
I love The King of Limbs, and I really think every one of you who reads this blog post should give it a listen, actually, give it at least two listens, and don't do it while you write a paper, do it when you can really listen to it, it won't take that much time, just a little over an hour, so you can do it. And please, enjoy, and let me know what you think!
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