LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem

Released in 2005 at a time when the majority of music being produced was edgy electronic music, very little comes close to LCD Soundsystem’s eponymous debut album. The LP consists of two discs; the first, a full album of new, previously unreleased tracks and a second disc featuring their singles since 2002.



Anyone who listened to the band’s first produce, the double single Losing My Edge / Beat Connection will know that it promised much. Losing My Edge perfectly captures zeitgeist for independent music during the 00s, through the lyrics of the band’s leader, front man and main composer, James Murphy. Murphy describes how people change their musical tastes in order to be cool and subsequently his tastes which he lists extensively, including the likes of Can, Liquid Liquid and Daft Punk are well out of date and he is losing ground to the kids from Paris and London ‘coming up from behind’. However the fact that Murphy continues to make music purely for himself and not to be cool means he will always transcend these ‘kids’. Clearly then LCD Soundsystem are not your typical electro band and the rest of Disc 2 is made up of a combination of long, layered electro tracks such as Beat Connection and Yr City’s a Sucker full of wonderful synth melodies and shorter tracks like the funky garage rock influenced Give It Up.

The first track of the actual album, Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, gives Daft Punk their second reference from the band and tells the story of a party where Murphy played real music rather than the commercial spew they would hear if they ‘go down town’. Like Losing My Edge, this track is an example of where the band have shown that electronic music can be more than just a hook and a song built around it, it can have meaning and resonance. This is also shown on Too Much Love which talks about how you can love something one day and hate it the next, and On Repeat which suggests that music made now is just a copy or variation of what has gone before, which, as this album shows, is not necessarily a bad thing.

The album also contains some simply brilliant tracks. Never as Tired as When I’m Waking Up is a perfect homage to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and the excellent Tribulations is one to satiate the danceheads, although they may struggle to find much else on this album. However I, as the band did, saved the best until last. Great Release, the final track on the album, blows the eight tracks gone before completely out of the water. After two minutes of a quiet drum beat and simple chord progression, the track evolves into a perfect ambient pop song with Murphy’s distant, echoey vocals gradually faded out.

Despite some weaker tracks such as Thrills and Disco Infiltrator the worst that can be said about the album is that not all of it lives up to the promise of the band’s earlier singles. The band combines an unusual array of musical styles and instruments ( a favourite being a cowbell which finds its way onto most tracks) to produce an electro album which future musicians, let alone electronic artists, should all gain inspiration from. It seems that LCD Soundsystem are the thinking music fan’s electro band, with the meaning behind some songs more prominent than the music itself, and in a time where the meaning behind a lot of music is money, this is something to be treasured.

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MY top 10 radiohead tracks

This was not an easy list to make and i based my choices on three factors:
1. Enjoyment
2. Power of Meaning
3. Composition

I don't care if you disagree...

10. Bodysnatchers

Controversial start? An obscure song off an average album? Wrong. A song that highlights Radiohead's ever changing styles from an album that does the same along with a catchy riff and some beautiful harmonies (see 2.12).



9. Bullet Proof...I Wish I was

Again another choice which some may find strange, but after listening to all of the Radiohead's back catalogue, this track sticks out, for this listener, as one of the most beautiful, mesmeric things the band has ever done.



8. Karma Police

Recognise this one? A classic from a classic album. The change of key on 'For a minute then' is truly astounding.



7. The Bends

Another more well known song about the band coming up for air after the never-ending touring and interviews after the success of Creep. Amazing guitar work from all three guitarists, Jonny in particular, something which this live performance really shows off, and also one of the most beautiful endings to any song i've ever heard (maybe better to check out the album version for that).



6. Fake Plastic Trees

Thom Yorke said he broke down in tears after recording this track, and after listening to this live version thats pretty much where I end up every time. Greenwood's guitar at 2.45 is breath-taking, 'it wears me out refrain' is haunting and the whole song is awe - inspiring.



5. Blow Out

A golden oldie. The mesh of noise at the end foreshadowed what an amazing band Radiohead would turn out to be and their experimental nature, and showed their willingness to try things that no-one else was doing. The dreamy pop at the beginning isn't bad either.



4. Planet Telex

From the first atmospheric seconds of the band's second album, you knew they had a made an amazing record and had done so in no way any other band could have done. Like Blow Out, a marker of what was to come.



3. Everything In Its Right Place

After producing two of the greatest guitar albums ever made, the next song they commit to CD is an electronic classic. They completely changed their style and still made something heaps better than anyone else.



2. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Simply the band's most powerful song. Haunting. Scary. Beautiful.



1. Paranoid Android

After sitting here for ten minutes this is all i can come up with to describe paranoid android: unique, unrelenting and one of the most musically complex songs ever written.




There you go, hope you enjoyed :)

As for albums, im not going to try and justify this choice:

1.The Bends 2. OK Computer



3. Kid A 4. In Rainbows
5. Amnesiac

6. Hail To The Thief








7. Pablo Honey

IN RAINBOWS - RADIOHEAD

In Rainbows, the seventh album by Radiohead, is remarkable for many reasons, not least its unique distribution. On the 10th of October 2007 the album was independently released by the band as a digital download, the first of its kind, whereby customers could purchase the album for whatever price they saw fit.

While the marketing of the album was a step in a new direction for the band, the music is less so, however this is by no means a bad thing. Once again the band’s music presents a wide variety of styles and instruments; ranging from electronic beats and string arrangements to celestes and Jonny Greenwood’s beloved ondes martenot, and the songs present to the listener almost an amalgamation of what makes the band so special.

15 Step, the album’s opener, starts with Kid A-esque drum beats and handclaps before a jazzy, fluid guitar melody floats on top of it. This combination of driving drums and complex acoustic guitar is something of a motif within the album, also present on the impressive, atmospheric Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, as well as Jigsaw Falling into Place which with its brisk guitar and rapid piano, combined with Thom Yorke’s soaring falsetto leaves the listener breathless at close.

As with most Radiohead albums there is again evidence of the bands rock roots and this comes with the second track on the album, Bodysnatchers, which starts with an unclear, sludgy guitar riff similar to OK Computer’s Electioneering, until the songs breaks into an acoustic number with twangs of guitar and electronic drum beats over it.

What follows Bodysnatchers is something that die-hard fans will have been waiting for since the time it was recorded in 1997 during OK Computer. Nude had been a favourite request at live shows and it is presented beautifully on In Rainbows. The song starts with atmospheric electro sounds before soft drums and a simple bass line rhythm begins. Enchanting guitar melody and strings follow leading the song to a truly beautiful climax.

String arrangements are another facet of the band’s music which have become more and more prominent and are combined with acoustic guitar on Faust Arp, and simple guitar chords on the slow ballad House of Cards. They are also present on possibly the standout track of the album, and one of the bands most hypnotic and beautiful tracks to date, Reckoner.

In Rainbows, while it may not seem like the best thing the band has done, really epitomizes what makes them special. After seven albums the band can still make beautiful, original music and after listening to In Rainbows a few times it is clear that there is something special about every track, something worthwhile to write about a record, so much so that two of the best tracks on the album All I Need and Videotape did not get mentioned in this review. There is no way to really sum up Radiohead or the music they make, all that is clear is that they are unique in what they do in this time and all music lovers should pray that they continue to make music because we need them now, more than ever.

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Hail to the Thief - Radiohead

Over the course of their career Radiohead have constantly experimented with the type of music that they make, expanding the musical spectrum of what a rock band can explore, from the conventional anthemic rock of The Bends to the synthesised, electronic beats of Kid A. The band’s sixth studio album released almost three years after the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions seems to be the bridge between these two styles.



Listening to Hail to the Thief there is evidence of styles from every era of the band’s history. Backdrifts and The Gloaming both incorporate the digital tools and atmospheric sounds prominent on the previous two albums; however the song Myxomatosis with Jonny Greenwood’s fuzzy, stomping guitar riff shows a return to more conventional guitar work found on earlier albums. The ondes martenot also continues to make its way into the bands music, present on Where I End and You Begin and We suck Young Blood.

The band clearly have many facets to their music and their musical blend is shown off in two of the most impressive songs on the album; opener, 2 + 2 = 5 and There there. The former kick starts the album with some intricate Greenwood guitar work over a light drum beat before progressing to a loud rock climax, while the latter sees each band member working on their own harmonies and interacting with each others by way of synths, drums, guitars and Yorke’s falsetto.

This may all sound very exciting however it does mean the album lacks any clear focus and continuity. Radiohead used to vary their style from album to album, however here they do it from song to song, and subsequently the album suffers. Unlike previous albums, Hail to the Thief doesn’t demand to be listened to – there’s no masterpiece, no talking point and no ‘wow’ factor. Although all the songs are immaculately produced and full of intricacies in both rhythm and melody, making for enjoyable listening, there is very little reason to go back and listen to the album again and therefore can only really be recommended for die-hard fans. However there are some highlights provided by I Will, Yorke’s haunting response to air raids in The Gulf which killed Iraqi civilians, is truly powerful and the serene Sail to the Moon.

Hail to the Thief seems destined to be the halfway mark in Radiohead’s career. The combination of the band’s styles found on the album while not providing as many moments of brilliance as in the past, nevertheless promises that they will continue to push the limits and experiment and make beautiful music, with an amazing album closer, in true Radiohead style, A Wolf at the Door.


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Amnesiac - Radiohead

During the recording stage of Kid A, Radiohead produced well over 30 songs and rather than releasing a double album, which none of the band members were in favour of, they released their fifth studio album just sixth months after the release of their fourth.

Amnesiac is therefore very much a continuation of what the band did on Kid A; the album is for the most part dominated by electronically produced music and ambient sounds, as Kid A was. Jazz influences are also evident, most obviously in the album closer Life in a Glass House which Thom Yorke (on piano) recorded with British trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton, along with a clarinet and trombone, producing a funereal, New Orleans jazz-style number.

As with Kid A the band continued to experiment with the way they made their music and what they used to do so. Songs such as Packt like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box and Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors are made up of different electronic textures and sounds and Yorke’s lyrics are cryptic and mysterious. Challenging songs have become a facet of a Radiohead album and Amnesiac is no exception, however there are more radio friendly tracks.

I Might Be Wrong despite its electronic feel revolves around a jazzy guitar riff written by Jonny Greenwood and is one of, if not the most impressive tracks on the album. Knives Out is also a more guitar dominated track, sharing a similar chord progression to arguably the band’s most well-known song, Paranoid Android.

Despite these brief glimpses back to the band’s old style, there can be no doubt that both Amnesiac and Kid A are more about experimenting and trying new things. Songs such as Dollars & Cents, which are dominated by a string arrangement written by Greenwood and a simple bass melody and little else, would never have been found on their 90s LPs. The same can be said of the ominous, bluesy guitar instrumental Hunting Bears which follows. The epitome of Radiohead’s invention though, comes with the penultimate track Like Spinning Plates, a song which is built up over a reversed electronic version of an unreleased track, and also sees one of Yorke’s most hypnotic vocal performances.

Amnesiac is a hard album to sum up. While not as musically accomplished as Kid A, in each track there is something to treasure, whether it be the wailing ondes martenot on Pyramid Song or the Release Me refrain of the new version of the Kid A track, Morning Bell. It is clear that both albums were part of the same project and it seems that the material on Kid A is the best of what was produced from this period – the stuff they had to produce to follow up OK Computer, while the material on Amnesiac is rawer, more organic– the stuff that they simply, produced.

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KID A - RADIOHEAD

As a band Radiohead have always pushed the perceived alternative rock boundaries when making their music, whether it be the opening atmospheric sounds on Planet Telex or the changes in time signature and key throughout Paranoid Android, however after listening to their fourth studio album Kid A it is clear that this is what should be earmarked as their transitional album.

The album sees the band abandon their three guitar set-up in favour of keyboards, strings and brass and even an ondes martenot, and drums replaced by drum beats produced on digital tools like Cubase. The lyrical style has also changed with Yorke now adopting Tristan Tzara’s technique for writing Dada poetry where he cut up phrases and drew them from a hat; a technique most evident on the songs Idioteque and In Limbo.

Understandably the band’s influences for this album changed dramatically from their previous works, with the band exploring underground styles such as Krautrock in songs like Treefingers and Kid A. Despite the band’s increasingly wide spectra of styles, there are still some guitar dominated tracks such as How To Disappear Completely which focuses on the pressures of touring with the refrain I’m not here/ This isn’t happening and the most radio-friendly track on the album, Optimistic.

Kid A does take some getting used to. The band have left behind key elements which were so prominent in their other albums and I don’t believe there are many bands who could make a record worth any comment after doing that, however Radiohead have managed to succeed spectacularly. Everything In Its Right Place, the opening track on the album, with its ascending chord sequence alongside a steady, synthetic bass drum, is one of the band’s most astounding songs to date and immediately shows the band’s seamless shift from guitars to synths. Other highlights include The National Anthem with its addictive, repetitive bass line written by Yorke when he was sixteen and the all-too-short climax of Morning Bell.

Kid A shows Radiohead at the peak of their powers. No matter what style they choose it seems they are always able to produce special music. They defy genre, a fact which other bands need to realise isn’t a bad thing, and Kid A is the last of a trio of albums which should rightfully cement Radiohead as one of the most influential and important bands of all time.

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After finishing the album the band drew up a unique marketing campaign. The album was advertised primarily over the internet with short films called 'blips' being put to the bands music and distributed freely online. Most of the 'blips' were animated inspired by Stanley Donwood's album artwork portraying nature reclaiming civilization from uncontrollable biotechnology and consumerism. A video for the amazing Motion Picture Soundtrack was released composed entirely of 'blips' and can be viewed below...

OK COMPUTER - RADIOHEAD

OK Computer is the third studio album from British band Radiohead and, while the majority of the music is still guitar dominated, it marks a progression to a more expansive sound drawing on a wider range of influences than their previous albums, setting it apart from the majority of Britpop and alternative rock sounds at the time.

The album not only indicates a progression of the band’s musical style, but lyrically as well. When writing the first two albums it seems the band were content on using introspective soul-searching as their main reference point, however on OK Computer the cryptic lyrics address much bigger, salient issues about life in the 1990s. Let Down with its soothing, arpeggiated guitar melody deals with transport and being in transit, but not in control, passing the world by ‘crushed like a bug in the ground’, with the electric piano at the end highlighting the band’s desire to experiment with other instruments, and succeeding. Subterranean Homesick Alien, which also makes use of the electric piano, tells the story of an isolated narrator who longs to be abducted by extraterrestrials to see ‘the world as I’d love to see it’ , showing the band identifying with the social disconnection of the common majority in the 1990s and the malaise they felt.

OK Computer is an ambitious album which sees the band tackle big ideas with a style that was very different from the majority of music being produced at the time and, while the first half of the album is a masterpiece of song-writing and composition, after Thom Yorke’s computerised voice stating what he saw as slogans of the 90s in Fitter Happier, the album does take a dip. Although, in typical Radiohead style all of the songs are well-formed and well-written, they just don’t live up to the first half of the album or indeed the band’s previous album The Bends. Electioneering, despite its catchy riff, would not be out of place on the band’s distinctly average debut Pablo Honey, and songs like No Surprises just seem too light and simple after listening to the astounding first half.

Despite some weak points there is no doubt in my mind that Radiohead’s third album while it maybe not their best, is definitely their most important. The band refused to retread successful formulas which the majority of bands in Britain were doing at the time. After showing signs of it on The Bends in the songs like Planet Telex, on OK Computer the band took up ground that no-one was claiming and made a record that was completely new and different to what was being made by their contemporaries. Their daring to try something new and their skill at their craft is most evident in their longest, most ambitious and impressive song to date in Paranoid Android, a song written in four parts, each part written by a different member of the band containing changes in key and tempo and time.

OK Computer, although it may not be best album ever recorded, must surely rank high as one of the most important recordings of all time. It showed bands it was OK to try new things with their music and go against what they are programmed to do to please their labels and you can bet that without this album the music industry would be a much duller place.

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