Since everyone else is doing it, I've been considering my favourite records of the 2000s. Over the coming weeks I will be writing about each one before coming up with a final list, so here in no particular order, are my favourite ten records of the 2000s....and believe me, even getting to this stage wasn't easy and I should say that Songs:Ohia's 'Magnolia Electric Co', Arcade Fire's 'Funeral' and Tindersticks' 'Waiting For The Moon' were about as close as it is possible to get to making the final ten. I may even expand the list to 20 at some point.
American Music Club' Love Songs For Patriots'
The Innocence Mission 'Befriended'
The Innocence Mission 'We Walked In Song'
Joanna Newson 'Ys
Low 'Trust'
Radiohead 'In Rainbows'
Sun Kil Moon 'Ghosts of the Great Highway'
Tindersticks 'Can Our Love'
Tindersticks 'The Hungry Saw'
Wilco 'A Ghost Is Born'
Showing posts with label radiohead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label radiohead. Show all posts
Friday, 20 November 2009
Monday, 31 August 2009
Radiohead...astonishing Reading performance online now
Radiohead continue to dazzle and amaze me.
An hour's worth of footage from their stunning set at Reading last night, featuring a terrific rendition of 'Paranoid Android, is available to view online now, here..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mgwv4/Reading_and_Leeds_Festival_2009_Radiohead/
An hour's worth of footage from their stunning set at Reading last night, featuring a terrific rendition of 'Paranoid Android, is available to view online now, here..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mgwv4/Reading_and_Leeds_Festival_2009_Radiohead/
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Radiohead 'Harry Patch...in memory of'
Can't believe there is anyone who doesn't already know this, since it has been reported everywhere from Pitchfork to Radio 4, but it is worth saying that Radiohead's tribute song to Harry Patch is worth £1 of anyone's money.
Despite being written, recorded and released in a very short space of time, it is on a completely different level from most music I have heard this year. Managing to sound haunting, sad (it almost reduced me to tears on first play), defiant and angry at the same time, it sounds orchestral and beautiful whilst describing the futility and tragedy of war.
Anyone who downloads this from somewhere non-official without paying for it, or even just listens to the stream should hang their head in shame. All proceeds go to the British Legion and as I said, this track is worth far more than £1.
Purchase from here:
http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/did.html
Despite being written, recorded and released in a very short space of time, it is on a completely different level from most music I have heard this year. Managing to sound haunting, sad (it almost reduced me to tears on first play), defiant and angry at the same time, it sounds orchestral and beautiful whilst describing the futility and tragedy of war.
Anyone who downloads this from somewhere non-official without paying for it, or even just listens to the stream should hang their head in shame. All proceeds go to the British Legion and as I said, this track is worth far more than £1.
Purchase from here:
http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/did.html
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Radiohead 'Last Flowers'
Despite having 'In Rainbows' as one of the top 3 albums of the year in 2007, I never managed to (afford to) get one of the limited edition discboxes which featured a second cd of songs that didn't make the cut for the main album. Helpfully, if rather late, the band have now made disc 2 of 'In Rainbows' available to purchase in digital format from their website for a very reasonable £6.
It all sounds good, but in the main I am reminded of my thoughts when I heard the 'OK Computer' out-takes...."Good, but you can see why they didn't make the album". Here there are a couple of exceptions..
Most notably, 'Last Flowers', which is a fragile, plaintive ballad and honestly, one of the best things they have ever recorded. It is often pointless trying to fathom meanings behind Thom Yorke's lyrics, but often his unsettling words remind me of how I feel when I travel home from work after a really bad day. The sense of tension, anger and frustration, offset by a feeling of coming home and just the hint of warmth, of the sun coming out from behind a cloud.
Its all here in this startling little song. "Appliances have gone beserk/ I cannot keep up", he sings, alluding once again to the click and buzz of the modern world not sitting right with him. Later on there is the 100% Yorke-esque phrase "snot nosed little punk" and an acknowledgement that "I can't face the evening straight". He's on his way home but it is "too much, too bright, too powerful".
He sings it beautifully of course, his voice cracking at times. Musically, it is piano and acoustic guitar with the sense that more is lurking in the background, building silently.
Its the sort of song that reminds me that I love music.
It all sounds good, but in the main I am reminded of my thoughts when I heard the 'OK Computer' out-takes...."Good, but you can see why they didn't make the album". Here there are a couple of exceptions..
Most notably, 'Last Flowers', which is a fragile, plaintive ballad and honestly, one of the best things they have ever recorded. It is often pointless trying to fathom meanings behind Thom Yorke's lyrics, but often his unsettling words remind me of how I feel when I travel home from work after a really bad day. The sense of tension, anger and frustration, offset by a feeling of coming home and just the hint of warmth, of the sun coming out from behind a cloud.
Its all here in this startling little song. "Appliances have gone beserk/ I cannot keep up", he sings, alluding once again to the click and buzz of the modern world not sitting right with him. Later on there is the 100% Yorke-esque phrase "snot nosed little punk" and an acknowledgement that "I can't face the evening straight". He's on his way home but it is "too much, too bright, too powerful".
He sings it beautifully of course, his voice cracking at times. Musically, it is piano and acoustic guitar with the sense that more is lurking in the background, building silently.
Its the sort of song that reminds me that I love music.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
EMI/ Radiohead yet again...
Radiohead 'OK Computer' and 'The Bends' 2cd reissues
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
EMI are at it again. Since they split with Radiohead, not only have the band made one of their greatest albums to date but their ex-label have shown themselves to be money-grabbing, corporate unpleasant-types by re-issuing and re-packaging like mad. A box set, a 'best of', a memory stick thing....and now the first three Radiohead albums are being re-released as 2cd/dvd packages with extra tracks etc. Please don't buy these! The input from the band is non-existent, these are not lovingly created re-issues with sleeve notes and thought behind them, like say the tindersticks reissues. These are 'how can we milk a bit more money out of the band?' cobbled together things that YOU DO NOT NEED.
There are no new discoveries here, no outtakes from 'OK Computer' that we haven't heard before. Nothing. What you get are the b sides from both albums, which you will already have if you bought the singles or the 'Airbag' and 'My Iron Lung' EPs and a whole lot of sessions and live tracks none of which are essential. If you want to listen to the b sides (and the likes of 'Polyethylene' and 'A Reminder' would not have sounded out of place on 'OK Computer') you can listen to them all on Spotify. EMI is not a small record company trumpeting great new bands that need your money...if they find themselves in financial troubles it is largely because of them making stupid decisions in giving pots of money to artists the likes of whom I need not mention on here.
Listening to these albums again and actually thinking about them (sometimes music becomes so familiar that you listen on auto-pilot and don't notice things anymore) takes me back to knowing and loving them back in the 90s. 'The Bends' still sounds like just a great rock album and both an attack on and a reaction to all the Britpop rubbish that was going on at the time.."this is our new song/ just like the last one..a total waste of time". At the same time it is soaring, celebratory music, somehow feelgood, despite the lyrics, not difficult listening just a great album.
'OK Computer' though....I remember buying 'Paranoid Android' when it was released and being absolutely staggered by just how incredible it was. Then, and now, one of the greatest single pieces of music I have known. The 'rain down one me' section, the guitar break at the end that seems to clear your head and ears out for you...everything, just a song that perfectly reflected the time we were living in. The album can't all be as good as this, I thought. I remember that for some reason a Japanese import of 'OK Computer' turned up at my local record shop weeks ahead of its UK release. It was extortionately priced but I bought it anyway, and listened that evening. I knew straight away that I was hearing an album that would be with me for my whole life. Glorious music, perfectly sequenced, so much going on sonically, so twitchy, edgy and unsettling. 'Let Down' still sounds like one of the greatest builds into a chorus ever, 'Exit Music' is still the perfect 'us against the world' ballad and 'No Surprises' and 'Fitter, Happier' still make me cry.
Amazing records then, that we should be glad to own and proud to have been around when they were released. But we don't need to buy tacky record company re-issues, now do we?
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Radiohead 'The Best Of'
"What is the point of a Radiohead 'Best Of'?", you might ask. And you'd have a point. Surely everyone even vaguelly interested in music will own these songs and can make their own playlist or compilation tape if they so desire. Well, the point of this release, for EMI, is to make money. They missed out on releasing 'In Rainbows', one of the finest records of the past decade, and since then they have gone all 'car boot sale' with Radiohead's back catalogue, first releasing a pointless box-set of their first six albums and now releasing this 'Best Of' on no fewer than four formats.
Things to say about this?
Firstly, the title is plain wrong. Due to material from last year's 'In Rainbows' not featuring here this is not 'the best of' Radiohead, a more accurate title would be 'The Best of Radiohead before they released the best album of their career to date', but we think EMI probably dismissed that at quite an early stage. Anyone who is going to want to put together their own Radiohead compilation is surely going to want to include the likes of 'Nude', 'Reckoner' and 'Videotape'. Which puts them one up on EMI.
Secondly, the formats are boring. As Radiohead neither endorse or support this album, there are no sleevenotes from the band and no interesting 2cd gems, such as rare demos or out-takes. The only format worth having is the nice looking 4LP version. If EMI had any imagination or sense, they would have released a 2cd edition with the Glastonbury '97 set on the second cd. Now that would have been worth buying. Instead, they are lazy and impatient and have rushed this out hoping to attract a) Radiohead completists and b) People, and we assume these people are out there somewhere, who may have heard a few tracks by Radiohead, liked them, but not bothered to buy an album. Yup, those sort of people.
Thirdly, arguing about which tracks should be included on a pre-2007 Radiohead 'Best Of' is nit-picking surely? OK, let's nit-pick. The tracklist is actually pretty good, not chronological and it works well enough. But, no 'Let Down', no 'Talk Show Host', no 'Exit Music' and no 'Wolf At The Door'. Does 'Creep' really warrant inclusion ahead of any of those?
The music? Its great. Some of the best music made in the last twenty years. 'Paranoid Android' still sounds amazing, every time, 'Fake Plastic Trees' still soars and 'The Bends' is still thrilling. But, this compilation documents a fixed time period of a band who are still growing and making better music than ever. More than anything else, this compilation makes me want to play 'In Rainbows' yet again and get excited about where Radiohead will go next. Not sure that is the effect EMI were hoping for.
Music- 9.5, Concept- 0.0
'The Best Of' is out now, everywhere, on several bland formats. TracksandGigs suggests you make your own, using the tracks EMI weren't allowed to use.
Things to say about this?
Firstly, the title is plain wrong. Due to material from last year's 'In Rainbows' not featuring here this is not 'the best of' Radiohead, a more accurate title would be 'The Best of Radiohead before they released the best album of their career to date', but we think EMI probably dismissed that at quite an early stage. Anyone who is going to want to put together their own Radiohead compilation is surely going to want to include the likes of 'Nude', 'Reckoner' and 'Videotape'. Which puts them one up on EMI.
Secondly, the formats are boring. As Radiohead neither endorse or support this album, there are no sleevenotes from the band and no interesting 2cd gems, such as rare demos or out-takes. The only format worth having is the nice looking 4LP version. If EMI had any imagination or sense, they would have released a 2cd edition with the Glastonbury '97 set on the second cd. Now that would have been worth buying. Instead, they are lazy and impatient and have rushed this out hoping to attract a) Radiohead completists and b) People, and we assume these people are out there somewhere, who may have heard a few tracks by Radiohead, liked them, but not bothered to buy an album. Yup, those sort of people.
Thirdly, arguing about which tracks should be included on a pre-2007 Radiohead 'Best Of' is nit-picking surely? OK, let's nit-pick. The tracklist is actually pretty good, not chronological and it works well enough. But, no 'Let Down', no 'Talk Show Host', no 'Exit Music' and no 'Wolf At The Door'. Does 'Creep' really warrant inclusion ahead of any of those?
The music? Its great. Some of the best music made in the last twenty years. 'Paranoid Android' still sounds amazing, every time, 'Fake Plastic Trees' still soars and 'The Bends' is still thrilling. But, this compilation documents a fixed time period of a band who are still growing and making better music than ever. More than anything else, this compilation makes me want to play 'In Rainbows' yet again and get excited about where Radiohead will go next. Not sure that is the effect EMI were hoping for.
Music- 9.5, Concept- 0.0
'The Best Of' is out now, everywhere, on several bland formats. TracksandGigs suggests you make your own, using the tracks EMI weren't allowed to use.
Friday, 9 November 2007
the most gorgeous thing you will hear today
Radiohead did a 'webcast' last night. I'm not sure if 'did' is the correct verb, but if you can suggest a better one, please let me know.
Tracks and Gigs were either watching Heroes or asleep at the time, so did not catch it live. However, from the session a cover of Bjork's 'Unravel' has come to my attention and it is unspeakably beautiful. Just piano and Thom Yorke's voice, this is magical and very lovely. You can hear it here
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/46999-radiohead-entanglement-webcast-including-unravel-bjrk-cover
Tracks and Gigs were either watching Heroes or asleep at the time, so did not catch it live. However, from the session a cover of Bjork's 'Unravel' has come to my attention and it is unspeakably beautiful. Just piano and Thom Yorke's voice, this is magical and very lovely. You can hear it here
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/46999-radiohead-entanglement-webcast-including-unravel-bjrk-cover
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Radiohead 'In Rainbows'
Tracks and Gigs have been bothered by the postal strike. My copy of the new Beirut album has yet to arrive, despite being posted last Wednesday. Which makes it all the more pleasant that 'In Rainbows' arrived approximately 3 minutes after I ordered it.
I'm not fond of download releases. I like to buy a record or a cd and peruse the sleevenotes whilst listening to it for the first time on my stereo at home. Call me old-fashioned. So, I will buying 'In Rainbows' in a physical format in December and therefore paid 'very little' for this download.
I am also old-fashioned in that I was a huge Radiohead fan up to the point when 'Kid A' was released. Just couldn't get my head around it, where are the songs?? I liked 'Amnesiac' a bit more and 'Hail To The Thief' a bit more still but I basically never stopped hoping they would come back with a 'guitar album'.
I saw them live in 2003 at Earls Court, which is a horrible venue. I'm used to seeing gigs in small venues, not sitting in an aircraft hanger while requiring binoculars to even see the video screen of the band. Possibly the least intimate gig I have ever attended. I also found Radioheard to be awkward. Every time they played a 'Paranoid Android', a 'Let Down' or a 'Just' they would always follow it up with a 'Gloaming' or a 'Scatterbrain'. I can understand why they did it, it just annoyed me.
I have played 'In Rainbows' four or five times so far and it is my favourite Radiohead album since 'OK Computer'. Its not a return to guitar based music or an album of songs with choruses that you can sing along to, but something about it just sounds and feels like a step forward and a raising of the game. '15 Step' and 'Bodysnatchers' open the album in a surprisingly upbeat way, the latter even sounds positively punky. After that a more sedate pace takes hold, but the album is never less than enthralling.
'Nude' is a quite beautiful ballad, 'Weird Fishes' is fast and entertaining and at one point reminds me of 'Planet Telex', 'Faust Arp' is a poppy Beatles-ish number and 'Reckoner' is the best track here, a sublime, woozy thing of great beauty.
For an album released as a download which arrives as separate mp3s, this is a remarkably complete album. Its an album you'll want to play all the way through, because it creates a mood of its own. This sounded great on Friday evening, at the end of a very stressful week and on Sunday morning, in the middle of a relaxing weekend. Its just a great album to listen to.
8.8
I'm not fond of download releases. I like to buy a record or a cd and peruse the sleevenotes whilst listening to it for the first time on my stereo at home. Call me old-fashioned. So, I will buying 'In Rainbows' in a physical format in December and therefore paid 'very little' for this download.
I am also old-fashioned in that I was a huge Radiohead fan up to the point when 'Kid A' was released. Just couldn't get my head around it, where are the songs?? I liked 'Amnesiac' a bit more and 'Hail To The Thief' a bit more still but I basically never stopped hoping they would come back with a 'guitar album'.
I saw them live in 2003 at Earls Court, which is a horrible venue. I'm used to seeing gigs in small venues, not sitting in an aircraft hanger while requiring binoculars to even see the video screen of the band. Possibly the least intimate gig I have ever attended. I also found Radioheard to be awkward. Every time they played a 'Paranoid Android', a 'Let Down' or a 'Just' they would always follow it up with a 'Gloaming' or a 'Scatterbrain'. I can understand why they did it, it just annoyed me.
I have played 'In Rainbows' four or five times so far and it is my favourite Radiohead album since 'OK Computer'. Its not a return to guitar based music or an album of songs with choruses that you can sing along to, but something about it just sounds and feels like a step forward and a raising of the game. '15 Step' and 'Bodysnatchers' open the album in a surprisingly upbeat way, the latter even sounds positively punky. After that a more sedate pace takes hold, but the album is never less than enthralling.
'Nude' is a quite beautiful ballad, 'Weird Fishes' is fast and entertaining and at one point reminds me of 'Planet Telex', 'Faust Arp' is a poppy Beatles-ish number and 'Reckoner' is the best track here, a sublime, woozy thing of great beauty.
For an album released as a download which arrives as separate mp3s, this is a remarkably complete album. Its an album you'll want to play all the way through, because it creates a mood of its own. This sounded great on Friday evening, at the end of a very stressful week and on Sunday morning, in the middle of a relaxing weekend. Its just a great album to listen to.
8.8
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