Box set came today. I am in just in awe of the entire layout. You can tell how much work and care went into the presentation. Can't wait to spin the records. How is everyone storing their box set on the shelf?
Can't stop spinning Hail To The Thief lately. Even though Kid A and In Rainbows hit me harder at first I'm slowly starting to realize HTTT is my favorite one to revisit. Doesnt quite have the same perfect flow/thematic appeal of those two albums but I think it has a larger amount of songs that are top notch by themselves. "2+2=5", "Sail to The Moon", "There There", "Go To Sleep", "Wolf At The Door", and "Where I End And You Begin", all those songs are fuckin perfect.
Of the six albums I've spent at least a fair amount of time with, Hail To The Thief has been my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly good and I think there are a handful of great tracks on there, but I think most of the songs are just good and not great and it drags at times for me too.
HTTT shows you every "side" of Radiohead. The diversity from track to track is a big reason it's one of my favorite albums.
Kid A is their masterpiece imo, and OK C is def a good starting point. Though I started with TKOL by mistake. I just always heard great things about them, and liked Creep. So I started with their newest release(it was 2011). Loved it, and then went back to The Bends to start my proper trajectory through their discog
Yea HTTF is my personal favorite just because of how diverse it is. And I love 2+2 Started listening to their earls court show from 2002 where they played a lot of this album and it's so freaking good. Sit down Stand up live sounds amazing. I would def love to hear that live
I like the informal Exile on Main St.-ness of Thief. It just sounds like one big jam session. And the songs are mostly top notch too, so that helps.
Thom is traditionally not a great lyricist, but "There's always a Siren singing you to shipwreck" is a really great line. Thief in general is a step up from his usual output lyrically, which is another plus.
the double entendre. If you see the word "Siren" as in the mythical aquatic creature, that context uses the word "shipwreck" literally. But then if you interpret it as like an ambulance siren, the "shipwreck" is metaphorical for anything hazardous. AGREE. "sit down. stand up. sit down. stand up. sit down. stand up. walk into the Jaws of hell. we can wipe you out anytime." Shit is so powerful, doesn't need to be complicated to have a strong message. Really well done, concise lyrics on the whole album.
I only highly regard the lyrical output on HTTT and a few OKC songs ("Subterranean Homesick Alien" in particular). The rest is an abstract mumble haha.
He's definitely not a bad writer, it's just rare that his lyrics stick out for me aside from a clever one-liner here and there. I feel like the social commentary from OK is a little more refined on Thief, and there's some cutting personal stuff on there too.
My box set is arriving next Monday but, my birthday is in a fortnight so I can't open it straight away! Birthdays & big social events spike anxiety more than ever though, so knowing I'll have this as a gift is keeping me going
it's just 4/4 with kick on the downbeat they have a discog full of complicated stuff Pyramid Song is in 12/8 time etc
That video overcomplicates it. Trying to make the piano seem like it's on 16th note syncopation, which is more awkward sounding/swing-rhythm, and closer to one beat than the other... when it's really 8th note syncopation, which is exactly/symmetrically in between two beats and heard very often in music. This is another example of a song where the kick drum is on beat but the piano is syncopated in between:
And also "Pyramid song" is actually in 8/8, but counted asymmetrically. The count for each phrase goes: 1-2-3 / 1-2 / 1-2-3 1-2-3 / 1-2 / 1-2-3 It took me awhile to figure that out, but what makes it confusing is, the first two piano chords you hear are not one beat long. They are a dotted quarter notes, so a beat and a half long. The first 1-2-3 is the first two chords, and then the 1-2 is the next chord which is a half note (or two beats long, hence why the third chord is awkwardly longer)... and then the next chords go back on the 1-2-3. Once the main drumbeat comes in during the second verse, it all makes more sense and counting it like this works perfectly.