RadioBallet Listens Through Discographies [DISCONTINUED]

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RadioBallet



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Age: 25
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  • #1
  • Posted: 08/10/2019 00:49
  • Post subject: RadioBallet Listens Through Discographies [DISCONTINUED]
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Having spent two years on a sort of break from my favorite hobby I’m glad to be back. I thought perhaps the best way, or at least the most engaging way for me to return to musical exploration is to go through the discographies of some of my favorite artists. I listened through The Beatles this week and I decided I’ll be more or less going down the top ranked artists list to become acquainted with the many ‘classics’ I have not listened to. I will also be adding some personal favorites and foreign artists here and there so I don't get boring talking about well-known music. I hope this will be a dependable hobby for many years, or at least until the necessities of life take over the time required to do this well. It’s about quality > quantity for me, so despite me not updating every other day or so my wish is that you enjoy reading through these posts. Lastly as a side note, I obsessively use number ratings but I'd like it to be clear that the numbers don't say much about the quality of the album rather than how much I enjoy listening to it, for comparing musical appeal and performance between various genres through numbers is not a very reasonable idea. It’s great to be back doing what I love!

Last edited by RadioBallet on 09/14/2019 22:32; edited 1 time in total
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RadioBallet



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  • #2
  • Posted: 08/10/2019 01:41
  • Post subject: The Beatles part 1
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The Beatles

I will begin by sharing some of the context with which I listen to The Beatles. I was born in Colombia and moved to Canada in 2007 when I was 8 years old. In 2006 I was given an assignment by my English teacher in which I had to present a powerpoint on the history of The Beatles (yes, quite peculiar, she must have been a big fan). In those days I was quite the little overachiever and I researched restlessly and made the powerpoint with the help of my parents, Hey Jude playing in the background throughout its duration. It all stuck with me and I hero-worshiped the band for many years after that. I still have a Beatles Trivia board game stashed in the basement somewhere. This love for The Beatles grew into a passion for classic rock (embarrassingly, I must admit I did go through a cringe-worthy ‘all modern music is trash’ phase when I was 13 or so). As I grew out of that and began to explore the underground, I found this website and music became a part of my life. As I learned and learned, I began to see that my heroes’ music was not perfect. I began to see how different their early work was from their later work. I was finally able to separate my infatuations from my critical opinions of the band. Listening to their work once more after these two years was a different experience than I have ever had doing so, and I’m glad to share some of my thoughts concerning their music with you. I will first post my opinions on their pre-Rubber Soul releases.


Please Please Me (March 1963)


Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin

Please Please Me has an intriguing piece of context in its favor, and that is that it was recorded in one day, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. Needing 10 songs to accompany their hit singles, The Beatles practically recorded their stage act, regularly performed at the famous Cavern Club. Adding to the mix is the fact that Twist and Shout was recorded in a single take to end the session, John being afflicted with a heavy cold. You can actually hear Paul shout at the end of the song in surprise of the feat.

Context aside, the album is a decent collection of rock and roll tunes. I'm not going to say it's exactly average, as a couple of things set it apart. First example, 8 of the 14 tracks are Lennon-McCartney originals which displays a desire for self-sufficiency in the band when compared to others at the time, particularly in a debut attempt. In fact, I enjoy the originals on this album more than the covers. Songs like Do You Want to Know a Secret, I Saw Her Standing There and the title track display potential and creativity in songwriting, while covers like Chains are a little awkward.

This album is not foreshadowing some great masterpieces to come or predict in any way where the band would be in 5 years or so. As much as I'd like to, I don't really feel as though this is the start of something special. They're a boy band, a tight and unified one at that, with some potential showing through and not much else.

Rating: 62/100


With the Beatles (November 1963)


Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin

I find that this album is nearly identical to its predecessor with only a couple of differences to set them apart. First, the highs are higher and the lows are lower. Take for instance, the opener, with the group's most enticing harmonies (that call-and-response is irresistible!) and tightest playing to date. Ringo's dynamics and volume control on the track display his superiority among his contemporaries as a drummer, at least in the early days. Now, take Little Child or Roll Over Beethoven. The lesser tracks on Please Please Me didn't feel as much like filler as they do on its follow-up. Creativity in songwriting is a little better than on their debut as well. The only reason I rate this album higher than its predecessor is because I think it is a better overall performance technically and it packs enough of a punch to get through the filler without too much drag, even if it makes only a minuscule difference in the overall experience.

Rating: 63/100


A Hard Day's Night (July 1964)


Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin

This release marks an important point in the progress of the band as it is the first that contains no covers. It also sees the group leave the merseybeat sound and fully embrace pop, a move that would lead ‘Beatlemania’ to its peak. It also seems the group has more colors available to them in their pallet with better recording conditions.

I think a big leap forward was made by Lennon and McCartney on their songwriting abilities with this album. Obvious examples are the chord-stuffed ballad If I Fell along with And I Love Her, with I Should Have Known Better and the title track offering infectious hooks and playful melodies. There are also no songs on the album that I doubtlessly dislike, though most are less memorable than the few stand-outs. Despite that fact, these duller tracks don’t drag as much as the filler on their two previous efforts. It is certainly more cohesive than said albums.

Rating: 65/100


Beatles for Sale (December 1964)


Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin

Likely having the busiest schedule of any other band during 1964, The Beatles were hard-pressed for time while recording this record. In fact, Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting efforts were not fruitful enough to fill the whole album and thus they had to resort to some rock and roll covers. This is the album’s great weakness, as the overall sound of it should be more mature and a little moody in comparison to their previous work. As soon as said mood begins to set in, a rock and roll tune comes in to interrupt the band’s flow.

Despite this unfortunate crack in the wall, the original compositions on this album are more enjoyable, creative and lyrically intriguing than in the past. Take I’ll Follow the Sun, Every Little Thing and What You’re Doing. This is where I see the later Beatles begin to peek through. Must mention too that they were introduced to cannabis by our good friend Bob Dylan around this time (this begins a positive correlation with drug use and musical efficacy with this band). If it weren’t for the covers disrupting the clear direction of the album this wouldn’t have only been decent, it would have been good.

Rating: 68/100


Help! (August 1965)


Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin

The Beatles improve with fairly small steps over the span of their first 5 albums. Peak points of creativity for the band's early work are displayed here. Take Ticket to Ride. A sleepy rhythm section is accompanied by some heavy, heavy drumming. I think its success was quite important in shifting tastes on the billboards, as this was the hardest rock on the airwaves at the time. It is perhaps my favorite of the early Beatles songs. I’ve Just Seen a Face and the title track are also worthy mentions in livening up the track list (oh yeah, I always forget that Yesterday is here too). The only problem I have with this is the filler. Don’t get me wrong, I think all the original compositions on this album were true attempts at good songs but I find they drag at points. This I can bear, sure, but the closing track, at least within the context of the thirteen songs before it, that I cannot. The rock and roll covers just had to get their toe in the door. Nevertheless, this is the most enjoyable of the early Beatles' albums for me.

Rating: 69/100


Last edited by RadioBallet on 08/12/2019 14:11; edited 2 times in total
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #3
  • Posted: 08/12/2019 13:21
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 2)
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Rubber Soul (December 1965)

Label: Parlophone (UK) // Capitol (US)
Produced by George Martin


With the pressures of touring lifted for a period, The Beatles found themselves with much more time and freedom than usual to record their 6th album. The result was a move from a single-driven, live-performance oriented recording to the idea of an album as a consistent work of art on its own and the unexplored capacities of the studio, something quite innovative. Tracks like Norwegian Wood featuring George on the sitar, fuzz bass on Think for Yourself and a simulated harpsichord on In My Life put on display some of the fruits of the band’s search for new sounds to bring to their pop rock pallet. Details like these make Rubber Soul much more engaging and musically diverse than their previous efforts, many even deeming it a folk rock album rather than their traditional pop.

Perhaps the greatest advance The Beatles made with Rubber Soul was the maturity of their songwriting. This album contains the first departures from romantic themes and into the introspective. This could also be accountable for the album's folk rock aesthetic. In My Life and Nowhere Man sees John sharing thoughts on his youth and even existential dilemmas he came across thanks to drug use. Girl even contains comments on religion, as another example.

Rubber Soul is far ahead of anything the group had done prior. It went on to influence other artists into shifting their musical efforts in a similar way that they had. Thus I draw the line here dividing the early Beatles from the later. As for my opinion, I think we turn a blind eye to What Goes On or Run for Your Life. They’re not bad songs but they’re not of the same caliber as the others on the album, nor do they fit very smoothly into the listing. Nevertheless, and despite its important place in the Beatles’ discography, Rubber Soul is but a scratch of the surface when it comes to the ability of The Beatles to make lasting music. It's not quite a masterpiece, but it is a great record.

Rating: 84/100


Last edited by RadioBallet on 08/13/2019 14:04; edited 1 time in total
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #4
  • Posted: 08/13/2019 14:04
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 3)
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Revolver (August 1966)

Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin


Once again allowing themselves time for a quality recording period and putting aside the matter of performing their new material live, The Beatles set out to further the advances made in Rubber Soul. The result was innovation on many fronts with Revolver. This album was key in the shifting of pop culture and mainstream musical endeavors towards psychedelia, as well as in developing many modern and then-groundbreaking recording techniques.

I always enjoy how varied the listening experience is on Revolver. Love You To, Tomorrow Never Knows and the solo on Taxman smelt rock and raga together for a jagged, disorienting experience. I’m a sucker for the hot, acid-tinged guitars on many tracks, particularly She Said She Said, And Your Bird Can Sing and Doctor Robert. There are plenty of tricks and details to entertain along the way: a backwards solo on I’m Only Sleeping, a string octet on Eleanor Rigby, fun sound effects on Yellow Submarine and McCartney’s laughter twisted into seagulls on the closing track (which, by the way, is one of my favorite Beatles tracks). Needless to mention are sweet ballads like For No One and Here, There and Everywhere. Musically and technically there is far too much to discuss; it suffices to say that rock music was never the same after Revolver. Now, all this diversity does make the album very entertaining but I wish it were just a little more cohesive (I'll dive into this a little further in the next paragraph). Lyrically the album dives far deeper than its predecessor into drug-induced experiences, existence, the ugly part of love and even intended nonsense.

Though I do consider Revolver a masterpiece, I have a slight issue with it that keeps it from perfection, to my ears at least. I find that it lacks a clear direction. Now, an album being explorative or adventurous is one thing, but aimlessness is another (and I believe this album is both at the same time). I realize that it is hard for a band in which members write many of their songs individually to make a lyrically cohesive album (which The Beatles never really achieved), but this is not needed to create a ‘world’ of sorts in the listener’s mind (many jazz records tell stories and they don’t need lyrics to do it right?). Perhaps it’s a little much to ask of proto-conceptualism in the 60’s, or maybe I’m stepping above my place to do so, especially when an album is as loved as this one, but I know what I like in an album and can’t help but see a small loss with Revolver failing to paint a clear picture or plant an idea in my mind. I’m sure it’s just me and a question of personal preference, but for this reason I don’t see this as a perfect album, just near it.

Rating: 90/100
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #5
  • Posted: 08/14/2019 09:38
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 4)
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (May 1967)

Label: Parlophone
Produced by George Martin


In the Revolver post I mentioned this fancy ‘proto-conceptualism’ word. If there is a definition to this, Sgt. Pepper is most surely it. A concept album being an album whose songs are held together by an idea or theme, this album may well be one of the earliest examples of this in popular music. Greatly aided by LSD (heavily employed by the band at this point), Paul suggested the idea of a fake-band identity, a band-within-a-band if you will, which would free them to experiment as they like on the follow-up to Revolver. Not only did the band allow themselves free creative reign, but any limitations in the recording studio had as much as vanished with the massive budget now available and lack of a deadline for the album.

I’m just going to say it, I don’t buy the ‘concept’ of the album all that much. Yes, the opener and the reprise set a stage but that is all there is to the idea of the album. It’s not really setting the tracklist on a direction and it really feels as aimless as its predecessor did, though I must admit, I find this even more intriguing and entertaining than its predecessor as a collection of songs. I feel it’s more cohesive in its styles and soundscapes. All the songs on Sgt. Pepper are memorable and enticing in their own right. Perhaps a few tracks on side 2 are weaker though the album is entertaining throughout the whole of its duration. A Day in the Life is an excellent closer. As for influence and importance this album is key, but it’s far from my all-time favorites for similar reasons that Revolver was.

Rating: 92/100
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #6
  • Posted: 08/14/2019 11:13
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 5)
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Magical Mystery Tour (November 1967)

Label: Capitol (US)
Produced by George Martin


I’ve always counted this one as an album despite it only being released in the United States (In England it was a double EP featuring songs from the Magical Mystery Tour film soundtrack). In fact the track listing for the LP was really more of the label’s choice than the band itself. The group was even slightly upset at the inclusion of some of their non-album singles from earlier in the year. Nonetheless we are provided with something worth talking about.

Thanks to the whole process by which it came to be this wasn’t as meticulously thought out as Sgt. Pepper and really does come out to be a simple collection of songs without trying to amount to anything above that. With this view in mind the album does a good job at being just that. The run of songs starting with I Am the Walrus and ending with Penny Lane is where the gold is. Aside from these obvious picks the other songs are also very good. Even the instrumental Flying stands out to me. This album is not trying to be anything special, in the end it wasn’t really even in the band’s hands all that much. Nevertheless we get a wonderful showing of The Beatles’ artistry.

Rating: 85/100
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #7
  • Posted: 08/15/2019 14:50
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 6)
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The Beatles (November 1968)

Label: Apple
Produced by George Martin


Having reached the top of the musical ladder in 1967, The Beatles went on a spiritual retreat to India in early 1968 to escape from, well, everything I guess. During their month-long stay in Rishikesh, the band wrote 40 songs collectively, making up the greater part of their self-titled album to be released later that year. Recording for the album began in August. During the recording period 3 key integrants of the team abruptly left, including their producer for a time and even Ringo himself for a short stretch. Back in the USSR doesn’t even feature him on the drums, rather the other three band members taking over to fill in the gap. Only half of the 30 songs on the album see all four members playing together. Ugly descriptions of fights, tension and enmity between the band members plague the sessions. Often times band members would spend all their time on separate studios in Abbey Road, each recording their own songs or their part for another’s to be later stitched on. Differences in creative direction fueled the contention between the band, but the introduction of Yoko Ono as a constant presence in the studio likely sparked the feuds.

Many times an album can convey a message the artist wants us to hear, but rarely can it capture a moment in the artist’s career as well as this one does. This album is a mess. It’s littered with short, strange cuts, senseless or silly songs, as well as absolute masterpieces. Songs featuring only one member, a couple of them, all four, you name it. Folk, rock, a lullaby, extremely happy songs, very sad songs, country, an 8-minute long avant-garde piece… It’s chaos. In earlier posts I had commented negatively on the lack of cohesion or theme in some of the band’s most acclaimed projects, and though this one seems to be the clearest example of this, it’s in the strange position where its context makes this work towards the album. Frankly, I don’t think they meant it to be that way, but I see this as a priceless snapshot of (arguably) the world’s most influential band of all time, in crisis. In its mad discordance it tells a story of its own, a distinct quality that none of their other albums was able to achieve.

Not all the album’s merit comes from its context and offered insight, of course. The White Album as it is commonly known keeps me engaged throughout its long run-time without fail. I have to constantly be flicking the listening switch in my head to the style of each track. You get swung from Glass Onion to Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, from I’m So Tired to Blackbird to Piggies, from Helter Skelter to Long, Long Long. Not to mention the closing bit with Revolution 9 and Good Night, a ludicrous combo.

Can we talk about that for a second? Revolution 9? I do enjoy it when kept to its own sphere as an avant-garde experimental sound-collage whatever-you-like-to-call-it piece but it’s ridiculously out of place. Easily could scare off listeners (Honestly I think the album wouldn’t be as good without it). I really like the first half of the track but once that piano motif ceases to replay the grounding is lost and so is its sense of direction, not necessarily a fatal blow though. With the more traditional tracks we have Happiness is a Warm Gun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I’m So Tired and Helter Skelter which I can’t praise enough.

I love this album. It’s not only a collection of songs, but a first-hand look at an important part of music history. My sure pick for favorite Beatles record and among my favorites of all time without a doubt.

Rating: 100/100


Last edited by RadioBallet on 08/21/2019 18:38; edited 1 time in total
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RadioBallet



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Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #8
  • Posted: 08/17/2019 15:10
  • Post subject: The Beatles (part 7)
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Let It Be (Recorded: February 1968 // Released: May 1970)

Label: Apple
Producer: Phil Spector


I know this might not be the most popular move but I’m going to cover Let It Be before Abbey Road. I like to pretend that this album either doesn’t exist or was released when it should have been, as the way things turned out puts a sour end to a great band. For those who don’t really know what I’m talking about you will see with the dates I’ve mentioned above that this album was actually recorded and completed before the Abbey Road sessions even began. In fact it was twice postponed from release before said time. I place it as their penultimate album because I find it the more chronologically accurate way to tell the story of the band.

After the bitter recording sessions of The Beatles, Paul believed the band needed to return to their traditional live recording style, playing together seen as a cure for the contention in the band, as opposed to the isolating nature of working with overdubs. The original idea behind this album was called Get Back, an album recorded live with the minimum use of studio effects and overdubs. Not everyone was very pleased with this (George even left for a time and R&B pianist Billy Preston had to come into the sessions to help out). To make the story short the project wasn’t fully approved of by everyone and it was finally shelved despite being near release. By the time this happened The Beatles had already recorded Abbey Road. In March of 1970 producer Phil Spector was given the task by Allen Klein, business manager, to release the tapes from the Get Back sessions as Let It Be.

Spector edited, mixed and dubbed the tapes to his liking, adding string sections and choral samples to various songs. Some condemn this and some let it slide, McCartney even tried to stop him in his tracks. In the end we get a barely cohesive and aimless collection of well-written and potential-packed songs. I feel that most of the songs on the album are either undercooked or really overdone. Let It Be, Across the Universe and The Long and Winding Road I find were much better before Spector meddled with them, while For You Blue and The One After 909 are, well, not my favorites. Get Back is a really great track though. Not a big fan of the little interlude tracks Dig It (originally 5-minutes long) and Maggie Mae either. The album feels void to me despite there being many great songs on it, nevertheless it’s good, just not by the standard set by the band.

Rating: 74/100


Abbey Road (September 1969)

Label: Apple
Producer: George Martin


Oh, yes, a happy ending. After the Get Back sessions the band decided that they had had enough of the nightmarish recording periods of previous albums and all basically agreed to get their act together, allowing George Martin to direct the production and oversee discipline during the sessions. Despite some contention remaining the band was getting along better than they had in over a year. The main argument existing was from a creative standpoint, John wanting a traditional album with unrelated songs but Paul and Martin wanted a more thematic record. You can hear the compromise between both sides with the two halves of the album, the second being a medley of songs.

I can’t point out many things wrong with this album. Sure, the songs are somewhat unrelated and the project as a whole is directionless but the sound and style of it is more cohesive than it was on Revolver or Sgt. Pepper. Something and I Want You (She’s so Heavy) are very noteworthy songs and even the weaker tracks stand well on their own. The End is perhaps one of the most fitting closers to not only an album, but a career as a whole. Though it has its minor flaws, Abbey Road is a masterpiece nonetheless.

Rating: 94/100
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #9
  • Posted: 08/20/2019 14:46
  • Post subject: Radiohead
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Pablo Honey (February 1993)

Label: Parlophone (UK) // Capitol (US)
Produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Chris Hufford


The integrants of Radiohead meet in the mid-80's at an English school for boys, later developing into an university band. Chris Hufford, manager of compatriots Slowdive, saw the band live and was so impressed that he took them under his wing. They were signed shortly after by EMI on a sort of lucky break.

Some defend Pablo Honey, the band's debut, by closing off comparisons to the band's later work and taking it at face value. I have listened to this many times and in this way as well, only leading me to say that I do not see how one could defend this album. Sure, it's got a tough set of superior siblings to be compared against but the album itself has more flaws than strengths. Most of the songs are undercooked, a little forced and essentially products of musical trends in the 90’s, leading to an album that feels very outdated. The lyrics fail to express Thom Yorke’s angst very creatively and often ends up on the more corny or cliched side of things. However, there are small details worth noting amidst the mediocrity, including perhaps the Jim Morrisson shout-out on Anyone Can Play Guitar, the chorus on Ripcord, and the emotion of Thinking About You. Oh, and Creep. Love Creep.

Despite all these flaws one has to keep in mind that this is a debut album, in which there are actually a handful of hints of Radiohead’s potential. I don’t think it’s terrible either, just a little below average.

Rating: 46/100


The Bends (March 1995)

Label: Parlophone (UK) // Capitol (US)
Produced by John Leckie


If you take a look at the title track and My Iron Lung, Radiohead describes the context of their sophomore effort quite well. The band is under immense pressure due to their instant rise to fame, and are only kept above the waves by the success of Creep, the very thing that sets this pressure upon them as they attempt to make a superior follow-up.

Several leaps were made from Pablo Honey to The Bends. Most noticeable may be the move away from angst-driven lyrics into clever social commentary and cryptic writing. Also important was a good measure of maturity and the acquiring of a cohesive sound of their own.

With the exception of Bones I think all the tracks on this album are exceptional, with Street Spirit being a clear cut above the rest. Unfortunately I find that this album’s biggest downside is that it hasn’t aged too well. Despite the band finding their own sound it doesn’t transcend above its own decade in freshness. There are times when they go beyond this hurdle with Nice Dream, Planet Telex and the aforementioned closing track. The Bends is an enjoyable listen though I find it is starting to lose its replay value. As much as I hate using this word, I have to suggest it's somewhat overrated.

Rating: 83/100
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RadioBallet



Gender: Male
Age: 25
Location: Toronto
Canada

  • #10
  • Posted: 08/21/2019 12:42
  • Post subject: Radiohead
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OK Computer (June 1997)

Label: Parlophone (UK) // Capitol (US)
Produced by Nigel Godrich


Radiohead opt for isolation and freedom in a distant rural mansion to record their follow-up to The Bends. I don't want to meander too long with OK Computer as most are quite familiar with it. I do want to mention that I have always had a hard time making up my mind on this album. I tend to do well to separate my opinions from that of those around me but it is admittedly more difficult to do so with this release.

I'll list off some of the things I really like about this album. First, I find that this is where Radiohead really develops its signature sound, building on the foundation that its previous release had set. One crucial aspect of the band is Yorke's lyricism. Cryptic and ambiguous, this album could really mean as much as you want it to. You can find something new lyrically every time you hear it. The lyrics seem to be built up of social commentary done through monotonous imagery of everyday life, mingled with losing one's mind in the depressing routine of it all. The same goes for the music, heavily layered and intricately written. I have a different experience with OK Computer on every listen and it bothers me to a degree that with each listen different tracks stand out to me. This in itself is a good sign, as it shows that all the songs on the album are very competent. As for influence and legacy this album sits high up on its pedestal for good reason.

Here is the thing, and I don't even know why as all the ingredients are there for this to not be the case, I just get.... bored, relatively and for a lack of words, with OK Computer. Don't kill me yet, I promise I've tried. There's a certain thrill I get when I know an album resonates with me, and I just don't feel it with this one. I was able to explain, as you have seen earlier, what I specifically dislike about the more beloved Beatles albums just fine, but it's not the same with this one. I tried to figure it out today once more, and once again I wasn't able to put it into words. I won't give it a perfect score just because it seems flawless, I'm simply a listener and not much of a critic, so I have to feel scores out more than I think them through. Perhaps one day it'll click, but for me, right now, and despite that all is on its favor, this falls short of the perfection everyone else seems to see. Anything I dislike about this is only a chip on the shoulders of a giant nonetheless, and it deserves a very high score regardless.

Rating: 94/100
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