Turn On, Tune in, Download!

So, did you all go online for your Radiohead album yesterday? Many within the music industry now believe that this ‘honour system’ approach of offering the public the opportunity to download an album for whatever price they feel like is the future. It could well be, but it’s worth stressing that such a thing has been going on prior to Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ album. Juliana Hatfield, for one, took a similar approach last year. But Radiohead are certainly the first global band to adopt the approach. Of course, it’s hardly a risk after millions of records already sold. Such a system would not serve a new up and coming act well.

So, enough of the exterior nonsense! Is the album actually any good? In my opinion – yes and it improves with each listen.

Lets just say something here and now. Radiohead already did ‘The Bends’. Radiohead already did ‘OK Computer’. These records are perfect. Why would they want to make them again? It just gets to the point when things become formulaic. A band or artist worth a damn should always be in the process of ‘becoming’, of ‘creating’, not recreating. Radiohead are not Def Leppard. I’ve always applauded the band’s desire to strive for something new, even if it meant falling on their arses. What better way to do it than publicly! I loved ‘Kid A’, hated ‘Amnesiac’ and liked ‘Hail To The Thief’. I’ve lived with ‘In Rainbows’ since yesterday and it just gets better.

Along with Aphex Twin, it’s obvious that Thom and the boys are fans of Boards of Canada and Broken Social Scene – ‘All You Need’ and ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ reflects that respectively. Drummer Phil Selway is in fine form once again throughout, coming up with jaunty up-tempo rhythms and beats, particularly on ‘Reckoner’ and ‘Arpeggi’. ‘House of Cards’ is classic Radiohead, and could be up there as one of their finest tracks. Yorke’s soulful vocal delivery is given a chance to breathe in a manner that being just one part of a mass experiment has, in the past, limited. This too can be said for the track ‘Nude’ – just beautiful. A lot of these tracks have been played live over the past year or so. I, for one, cannot wait to hear them seer into the night air at the live venue sometime soon.

So forget about the talk of downloads etc. Do what you must to get the album, but do get it. It’s worth the complete lack of hassle!!