Amnesiac: Radiohead (2001)
Reviewed by Michelle Blonde.
This album is a big deal for any Radiohead fan. It’s another step in the progression away from the sound we all know and love, and it’s turning into a pretty amazing journey. If you happened to have bought or even just listened to Kid A, just released in October 2000, you know that they’ve obviously taken a big leap. Kid A was a rather cold, electronic album, unlike the Bends or Ok Computer, which was completely guitar driven. The atmosphere in Kid A was completely altered. For me, at least, it was hard to understand, and it definitely set me on edge. But, now, with Amnesiac, all is revealed. Amnesiac is the emotional record, the political statement. It combines both the attitude of before and the technology of the future. The boys have donned the electronic suits, and now that they’re all comfy, they’ve decided to jump back in with guitars and passionate voices again. As I said, this album is a biggie, so lets go song by song.
1. Pakt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box- Techno beats with a great intro in which Thom still sounds a little robotic. It’s reminiscent of the first song on Kid A, Everything in its Right Place, but a little groovier. Kind of frustrated song as he chants “I’m a reasonable man, get off my case”. Hmm…. interviewers getting to you again, Bud? J Best Line: “And you realize you’re looking in, you’re looking in the wrong place…”
2. Pyramid Song- A perfect song for on the stage, simple and beautiful. It starts off with just Thom and the piano, and effects in the background, but completely basic and uncluttered. Eventually the rest of the band kicks in to pick the song up, and do they ever. RH have mastered song climaxes, and this is no exception. Best line: “We all went to heaven in a little row boat, there was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt.”
3. Pull/Pulk Revolving Doors- The intro is very cool, and you would expect it to be a very interesting song, which it sort of is. But the fact is that you can’t make out anything Thom is singing because the voice track is continually cut up and distorted, until he sounds like a five-yr-old devil child. Definitely the creepy song on the album. Best line: Any part you can make out, my friend J
4) You And Whose Army? - This is supposedly the song that is a challenge to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and quite easily so. Although a very simple and serene song, this is the sinister anthem for a politically charged young generation. Thom takes the lead singing: “We ride tonight, ghost horses”. Makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Best line: “Come on, Come on, Holy Roman Empire…Come on if you think you can take us on…”
5. I Might Be Wrong- The most noticeable and cool thing about this song is the guitar. Another example of how the album is more groovy, in general, then their other songs. Also, although this is a more mellow song, like all the others, the beat is what really packs a punch. The intro gets stuck in my head easily, but sometimes it morphs into the guitar from Beck’s Loser, in my head, that is. This is a finely crafted song, down to the slight keyboard notes that appear sporadically. Best Line: “Let’s go down to the waterfall, have yourself a good time, it’s nothing at all.”
6. Knives Out- Now this is an interesting song. It first appeared on a web cast the band held about a year ago. Again, the guitar and lyrics rule in this song. The song itself is mellow, but the words are especially stinging. They hint towards cannibalism, but you’re not sure if he’s referring to humans or animals. Hmm…. Best Line: “If you’d been a dog, they would have drowned you at birth.”
7. Morning Bell/Amnesiac- This is the exact same song as the one on Kid A, except the music is different. While the version on Kid A is powered by a panicked staccato beat, this one is very calm and dreamy, with the guitar and organ. Lyrics make you think he’s singing about a divorce: “You can keep the furniture, bump on the head”, also his King Solomon reference with “cut the kids in half”. Definitely an air of separation in this song. Best Line: “Morning bell, morning bell, light another candle, release me”
8. Dollars and Cents- This is the song Thom sings the most in. This song has a lot going on at once, and it gets more cluttered during the climax, where Thom ends up screaming, appropriately enough, “Quiet down”. The verses that occur after the chaos ends is brilliant little piece of time, where the drama is accentuated by the strings and Thom singing “let me outta here”. This is a protest against the materialism of today. Best Line: “We are the dollars and cents and the pounds and pence and the mark and yen, and yeah, we’re gonna crack your little souls.”
9. Hunting Bears- This is the instrumental piece consisting of only the guitar and some breathy background noises that make you feel like you’re out in the ocean. Very moody and surreal, but it’s Radiohead, and so it works J
10) Spinning Plates- This song is one of the most experimental, next to Pull/Pulk. The foundation is a pulsing keyboard rhythm topped with Thom singing backwards which makes it sound like a creepy opera song. A relatively short song, but definitely well done. Best Line: “And this just feels like spinning plates”
11. Life in A Glass House- This song was only done live for a period of time until they finally decided to finish it in a studio. The interesting thing is that it started out as an acoustic song, but they managed to translate the guitar into the light drums and piano. And then, they accented it with a complete jazz band that is perfect at improvising. This has to be the single most successful song they’ve done for a while. They’ve reached far beyond the mainstream, and found a sound that is rarely given any attention. While National Anthem on Kid A featured jazz horns as well, Life in A Glass House is more focused and defined. This is the beauty of Amnesiac, and if for no other reason, this will be why you buy this album. Best line: “Don’t talk politics and don’t throw stones, your Royal Highness says.”
Amnesiac: Radiohead (2001)
Reviewed by Tim Glaser.
Ok, so this is Radiohead's most recent release. However, its unlikely that this is their most recently written music. The songs for 'Amnesiac' came from an extremely productive studio session that produced another of their CD's, 'Kid A'. My first thought when listening to this CD: "So *this* is how we arrived at Kid A". Lets face is folks, the startling change from the electronically influenced *guitar* riffs of 'OK Computer', to the heavily techno 'electronica' influenced beats and sounds of 'Kid A' came as quite a shock. Like all Radiohead CD's, 'Kid A' soon became one of my favorites, but I was always a bit puzzled when listening to it. "Where in the world did *this* come from?" 'Amnesiac' is the bridge for that gap. Quite a bit more like 'OK Computer', and yet, with definite leanings towards the techno wizardry of 'Kid A'.
Enough with the analogies. How is this CD? Uh...its awesome. Thom Yorke continues to solidify his status as best male lead vocal in a band. Songs of note are 'Pyramid Song', the second track of the CD, 'You and whose Army', the 4th track, and the 5th track, 'I Might Be Wrong'. Some of the tracks are very reminiscent of the 'Kid A' experience, and some are brilliantly impossible to categorize in the current world of rock music. Track 8, 'Dollars & Cents', is almost like elevator music, but wait! I mean in a good way. I wish all 'elevator' music played like this. Track 11, 'Life In A Glass House', is song with a strange nostalgic feel to it. I couldn't tell you the type of music that it gets its roots from, but if I were to hazard a guess I would say jitterbug or swing, or ragtime, but slowed down, and a bit melacholy.
If you are new to Radiohead this may not be the first CD for you to pick up and listen to. Although much more accessible than the band's previous outing, it isn't quite 'The Bends', or 'OK Computer'.
Radiohead still impresses with their originality and musical talent. Each new CD represents a new direction for them, and for rock music. Radiohead is one of the few bands pushing the genre in new and interesting directions. Pop music has its place in the world, but if 'rock' is here to stay, it will stay in the form of a band like Radiohead, who aren't satisfied with doing the same stuff they did last time so that they can sell more albums.
Each Radiohead CD requires multiple listenings before you can generate a complete and accurate picture of what you think of them. Similar to another great band, Pink Floyd, and the classic 'Dark Side of the Moon', every Radiohead CD gets better with subsequent listenings.
Every Radiohead CD, in my opinion, is a 5 star album. But rating on a curve of their past efforts and placing this CD in its relative place, I would say that this is not quite as easy to listen to as The Bends, or Ok Computer, but it is nearly as flawless. 'Kid A' is certainly an acquired taste, but I am one of those who have acquired just such a taste. It is a bit hostile at first. I think I listened through 4 times all the way before the songs flowed nicely to me. In a way this new CD, 'Amnesiac', is much better, because I liked it immediately. When I go on a long trip when listening music is crucial to make the time fly by, 'Amnesiac' is definitely a CD I want to take with me.
Bottom Line: A great CD by a great band.
Weezer: Weezer (2001)
Reviewed by Derek Cornell.
I bought the new Weezer CD (the Green Album as this self-titled album has become known as). I was looking forward to the same type of energy, teenage angst lyrics and punk\alternative style that they displayed in there first album. Ya know, some slow and some fast. Light guitar as opposed to heavy distortion as heard in their song "Say It Ain't So".
But let's start out with what I didn't like as opposed to the positive aspects of their music. I was disappointed to find that all the songs, with the exception of their new single are mainly just distorted chord progressions played with no rhythmic deviations, bridges or even instrumental introductions. The greatest disappointment is that the solos show no signs of improvization or creativity since all follow the same melody as their respective songs. And the album is barely worth the price because most songs are only two minutes, which brings the entire album to a grand total of 32 minutes. That's not even the length of an early-years Beatles album. It doesn't sound like they ever really got into playing the songs. Nowhere on this album did Weezer decide to just go with it, as they did in the last song on their first album "Only in Dreams" (8 min). If they had only decided to through in a little instrument diversity...
Now don't get me wrong. I still like the album. In fact, the melodies are quite good compared to the drab alternative music that somehow gets publicized these days. And Rivers Cuomo's singing voice has the same unique unsureness that made their other album's so good. If you're looking for a fun but short trip into good alternative pop, or if you're just a big fan of the band, then be sure to pick up a copy.
The songs will have definite potential if Weezer ever decides to do a little improv at their concerts and release a live album.
But overall, I'd rate the album as a (2.5 out of 4).