The Best Of Radiohead - Radiohead Album Review

Radiohead

Album Review

Career spanning ‘hits’, and a lot more, depending on what format you buy.

One of the biggest surprises of the music world is that Radiohead’s Best of …has failed to go straight in at number one. W/C 9 June it’s at #4. Ok, it’s only one week since its release on June 2. But it might just be significant. Have Radiohead finally lost their appeal? Or, is it that the band hasn’t exactly been behind this release. By the sound of things, he (Tom Yorke), apparently, isn’t a happy bunny. Personally, I really don’t know what the fuss is all about with this band anyway. Much of their album work leaves me cold, though they do have their moments. Unquestionably, they have a massive fanbase and strange they haven’t come out in force to push this to the top of the pile. Admittedly, they have strong competition at the moment from the likes of ‘Modfather’ Paul Weller (22 Dreams #1 w/c 9 June) Welsh songbird Duffy (#2) and American legend Neil Diamond (#3). And now back to those…. moments.

As a collection, particularly CD 1, this is excellent, (yes really!) basically because it skips a lot of the dire stuff. Believe me, purely objectively of course, there’s been some trash, especially on the latter albums. Despite Tom Yorke’s winging, this best of….highlights their better moments, which I find quite appealing, rather than scan and find the (odd) best. We have to recognise, (unlike some reviewer I can’t mention) this is a compilation idiot, and yes the songs are out of context – that’s what compilations do.

Compilations are fairly predictable, and this is no exception. Nevertheless, what it has actually done is convert, well almost, this cynic to rather enjoying the music feast (or fest, depending on your angle) on offer. No Surprises has always been a fav, so has Karma Police. Now I’m switched on to others, which, I’d overlooked, such as re-visiting single Creep, which has just re-entered the chart at #37. It’s not all wet and winsome either. The rasping and multi-faceted number 3 hit (1997) Paranoid Android with its blistering and wiry solo by Yorke proves that. Then there’s the lovely acoustic lead anthem High and Dry, one of their finest songs ever. Beat-laden My Iron Lung is highlighted by some wondrous Byrds-like wiry licks, sounding better than ever, especially when the understated riff kicks in, then the power of the sonic heavy riff which doesn’t last long enough for my tastes, though they make the most of it in the closing crescendo. Arguably, the jewel in the crown on disc one, is the Pink Floyd-styled weight of Lucky. Things get a bit silly for me on Idioteque, though it shows the fearless side of their repertoire, with the next three nothing more than average – 2+2=5, The Bends and dire Pyramid Song. It gets better again though, with radio-friendly Street Spirit (Fade Out).

By definition, because disc 1 is the same as the ‘standard’ CD1 release, I’m left to believe that disc 2 is a ‘leftovers’ bonus. Not at all.

There’s some very good stuff here too, like I Might Be Wrong and quirky Let Down. Planet Telex, b-side of High And Dry is one almighty powerful stadium rocker, though the next five including debut single Anyone Can Play Guitar, 1993, are sloppy.

File under: Well worth a try, even if you’re not a fan.

Elly Roberts