Music To My Ears 3 - Radiohead - In Rainbows
01/08/08 09:35 Filed in: Music To My
Ears
I
admit this - I hated this album when I first heard
it. I've been a life long fan of Radiohead, following
them around the UK on every tour they have thrown at
us, supporting them in every arena and buying each of
their albums. You can imagine the feeling of sorrow
and terror as I first heard this album.
After listening to this and trying to 'give it a go' - after about the 3rd listen something clicked. Something dropped. It was whilst listening to 'Weird Fishes Arpeggi' that I just suddenly melted. I can tell you now that this is one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard!
The first thing that struck me about the album was the production (of course). Being an avid listener of their work and their long time producer - Nigel Godrich I couldnt quite recognise the approach to the recording. Listening to their past albums such as OK Computer - an 'arty' album in my eyes, just listen to tracks like 'Climbing up the walls' - its a work of art or the 'rock' album that is the 'The Bends' - produced mainly by John Leckie ( a god in his own right ) - that album offers some of the best drums sounds and guitar sounds put down on record. Whereas In Rainbows has a very 'distilled' sound. The drums are not massively punchy and there seems to be little in the way of studio gimmickery (which I love). Instead we are presented with a record which is played mostly all live with little overdubs or edits and very little processing. And I love it. Its so refreshing.
Radiohead have been really embracing the internet as a way of promoting this album. They have released mp3 stems of one of their tracks which allowed the listener to create a remix of the track 'Nude' and upload it to their website to be entered into a chart. No prizes though. They also gave the buyer the opportunity to pay whatever they wanted for the album from their website (in mp3 format). They have created competitions for their music videos and even set up their own social networking site!
Check out my remix :
Check out the video for 'House of Cards' - an awesome concept was used for this, no cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects.
Lots of tasty pictures were posted during the recording of this album on their site, I particularly like this one of Johnny Greenwood peering over this API desk. Plenty more here
Radiohead are also one of those few bands who are concerned with their carbon footprint and have looked at the number of ways they can offset their touring footprint. Well done chaps!
I dont wont to dissect this album... just go listen to it and close your eyes.
-Matthew
-------------------------
Label: XL Recordings
Catalog#: XLCD 324
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: 31 Dec 2007
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Indie Rock, Experimental
Credits: Artwork By - Dr Tchock , Stanley Donwood
Concertmaster [Strings Led By] - Everton Nelson
Conductor [Strings] - Sally Herbert
Engineer - Dan Grech-Marguerat , Hugo Nicolson , Nigel Godrich , Richard Woodcraft
Mastered By - Bob Ludwig
Mixed By - Nigel Godrich
Producer - Nigel Godrich
Producer [Preproduction By] - Graeme Stewart
Strings [Performed By] - Millennia Ensemble, The
Written-By - Radiohead
Notes: The CD comes in a fold-out cardboard case complete with do-it-yourself-packaging in the form of stickers you can add to a jewel case
Rating: 3.9/5 (30 votes) Rate It
Submitted by: DeathPosture
5 for sale in the Discogs Marketplace
Tracklisting:
1 15 Step (3:57)
Backing Vocals [Uncredited] - Matrix Music School
2 Bodysnatchers (4:02)
3 Nude (4:15)
4 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (5:18)
5 All I Need (3:49)
6 Faust Arp (2:10)
7 Reckoner (4:50)
8 House Of Cards (5:28)
9 Jigsaw Falling Into Place (4:09)
10 Videotape (4:40)
After listening to this and trying to 'give it a go' - after about the 3rd listen something clicked. Something dropped. It was whilst listening to 'Weird Fishes Arpeggi' that I just suddenly melted. I can tell you now that this is one of the most amazing albums I have ever heard!
The first thing that struck me about the album was the production (of course). Being an avid listener of their work and their long time producer - Nigel Godrich I couldnt quite recognise the approach to the recording. Listening to their past albums such as OK Computer - an 'arty' album in my eyes, just listen to tracks like 'Climbing up the walls' - its a work of art or the 'rock' album that is the 'The Bends' - produced mainly by John Leckie ( a god in his own right ) - that album offers some of the best drums sounds and guitar sounds put down on record. Whereas In Rainbows has a very 'distilled' sound. The drums are not massively punchy and there seems to be little in the way of studio gimmickery (which I love). Instead we are presented with a record which is played mostly all live with little overdubs or edits and very little processing. And I love it. Its so refreshing.
Radiohead have been really embracing the internet as a way of promoting this album. They have released mp3 stems of one of their tracks which allowed the listener to create a remix of the track 'Nude' and upload it to their website to be entered into a chart. No prizes though. They also gave the buyer the opportunity to pay whatever they wanted for the album from their website (in mp3 format). They have created competitions for their music videos and even set up their own social networking site!
Check out my remix :
Check out the video for 'House of Cards' - an awesome concept was used for this, no cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects.
Lots of tasty pictures were posted during the recording of this album on their site, I particularly like this one of Johnny Greenwood peering over this API desk. Plenty more here
Radiohead are also one of those few bands who are concerned with their carbon footprint and have looked at the number of ways they can offset their touring footprint. Well done chaps!
I dont wont to dissect this album... just go listen to it and close your eyes.
-Matthew
-------------------------
Label: XL Recordings
Catalog#: XLCD 324
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: 31 Dec 2007
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Indie Rock, Experimental
Credits: Artwork By - Dr Tchock , Stanley Donwood
Concertmaster [Strings Led By] - Everton Nelson
Conductor [Strings] - Sally Herbert
Engineer - Dan Grech-Marguerat , Hugo Nicolson , Nigel Godrich , Richard Woodcraft
Mastered By - Bob Ludwig
Mixed By - Nigel Godrich
Producer - Nigel Godrich
Producer [Preproduction By] - Graeme Stewart
Strings [Performed By] - Millennia Ensemble, The
Written-By - Radiohead
Notes: The CD comes in a fold-out cardboard case complete with do-it-yourself-packaging in the form of stickers you can add to a jewel case
Rating: 3.9/5 (30 votes) Rate It
Submitted by: DeathPosture
5 for sale in the Discogs Marketplace
Tracklisting:
1 15 Step (3:57)
Backing Vocals [Uncredited] - Matrix Music School
2 Bodysnatchers (4:02)
3 Nude (4:15)
4 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (5:18)
5 All I Need (3:49)
6 Faust Arp (2:10)
7 Reckoner (4:50)
8 House Of Cards (5:28)
9 Jigsaw Falling Into Place (4:09)
10 Videotape (4:40)