The brilliance of Amnesiac lies in its compositional diversity, and the amazing textures that The group have woven. From drum n’ bass to piano dirges to Dixieland this album has it all.
Radiohead have revisited their jazz roots triumphantly in Amnesiac, and the world must once again bow down before their greatness.
These jazz elements, the very heart and soul of early rock music, have been fused in many places with the electronic rhythms that now define pop music to form a perfect compliment.
It’s so warm and beautiful in places and cold and inhuman in others, somewhat of a Radiohead trademark, with singer Thom Yorke’s haunting and soulful voice unifying the disparate elements wonderfully.
I know that I am a fan, but again, the more you listen to this record, the more you become convinced that everything else is so common and half-assed.Radiohead have consistently pushed themselves to define the path pop music is pursuing. Moreover they show what is possible musically by combining genres in an increasingly genre-centric musical world.
Tracks like "I Might Be Wrong” make this point beautifully. It has a groovy e-beat and an almost grungy guitar lead over the top, which controls the dynamic power of the song, with Thom swimming in and out, and an awesome melodic turnaround to end the tune.
The band seems to have brought elements first explored on 1994’s Pablo Honey together with their 2000 release Kid A.On Pablo Honey, The Bends and parts of OK Computer the band was almost defined by a larger than life guitar sound the was overwhelming at times. It’s as if now the harder that mainstream music gets, the softer and subtler they are. In 1999 and 2000 the music scene was dominated by heavy metal/rap acts like Korn and Limp Bizkit. They released one of the most wonderfully experimental records of my lifetime in Kid A. 2000 and 2001 has seen a rise in heavier Hardcore/Metal bands come to the front, and they have now answered with “Amnesiac”.
The apparent simplicity of the composition of this record is a tribute the mastery of the recording arts by Radiohead. While the album has eleven tracks, it has an almost narcotic effect that leaves you feeling like you just began the disc, when suddenly you release that it’s over. It has a very ambient feel to it in some places. That very lull is what will overwhelm the listener upon a closer review.
I doubt that any of the tracks on this album will ever see the light of day on a radio station near you, which is fine with me. It means that they will continue to produce incredible art free from the pressure that corporate music has used to destroy many of my favorite bands.
You may not like this, but in 20 years your kids will ask you what is was like to be around when Radiohead was huge. On the other hand if you possess the patience and soul to appreciate this monument to popular music you will be able to share this as one of the fond memories of your young adulthood.
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| 1 =Take it back after you've taped the radio track. |
| 2 =Not bad...some promise, but doesn't follow through consistently. |
| 3 =A solid record all the way through, with maybe one or two flashes of brilliance. |
| 4 =A great record that pushes the musical envelope of the moment. A must buy. |
| 5 =A classic that you'll give to your Grandchildren. |
For The Record (no pun)
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