Discussion by Russ Israel
A
few weeks ago, I was riding my bike back to my dorm at around ten at night,
listening to Kid A by Radiohead. Towards the middle of the album, I
found myself focusing more on my surroundings than where I was going, and I
realized that whenever I listen to Radiohead I have the same emotional
response. That led me to think
about why Radiohead is so good. Whenever
I speak with people about the band, I ask them, “why do you like them so much?” The response I often is get is
somewhere along the lines of, “It’s Radiohead, they’re perfect!” Or “they’re the greatest band ever!” I’ve even been answered, “Because Thom
Yorke is hot!” But the latter
doesn’t pop up too much… In all of Radiohead’s
glory, it seems that a lot of their fans can’t pinpoint one reason they are
considered one of the most influential bands, or can’t articulately describe
their attraction towards them. A
lot of music review websites do a pretty good job of it, but even then it is
easy to disagree with their often pompous opinions. In this article, I will attempt to deconstruct and explain the perfection of the god of all bands that
is Radiohead.
Back
to my bike ride that one night; I remember not being able to describe my
feelings. It was a weird mix of
sentimentality, angst and depth. Whatever
those emotions were, I realized that I experience them regardless of the album
that is playing. I eventually came
to the conclusion that the magic of Radiohead lies in the listener’s response
to their music. It is not their
production, their lyrics or their melodies in particular that makes someone
love Radiohead. For example, after
listening to one of their best songs, “Paranoid Android,” no one says, “that
hook was so catchy!” It is more a
feeling of awe and content towards the entire song.
I
guess what I’m trying to say is that Radiohead is a balance. Front man Thom Yorke has set up the
band and its recording process is such a way that no one aspect of their music
stands out, yet none is subpar. In
Radiohead’s lyrics, Yorke doesn’t tell a story and he’s not describing his thoughts. He is general enough about his feelings
and experiences that anyone can relate to what he is singing, even if it is on
the darker side. He involves listeners
with his words, but doesn’t distract them from the overall feel of the songs. In addition, his clearly passionate
vocals make it hard not to leave a deep impression on his listeners. Radiohead’s songwriting is very
original. Each of their songs is
like a journey, and you are always taken places you don’t expect to go because
of their strange instrumentation and chord changes. The band’s mixing and mastering also contributes to said
journey, which allow listeners to be fully immersed in the sounds they
create. In all of their albums,
they establish a complex system of unnatural sounds, organized into mesmerizing
sonic layers to engage even the most jaded music lovers.
Radiohead
is not perfect in every way; it’s all of their little perfections and imperfections that add up to make
their music incredibly unique. Their
deeply emotional and often depressing songs capture their listeners because it mimics
real life. You are not taken away
by how spot on every vocal harmony is, because life isn’t always spot on. It is the sadness and flaws – the balance
– that make listening to Radiohead so natural, and invoke such real,
indescribable emotion. When I
listen to the band’s music, I am taken over by a sense of abnormality and
nostalgia. But that’s just me; everyone
has a different response to music.
All I know is that the legend of a band instills a full and often
overwhelming emotional response in its listeners, which no band can
emulate. To do that, your art must
come from within, which is clear in Radiohead’s music.
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