Pioneering Sounds: Radiohead

Of the bands to rise to fame in the grunge era, none have had quite the impact or the lasting effect as Radiohead. Other bands labeled as grunge didn’t stray too far from the example set by Nirvana and other members of the Seattle sound. Radiohead, on the other hand, has been on an on-going journey to redefine themselves, and redefine what it means to be a rock band, and what modern music should sound like. Their evolution has been so extreme that if one were to compare their first album with their latest, no one could be blamed for thinking they were from two completely different groups.

Radiohead’s musical transformation is most apparent across their first four albums: Pablo Honey, the Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A. Of them, Pablo Honey is the only work that can be pigeon holed as a “grunge” album. Even this descriptor though was largely manufacture by the record label to widen their appeal. They arrived during the grunge era but weren’t exactly a part of it. Coincidentally, Pablo Honey was released in 1993, the same year as Nirvana’s final album. Perhaps they are more accurately a product of grunge rather than members of the movement.

1995’s release of the Bends was a shocking follow-up to Pablo Honey; especially since some had already written them off as a one hit wonder or a cheap British version of American grunge. While their debut album was dirty, emotionally charged, and displayed their ability to write a hit song, it didn’t hint at their capacity for subtle, intelligent song writing. The Bends approaches the emotional intensity found in Pablo Honey with a more refined eye, and delves into a moody world of expertly written songs full of smart lyrics and brilliant instrument work. While most hit bands are afflicted with a “sophomore slump,” Radiohead showed everyone who they really were: far from a grunge group, certainly not just a rock band, but a group of artists. Even more importantly, they weren’t a group that would follow popular trends.

The levels of their artistry came in full force with the arrival of OK Computer in 1997. Fans and critics alike were probably expecting the Bends part two, or at least another album in that same vein. Any other band would have attempted to deliver just that. What Radiohead did deliver though was a swirling odyssey of sound. While The Bends was saturated with guitar effects, OK Computer incorporated electronic sounds much as artists like Bjork had been experimenting with at the time. While Bjork had a penchant for club beats, Radiohead introduced lush sounds to compliment their songwriting and instrument work. The album sounds as if it is in a constant state of devolving, or evolving depending on your perspective, into some kind of digital entity. While the public likely wanted, and would have been happy with a sequel to The Bends, Radiohead delivered a musical revolution instead.

Radiohead’s artistic evolution fully matured with 1999’s release of Kid A, bringing on more innovations from the band. The Bends and OK Computer had been forward thinking and vastly different from each of their predecessors. Kid A, though, proved to be a deeper journey into the techniques and soundscapes explored by previous albums. What Kid A also did was abandon traditional song structures and head further into a world of electronic sound. While OK Computer still had a foot in the world of the traditional rock band, Kid A was completely untethered.

The different character found in each consecutive album stems from Radiohead’s need for experimentation. It is comparable to that of Bjork, Pink Floyd, or even the Beatles. Just like the Beatles, they started off following the trends of the day before getting bored and finding their artistic voice. Unlike them though, it took the Beatles several albums to begin transforming their music. Radiohead’s transformation happened after just one, and continues to this day.

If you’d like to check out the music of Radiohead the Seekonk Library can get a hold of any album you might be interested in. Locally we can borrow from over 70 libraries in the SAILS Network and if need be we can try other Networks in Massachusetts and beyond. You can even try out our digital music service: Freegal!

Pioneering Sounds is also a discussion group at the Seekonk Library. Join us on March 20th at 6 PM for our discussion on Radiohead’s seminal album, Ok Computer. For more information visit www.seekonkpl.org or contact us at library@seekonkpl.org

This program is offered FREE to the public, no registration required.