Tennents Tennents
Live! Live!
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Fiona Shepherd tunes in her antennae to the frequency of Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke.
Music pundits have been predicting the death of bands like Radiohead for years now. because — as they see it ~ pop. being a dynamic form of music (unlike classical or folk which are based on tradition). should be an ever-changing mood. Boys playing effects-riddled guitars should surrender to the advance of the disco kings. As if there has to be a victor in the scramble to appeal to the nation's ears. Can we have a bit of peaceful co-existence. please? And if we can‘t. can Radiohead be boss? Because they rule anyway.
‘We always loved bands like The Smiths that made a real effort on their B-sides and they were really memorable.’
The Oxford quintet are operating in a musical field that‘s wide open to infiltration by and acceptance of mediocre chanccrs (aren't all areas of music'.’ But indie-rock tolerates some right duffers). However. the
massive worldwide success of one p; iticular ditty. an really looking forward to this new album. I hope it's
“cw Rudmhcud ginglc‘ ‘_\1\- [mn Lung" and [he all-time favourite student record that 's not remotely finally going to put to rest people saying we‘ve only yummy cum truck; on ilk-(1‘1) ginulclu'c all the work capable of irritating. probably helped somewhat. got one song.‘
of a band on a sumptuous creativeioll. Over the past ‘We never realised the effect of “C‘reep".‘ says But first there's ‘My Iron Lung‘ to get out of the )‘ear. they‘ve come right up on the outside lane and guitarist Ed O'Brien. but it's NC” Wit”! good for us. SXSWHL in“ 1'93”! “‘0 C105“)? Chaim“ 0f “‘9
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"Creep". “This is our/10w swig/Just like [/10 last one " is the lyric in there.‘ Thom Yorke. you sly wordsmith. The song is. like a lot of Radiohead material. a dark horse. starting with sortie playfully psychedelic ‘Lucy In The Sky . . .‘-type guitars and Thom going for the falsetto catharsis. before crunching in with the lunging rifting. lending muscle to the argument that this band are the Brit Nirvana. able to rein in and rock out at will.
Next. there are the six other tracks which you can't rely on picking up later on the album when it‘s released in the New Year. So regard this as an alternative mini-album — the songs are that good. especially the insistent build of "Trickster" and the lush ballad aspirations of ‘l’unch Drunk Lovesick Singalong'. And at all times there‘s one of the best voices in indiedom to revel in. !
‘lt was deemed that we‘d go in and record 22 tracks
and treat each track in its own right. then pick the album and the B-sides.‘ says Ed. ‘We always loved bands like The Smiths that made a real effort on their ‘ B-sides and they were really memorable. There seems to be a tendency now for B—sides to resort to live material.‘ 01' a double album-worth of spurious ; remixes — aaarrgh! Are we a nation of anal retentives. e or what? We want songs? Give us more songs!
‘The ballads will be bigger and the powerful songs are a lot harder-hitting. There are more extreme songs on this album.'
Thank you. that was all I wanted to hear. i Radio/mu! play 7710 Plum. (i/usymv on Tue 27.
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The List 23 SCPIClllel'--() ()ctober NW 29