another second of this excuse for taste
Top 10 albums of 2007
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows (ST)
The honesty box album. How much did I pay for it? Well, I'll tell you. I paid nothing. Zip. Not even a transaction fee. For why? Because when Radiohead were touring "Hail to the Thief" around arenas, I paid £30-odd to see them playing in Nottingham. They're a brilliant band and I've seen them live many times, but on this occasion they were awful. They played mainly electronic material from their post "OK Computer" albums, and if memory serves me correctly, they only played "Just" from their glory years. That's okay though, they can play what they want. What annoyed me more than anything else was the fact that they clearly hated being there and spent most of the night with their backs to the audience fiddling with what looked like radios. I don't remember Thom Yorke speaking to the audience once. If you don't want to play to arena crowds, don't book arenas. I swore then that next time I had the chance to see them play, I wouldn't go, and when I heard about the album, I decided that they were on probation and that I would pay them nothing because I reckon they owed me.
Is it any good? Actually, yes. This is a good album. I tend to listen to this as one block, and as I don't have an actual CD case to look at, I'm not terribly familiar with track names..... but suffice it to say that it's the most "Radiohead" thing that Radiohead have done in years. It's still spikey and awkward, but for all that it starts with a breakbeat, there are guitars on here and everything, and they sound like properly realised songs. Better yet, the songs don't sound as oblique as normal, and on a couple of occasions, Yorke even sounds like he's on the pull.
They're awkward bastards, but it's nice to have them back.
They're still not getting any money out of me though.
Favourite Song: House of Cards
9. The Ghosts - The World Is Outside (LB)
From the first time I heard their instantly catchy debut single "Stay The Night", I knew the Ghosts were going to be one of those bands that I liked.
The review of this album in Q bemoaned the fact that it sounded like someone had put the likes of Coldplay, Keane and Radiohead in a blender. Whilst this album lacks any kind of originality, it also follows that if you're a fan of those bands, you're likely to find nothing offensive here either.
It's an unoriginal sound, and their biggest problem is that they have nothing distinctive about them at all. For all that, however, they are a tight and capable live unit (for various reasons I have seen them three times this year), and from the pop sensibilities of "The World Is Outside" and "Stop" to the more carefully put together "Mind Games" it's really laid back and easy on the ear.
They're not likely to pull up any trees ever, but it's a good, solid indiepop album.
Favourite song: Stay The Night
9. Radiohead - In Rainbows (ST)
The honesty box album. How much did I pay for it? Well, I'll tell you. I paid nothing. Zip. Not even a transaction fee. For why? Because when Radiohead were touring "Hail to the Thief" around arenas, I paid £30-odd to see them playing in Nottingham. They're a brilliant band and I've seen them live many times, but on this occasion they were awful. They played mainly electronic material from their post "OK Computer" albums, and if memory serves me correctly, they only played "Just" from their glory years. That's okay though, they can play what they want. What annoyed me more than anything else was the fact that they clearly hated being there and spent most of the night with their backs to the audience fiddling with what looked like radios. I don't remember Thom Yorke speaking to the audience once. If you don't want to play to arena crowds, don't book arenas. I swore then that next time I had the chance to see them play, I wouldn't go, and when I heard about the album, I decided that they were on probation and that I would pay them nothing because I reckon they owed me.
Is it any good? Actually, yes. This is a good album. I tend to listen to this as one block, and as I don't have an actual CD case to look at, I'm not terribly familiar with track names..... but suffice it to say that it's the most "Radiohead" thing that Radiohead have done in years. It's still spikey and awkward, but for all that it starts with a breakbeat, there are guitars on here and everything, and they sound like properly realised songs. Better yet, the songs don't sound as oblique as normal, and on a couple of occasions, Yorke even sounds like he's on the pull.
They're awkward bastards, but it's nice to have them back.
They're still not getting any money out of me though.
Favourite Song: House of Cards
9. The Ghosts - The World Is Outside (LB)
From the first time I heard their instantly catchy debut single "Stay The Night", I knew the Ghosts were going to be one of those bands that I liked.
The review of this album in Q bemoaned the fact that it sounded like someone had put the likes of Coldplay, Keane and Radiohead in a blender. Whilst this album lacks any kind of originality, it also follows that if you're a fan of those bands, you're likely to find nothing offensive here either.
It's an unoriginal sound, and their biggest problem is that they have nothing distinctive about them at all. For all that, however, they are a tight and capable live unit (for various reasons I have seen them three times this year), and from the pop sensibilities of "The World Is Outside" and "Stop" to the more carefully put together "Mind Games" it's really laid back and easy on the ear.
They're not likely to pull up any trees ever, but it's a good, solid indiepop album.
Favourite song: Stay The Night
delivered by LB at 3:04 PM
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