Many bands are content to follow up a successful album with another that tries to sound just like it, and then tour the handful of hits for the next three decades. Some bands, a decade into their existence, will attempt to reinvent their sound to keep pace with changing musical trends. Most fail miserably at this, but a few have made the transition with spectacular results. A few examples of the latter would be Rush with their 1982 Signals release, David Bowie with 1983’s Let’s Dance, and Genesis with 1984’s Genesis, all of which abandoned the extended jam signature of the ‘70’s and incorporated the rhythm-driven synthesized pop of the ‘80’s. Neither band lost its identity however, proven by the ability to gain new fans without alienating (too many) of their old ones.
Few bands have pulled off what Radiohead did in 1997, though. After a very good freshman 1993 release, Pablo Honey, Radiohead built on the success of that album’s single, “Creep,” with an album that moved the band’s sound a large step forward with The Bends in 1995. With that album, Thom Yorke and crew featured a mature set of songs that coupled Yorke’s angst-ridden lyrics and vulnerable falsetto with layered, crunchy guitars and unforgettable riffs and hooks. The album established Radiohead as the hip new band of the ‘90’s. All that the band needed to do was tour and write The Bends II, and their star would glow forever brightly in the rock pantheon.
Instead, Yorke had something else in mind. On the heels of an album that defined the fresh sound of indie rock, Radiohead completely and irrevocably changed their sound with the release of OK Computer. Synthesized rhythm, often syncopated, acoustic strolls through loveless landscapes, and lyrics undoubtedly conjured from Yorke’s memories of 3 a.m. night terrors, absolutely challenge the listener to stop what they are doing to keep up with the music. The album is – tense, yet still musical; in fact, it’s tense because of Thom Yorke’s ability to draw empathy from the listener as he suffers through myriad cosmic injustices for 54 minutes. The album bears no resemblance to its first release, and shares little more than anguish with its immediate predecessor in regard to style. Even so, it’s all Radiohead from the standpoint of great hooks that won’t leave your head, and a voice so plaintive that only Morrissey could possibly compete.
The band settled on and refined this sound with the subsequent releases of Kid A and Amnesiac. All together this trifecta reflects the genius that is Radiohead.
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