The Cavern
Rock & Words
LIVE AT EARLS COURT (Radiohead, 2003. Bootleg)
Artist: Radiohead (B)
Recording Date: November 27th, 2003
Release Date: No Official Date
Record Label: bootleg
Producer: N/A
Rating: 10 (MUST HAVE)
Era: (Post)-alternative III: The Dispersion (2000-???)
Subgenre: Live Album
Best Song: Paranoid Android
Canciones: 1) Intro – Where Bluebirds Fly; 2) There There; 3) 2+2=5; 4) Sit Down, Stand Up; 5) Where I End You Begin; 6) Lucky; 7) Backdrifts; 8) I Might Be Wrong; 9) Myxomatosis; 10)Creep; 11) Paranoid Android; 12) Go To Sleep 13) Sail To The Moon 14) No Surprises; 15) The Gloaming; 16) The National Anthem; 17) Exit Music For A Film; 18) Idioteque; 19) Encore (Crowd Noise); 20) Like Spinning Plates; 21) Just; 22) A Punch-up At A Wedding; 23) How To Disappear Completely 24) Encore2 (Crowd Noise); 25) We Suck Young Blood; 26) The Bends; 27) Follow Me Around; 28) Everything In It’s Right Place.
I hadn't planned on doing a month of concert reviews, but… Janis and Hendrix were still performing concerts in chronological order in their respective discographies, and since I was already spending money, and since I couldn't go to the Radiohead show at Foro Sol in Mexico City, this is my consolation prize for myself and for those who were expecting a detailed review.
The truth is, nothing replaces seeing Radiohead live, but perhaps the closest thing to it is this album of their performance at Earls Court in London on Thanksgiving Day 2003. It's an unofficial recording where they sound absolutely incredible, and I can't understand why there hasn't been an official release of this gem, or anything similar. Well, actually, there has been. The recording, at least the one I have, has very good production and sound, presumably due to the technicians and engineers who worked on the concert rather than the actual recording itself. The recording I have is from a London radio station, and you can even hear the X-FM promos. I don't know if other tapes exist. The truth is, this is a gem that will possibly be released in the future when someone realizes its true value. After all, it took 30 years to release Janis Joplin's Live in Winterland! Or maybe not. Perhaps Radiohead will decide to release an album from this ongoing tour, including material from In Rainbows, but so far, this is the best live album I've heard from Radiohead, surpassing even 2001's "I Might Be Wrong," which is a semi-official album.
In any case, Radiohead's Live at Earls Court is irrefutable proof that they are one of the best bands active today. Not only that, but they are capable of modifying the sound of their albums to transform it and imbue it with tremendous and overwhelming power live. Thom Yorke and company are undoubtedly one of the most impressive live acts, and without changing the essence of their originals, they know how to inject them with a greater rock aura, a very human power that gets somewhat lost amidst the electronic studio paraphernalia. The albums Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief, on which this performance is based, are very abstract and difficult to digest on first listen, with electronic sounds, experimentation with pedals, and vocal effects. It's not progressive, it's not art rock, it's not avant-garde, it's not alternative, nor is it electronic, but a mixture of all those genres, resulting in something unique. It took me a long time, years, to appreciate these albums. To be honest, at first I was disappointed; I was expecting impossible continuations of OK Computer. But little by little I found myself finding more and more of their flavor and understanding that intricate mix of strange and ahead-of-our-time sounds, to the point that I need to listen to the entire discography of these Brits at least every 15 or 22 days.
This live album, really hard to find since it's not part of the official discography, is a summary of those works, perhaps making them seem more human and accessible on first listen. When I discovered it, about three years ago, I was already a fan of the post-OK era, but this concert made me rediscover the sounds and find a new charm in these otherwise abstract albums.
Radiohead sounds like a perfectly engineered music machine here, blending electronic nuances with the fury and mastery of the instruments. Phil Selway, in my opinion, steals the show. His drumming is very different from the albums; it doesn't sound as dry and computerized—how to put it?—as… robotic? It's true that on many tracks Selway has an effect similar to that of his electronic drum kit, and it's impossible to tell if he's actually playing one. I don't think so; I believe they're all audio effects, and Phil achieves a beastly, devastating sound with his cymbals and drums, giving the albums the rock edge they lacked, pushing the songs to an otherworldly extreme. Jonny also sounds impressive, creating many of the sounds with his guitar that I originally attributed to computer programs. The guitar solos are formidable, possessing that manic-depressive aura, taking us from slow, blue moods to volcanic explosions in an instant. Unlike The Edge, besides possessing a mathematical mastery of his pedalboard, Greenwood has a masterful and brutal technique, unpredictable, and knows how to steer songs at will through vastly different atmospheres and textures. Yorke, for his part, is that little man with an autistic appearance and a melancholic voice who sounds on the verge of suicide in every song. He's not an emo poser, but rather he truly conveys his moods with that voice on the verge of tears, which I don't know if I'd call privileged, but it is certainly very peculiar, beautiful at times, a little annoying and shrill at others, aggressive and ferocious on occasion. Always Sui Generis. Colin and Ed also do a great job, although I think they are somewhat overshadowed by the work of their bandmates.
Radiohead also never repeats a setlist, according to urban legend, which is something to be grateful for because of the respect they show their fans by making each concert a unique experience, and it is also something to recognize and applaud, since they demonstrate a mastery and knowledge of their discography and not just a handful of current hits, like many other bands.
The album opens with reggae music playing in the background as the crowd waits for the concert to begin. Add to that the roaring crowd during the encores of tracks 19 and 24, and you have 25 songs, which is also usually the number of songs Radiohead plays at each concert. The crowd erupts when the band takes the stage, and the massive, crushing drums fill the air, sounding as if they're being struck by enormous sledgehammers. Selway is in for a great night, and they're off to a fantastic start. "There, There" is the lead single from their latest album at the time, Hail To The Thief, affectionately dedicated to the Bush/Blair duo. Notice how, in these times of crisis, the dedication seems even more fitting? Anyway, the song is perfect for opening the concert, with a moderate tempo to get the crowd going, but with a truly colossal and mammoth drum sound.
The next two tracks, “2+2=5” and “Sit Down…” are also from Hail, both beginning with an intimate and delicate, almost minimalist atmosphere and ending in an explosion of rhythm. “Where I End…” from the same album starts with a faster tempo, but the atmospheric interplay of the guitars continues, creating that sustained, groovy, and somewhat chilling effect. These three songs take on a very different dimension live.
The sixth track, "Lucky", is from OK Computer, and they perform a version very close to the album version. This is one of my favorite songs from that album, so it's a delight to hear this live recreation. Jonny's guitar solo in the chorus has always struck me as both simple and wonderful, and the added keyboards lend it an air of majesty. The structure, the rhythmic interplay… everything about this song is magical!
"Backdrifts" is another track from Hail, retaining its experimental and strange aura. In certain moods, this kind of music can be truly unsettling. Phil's drumming here has some very odd effects, and I can't quite figure out what time signature he's using for that crazy rhythm, but I'm sure it's not 4/4.
“I Might Be Wrong” is the eighth track on Amnesiac. It features a powerful, elastic riff that gives the whole song a dizzying feel and is devilishly catchy without being commercial. When I first heard Amnesiac, this riff stuck in my head for weeks. Here, the song sounds refreshed and has an energy it lacks on the studio album. Yorke's desperation is contagious.
"Myxomatosis" is perhaps the wairdest song on all the oddities of Hail, but it also gains a lot in this live version. Curiously, after one of Radiohead's most complicated and experimental tracks, they come out with the complacent little song that launched them to stardom among screaming teenagers, "Creep." I think the band likes this song as much as I do. They sound lazy and resigned to playing it for the audience. Even Jonny's guitar riffs before the choruses sound listless. But at least they give their audience that treat, considering that in the late '90s they flatly refused to play it.
Next up is another highlight, “Paranoid Android” from OK! Wow! Words can't do this version justice. The band manages to recreate every detail of the intricate and delicate studio version, adding the power of a live performance. There's a moment when one of the guitars sounds slightly out of tune, just before the “rain down…” part, but it seems to correct itself instantly, and they even manage to make a few minor adjustments. A great, great multi-part song, perfect in every way, my absolute favorite by the band, and this live version is just as good.
With “Go To Sleep” and “Sail To the Moon”, we return to Hail … the former with a frenetic rhythm from the start, the latter with a melancholic piano and an overwhelming aura of sadness. The melancholic atmosphere they create is impressive. Taking advantage of this intimate setting, they begin the exquisite ballad “No Surprises”, the cutest song in the world according to Corvan. The pianos and chiming keyboards are simply moving, and Thom doesn't need to resort to that high, trembling voice to sound so deliciously melancholic.
"The Gloaming" begins with a very creepy vocal intro. This is perhaps where they make the most use of electronic elements, adding loops of rhythms and the vocals themselves. I'm not a fan of this song, but I do appreciate that they dared to recreate these difficult sound sequences live.
Then we traveled to Kid A with "The National Anthem", the best track on that album. The crowd erupted upon recognizing that devastating, distorted bass riff. The song sounded even more powerful live, far superior to the studio recording, leaving us speechless at the sounds Greenwood coaxes from his guitar and the brutal precision with which Selway handles his drums. The backing vocals sounded wonderful and added to the song's strange atmosphere. How can such a "simple" song with so few notes be so brilliant?
With track 17 we return to OK. “Exit Music For a Film” is another of the quiet songs, which immediately immerses us in a state of introspection, sticking very closely to what was done on the album, although Jonny adds a strange feedback throughout the entire song.
With “Idiotheque”, we return to Kid A and Greenwood playing with his pedalboard, closing the first set and heading into the first encore with the crowd roaring. They come back with “Like Spinning Plates” from Amnesiac, and then deliver a colossal version of “Just,” playing a track from The Bends for the first time, adding tremolo to the arpeggios and guitar riffs. “A Punch-Up At A Wedding” has a slow, rhythmic groove, almost funky and almost danceable.
Track 23 is “How To Disappear Completely”, with another bittersweet guitar riff and somber atmosphere. The band leaves the stage again, and the second encore begins, returning with “We Suck Young Blood”. For this song, they ask the audience to help keep time with the slow, almost funereal rhythm by clapping along. The sound of the crowd clapping in unison is impressive. When the rhythm goes frantic, the audience falls silent, but miraculously regains the perfect beat when the band returns to the sloooooooooooow pace. Next up is “The Bends” from the album of the same name. A great performance, and the only regret is that they didn't also play “My Iron Lung.”
The penultimate song is “Follow Me Around", with its typical guitar riff and minimal instrumentation, before closing with “Everything In Its Right Place” from Kid A. This is another great song, one that sends the already completely captivated and ecstatic crowd into a frenzy, clapping along from the very beginning. Again, the interplay of samples and electronic experiments leads to a tremendous and energetic improvisation in the middle section, which fades out to a standing ovation and the song playing on the sound system, signaling the concert's end.
Radiohead gifts us a live masterpiece on this album, a well-rounded piece featuring the best of their repertoire up to that point. I might have liked to hear a bit more from The Bends and OK, but I have no problem with the tracklist as it is. On the contrary, I think it makes the post-OK albums more accessible to fans, and if they still haven't fully digested them, this is an excellent opportunity to listen to them from a different perspective.
In any case, this is a unique piece, which, due to the sheer number of songs and the energy with which they are performed, truly creates the feeling of being there, somewhere in Earls Court, listening to the band live. Much more complete than "I Might Be Wrong – Live Recordings" and with spectacular sound quality. A highly recommended experience, the closest thing to actually being at a Radiohead concert for all of us who missed this 2009 tour. A MUST HAVE!
By Corvan
Mar/17/2009
