LIVE ROCK CRITIC FIFTEEN RADIOHEAD

RADIOHEAD performed on the "Steven Colbert Show" September 26th 2011

Radiohead was founded in 1985 in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK. Rolling Stone Magazine rated Radiohead 73rd on its list of top rated entertainers. Thom Yorke who fronts Radiohead plays keyboard and guitar and was rated, one of the "greatest singers". Ed O'Brien and Colin Greenwood were included in the list of "greatest guitar players". The album "Ok Computer" mystifies me with its iconic rating.

This song is not from OK Computer but it is a typical Radiohead song which you can play while you read the blog.                                                           
Live performance on Steven Colbert, do I detect mutual disappointment, Radiohead unhappy about the blatant Doctor Pepper corporate pandering and Steven I think disappointed in the "ponderous noodling" of Radiohead.

Ponderous noodling, has this been the fare of Radiohead fans for twenty years. I detect an attempt to recreate the slow heavy movement of the Beatles. Radiohead's first number "Daily Mail" is a previously unreleased track, I think that Radiohead failed to create "Daily Mail" live. Its possible that some of the ponderous Beatle cuts would not have been performed very well live. I would compare the attempt by Radiohead to create the slow heavy British psychedelic sound to the successful "The Smashing Pumpkins" which I will review in Live Rock Critic Sixteen. Here are "The Smashing Pumpkins. "Disarm"     

The demeanour and antics of Thom Yorke appear to me to be forced and to be in imitation of such performers as Bono in U2. Thom doesn't appear to move in a manner which is synchronized with the music. He jumps around and flaps about and shakes his head incessantly.

I would describe a lot of the "music" of Radiohead as cacophony a misinterpretation once again of Beatle music such as "A Day In The Life". A search of Radiohead albums leaves me baffled as to what fans saw in this weak and unorganized music. It seems that perhaps if they rehearsed more they might be able to get across what they are driving at. The supposedly great and definitive of the nineties "OK Computer" is crude dubbing and dated fading and swirling. A particularly bad song is recorded when Radiohead tries to get wild and can't in "Climbing Up the Walls". John Greenwood on guitar and Phil Selway on drums complete the Radiohead core band.

When Radiohead performed on "The Steven Colbert Show" they bought an extra bass player and a horn section with them. If there is one thing makes ponderous noodling unbearable it is being noodled upon ponderously by a huge uncoordinated group of musicians. The standing around waiting which occupied so much of the Radiohead performance is very boring and if the members of the ensemble would view themselves they look really dorky.

Radiohead espouses an anti-corporate and socially democratic political agenda but it performs as an autocratic dictatorship and sole proprietorship. Thom Yorke is certainly over featured. The weak start where one person softly noodles is truly an unimpressive beginning for a song. Radiohead does not fail to deliver as promised, not really rising ever to the position of strength which is a prerequisite for a rock band. I will probably hear from a bunch of "Radiohead is great" people and I say in advance, get a grip, Radiohead is no good any more, if indeed they ever were any good live.