Album of the Week: OK Computer

Yes, yes I know. "Album of the Week" has been on extended hiatus, but because of that, I'm sure the Internet's collective appetite is wholly whetted for this, the first installment of 2011. Think of it as the McRib of this blog - it doesn't show up that often, but when it does. . .

A good friend of mine has told me, from time to time, that Thom Yorke is a genius. I would characterize my reaction that statement as, well, "cool." And by "cool," I of course mean ignorant. Fortunately, thanks to a post-finals music sharing rampage, I came into quite the little trove of Radiohead, and am now happy to report that my reaction to the "Thom Yorke is a genius" claim has been upgraded to guarded agreement.

Thus, today's Album of the Week is OK Computer by Radiohead, first released in 1997. This is obviously consistent with my policy of being at least 2-3 years back of any pop culture trend.

As a disclaimer, I've always been a bit hesitant towards anthemic, stadium style rock. You know, U2 and the like. I often find myself questioning what the real purpose of the music is - is to sell out a ton of concerts, thereby earning bazillions, or is it genuine musical expression? The answer, most likely, is somewhere in the middle, but that doesn't stop me from pondering. I can safely say though, that I will henceforth make an exception. For Radiohead.

Folks, I love this album, and I can't quite put my finger on why. Honestly, I don't know what the hell he's singing half the time. I must say though, Mr. Yorke has one of the more distinctive voices you'll ever come across. I've been trying hard to come up with a sufficient adjective to describe it, but my vocabulary is eluding me. It's quite liquid, but yet retains a certain sharpness to it, which really illuminates some pretty incredible emotion.

To illustrate this, I'd highly recommend three tracks - "Karma Police," "Lucky," and "The Tourist." It is truth - I listened to "Lucky" probably 12 times in a row one night last week. I find it to be an absolutely intoxicating song, and have actually forced more than a few unwitting occupants of my car to listen to it too.

Perhaps that's the intangible that is drawing me to this album. Maybe it's the epic nature of the songwriting, maybe it's the aforementioned voice, I have no idea. But near every track on this album finds its way not only into your aural cavity, but your brain and heart as well. This is what leads me to conclude that the stadium-esque nature of this songwriting isn't a ploy to make gazillions on ticket sales, but a means through which to achieve transcendence. I could just as easily ponder life's mysteries to this album than scream with 100,000 other fans.

I think the pacing of the tracks, and the album as a whole, are quite incredible. I've always been a sucker for melodramatic art-rock (see Sigur Rós), and I'm sure Radiohead is going to quickly find its way onto that list. I love the laziness through which the music expands and contracts. It's a broad canvas of an album, and the musicians take the care of a master painter while filing up that space. To use the term from a later recording, you really get the sense that everything is in its right place, that the music is as it it was, is, and should be. Extraordinarily deliberate.

Deliberate - deliberate is a good place to be. This blog has well established my propensity for thinking, and this, I feel, is thinking music. It's music whose purpose is not immediately apparent. I can appreciate that, because the best things in life involve self-reflection.

So there you go.

Album of the Week: Version

Hello folks, back with the Internet's Greatest Semi-Regular Feature... yes, the Album of the Week. This week's album is "Version," by English producer/DJ/guitarist/just plain cool dude Mark Ronson. And seriously, I'm not just saying that because he's English.

One thing you need to know about this album, is that at a very prosaic level, none of it is original. Mark Ronson didn't actually write any of this stuff - it's mostly all covers of British indie tunes. However, given that caveat, you should know that on a less-prosaic level, this album is quite original. I've been thinking hard tonight of an apt metaphor for this work of art, and I think it's most appropriate to compare it to a different work of art.

How many of you are Tarantino fans? Should you be a Tarantino fan, you will also be a Mark Ronson fan. That is because, Ronson is perhaps the musical Tarantino of this age. I say this because nearly every track on this album has a pulpy, funky, infections reimagination to it that is equal parts surf rock, Ray Charles soul, and Big-Afro funk. Now to be fair, I don't mean that this simply would be music that would go into a Tarantino movie - that would diminish the art. No folks, this is music reimagined in a similar way, but not a copy by any means.

Now, from what Wikipedia tells me, Mark Ronson is a pretty funky guy. I know this because he's part of the production team behind Amy Winehouse's bluesy, funky "Back to Black" album (as an aside, Winehouse's feature on "Valerie" is undoubtedly one of the album standouts). What I love about this album is how seamless the funk is integrated into these very distinct songs. Partly, I guess this is attributable to the inclusion of the Dap-Kings as session musicians on nearly all the tracks. And make no mistake, the horns here are absolutely fantastic - just the perfect amount of pop, especially in the trumpet. Seriously, it is just an incredibly infectious collection of music, made even better by all the collaborations.

Of course, some of the tracks fall a bit flat, as one may expect from a mere mortal (The Beatles are obviously excluded from the "mere mortal" category). The cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic" doesn't quite do it for me, nor does "Pretty Green." But the Lily Allen cover of the Kaiser Chiefs' "Oh My God" is absolutely stunning, not least because of Allen's mind-bogglingly sultry, sexy vocals, in that way only a proper English girl can do. As aforementioned, Amy Winehouse does a tour de force rendition of "Valerie."



Maybe most confusingly, there is quite the remake of Radiohead's "Just." Yes, that Radiohead, with funky horns and Jackson 5-esque guitar strumming. Objectively, your rational brain would probably put those three things together (Radiohead, funky horns, Jackson Five), and think to yourself "hmm, not a good idea." Rational brain, yet another reason why you are overrated.

Anyways, I had heard rumors that this album was a bit overrated, but I can say after giving it a good two or so days of near constant airplay, I really enjoy it. Quite good, and you'll especially enjoy it with a well placed grain of salt, and maybe a light up dance floor to bust a groove on. Plus, Mark Ronson is still obscure enough, that you can say "Oh yes, I love this new English producer/dj/guitarist/pretty cool dude - you haven't heard of him," and still sound like the pretentious, know-it-all white person you fancy yourself.

I know I've done it at least twice now.

Album of the Week: It's Never Been Like That

To commemorate my failure to see Phoenix live in Minneapolis last Thursday, this week's album is the third studio release from everyone's favourite English-language French electronica-rock band. Yes folks, for those of you who may remember my glowing review of "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," here is yet another one. Actually, I daresay this is the first band to have the honor of landing twice on the Album of the Week. So, I think you'll agree that congratulations are in order!

My starting point and frame of reference for listening to this album was the fabulous album previously referenced, that being "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix." That album was heavy on electronica and dance beats, combined with some unique use of percussion and guitar. Bottom line, it's a very unique sound, one that is very distinguishable from many other current groups. In contrast, "It's Never Been Like That" features much more prominent guitar work, although there is still some dance/electronica elements. The dance vibe is especially evident in "Consolation Prize," which is one of my favourite tracks on this disc.

Like I said though, I hear a lot more non-distorted guitar on this disc, and it comes off in a very crisp, appealing way. "One Time Too Many" is a good example of this sound, with the guitar coming off in a very crisp way. Almost completely opposite is the driving accompaniment in "Courtesy Laughs," where you almost feel hit on the head with heavy, accented downbeats. Although this relatively ham-handedness isn't quite what I expected from Phoenix, it really works on this particularly song, especially when combined with Thomas Mars' focused vocals.

From a broader point of view, one thing that Phoenix always seems to do quite well is to maintain a certain level of energy throughout not only their songs, but their entire albums. I mean, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" practically has you on edge the entire time, and I think it's really hard to listen to it sitting still. "It's Never Been Like That" has that same sensibility, but in a different, more straightforward way. That's not to say that this is a boring album; in fact, that's far from the truth. But in listening to this in comparison with "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," you definitely get the sense that this is a band on the cusp of revelation, like they're but a few steps away from greatness. I'd be very interested in getting some earlier Phoenix stuff, just to get a better sense of their sonic development.

Another thing I appreciate about this album is the inclusion of an all-instrumental number, "North." Too often I think, bands are consumed by the temptation of lyrics. After all, they have a vocalist to sing, and popular tastes demand it. So I really respect the inclusion of an instrumental number, although I must say, it lacks the sweeping quality of "Love Like a Sunset."

As you may guess, I love this band. I love "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," and have literally been listening to it at least once a week since February. I still don't get tired of it. I'm always going to judge any music by Phoenix against that album, so I'm definitely skewed in terms of what I expect from them. This album was a pleasant surprise, although I'd lie if I said I was instantly taken with it. Like I said, I think it's an excellent portrait of a band on the brink of truly finding themselves from an artistic standpoint. It could stand alone on that, as a historical relic. However, I think it also stands by itself as great music.

Verdict? Highly recommended.