This is my favorite Radiohead song, it actually was written way back in 1996/97 during the OK Computer sessions believe it or not! They weren’t happy with the way it was sounding so they shelved it for 10+ years until they tried again and finally released this much more stripped down version on In Rainbows in 2017. There’s live videos of them playing the original version on RU-vid if you want to hear how different it sounded back then, I love both versions. There’s several other songs that they did that with…Lift, Man O’ War, True Love Waits, and Follow Me Around…to name a few.
I'm so glad you're enjoying this. My journey started in my friend's car carpooling to work in 2003. After about ten minutes, I just stopped what I was saying and asked, "who is this?! This is amazing!" And he replied, "yeah, this is the new Radiohead. Do you not listen to them already?" That night I went home and found that record, Hail to the Thief, and I've listened to them nearly every day for 21 years now. Nothing else has ever done it for me like Radiohead. It never gets old. It always intrigues my brain. The patterns, the complexities. Eventually I got myself a guitar to study music, mostly because I wanted to further understand Radiohead, and what they've created. I'm 52 now and have been playing guitar for a little over two years. Thank you for giving your experienced analysis of their art. I really appreciate what you have to say.
I happen to be in the camp that believes all these songs should be heard as the studio versions for the first time, even though I know people love these live sessions. Especially the backing vocals on songs like this, and Reckoner, there is magic in those recorded versions.
@@ErolReactsI think it depends on your preference, these From the Basement sessions are really cool because it’s somewhat the best of both worlds. Radiohead does have some of the best studio mixes though !
@@dbaileyosu Yeah my mind immediately goes to the vocal harmonies but the orchestra parts on the records thats a good point too. I just think it would be a crime to hear Reckoner for the first time without the strings and harmonies in that bridge, or the production and mixing of the guitars in Weird Fishes.
Apart from the guitar, Jonny Greenwood is known for playing the Ondes Martenot, which is one of the first electronic instruments (similar to the Theremin but with a keyboard). The other guitarist, Ed O'Brien, uses an e-bow indeed. They both play the same notes one after the other, at 1:39. Jonny returns to the Ondes at the end of the song (4:46).
This song for me Its about believing in a fantasy that isn't there. You hold on to something that isn't real. But in the end you can only blame yourself.
Moon Shaped Pool, their most recent album (maybe their last as a band?) has so many excellent songs. BURN THE WITCH (great strings by Jonny, actually the entire album) -group think. repression. DECKS DARK - death, mortality. DAYDREAMING - life as an illusion. IDENTIKIT deception, phoniness. NUMBERS - environmental destruction ? or not? (it's Radiohead so ambiguous lyrics are a given). PRESENCE TENSE - Loss. TRUE LOVE WAITS - Loss, insecurity. Thom's marriage ended not long before the album was made (unfortunately she later died from cancer). Mortality and loss is a strong thread through the songs, which sounds depressing but surprisingly isn't.
Great spotting of the E-Bow - seen few reactions pick that up. So many of the great atmospheric soundscapes Radiohead create are mistaken as synths or production when they are just the 2 very clever and experimental guitarists Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien (using the E-Bow on this one) getting every possible tone or sound they can out of their guitars. With a 3 guitar band, that 3rd guitar can really open up some amazing layers and texture and it is prominent in their earlier more guitar heavy albums like "The Bends" and "OK Computer" and they evolved so much, they did less of that setup but always come back to it here and there, and certainly often on "In Rainbows." Thom is a very solid Rhythm player though I don't think he gets much credit for it, given how central everything else he is doing is to their music. But for me, when all 3 guitars are going, on a song off this same concert like "Bodysnatchers" it is one of the coolest and best classic setups for the band to shine. Have enjoyed your reaction, def giving you a Sub off the E-Bow alone, but in general, thanks a lot. Peace/
Thank you for this, Erol. Nearly at 1k subs, well deserved. I honestly prefer the "from the basement" versions, it just has this intimacy to it. In Rainbows and The King Of Limbs. That could be just me though. Excited for more, as always. Be well.
I love the version of Bloom way better than the studio one and ditto for Little By Little. A lot of fans don't like the Album much so they sleep on the basement version and it's a shame because it'a almost as good as the first one and that's a shame.
@@ARadioheadDeepDive I don't like the studio version nearly as much. It's the only album by them that I thought Godrich didn't excel on. It sounds a bit robotic and even the overall sound of the studio version sounds kind of muted almost I can't explain it but it just doesn't sound right to me. I love the basement session and to me if the studio record was just the basement session with the extra songs included there would be a lot more people who would think that KOL is among their best albums.
If you stick with any track from both “in the basement “ shows (yes there is 2 shows) you’ll love the tracks and even better.. you get to see the masters at work, AKA.. Radiohead
love your content. I think you're great. Admiration and respect. Thanks for the videos. In this song there is an e-bow, but also an ondes martinot played by Johhny Greenwood. The very high sustained note, then the e-bow follows it.
As great a version as this is live as everyone says, you really need to check out the studio version too - absolutely STUNNING arrangements and orchestration not present live, so SO good
At this point….you got to go all in. From the Basements are incredible performances King of Rainbows and In Rainbows. Space, atmosphere and ferocity with a hell of a lot of catharsis. Get your tissues ready for Moon Shaped Pool. OMG and I’m no teenager. Life man…real life and all the pain.
To me, this song is Thom's best vocal performance. The underlying theme ("masked" in a sense by the romantic, crooner, sexy-time vibe), is the suppression of big ideas, individuality, desire, by oppressive forces, groupthink, or a fascist state. The song was about a decade in the making, and its early title was Big Ideas.
Ascension level is a rare emotion when listening to music. My core memory of this song was when I was just sitting on a nice chair staring up into the sky full of stars and really enjoying the soaring vocals that sounded like angels to me.
Cool reaction, all the in the basement stuff is fantastic. You need to check out more from the Smile, try Wall of Eyes which is the first single from the second album.
@@user-xd5fm5hv7k you can’t watch the live before the studio for Paranoid android, you don’t get subtle nuances of the instrumentation because of the dense harmonic quality/layers
@@rusty1537unfortunately we already recorded it with the video tiny in the corner.. and yeah, super distracting 🤣 I’ll probably cover it for the public view so nobody yells at me.
The album version is great, there are some wonderful production and mix things going on. I’d listen to the rest of In Rainbows on the album first. From the Basement is wonderful, but it is missing Jonny’s incredibly moving string compositions. Nude and Reckoner especially.
For me the song captures the conflict of slipping your mask off when you're home alone after presenting as optimistic and in control outwardly. People ask me why I like Radiohead so much and I always say no other band has given a voice to my depression the way they have.
They have 2 basement sessions and both of them are epic some of the best live music i've ever heard. There are a lot on incredible songs in the session a couple more would be Reckoner, All I Need and Optimistic but the whole session is good to react to. The second one has a lot of amazing stuff as well.
Regarding the lyrics and their meaning, Thom claims to be only interested in the aesthetical qualities of the words. Some think that makes them almost Dada-like, embracing nonsense or no context. I see it as more of a Daoist type of approach. He doesn't force the meaning, it naturally develops from an emphasis on aesthetics in the process. I think Thom just downs plays the beautiful meaning that develops from his process. Thom may be one of the biggest rock stars who hates being a rock star. He is an emotional artist that doesn't like to label things to give them attributes, allowing the listener to have their own experience with the songs. Clearly, I am a fan.
@@ErolReacts Thanks. I can see that in Jon Anderson. That reminds me that I haven't listened to Yes in a long time. It also reminds me that Anderson wrote and sang tracks for some other bands including King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, and Kitaro. Looks like a need to make a playlist tomorrow. Cheers.
