The Gospel According to Prisco

Genius is a term that’s often bandied about with reckless abandon in the entertainment world.  Directors, authors, musicians; all of them get painted liberally with the genius brush.  Genius is something that can be recognized without actually having to kowtow.  I can appreciate Bob Dylan or the Beatles, but it doesn’t mean I have to enjoy every fucking song. Or any of them for that matter.  I like David Lynch, he’s working on a frequency beyond most people’s comprehension, but it doesn’t mean that I will foam at the mouth should someone question his work.  In fact, I totally understand how people can look at these artists and go, “…the fuck?”

I have never bowed before the altar of Thom Yorke.  Sure, I understand, the man’s talent is unquestionable.  I’m fairly certain the man could do a composition based on the phone book, and it would be stunning.  I’m a casual Radiohead fan, to the point that Pablo Honey is still my favorite album.  I’ve never been crazy about ambient music.  Not to the level of “unhs unhs unhs unhs”, that would be heresy, but there’s definitely a vibe there in the later albums that a bit trancelike.

That’s part of the appeal of Radiohead, I suppose.  There’s an obvious difference between tracks, but upon listening to the whole album In Rainbows , I couldn’t always tell when songs were going from one to the next.  Fuck, with Yorke’s keening lilt, I would be hard pressed to quote a lyric from any Radiohead song other than the perennial “Creep”.  Because the songs themselves are these layered quilts of sound and symphony.  So while I didn’t love everything on the album, there are bits and pieces here and there that are absolutely gorgeous.  I would venture to say that if you can’t find something on a Radiohead album that you enjoy, you just don’t like music.

I loved the middle of the album, in particular “Faust Arp” and “Reckoner”.  There are parts around it that sounds to me like his typical mournful wailing over electronica.  But as a whole, the album is a great distraction.  I don’t think you really listen to Radiohead for particular songs, unless you were a casual fan of the aforementioned “Creep” and “Karma Police” and one that’s been recommended to me numerous times, the wonderfully titled “A Punchup at a Wedding”.  I think the beauty of Radiohead is the ability to put on one of their albums, and let it wash over you.  You catch the bits you like, and just let the others float off into the ether. 

I admire the hell out of the band for offering it online for what you want to pay.  Most people wanted to pay nothing or $4.  It’s no longer available for download, but I was still able to (cough) acquire (cough) a copy.  That’s a brave statement to make.  Of course, this is their seventh album, and they aren’t hurting for fans or cash.  And while dear Courtney Love is planning a similar fire sale, I don’t expect that this will become the norm. 

Anyway, I liked this album, and it’s making me consider revisiting the early ones, particularly Amnesiac and The Bends to see if maybe I missed some stuff in my reckless youth.