Sunday 12 December 2010

Sunday Night is.... Radiohead




I have an unshakable belief in arriving at least ten years too late for quality popular culture. Sorts out the men from the goats. Or is it the sheep from the fish? In any case, I'm raising a hat to Radiohead fifteen years on. Fake Plastic Trees. Plaintive is as plaintive does, and this is beautiful and plaintive enough for a uniformly grey December afternoon darkening into evening. It's as if Thom Yorke's voice were seeping slowly from the clouds.



6 comments:

tomsz said...

one of my favourites... in fact Kid A is an excellent album (a bit more experimental)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkeVkYq8Es&feature=related

Mark Granier said...

Snap, George. I have often thought exactly the same thing regarding my relationship, in my expanding 'middle' years, with pop culture. My relationship with less popular culture is even more out of touch (I've just started listening to Arvo Part). Radiohead are groovy (discovered the marvellous 'Creep' last year: what a brilliant anthem for the oddball outer-fringe such as my youthful self ). If you haven't heard it, try The Crash Test Dummies' wonderful 'Superman's Song': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihUIPlLw2ZE

George S said...

Thank you. I will put the youtube hint into the browser.

It seems a little unseemly in a person of my deeply dignified age to be chasing after things that are intended for younger minds, though, as it happens, I continue interested. But best not crowd in. And the truth is I am pretty lazy in music anyway so it is less consideration and self-sacrifice , or even good sense, as distraction by other things.

But beware! I have also been listening - in my minimal lazy way - to the Arctic Monkeys. I know Gordon Brown got there before me, but the Monkeys are pretty strong on the lyric front.

The Radiohead sound is beautiful. The words of Fake Plastic Trees are a touch portentous, but only a touch, no more so than A Whiter Shade of Pale, say. The music does it all really. In the meantime I will take suggestion as to the music should really know better than I do. Feel free to recommend.

dana said...

As a visual, perhaps related to your wrestlers:
http://shoeblogs.com/2010/12/13/things-that-make-the-manolo-happy/#comments

George S said...

Thank you, Dana. That's beautiful.

musette said...

Hi George,

You may've already heard it, but if not, check out 'Lucky' by Radiohead. I like it even more than Fake Plastic Trees.