The diehard among you are probably interested in acquiring Radiohead’s latest release, this week’s I Might Be Wrong … The Live Recordings. This isn’t a horrible idea?the record’s last track, “True Love Waits,” is quite good. Written during the OK Computer sessions, this lost accoustic number beautifully uses the structure and chord changes so typical of Radiohead’s sound at the time. “I’ll drown my beliefs / To have you baby,” Yorke croons somewhat cheesily over that incredible OK-era guitar.
However, to get to this point you will have to wait through seven middling versions of already-familiar tracks, far too many to give this disk the excuse of maxi-single status.
The whole disc is comprised of recordings from Radiohead’s recent tours. The first seven songs are all culled from Kid A and Amnesiac, and include some of those albums’ more rocking numbers: “The National Anthem,” “I Might Be Wrong” and “Idiotheque.” At times, all are interesting; Radiohead demonstrated their talent by finding perfect ways to tweak the more studio-oriented parts of these disks into viable live material for their extensive touring following Amnesiac.
Those modified versions sounded quite good at huge decibels?but that is no reason to commit them to disk. Beyond the admittedly beautiful piano version of “Like Spinning Plates,” the recordings mostly offer slight additions, never really changing the original structure. “Morning Bell” gets some extra distorted chops courtesy of mop-headed rock genius Johnny Greenwood. Colin Greenwood, who bares a rather uncanny resemblance to Christopher Walken, drops in modified basslines throughout the disc. Drummer Phil Selway is given a chance to show off on the hyped-up live version of “Idiotheque.” The drums are heavy and polyrhythmic, although rather predictably so, making the popular track somewhat disposable.
But the well-orchestrated live Radiohead is ultimately not that different from the studio Radiohead. Live, they sound good. The metamorphosis, however, doesn’t take them in stylistically new directions. Bands worthy of live discs are those which become an entirely new beast on stage, those which sound so unique that you wonder if the same group of people was responsible for the recording process. Mogwai, early-’70s Miles Davis … very few acts come to mind. With Radiohead, there are no surprises. Their songs sound good, they sound a little different, but it’s the same guys up there, playing the same tunes.
The disc’s worst quality, however, is its inclusion of crowd noise. Granted, this is a rather natural reaction at any concert, and Radiohead would be hard pressed to encourage its audiences to refrain from cheering. When layered over their songs, though, wild applause couldn’t be less appropriate?these tracks are paranoid, introspective and even anti-social.
Radiohead should have been content with simply sounding good. They’re so good at it. But instead, a rather solid catalogue has now been spoiled. For shame.
