Muzak
So, The Eraser's arrival came and went, although I don't know with how much or how little fanfare, all I know is that there were plenty of them at Best Buy when I went after work. For those who don't know, The Eraser is thom yorke's first album without the rest of Radiohead. my mind is not yet made up on the greatness of the album, but it does harken back to the kid A and amnesiac days for the band, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. somewhere, i read a description of the album as electronica with thom's singing overlaid, which is fairly accurate, yet i like the songs a lot more than that description makes me think i would. until i have a chance to fully digest the entire thing, it stands as another memorable entry into my music catalogue but, hopefully, it is just a stepping stone to the ultimate radiohead album, which i had expected to have come out by now. it's now been three full years since their last album, which is unfortunate for me because that's when i first got into the band. i've had a fairly extensive discography to delve into over those three years, including six albums, a few EPs, and more singles and b-sides, but the world is due for a great radiohead album, which there really hasn't been since 2000's Kid A.
for the record, my ever-changing list of favorite radiohead albums:
1. OK Computer: top to bottom their strongest album, never straying far from pure genius
2. The Bends: more of a pure alt rock record than the later albums, which makes it a little more accessible
3. Kid A:
4. Pablo Honey: a great debut, the purest and simplest rock from radiohead, which is not intended as an insult, and is much more than just the one-hit-wonder that wasn't of Creep
5. Amnesiac: musically, it's tied to but lacks the appeal of Kid A, but still some great songs
6. Hail to the Thief: just doesn't do it for me; tried to find a compromise between the electronica tendencies of Kid A and Amnesiac and the rock of OK Computer and earlier, but it fails, not horribly, but it just doesn't have the qualities to make you keep going back
remember when you were young?
you shone like the sun....
the other big news on Tuesday, in my life anyway, was the death of Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd's co-founder and original leader. he gave the band direction and meaning in the early years, even though those weren't the years for which I, and most of the world, love the band. in fact, his leaving the band made room for Roger Waters to spread his wings and for David Gilmour to join, thus forming one of the great rock pairings in history. but pink floyd wouldn't have become the greatest band in history (my personal feelings) without syd barrett, even if you don't take into account his inspiration for the entire Wish You Were Here album as well as countless other songs. he was undoubtedly a genius, even if i didn't like most of his songs. he's left a lasting legacy through his catalogue as well as the members of Pink Floyd he influenced and inspired.
shine on you crazy diamond
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