Transcript
Nicole Shine: And we're back. Yeah.
Conor: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Glenwoods Music Club where each week we pick an album, Legendary, Obscure, Lent or Not, and review it. In this episode, we're reviewing another one of Nicky's choices and ripping off another Band-Aid.
Conor: This week, we are doing Radiohead's The Bends.
Nicole Shine: e
Conor: Release on March 13, 1995. It is the second studio album by the band. it was recorded across three studios, RAC in London, The Manor in Oxfordshire, and Abbey Road in London.
Nicole Shine: three
Nicole Shine: news points.
Conor: Produced by John Leckie with extra production by Radiohead, Nigel Godrick, and Jim Warren. The events is fundamentally about the suffocating pressure of sudden fame, the alienation of modern consumer culture, and the personal struggles with depression and anxiety.
Conor: The title is a medical metaphor for decompression sickness reflecting the band's overwhelming rocket to stardom after the massive success of their 93 debut hit, Creep.
Conor: The band is dedicated to the American comedian Bill Hicks. York said Hicks was able to make things that were incredibly believe frightening, funny, and by doing that, made them seem okay.
Conor: um The Benz was the first Radiohead album with artwork by Stanley Donwood, who has worked with York to create all of Radiohead's artwork since.
Conor: The Benz is certified platinum in the United States by the RIAA. The record also holds a four-time platinum certification in the UK is widely recognized as a turning point in the band's history.
Conor: So, babe, how did you find out about this album? It's silly question, but it's our formula
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Did you discover it on yourself or did someone introduce it to you?
Nicole Shine: Yeah, and it's funny just to go back a little bit. This is the second pick in a row.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: The second album pick that had in a row that the album has been dedicated to Bill Hicks.
Conor: That's right.
Nicole Shine: That's
Conor: oh crap. I didn't realize that.
Nicole Shine: right. yeah, I should probably go list... watch more bill hicks he's inspired a lot of music i like um um it's funny because this ah um as i said before tool and radiohead are my co two favorite bands um um i can't you know there's no deciding which one i like better they're equal in my eyes um just for different reasons um
Conor: Yeah, for sure.
Nicole Shine: i This is actually not the album that got me into them. I had heard songs from this album, of course, like seeing the videos of MTV, all that stuff.
Conor: Okay.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It wasn't until my favorite album that I heard from them. that I actually got into them. And then I kind of went back and got into their earlier stuff afterwards.
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: So I did discover some of my own and it was through um going back and digging through the past catalog after I had fell in love with the band from a different album.
Conor: Nice. Okay. I feel like that's a lot. That happens a lot. Um, especially with me for sure. And I'm sure.
Nicole Shine: me
Conor: Yeah. Um, I didn't know much of their catalog until I met you. Um, and your fandom introduced me to everything else. Um, but I do have a story. My uncle had o k computer.
Conor: And I remember hearing the singles to that on the radio and MTV a lot.
Nicole Shine: remember the singles to that original and then ended up getting thirsty, but that all I had until and
Conor: Um, and then i ended up getting their cd but um that was all i had by them up until you know you and i so all right so let's go through the tracks of the album first track planet telex explores feelings of depression paranoia and a deeply flawed modern world the title references a malfunctioning planet with lyrics highlighting the struggle to find escape or clarity
Conor: Thoughts on Planet Telex?
Nicole Shine: I really like this song. um It's kind of like, if you listen to Pablo, honey, it's kind of um like, it almost feels like a leftover.
Conor: Oh really?
Nicole Shine: you know what I mean? Like it kind of, it's better than anything on there, almost everything on there. But um it um it kind of feels like they were still, like the first few songs of this album kind of feel like they were still kind of shedding that
Conor: I get that.
Nicole Shine: ah You know what mean?
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Pablo, Honey, and so you start getting more into the album and it starts kind of, you start seeing shades of future things that they would do. um
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's funny because a little background the song. Tom was so drunk while they were recording this that he had to like lay down and do his vocal part.
Conor: Oh my God. That's fucking funny.
Nicole Shine: That's just a little inside tidbit. But anyway, it's pretty funny.
Conor: That's awesome.
Nicole Shine: But no, it's a good song. It's a banger of an opener. It gets you like... It's funny because I don't feel like the rest of the album is really like the song. You know what I mean?
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's like, oh, you about to... It kind of gets you pumped up and the rest of this album is not so pumped up. So it's pretty funny.
Conor: That's funny.
Nicole Shine: You're like, yeah, I'm about to rock You think they should have rock of
Conor: You think they should have had it in the middle so that way the songs would build up to it and go back down?
Nicole Shine: No, it's a good opener.
Conor: No?
Nicole Shine: it's just It's just not, if you're expecting like that's what the album is going to be, it's not.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Okay, yeah.
Nicole Shine: that's
Conor: It's funny because were mentioning it feels like a remnant or leftover or beachside from Pablo Honey. I still need to check that album out because obviously i haven't.
Conor: But I can definitely see what you're talking about.
Nicole Shine: not.
Conor: like As the album goes on, you can see, you can hear like how radio is Radiohead is like progressing. I call them radio like the fucking guy in the movie.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Conor: of No, Radiohead.
Nicole Shine: see
Conor: But yeah, I think it's a great opener. I really like the opening to the song, the echoey effects and everything. But yeah, it's really good. Track two, The Benz. The title track serves as a commentary on the shallow nature of the music industry, sudden celebrity, and the confusion of figuring out who you your true friends are.
Conor: Thoughts on The Benz.
Nicole Shine: I did not like this song.
Nicole Shine: Sorry, a lot of people like this song. you know, fans of the band. this song, do not. I'm not fan of this song Do not like it. just really have a ton of tracks.
Nicole Shine: Not bad. just didn't like songs.
Conor: Yeah, I just wrote um title track, not bad, doesn't hit like the other songs, and I put might be might be my least favorite, so I'm right there with you on that one.
Nicole Shine: And I microphone my
Nicole Shine: Yeah, I just did not. I don't get what people see in this song. People like it. I can't stand it.
Conor: Part of me wonders if it's the fact like, oh, it's the name of the album, you know? don't know. Yeah, that's, you know, you have to be discovered. All right, track three, High and Dry.
Conor: A melancholic trek about arrogance, superficial ambition, and the destructive fallout of trying to be someone you aren't. Thoughts on the high dry?
Nicole Shine: Know what I'm gonna do.
Conor: What?
Nicole Shine: I say know what I'm gonna This is the radio song.
Conor: Yep.
Nicole Shine: It's the song from the radio.
Conor: Oh.
Nicole Shine: it's not this it's However, it's not the song that people say when they say that they like the band. Because that's creep. And it will always be creep.
Nicole Shine: They can release 45 singles and it will still be creep.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: But this is the the radio song from the album. um I don't like the song either. a matter of fact, i kind of loathe this song. I promise I like this album.
Conor: ah
Nicole Shine: It's just like, I think my two least favorite songs from it somehow ended up being back to back at the beginning the album. But I promise I like the album a lot. It's just, I just actively disliked the Benz and High and Dry lot.
Conor: Is there a specific reason for high and dry? Is it too like formulaic? or Okay.
Nicole Shine: I just don't like it.
Conor: All right.
Nicole Shine: I just don't know. You know how you hear something, and you like and you don't like it.
Conor: Yeah. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Which is funny, because I love Radiohead, but I just do not like it. I don't think the band likes this song. They never play it. Matter of fact, they don't play a lot of stuff from the Benz. You might get Meyer and Lone.
Nicole Shine: You might get a Street Spirit or a Fake Plastic Trees at an encore.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: You know what mean?
Conor: Yeah, yeah.
Nicole Shine: But they really don't play a lot of songs from this album a lot, but they definitely don't play High and Dry, it single. Like, know when last time freaking Dry. we've used, like, the songs. I've been just of the songs.
Nicole Shine: been just
Conor: Yeah, the videos, like the live videos that you watch, um I've definitely seen my iron lung a lot, but I don't recall seeing any other their songs, you know.
Nicole Shine: seeing the
Conor: um Yeah, my thoughts are, I really like the song. Like, I'm quite different um opinionated on this one than you. I like the slow of it, the slow flow of it.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: It's great. Yeah, I i really like the song. So next song, Fake Plastic Trees, a sharp critique of mass consumption, commercialization, partially inspired by the development of London's Canary Wharf and feeling artificial in a modern world.
Nicole Shine: and
Conor: Thoughts on fake plastic trees.
Nicole Shine: Now, this is a banger. This is more like it.
Conor: Mm hmm.
Nicole Shine: Um, this is where the album starts to turn, obviously. I forget what, um, magazine. They used to do this, like, um,
Nicole Shine: section and it was called the best songs ever written and every time it would feature a different song this was one of them one time um the song is so good and if you don't think this song is good then i don't yeah just you don't like good things but this um this song is so good
Conor: Really?
Conor: don't know what to tell you.
Conor: Yeah, I think it's a beautiful song. The heavy vintage like Hammond organ in there is just so beautifully incorporated in the song.
Nicole Shine: Mm-hmm.
Nicole Shine: I think, oh, go ahead.
Conor: And I love the music video.
Nicole Shine: Yeah,
Conor: They're all just sitting in like big shopping carts. It's hilarious.
Nicole Shine: it's a good video. um
Conor: And Johnny's giving face. So, yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yes, Sony is always serving face.
Conor: Yeah, he is.
Nicole Shine: So to this day. um I think this one thing um I will say about this song and a lot of the songs from here um that were singles from this album or whatever,
Nicole Shine: I feel like this is a lot of where they get their I'm a sad boy image. Yeah.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: Where if you know their music, they're not like, I think when people think they're going to put on their album and all their songs are just sad and to to kill yourself.
Nicole Shine: And I think that this album kind of gave them that image. But if you go into a catalog, it's not. I like that. They have upbeat songs. They have, especially when they get into their beep, beep, boop era. um
Conor: hu
Nicole Shine: But, um yeah. But ah this I can see people seeing this video and being like, hearing creep and then seeing this video and being like, oh, God, these guys are, you know, just depressed all the time. ah But it's a beautiful song. I can't enjoy
Conor: Yeah, I mean... Yeah, I can kind of see that too. Like you're saying, oh, they go from creep to this. And it's like, oh, they're not depressing. I swear. It's like, well, you could have fooled me.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: You should. All right. So next song, Bones. Deals with the physical and mental anxieties of aging, paralyzing fear of growing older and watching your youth fade away. Thoughts on Bones.
Nicole Shine: Now, see, it's an upbeat song. um Not upbeat in subject matter, but but in music, you know, instrumentation or whatever.
Conor: Not subject matter. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Nicole Shine: I think this song is so um underrated.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: This song is such a banger.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's so good. I love this song. and I do feel like it's it's a very underrated song. um This one jams, man. Like, when people say they can't, you know...
Nicole Shine: You know, now because they they do so much different experimentation or whatever, but this is just proof.
Conor: Mm-hmm.
Nicole Shine: They can just pick up guitar-based drums and and and just rock out kind of. um And it to me, that's what it is. One, it's a really good vocal performer sometime too, by the way.
Conor: yeah Yeah, like we were discussing before the podcast, like I was listening to the album on the way home from work, and man, yeah, this that intro just pulls me right in.
Conor: It's just a rocking song. i like the chorus a lot.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Just really a good song all the way around. It really is, like you said, a underrated song on this album.
Nicole Shine: yeah
Conor: Next song is Nice Dream in parentheses. Juxtaposes a cynical reality with a soothing acoustic escape. The lyrics touch upon a fragile, illusionary piece that doesn't actually solve the problems of the real world.
Conor: Thoughts on Nice Dream.
Nicole Shine: I think this is also an underrated song. um Yeah, while it's not like the greatest song on the album, um it is a really good song. it's It's a very sweet, almost like dreamy kind of song.
Conor: Mm-hmm.
Nicole Shine: um Another, i mean, Tom's vocal performance on this album, you know what I mean? He really, he does I think this album, maybe OK Computer too, but I think this album is where he does his good singing.
Conor: Yeah, yeah.
Nicole Shine: um it's good thing um because his vocals on this album that's probably why he doesn't perform it as much because he probably don't want to put the strain because every song he's just like belting it out but um
Conor: It's good singing.
Conor: Right? Yeah.
Conor: That's true. That could be a fair point. I wonder.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, but this is, you know, this song is good.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's not, you know, it's not the best. It's not groundbreaking or anything, but I like it, and I think it's underrated a lot when people talk about this album. They don't really talk about this song that much.
Conor: yeah um i just put i'm a sucker for acoustics and man this song is just very beautiful very dreamy and i love tom singing on this one like like you said he's just he's going off all right next song just a blistering guitar track where tom york targets an egotistical manipulative acquaintance the over
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Our King theme is self-destructive behavior captured by the famous chorus line, you do it to yourself. Thoughts on just.
Nicole Shine: I'm going to let you have this one, because I know how you feel about this song.
Conor: I love this song.
Nicole Shine: love it. You have such strong, it's so many more strong.
Conor: Everything about it, especially the lyrics. Like I asked Nikki, I always repeat the fucking chorus and just, ah I love the song so much.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, um I think you say you do it to yourself, just you, probably like at least once a week sometimes. Like, there's something that happens at least once a week. They're making things.
Conor: It just speaks so much truth.
Nicole Shine: Mm-hmm.
Conor: Like there's songs in this world where the artist just gets a very poignant subject and just so perfectly like articulates it.
Conor: And I feel like this is that song. Like there's so many times in life where people are like, try to blame others and what have you. And it's like, no, motherfucker, you did it to yourself.
Conor: And you're mad because you have no one else to blame if you really think about it.
Nicole Shine: And that's why it really hurts Because you did it to yourself One of their most iconic videos too by the way Does anybody know what that guy is really saying?
Conor: Exactly. See? Like, he just says, ugh, fucking love this song.
Nicole Shine: I think somebody had tried like Read his lips and see what he's really saying I to see the all the band Because I don't even think the band knows what he said
Conor: Or I want to see the Reddit with all the fan fiction, you know?
Nicole Shine: Like, don't, I think the only, the, I don't know if they do or they don't, but.
Conor: And then they're all, after he tells them, they all end up lying on ground too.
Nicole Shine: um yeah it's a really good video, too.
Conor: Like, I'm like, man, must have said some heavy shit to where everyone else is like, well, fuck, fuck my life. You know? It's so good.
Nicole Shine: It's one of their best.
Conor: Yo. Did you want to say any more are you ready for next
Nicole Shine: Um, no, it's just a rocking song. Like you said, it's good. Lyrics are, is you know, one of the best, some of best Tom's best lyricism in the chorus. um Yeah.
Conor: Cool.
Nicole Shine: You have stronger opinions. I let you have it because I know you have very strong opinions about that one.
Conor: Thank you. i appreciate that. I greatly appreciate that.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: um Next song is My Iron Lung. Acting as a cathartic response to the massive success of their early hit creep. The song attacks the music industry's formulaic machinery and the feeling of being trapped by your own breakout success.
Conor: Thoughts on My Iron Lung.
Nicole Shine: I really, really like this song. um everybody You know, this is, ah you know, among their fans, one of their classics, you know, quote unquote. um They actually, you know, like I said, they'll they'll break it out every now and again.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: think yeah i think i um I want to say I saw them perform this song live.
Conor: That'd be cool.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I think I did. i think I did. when i The first time I ever saw them, I think they performed this. But um um yeah, it's a good song.
Conor: Nice.
Nicole Shine: Classic song. I like the the little middle, the little we freak out in the middle that they And then how it, they around and then it like drops down and goes back into the...
Conor: Yeah. who
Nicole Shine: new
Conor: doo do du I always like, I put on my comments that I love that. It sounds very dreamy guitar, you know? love that part.
Nicole Shine: I know a lot a lot of people are wishing they would just make an album like this again. It's just guitar-based drum. I don't think they ever will.
Conor: No. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: But Johnny fucking shreds on this album, dude.
Conor: Yeah, he really does.
Nicole Shine: He really does.
Conor: They're like, This is like Johnny Shred song. It's really not.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, that and Just, just too.
Conor: It should be called that.
Nicole Shine: yeah just he He does a lot.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: He did a lot shredding on this one. And then after that, he's like, okay, don't need to do that anymore. Time to pick up the, whatever that thing is called he plays, that there the,
Conor: A little beat thing or.
Nicole Shine: no, the, no, not the lemon, the little, like, um, that string thing that he plays.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I forget what it's called. It's like a, I don't know. But, yeah, let me pick up my weird fucking harpsichord or whatever fuck it is I play now and my keyboards and my e other 57 instruments and...
Conor: johnny five thousand instruments and
Nicole Shine: sit Anyway.
Conor: But yeah. Yeah. Dreaming guitar beginning. Love it. Another Rocky song.
Nicole Shine: OK.
Conor: All right. So next track. Bulletproof. I wish I was. Features darker, more introspective themes. It explores a desire to numb oneself, asking to become less sensitive and more immune to emotional pain.
Conor: Thoughts on Bulletproof. I wish I was.
Nicole Shine: okay You know what i mean? Like, this this is not one, like, I go to a lot. um I listen to a lot of their songs. Like, I'll make playlists of their songs. They have so many.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: um And this is this not one I go to a lot. um
Conor: Yeah. I don't recall ever hearing this one on your playlist.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, it's okay. Like, if I'm listening to the album, I'll, of course, listen to it, but...
Conor: Yeah. That's God.
Nicole Shine: it's just
Conor: That's so funny. We're the same man.
Nicole Shine: oh
Conor: Like I thought, but I like the background noises and guitar, but other than that, the song is kind of meh to me.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, this is me. Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, exactly.
Nicole Shine: Alright. song. A
Conor: So, all right. Next song, Black Star. A song about a relationship's decline, capturing the cold, mundane reality of loving someone who feels like a stranger and the general disillusionment of domestic life.
Conor: Thoughts on Black Star.
Nicole Shine: Don't fight me radio headphones. I don't really like this song either.
Nicole Shine: i just don't. I just don't like it. um It's very like... and don't know. It feels very generic to me.
Nicole Shine: it know It feels like it could have been like made by any band at the time.
Conor: Okay.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It doesn't have that special radio hit list about it.
Conor: Like tint. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: You know what I mean?
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Blame it on Blackstar, I guess. Whatever. think it's Roger Tom, but...
Conor: I think it's a rocking song, but. One funny thing about it is the way the song starts, you feel like you missed the beginning. Like you were out of the room and you're like, oh shit, the song started.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: You come back in and already started. No, that's the way the song starts. But yeah, it's, yeah, it's a rockin' song, but it's not anything amazing in my opinion.
Nicole Shine: yeah
Conor: Yeah. All right. Next song is Sulk. The medically inspired by the horrific 1987 Hungerford mass shooting in England. It is essentially a dark atmospheric track about battling oneself and the physical act of singing into defeat.
Conor: Thoughts on Salk?
Nicole Shine: I really like this one. We're back again, but ones I like.
Conor: Hmm.
Nicole Shine: um And i it's I like it on the strength of Tom's vocals. He really, really belts this fucking song.
Conor: Back to Tom's vocals, man. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I mean,
Conor: This album, yeah.
Nicole Shine: This is, like I said, this is where he did his good singing. This one, I mean, the instrumentation, of course, is good, too. I like. um But, yeah, he belts this fucking song.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Especially in the chorus. God. um He is one of my, you know, of course, him and Maynard. um
Conor: He's on your list of...
Nicole Shine: My two favorite vocalists. So, I mean, of course.
Conor: Okay. Nice.
Nicole Shine: I'd say in the um with the Jeff Buckley episode.
Conor: Yeah, you did.
Nicole Shine: yeah um that i i um take take my man tom very seriously and um especially his vocal skills don't play with him um yeah i love the chorus as
Conor: That's right.
Conor: Yeah, I just put good song and I love the chorus as well. So, yeah.
Nicole Shine: well
Conor: Next song is Street Spirit, Fade Out. Heavily influenced by Ben Oakry's novel, The Famished Road, this closer is a haunting reflection on mortality, insignificance, and claustrophobia, culminating and a plea to immerse your soul in love. So thoughts on Street Spirit, fade out.
Nicole Shine: absolute banger um i know it's weird to say in the context of this song right but um i love love love love this song this song is perfect this song the instruments from the interpretation again back to my man's vocals um back to the lyrics back to they even said like
Conor: love It's weird to say that I'm just a good one.
Nicole Shine: um they felt weird after writing this. Like, how do we write this? You know what mean? Like, this song is very, very fucking good.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: And one thing about Radiohead is they will give you an album closer. You what mean? Like, they're going to put a bow on that thing.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I think all of their albums, they are probably one of the best bands at album closers. Even the Pablo Honey has a good album closer. It's like the best song on the album, and that album sucks.
Nicole Shine: so
Conor: okay
Nicole Shine: But yeah, like they always pick a good one for the closer. Yeah.
Conor: Man, I really got to check out Pablo Honey here soon.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Because, yeah, so I have a full, you know, full feel of everything. Because I've heard all their other stuff. um Yeah, I said really good song and great closer to the album.
Conor: I agree. And I love the haunting feel to the song, you know. Oh,
Nicole Shine: The video is also a classic too. Another classic video.
Conor: crap. Did I watch the video? I probably did.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: Because, yeah, yeah, I just forget it.
Nicole Shine: You have, you have. It's on that one I have with other videos.
Conor: yeah yeah that video collection nice all right so favorite and least favorite songs but what's your favorite
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So... My favorite song is going to be Street Spirit.
Conor: really okay
Nicole Shine: Um, yeah. it was It was back and forth between Fake Plastic Trees and, um, Street Spirit. Um, thinking about it, would have to say that Street Spirit's edges us out, um, a little bit, just because of, um...
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: It just, if it's just a personal preference. This the one I prefer more. It's more.
Conor: Okay. Lee's favorite. Oh, sorry.
Nicole Shine: um Well, you do your favorite first, and then we'll do Lee's favorite.
Conor: Okay, cool. um kind of I can't just have a straight answer. You know me.
Nicole Shine: Mm-hmm.
Conor: um so lyrically just that was clear early on when i was going to ape shit over the description or feeling on the song but musically i fucking love bones that song is so so great so perfect
Nicole Shine: Yeah, made it.
Nicole Shine: Bones is a rockin' ass song Like I said, very underrated That song fuckin' rips Um
Conor: right yeah totally least favorite now
Nicole Shine: High and Dry and Dry It was between the Benz Blackstar could've been there too I don't i don't mind Blackstar in the Benz as much as High and Dry
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: um High and dry just makes me want to rip my ears off. I hate eye and dry. yeah And I like, you know, I have that thing where i watch the videos and I watch it because, you know, the video.
Nicole Shine: But even then, I wanted to turn the video down.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: wanted to turn it down there. Yeah.
Conor: I got to go do something.
Nicole Shine: thank
Conor: Change my tire or something.
Nicole Shine: oh yeah
Conor: That's funny. All right. So my least favorite is the Benz. Yeah. um After that, it probably would have been Bulletproof. is I'm not so big on Bulletproof.
Conor: But yeah, Benz for sure.
Nicole Shine: Okay, so um the the question I started last week was if you didn't, haven't heard anything else from the band And this was the only album you've heard from them Would this make you want to dig further into their catalog?
Nicole Shine: To check them out
Conor: I would say I'd be curious. Yeah, I'd probably check out their other stuff. Yeah, I wouldn't be like, oh my God, you know, because there are some songs where I'm like, meh, you know.
Conor: But yeah, I'd be curious.
Nicole Shine: Yeah if i was only listening to maybe the first
Nicole Shine: Even though fake plastic trees is a banger. If I was go if i only heard like the first third of the album, probably no.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: But listening that second two thirds really does a lot of the heavy lifting for the album. like a lot of heavy lifting for the album so i check it especially after hearing street spirit i was like oh okay i gotta see what else these guys what else these guys got but if you just play me like the first third of the album i was like i don't know gonna check these guys out which was a shame it's my favorite band and that's probably why like honestly i didn't check them out for so long because i'm like all those creep guys
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, whatever.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: I'm not. So. um so So we're going to do our ranking scale.
Nicole Shine: um We go by skips. um So our first, our zero skips is a perfect no notes album.
Nicole Shine: Our one skip is a mulligan. Everybody gets one. We always say that even the most Perfect of albums. You know, sometimes experiments just didn't work.
Conor: Try to swing and a miss.
Nicole Shine: amen yeah um But still perfect, pretty much.
Conor: Yep.
Nicole Shine: um Two skips is a classic album. Still better than 95% of albums.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Three skips is a good album. It's good.
Conor: That's good.
Nicole Shine: It's good. um Four skips is a mid album five skips is ass and six plus skips is trash um for double albums just double it um so I can go um believe it or not I'm going to give this a good
Conor: Yep.
Conor: Oh, okay.
Nicole Shine: I know, surprising, right?
Conor: Yeah, a little bit.
Nicole Shine: Because I'm a Radiohead fanatic. Y'all have no idea. When we start doing it, when we do other albums by them, you'll see. But that's what I think that's why I wanted to do this one.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, for sure.
Nicole Shine: Because there's so many albums. I'm like, no notes, no notes, no notes. I mean, there's a couple of albums where there will be notes.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: But for the most part, there's like, they have quite a several albums where I'll just like, no notes, no notes. And that can be kind of like, OK.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: But yeah. This one I wanted to do um for a couple reasons, but mostly because they were notes. So um with three skips, and as we talked about those being the bends, high and dry, and Black Star on our scale, that is a good.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: Still good. i mean, not ass or trash, but it's not even mid, but you know.
Conor: yeah yeah for sure no no yeah mom i actually gave it a little bit higher um i only did two skips and my two skips so it's a classic my opinion um and the skips are the bends and bulletproof if i was being honest so
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: All right.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: ah We'll have to see when we do other reviews of their stuff.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: But I think you'll actually really like pop Pablo Honey. Even though i I'm pretty sure I know where it's going be on our scale. For me.
Conor: Sadly, I think you're right.
Nicole Shine: But um I think You are more kind of like. Would be somebody who would like their older stuff. As to where. The more we get into their.
Nicole Shine: um You know. Newer. They haven't.
Conor: experimental and yeah yeah yeah
Nicole Shine: Yeah they haven't released album in 10 years. Or we can't say newer. But like their more recent stuff. Is where i My stuff will start going up. And yours might not be as much.
Conor: yeah and i also think it's from the way we listen to music you know like we've discussed this a lot like a lot of times um
Nicole Shine: Because just from. don't know from our musical taste.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. Yeah.
Conor: You listen to certain Radiohead songs and I have to leave the room because i start going to like an emotional dark place, you know, and you just like, you just listen for the appreciated of it.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: but i think was yeah yeah
Conor: Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the songs. I love them. But um unfortunately it it tends to like make me think of, you know, stuff that I've gone through, you know?
Nicole Shine: Yeah, like, um I enjoy Guitar Bass Drums Radiohead.
Conor: Yeah. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I enjoy Beep Beep Boop Radiohead. I enjoy A Metta Piano.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: You know, I enjoy, thankfully for me, because one thing we will say, you know, when we do other albums, if you're not familiar with Radiohead, is that none of their albums are the same.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So from here on out,
Conor: It changes.
Nicole Shine: every album is pretty much different.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's going to give something different musically and thematically. And some of it is shardly different from one album to the next. Whereas one album, it's the one thing. And then this whole the next album will give something totally different. You'll be like, what the? So, um, I like, luckily for me, I usually enjoy everything they give.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So, um, But like if you don't like one album from them, you could hear a ah different album from them and totally love it. Because it'll be totally, like it'll still be them.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: it you know But it will be, the you know musically, it might give something totally different. And you'd be like,
Conor: But that's good because then you're not like, okay, well, I'm exiting you know this band.
Nicole Shine: yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's like you never know what they're going to give you, which is kind of interesting.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: I can do a quick ranking. If anybody's curious real quick. Because I made you do one last week. What was happening?
Conor: Go for it, yeah.
Nicole Shine: Let's see. So they got nine. um So my favorite album from them is Amnesiac.
Nicole Shine: um That's the album that got me into them. It's not their best, and I say this all the time. Just because something is my favorite doesn't mean it's the best. And just because I don't like something doesn't mean it's the worst.
Nicole Shine: It's just what my personal preference is. And Amnesiac is the one, the album I was listening to. And when we do that album one day, I'll go into the story of that got me into them. um So it's always going to have a special place in my heart.
Nicole Shine: And I enjoy free jazz, Radiohead. A lot of people don't, but I do. um My second favorite will probably be Kid A.
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: oh um Like I said, I enjoy Beep, Beep, Boop, Radiohead. Third will probably be, okay, Computer.
Nicole Shine: um Fourth, In Rainbows. fifth yeah hell to fifth houseton the to the thief um then how to the or moon shape pool no i'm trying to think health the over moon shape pool pool
Conor: Oh, that album. Yeah, it's a great one.
Conor: shit cool Okay. Oh, okay.
Conor: okay
Nicole Shine: um
Nicole Shine: Hail to the Thief, The Benz, Moonshade Pool,
Conor: oh okay
Nicole Shine: um King of Limbs, and then, of course, Pile of Honey's Last for me. um Yeah, that's probably my ranking.
Conor: Okay, King of Limbs is eight and then yeah, okay, then Pablo's nine.
Nicole Shine: ah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Conor: Okay, all right.
Nicole Shine: ah that That looks good.
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: That looks about right. um
Conor: I like to make lists people so I was just writing it down.
Nicole Shine: I know, yeah, if you hear if you're like spin who go like, that's kind of kind beginning yeah
Conor: Click ha ha ha. That's just me people, sorry. I'm just Mr. List.
Nicole Shine: i'm ah I'm a much better, I'm a much bigger fan of Kinga Lin than a lot of people, it could have been, if it was the, from, and everybody, all the Radiohead fans know what I'm talking about, if it was from the, from the basement,
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Version. With the extra two songs.
Conor: Oh, shit. Yeah. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: The extra two or three songs. Of King of Limbs. That would probably be up there. That shit would probably be above. Hell to the Thief. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: If it was that version. That version fucking kicked.
Conor: yeah i think i'm right there with you too because yeah those those in the basement like sessions are fucking amazing or from the basement or yeah
Nicole Shine: Everybody.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. That from the basement. Performance of the King of Limbs. Kicks ass dude.
Conor: and then in rainbows as well like i fucking yeah in rainbows might be like my favorite album yeah i fucking love that album it's great album
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I kind of love Zan Rainbow. even
Nicole Shine: I love that because I think i always tell you, he gets mad at me because always dunk on Coldplay. But I think um that album to me was them. Why it doesn't rank higher to me? It's the perfect album probably. um But it's it was them like saying, we can still do this if we want to.
Nicole Shine: like They had made a couple of like experimental beep beep boopie kind of albums at that point and um i feel like that album was ah them being like oh we can still pick up this guitar based drums and do this if you want us to anytime we want to we just choose not to but trust and believe you yeah trust and believe we decided to pick up these guitar based drums we are still better than you your favorite artist could even hope to be so don't try us kind of thing but um yeah so
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: test me.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, i mean I mean, am I wrong, though? Am I wrong? Am I wrong?
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, no.
Conor: You're speaking like a fan. So.
Nicole Shine: Put Aime Rainbows up against anybody who else who does that kind of music at that time. Okay. okay But um anyway, so off my soapbox.
Conor: Yep. Yep.
Nicole Shine: So we will be back. I know we owe y'all Goldfinger. um It was a holiday weekend. Y'all know how we are. We're holiday weekends. um
Conor: yep
Nicole Shine: We will promise we promised to do it this weekend. um And we will be back next week with a Connor pick. And hopefully he doesn't pick another eight song. he's Connor's good for giving us an eight song album.
Nicole Shine: isn't
Conor: No, i think i'll yeah I think this week there was a lot going on and I kind of had had forgotten about it.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, I mean, your pick is your pick.
Conor: But no, no, you're right.
Nicole Shine: No, no.
Conor: um Yeah, good 12-track album off the pick. I got a couple in mind. Luckily, I've been creating a list for myself, obviously, Mr. List. But yeah.
Nicole Shine: yeah and watch me come back my my next turn with ah with the Sixth Strike Banger
Conor: AP three songs. I'll be like, what the fuck?
Nicole Shine: you all Alright, well, thanks for hanging out with you guys, and we will see you some, well, not see you, always say that. You will hear from us sometime this weekend.
Nicole Shine: thanks
Conor: mean, it's easy say that. Yep.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Talk to you later.
Nicole Shine: Bye.
Conor: Bye.
