I have all the Radiohead albums (except the first one, the one with Creep, that is, which I find rather bad). As for the comparison with Pink... it's a somewhat overused thing: everyone has said it, at least since 1997, the year of release, I believe, of "OK COMPUTER".

I believe, very succinctly, that the similarities between the two bands are really few. The only points in common are these.... in my view: 1) both English, 2) both manage to make a kind of Stadium Rock and simultaneously carve out a nice slice of "Alternative" sympathies (translated: they make a lot of money, fill stadiums, but at the same time can be defined as a band that doesn't follow trends, often surprises, and doesn't cater to expectations). Good job. Period.

A lot more can be added about the music, but I would say that the definition of "New Pink Floyd" could be offensive... a bit like saying "copycats". There are, however, bands that, although managing to be quite good, can aspire to belong to the category of followers of the "Pinkfloydian" genre... for example, people like Radar Bros (who, by the way, I also like) or Explosions In The Sky (interesting). Even Mercury Rev or Grandaddy have sometimes been mentioned... and the Flaming Lips in their latest album included a piece "Pompey Am Gotterammerung" that seems to have come off a Pink album, but scratched and damaged! Wonderful.

So: I finally listened to the new Radiohead album two or three times. Before giving a judgment, I usually have to listen to a whole album at least twice in a row, on headphones. Then, if I feel like playing it again, it means it has something special: it comes almost naturally. I don't dislike it at all, that is, it doesn't seem bad to me, but I find it a step below the previous albums. Let's say that if I had to make a ranking, I would put Kid A in first place, OK Computer and The Bends in second, Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief in third, along with this "In Rainbows" (I wouldn't even rank the first album).

The tracks are good, but they don't get under my skin: maybe it takes more time to offer them to my ears, still intoxicated by certain things I heard this year... The album in general sounds a bit monotonous and flat, memorable melodies are lacking. The impression is that of standing in front of a collection of B-sides, or rather C-sides, since I have a B-side, "Airbag/How Am I Driving?" which contains some incredible tracks, worthy of being on an "A" album. I don't
know. Maybe I need more time to process it. Nonetheless, their pop-rock-neo-psychedelic blend is certainly above the "commercial" standard, but since we've waited quite a few years for a new album, one would have expected a little something more: let's say that this hasn't amazed me like others have recently.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   15 Step (03:58)

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out, then you cut the string

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
First you reel me out, and then you cut the string

You used to be alright
What happened?
Did the cat get your tongue?
Did your string come undone?
One by one
One by one
It comes to us all
It's as soft as your pillow

You used to be alright
What happened?
Etcetera, etcetera
Fads for whatever
Fifteen steps, then a sheer drop

How come I end up where I started?
How come I end up where I went wrong?
Won't take my eyes off the ball again
You reel me out, then you cut the string

02   Bodysnatchers (04:02)

I do not
Understand
What it is
I've done wrong
Full of holes
Check for pulse
Blink your eyes
One for yes
Two for no

I have no idea what I am talking about
I am trapped in this body and can't get out
Ooooohhhh

You killed the sound
Removed backbone
A pale imitation
With the edges sawn off

I have no idea what you are talking about
Your mouth moves only with someone's hand up your ass
Ooooohhhh

Has the light gone out for you?
Because the light's gone out for me
It is the 21st century
It is the 21st century
It can follow you like a dog
It brought me to my knees
They got a skin and they put me in
They got a skin and they put me in
All the lines wrapped around my face
All the lines wrapped around my face
Are for anybody else to see
Are for anybody else to see
I'm a lie

I've seen it coming
I've seen it coming
I've seen it coming
I've seen it coming

03   Nude (04:15)

Don't get any big ideas
They're not gonna happen
You paint yourself white
And fill up with noise
But there'll be something missing

Now that you've found it, it's gone
Now that you feel it, you don't
You've gone off the rails

So don't get any big ideas
They're not gonna happen
You'll go to hell
For what your dirty mind is thinking

04   Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (05:18)

In the deepest ocean
The bottom of the sea
Your eyes
They turn me
Why should I stay here?
Why should I stay?

I'd be crazy not to follow
Follow where you lead
Your eyes
They turn me
Turn me on to phantoms
I follow to the edge of the earth
And fall off

Yeah, everybody leaves
If they get the chance
And this is my chance

I get eaten by the worms
And weird fishes
Picked over by the worms
And weird fishes
Weird fishes
Weird fishes

I...I hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

I...I hit the bottom
Hit the bottom and escape
Escape

05   All I Need (03:49)

I'm the next act
Waiting in the wings
I'm an animal
Trapped in your hot car

I am all the days
That you choose to ignore

You are all I need
You're all I need
I'm in the middle of your picture
Lying in the reeds

I am a moth
Who just wants to share your light
I'm just an insect
Trying to get out of the night

I only stick with you
Because there are no others

You are all I need
You're all I need
I'm in the middle of your picture
Lying in the reeds

It's all wrong, It's all right
It's all wrong, It's all right
It's all wrong, It's all right
It's all wrong, It's all right
It's all, it's all

06   Faust Arp (02:10)

One two three four

Wakey wakey
Rise and shine
It's on again, off again, on again
Watch me fall
Like dominoes
In pretty patterns
Fingers in the blackbird pie
I'm tingling, tingling, tingling
It's what you feel, not what you ought to
What you ought to
Reasonable and sensible
Dead from the neck up

I guess I'm stuffed, stuffed, stuffed
We thought you had it in you
But no, no, no
For no real reason

Squeeze the tubes and empty bottles
And take a bow, take a bow, take a bow
It's what you feel, not what you ought to
What you ought to
The elephant that's in the room is
Tumbling, tumbling, tumbling
Duplicate and triplicate
And plastic bags
And duplicate and triplicate
Dead from the neck up

I guess I'm stuffed, stuffed, stuffed
We thought you had it in you
But no, no, no
Exactly where do you get off?
Is enough, is enough
I love you but enough is enough
Enough of that stuff
There's no real reason

You've got a head full of feathers
You're gonna melt into butter

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Other reviews

By Alex1965

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 Listening to them makes everything seem so unreal. They are the therapy against the ugliness of our existence.


By Lennox

 This album is a masterpiece.

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By joe strummer

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 A uniform, compact work, without any significant qualitative drop. An operation of full substance, without any avant-garde pretentiousness.


By Stephen Write

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 The final judgment on "In Rainbows" is very positive, even if the expectations for this album were enormous and therefore a bit of disappointment in certain aspects is physiological.


By Fatal

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