FORMED: 1989, Oxford, England

Radiohead was one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena-rock that characterized U2's early albums. But the band internalized that epic sweep, turning it inside out to tell tortured, twisted tales of angst and alienation. Vocalist Thom Yorke's pained lyrics were brought to life by the group's three-guitar attack, which relied on texture -- borrowing as much from My Bloody Valentine and Pink Floyd as R.E.M. and the Pixies -- instead of virtuosity. It took Radiohead a while to formulate their signature sound. Their 1993 debut, Pablo Honey, only suggested their potential, and one of its songs, "Creep," became an unexpected international hit, its angst-ridden lyrics making it an alternative rock anthem. Many observers pigeonholed Radiohead as a one-hit wonder, but the group's second album, The Bends, was released to terrific reviews in the band's native Britain in early 1995, helping build a more stable fan base. Having demonstrated unexpected staying power, as well as increasing ambition, Radiohead next released OK Computer, a progressive, electronic-tinged masterpiece that became one of the most acclaimed albums of the '90s.Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar), Ed O'Brien (guitar, vocals), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass) and Phil Selway (drums) formed Radiohead as students at Oxford University in 1988. Initially called On a Friday, the band began pursuing a musical career in earnest in the early '90s, releasing the Drill EP in 1992. Shortly afterward, the group signed to EMI/Capitol and released the single "Creep," a fusion of R.E.M. and Nirvana highlighted by a noisy burst of feedback prior to the chorus. "Creep" was a moderate hit, and their next two singles, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Pop is Dead," built a small following, even as the British music press ignored the group. Pablo Honey, Radiohead's debut album, was released to mixed reviews in the spring of 1993. As the band launched a European supporting tour, "Creep" became a sudden smash hit in America, earning heavy airplay on modern rock radio and MTV. On the back of the single's success, Radiohead toured the U.S. extensively, opening for Belly and Tears for Fears. All the exposure helped Pablo Honey go gold, and "Creep" was re-released in the U.K. at the end of 1993. This time, the single became a Top Ten hit, and the band spent the following summer touring the world.Although "Creep" made Radiohead a success, it also led many observers to peg the band as one-hit wonders. Conscious of such thinking, the group entered the studio with producer John Leckie to record their second album, The Bends. Upon its spring 1995 release, The Bends was greeted with overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews, all of which praised the group's deeper, more mature sound. However, positive reviews didn't sell albums, as Radiohead struggled to be heard during the U.K.'s summer of Brit-pop and as American radio programmers and MTV ignored the record. The band continued to tour as the opening act on R.E.M.'s prestigious Monster tour. By the end of the year, The Bends began to catch on, thanks not only to the band's constant touring, but also to the stark, startling video for "Just." The album made many year-end best-of lists in the U.K., and early in 1996 the record re-entered the British Top Ten and climbed to gold status in the U.S., helped in the latter by the video for "Fake Plastic Trees." During the first half of 1996, Radiohead continued to tour before re-entering the studio that fall to record their third album, OK Computer, which was released in the summer of 1997. A devoted following of fans, and a handful of enthusiastic critical supporters immediately embraced the album's majestic blend of unfettered prog-rock, post-punk angst, eerie electronic textures, and assured songwriting. Since it skillfully teetered between rock classicism and futurism, it earned near-unanimous critical and popular support over the course of the year, which turned into unrestrained adoration in the final two years of the decade, even though its sales still hadn't climbed above gold status. Expectations for the band's fourth album were stratospheric, which placed additional pressure on the already perfectionist band, and led to several stumbling blocks along the way. An intense buzz of excitement among the band's still-growing following greeted the pre-release appearance of most of the album's tracks on the Internet in MP3 form; they displayed an all-out fascination with challenging, often minimalist electronica. Titled Kid A, the album was finally released in October 2000, and astonished many observers by debuting at number one on the U.S. album charts. While not releasing any singles or embarking on a formal tour, the album met with a mixed critical response and the band was accused of creating a distant and radio unfriendly record; However, it did remain a fan favorite. In June of 2001, Radiohead quickly released an album under the name Amnesiac which consisted of material that was recorded during the Kid A sessions. The band made it very clear though that it was not to be considered an outakes album and that rather the two albums were of clear and separate concept. The singles, Pyramid Song in the UK and the American release, I Might Be Wrong) were culled from Amnesiac whie a subsequent world tour followed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

October
2 The Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
3 Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan

Amnesiac

01. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
02. Pyramid Song
03. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
04. You And Whose Army?
05. I Might Be Wrong
06. Knives Out
07. Morning Bell/Amnesiac
08. Dollars & Cents
09. Hunting Bears
10. Like Spinning Plates
11. Life In A Glass House

Kid A

01. Everything In Its Right Place
02. Kid A
03. The National Anthem
04. How To Disappear Completely
05. Treefingers
06. Optimistic
07. In Limbo
08. Idioteque
09. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

O.K. Computer

01. Airbag
02. Paranoid Android
03. Subterranean Homesick Alien
04. Exit Music (For A Film)
05. Let Down
06. Karma Police
07. Fitter Happier
08. Electioneering
09. Climbing Up The Walls
10. No Surprises
11. Lucky
12. The Tourist

Bends

01. Planet Telex
02. The Bends
03. High and Dry
04. Fake Plastic Trees
05. Bones
06. (Nice Dreams)
07. Just (You Do It To Yourself)
08. My Iron Lung
09. Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was
10. Black Star
11. Sulk
12. Street Spirit

Pablo Honey

01. You
02. Creep
03. How Do You?
04. Stop Whispering
05. Thinking About You
06. Anyone Can Play Guitar
07. Ripcord
08. Vegetable
09. Prove Yourself
10. I Can't
11. Lurgee
12. Blow Out