I sat in my room today, listening to some of radiohead's early stuff. Pablo Honey, their first album. Its a very good, now underrated, album. The reason I say now underrated is because it was huge when it first came out, but radiohead "fans" now dont like it because its simpler than their more recent music, it's more of a guitar driven album, and it's very different than their newer stuff. I think what people have to keep in mind is that the music radiohead makes now is a departure from Pablo Honey, as it came out first, not the other way around. But for radiohead lovers and haters alike, I think this album has elements that can appeal to everyone. I will now go over my top five songs that I think highlight the early radiohead work that is Pablo Honey.
The song "Been Thinking About You" is one of radiohead's only really emotional song. Its about losing a love to fame. The song is entirely acoustic, and I reccomend it to anyone who who hasnt heard alot of pablo honey, or anyone who doesnt like radiohead for the more electronic sounds that they've had recently.
Next up is the song "Ripcord". Thom Yorke said the song is about "signing [to a label], having lots of money and absolutely no idea what the fuck to do with your life" at their 93 performance in Sweden. This song has a brit-rock sound and a great melody unlike most of radioheads releases afterwards. Definately worth the listen.
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a perfect example of how radiohead can make a song free of obscure metaphors with simple sounds and lyrics and still make something that sounds great. This is one of the best tracks on the album, so be sure to give it a listen. An interesting note about the song, lead guitarist Johnny Greenwood played the guitar for this track with a paintbrush.
Anyone familiar with radiohead knows that they open their albums up with powerful sounding songs. Pablo Honey was no exeption to the rule. The song "You" is another love song, this one of a somewhat obsesive nature. Along with the powerful rock sound of this track, Thom Yorke displays his powerful vocal abilities. This is one of my favorite songs on the CD and it's a must hear.
Lastly we have "Creep". The big hit single. When it was first released, Radio 1 found it too depressing, and after been aired only twice, it was taken off the station's playlist. The song has been analyzed by many people, and theories of what it's about range from Thom's terrifying childhood to Thom's deceasd wife. Thom, however, was not an abused child, and he's never had a wife. At certain shows, Thom offers a partial explanation of the song. Written while he was at Exeter, he says, it tells the tale of a drunken student who tries to get attention of a woman he's attracted to; in the end, he lacks the self-confidence to pull it off. Whatever your interpretation to the song, this track is the epitomy of the Pablo Honey sound. It mixes their simple rock sound, with lyrics both simple and metaphorical to create something unmistakably radiohead. Download it.
So my final words on the album are as follows: Pablo Honey is a great album, no matter which side of the fence you're on. If you like radiohead, listen to this album. Although the band has evolved many times over since the 1993 release of this album, they have not completely left behind their Oxford rock roots. It will not stick out like a sore thumb in your radiohead collection and it will give you an interesting perspective on the band. For those of you who are not radiohead fans, I think the sound is different enough that you'll be able to find something you can enjoy on the album. Though a great album, this is not radiohead's best work. I would give the album three and a half stars out of five. It mixes sounds that you can recognize from radiohead's latest music with a brittish rock sound that creates something everyone can enjoy. Download these tracks, listen to these tracks, and enjoy these tracks.
By: Tim Anderson
