Radiohead "green" performance on Conan O'Brien

[Silver Sonya]

In case you missed it, click here and watch the video.

It's spell-casting and beautiful. If you disagree, you're just wrong.



One of my favorite melancholic tracks off of "In Rainbows." Never realized that the lyrics seem to refer to some kind of seedy/erotic/tragic 1970's era "keys in the bowl" wife-swapping party. Mr. Yorke has quite the imagination.

Anyway, of interest: the sound that appears to be a synthesizer on the record is actually a Greenwood ambient guitar track, as demonstrated here. Watch him generate the spool of sound by gently scratching the strings, heavily amplified into some kind of echo.

Lovely.

Enjoy.

Cheers,
c

[redddog]

What kind of mic is THAT?









Just kidding.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by redddog

What kind of mic is THAT?









Just kidding.

Ha ha ha ha. You got me.

- c

[danbronson]

Thanks for posting! This is my favorite song on the new album. Some people throw the term 'haunting' around. So far this is the only song that perfectly fits that description to me.

Honestly, it took me a little while to get into the new album. But it's really grown on me. I can't wait to FINALLY see them in August! They've been my favorite band for years!

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by danbronson

Thanks for posting! This is my favorite song on the new album. Some people throw the term 'haunting' around. So far this is the only song that perfectly fits that description to me.

Honestly, it took me a little while to get into the new album. But it's really grown on me. I can't wait to FINALLY see them in August! They've been my favorite band for years!

I agree, haunting is an over-used word.

That being said, check out these lyrics. I think the term haunting applies. An impressionistic portrait of a sordid affair:

I don't wanna be your friend
I just wanna be your lover
No matter how it ends
No matter how it starts

Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

Fall off the table,
And get swept under
Denial, denial

The infrastructure will collapse
From voltage spikes
Throw your keys in the bowl
Kiss your husband goodnight

Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine
Forget about your house of cards
And I'll do mine

Fall off the table,
And get swept under

Denial, denial
Denial, denial

Your ears should be burning
Denial, denial
Your ears should be burning
Denial, denial

[Rripror]

... not a big fan, but I saw them last night. The mic is an EV RE-20. Made in Burnsville , MN.

[Rripror]

... D'oh! You got me too!tutt

[mikymike]

tutt

Originally Posted by Rripror

... not a big fan, but I saw them last night. The mic is an EV RE-20. Made in Burnsville , MN.

I wonder what the Co2 emmissions level was in the shipping of this mic to London?

[Rripror]

hey mikymike, now thats funny!

[Mertmo]

I will agree that the SONG is "spell-casting and beautiful".
But the performance? Sorry, not so much. I love this record, I think it's really
great and easily one of their best. But every one of these live in-studio performances fails to engage me at all.
I just don't think they are writing music that translates to interesting live performances.
OR maybe they are missing the opportunity to re-interperet the material appropriately so that it makes for a
gripping live performance piece. Amazing headphone candy type
recordings, but the live in-studio performances of the same songs.... pretty flat IMO.

The arrangements just don't move around enough to make for engaging
performances that are riveting to watch.

Let me say again how much I love this album...! My expectations are probably messing with me here.
I personally love it when the album and the live performance DON'T MATCH.
I would love to see them perform these songs with a little more liveliness,
regardless of whether or not it is true to the record.

PS, I guarantee I'm in the minority here and I fully expect to be flamed into
oblivion...

[Sid Viscous]

Of course, the plane they would have flown on to New York, went to new York anyway, and it most likely had plenty of room for them. So, in the end, they didn't really help. Great band, though.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Mertmo2

I will agree that the SONG is "spell-casting and beautiful".
But the performance? Sorry, not so much. I love this record, I think it's really
great and easily one of their best. But every one of these live in-studio performances fails to engage me at all.
I just don't think they are writing music that translates to interesting live performances.
OR maybe they are missing the opportunity to re-interperet the material appropriately so that it makes for a
gripping live performance piece. Amazing headphone candy type
recordings, but the live in-studio performances of the same songs.... pretty flat IMO.

The arrangements just don't move around enough to make for engaging
performances that are riveting to watch.

Let me say again how much I love this album...! My expectations are probably messing with me here.
I personally love it when the album and the live performance DON'T MATCH.
I would love to see them perform these songs with a little more liveliness,
regardless of whether or not it is true to the record.

PS, I guarantee I'm in the minority here and I fully expect to be flamed into
oblivion...

That's a legitimate opinion. I don't see why you would be flamed.

I don't agree, personally. I found the New Years' Eve broadcast (did you see that thing?) to be riveting and gripping.

And I find the "stillness" of this Conan O'Brien performance to be emotionally appropriate. Moving, even.

My feeling is kinda the opposite from yours, ultimately. When I see these live-in-the-studio performances, I'm struck by how little of the record's "production" is studio trickery and how much of it comes directly from the hands of the band.

But that's cool that we feel differently. No flamin' needed.



cheers,
c

[PhiloBeddoe]

Wow, these guys really are bloody brilliant...they found the perfect acceptable rock and roll excuse not to tour - saving the environment!

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by PhiloBeddoe

Wow, these guys really are bloody brilliant...they found the perfect acceptable rock and roll excuse not to tour - saving the environment!

They're touring. Click here for dates.

- c

[NathanEldred]

thumbsupthumbsup

[lanervoza]

I love radiohead, but I'll agree this performance was not stellar.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Sid Viscous

Of course, the plane they would have flown on to New York, went to new York anyway, and it most likely had plenty of room for them. So, in the end, they didn't really help. Great band, though.

This is true, but this is a little bit of myopic logic.

The idea is that if more people choose not to fly unnecessarily, eventually you have fewer planes flying from England to New York.

By doing the show from overseas, Radiohead took kind of an activist stance. Activist stances eventually yield mass shifts in cultural zeitgeist. Plus, it looked cool.

It may seem hippie or idealistic, but remember ten years ago there were a lot of conservative right wing think-tank folks who denied the existence of global warming. Now those folks seem as silly as the people who used to think the Earth was flat, etc.

Ignorance always seems inexorable, until it's not.

Anyway, man, it's getting hectic. I mean, lest we forget: a month ago, this happened.

It's no joke. None of us should be so confident that the world, as we know it, can't end.

'Cause it totally can.

- c

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by lanervoza

I love radiohead, but I'll agree this performance was not stellar.

You didn't at least get a kick out of him calling Bush a "twat" on national television?



- c

[A LaMere]

I've got it recorded on my dvr...

and in my opinion...
the performance is worth watching for the sound of Yorke's SG alone...

[obtainknowledge]

I'm all for less pollution, but global warming is a crock of shit.

[chrisso]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

By doing the show from overseas, Radiohead took kind of an activist stance. Activist stances eventually yield mass shifts in cultural zeitgeist. Plus, it looked cool.

Wow, you're putting major importance on a publicity appearance on US TV.

I wouldn't call Radiohead 'activists'.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by chrisso

I wouldn't call Radiohead 'activists'.

Dude, it's not just a tv show.

- c

[mdme_sadie]

The zeitgeist is determined by the media, the revolution will be televised.

It's an OK performance from them, Radiohead have always been a studio band though so that's alright. Radiohead really haven't moved me in years since (including) Kid-A. To me this is not haunting, it's instead just ridiculous amounts of reverb - a cheap trick instead and waste of Thom Yorkes potential (and the same trick they've been on for IMO far too long). Could someone please remove *all* their FX units and nice gearslutty kit and get them to stop being performance artists, producers and geeks and start being musicians again? Thoms still "got it" with his lyrics, but lyrics alone on "soundscapes" aren't enough in my opinion (unless you're a Patti Smith fan), I'm still waiting for their album "Resting on Laurels" to come out...

[Josht]

The "green" aspect of the performance was about pointing out the importance of an individual's carbon footprint. Whether or not the plane would have flown from London to NY without them is not the point, the point was making people think about their individual carbon footprint. If more people thought about their carbon footprint, maybe there would be marginally less or at least more efficient air travel. And in terms of their tour, Radiohead commissioned a study examining the carbon footprint of their tour, specifically things like urban versus rural venues and shipping versus flying their tour gear from the UK to US. Whether or not celebrity causes can help bring social change is an interesting question, but regardless of the correct answer, its at least nice to see any organization attempting to do the right thing when possible.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by obtainknowledge

global warming is a crock of shit.

Wow.

Best 19th post ever.

Let's just say I believe it enough for both of us.

- c

p.s. And may I add: great screen name.

[sleestack]

I understand they mean well, but it just bugs me when people vastly more wealthy than me lecture me on living with less. While they are selling me their shit usually. I'm pretty poor though. I'm not being rational. Its purely a gut reaction.

[big country]

I could use a little green love right about now

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Mertmo2

...maybe they are missing the opportunity to re-interperet the material appropriately so that it makes for a gripping live performance piece. Amazing headphone candy type recordings, but the live in-studio performances of the same songs.... pretty flat IMO.

that's how i see it as well. the performance was a picture-perfect re-creation of a picture-perfect artifice. i love it when live music gets real, when it expands beyond the structure of the recording and molts into something only the real-time present moment can allow for.

that usually involves, for me, a generous helping of the kinds of dynamics only the stage can provide.

then again, televised live performances tend to be the worst of both worlds for me; none of the decadent freedoms of the studio and its wide-open palette, none of the primal ancient emotions that come from having my body rocked by soundwaves coming straight from the bodies of the players.

the damn album is growing on me though, much to my surprise.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

None of us should be so confident that the world, as we know it, can't end.

'Cause it totally can.

'it can' implies that there's some measure of uncertainty about the matter.

it most decidedly will.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[obtainknowledge]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

Wow.

Best 19th post ever.

Let's just say I believe it enough for both of us.

- c

p.s. And may I add: great screen name.

At least you're in line with some of the greatest minds. Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the Angry Aussie.




Seriously, how do you explain why other planets are heating up to? Our car's are somehow heating up jupiter's atmosphere too? Or could it be the sun is heating up? It's just cycles, c. It's the alarmists that are going to have egg on their face in 10 years..as always. This whole thing is being used for political gain, fear mongering, and an excuse for population control. Earth will survive the SUV.