Wearing Bono shades in the Secret Garden
So as many of you probably already know, Radiohead released some new music to the world recently. It’s a song for charity; specifically, it is a song in honor of Harry Patch, the last man to ever see combat in WWI. He died recently, and to commemorate him, York and co. recorded a song that they are selling for one pound (about $1.70) on their website. On it, Thom Yorke sings over a swelling, Vaughan Williams-esque strings, which were arranged by Johnny Greenwood and recorded, apparently, in an abbey. What do we think of it?
Me? Well, after I calmed down and realized it wasn’t a tribute to Harry Partch — damn! — I cued it up, and what I found myself confronted with some seriously Mantovani-sounding elevator-music strings. Some people I’ve talked to found this song’s freefloating formlessness “weightless and hypnotic,” and others just think it sounds like terrible, mawkish film music, fit for the penultimate scene in next year’s Christmas-season heartwarmer where Ben Affleck or whoever smiles through tears in his Xmas sweater. I have listened to it twice, and suspect I come down in the latter category, myself. But I want to hear what everyone else thinks! Leave your comments below!
For the song:
Stream here
Purchase (and, you know, benefit war veterans) here.
Bought it instantly upon hearing of the release the other day. Played like an unfinished B-side, not unlike Nude/Big Ideas before its ‘In Rainbows’ reincarnation. Nothing I would expect to be showcased in concert or an album.
But hey, it’s Radiohead, a quid to charity, and there’s much, much worse music out there to be had…so it was a worthwhile 5 minutes.
are you kidding me? it’s brilliant! Vaughn-Williams? Mantovani?? Have you heard Scott Walker? If anything, it sounds remotely like “Scott 3″.. it’s an incredibly beautiful song
Ralph Vaughan Williams was meant as a compliment! The man wrote the Sea Symphony!
Mantovani, well–that one was meant as a bit of an insult, yes.
Don RB: well put.
Oh man, Jayson, when I first heard of the song I also thought of Harry Partch. I was so excited and thought that it was even possible. I was sure if anyone would do a tribute to him it would be Radiohead, who find themselves in avant-garde territory once in a while.
Anyway, I was disappointed. There’s nothing crazy about the song either. This isn’t the first time that I’m hearing Thom cooing over strings and it’s not particularly emotional. I do like the quotes from Harry Patch. Even though I knew nothing about him before, he had a viewpoint on war and the human condition that sincere and sympathetic. So I guess, yeah, good job Radiohead.
(According to an article somewhere, there are still 3 more survivors of World War I, Patch was the last one in the UK)
“Played like an unfinished B-side”
Yeah, I think I agree. But it’s got potential. I love those billowy synths.
Are those synths, or strings — or both?
I like that the flash player volume goes to 11.
Whoah, did someone compare this to Scott Walker? OK, downloading this right now
Scott Walker? Really? I don’t hear it. Rather, this is the song they’ll play at the next Academy Awards when they flash up photos of Farrah Fawcett, John Hughes, Bea Arthur, and Dom DeLuise. Which is to say: I spent my two dollars on a coffee.