As another recent convert to Radiohead (the last 11 months), I thought it was extremely interesting to read your ranking of their albums, and your thoughts on the band in general. If I had to rank them myself (bearing in mind I don't have Pablo Honey), I'd have to go for this:
1. Kid A
One of the greatest albums ever made. Absolutely perfect from start to finish, with Everything in its right place and National Anthem clear standouts, Optimistic being a close third.
2. Hail To The Thief
It really intrigues me coming to any bank retrospectively how you can hear albums without the hype surrounding their release, and really listen to them completely objectively. This album is brilliant. Perhaps a wee bit too long, but quite simply an excellent album. There There is possibly my favourite Radiohead track, and Myxomatosis, Sit Down Stand Up, and Drunken Punchup... are superb too.
3. OK Computer
I'd have to agree with the original poster's 'B' rating. It's a really good album, but doesn't quite elevate itself in my mind to being a 'great' album. Karma Police, Airbag, Lucky, and Paranoid Android are, obviously, all superb, but some of the songs (Electioneering particularly) let it down a bit.
4. The Bends
The first Radiohead album I bought and again a really strong album if, again, not quite 'great'. Grows on you I think the longer you listen. My problem with it is perhaps that it dips a bit in the middle (after Fake Plastic Trees), before coming up trumps with the fantastic Black Star leading to Street Spirit.
5. Amnesiac
THe funny thing about this album is that, although it's really good and contains two of Radiohead's best songs (Pyramid Song and Crushd....), as well as the wonderful 'Hunting Bears', it lacks something, possibly coherence, to push it to that different level. It really does show, however, that the sessions for Kid A really were a creative high for the band.
On a further note, what really stands out for me are some of the new tracks played on the current tour, particularly Videotape - stick that in your beach clips and smoke it! Great band though and I really wish too that I'd jumped on the bandwagon earlier, but then, of course, I'd have missed out on going back through their stuff one by one (albeit haphazardly!)
Can't wait to see them in Marlay Park in Dublin on Thursday!
I was at the Philly 2 show what an amazing venue! Great sound....except it was on big sweat box in there ugh...and it was raining cats and dogs that night so when we got out it was coming down so hard but it felt good after dancing my ass off and sweating like a pig.. I tell ya not a bad seat in that place.. and the security was so lax that I got to move up from about the 25th row up to the 5th row on the floor..and no one cared, lots of people in the isles just dancing.
