Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong - Live Recordings

Year of Release: 2001
Label: EMI
Catalog Number: 7 24353 6616 2
Format: CD
Total Time: 40:11:00

With the live album I Might Be Wrong, Radiohead tries to extra underline their arty approach by means of offering a live collection of songs pulled from their Kid A and Amnesiac albums. So don't expect a blistering version of "Karma Police," a wild rendition of "Fake Plastic Trees" nor a more contemporary "Pyramid Song." Instead the band takes you on a trip through audio inventiveness in such a way that it becomes frightening to see how enthusiastically the crowd responds to this kind of music. Especially in a time where it all revolves around loud guitars and shouting instead of singing, large crowds gather together to cheer the bland voice of Thom Yorke backed by an often repetitive pattern. In other words, good "old" Brian Eno might consider going on tour next, pulling huge crowds to listen to his experiments!

For CD standards this is rather a "short" album, yet offered at a slightly lower price than your average shiny disc and once again stuck in expensive artwork a little bigger than the normal digipack so it stands out from the rest. Certainly it stands out from the rest from a musical point of view as Radiohead has changed its musical course, especially with its latter two albums that seem to be the band's Siamese twins anyway. Recorded in Oxford, Berlin, Oslo and the not so evident Vaison La Romaine in the French Province, the album opens with the distorted guitars of Jonny Greenwood heavy in the picture during "The National Anthem." Certainly a good choice to open this album, illustrating its power and strength. Compared to its Kid A counterparts, the "Amnesiac" material especially remains close to its original, certainly where its length is concerned. Also I Might Be Wrong sounds rather heavy but then it gets quieter, more intimate with "Morning Bell" backed by an almost automatic, military rhythm. Then it's time for the beat to take a break and offer the solitary piano and voice a chance during the wonderful "Like Spinning Plates."

As said before, no "Karma Police," no "Fake Plastic Trees" and no "Pyramid Song," yet spontaneous cheers from the enthusiastic crowd once the danceable beat for "Idioteque" kicks off. Here you can even hear the crowd singing along whilst I can't stop thinking about the huge Oasis resemblance here. Whilst most of the songs are almost identical in length to their studio equivalents, it's mainly "Everything In It's Right Place' that gets the improvisational treatment. From 4:12 on Kid A to the more luxurous 7:43 here. A lot of loops and backward loops are used in the middle section making it sound creepy. The album closes with the so far unreleased "True Love Waits," a song that sees Thom accompanying himself on acoustic guitar in true "unplugged" fashion. Come to think of it, some of the material here could sound very nice when delivered in a pure acoustic way backed by a real orchestra. Maybe a thought for the future guys?

There is one line inside the package which really grabbed my attention: "the more you drive, the less intelligent you get." Having just been transferred some 50 km from where I live maybe I should give my boss a copy of this album?

Tracklisting:
The National Anthem (4:57) / I Might Be Wrong (4:52) / Morning Bell (4:14) / Like Spinning Plates (3:47) / Idiotheque (4:24) / Everything In Its Right Place (7:42) / Dollars And Cents (5:13) / True Love Waits (5:02)

Musicians:
Thom Yorke - vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jonny Greenwood - lead guitar, organ, synthesizer, piano, effects
Ed O'Brien - rhythm guitar, percussion
Colin Greenwood - bass
Phil Selway - drums

Discography:
Pablo Honey (1993)
The Bends (1995)
OK Computer (1997)
Kid A (2000)
Amnesiac (2001)
I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings (2001)
Hail To The Thief (2003)
In Rainbows (2007)

Genre: Rock

Origin UK

Added: February 8th 2002
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.radiohead.com
Hits: 2459
Language: english