Cry me a river
According to an article on MTV.com, perhaps the most well respected music news outlet in all the universe, some Radiohead fans “feel duped by In Rainbows‘ poor sound quality” and “possible ulterior motives.” My guess is that the people complaining are the same people who chose to pay nothing for the downloads.
For the record, the basically free downloads clocked in at 160 kbps, which is a full 32 kbps higher than most of the music available for download via iTunes, whose standard is 128 kbps (though they do offer their iTunes Plus tracks, which are twice that bitrate). Oh, and they were also DRM-free.
So if you’re looking for CD quality sound, then, um, buy the CD. Even if you don’t want to spend the roughly $81 to pre-order the super-deluxe In Rainbows mega-package, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to get your hands on the CD somehow in the very near future.
I suppose no good deed goes unpunished.
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Boo hoo is right. The sound quality is fine. It’s the record I haven’t given my blessing to yet. As far as Radiohead albums go, it takes most people a while to make their minds up about what to make of a new Radiohead album. Still, there is a distinct difference with ‘In Rainbows’. Radiohead, as a unit, has given up having a stylistic direction.
Overall, this album is both more accessible and illusive. I found myself looking to hold on to much of the material but lunging at air sometimes. Many of these songs have been around for quite some time as ‘works in progress’. I don’t really know that some of these tunes really graduated beyond that. Years ago they had so much material coming out of them collectively that there was an unending stream of EP’s and B-sides. I have to ask whether the time apart and the pressure to out-do themselves has drained them of their natural love for making music together.
The influence of Yorke and Johnny Greenwood is a lot more evident on this record than ever before. Lyrically, I like where Thom has gone, much more straight-forward in parts while remaining sardonic in others. The sparse arrangement which drapes over much of the soundscape is common for the band but works differently here. They seem less electronic overall and less rock than ever before - if that’s possible? Bass guitar, what? My logic tells me to like it but my senses are let down a bit. Thom Yorke’s past melodies are at times reworked on ‘In Rainbows’ as well. It’s not that I don’t like it, its just that… as a fan who is also a musician I can’t figure out what to make of it overall.
Specifically:
‘All I Need’ is a masterpiece. Honorable mention goes out to ‘House of Cards’, ‘Weird Fish/Arpeggi’ and the poppy one, ‘Reckoner’. I do believe ‘15 Step’ will grow more on me, but after Kid A/Amnesiac/Eraser, I could be over that sound. ‘Nude’ is a melodically meandering tune, but vague as a song, which I suppose is alright too. The other songs lack any real life to me.
I know, I know, I’m going to get slammed by the faithful followers and called a traitor because I am questioning the unquestionable demi-gods of art rock. Really, I feel guilty - I consider myself one of those faithful followers. Still, I have to call it like I see it.
One thing is for certain. Every Radiohead album gets better with time. I just hope we can get to the point where this album is revered more for the music than the fact fans could download it for whatever they wanted to.