Radiohead

小简介
乐队成员：
Thom Yorke
guitar/vocals/keyboard
Jonny Greenwood
guitar/keyboard/other instruments
Colin Greenwood
bass/synthesisers
Ed O'Brien
guitar/vocals
Phil Selway
drums/percussion
RADIOHEAD是真正跨世代的超级乐团，从第一张专辑就疯狂征服排行榜的单曲Creep开始，到2003年6月的第六张专辑「HAIL TO THE THIEF」。从BRITPOP全盛时期的顶尖乐团，到电摇滚先峰，到发展出独特难以模仿却容易产生共鸣的独特声响。每位团员极高的自我要求跟天赋，又一次听见了他们还是继续在试验自己的极限，而且精彩完美。
英国的牛津不仅拥有世界著名学府，也是英国摇滚名团的盛产地之一，除了 RADIOHEAD，另外两个名噪一时的BRITPOP团体RIDE和SUPERGRASS也出身于此。RADIOHEAD的五位成员均是土生土长的牛津人，并且在风景如画的牛津近郊小镇 ABINGDON的私立男校里结识，开始了传奇生涯。 RADIOHEAD的灵魂人物，主音歌手兼吉他手THOM YORKE 八岁那年得到平生的第一件乐器：母亲送的一把西班牙吉他，两年后他便开始组团，随后加入了一支名为TNT的校园PUNK乐队。THOM第一次唱歌时便意识到他需要更加默契的合作乐手。很快他认识了 COLIN GREENWOOD，"因为我们年龄相仿并且常常在同一个派对结束时碰上"。出于对JOY DIVISION，THE SMITH，MAGAZINE以及怪异着装的喜爱，他们顺理成章地结成死党。另外一位校友ED O'BRIEN的加入是因为THOM认为他"很酷而且看上去象MORRISSEY"。举止温文尔雅的鼓手PHIL SELWAY随后取代了鼓机， 在一个星期五形成了最初的四人阵容。不久，COLIN的弟弟，爵士乐迷JONNY经过同哥哥及其朋友们的苦苦纠缠，终于作为口琴手加入进来。乐队在一个周末于牛津的JERICHO TAVERN（现已不存在）做了第一场表演，他们增加了一对演奏萨克斯风的姐妹，乐队的风格就象是年轻版的TALKING HEAD。 为了平息父母的愤怒和焦虑，除了JONNY外的成员们都开始了大学学业，乐队尚在萌芽阶段就被迫中止。THOM去了EXETER大学学习美术和文学，在那里他为一支名为FLICKERNOISE的TECHNO组合弹吉他；ED到曼彻斯特攻读政治；COLIN在剑桥大学的PETERHOUSE学院当上了娱乐文员；PHIL则进了利物浦工艺学院并在那里担任了很多戏剧背景乐团的鼓手。 假期时成员们重新聚首，在一个周末派对中，他们翻玩了ELVIS COSTELLO的"PUMP IT UP"，融入管乐的巧妙构思令人兴奋不已。1991年的夏天，完成了学业的成员们在牛津重组（此时的JONNY已是一位羽翼丰满的吉他手和键盘手），最终他们摈弃了管乐组，固定了五人阵容，并将团名定为RADIOHEAD，灵感来自于TALKING HEAD的专辑《TRUE STORIES》中的一首名为"RADIO HEAD"的歌曲。1991年7月，RADIOHEAD在HOLLYBUSH酒吧做了第一场正式的小型表演，之后便有不下二十家唱片公司向他们抛媚眼，最终他们选择投身EMI。
RADIOHEAD在1991年发表了首张唱片《DRILL》，虽然只是一张仅在英国发行的EP，但已足以使他们获得了为PJ HARVEY，TEARS FOR FEARS和JAMES等众多大牌团体的巡演做暖场嘉宾的机会。他们的一首歌曲"PROVE YOURSELF"还被BBC RADIO 1的听众票选为"HAPPENING TRACK OF THE WEEK"（本周惊艳曲）。而这一切仅仅是个开端，因为一首名为"CREEP"的歌曲将要永远改变他们的生涯。"CREEP"在1992年的下半年在英国的电台中被大播特播并最终成为该年度和下一年度的英伦的最佳单曲之一。这首歌被认为是一首关于疏离的赞美诗，其中充满自厌情绪的歌词（"我是个懦夫，我是个怪胎，我不属于这儿"），蔓延失控的吉他噪音以及堪称点睛之笔的轰然爆响都成为乐迷津津乐道的经典元素。而他们1993年推出的首张专辑《PABLO HONEY》中的其它作品都或多或少带出与之相同的意味。事实上，有些乐迷对专辑内其它歌曲表现出来的相对成熟内敛的风格感到失望，尽管更多的人迷恋于他们特立独行的声音。 这张处女专辑是RADIOHEAD远渡重洋到波士顿的FORT APACHE录音室录制完成的，这间录音室的主人是美国新音乐大师BILLY BRAGG，RADIOHEAD还找来了MORPHINE，LEMONHEAD等美国名团的制作人PAUL Q.KOLDERIE与BUFFALO TOM，GOLD WATER FLAT等另类乐队的制作人SEAN SLADE来掌控专辑的制作，这对于一个英国新乐队来说相当罕见，这使得这张专辑呈现出英伦团体中少有的粗犷暴戾之气这也是与SUEDE等同期其他被誉为英伦独立乐界希望之星的团体相比，RADIOHEAD在美国更具知名度和影响力的原因之一。 尽管人们普遍认为RADIOHEAD的音乐影响来自于THE BEATLES或THE SEX PISTOLS，但是他们自己却宣称受PINK FLOYD的教诲更多。1995年，RADIOHEAD甚至在英国巡演中装备了一套非常FLOYD化的四轨环绕声系统，向PINK FLOYD脱帽致敬！
Radiohead是90年代初为数不多地受华丽壮美的竞技/舞台摇滚影响的另类乐队，乐队最初的唱片带有比较明显的U2风格。但是乐队后来开始转向创作较为史诗/叙事诗这样的作品，用My Bloody Valentine、Pink Floyd、R.E.M. 和the Pixies音乐作为主要织体，层次丰富。主唱Thom Yorke灰暗的词作在复杂的作品中传递着不安、疏远的情绪。1993年，乐队首张专辑《Pablo Honey》上市。原本乐队并未对此抱什么希望，但是“Creep”很快成为了一首热门单曲。当时乐队并不为评论界看好，认为他们只不过又是一支昙花一现的排行榜过客。但是乐队第二张专辑《The Bends》让所有的大跌眼镜，它在英国获得了巨大的成功，随着巡演的延续，它彻底征服了先前对乐队持成见的评论界，乐队一举成名。
乐队由Thom Yorke(主唱、吉他)、Ed O’Brien (吉他、主唱), Jonny Greenwood (吉他), Colin Greenwood (贝司)和Phil Selway (鼓手)组成，那一年是1988年，他们还是几个牛津大学的学生。1992年乐队在创作小唱片《Drill》后和EMI/Capitol唱片公司后，乐队录制了单曲“Creep”，这首融合了R.E.M.和Nirvana的作品主要的亮点为和声部分前突然暴发噪音部分，它成为了当年另类摇滚的一首著名代表作品。此后的两首单曲“Anyone Can Play Guitar”和“Pop is Dead”为乐队赢得了一些好评，但英国唱片公司并未给予乐队足够的重视。乐队的第一张专辑《Pablo Honey》在1993年上市，乐队进行欧洲巡回演出。墙内开化墙外香，“Creep”在美国突然大红大紫，充斥着各大现代摇滚电台和MTV音乐台。在“Creep”地驱使下，乐队远赴美国演出，为Belly和Tears for Fears做暖场演出。《Pablo Honey》最终成为金唱片，“Creep”也在英国再版销售。1993年底，该单曲进入前10名。
“Creep”的意外成功招致了现代评论家的非议，乐队一度被认定为歪打正着的幸运儿。乐队在这种情况下再次走入录音棚，开始创作第二张专辑《The Bends》。1995年专辑上市得到了压倒性的好评，显然人们乐于听到乐队更加深层、成熟的声音。但是专辑销量一开始却不是很好，先前对乐队较为买账的美国也并未太主意这张专辑，乐队无奈之下猹始在英国进行大规模巡演。直到年底，乐队才在巡演和单曲“Just”的促销下有所斩获。专辑不仅成为了当年英国最佳专辑之一而且在1996年处再次进入英国排行榜前10名，在美国也最终达到了金唱片销量。1997年乐队完成了他们的第三张专辑，也就是惊世之作的《OK Computer》！！
乐队在2000 年推出了一张最受期待的大碟《Kid A》。自从 Radiohead 的《OK Computer》被誉为“宇宙最佳大碟”之后，Radiohead已经成为The Beatles最具威胁乐队，这新碟真是全球瞩目。
不过《 Kid A 》大概会令不少 Radiohead 迷感到意外，因为全碟跟Radiohead以往的风格非常不同！ 以往的强劲电吉他弹奏已荡然无全，就连打几下重鼓都没有，换来大量飘渺迷离气氛。Atmospheric 、Ambience 、Nightmarish、Moody、Sparse…… 是全碟的感觉，乐队大玩电子效果，制造荒野般空旷迷失灰暗感，更加有一些爵士元素演奏，这更会令Radiohead迷诧异。全碟大大托阔了视野，作品深沉广阔，气氛极佳。这碟会是划时代经典吗？
这张唱片出版后大受好评，几乎所有音乐杂志都给予了最高评价，例如被《时代》杂志评为今年的音乐十佳。《时代》的对它的评价用了很华丽的词句
2002年初，RADIOHEAD在家乡Oxfordshire的录音室开始为新辑制作demo， 2002年9月，制作人Nigel Godrich带领RADIOHEAD到洛杉矶录音工作。似乎是很不搭嘎的画面阿！阴郁的RADIOHEAD和阳光普照的L.A.。再一次，RADIOHEAD又回到「THE BENDS」时期，大部份的歌曲都以现场演奏方式进行录音，让新专辑在阴郁的RADIOHEAD式烟雾中透进了暖暖阳光。你知道我的意思，这画面不再重复却也不见得全是甜美的气氛。
破题曲2+2=5由吉他和简单的节奏开场，中段Thom Yorke呢喃呓语，突然出现好久好久不见的狂暴的吉他摇滚，震撼的破题！宣告这不再是延续KID A和AMNESIAC的作品。第2首歌「Sit Down Stand Up」，主唱的反复Loop和复杂的鼓击在和BASS疯狂的推迭，此刻我摇头晃脑而且失神起舞。「Sail to the Moon」是主唱Thom Yorke写给儿子的歌曲，优雅美丽，让人听不出来这居然不是一首4/4拍的歌曲。第五首「Go to Sleep 」前半段的木吉他很有乡村/民谣的味道，有些喜感，有点温暖，很不像RADIOHEAD，在鼓击进来又是RADIOHEAD的气派。「Where I end and You begin」据说在五年前就已经创作完成的歌曲，这首歌以鼓阵和80年代NEW ORDER式的BASS单音为主，特别是BASS的演出太精彩了，完全是这幕戏的主角。以拍手声和鼓声开始第一段的「We suck young blood」邪气四溢，中间时而可以听见的稀落钢琴和吉他噪音，难以预期的，还有教堂人声合音出现，为邪气再加分，RADIOHEAD果真无所不能。
又一次，「The Gloaming」的机械声响变成完全的背景音乐，和着Thom的歌声，Johnny Greenwood又一次抛掉吉他玩弄合成器，德式电子和歌德音乐的合体，我一边反复这首歌一边想着，这会不会是RADIOHEAD的原型呢？因为不管甚么样的编曲方式，我脑海总会出现那个「不可说」的画面。「There There」是我在新辑中最喜欢的一首歌，稳定的节奏组和神奇的吉他分解和弦，有点像RADIOHEAD因为好玩翻作和他们相去甚远的Grunge。「Scatterbrain」的画面又是雨天了，美式电视影集，在清晨，雨不是很大，你面无表情翻开报纸，很规律的读着那些你可能想知道却不是真的很关心的新闻，Johnny Greenwood的吉他分解和弦匪夷所思的提供了全部的画面。最后一首歌「A wolf at the door」又是不同面貌的RADIOHEAD，NICK CAVE，这样的联想你觉得如何呢？！碎心的主副歌旋律，和过去的五张专辑相比，Thom Yorke的歌声作了许多变化，显得低沉而且厚实，更运用自如。
Radiohead was one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena rock that characterized U2's early albums. But the band internalized that epic sweep, turning it inside out to tell tortured, twisted tales of angst and alienation. Vocalist Thom Yorke's pained lyrics were brought to life by the group's three-guitar attack, which relied on texture — borrowing as much from My Bloody Valentine and Pink Floyd as R.E.M. and Pixies — instead of virtuosity. It took Radiohead awhile to formulate their signature sound. Their 1993 debut, Pablo Honey, only suggested their potential, and one of its songs, "Creep," became an unexpected international hit, its angst-ridden lyrics making it an alternative rock anthem. Many observers pigeonholed Radiohead as a one-hit wonder, but the group's second album, The Bends, was released to terrific reviews in the band's native Britain in early 1995, helping build a more stable fan base. Having demonstrated unexpected staying power, as well as increasing ambition, Radiohead next released OK Computer, a progressive, electronic-tinged masterpiece that became one of the most acclaimed albums of the '90s.
Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar), Ed O'Brien (guitar, vocals), Jonny Greenwood (guitar), Colin Greenwood (bass), and Phil Selway (drums) formed Radiohead as students at Oxford University in 1988. Initially called On a Friday, the band began pursuing a musical career in earnest in the early '90s, releasing the Drill EP in 1992. Shortly afterward, the group signed to EMI/Capitol and released the single "Creep," a fusion of R.E.M. and Nirvana highlighted by a noisy burst of feedback prior to the chorus. "Creep" was a moderate hit, and their next two singles, "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Pop Is Dead," built a small following, even as the British music press ignored the group.
Pablo Honey, Radiohead's debut album, was released to mixed reviews in the spring of 1993. As the band launched a European supporting tour, "Creep" became a sudden smash hit in America, earning heavy airplay on modern rock radio and MTV. On the back of the single's success, Radiohead toured the U.S. extensively, opening for Belly and Tears for Fears. All the exposure helped Pablo Honey go gold, and "Creep" was re-released in the U.K. at the end of 1993. This time, the single became a Top Ten hit, and the band spent the following summer touring the world.
Although "Creep" made Radiohead a success, it also led many observers to peg the band as a one-hit wonder. Conscious of such thinking, the group entered the studio with producer John Leckie to record their second album, The Bends. Upon its spring 1995 release, The Bends was greeted with overwhelmingly enthusiastic reviews, all of which praised the group's deeper, more mature sound. However, positive reviews didn't sell albums, as Radiohead struggled to be heard during the U.K.'s summer of Britpop and as American radio programmers and MTV ignored the record. The band continued to tour as the opening act on R.E.M.'s prestigious Monster tour. By the end of the year, The Bends began to catch on, thanks not only to the band's constant touring but also to the stark, startling video for "Just." The album made many year-end best-of lists in the U.K., and early in 1996 the record re-entered the British Top Ten and climbed to gold status in the U.S., helped in the latter by the video for "Fake Plastic Trees."
During the first half of 1996, Radiohead continued to tour before re-entering the studio that fall to record their third album, OK Computer, which was released in the summer of 1997. A devoted following of fans and a handful of enthusiastic critical supporters immediately embraced the album's majestic blend of unfettered prog rock, post-punk angst, eerie electronic textures, and assured songwriting. Since it skillfully teetered between rock classicism and futurism, it earned near-unanimous critical and popular support over the course of the year, which turned into unrestrained adoration in the final two years of the decade, even though its sales still hadn't climbed above gold status.
Expectations for Radiohead's fourth album were stratospheric, which placed additional pressure on the already perfectionist band, and led to several stumbling blocks along the way. An intense buzz of excitement among the band's still-growing following greeted the prerelease appearance of most of the album's tracks on the Internet in MP3 form; they displayed an all-out fascination with challenging, often minimalist electronica. Titled Kid A, the album was finally released in October 2000 and astonished many observers by debuting at number one on the U.S. album charts. While the band didn't release any singles or embark on a formal tour, the album met with a mixed critical response as the group was accused of creating a distant and radio-unfriendly record; however, it did remain a fan favorite.
In June of 2001, Radiohead quickly released an album under the name Amnesiac that consisted of material that was recorded during the Kid A sessions. The band made it very clear, though, that it was not to be considered an outtakes album; rather, they insisted that the two albums were of clear and separate concept. Regardless, Amnesiac debuted at number one in the U.K. and number two on the U.S. chart (behind then-stronghold Staind), while outselling Kid A in week one by 25,000 copies. The singles Pyramid Song and Knives Out were culled from Amnesiac with a subsequent world tour. While planning "I Might Be Wrong" for a third single, the idea expanded into a live "mini-album," titled after the track, that was released in November of 2001. Hail to the Thief, the proper follow-up to Amnesiac, was relatively direct in structure and peaked at number three on the U.S. chart. Sporadic recording sessions resumed in early 2005, but a projected release date for the band's seventh studio album remained 2007 as Yorke prepared a solo album, The Eraser, which was issued in July 2006.
On October 1, 2007, the band announced that they had finished their seventh album, In Rainbows, and that it would be "out" in a matter of ten days. Giving fans the option to pay whatever they'd like for the album as a zip file of MP3s, Radiohead also devised a pre-order system for the physical version of the album — a "discbox" containing a double-vinyl version, a CD copy with an enhanced six-track bonus disc, a lyric book, and photos — which they planned on shipping by early December. This was done without the involvement of a record label.