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Monday, March 1, 2010

Underated Classic - Radiohead "Pablo Honey"


For every great band, they have to start off somewhere, for Radiohead it was Pablo Honey. The record that arrived on store shelves in 1993 didn't make enough of a splash as the band may have liked, however, it set the style and sound as to what was to come or what people thought would come from the Oxford band. With it's title taken from an obscure Jerky Boys reference, the band that would change the sound scape of music for a generation released their debut to lukewarm reception worldwide. It would not be until years later with the release of their follow up records The Bends and especially OK Computer that would place Radiohead on the pedestal they are on now. On arrival no one was ready for Radiohead, in fact for every record it has been like that for these lads. The sound in 1993 was grunge and grunge rip-offs and gangster rap. However, for those that caught on they caught on early to something special, so fucking special, the single "Creep," was a major radio smash worldwide and helped get the name of the band out into the public. This of course would come way before bloggers and internet would allow. Their sound was a cross between early REM, U2, The Smiths and The Pixies, college radio stations ate this up but the mass market did not. It would not be until the band's re release of the album in 2008 by EMI when we would look back and re listen to the brilliance on the band's debut.