Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

Radiohead's old label, Parlophone, are releasing a "best of" this coming week. I don't think - though I'm not sure - that Radiohead had anything to do with it, though presumably they'll make some money out of it? I don't know how copyright law works in this kind of thing but I'd assume that the label doesn't OWN the songs.

Anyway, I don't envy whoever had to choose the track listing:

1. There are so many good tracks, which do you choose. You're inevitably going to leave out an awesome one (see the comments to this NME story about the track listing).
2. The average Radiohead fan isn't like the average Keane fan. They're fucking obsessive. They're going to be able to sing most of the songs, will have most of the albums, will have named domestic animals and perhaps children after band members. I can't imagine the Keane Best Of inspiring the same response as that in that NME story I linked to above. "Keane Best Of" - HAHAHAHA.
3. You're not going to be able to include any of the tracks from the most recent album.
   
4. Radiohead have progressed so much that listening to Pablo Honey (1993) is completely different to listening to In Rainbows (2008). In fact I'd say that In Rainbows is more similar to Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) - I'd describe those two as as far away from their original sound as the band have got. In Rainbows and its predecessor Hail To The Thief (2003) has elements of Kid A but I feel like they're trying to unite that sound with a more guitar based sound. I can't think of another recent band that has changed so dramatically in the course of their career (and been so consistently successful with it). Given that, how do you arrange the album? Do you go for the chronological approach? Probably not - Pablo Honey, while good, is nowhere near as good as some of the later ones. But when I hear a track from an early album before or after a track from Kid A I just feel like it jarrs. It's too different a sound. So I guess my ideal would be semi-chronological and style based. I guess the real question is, what would Radiohead do...

Anyway, here's a track from Pablo Honey which rightfully makes it to the best of. Nice bit of socially awkward angst in these lyrics.

Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

But, kids, rather than buying the Best Of you're much better just investing in the whole catalogue, probably starting with The Bends and OK Computer, then Kid A and Amnesiac, all of which are fascinating, often beautiful, minor-history making bits of music.

As to their more recent stuff, I see Hail To The Thief and In Rainbows as trying to unite the sound of those four albums (and they're great albums too). If you prefer Kid A and Amnesiac to The Bends and OK Computer, try out Thom Yorke's solo release The Eraser (2006); if visa versa, explore Pablo Honey.