Radiohead represent one of the most important artistic and critical voices in contemporary British culture. Their music escapes the very notion of identity, to posit itself as a polyphonic soundscape in which different voices, stories and genres mix in rich and unpredictable ways. Their sound is, indeed, based on dialogical interactions among pop, jazz, world and electronic music. Cultural critic Simon During defines two of their major works – Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) – as instances of Art-rock; here the complex musical architectures seem to preserve and even enhance pop’s capacity of speaking directly to the masses. The richness and complexity of the artistic form is matched by the band’s unique intellectual effort in articulating discourses against those who exercise power both at the political and economic levels. In 1997 Radiohead published one of the most important albums of the Twentieth century: Ok Computer. At first Radiohead were criticised for their gloomy prognoses of humanity’s inexorable meltdown, but ten years later, Ok Computer seems all the wiser for not being suckered into fashionable optimism. The distress in Thom Yorke’s lyrics was – to say the least – emotionally at odds with 1997’s widespread feelings of hope and renewal. The album is, indeed, an implicit critique of the ideology of Cool Britannia and, more in general, of Tony Blair’s politics. With Kid A Radiohaed give voice to their anti-globalisation sentiments inaugurating a strategy of resistance which turns their work – in which fans are invited to think and consume critically - into the musical equivalent of Naomi Klein’s philosophical efforts; besides, the original title of the album was meant to be No Logo. In 2003 the band published Hail to the Thief where the title refers to George W. Bush’s ‘stolen’ election victory in 2000/2001. The album includes key tracks such as “The Gloaming”, which stands as an attempt to deal with the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy and “A Wolf at the Door” which voices Radiohead’s dissatisfaction with American world politics. Radiohead 2007 album In Rainbows stands as a very successful attempt to resist the musical establishment, in particular the marketing system. The album is sold directly on–line. The fan is free to choose the album’s price, contributing to the creation of a community in which the audience’s response to the musical event is perhaps the most important aspect of the event itself.
"'Hail to the Thief': Strategies of Resistance in Radiohead’s Musical Discourse"
Martino, Pierpaolo
2009-01-01
Abstract
Radiohead represent one of the most important artistic and critical voices in contemporary British culture. Their music escapes the very notion of identity, to posit itself as a polyphonic soundscape in which different voices, stories and genres mix in rich and unpredictable ways. Their sound is, indeed, based on dialogical interactions among pop, jazz, world and electronic music. Cultural critic Simon During defines two of their major works – Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001) – as instances of Art-rock; here the complex musical architectures seem to preserve and even enhance pop’s capacity of speaking directly to the masses. The richness and complexity of the artistic form is matched by the band’s unique intellectual effort in articulating discourses against those who exercise power both at the political and economic levels. In 1997 Radiohead published one of the most important albums of the Twentieth century: Ok Computer. At first Radiohead were criticised for their gloomy prognoses of humanity’s inexorable meltdown, but ten years later, Ok Computer seems all the wiser for not being suckered into fashionable optimism. The distress in Thom Yorke’s lyrics was – to say the least – emotionally at odds with 1997’s widespread feelings of hope and renewal. The album is, indeed, an implicit critique of the ideology of Cool Britannia and, more in general, of Tony Blair’s politics. With Kid A Radiohaed give voice to their anti-globalisation sentiments inaugurating a strategy of resistance which turns their work – in which fans are invited to think and consume critically - into the musical equivalent of Naomi Klein’s philosophical efforts; besides, the original title of the album was meant to be No Logo. In 2003 the band published Hail to the Thief where the title refers to George W. Bush’s ‘stolen’ election victory in 2000/2001. The album includes key tracks such as “The Gloaming”, which stands as an attempt to deal with the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy and “A Wolf at the Door” which voices Radiohead’s dissatisfaction with American world politics. Radiohead 2007 album In Rainbows stands as a very successful attempt to resist the musical establishment, in particular the marketing system. The album is sold directly on–line. The fan is free to choose the album’s price, contributing to the creation of a community in which the audience’s response to the musical event is perhaps the most important aspect of the event itself.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
