Tag Archives: android

#1014: Radiohead – Paranoid Android

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So, from the list, it appears that Radiohead have quite a few songs beginning with the letter ‘P’. This one right here is a bona-fide classic. At this point, it’s no question how good of a track ‘Paranoid Android’, but I can only imagine how jaw-dropping it was to people who heard when it first dropped back in 1997 as the first single from OK Computer. Being only two years of age at that time, I wouldn’t know about the song for at least another eight/nine years, when the music video would play usually on MTV2 or even VH2. A lot of it was censored. The man’s head popping out of the guy’s stomach was blurred out, and the whole scene where the businessman chops off his arms and legs and the large-chested mermaids was replaced with hastily put together scenes from earlier in the video. Any first time listeners/watchers, you did read that sentence. The whole music video’s a trip.

This track is one of those made up of different sections from unrelated pieces à la ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ or ‘Happiness Is a Warm Gun‘ that are then brought together to make one composition. What I’ve always appreciated about ‘Paranoid…’ is just how seamlessly each sections transitions into the next. Even in the ‘…Warm Gun’, there are always these abrupt changes when one section changes into the other, and I’ve always felt it to be sometimes an awkward listen. Wikipedia says there are four sections in ‘Paranoid Android’, but I would say there’s three at the most with a little return to the second to close things out. But really the whole thing flows so well, and the whole performance by the band is off the charts.

I think it’s come to the point now where a Radiohead fan wouldn’t be impressed if you told them ‘Paranoid Android’ was your favourite track by the band’s. I’m a Radiohead fan myself, but I don’t even think I’m at the level of some other people that may be existing. They would understand, because they’d have to, but the track is essentially Radiohead encapsulated. Damn, there are just so many moments to pick out from this one as to what makes it so engaging to hear. From the wild guitar freak-outs to Thom Yorke’s vocals to those robotic “I may be paranoid, but no android” that are buried in the mix. To listen to this track for the first time again…

My iPod #39: Green Day – Android

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One for the hardcore Green Days fans out there.
Those fans who see the album artwork and think “Ooh, what’s this?’ Well, it’s a song from Green Day’s second album, Kerplunk.
“Kerplunk? That sounds stupid, I don’t want to listen.”
Yes, I felt the same way. American Idiot was my first Green Day album, I really liked ‘Holiday’ when I was younger, I thought it was one of the best songs around. And Dookie, well that’s breakthrough album isn’t it? The major label debut, the dogs in the planes and the monkey with the poop in its hand thinking ‘Throw?’, Basket Case.
“Exactly! What makes Kerplunk so good, or even… 39/Smooth?’
I can’t really answer that. They were recorded when the band were on the independent label ‘Lookout! Records.’ Nobody knew who they were at the scale that they are recognised now, but people still ‘knew’ about them, you know? Like, people heard they were good stuff so they wanted to find out more about them.
“…. OK. I’ll have a listen.”
Away from that scenario, Kerplunk was one of the last Green Day albums I downloaded. Only for the reason that Green Day: Rock Band came out, and I thought I should download all their stuff for the hell of it. I got 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours’ in 2004/05 but after getting it I realised that I had no clue about the songs on the compilation.
Kerplunk has grown on me as time has gone by, and this song is one of the reasons why. It’s just a really punk, four chord sequence song with great playing by all three members.

Another song by them about time and ageing, Billie Joe asks the questions that we all want to know about our lives:“Will I grow that old, will I still be around?

The world will carry on, I’ll end up six feet underground.
Waste away.”

The song carries on at this fast pace for the first few verses and choruses, then it all slows down (with a weird sample placed in, I don’t know where it’s from), everything starts to sound quite sad and introspective especially when Billie Joe is backed up with the child-like sounding vocal during the bridge:“It seems so frightening, time passes by like lightning.
Before you know it you’re struck down.”

But then the music picks up again, and you’re head banging to the instruments again.It’s pretty much a sad lyrics but confident music song, and it’s executed brilliantly.

So check out the first two albums by GD, and I don’t mean Dookie and Insomniac.

Until next time.

Jamie.