Tag Archives: karma

#686: Radiohead – Karma Police

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‘Karma Police’ is the sixth track on OK Computer, Radiohead’s third studio album, released in 1997. That is an album that immediately was praised by critics as one of the best albums of the 20th century. It’s regarded as one of the best albums of all time to this day. I think everyone knows this one. Crowds are able to drown out Thom Yorke when he sings the ‘For a minute there’ section. It’s definitely one of Radiohead’s most popular songs. ‘Creep’ probably takes the crown as the one that really everyone knows, even if they don’t know who the band are. But ‘Karma Police’ is more engaging by a large distance.

I think I saw its music video (above) first before anything else. That’s how it went with me and Radiohead – I saw their music videos before I actually sat down and listened to any of their albums. The band’s videos were always randomly shown on MTV2 in the mid-2000s. For good reason too because they were always worth watching. But I would have been about 10 around that time and not paying so much attention to the music. I don’t know how the track ended up on the family computer – I’ll say one of my sister’s school friends sent her the song through MSN because it wasn’t anything to do with me – but it was there. I listened to it here and there. Been a big fan ever since.

The track is probably seen as an ‘entry-level’ Radiohead track but I feel a lot of emotion when listening to it. A lot more now than when I was a kid because… I guess music moves me a lot easier as I get older. It’s just so gloomy and dark and atmospheric. It has those little moments that add so much to the track, like that ‘aaaaahhh’ vocal that appears on the left side during the verses (recorded on a telephone if you didn’t know), those choir-like ‘oohs’ during the ‘this is what you get’ parts which are actually a synthesizer played by Jonny Greenwood….. the piano that sneaks in and plays its fills. It’s a track that’s full of surprises. And if you don’t feel something when Thom Yorke belts out the last ‘I lost myself’ then you know… you’re just into other stuff I guess. But I like it. Never grown tired of it. Don’t think I will any time soon.

My iPod #156: The Strokes – Call It Fate, Call It Karma

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It’s quite late, but what the hell.

“Comedown Machine” was The Strokes ‘comeback’ album released earlier this year in March. “One Way Trigger” was the first song to be released to the world to be given the reception of “Why the fuck is Julian singing so high?” and “Am I listening to “Take on Me” by A-ha, what’s going on?” Then most people were very excited when “All the Time” was revealed as the first official single. A lot of talk on how the band had ‘returned to form’ erupted; a lot of people dismissed it as boring.

Then the album was actually released and received very mixed reviews. Though it was unfairly judged in comparison to “Is This It” and on how the band just didn’t sound the same anymore. In an earlier post I merely dismissed it as an “Angles Part II”, but I haven’t even listened to that album in full anyway, so I didn’t know what I was talking about.

That was when I had just heard the album when it was available on Pitchfork. After multiple listens I finally came to the conclusion that it is not as bad/disappointing as reviews made it out to be. Sure it’s different, this song clearly shows one of the reasons why, but I see that it is wrong to assume that a band’s sound will always stay the same. You’ve got to change things up a bit. Look at Arctic Monkeys. Look at Alex Turner! That’s just the way it is; things will never be the same.

“Call It Fate…” is the last song on the album and is one that I did not like for quite some time. It’s like the soundtrack to a silent 50s film. It did take a while for me to understand whether Julian was singing, or what instruments were being played. The falsetto was a bit too much too.

It’s one of my favourites from it though. It’s so mellow and quiet. Close your eyes as you sail away on a tropical breeze during the chorus and then be scared as your boat drifts the wrong way and you end up surrounded by a menacing jungle when the coda begins and Julian starts wailing “I neeeeeded someoonnnnnnne….” It’s very creepy, and unnerving. It ends the album on quite a menacing note.

Jamie.