Perfection is the culmination of a constant daily struggle,
achieved only in rare instances when an individual or group is able to execute a goal to the fullest possible extent.
Upon reconsidering Radiohead’s most recent masterpiece “In Rainbows,” I’m reminded of the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” where we see the story of the most renowned sushi chef that, we are told, lives today.
As Roger Ebert wrote in his excellent review of the film, “[Jiro’s] restaurant serves only sushi. It has 10 seats at a counter. It is in the basement of a Tokyo high-rise, not far from a subway stop. It has been awarded three stars, the highest possible rating, by the Michelin Guide.”
Throughout the film, we follow Jiro as he conducts a routine, like a prizefighter or politician. He visits the market – or rather his son does now, as he once did – to purchase the catch of the day. He knows every fish salesman. He trusts their instinct and they, in turn, save the best of their crops for Jiro.
Watching this film, we see not only a man bent on a life’s ambition, but a glimpse into the strange ecosystem that perfection requires. Jiro will never serve a guest a perfect sushi dinner. Such a feat is impossible. But, it’s his insistence and dedication to this unattainable goal that makes him, and the movie, so endearing.
It’s also a reminder of the true cost of greatness and that it requires sacrifice and respect, as well as talent.
I imagine Radiohead views music in a similar way.
But, before we can inspect “In Rainbows” itself, we have to view all the ink. For assistance with this, I’ll turn to my Editor in Chief, Leigh Greaney, who introduced the album to the University of Massachusetts Amherst as follows:
“A superstar band that sells out shows is now promoting for itself and profiting for itself. Middlemen such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and the other large CD-selling industries typically own the physical distribution of CDs and are able to profit from the billing. Both the artist and the CD-selling industry depend on one another to make a profit. This marriage between artist and industry has been a fairly happy one until now.”
– Leigh Greaney, The Daily Collegian 2008, “Radiohead Releases Online Before It’s Available in Stores“
The fact that this headline was meant to inspire shock is almost laughable now. In 2013, bands release music for pennies on the dollar. They willingly allow outlets like Pandora and Spotify to stream songs – all in the hopes of enticing listeners. They leak albums to the public so often that it’s become expected or forgo LPs altogether by lodging flash drives inside gummy skulls or releasing EPs.
This is the album that showed, as Rolling Stone so aptly said on its cover, “The Future According to Radiohead.”
What so many people forget to mention, however, is how the strength of the songs and their sequencing brought about all that change.
“In Rainbows” is almost a perfect, unified whole, with songs pivoting into each other like puzzle pieces, like a “Jigsaw Falling Into Place.”
“15 Steps” might have the most memorable drum intro of any Radiohead song, and it’s a testament to this band that they can make this level of experimentation flow with pop aplomb. It’s a beautiful song, with weeping guitars, a water-flow bass line and Thom Yorke’s deft lyrical timing and phrasing.
“Just as soft as your pillow…” “Bodysnatchers” is anything but. It’s the closest thing to a conventional single on the disc, riding a great bassline into squawking guitar, with each element forming the perfect counter to each other, even as it descends into a final mad-dash finale.
“Nude” takes the album out of its forward charge, but while underwhelming at first, it holds its place. In lesser hands this could have been a filler track, but the bass tethers the song together and Thom finally gets to wilt in the spotlight, his best croon enough to curl your toes.
And on and on, everything in its right place. Great tracks abound, like notable favorites “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” “All I Need,” and “Reckoner,” all of which stand among the band’s best, most off-kilter and forward-thinking work.
Even if there isn’t a concept to elevate the songs to a full flower of an album, each moment is perfectly planned, a confident and measured step on its on.
In this way, “In Rainbows” seems positioned to go down in history as the band’s “Who’s Next,” a great selection of songs that new fans can pick up as an entry ticket to the carnival.
It’s essentially the kiddie rides compared to Kid A’s house of mirrors and OK Computer’s roller coaster. Everyone will likely gravitate to one of these albums, or quite possibly “The Bends” or “Hail to Thief,” but it’s hard to imagine this holding the prize seat as someone’s favorite attraction. After all, it’s flaws that endear us to things as a species.
At the 2012 London Olympic Games, we saw the best players in the world kneel before a U.S. basketball team that stomped everything in its path, even making worthy challengers look unmatched with their ability to handle the big moments. The gold medal run was perfection in every sense of the word, a beautifully choreographed ballet of besting the competition: It was also boring and loveless.
In this instance, we are reminded of the double-edged sword that perfection can be and that reaching great heights may mean you’ll lose connection with the sky forever. And it’s arguable that with “King of Limbs,” Radiohead did just that.
But, five years later, we can still marvel at “In Rainbows.” It’s this collection of valiant, valueless songs that cemented this band’s legacy and placed them deep within the conversation of the Top 10 Bands ever in rock ‘n roll. It’s still that good.
*Five years based on official American release date
Verdict: Essential
Pete Rizzo can be reached at prizzo@thoughtpollution.com.