Radiohead, The King of Limbs
The King isn’t dead, but with a universal sigh, it’s rather small and perfectly formed.
The King isn’t dead, but with a universal sigh, it’s rather small and perfectly formed.
The King of Limbs or “TKOL” as it became fondly and alternatively known as, is my 8th favourite Radiohead album but that’s not to say it isn’t magnificent, because it is, it’s just not quite as magnificent as the seven other albums that came before it and a little let down by the first four songs. Nor is it a veiled criticism, anything but as I hope to demonstrate below. I was a little underwhelmed when it was first released but that’s only because of the weight of the shoulders upon which I carry the other seven Radiohead pieces of album art. And 2011 was not a particularly spectacular year for your humble narrator, but, for once, we shall skirt the personal anecdotes and keep this blog as smart and compact as is the reason for its being. At just 37 minutes this is Radiohead’s shortest album and only comprises 8 tracks, but the band from Oxford kept me company in the dire year of 2011 and with a Universal Sigh, we shall commence with a brief ten year retrospective.
(1) “Bloom” Samples, mixes, loops, distortion and irregular drum beats pervade the opening track and the trademark Radiohead percussive beats were now heightened by Clive Deamer who joined the band as second drummer in 2011. It’s a beautifully, if a little disjointed opener and an ode to nature and the simplicity of existence and being alive, with oceans, orbits, jelly fish and a “giant turtle’s eyes” all being raised by Thom’s searing vocal.
Outstanding Lyric — “A giant turtle’s eyes. As jelly fish float by”.
(2) “Morning Mr Magpie” A fast rock band returns with an obvious spiteful attack on the stealers and plunderers of planet earth and it’s precious resources, nesting and stealing it’s earthly eggs as per the magpie reference. Thom implores the capitalistic society he rails against to “give it back” after stealing it all from us and I love the opening lyric as he spits out the nerve of the people destroying the ecology of the earth to still be here and “coming here”, that I interpret as everywhere, the internet, social media, the News, the 24 hour cycle of television etc. Adored this song on first listen and continue to do so to this day.
Outstanding Lyric — “You got some nerve, coming here”
(3) “Little by Little” This feels a lot like the free form band improvisations that pervaded the start of a number of songs on their previous “In Rainbows” album and similarly here garners a treat of a combined band and guitar driven song, but one I struggle with an interpretation of. The guitars (much lower notes than usual) and the irregular and combined drum beats portent the darkness of the lyrics of “The dark cell” and the “pillar of my soul” but the final verse has always stayed with me as per the favourite lyrics below.
Little by little we lose a little of our humanity.
Outstanding Lyric — “Obligations. Complications. Routines and schedules. A job that’s killing you”
(4) “Feral” I have a troubled relationship with Feral! I’ll blame my impending 50th year on planet earth as a reason why as I’m supposed to love this song, obviously, but don’t. It’s cleverly produced, with reverb and repetitive patterns and a brilliantly doom laden bass from Colin, but the tune itself is perhaps one for the younger generation!
Outstanding Lyric — “Please don’t judge, judge”
(5) “Lotus Flower” and the emergence on full public display of Thom’s “freaky dancing!” as this was the only song released from the album but as a video release only. Musically. Sonically. Lyrically. Brilliant. A love song, despite it’s darker images of “the darkness beneath” and kicking habits, but rather being alive, growing stronger, taking root and being “set free”. It’s the stand out song on the album and considering the next three songs alone that’s quite the compliment.
Outstanding Lyric — “Cause all I want is the Moon upon a stick”
(6) “Codex” which I interpret as referencing Codex Alimentarius, the food and agriculture organisation within the United Nations and their publicly noted requirements for sustainable and responsible growth in both sectors, is a song of such beauty I often leak a tear or two as with such a simple arrangement doth emotions will create. Speaking to a very dear friend about this album for the first time and we both said “I cried when I first heard it”. And I don’t think we’re alone! Just Thom on mournful piano with a no doubt Jonny Greenwood inspired horns and cinematic score of strings behind him, and evocations of wild life and the world we inhabit, “just dragonflies” and a clear water lake deemed “innocent”. Cue the cinematic and grand musical finale and you have quite a beautiful and moving song that ends with the sound of birdsong and which bleeds into the track that follows.
Outstanding Lyric — “The water’s clear. And innocent”.
(7) “Give up the Ghost” AKA Repetitious Radiohead. And gloriously so too. Another song I’ve adored since my first listen and still struggle to understand or fully interpret. I see a person of contradictions not wanting to be hurt and releasing the ghost of their past and desiring the embrace of a future but what I hear is utterly glorious as Thom is looped with the repetition of “Don’t hurt me” behind his main vocal and simple acoustic guitar. It’s a thing of beauty and the equal of the two tracks that precede it, and the last on the album matches them all.
Outstanding Lyric — “Gather up the lost and sold”
(8) “Separator” Another I adored on first listen and struggle to interpret and I’m probably way off beam with my own dissection but the theme of dreams, dreaming and waking up may be a metaphor for awakening from a real life trouble or situation rather than the “vivid dream” of the song. It could be argued that the waking is walking away from an old relationship or waking to a new one but the song is drenched with the surreal quality of being in a dream like state and finally being “free from all the weight I’ve been carrying”. It’s a beautiful piece of music which at first, like Radiohead, is simply Thom’s fantastic vocals accompanied by Phil’s and Clive’s brilliantly irregular drumbeats. As the song progresses, Colin’s subtle bass is introduced before Ed’s high and positively pitched guitar solo winds us towards the end of a wonderful song.
Outstanding Lyric — “Falling off a giant bird that’s been carrying me”
A briefer than normal ramble through an album from my favourite band but I rather think in keeping with the small and perfectly formed album on which I’ve tried to appraise. “Feral” foxes me I’m afraid but the remaining seven are gems, the four tracks that end the album are as great as anything the boys from Oxford have ever created. Harder edged, more urgent and perhaps a little more dreamlike than it’s predecessor “In Rainbows”, it’s an urgent call to arms on the protection of the world as well as being mindful of the protection and health of ourselves.
Before you depart (1) there’s a number of more detailed and reflective blogs on Radiohead listed below and (2) the band followed a similar path to “In Rainbows” by releasing a “Disk 2” for this album too entitled “TKOL RMX 1234567” which is a host of remixes of the songs on the album and frankly I’m not the judge to which you should cast your eye on the veracity of these remixes! They’re good, is that ok? Radiohead also released a “Double A Side” from the TKOL sessions with Supercollider/The Butcher and Supercollider is a beautiful song when sung live. And they recorded “The King of Limbs — Live from the Basement” for a music television station and, as with “In Rainbows”, are on absolutely magnificent form.
Although *only* 8th on my list of Radiohead albums, this is a very special album that is only beaten by it’s superior competition. Side 2, from Lotus Flower to Separator is as good as this band has ever sounded on any previous album.
Radiohead, Pablo Honey
and how I came to love this early unruly childmedium.com
Radiohead, OK Computer
And how saying no to The Bends saved my life.medium.com
Radiohead, Kid A and Kid B
and do we all have collective amnesia or is Kid B far better than is critically recognised?medium.com
Radiohead and a Hail to a Thief
The “prog rock” album that isn’t really but continues to age like a fine whinemedium.com
Radiohead, In Rainbows
and how giving away a near perfect album for free saw the jigsaw falling into place again for Radiohead.medium.com
