Radiohead: behind the music

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Karma Police is a study of the band Radiohead's progress so far by a composer and musicologist which announces that it has "the stories behind every song".

Alas, it doesn't deliver anything quite so comprehensive - Doheny has simply written a brief essay about each title, concentrating more on the music than the words.

He's knowledgeable about Radiohead's artful, surprising key changes. An example of his analysis: "Though the chord progression is couched tensely in C, the melody starts blissfully 'at home' in F, 'Eve-ry-thing' which is what gives the vocal that tremendous lift. Gradually, though, it is sucked down into C, hitting it on the word 'place', rhythm and melody clicking together in the (temporarily) right place at exactly the same time" (Everything In Its Right Place, the extraordinary song which opens Kid A).

He's less good on the rock antecedents of Radiohead's music and has little to say about the words, which often succeed in delivering a powerful emotional charge while remaining completely cryptic.

So Karma Police is a useful, rather than inspiring, addition to the burgeoning literature about Radiohead - the best place to find out more remains the independent website, www.greenplastic.com. But those addicted to this music, who think it some of the most affecting writing currently being produced in any arena, will welcome any attempt to advance its cause.

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