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Radiohead - I Promise (Unreleased track from "OK Computer")

GG-Duo

Member
This gives me a lot of nostalgia of downloading mp3 b-sides over dial-up, but I can see why they didn't put this out earlier.

EDIT: I do have to say, though, that Thom's falsetto around 3:20 is classic OKC-era.
 

NotSelf

Member
There we're right for leaving that song out. If thom yorke farted some radiohead fans would probably consider it a masterpiece.
 
There we're right for leaving that song out. If thom yorke farted some radiohead fans would probably consider it a masterpiece.

Holy hyperbole batman. I have to ask, what do you considered the stuff that isn't farted out in Radiohead's discography?

They're my favortie band of all time and it isn't even close but there's plenty I dislike (Pablo obviously and then the Studio version of TKoL other than Lotus Flower) Plus a few songs I straight up can't stand.
PULL PULK / REVOLVING DOORS

We can test this hypothesis with the number of Radiohead fans who like Twist.



I like parts of this song lol

Lmao, oh my god how have I never heard this.
 
There we're right for leaving that song out. If thom yorke farted some radiohead fans would probably consider it a masterpiece.

and if Thom somehow made the best music in history you'd still be sitting there in your greasy t-shirt unimpressed and ready to rattle off 30 unknown bands that you think are better.
 
In Rainbows is boring. It's nowhere near as interesting as A/Amnesiac nor as varied as Hail. It's an album a bunch of teenagers listened to because it was free and now we have a generation acting like it was a great Radiohead album when it's not even top 5. There's at least a few good songs, unlike on TKOL, but it's certainly nothing soecial. I couldn't care less about critics. Bands like Radiohead get all praise multiplied based on their status.

Thanks for jumping on the latest tiny news piece about a band you don't care about to make sure everybody knows you think they suck. That adds a lot to the discussion!
 
It's a very "vocal showpiece" song that Radiohead used to do more on their first two records. They're a lot more careful about playing that card now -- like the big moment in "Nude" ("...for what your dirty mind is thinking"). But they used to just have him dramatically go banshee and bust out his, indeed very impressive, vibrato and falsetto for like a whole song.

I get the sense if the musical ideas were a little more engaging they might have been more inclined to think about including the song or at least considering it as a b-side. It has a sort of Bends-era-Roy-Orbison vibe that doesn't have a lot of inventive elements in the instrumentation, just a nice feeling and lovely vocals. The kind of comfort food -- like "Lift" -- that they seemed eager to get away from.

You've gotta respect artists who make decisions like that. I think we'll be more impressed that they walked away from "Lift" once we hear it. They specifically wanted to make an anti-pop record, going into OK Computer. How cool is that?
 

hydruxo

Member
and if Thom somehow made the best music in history you'd still be sitting there in your greasy t-shirt unimpressed and ready to rattle off 30 unknown bands that you think are better.

aWm83.gif


damn son
 

Pavaloo

Member
fwiw I will always be TKoL fan

still regularly features in my rotation plus the b-sides, i promise.


man this song is totally making me go back to the bends and ok computer era, great for a sunny day.
 

overcast

Member
Pretty damn nice. Doesn't quite fit in with the OKC we got necessarily but I'm happy we're getting unreleased tracks from that era.

Pre ordered the vinyl of course.
 
Better than anything on Moon Shaped Pool but not better than anything on Ok Computer.

Honestly, on first listen I like literally every track on Moon Shaped Pool more than this track. It's okay but sort of dull to me.

I don't give a toss what is/isn't popular or acclaimed when it comes to music. I like plenty of stuff others think is garbage or borderline unlistenable.
 
Wouldn't be one of the good songs on OK Computer. But on the plus side, it is a million times better than anything else they have put out in the past 20 years, so overall it has to be considered pretty great.
 

tanuki

Member
The song was never amazing compared to all the other songs they had kicking around at the time, but it's really nice hearing peak-era Thom Yorke vocals again.
 

"The only good thing we got is bass and guitar," says Thom. Diss on Jonny, Ed, and Phil, all of whom played cool parts, near as I can tell. But mixed together it does a bit "90s Beta Band groove." The discordant guitar part that it shows Thom recording is very cool, but so are the pretty bits that Jonny and Ed were doing. A more minimalist drum approach would've been what I suggested; the cut to the drum machine + Thom @ 0:32 sounds rad as fuck.
 
I completely disagree...

Plenty do. To me Radiohead stopped being exciting after Amnesiac. Hail was like a greatest hits of a bunch of different styles & I like it for that even if it's a bit bloated and inconsistent. The three albums since aren't exciting. Moon is better than Limbs but they have no energy. Nothing is thrilling.
 

A-V-B

Member
Plenty do. To me Radiohead stopped being exciting after Amnesiac. Hail was like a greatest hits of a bunch of different styles & I like it for that even if it's a bit bloated and inconsistent. The three albums since aren't exciting. Moon is better than Limbs but they have no energy. Nothing is thrilling.

Weren't you in the Beatles thread shitting all over Penny Lane too?
 
Weren't you in the Beatles thread shitting all over Penny Lane too?

I said I didn't like Penny Lane, yeah.

Part of being a big fan of a band is having a lot of opinions on them. I could list a dozen Beatles & Radiohead songs I like if that'll help you not try and diminish my opinion?

The reason I post in Radiohead and Beatles threads is because both bands would be in my top 10 most listened to. Not to "shit" on them but because I care about them.
 

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
"The only good thing we got is bass and guitar," says Thom. Diss on Jonny, Ed, and Phil, all of whom played cool parts, near as I can tell. But mixed together it does a bit "90s Beta Band groove." The discordant guitar part that it shows Thom recording is very cool, but so are the pretty bits that Jonny and Ed were doing. A more minimalist drum approach would've been what I suggested; the cut to the drum machine + Thom @ 0:32 sounds rad as fuck.

When it came together, I thought it was more of a bleak Airbag/Trip Hop take than Beta Band. I love it, personally. Way more than any live version. I hope to Christ it's this one they release.
 
I never really cared for penny lane either tbh

too sentimental for my tastes

fuck I thought I clicked on the Beatles thread my bad

this song is ok.. I like loose acoustic guitar vibe but I'm a bit weary of Yorke's falsetto
 
I never really cared for penny lane either tbh

too sentimental for my tastes

fuck I thought I clicked on the Beatles thread my bad

this song is ok.. I like loose acoustic guitar vibe but I'm a bit weary of Yorke's falsetto

Penny Lane being associated with Strawberry Fields forever condemns it. It's completely upstaged.
 

A-V-B

Member
I said I didn't like Penny Lane, yeah.

Part of being a big fan of a band is having a lot of opinions on them. I could list a dozen Beatles & Radiohead songs I like if that'll help you not try and diminish my opinion?

The reason I post in Radiohead and Beatles threads is because both bands would be in my top 10 most listened to. Not to "shit" on them but because I care about them.

tbh i commend your passion

i don't necessarily agree with the approach but that's ok
 
I would love it if they made a new video for each of the three songs, especially if there's a continuous narrative, but also providing a live version of the same song from 1996/97 or whatever.
 
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