Corporate Love Breakdown: Bluegrass Tribute to Rad

Tribute to Radio Head (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 4, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cmh Records
• ASIN: B000AMU15W
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,604 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. 2+2=5

2. No Surprises

3. Knives Out

4. Stop Whispering

5. Myxomatosis

6. Fake Plastic Trees

7. You and Whose Army?

8. High and Dry

9. Paranoid Android

10. The National Anthem

11. Planet Telex

12. Exit Music, (For a Film)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

Unlike many of their peers who have sprinted into obscurity, Radiohead have taken a methodical, marathon approach to their music. Escaping the one-hot wonder status of their single "Creep," Radiohead reinvented themselves as purveyors of epic album rock. Without compromising their artistic vision, Radiohead has developed a passionate fan base for their emotional and obtuse songs. From rockers with layered guitar to ethereal, progressive electronica, the experimental template of Radiohead remains a beacon for audiences needing music beyond the status quo.

Product Description

Radiohead tributes often come up with a title phrase that sounds alienating or vaguely cybernetic -- see Plastic Mutations: The Electronic Tribute to Radiohead -- and Corporate Love Breakdown is no different in that respect. It does differ in the quality department, though. While many tributes alternate between dull and overeager, this one focuses instead on deft arrangements and zeroed-in melody. The incongruity of instrumental bluegrass takes on "No Surprises," "Knives Out," "Paranoid Android," and "You and Whose Army?" actually helps the musicians. They don't worry about perfect replication, or being as opaque and robotic as they believe Radiohead to be. Instead they find the dreamy twinkles, gloomy shadows, and bittersweet melodies of the originals, and re-create them with little more than a mandolin and an acoustic guitar. Corporate Love Breakdown is too studied to warrant repeated listens. But it's great as a casual reassessment of Radiohead's work. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars It's good enough, but ..., June 30, 2009

By 

Djam Leelii (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corporate Love Breakdown: Bluegrass Tribute to Rad (Audio CD)

... it's not bluegrass. Rather, it has more of an avant garde jazz or classical fee to it (think The String Quarter series). Perhaps it's just an inevitable side effect of the source material, but these come across much more like instrumental interpretations of Radiohead than anything else. In most numbers an acoustic guitar is accompanied by drums (and they call this bluegrass!) with a few banjo and fiddle solos for that "bonafide feel."

If you like Tommy Emmanuel or think Nickel Creek's "Why Should the Fire Die?" is their best album, then this disc is for you. Get Eliza Lumley's "She Talks in Maths: Interpretations Of Radiohead" while you're at it. If, on the other hand, you like Radiohead or actual bluegrass, then look elsewhere.

5.0 out of 5 stars No, really - this is great, September 6, 2007

By 

B. Barnes (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Corporate Love Breakdown: Bluegrass Tribute to Rad (Audio CD)

This is the best tribute album I own. I am a Radiohead and bluegrass fan anyway so it didn't take much for me to buy this. If you are just a Radiohead fan I still recommend this. Don't think of State Fair crazy nonsense bluegrass. These are really well done covers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Much ,much ,much better than you might think., June 11, 2007

By 

kokomo arnold "thetwelves" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Corporate Love Breakdown: Bluegrass Tribute to Rad (Audio CD)

Unlike the previous reveiwer I am not a huge Radiohead fan, my interest in them waned after The Bends. However, having listened to this selection of tracks I may well go back and find the originals. Corporate Love Breakdown's tribute is a great listen. Complex arrangements, sounding improvised but very tightly played on mandolin, fiddle etc. This recording is more than the sum of its parts, they blend Radiohead and bluegrass, and come up with something pretty special.