This October, when Radiohead release their highly anticipated follow-up to 1997's guitar-driven OK Computer, music critics may very well bestow the Oxford quintet with "The Most Important Band in Rock" accolade that cursed U2, R.E.M. and the Clash. The East Coast editor of Launch magazine, Randall is undoubtedly one of the many journalists eager to exclaim "genius!" again, but his biography of the Grammy winners is economical, restrained and unauthorized (band members "respectfully declined" Randall's requests to cooperate). After briefly reenacting the now mythic June 1997 concert at New York City's Irving Plaza, attended by rock's superstar aristocracy (Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, etc.), Randall smartly spends most of his narrative on the band's fascinating, decade-long conception in and around culturally barren Oxford, whose Radiohead landmarks he visited and lays out. Non- and neo-Anglophiles will especially appreciate Randall's definitions of British terms and background on the British music industry, music press and education system (all five musicians met at the all-male Abingdon School). As for the inevitable "record critique" chapters, Randall rarely throws in his two cents, preferring to sprinkle passages with the band's own pithy observations and recording-session anecdotes culled from magazine interviews. Exit music? Not quite, as Radiohead are pushing the boundaries of pop music (the new record is rumored to include Miles Davis and backwards singing). Because the book will be published right before the new album debuts, it will be nearly out of date by the time it hits bookstores. However, Randall's work will still serve as a reliable introduction to an ever-evolving band.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This October, when Radiohead release their highly anticipated follow-up to 1997's guitar-driven OK Computer, music critics may very well bestow the Oxford quintet with "The Most Important Band in Rock" accolade that cursed U2, R.E.M. and the Clash. The East Coast editor of Launch magazine, Randall is undoubtedly one of the many journalists eager to exclaim "genius!" again, but his biography of the Grammy winners is economical, restrained and unauthorized (band members "respectfully declined" Randall's requests to cooperate). After briefly reenacting the now mythic June 1997 concert at New York City's Irving Plaza, attended by rock's superstar aristocracy (Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, etc.), Randall smartly spends most of his narrative on the band's fascinating, decade-long conception in and around culturally barren Oxford, whose Radiohead landmarks he visited and lays out. Non- and neo-Anglophiles will especially appreciate Randall's definitions of British terms and background on the British music industry, music press and education system (all five musicians met at the all-male Abingdon School). As for the inevitable "record critique" chapters, Randall rarely throws in his two cents, preferring to sprinkle passages with the band's own pithy observations and recording-session anecdotes culled from magazine interviews. Exit music? Not quite, as Radiohead are pushing the boundaries of pop music (the new record is rumored to include Miles Davis and backwards singing). Because the book will be published right before the new album debuts, it will be nearly out of date by the time it hits bookstores. However, Randall's work will still serve as a reliable introduction to an ever-evolving band. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Reputable music journalist Randall, the East Coast editor of Launch and a former senior editor of Musician, has compiled a cut-and-paste compendium of every interview the Oxford, England, quartet has ever given. The book makes up for its unforgivable regurgitation of quotes long familiar to hardcore fans with a comprehensive study of the band's development before they hit it big and began having troubles in the studio. Still, the Radiohead story is long from over, and this does not work in Randall's favor. If they are indeed one of the most important rock groups of our time, they won't be worthy of such a study until their catalog is fuller and their influence has had time to sink in. (It doesn't help that they all live quiet, un-rock'n'roll lives either.) Though Exit Music is eminently readable, Martin Clarke's Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless (Plexus, 1999) covers the same time period with more interesting and academic readings of their songs.AColin Carlson, New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent Insight Into the Band,
By A Customer
This review is from: Exit Music: The Radiohead Story (Paperback)
When I purchased Exit Music: The Radiohead Story, I expected stories about Radiohead's challenges in making albums, touring, and other random tidbits of information about the band members.The book contained a handful of these types of stories, but a lot of the material critiqued Radiohead's music. For example, there were numerous descriptions of how songs went from this chord to that chord... or this song contained three guitars... So before purchasing this book, be aware that a good majority of it covers the actual content of Radiohead's work, describes their music, etc. I was looking more for a "VH1: Behind the Music" type biography.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a limited review ...,
By A. Wakefield "Partial Observer" (Indian Fortress, NY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Exit Music: The Radiohead Story (Paperback)
... The limitations I refer to are as follows: First, I have not read a lot of radiohead interviews or articles as I haven't yet found a music magazine I consistently like (besides CMJ, which rarely includes interviews). Second, I haven't read any other radiohead biographies.Thus I can't comment on the accuracy of the book. Also, it might seem strange to you that people would be writing and reading radiohead biographies while they are still either at their peak or climbing towards it. I also found it strange, but strangley wanted to buy it after reading a litle bit. The reason I bought it is because I am a musician and I wanted to learn more about how radiohed got from point A to point QDGYX to kid A. And for that purpose, the book was quite useful and lead me to a lot of interesting new information and ideas. It won't tell you the precise secrets, but it will give you enough to get you thinking about entirely unrelated creative musical concepts. It also lets you know anough about their approach to music to get a sense for how this groundbreaking pop came to be. I give it 4 stars because it's worth buying but is a little odd, and isn't literature. It's a good read for musicians and ardent fans of the band who don't read idiotic music papers like Rolling Stone.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good insights,
This review is from: Exit Music: The Radiohead Story (Paperback)
One of the few bands that has hit fame and fortune, but hasn't been wrecked by it. Mac Randall's "Exit Music: The Radiohead Story" is a solid, informative cache of background info on this band, without being either vindictive or fawning.It charts the group's origins, the guys behind the music, and their rise from an unusually sedate gathering of British guys to a world-famous band with immensely popular music and legions of devoted fans. No tabloidy gossip here -- it's focus on the band and what they do best. The pictures are the main disappointment; they're black and white, and are basically shots of the band members and not much else. Randall is a fan but not a fanboy; his attitude is cool and professional. He offers a basic, informative description of Radiohead's history. As the band members do, there is relatively little info on their early personal lives or love lives, but plenty on their careers and music. It's not earthshattering, but a good source of information and background information. Solid read for Radiohead fans, old and new.
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