Customer Reviews

Strung Out On OK Computer: The String Quartet Tribute To Radiohead

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I don't see what all the negative reviews are about. As a musician myself (guitar, bass, piano, drums) and having a couple string players(cello and violin) in my own band, I really liked this album. The album wasn't supposed to be a different arrangement, it was just supposed to be a recreation in a string arrangement. I think it's great for study music, or for when you're working and don't want anything extremely distracting or loud. I will admit some of the transitions don't sound exactly right but these are organic instruments, and aren't being put through a rack full of special effects like Johnny's guitar. :)

Anyways, I think it does the album justice and I enjoy listening to it and I think it's worth owning.

One of the great things about Radiohead is the amount of texture in their songs, which I thought the string quartet doesn't quite manage to emulate. I also think the replacement of vocals with a violin sounds a bit naff. Covering Radiohead with a full symphony orchestra - now there's an idea ...

Then this CD is for you. I bought the other so called Radiohead Tribute albums and they provide no respect to the genius that is Radiohead. This CD, however, is completely and utterly brilliant. It captures the emotion and musicality of the original almost perfectly. The strings mimic Thom Yorke's voice magically and at times this album seems to bring out the classical flavor that you knew was in OK Computer but couldn't prove because it was a rock album. Even if you don't like classical music, it is a perfect addition to your Radiohead collection. If you do love classical music, then you will appreciate this album even more.

This is such a good idea, executed with skilfully but perhaps too closely tied to the source material. The arranger has actually done a great job of creating organic quartet pieces from the source material - elements such as the mood changes in android are handled well. The problem is that the result is very flat. If you are a mad fan of Radhiohead and buy this, don't ever listen to the Balanescu Quartet's arrangements of Kraftwerk or David Byrne. It'll kill this disc!
In short: like watching a movie that _could_ have been good.

This CD is surprisingly sublime. Suprising because it's Radiohead's music reinterpreted by a minimal amount of musicians, which makes the original seem almost claustrophobic in comparison (which I imagine is the point given the underlying theme). "Airbag" and "Exit Music" stand as pillars by capturing the understated mood through their beautiful harmonies. However, "Paranoid Android" is the pinnacle of this CD. The translation of this song makes it seem as if it were originally intended to played by a string quartet. The overall success in execution on this work lends credence to the fact that not only are Radiohead excellent musicians, but outstanding composers as well. A must have for any fan of Radiohead.

The Section's Tribute to Radiohead is an amazingly deep album that captures the essence of OK Computer. You can feel the wind biting and the desolation of Radiohead's work in every hum. Performed by The Section, this album features Eric Gorfain and Roland Hartwellon on Violin, Piotr Jandula on Viola, and Richard Dodd on Cello. The Depravity captured in The Section's performance is astounding; you can't help but be moved by the emotional performance heard on this album. The strings drag you down with them, and you can almost feel the tension of man upon the precipice of battle. Karma Police is by far the standout track on this album. Very rarely does a tribute album have this much profound power behind it. Truly an instrumental masterpiece.

I love music more than anything in my life. Except love, anyway, when you love music so much your favorite band means so much to you. Radiohead stand as the band that gave me the realization of truly beautiful music. They stand as my favorite band. I've bought so many cds relating to them and I tell you, this cd, "Strung Out On Ok Computer" it's a solid one. Much of what Thom is saying in his music is in the lyrics, one could argue against an interpretation that's void of lyrics, but this cd is somethign different. The quartet effectively manages to bring out the emotions of the seperate songs through the melodies themselves. It's a cd that I can honestly say, makes me smile. it makes me smile as a Radiohead fan because it defends Thom's musicianship, his ability to craft such beautiful melodies. And I smile because of the simple beauty that a string quartet can bring to music.

Like everyone else has said, if you're afan of Radiohead, it's a no brainer, if not.....go get Ok COmputer, the original. It's still the greatest cd of all time.

This is the third Radiohead tribute album I have listened to and I must say it's the only one that achieves its main goal: to showcase the amazing talent of Thom Yorke and company. The violin arrangements really remind you of what great melodies Radiohead are capable of creating. It reminds you that they can portray so much emotion through their melodies alone. I love the way in which the endings to Let down and Karma police seem to really take off exactly as they do on Ok Computer. Paranoid Android performed by a string quartet is a truly beautiful sonic experience. If you buy this cd, play close attention to the part of Paranoid Android just before the song gets really loud (ie, the kicking, squealing gucci little piggy part). It was beautifully done. If you're a Radiohead fan, I recommend you purchase this album. It doesn't insult the band the way the other tribute albums have. This cd brings out one of Radiohead's strong points beautifully; their ability to create truly interesting, gorgeous melodies.

There is some really horrible re-worked Radiohead stuff out there, and it is nice to finally see something like this show up on the scene. I think disc could have been more innovative in composition; however, it gets 5 stars for sticking to the source material. It is a near replica for strings, and certainly enjoyable in that scene. And I think because of its extremely close relationship to the original it will make many Radiohead fans very happy. If you know the album, and who doesn't, this is a great way to re-discover the album. It probably is a must purchase for RH fans.

However, I found the performance and sound quality to be somewhat lackluster. Although I cannot call it poor, it is the reason the album only gets 4 stars on my review. Maybe it's simply my wishing their were a few more pieces involved in the creation of this performance, but I believe I could have been put on a little better by the musicians.

Don't take my negative comment too heavily though. This is certainly enjoyable, and still my favorite of all the re-worked Radiohead stuff out there. Check it out.

Composition is one thing, arrangement is another much more IMPORTANT thing 'specially in a string quartet--cmon, I'm just as schizophrenic as the next Radiohead lunatic, my dreams are soundtracked by the bubbly harp at the end of 'Motion Picture Soundtrack'...

But this is pretty lousy. They've managed to lose all of the anything everything that made Radiohead's general arrangment of their songs so lucid and swollen and fantastic. Songs like 'Homesick Alien' sound like they've been transcribed by a high school band major to simplify enough for grade school kids to play. No thick crescendos, none of the staple arpeggios, NO NO NO dissonance anywhere ANYWHERE! (this is RADIOHEAD for God's sake) ...just a big plastic mess that might have well been played on a Roland keyboard using the 'strings' patch.

You'd think a 'string quartet' would have enough practice not to be blown out of the water by Johnny Greenwood's OWN guitar-general-instrumentist string arrangements--but then I spose that's why Johnny's the amazingly successful and talented band member on the top of the universe, and these guys are putting out cheap covers of an album that's amazingly hard to cover. Listen to the strings at the end of 'How to Disappear Completely' or 'Pyramid Song' then come back and 'splain how still wonderful this collection sounds.

Go for Brad Mehldau, a spontaneous mind over such calculated music wildly brings out how wonderful a pianist he is, as well as how spectacular the fundamentals of Radiohead's songs are built. Maybe even O'Riley and the classical stuff, to get the idea what it would sound like without a brain like Mehldau's...

You decide, I wasn't charmed