Don’t Get Any Big Ideas: Revisiting In Rainbows for its 10th Anniversary
After the release of their 2004 album Hail To The Thief, the members of Radiohead were lost. The writing process for their upcoming 7th album was described by many members of the band as being their most difficult, stretching from 2005 all the way to its release in 2007. For the first time since Pablo Honey, they initially set out to make a record without the help of long time super-producer Nigel Godrich, and after a year of work on In Rainbows the band found itself struggling to pull this new album together without Nigel’s help. Not only were they in stuck in creative limbo, but they also found themselves at a moment between record labels, having completed their contract with EMI with no intention to resign there. The band was struggling with hard questions, and even considering ending the band after finishing this record. But it is the answers they found next that truly affirmed their legendary status in the music world.
On October 10th 2007, exactly 10 years ago today, Radiohead released their 7th Studio album, titled In Rainbows. The album was self-released, as they did not sign with a record company and instead chose to release the album directly to fans via their website in the form of a digital download. You could pay whatever you wanted for the album: you could download it for free or donate more if you felt inclined to do so. At the time it was seen as both revolutionary and incredibly divisive in the industry. Some hailed it as a genius shift to appeal to the rise of illegal downloads, while others called it a massive mistake. The “Radiohead experiment” as it became known did not become the model of the music industry for years to come, but it demonstrated a shift in the music industry’s thinking as a whole. Despite being available for free online for months before getting a physical release, the album went number #1 on the UK charts long after the album was released online, a shock to vocal critics of the distribution model. Not only was In Rainbows an incredible shift in the way it was released, but it was also a work of art unlike which we had not seen from the band before. And 10 years later, it is my single favorite album of all time (if I have to pick one).
After about a year of trying to work with other producers, Thom realized that this experiment was failing, and he called up Nigel to come in and save the day. The connection between the band members of Radiohead and Nigel has driven much of the creative success of the band, and it was especially important that Nigel come back at this time because the album they were working on had become quite the mess to untangle. Nigel saw the band was in a creative rut, and the tension in the band was mounting. So he had an idea: go on tour. In the middle of the recording process Radiohead did a run of festivals and shows in large part to perform the new songs they were writing live to help work them out. All of the new songs played on the tour either ended up as tracks on the final album or as tracks on the later released In Rainbows Disk 2. But while many songs were mostly finished as they would appear on the album, others underwent drastic transformations, most notably the album closer “Videotape”, which in live shows had an explosive build and great emotional energy, but exists on the album as a dismal piano ballad.
In this video you can hear all of the DNA of what would eventually would become videotape: the syncopated pianos, the haunting lyrics and vocals, and the subtle electronic drums. But in this version the guitars and heavier live drums come in stronger and stronger to make a song that is anthemic and explosive as Thom’s vocals get more passionate. But although this song was a big hit in these live shows, Radiohead have a painstaking approach to crafting an album where no matter how good a song might be, the sequencing and cohesive sound of the album always have to win out. So as popular as the early version of Videotape is with fans, the band never quite liked it as the closer of the album and continued to tinker with it. Until one day, frustrated with the track, Thom decided to strip it all away, and the huge soaring explosion of Videotape became a quiet painful funeral march.
This transformation was shocking to fans who expected the version they heard at Bonaroo, but as they got used to the new version it became clear the minimalism of the track was the way the album needed to end. Radiohead often consciously and subconsciously fight against expectations of rock bands, often even having to fight their own impulses as musicians. But the reason why they are still able to strike such a cord when they go in an unorthodox direction is at the core of these songs is truly powerful and emotive idea. Thom has never failed to deliver those powerful emotions for those who connect with his music, it just took some hard work and experimentation to truly perfect the vehicle for those expressions.
Usually at the start of a Radiohead album before this one, there was a specific musical influence or type of music they were trying to draw from and integrate into their sound. The Bends was a melancholy take on brit pop, OK Computer was inspired by touring with R.E.M., and Kid A’s cold atmosphere and electronic beats were inspired by artists like Aphex Twin. But now many years into their career the band had expanded their musical palette so wide that the collection of songs they were writing for In Rainbows all seemed to come from different directions of the musical universe. Some songs had a jagged edge and noisy guitars like “Bodysnatchers”, while other tracks were the most serene and dreamy that Radiohead had ever sounded, such as “Nude”. In Rainbows is what happens when a group of really talented and inspired musicians set out to try to fit a million musical ideas into a cohesive, concise album. And for two years in the studio they just banged their heads against the wall trying to make it work until all of a sudden the product they had created was something unlike which they had not made before. An album so surreal and otherworldly it seemed to come from outer space. In Rainbows.
In Rainbows is an absolutely gorgeous album. While many of Radiohead’s previous efforts can be characterized by a cold, otherworldly feeling of anxiety and dread, In Rainbows is perhaps the most musically friendly album the band has produced. This album features warm jazzy guitars, shimmering string sections, layered synthesizers, and even an Ondes Martenot for atmosphere (a musical instrument that came before synthesizers, used from its invention in the 20’s through the 60's). Radiohead are far from being the most revolutionary band in experimental rock music, there are plenty of artists who go weirder and push the limits more than Radiohead. But no band is quite as good at incorporating these complex musical ideas and using them to invoke incredibly powerful emotion. From the weird time signature on the opening track “15 Step” to the syncopation used on the final ballad “Videotape”, Radiohead constantly show their eagerness to take unique risks in their music for big emotional payoffs. And despite the fact that this album features a wide variety of sonic ideas, they are woven together into a beautiful tapestry over the 10 track length of the album. No musical idea feels out of place or thrown in, and every moment on the album feels earned and purposeful. Transitioning from a track as aggressive and heart pounding as “Bodysnatchers” to one of the most subdued tracks on the album shouldn’t work, but the way the song climatically builds to a breaking point leading right into the dreamy atmosphere of nude just feels so so right every time. Few people deserve the title of “musical genius” its a title that is thrown around far too often to have the kind of meaning it is supposed to imply. But if anyone deserves that kind of praise it is Thom, Nigel, and Jonny.
What In Rainbows lacks in consistent musical DNA, it makes up for in a strong sense of theme and a compelling emotional arc about the trials and tribulations of human desire. In fact, I would argue that In Rainbows is a closest thing to a “concept album” the band has ever produced. So strap on your helmets because it’s time for some game theory.
First, before I dive into the theory of In Rainbows, I have to clarify that these theories are not entirely my own, nor do I think that I am “cracking the code” of the album. Thom’s writing is never meant to hit the nail exactly on the head, and there are always multiple layers and ways to interpret his songwriting. His complex lyrics are where he finds his emotional power and making a whole album that tells a singular linear story is not how he does things. However, when analyzing the album both lyrically and musically you can loosely track the emotional arc of the album to the emotional arc of a biblical character named Faust, whose story is directly referenced twice on the album. These allusions occur in the title of the 6th track “Faust Arp” as well as in the lyrics of “Videotape”, but the entire album draws on many of the central themes of the story. And in telling that story, a great deal of personal and thematic meaning is packed into this short 10 track album.
In case you aren’t intimately familiar with the details of German religious folklore, Faust is a character who is often associated with the ideas of hubris and human desire. Most likely your experience with faust is the use of the adjective “faustian” or a “faustian bargain”, to describe a deal in which one disobeys moral or spiritual principles to obtain some sort of wealth or benefit, often to their downfall. The character of Faust was a successful doctor, but a man who finds himself bored with his life and his accomplishments. This changes when Mephistopheles (a particular name / form of the devil) visits Faust and proposes a deal: Faust will receive infinite knowledge and worldly pleasures, but only for a set number of years. Once the time is up, Mephistopheles will take Faust and his soul to hell. And predictably, the tale does not have a particularly happy ending.
The emotional arc of In Rainbows begins much in the same way that the story of Faust does: with a protagonist who feels limited and trapped with the cycles and mundanity of their life.
“How com I end up where I started?
How come I end up where i went wrong?
Wont take my eyes off the ball again,
You reel me out then you cut the string”
From these opening lines of the album on “15 Step” Thom established a theme of existential dread and dissatisfaction. As Thom describes it, the album attempts to capture “that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, ‘I’m sure I’m supposed to be doing something else’”. This is the dynamic of the album, and the conflict at the center of it: the deep human instinct of “what am I doing here?” and the dangers of chasing those human desires for something more. And as the album continues, the feeling of anxiety and internal conflict ratchets up on the incredibly raw second track “Bodysnatchers”. If “15 Step” was the beginning of an existential crisis, “Bodysnatchers” is a full episode of psychosis and terror. Thom describes feeling “trapped in this body, and cant get out”, and frantically asks “has the light gone out for you, because the light’s gone out for me”. And as these racing thoughts continue to grow more louder and more distressed, the instrumentation repeatedly ramps up in intensity until the song reaches its throttling climax, with Thom practically screaming the repeated phrase “I’ve seen it coming”.
So don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen
You’ll go to hell for what your dirty mind is thinking
In Rainbows is an album of psychological terrors and fears, but also an album of deep physical and emotional desires. Thom has stated that this album was his take on the concept of seduction songs, a series of portraits of lust and human desires that drive and control our actions. This theme is incredibly present in the songs “Nude”, “Weird Fishes / Arpeggi”, and “All I Need”, songs that show the dangers of a desperate, all-consuming desire. These songs are incredibly spacey and dream-like, as Thom croons with his eerie falsetto vocals over tender and quiet ballads. In relation to the story of Faust, this section of the album represents the seduction of Margaret, a woman who Faust woos using his new found powers. Margaret is portrayed as an inherently innocent and loving figure who is drawn into Faust’s world only to have her life ruined by the sins of Faust when she gives birth to his child out of wedlock. Reflecting this story, these songs show a romantic couple drawn to sin and darkness through their human desires, leading them both to madness. This theme is displayed most powerfully in the ocean metaphors of “Weird Fishes”, a song that describes a slow descent to the bottom of a deep dark ocean, as Thom dreams to “hit the bottom and escape”. And the song doesn’t just use lyrical imagery to describe the deep dark ocean, the band also uses a clever musical trick that gives the song an almost hypnotic melody. The song begins with a simple ascending guitar arpeggio, and then part way through the song an inverse descending guitar argeggio comes in layering on top of the first one exactly. The resulting effect is two guitar patterns that criss-cross back and forth enveloping the track in walls of sound that are soothing and seductive.
“All I Need”, on the other hand, depicts a man professing his love in a moment of pure desperation. Over an incredibly simple bassline and rhythm section, thom croons how badly he needs the love and affection of the one he cravs most. This is far from storybook romance, rather Thom uses such evocative imagery as “an animal trapped in your hot car” and “a moth who just wants to share your light”. This love is more than a desire in the traditional sense, it is something so all-consuming that the man depicted finds himself begging for it. And as the song progresses, a powerful piano comes in as the track is enveloped in a growing wall of white noise that feels truly transcendent.
After the musical ascension at the end of that song followed by the tender and lyrically bizzare interlude track “Faust Arp”, we come to realize that Faust has has indeed hit the bottom and escaped, and is now in some sort of afterlife horribly confused and lost. Faust has fallen to the bottom of an emotional well in search of love and lust, and now he must face the consequences of his actions and his fate. He already met Mephistopheles, now its time to meet God.
You are not to blame for / bittersweet distractors
Dare not speak its name / Dedicated to all human beings
“Reckoner” is the most explicitly biblical song on the album, as Thom sings from the POV of a deity figure offering forgiveness to Faust. One of the most gorgeous songs of the band’s career, in this ballad Faust is forgiven for falling victim for human wants and desires, and in extension his forgiveness is extended to all of the human race. And in this song (specifically around the 3:08 mark), we hear the only use of the album’s title “In Rainbows”, being sung by the backup vocals faintly as the bridge ends. And the use of the title here is appropriate, as this song to me is the thematic and emotional centerpiece of the album. “Reckoner” is a song of forgiveness for the fundamental human attribute of desire. The title itself is meant to describe a state of limbo, constantly stuck between where we were and where we want to be. We aren’t at the bottom of the rainbow, and we aren’t on the magical other side of the rainbow. We are trapped in it, constantly seeking the worldly pleasures that we think will satisfy our longings.
And the 8th and 9th songs of this album are an exploration of those longings: seduction, love, and vices. “House of Cards” tells the story of two lovers who are “leaving their keys in the bowl” and “kissing their husbands goodbye”, depicting some sort of swingers party. The couples leave their “house of cards” behind and succumb to their human instincts, behaving more animal than human as Thom sings the incredibly haunting mantra of “denial” over and over. “Jigsaw Falling into Place” is a similarly twisted song, as Thom sings of a man moving his way through a nightclub surrounded by “animal noises” as he begs the object of his desire to “Come on and let it out”. These are not particularly kind depictions of human nature, as the subjects of these songs are consumed by primal lusts and desire as they try to escape the cages they find themselves in. Faust has received forgiveness for himself and Margaret, but Faust fully knows that what he has done is worthy of the punishment waiting on the other side. And he finally meets that fate with open arms.
When I’m at the pearly gates / This will be on my videotape
And Mephistopheles is just beneath / and is reaching up to grab me
Videotape was never meant to be a cathartic release of energy. It is a solemn painful goodbye, and the final version on the album reflects that. Margaret is saved from the sins of her lover, but as she moves onward, Faust must say goodbye. Unable to face the one whom he caused his ultimate suffering to, he leaves her a final message on videotape, capturing his final words “in red, blue, green”. But although this is a painful goodbye, Thom leaves us with one of the few moments of brightness of the album. Finally free from his human life of chasing joy from one momentary pleasure to another, Faust finally finds peace. And that peace is not met with an uplifting climax of music, but rather the pianos and cycling drums fade into the nothing from which they came.
No matter what happens next /I shouldn’t be afraid
Because I know today has been / the most perfect day I’ve ever seen
The thing that makes this album so special to me is not the intricate biblical themes, or the secret messages hidden in the background. Even though i just spent a great deal of time unraveling the many details and threads of this album, this album is a purely emotional experience that truly shifts and and changes as the human heart does. There are moments on this album that capture painful sadness, some that capture deep passionate love. Some songs on this album serve as emotional rocks that calm and center me, while others allow me to express anger and anxiety in a moment of pure catharsis. Many Radiohead albums play on themes of technology and cold dystopia, but this album is deeply human in every way. It reflects the flaws, the instincts, the emotions, and the nuances that make us who we are. The reason I wanted to explain those allusions and references embedded into the DNA of this album was not simply to show you how much of a nerd I am (a big one), but rather to show you how much is buried in the beautiful soundscapes of this album. So on its 10th anniversary, go listen to my favorite album, and you might find something waiting for you in the highs and lows of In Rainbows.
