Radiohead Playorder

Posted over 5 years ago
Since its release, I've heard gripes about the playorder of Radiohead's Amnesiac, probably the most popular being "Pyramid Song" curiously jammed between "Packt..." and "Pulk/Pull" as the second track.Amnesiac is probably my favorite Radiohead album (yeah, I know...there aren't many of us) - it's brooding and defeatist in a lot of ways that the other albums aren't, but makes me feel empowered rather than helpless. What I'm saying is: I love the songs and the general progression of the album - I'm questionable about the exact placement of certain songs.So I thought it would be fun to rearrange the tracks in a iTunes playlist to see if there's a more suitable order. I'm sure people have done this already with this album countless times and probably with lots of other albums, so I doubt I'm opening up any new doors for anyone. But it's interesting to think about when we, moggers especially, tend to take the "album as a whole" as the artistic work, rather than each individual song. So what happens when you play interior decorator, or, more accurately, interior organizer?This is my favorite version of Amnesiac so far:Like Spinning PlatesMorning Bell/ AmnesiacPulk/Pull Revolving DoorsYou And Whose Army?Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin BoxI Might Be WrongKnives OutDollars & CentsLife In A Glass HouseHunting BearsPyramid SongI've deliberately tried for fluidity and it works really well. "Pyramid Song" is still the troublemaker - I'm not sure it belongs later in the album than "Life In A Glass House" but with the static guitars of "Hunting Bears" between them, things cement pretty well. I didn't think I would want "Packt..." as anything but the album opener, but "Spinning Plates" into "Morning Bell" is much more effective, I think, and after the sobering wail of "You And Whose Army?," "Packt" is refreshingly up tempo and its silken production contrasts beautifully with the more gritty and frantic "I Might Be Wrong." Not to mention, hearing Thom Yorke intone "I might be wrong...I might be wrong..." right after two minutes of saying "I'm a reasonable man" highlights the album's paranoia.All right, that's enough.

Comments (2)

  1. ennuikiller says I wouldn't fuck with Radiohead's carefully chosen track order (I heard Thom spend WEEKS agonizing over OK Computer's track order)......only kidding(about fucking with the order, the story about Thom apparently is true)!! anyway, no matter how you slice & dice it Amnesiac will remain a timeless work of art.....I would start out with I Might Be Wrong (you know anticipating what's to come) but end it with Dollars & Cents (we will crack your little souls..............)
    Permalink posted 11/29/2006
  2. supertopsecret says Your play order is perfect. I have been listening to the album in your order and it is flowing. Well I have only got to track three but Like Spinning Plates flows very nicely into morning bell
    Permalink posted 11/29/2006

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