I can’t believe he says the vocal performance isn’t his best! Are you kidding me! He is absolutely incredible in this

@Hakucho64

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, I was waiting for the bad bit!

@benkippin8133

2 ай бұрын

The crazy thing is, I've seen him do it better.

@DougieL

2 ай бұрын

A lot of people believe Yorke isnt a great singer? (Perhaps Eloise is in that camp?) This version is epic.

@musochickburns8212

2 ай бұрын

Said the same thing... insanely great vocal control, breath control, pitch, tone and emotion... what more could you want ??

@dirtonableach8066

2 ай бұрын

My first thoughts, lol

This performance misses a lot of the wonderful layers present in the studio recording, but Thom's vocal performance really is stunning.

@EightPieceBox

2 ай бұрын

I also prefer it with the full band, but this was a crazy great vocal from Thom. Being stripped down like this helps show it off.

@Maxwellish

2 ай бұрын

agreed, the way the harmonies come in at the bridge in the studio version is so good.

@hankhill3256

2 ай бұрын

A lot of chefs in the kitchen to be sure, some help if you will.

@AyyyGabagool

2 ай бұрын

Agreed. Not hearing the drums and bass come in is a bit disappointing lol

I think Thom is an underrated guitarist. To play that constant picking pattern on a 12 string while singing this like he does is harder than he makes it look. IMO

@user-lm6zd5pl4w

6 күн бұрын

This is one of the easiest beginner songs to play and sing over. This is like one of 3 songs I can play on a guitar and as it's so simple picking that you can sing over it without thinking, never leave second fret.

More Radiohead, they’re such amazing musicians!

@BasedUriah

2 ай бұрын

Faster Johnny!

@AbsurdCats

Ай бұрын

I keep coming back here to watch the Radiohead reactions.

You are also missing out on Jonny playing keyboard with the end of his guitar at the same time as he plays the riff. That man...

Love that you’re going back for more Radiohead! Super impressive for how close you got to the arpeggiation on the first few go-arounds with the descending melody around A minor. You’re spot on that they don’t do E7 until the very end too. It’s the closing track on “The Bends” and gives a strong resolution after floating with A minor and E minor for the rest of the time.

@Guitargate

2 ай бұрын

Love it!

When it comes to Radiohead, everything is intential Michael. Incredibly talented musicians.

I'm not a reaction guy normally but stumbled on a couple of in rainbows and Lisa hanniigan/rice reactions and really loving your work. I don't play but you explain what I love so specifically and accurately on a different level to anyone else in this genre, you teach people why the love what they love. To boot with genuine enthusiasm love and very good recording quality. Genuine love for music, love you man, make me wanna learn

probably the most 90s performance. the hair, mellow song, japan tour, clothes....

We got him hooked! Radiohead are and will always be my all time favourite band, just because of the variety of everything over their musical career. Check out Pyramid Song - it's not guitar-based, but it has one HELL of a time signature and a wonderful drifting ethereal sound that you'd dig.

@krnkrp

2 ай бұрын

"but it has one HELL of a time signature" - you mean 4/4? ;)

@DJChizzlesworth

2 ай бұрын

@@krnkrp shush, I wanted to see how Michael worked it out!

There is a lot of flotsam and jetsam on the net, but when you see someone articulate, approachable, modest, talented and humourous it is a breath of freah air. Thank you Michael

woohoo! Been waiting for more Radiohead.

Love it when you check out Radiohead, all anyone can do is shake their head in frustration/admiration and enjoy them for what they are.

Johnny Greenwood (left) is also a film composer. Ever seen There Will Be Blood?

Never saw THAT performance before, my God how iconic... Thom was in another dimension. Beyond perfection 👏

@kristinrogersdotter5492

Ай бұрын

Same! I don't recognize the show or venue they were on. I've seen Thom & Jonny do acoustic together before but not this song. Stripped down and gorgeous

These two are doing a live with The Smile today in just a few minutes. It's free for everyone on the BBC website!

@derrywalker7835

2 ай бұрын

We went to the 6music festival last night to see them with a sixteen piece orchestra, hypnotising and spellbinding!

@effjay8970

2 ай бұрын

I want to like the smile so bad, but it’s not doing it for me 😪

@SR91313

Ай бұрын

​@@effjay8970-I get what you're saying. I liked the first album a lot. Then when I was hearing the new stuff off second album the first few times I was thinking like "it's okay, nothing too crazy special", but then something happened and it started to click. I just let it play through a couple times while I was working and now I've almost completely worn it out. I had to stop listening to it for a couple weeks because I didn't want to completely ruin it for myself. There's only one song I might sometimes skip and that's the last song "You know me", which has actually grown on me a bit as well. I wouldn't give up on it, unless you've given it a fair shake and it's just not your thing.

@effjay8970

Ай бұрын

@@SR91313 I’ll try again - I have 32 hours of travel time ahead of me, why not lol

@kristinrogersdotter5492

Ай бұрын

​@@effjay8970have you seen them live? Really, really good

So glad you did this one! I agree that the studio version is far more complex, but this version really hits home how insanely hard it is to play and sing at the same time, especially notes that long. The more Radiohead from you, the better. And yes, it is pronounced that way ;)

@TJ-vt6rt

2 ай бұрын

Why did you think that was not a great performance ?

@eloisewalker9632

2 ай бұрын

@@TJ-vt6rt I did, Michael just read it out a bit wrong. My caption said “Not only is this Thom’s best vocal performance” :)

@TJ-vt6rt

2 ай бұрын

@@eloisewalker9632 Ah ok. For a live performance in what looks like some kind of record store or radio station building that was pretty stellar.

Yes. It’s on purpose. And they know what they’re doing. They’re from another planet and I’m so glad you are experiencing some of it for the first time. I wish I could!

There are so many great Radiohead songs i would love for you to breakdown. Climbing Up the Walls, Wolf at the Door, Jigsaw Falling into Place

the "set the control for the heart of the sun" reference is class Mike! love ya keep it up

@Guitargate

2 ай бұрын

Yes sir!!

Their best 2 puncher is Exit music for a film followed by Let down on OK Computer. Those 2 songs perfectly resolve each other. Gotta check out that song combo bros !!!!

@jameshannagan4256

2 ай бұрын

I love Climbing Up The Walls into No Surprises it's perfect.

@juliusdavin901

2 күн бұрын

Let down is my favorite song, because of the album placement and when I grew up. Wierd Fishes is thier best song. And I am ok that these things are different

Yes it’s on the album. Thom’s vocal leading is the greatest thing about Radiohead in my opinion. And honestly why I listen to all things Thom Yorke more than just Radiohead

Tom dips in an out of those eastern sounds all the time before wrecking you with beauty and power

@armanillo4695

2 ай бұрын

hey could you name some of those eastern sounds in his songs? I'm eastern so they've never really stood up to me up until now and I wanna investigate further

Radiohead is my favorite band. They are prog-rockers like Primus, King Crimson, Yes, and Rush with the emotional accessibility of The Smashing Pumpkins and The Smiths. And they touch on ethereal unexamined feelings like The Cranberries and Sigur Ros.

Thom York is a friggin god of music.... I'm 43 now and I was listening to his brilliance when I was 15 yrs old... Radiohead put me to sleep every night. All time fave band 🎶💜🎶💜 7:28

@Katt-._.7.

Ай бұрын

Omg! 😃 I’m 41 and been a fan since 13! ☺️ same, every night with headphones for years 🥰

@soundtrackmaker

Ай бұрын

Same. 45

You would have fun breaking down "just" by radiohead. Thom was convinced Johnny was trying to throw as many chords as possible. One of their heavier songs as well and i think you'd enjoy it. It's a polar opposite to street spirit and from the same album.

Finally more Radiohead, anything from the basement sessions is perfect, or just anything from these guys is perfect.

Thom Yorke playing The Clock live on the Henry Rollins show is a truly mindblowing performance, I'd love to see a reaction to that

“I love me some Radiohead” I admit, I giggled.

Radioheads use of half steps, especially the bass line in nude, but with his vocals here and numerous others songs always give me such a vibe. Idk if they just do it better or why no one can figure it out but it’s so tasty every time Radiohead does that. Thanks for saying so mike! Love to feel vindicated 😂

This is my favorite Radiohead song. You absolutely broke this down wonderfully.

@Guitargate

2 ай бұрын

Thanks my friend!!!

@crazydrunk88

26 күн бұрын

same here! I taught myself how to play this on guitar, and it's the very first Radiohead song I learned how to play on guitar!

You know, I highly, highly recommend, maybe not for a reaction video because those two pieces are mainly made up of orchestral music and the latter is super long, a personal back-to-back listen to Burn The Witch, from their latest album A Moon Shaped Pool, and then to Jonny Greenwood's own Popcorn Superhet Receiver (where he originally came up with the idea for the percussive pizzicato on the strings that later made said song so punchy and contrasting with the rest of the otherwise mellow and borderline depressive - albeit extremely beautiful and touching - album, even by Radiohead standards, which is already saying something). I know this might sound a bit pedantic, but it is what it is: the main thing to bear in mind about Radiohead, especially their latest stuff, is that, sure, there's a lot of Thom Yorke's own lyrical, melodic and harmonic genius in the mix that makes them sound like, well, Radiohead, but the “brains” of the operation, likely the one who made many of their songs into the kind of reaaaaally complex, interweaving deal you've recognised in your first two react videos is actually Greenwood, a certified orchestral composer (mostly for soundtracks, but also standalone pieces like the one I mentioned). Case in point: I recall you saying that you likely had to process each instrument separately, as the “groove” wasn't exactly in sync, and that's no accident; their songs are constructed more like orchestral scores, and I'm pretty sure that if you looked at any of them in full score versions, you'd quickly and visually *see* the patterns and, to quote the Tool song, figure how the pieces fit right away. ;) Also, regarding your curiosity about how they went and still go about composing their stuff, you can compare and contrast their last couple of albums including and since OK Computer (their magnum opus, only equalled or bested by In Rainbows, and it's no accident that the first suggestions you got were from the latter) with their *massive* 18 MiniDisc archive leak, which they promptly edited to avoid copyright infringement (there were quite a few samples of material like snippets of soundtracks and whatnot) and put on sale, because that's how they roll. 😂 In those, it's extremely interesting to listen to Thom just fooling around with the guitar, while singing some ersatz, incomplete or otherwise deprecated lyrics, thus witnessing popular and beloved songs being born in real time, and also to piece together how some core ideas were eventually split into several different songs, reused, renamed, repurposed, flipped backwards, rearranged, etc. Only a band with such musical chops could so blatantly reuse material and, yet, turn it all into a certain “sound” and “feel”, without ever devolving into outright self-plagiarism. It boggles the mind, really. Anyway, because I couldn't finish this comment without a couple of actual reaction suggestions, I would go next with a few songs that go quite heavy and interesting on the guitar and which I greatly appreciate: Just, also from The Bends just like this one, and Electioneering, Paranoid Android (frequently compared, and rightly so, to Bohemian Rhapsody), Lucky (sounds a lot like something out of a Pink Floyd album) and The Tourist (with probably the most beautiful Picardy-like cadence I've ever heard in any piece of music, Classical or Rock, ever, repeated twice for good measure and closing the album in a completely obvious but still chilling note), from the unavoidable OK Computer.

i believe ed, the other guitarist came up with the riff for this song, but hes not there for this one also you should do bodysnatchers from the basement if you do any more

@lk-music

2 ай бұрын

Thom wrote the riff. Ed said in his Guitar World interview for his solo album Earth: "Those [folky] parts were the kind of thing that Thom would come up with - he’ll have written the song on his guitar so the rhythmic or plucky bits he would play. Street Spirit is the only thing I can think of that he wrote but I played." I'm surprised that's the only thing though! Although just after that he said he didn't know how he ended up playing it because Thom usually plays those kinds of parts, so perhaps it is the only thing Ed plays that Thom wrote.

@Drixitty

2 ай бұрын

@@lk-musicalr ye, thom usually plays rhythm guitar so this would make more sense

@zoebella314

2 ай бұрын

​​@@Drixittyit would also make more sense, BC Thom's brother was in a Brit folk rock band

Thank you so much Eloise!! This was such a pleasure to watch, brought happy tears to my eyes 🥹

Thank you for this. I always think of Street Spirit as Radiohead’s ‘Echoes’. Like that Floyd album, great album, but that last track paves the way for what’s to come. Interestingly, Thom says this is the most hopeless of Radiohead songs lyrically. He’s right, all doom and gloom and all too real. Ironically it adds to its ‘harsh’ beauty.

That lick he plays in the beginning reminds me of the guitar lick in the song “the smoke” by Thom and Jonny’s band “the smile” check it out!

Time to flood Mike with more Live from the Basement

"Just" is a wonderful guitar Radiohead song to react!

Wolf at the door, wolf at the door, wolf at the door!!!!!!? It deserves a break down lol the one at super sonic in Japan, is the best

Greetings from Germany - I grew up with Radiohead, so thank you so much for this! Keep up your good work!

Always love to see your excitement at the nuances musicians use! Appreciate your work and your sharing it with us. Looking forward to more Radiohead down the road.

The full band versions are even better. There's some cool backing vocals, the drumming sounds like a ticking clock and Jonny also plays the synth with the end of the guitar (while playing the riff).

@kristinrogersdotter5492

Ай бұрын

The backing vocals! The drumming! Sometimes live is better but the studio recording is stunning

One of my favourite songs, off of one if my all time top5 albums. The Bends is amazing from start to finish but this is one epic track to finish on! Thanks Michael... Love seeing people discover this stuff☺️

I don’t play any musical instruments but I love your reactions to Radiohead, I know it’s magic but seeing you explain their spells as a fellow guitar wizard is all the confirmation I need, keep up the great work

I love you, Mike. This was such a joy to watch. I love your passion, your ability, and I love how you soak up songs.

Such a great album, and so evocative of my late-teenage years, easily up there with the best albums of the decade.

I love how technical you go in the music theory 💫🔥 pls. More from Radiohead 🙏🏻

Daily mail from radiohead is awesome as well in terms of composition

@kristinrogersdotter5492

Ай бұрын

Yeah that would be fun to watch him pick it apart

Such a beautiful song

good stuff as always Michael!

When playing live, full band, Jonny plays that riff on the guitar, while he plays synth keys with the tip of his guitar, during the chorus

Radiohead is one of the best bands to have ever graced the planet. Also, you HAVE to do the studio version! It is so so good.

@michael palmisano keep up the good work! Radiohead are some of the most talented musicians ever!

Just perfect performance for the situation , great insights , stuff I’ve been listening to for decades without realising how the simple is made captivating ❤

love this particular performance . was lucky enough to see it when it first came out. this is the version that I share with people that havent heard it

Oh my second favorite Radiohead song. I'm glad you are converting.

❤❤😊❤❤ So happy to have found this channel!

I fkn love this song

Man I invite you to look up Thom Yorke's live performance of The Clock. He never struck me as a great guitar player but that performance.. he's just fully committed, it's magical.

loved playing this cover in the band i was in back in college.

Going to become a member and put in the request for their two man set in France. It's sooooooo good

Just love that E7 at the end.

It’s on the record. This is brilliance.

This was one of the first songs I ever learned, even before I really got okay at chord changes because the chord shape is the same, but just down a string. I loved this song from the moment I heard it. Not the most complicated song to play, but still beautiful after all these years.

Love it ❤

Please do the Studio album version of this beautiful song next, and compare the two, you’re missing so much from the full album version, the piano, the backing vocals, please! 🙏💚

Love his dancing

That flat 6 in the melody you talk about at 3:30 was Beethoven’s jam.

I love how Michael breaks those vocal melodies down on guitar. So helpful.

Been obsessing over this song lately. Somethings in the air

love the radiohead vids, need a KOTL in the basement selection next!

The vocals is what makes this song outstanding. 👏

It's my favorite song... not just from Radiohead.

Awesome!

its been too long without radiohead

Love me some radiohead.

Great vid, thx!

What a great version of that song!

I have been saying for years that, for my money, tracks 9 through 12 on "The Bends" (Bullet Proof - Black Star - Sulk - Street Spirit) form the best 4-song-finale of any studio album I've listened to - which probably has something to with why that album is in my top 20 ...I would, however, love to ponder any arguments...

If you enjoy these two together, without the band, check out out ‘The Numbers’ live, Jonny, Thom and a CR78 - just beautiful

Such an underrated song - he really needs to listen to the whole band play the studio or live version.

I like how the requester said this was not a good performance from Thom... if this is his B tier, we've been spoilt by greatness for too long. Mesmerizing

@zoebella314

2 ай бұрын

They said this wasn't one of Thom's best? Then they just didn't know what they were talking about at all, it's one of his best performances of this song, to ever exist

@eloisewalker9632

2 ай бұрын

Haha I said it was his best, Michael just read it out a bit wrong :)

@AkZeal76

2 ай бұрын

@@eloisewalker9632 haha you should demand an official apology vid

And that's before diving to the lyrics, one of the strongest songs lyrics-wise

I think you would enjoy the video of them playing The Present Tense with just their guitar and a drum machine.

It's an underappreciated song but Scatterbrain is one of their best examples of intertwined guitar arpeggios imo

@declanjoyce3063

2 ай бұрын

Love that song.

Loved this performance. Would love to see a Let Down breakdown before too long; Ive loved that song for decades now and would love to understand more about why musically the dual guitar lines are so affecting

This one is definitely worth a listen to the Studio version, the percussion adds a whole new dimension to it. Very good song.

They know exactly what they’re doing. Nothing is an accident with this band.

How was this not a great vocal performance?? Anyway... thanks for this loving your reactions! You should check out Thom and Johnny's other band "The Smile - Bending Hectic" definitely not for everyone but very interesting! ☺️💕

More Radiohead!

I don’t believe they use E7 until that one time in the outro Michael… they certainly don’t on the studio recording. That E7 is specifically used only that one time in the outro (or should I call it “fade out”? 🤔😜). This has always been one of my favourite Radiohead songs. Ironically the guitarist who was the one who actually wrote that arpeggiated chordal riff is the only one of the three not on stage for this performance 🤔😉

You said 'the yang-yin of major & minor' and my mind took flight...Thinking of my finger-picking grandpa who loved a minor 7th xx

I'll just pop this hear for you. Thom Yorke and Radiohead were hugely inspired by seeing this man live. I believe Thom said something about him giving them confidence in their sound on The Bends "Its okay to do that" (be vulnerable). Jeff Buckley, an underrated guitarist, because that voice is so much. But always blows peoples minds in him technical complexities: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fYOespOdaLrgeco.htmlsi=L3dFZr65e9xF5hrI

Nice! I was going to suggest Eric Steckel, there are some requests in there already. Thanks for your content!

Thom Yorke is an untrained but extremely instinctive composer. Jonny Greenwood *is* a classically trained composer who just happens to be an amazing guitarist. The great thing about Thom Yorke is that he uses his voice as an instrument instead of just a vehicle for lyrics. This performance is perfection - and proof that talented musicians do NOT need autotune and 100 takes and quantization.

You nailed it with your connection to Pink Floyd's Set the Controls... You need to deep dive Radiohead for sure. My favorite band of all time by a long shot, and that's saying a lot.

I hope you get into some more deep dives on Radiohead. Their stuff is hard to wrap my head around because of all the guitars but I hope you do some rockers like Just or The Bends just so I can really know the licks and riffs.

you need to do the actual album version it’s incredible

Saucerful of Secrets Amazing

Hallelujah! ❤ Wait.... Why this version?? You can hear the guitars too on the record version...Also the third guitar is missing here, cause Ed is not here. And the bass... And the beautiful drums... Sigh...And yepp, trust me, they know what they are doing. Really really missing the third guitar though!! Please please please do the original.

@anthonygraham2938

2 ай бұрын

Agreed...as good as this is, the full band version is just sublime.

@kevinhuizenga6793

2 ай бұрын

I think he tries to only do live versions when possible.

@the_oslovian

2 ай бұрын

@@kevinhuizenga6793 There must be a billion live clips of this song. I know of a few very good ones that are not acoustic, but has the whole band. It's like listening to 40 prosent of the song and 60% prosent of the guitar riff