Less Polish, More Soul Mark Radiohead's Flawless Live Album

Radiohead
I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings

Pleasure and pain go hand-in-hand in Radiohead's first live recordings, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings.

Culled from the band's work on Kid A and Amnesiac, the songs on I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings retain the ethereal electronic feel of their studio versions. But there is a definite departure from the polish and precision of the band's perfectionist studio work -- less robotic than human, the rough edges provide the band's impressive repertoire its full due.

The live recordings have such a raw edge that they practically assault the listener -- gone is the subdued feel of the studio. In its place is intense emotion, driven not by expertly formulated electronica, but by the plaintive vocals of Thom Yorke.

Yorke starts the album with unexpected oral percussion that complements the resounding bass of "The National Anthem." It's practically painful to listen to him heave out hyperventilating breaths that climax in his beautifully aggressive vocals.

This combination of pain and angst pounding against the threads of Yorke's melancholy vocals continues throughout the album. Unlike the distorted otherworldly blend of Kid A and Amnesiac, in which the surreal instrumental landscape sometimes obscures Yorke's voice, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings pushes the vocals.

Eerie does not even begin to describe the feeling of coalescence as Yorke sadistically croons in "Morning Bell." This same prickling, injured sensation is derived from "Idioteque," in which Yorke breathlessly hurls panicked lyrics, at times with only a backing of percussion.

But aggression is not the name of the game. There is also a sense of a softer, gentler Radiohead, and the agony is complemented by musical and vocal ecstacy. It's these paler moments that reveal the album's high degree of humanity, unexpected from such a typically android, synthesized band.

"Like Spinning Plates" is shockingly unlike the pumped electronic version on Amnesiac. Melodic piano backs Yorke's nasal vocals, which are downplayed on the studio track. And an unpolished acoustic guitar complements the intensely pained but simultaneously hopeful tones of "True Love Waits."

Acoustics are not the sole shock of the album. Also to be reckoned with is the synchronized clapping of the crowd, dutifully providing a background on tracks like "Everything In Its Right Place."

It's this clapping, as well as the occasional shout from the audience, that is most arresting to the listener. After a succession of practically perfect, smooth studio albums, the fact that Radiohead has finally released a live one is practically too much to comprehend.

But it works. Flawlessly. With I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings, Radiohead has hit the right notes, trading polished studio work for gritty, live emotion that overwhelms and captivates.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.