About Gabe Johnson Expertise I am an expert on the material in Radiohead`s songs. I can answer nearly any question related to lyrics interpretations and changes from album to album. I can also answer many questions related to specific band members such as their upbringings and musical influences.
Experience I have listened to Radiohead heavily for three years, and discuss/research Radiohead in order to further my appreciation and knowledge for the band.
I was reccomended by a Pink Floyd expert from this site to apply.
Publications Write monthly music review for school paper.
Question Hey,
I'm Alex from Greensboro, NC...
I have become a rabid Radiohead fan over the last 2 years, and I'm gonna go ahead and say that Radiohead and Pink Floyd are equally my favorite bands of all time (as odd of a match that may sound to you, or anyone).
I've grown to out and out love Radiohead because they are one of the few bands whose songs have the ability to give me goosebumps and make the hair on the back on my neck stand up, not out of shock, but out of the pure bliss I receive("Airbag" and "How to Dissapear Completely" come to mind!).
Anyways, I have always been fascinated with the art on Radiohead's album sleeves; I am most fascinated with the art of the Kid A album...
Are there any websites around or any interpreters that have insight on what the pictures mean or what message they send?
Example: I don't know if you've seen this or gotten the same impression that I have, but the very back page of the Kid A sleeve is pretty incredible.. It has a view of a frozen continent, roads, streets, homes, with mountains that have hundreds of faces in them, and in the sky seems to be a picture of God with the devil to the left of it..
If you know of some site or something that brings insight on stuff like this, please let me know!
Answer Dear Alex,
Your genuine fanhood of Radiohead is very inspiring, thanks, and congratulations on finding this band - they have a lot to offer. ;)
I was hesitant on answering your question immediately because I knew I wouldn't be able to give you the answer you thought you might have (especially since the artwork on Kid A is indeed stunning and my favorite).
The artwork on every Radiohead album since the My Iron Lung EP has been done by Stanley Donwood with a little help from Thom. Now, it's probably best for you to understand that with the artwork, they intended for it to mean very little. Although, it's certainly up for interpretation, meaning, the large, intimidating, plain-colored mountains could represent a transparent monster of government for Thom. The other pieces of work in side the sleeve could simply represent the jumbled, scattered, hectic concept that exists in the album's music. This is similar to OK Computer, which, on the cover, had roadways and modern themes covered in a shroud of vagueness, akin to the album's style.
It's possible to say that with each album, Stanley Donwood is matching his artwork with the themes of the album, and this is clearly evident on the artwork of Hail to the Thief.
After much searching, I didn't find anything on the internet about personal interpretations of album artwork. I'm sorry about that, but on the bright side, I think it's more fun if you apply whatever you want to it. That's the beauty of Radiohead anyway.
Thanks for the challenging question, if you aren't satisfied you could try Andreas Moss - he might have a few more things to say.
