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Radiohead
Pablo Honey
label: capitol
released: 04.20.93
our score: 3.5 out of 5.0
buy it: here
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It was the
early 90s. Rock music was dour and angst-ridden. Grunge music
ruled the airwaves and the "alternative" sound was just
catching on.
And like any
era, it needed an anthem. A song to fit that moment in time. So
along come this little band out of England with an album title
inspired by an Adam Sandler skit and a little song called "Creep."
And a generation
found an anthem.
"Creep"
was the perfect pop song. While the rest of the pop world was
singing songs about being in love and the rock world was singing
about being alone and depressed, Radiohead came out with a mix
of the two - a man who looks up to a person while looking down
upon himself.
The rest of
Pablo Honey did not fare so well. People viewed the band
as a one-hit wonder. The rest of the album offered nothing spectacular,
just a collection of pop rock songs that were easy to sing along
to.
Still, Pablo
Honey, is a much better album than people give it credit for.
While it is true that it was just a starting block for what was
to come, it was a good pop/rock album. Songs like "Anyone
Can Play Guitar" and "Vegetable" established the
band as more than one song. And the closer, "Blow Out"
gave a hint of what this band just may be capable of.
It wasn't
the best album of the early 90s, but Pablo Honey opened
the ears of the world to Radiohead. It gave them a name to recognize
next time they came around.
Just think
what would have happened if "Creep" had never hit big...
would they have even gotten the studio go-ahead to make The
Bends?
Now, 8 years
after its release, Pablo Honey performs two functions.
It is a sweet helping of ear candy as well as a place to look
to see just where what is quite possibly the world's greatest
rock band got it's start.
Thank God
they got their chance.
If you
liked Pablo Honey...
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