My iPod #16: Radiohead - All I Need

'In Rainbows' was the long awaited Radiohead album that was released as a download, pay-as-much-as-you-want in 2007.

I'm not a great fan of the band, in comparison to other crazy Radiohead fans, I am nothing - I might have already said this in my 'Airbag' blog.

So when 'In Rainbows' way back when, I didn't really see the fuss about it. I thought it was cool that people could pay whatever they wanted like 1p or £100, most fans paid nothing anyway, which resulted in many complaints about how companies don't get enough money for their stuff being released or whatever. Apparently, pre-release sales were more profitable than the total money from sales of 'Hail to the Thief.' So they must have done something right from changing their selling tactics.

I have to admit too that as an album, I still haven't given 'In Rainbows' a chance. I've never sat down and fully listened to the whole package. I should do. I really should. Most fans like it more than 'Hail to the Thief' and I think that 'HTTT' is a very good album, so what could go wrong?

The songs on my iPod from this album are not those I liked upon listening to the album once I received it for Christmas 2007. 'Jigsaw Falling into Place' played repeatedly on MTV2 and I liked that song and the video too, no matter how weird the cameras were. The song would be the first I would hear from 'In Rainbows'.

I first properly paid attention to 'All I Need' when MTV2, again, dedicated five minutes of its schedule to advertise its EXIT campaign. The 'advert' was basically a music video for 'All I Need', which you can watch by clicking these two words.

Still, I didn't think much of it.

Listening to it many times after though, I realised that the song is great. Quite calming actually. You're provided with a smooth, soothing vocal by Thom Yorke with a steady backbeat by Phil Selway and a strong bassline by Colin Greenwood. The lyrics come off kinda stalkerish, 'I am all the days, that you choose to ignore', 'You are all I need. You're alll I neeeeeeeed.' You probably wouldn't recognise this, because the instrumentation is very calming. It's like slowly sinking into a beanbag when you begin to sleep in it. But then, the song picks up and there are thrashing cymbal crashes, a chorus of piano and, overall, a real build in tension of atmosphere with Thom singing 'It's all right, it's allll riiiiiiiight!' And just when you think the song is going to climax, it ends.

It's a magical song. I really need to listen to 'In Rainbows'. Fully though, not just the singles.

Until next time.

Jamie.