Reinvention and Mutation

Let’s face it: For many bands the standard for concert performance is to essentially replicate the album they’ve just made. Not so for Radiohead. Indeed, not only has the quintet tasked itself lately with reinventing its studio creations for the stage, it has frequently made a compelling case to reassess the original work. Albums that were initially deemed “insular,” “claustrophobic,” “chilly” or “brittle” at first listen took on new colors in concert.

Who says nice guys always finish last? In 1998-2004, the British charts shifted from the swaggering Britpop of the Oasis era and the stomping rave soundtrack shaped by Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers to a more finessed brand of guitar rock, anthemic yet somehow fragile.