Search - Various Artists :: Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads

Outstanding

Ape | Homewood, Illinois United States | 06/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I truly love covers, they tend to make the familiar at times seem completely foreign don't they? Oh I could write all day about how these songs don't live up to the originals but what would be the point? It takes courage to forget what you have come to know and embrace someone else's vision. Kudos to K7 and to those of you who open your ears occasionally. Very tasteful and highly recommended."

Worth it for one track...

Alan Smithee | West Hollywood, CA | 04/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is not really a full album review. I've just been listening to this for a day or so and I feel like there is one track here that is so worthy of praise that I'd buy the album twice for it. I know Radiohead and tend to agree that covers of their tracks just don't cut it usually. Whatever essence allows Radiohead to get away with the amazing musical turns they create are usually left way beind in the distillation process - and you're left with a hollow shell that only generates desire to hear the original. No so *at all* with track #5, the cover for "Just". I think this is just amazing. This is a horn rendition of this song that simply rocks. It has all the originial desire to tap your steering wheel and play air guitar - er, air horns. The power shines through this interpretation by Mark Ronson (featuring Alex Greenwald). If you're a true Radiohead this one is worth the price of admission by far. I am still searching for another solid track on this one and most of the others so far are coming up hollow as usual. But for "Just" I just have to recommend this one anyway -- I think it's well worth it."

Mixed reviews

C. W. Hall | Atlanta, GA USA | 01/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Exit Music is a reworking of songs from the Radiohead catalog. Matthew Herbert, Sa-Ra, RJD2, Osunlade, Shawn Lee, and Bilal are among the people invited to contribute to the project. I'm not extensively familiar with Radiohead's music so I tried to defer the details of this review to my son's mother who is a fan. Her assessment consists of the following quote: "Some of it's good. Some of it's not. I still like the originals better."



That's all I could get out of her, so I went back to the drawing board and decided to tell you what I thought of these songs without comparison to the originals. After going through the record again, I came back to what she said. Some of it's good. Some of it's not.



The lead single is Mark Ronson's version of "Just." It's a good decision as Ronson delivers a big rolling track punctuated by nice horns and a prominent rhythm guitar. Alex Greenwald comes through with a nice straightforward vocal turn and the one Radiohead song I'm familiar with off this album gets nicely retuned.



Matthew Herbert had a pleasant surprise for me on "(Nice Dream)" in the form of Mara Carlyle. Some of you may be familiar with her since further research showed me she's had some other material out, but I was not. As my good friend Applejac says of Minnie Ripperton, Mara Carlyle's voice to me is "like hearing an angel sing." Matthew Herbert knew what he was doing because his production is a study in unobtrusive minimalism. It's like he was trying to stay out of Carlyle's way and I thank him for it.



Sa-Ra gets the nostalgia nod for their skating rink era version of "In Limbo." It's the skate jam done well. Made me want to go looking for my copy of "No Parking on the Dancefloor."



Pete Kuzma's production on "High & Dry" made me write down "Radiohead meets Marvin Gaye." His choice of Bilal for the vocals takes the version a bit further down that path. Bilal glides right along with the track's mood, making the better choice of a restrained approach rather than flexing his chops.



The Bad Plus do a beautiful acoustic version of "Karma Police" that bordered on free jazz.



Finally we get to Osunlade and his take on "Everything In Its Right Place." If a place could make its own music, Africa would make songs that sound like Osunlade. Here, Osunlade does what he always does. He takes the source material right back to the rhythmic heritage of Africa and keeps it there. A truly masterful reworking if there has ever been one.



There were some low points. Shawn Lee made a fairly dull pop song out of "No Surprises" and RJD2's noise creation did little to inspire on "Airbag." But overall, I think there are more highlights here than not. Now you'll have to excuse me. Admitting I didn't know a lot of Radiohead has sentenced me to a listening session."