I listened to the entire album when it was played on MTV2. The next day, a friend at work asked me, "how does it sound?" I thought about it for a while. Finally I gave up. I said, "I can't answer that." It's not a valid question, you see. It's like asking someone to tell you what carrots taste like. The implicit request is for them to tell you what carrots will taste like to YOU - and they can't - they can only tell you what carrots taste like to them, which really does you no good at all. Like all good art, the meaning and quality of this album depends entirely on the personal filters through which you perceive it. I could tell you that the musicianship is exceptional, or that the lyrics are masterful, or that the vocals are excellent...but you know that already, because it's Radiohead, and they have moved far past the point where any of the technical details are an issue. All that's left to rate is the art. And that is judged by a personal rating system that won't translate outside your own little universe. I can tell you something of what it is not. It isn't something you dance to, ignoring everything except the beat while you watch the cute guy/girl across the room. It isn't something you jam to on Friday night with the windows rolled down driving down Main street. It isn't something you use as pleasant background noise. It is art, and like all good art, it requires you to WORK for it. You must bring something to the music, pay ATTENTION to it, sit with it, let it have its way with you...or you will find nothing there for you. As I listened to the album, I had one of those rare epiphanous moments of clarity, where the perception of a work of art that resonates with something integral to your self triggers a domino affect that rearranges a rather alarming number of your perceptions about your universe. After a little while, I smiled, curled up like a cat, letting the music wash over me...and felt content with my universe. I hope it is the same for you. j.m.
