Search - Radiohead :: My Iron Lung

This is where Radiohead first proves they're a fantastic ban

Mike London | Oxford, UK | 04/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although Radiohead's monster single, Creep, was tearing up the charts in the early 1990s, the album from which it was taken, PABLO HONEY, was an average album from what appeared to be an average band. Like so many other bands with a couple of hits under their belt, Radiohead could have released a couple more mediocre records in the span of a few years and generally fade from public consciousness. Hootie and the Blowfish and Seven Mary 3 are good examples of this phenomena. I actually wrote Radiohead off and never bothered to listen to any of the followups until about 2001, when I realised there was so much more to Radiohead than just "Creep" (one of my least favorite songs by them, incidentally).



Radiohead, however, had a different career destiny in mind, and pulled it off wonderfully. Rather than continue in the PABLO HONEY vein, Radiohead managed to record a series of phenomenal records not only noted for their musical instinct, but just wonderful, amazing music. Judging from PABLO HONEY, you would have no possible inkling they would go on to record an album of such high calibre like THE BENDS, let alone OK COMPUTER. OK COMPUTER is in a whole other universe in terms of quality, critical acclaim, and rabid fan adulation compared to PABLO HONEY. Radiohead wonderfully reinvented themselves, and have become one of the most consistently interesting, thought provoking bands around these days.



So how do they do it? My personal belief is it all starts right here with this EP released in 1994, MY IRON LUNG. This EP, which is comprised of one track later released on THE BENDS in 1995, six songs recorded during the Bends sessions available nowhere else, and an acoustic rendition of their 1993 hit "Creep", is a remarkable achievement for a band who, at that time, only had the wholly unremarkable PABLO HONEY debut under their belts. In every way, shape, and form, this EP not only outshines the debut but establishes the foundation of the rest of their career. Each song is a vast increase in production skills, overall musicality, and just plain listenability over the debut. This is the first indicator that Radiohead is more than an average, early 1990s band, with only a couple of hits in them.



What really benefits MY IRON LUNG is that it plays like a real album, not just a hodgepodge of outtakes and b-sides. In fact, in sequence and length (8 songs, 28:13 minutes), this could have been released as a main album, or if they so desired, the band could have thrown on a few more tracks to make it a more substantial release.



The six songs not included on THE BENDS could just as easily placed that album. They never sound like mere B-sides. In fact, you could swap any of these songs out, making them interchangeable with the songs that made the cut, and THE BENDS would still be considered one of the best records from the mid 1990s. These songs are fully formed, and many other bands of Radiohead's era would love to have such quality songwriting to their name, and amazingly Radiohead relegates this first class material to EP status. The only real sore spot on the EP is the acoustic version of "Creep", which has a harsh off-key section. Other than that, this is Radiohead's first real evidence that they are not just an average band who managed to score a big hit, but a band of skill, durability, and worthy to be considered among the other legendary bands of rock and roll.



After recording this EP, Radiohead would go on to prove themselves time and time again. While I do believe MY IRON LUNG laid the foundation for the rest of their career, sonically it is most akin to THE BENDS. This EP proved in so many ways that their debut did not that they were versatile, they could write great songs, and they had what it takes to be a first-rate rock and roll band. Naturally, in their musical evolution Radiohead's journey lead them to such radical departures as KID A, AMNESIAC, and HAIL TO THE THIEF, all of which sound little like the music found here. But MY IRON LUNG was the first step in that direction toward the upper echelon of rock.



BOTTOM LINE:: essential listening for any rock fan. While it may be a fairly expensive item to obtain for your music collection, it is worth it, simply because it plays very much like a lost Radiohead album than just an EP filled with odds and ends. While PABLO HONEY may have been their first record with a couple of good songs, MY IRON LUNG was the first indication that Radiohead was here to stay, and a band with far more interesting music than most of the other drek being recorded these days.



(There are different editions of MY IRON LUNG. Some releases split the songs into two singles. Make sure you get the version that has all 8 tracks. Otherwise, you are just wasting your money)."

Good - but like many uncommon LP or single, expensive.

V. King | 06/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Some people like the Acoustic version of creep; I have to say I hate it. I heard a rumour, a sort of urban myth, that the guitar crunches on the album version were an attempt to "sabotage the song" (an attempt which backfired) and I have to say the acoustic is probably what Thom would have wanted. Personally I dislike the vocals and it lacks the complexity of other songs.



The Trickster sounds great. While it is extremely catchy and you'll probably love it as soon as you hear it, I have found that it doesn't have the same longevity as other RH songs.

Permanent Daylight is also a beautiful, restrained sort of song and along with the youthful and pop sounding "Lewis (mistreated)" this is a good collection of songs.



HOWEVER I myself did not order this over the internet. With the cost of postage+handling, this just isn't worth it. What I reccomend you do is go to iTunes or Bigpond Music and order this.

A lot of people prefer to have an actual CD and I wouldn't even consider downloading (legally)a RH album over the net, but unless you're a serious collector its not entirely worth the cost.

Consider using the previously mentioned sites."

Best song is Permanent Daylight

Joseph Seibel | San Diego, CA | 04/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I like it because it reminds me of that twilight zone episode and it rocks too! It reminds us not to mess (wanted to use a stronger word) up too bad. It must be hard with your head on backwards...More so everything else rocks on this EP from Louis mistreated to well the rest of the songs. Definenent must have in your radiohead collection"