Although Radiohead's first album "Pablo Honey" fails to match the musical and lyrical genius of later albums, it allowed Radiohead to build a respectable platform on which they could develop their unique sound and image. Released in early 1993, "Pablo Honey" matches the alternative rock genre more than any other Radiohead album. By using ample guitar melodies, relatively little synth, and lots of vocals, Radiohead crafted an album in which most of its songs focus on themes of anxiety, self-pity, and failure.
The relevance of these themes goes beyond the lyrics, however, and represents the real-world dilemma Radiohead faced starting out—competition. With the advent of the alternative and indie rock genres in the 1990s, Radiohead encountered tough competition from other British rock bands such as Elastica, Pulp, Blur, and Oasis. The first track “You” seems to reflect Radiohead’s apprehension towards entering into this new, competitive music industry. Full of musical and lyrical angst, “You” demonstrates Radiohead’s cry for success. The lyrics “You try at working out chaotic things / And why should I believe myself not you” (Radiohead 3-4) not only illustrate how alternative and indie rock bands used a lot of dissonance in their music, but it also reveals Radiohead’s fear that they would be unable to differentiate themselves from the competition. Furthermore, in the lyrics “I can see me drowning, caught in the fire / You, me, and everything caught in the fire,” “fire” symbolizes the music industry and how far too often it determines whether bands fail or succeed.
“Creep,” by far the most popular song on the album and also the song which largely sparked Radiohead’s success, focuses on one’s lack of self-confidence and poor self-image. Although most of the lyrics do not hold much symbolic importance, the lyrics “I want you to notice / When I’m not around . . . / I don’t belong here,” (16-17, 22) are worth noting because they connect in an interesting way to the following song—“How do You?”
In “How do You?” the lyrics “He wants you to listen, he wants us to weep,” (3-4) typify a hypothetical, third-person response to the pleading, first-person lyrics of “Creep” mentioned above. Thus, thematically and lyrically, “How do You?” merely extends “Creep.” Although it lacks significant duration (lasting only two minutes) and substance, Radiohead still composed it as a stand-alone song since it features upbeat melodies and harmonies contrary to those used in “Creep."
The lyrics of the next song on the album, “Stop Whispering,” exemplify the need to release and express one’s feelings, rather than bottling them up. By gradually increasing the tempo, this song really creates an exciting listening dynamic, and manages to build upon the sub-par lyrics. When Thom Yorke sings “Who bribed the company to come and see you honey . . . / These people aren’t your friends, they’re paid to kiss your feet,” (12, 14) he describes a tough love situation in which fame and fortune have caused one to lose sight of true friends and the other important things in life. If anything, this song deserves one of the top spots on the album solely because it features the first trademark Thom Yorke scream.
“Anyone Can Play Guitar” represents a stereotypical alternative rock song. The song sounds catchy, but neither the lyrics nor its musical aspects make it stand out. “Ripcord” and “Vegetable” also fall into the same category, featuring self-explanatory lyrics and insipid guitar melodies. “Prove Yourself” slightly outranks the previous three songs by at least conveying Radiohead’s desire to excel; Yorke sings, “I want to grow / I’d say I want it but I don’t know how” (10-11).
The uninspiring lyrics of “I Can’t” and “Lurgee" once again halt the album’s creativity by bringing back clichéd alternative rock sounds of the 1990s. Radiohead, nevertheless, redeems themselves and, in large part, the entire album through their final song—“Blowout.” Featuring a hypnotic guitar intro, great drum fills, and a fantastically long guitar “solo” filled with reverb and delay, “Blowout” backs up its creative lyrics with solid musical choices. By concluding the self-pity theme present throughout the entire album, “Blowout” brings "Pablo Honey" to a satisfactory close.
While "Pablo Honey" may seem like a distant and uneventful album when viewed in light of Radiohead’s succeeding albums, it played an important role. It gave Radiohead the experience, success, and credibility they needed to create far more experimental and interesting albums. While it will most likely never be the album of choice for most Radiohead fans, it does deserve its place in Radiohead’s discography—even if it did all but require them to play “Creep” at every concert for the next fifteen years.
Best three songs on "Pablo Honey:"
“Blowout”
“Stop Whispering”
“Creep”
- Matt Painter
