Pablo Honey

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Before Radiohead became the biggest critics' darling since Pavement or Dr. Dre, they were just another pre-Oasis British band with some loose indie ties, trying to gain some cred. Loopy enough to name this moody, often battering debut album for a Jerky Boys routine, they were also a lot more interesting when they hadn't yet learned the word "soundscape." "Creep," the miserably majestic single they now claim nearly ruined them, may not even be the best thing here; try "Anyone Can Play Guitar," an epitaph for River Phoenix before the fact. --Rickey Wright --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Pablo Honey
Average customer rating:

Inconsistent and unimpressive - Radiohead's later work is far better

This one has always been a big disappointment

Not their best, but Creep...

Think what you like

Excellent and underrated debut

Pablo Honey
Radiohead
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:

The Bends

OK Computer

Amnesiac

Kid A

Hail To The Thief

ASIN: B000002UR7
Release Date: 1993-04-20

Tracks:

You
Creep
How Do You?
Stop Whispering
Thinking About You
Anyone Can Play Guitar
Ripcord
Vegetable
Prove Yourself
I Can't
Lurgee
Blow Out
Bonus Track 1

Amazon.com

Before Radiohead became the biggest critics' darling since Pavement or Dr. Dre, they were just another pre-Oasis British band with some loose indie ties, trying to gain some cred. Loopy enough to name this moody, often battering debut album for a Jerky Boys routine, they were also a lot more interesting when they hadn't yet learned the word "soundscape." "Creep," the miserably majestic single they now claim nearly ruined them, may not even be the best thing here; try "Anyone Can Play Guitar," an epitaph for River Phoenix before the fact. --Rickey Wright

Amazon.com

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More from Radiohead

Hail To The Thief
The Bends
Kid A

OK Computer
Amnesiac
I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings

Customer Reviews:

Inconsistent and unimpressive - Radiohead's later work is far better.......2007-07-21

Had you told me in 1993 that Radiohead would go on to great success with critically acclaimed albums like The Bends and especially the masterpiece OK Computer (and its near-masterpiece follow-up, Kid A), I would have probably backed away from you as fast as possible. Most of Pablo Honey is rather poor guitar rock - How Do You? might be the worst song the group ever recorded, a song with pathetic lyrics, while songs like Prove Yourself and I Can't both are poor imitation U2. While Radiohead's U2 influence would prevail throughout their career, it's especially emphasized here: even two of the stronger songs (Anyone Can Play Guitar; Stop Whispering) remind me a lot of a certain massively popular Irish rock band.
Now there's one really impressive song here, and of course it's Creep, the group's first hit, the song that unfairly got them branded as one-hit wonders before The Bends came along and shut everybody up. While the song has its detractors, even from the Radiohead fanbase, I really like it. I first heard it as a preschooler and I remember it did a combination of scaring and offending me (keep in mind Beauty and the Beast also scared me at this time) - the falsetto, guitar scratches and lyrics scared me, while the line "what the hell am I doing here?" (keep in mind that I only heard the radio edit, the one free of the F-Bomb), and "I wish I was special" offended me - again, I was in preschool, and if any preschooler was caught repeating I wish I was special they would have been given the "everyone's special in their own special way" lecture. Anyway, nowadays I quite enjoy it. Thom's falsetto in the bridge is VERY effective, the dynamic shifts are clever, the guitar scratches just RULE, and it's the most melodic song about self-loathing I've ever heard. And while it's tempting to dismiss the lyrics as angsty whining, the truth is they do an efficient job of portraying a person who is messed-up, possessive, neurotic, and well... creepy. And the use of the f-bomb adds a lot to the song with just one word: the radio edit (with a clumsy "you're so very special" lyric) makes it seem like mere self-pity, whereas the "you're so f***in' special" gives it more of a "well, I suck, but so do you" feel - a double put-down, kind of Dylanesque. Still, it's nothing Nirvana hadn't done before.
Now if everything on this album was as good as Creep, we'd have a fine album on our hands. Alas, that is not the situation. I already discussed my dislike of How Do You?, Prove Yourself and I Can't, and most of it's about as "good" as those: I doubt many people have fond memories of overly commercial rockers like Ripcord or Vegetable, for example; Thinking About You changes the sound up (folk-rock! Ooh!), but in truth is a pathetic song as well. I suppose You is an okay precursor to The Bends' sound (though not quite as good as that album's best), and both Lurgee and Blow Out are enjoyable if forgettable and unspectacular. So there's one great song (Creep), two good ones (Anyone Can Play Guitar; Stop Whispering), some okay ones (Blow Out; You; Lurgee). But this is by far Radiohead's weakest album. (I know I gave Hail to the Thief a lower rating, but that one's grown on me, and I think I'll edit my review of it sometime soon). Each of their later efforts is far stronger.

This one has always been a big disappointment.......2007-06-08

Unfortunately this is one of those albums that has only one good song on it - in this case, Creep. I still love that song nearly 15 years after its release, but I've always found the rest of this album completely unbearable. I just can't make myself listen to any of the other songs. Thank god the ipod generation came along so I could copy that one song and forget about the rest of the album.

Not their best, but Creep..........2007-05-12

I think this isn't their best album (it's their first!) and sometimes it sounds a little "old".
But it's beautiful to discover some seeds of the future Radiohead's sound. Especially Creep is one of their best song ever.

Think what you like.......2007-01-07

Personally, i enjoy listening to this album. I dont care what you think, i dont care what the masses think, i just dont care. Listen to the album, dont read all these stupid reviews. If you like Radiohead just listen and have your own opinion. just because a lot of people dont like it, doesnt mean you wont, their opinion isnt worth jack. alright, i said what i had to haha.

p.s: Anyone Can Play Guitar is a great song!

Excellent and underrated debut.......2006-12-28

It may surprise some people to discover that Radiohead wasn't always the experimental and disturbed rock band that they are today. It may surprise those people even more to discover that Radiohead began as an early-90s alt-rock band like any other. In 1993, they released their debut album, PABLO HONEY, and it was a debut like any other ... or so you'd be led to believe. As a die-hard Radiohead fan, I knew that I must someday investigate PABLO HONEY, despite its lack of acknowledgement from many of my fellow fans. Finally, I did, and was I ever surprised!

Maybe PABLO HONEY's lack of attention grew from comparisons to later Radiohead masterpieces like THE BENDS (which actually has a lot in common with PABLO HONEY) or their supreme achievement, OK COMPUTER. It's fascinating to listen to PABLO HONEY and then listen to the band's most recent album, HAIL TO THE THIEF. They sound like a completely different group. It's no secret that Radiohead evolved and changed immensely over the course of six albums, but does that mean that they weren't a talented band to start out with? Erase your prejudice and your expectations and listen to PABLO HONEY. It's a collection of visceral ruminations on everything from mental status ("Vegetable") to love ("Thinking About You") to the apocalypse and how handy it would be to have a guitar during that time ("Anyone Can Play Guitar"). Each song features swirling, driven guitar and oddly angelic singing from Thom Yorke. The lyrics are heartfelt and the arrangements show definite promise. One way to describe Radiohead on PABLO HONEY would be "the U2 of the early-90s alt-rock scene." The overall sound of the album is very similar to that of THE BENDS, which is why I find it especially odd that this album has been disregarded by almost everyone.

Is PABLO HONEY as good as THE BENDS? No. Is it as good as OK COMPUTER? No. I suppose one might consider this Radiohead's weakest recording, although AMNESIAC holds that position in my book. Try to examine this as what it is, though: an unpretentious debut from am immensely-talented band just starting out at the beginning of the 1990s. It's not as good as the later Radiohead releases, but for what it is it's one of the most important albums of the decade, and certainly one of the best of the early 90s.

Average customer rating:

Pablo Honey
Buy this version
A place from which greatness sprang....
it only gets better
Love the bends? This one is for you

Pablo Honey
Radiohead
Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

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ASIN: B000007UZ8
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Tracks:

You
Creep
How Do You?
Stop Whispering
Thinking About You
Anyone Can Play Guitar
Ripcord
Vegetable
Prove Yourself
I Can't
Lurgee
Blow Out
Pop Is Dead [*]
Inside My Head [*]
Million Dollar Question [*]
Creep [Live][*]
Ripcord [Live][*]

Album Description

1997 Japanese reissue of their 1993 debut smash with five bonus tracks: 'Pop Is Dead', 'Inside My Head', 'Million Dollar Question', 'Sleep' (Live) and 'Ripchord' (Live). 17 tracks total, also featuring the hits 'Creep' and 'Stop Whispering'. An EMI release.

Album Details

Japanese Re-release featuring Five Bonus Tracks: Pop is Dead, Inside My Head, Million Dollar Question, Sleep (Live), and Ripchord (Live).

Customer Reviews:

Pablo Honey.......2006-04-17

Pablo Honey by Radiohead *****

When I first was given this album by my oldest brother about five years ago I listened to the first song and felt it was horrible, then put on `Creep' and thought "Oh my God this songs amazing." Well I though Radiohead were some sort of one hit wonders, when they really are because `Creep' was their only hit, but I though it was the only good thing the band ever created so I put this album away for about five years. I pulled this album about a few months ago and gave it a listen, and what was I thinking, These guys are amazing, some of the best lyrics, and music I have ever heard, and Thom York's vocals kill! Maybe I was too young to appreciate the talent and the genius of this band, I don't know but something as up.

`You' is an amazing song, with all the right elements to create an awesome song. Great vocals, catchy lyrics, and nice guitar. The perfect song to start of the album. `Creep' my all time favorite Radiohead song as Im sure it is to many. The lyrics are just so eerie and the vocals and the whole tone and mood of the song is eerie really. The guitar scrap across the strings just before the chorus is the greatest f****ing sound in the world, gives me chills every time I hear the song, it's so amazing. Speaking of chills the vocals at the end to the same thing as well. `How Do You?' is a nice little rocker. It's very British, and very cool. It's actually one of my favorite songs on the album. `Stop Whispering' is much more mellow after the last track, slower and more intimate. Thom Yorks vocal work is very nice on this song. Johnny Greenwood's guitar is also very nice on this song. `Thinking About You' is a nice acoustic song. It's a great love song with very personal lyrics. The lyrics are a personal favorite. Another very good song. It also shows the versatility in the styles that Radiohead is capable of. Maybe now that I think of it `Creep' isn't my favorite song by Radiohead, maybe that title belongs to `Anyone Can Play Guitar.' The song is so perfect and is everything that good rock and roll should be. It's not hard rock or soft rock or punk or metal just straight up rock and roll. The lyrics are so true. The Jim Morrison lines would win any fan of The Doors such as myself over. The guitar is killer and the whole thing just works perfect. `Ripcord' is a really cool song with lots of tempo changes make for an interesting song that never gets boring. `Vegetable' is a slower song, at the start anyways. Soon the guitar picks up and gets really good and the whole song gets really going, until it slows again. This is a very cool song to listen to, its one of my favorite Radiohead song ever. `Prove Yourself' is a pretty cool song but kind of plays like `Vegetable' but with different lyrics and better guitar, so it's not too special but is still a killer song. `I Can't' starts out with a guitar intro then goes into a mellow rocker, if that made any since. This song shows where the band Coldplay took a lot of their influence. `Lurgee' is another slow song it's not one of my favorite songs on the album, in fact it is probably my least favorite song on the album. `Blow Out' is semi-Jazzy and it seems really out of place on the album when you hear about it but when you hear it, it seems to fit in just fine. The end of the album features `Creep' again, and I don't think it's a demo or alternate version because it sounds just like the other one on the album so it seems somewhat pointless to have on the album. The album should have ended with `Blow Out'

So if your into Coldplay then you'll love this because Radiohead is Coldplays heros but harder rocking and with much better guitar playing. Radiohead has been called the best guitar band of today and while I personally don't agree with that it is easy to see where people could draw conclusions like that. Highly Recommended to all

Buy this version.......2002-06-15

I bought this version because I had some extra cash, and I have to say that it was well worth the money. The album is truly a gem on its own. From "You" all the way to "Blow Out" you can enjoy this album all the way through. The 2 live versions aren't really different than the regular album tracks, but "Pop is Dead", "Million Dollar Question", and especially "Inside My Head" are definately worth the money. This version is essential listening for die-hard Radiohead fans.

A place from which greatness sprang...........2001-08-24

This is a tough CD to rate, because when I try to pick a number from 1-5, I find myself measuring it up against Radiohead's other albums, which just isn't fair. In the world of alterna-punk, Pablo Honey is a gem. If I could start a band with my friends and get anywhere near what Pablo sounds like, I'd be immensely happy. If you were rating Pablo Honey along the lines of all angsty, alternative albums of that early 90s, it would easily be one of the best. But when you look at Pablo Honey under the perspective of what Radiohead has done over thelast 10 years, Pablo Honey isn't really that great. Compared to the three albums that followed, The Bends (1995), OK Computer (1997), and Kid A (2000), Pablo Honey is really pretty bad. Pablo is a landmark album in that it represents the starting point of one of the most important bands of the 1990s and probably the 2000s. Pablo Honey is a great alterna-punk album. I highly reccomend it to peple who love the angsty stuff of the early 90s. Tracks I personally like are Creep, I Can't, Anyone Can Play Guitar, and Ripcord. If you have the extra cash, definitely go for this souped up versions. My Radiohead b-side collected started with this version of Pablo Honey and has taken off since. Pablo Honey: a decent Radiohead album, a great alternative album.

it only gets better.......2000-06-26

Being a steadfast fan since the debut of the original Pablo Honey album, one can see the places this band has gone and get a glimpse into what this band will produce in the future. I have loved everything this band has done, but if I could start all over again, I would have gotten this album first.

This album is exactly the same as the US Pablo Honey release, except that it contains 5 extra tracks and takes a slightly heavier toll on your wallet. Although the Creep (radio edit) track (#13 on US Pablo) is missing, it isn't a big loss, because it is exactly the same as the original Creep, except the lyrics were altered for broadcast.

The real focus is the 5 extra tracks. Like the rest of the album, they represent the beginning of Radohead's evolution into a major rock icon, and with a variance of moods, this CD will not leave you tired. Cynical, lurking, and soothing by turn, this CD is the first masterpiece from this awesome band.

BUY PABLO HONEY. Which version is up to you. It's really only a question of how much you are willing to spend. If you have some extra cash, I would defintiely go for this one, because, in all likelyhood, you won't be able to avoid falling in love with this band just like I did, and you'll appreciate these 5 tough-to-find tunes farther down the road.

Love the bends? This one is for you.......2000-06-25

The reason that I replay Radiohead's The Bends at least once a week is that the album is simply honest, dense, perfectly produced, profoundly lifting and depressing as hell. And that is only the first song. Pablo Honey with the bonus tracks is a look into the under-produced Radiohead at their ealiest and rawest. Pablo Honey as a stand alone album is worth the purchase but the live tracks, including amazing recording of ripcord cannot be passed up. Pop is Dead is another track, left off the original album, is reminiscent of Elvis Costello's visciously biting-the-hand-that-feeds Radio Radio. I have told friends that I couldn't imagine the leap that the band made from Pablo to the Bends but after a solid month in my cd circulation it isn't hard to imagine.