Alternative Rock: Radiohead - Pablo Honey (1993)

70 / 100

A raw and transitional debut with strong grunge and alternative rock roots.

Radiohead, Radiohead, Radiohead...

For fans of Western rock music, it’s almost impossible not to know Radiohead, especially for those in their 20s and 30s. Radiohead is an iconic band that has become a staple in gloomy and depressive playlists of this era. For this reason, I won’t be diving too deeply into their history, even if that means my review will lose some weight. I won’t pay much attention to bands that have already become global market giants. If you want a more in-depth, professional review of this band, you can easily find it in major magazines or from seasoned critics. My reviews are always casual and will never reach a “pro” level.

Okay. This time, I’ll start from the first album, Pablo Honey. It was released in February 1993, produced by Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie, and recorded at Chipping Norton Studio and Courtyard Studio, Oxfordshire, from September to November 1992. The album features three singles that charted: “Anyone Can Play Guitar,” “Stop Whispering,” and their most famous radio hit, “Creep.” Pablo Honey peaked at #22 on the UK charts and achieved platinum certification in the UK and several other countries. The album’s title comes from a prank call by the Jerky Boys, in which the prankster said, “Pablo, honey? Please come to Florida!” This snippet was sampled by the band in the song “How Do You?” (Wikipedia).

Simply put, Radiohead’s musical style here is alternative rock with a strong grunge influence. There’s the iconic guitar breakdown in “Creep,” along with Thom Yorke’s lazy, weary, and drugged-sounding vocals, especially on that hit song. Thom also screams on “Stop Whispering,” adding to the Nirvana-like grunge feel and Kurt Cobain’s typical vocal tone. “Anyone Can Play Guitar” sounds a bit raw with a noisy intro and picking style, a model also applied to “Ripcord,” “Vegetable,” and “Prove Yourself.” Meanwhile, the guitar picking on “I Can’t” is slightly piercing before reaching its peak on the closing track “Blow Out,” making “Lurgee,” positioned between them, feel like a calm midpoint in the album.

There are other differences I noticed in this album. For example, the notable chord progression in “You,” the glam rock vibe reminiscent of Guns N’ Roses on “How Do You?,” and the only acoustic track, “Thinking About You.” When it comes to picking the best songs, I’d go for “You” and “Blow Out” for their interesting instrumentation, followed by the main hit which has a vibe close to doom metal and honestly, I’d prefer if it were reimagined as a doom metal version then followed by “Lurgee.”

I wouldn’t recommend this album, mainly because it’s already been widely promoted and discussed by countless people. Personally, this is the first time I’ve listened to a Radiohead album in full, so I’m still unsure. In essence, Pablo Honey represents an image of early 90s alternative rock/grunge outside the American scene and once again proves the strength of British bands on the world stage.