Heroes #1 - Thom Yorke

A wave of ginger hair. A lazy left eye. A piercing, emotional voice. Thom Yorke is more of an Anti-Hero really.

As a young 14 year old whose musical taste was held in the twin vice like grips of Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, the Britpop scene came along, shook me up and crashed open the doors of musical wonderment. This movement spearheaded by the the warring Blur and Oasis coincided with the airing of The Beatles Anthology which radically changed my perceptions of music. 

Through this formative period I approached the grunge scene from Seattle and eventually ended up with a song called 'Creep', which had been a huge hit in the States, by the Oxford band Radiohead. So when I was given a taped copy of 'The Bends' I was looking forward to it. 

I literally played this tape to death. 

Where my mother heard "wrist-slitting" I heard life affirming beauty. From the rip-roaring "Just" and "My Iron Lung" to the fractured simplicity of 'High and Dry' and 'Bulletproof.... I Wish I Was' - I was mesmerised. So I eagerly awaited it's follow up 'OK Computer'.

Epiphanous. It is the only way I can describe it. I've never really recovered from that record. All of a sudden music could be catchy, simple, complex, layered, intelligent, poignant, current, retro, fragile, aggressive and meaningful all at once. I can still remember listening for the first time with head phones on. As 'Airbag' opens with a cello soaring into my right ear and monster riff attacking my left ear before those distorted drums and syncopated bass line turned my world upside down.

So what do bands do when they reach a critical and commercial high? - They do it again only it isn't quite the same. Unless of course you are Radiohead - then you disappear for 3 and half years and release an release an Art Rock record without any interviews or singles. 'Kid A' is not a lesson on how to rest on your laurels. Many find it difficult - I found it magnificent. This was followed up by the equally engaging 'Amnesiac' and the more guitar based 'Hail to the Thief'. The incredible solo album 'The Eraser' and the industry changing 'In Rainbows' bring us up to the present day.

Making great music is not enough to become a 'hero' however. My appreciation of Thom Yorke stems from how the music is made, how it is presented and the endless progression and experimentation. There is no mainstream artist that can match Radiohead's invention. His lyrics draw form so many familiar phrases and images and together they paint the bleak picture of the 21st Century world - complete with breaking rays of sunlight and hope. Interestingly he was an opponent of New Labour from the outset - as early as 1997 singing "Bring down the government/They don't speak for us". In 2001 Amnesiac's 'You and whose army' directly challenges the Blairite cabinet to a showdown.

The manner of Thom Yorke's political activism has always impressed me. He was heavily involved in the 'Jubilee 2000', though not always the most visible advocate, and he has regularly supported the 'Free Tibet' campaign and is a constant and passionate supporter of 'Friends of the Earth'. He is an intelligent proponent of the causes he cares about, contrasting with the sixth form common room chatter of the Chris Martins of this world. Rather than the soapbox, proselytising style of a Bono - shaking hands with Bush and Blair and whichever Billionaire was going pay for some retrovirals- he has always kept his integrity - trying to instigate and inspire his fanbase into direct engagement and involvement in the issues.

Most importantly he hasn't forgotten the day job, realising that it is the impact of his art that gives him a powerful voice - not his celebrity. The fact U2 have not made a good, original record since 1997's POP  ('All You Can't Leave Behind' is a good U2 pastiche - 'How To Dismantle...' is an awful U2 pastiche - yes, October was good, but that was 25 years ago.) weakens the validity of Bono's voice and compromises his integrity as he now seems to trade on his fame more than his artistic merits.  Thom Yorke has been responsible for 6 great records in that time. And as always, I can't wait for the next one.

What He Says - "It's like a supply and demand thing. It's like 'Well, this is what they want me to do, this is what they want to hear. So I'll do more of this, cuz this is great... and they love me.' Suddenly people start giving you money as well. So then you've got money and you get used to this lifestyle. And you don't wanna take any risks cuz they've got you by the balls, and you've got all these little things that you've bought, or you're attached to. And you start spending all this money... And that's how they get ya!"

What They Say - "But this is pop, a music of ornery, glistening guile and honest ache, and it will feel good under your skin once you let it get there."  - Rolling Stone

Finest Moment - Paranoid Android - the bit where he spits out the lyric "Kicking, squealing, Gucci, little piggy".