A cover by Weezer of a Radiohead classic has fans of both bands appreciating “the talent” of Thom Yorke.
The Radiohead frontman would go on to form The Smile with fellow member Jonny Greenwood, and though speculation is rife about a reunion of the Creep hitmakers, fans were thrilled by Rivers Cuomo’s take on one of the Yorke-fronted group’s best songs. While there was plenty of praise for Weezer and their take on Paranoid Android from OK Computer, many found it highlighted the depths and skill of Yorke’s voice, more than anything. A post to the r/Radiohead subreddit had fans share a clip of Weezer’s cover, which was released on May 27, 2011.
One fan wrote of the cover: “Not that this is bad at all but it makes me really appreciate the talent that is Thom Yorke’s voice.” Another added: “Rivers’ voice isn’t bad, but isn’t well suited for Paranoid Android. But can you imagine Thom Yorke trying to sing Say it Ain’t So or El Scorcho? Different voices are good in different settings.”
A third wrote: “I may not be a fan of the new Weezer stuff, but this is really good. Rivers actually has a nice voice in there somewhere.” Other users were equally impressed by Cuomo’s voice, though they wished Weezer would put out quality new music as the “current-day” material was lacking.
One fan wrote: “Now if we could just get Weezer to start making good records again.” Another agreed, adding: “Not bad for current-day Weezer. I wasn’t really into Rivers’ voice but as far as covers go, it exceeded my expectations.”
Not everyone was a fan of Cuomo’s cover, either, with some suggesting the rest of the band are exceptional while the Weezer frontman is the weakest link in this Paranoid Android cover. They wrote: “I just didn’t like Rivers voice in this at all…but the rest of the band was good.
“Also, the guitar solos were meh, to be honest (mainly because it’s a Jonny Greenwood solo and I didn’t get Jonny Greenwood).” A separate user agreed, adding: “I don’t know, I am a fan of Weezer, love Radiohead, but I just can’t describe how I feel. I don’t love this cover, but I don’t actually hate it either.”
Some have suggested the cover exceeds expectations, though, and praised Weezer for covering a Radiohead classic. One fan wrote: “I expected this to be mediocre.. but it’s actually really fucking good. Rivers’ voice sounds out of place on the high notes, but the rest of the song he sounds great, good enough to even trigger some Blue Album nostalgia. The rest of the band really nails the instrumentals too.”
Another added: “Pretty good for the most part, but they absolutely butchered the solos. Good God that was bad.” You can listen to Weezer’s cover of Paranoid Android below.
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