Acoustic renditions from artists not usually associated with stripped-back sounds are a treat. Radiohead songs are tailor-made for those simple yet sophisticated tones. It is what makes it such a popular karaoke choice, what brings out the worst in independent pub players who believe Creep or Exit Music for a Film is suitable for the ambience. Never has a person felt worse than listening to a stripped-down OK Computer cover while nursing a Guinness, the beginnings of heatstroke already at hand. Gagging Order has the band bring their songs to an essentials-only sound, and with a Neil Young cover mixed in, it’s hard not to love the honest aims of the Thom Yorke-fronted group here. They are trying to get closer to the heart of their song. Searing, best-of moments on their studio releases are already a walk across the road from those deeper meanings, but covers are a new route through the same part of town. It’s a chance to hear these songs with a fresh perspective.
That little instrumental change is enough to revive a song at times. It happens here for the likes of Creep and Fake Plastic Trees. Crucial to Gagging Order is that not every song is a fundamentally acoustic experience. There are still powerful moments, electrifying, exciting pieces of work which drift away from the softer touch. You is a magnificent example of this. The lead instrument may be the acoustic guitar, but there is still space for Jonny Greenwood to showcase his flair for electric guitar work. There There is more what acoustic purists will be expecting. Yorke and a guitar is all it has and it, like many of the songs featured on Gagging Order, are examples of Radiohead’s lyrical strength. Those depths are explored well by the studio versions, but these acoustic efforts are nothing short of remarkable. Recontextualising these songs leads to alternative takes which are arguably stronger than the album version. Fake Plastic Trees and Banana Co. sound much better when stripped of their instrumental intent.
Yorke’s vocals become the focus of the songs on Gagging Order. Subterranean Homesick Blues and My Iron Lung are essentials from this bootleg. A sad shame to see they are hard to come by, but phenomenal efforts well worth hunting down. Those OK Computer tracks like Karma Police are well-suited to this stripped-back tone. It’s not what you lose in the instrumental change, but what you gain in focusing on those spirited and hearty vocal performances from Yorke. A surprise cover of Neil Young’s classic, On the Beach, is well-placed too. A brilliant rendition of a song already filled with heartfelt musings on derailing yourself to avoid boredom on the middle of the road.
Acoustics always hold within them a haunting quality, but it is up to the artist to make the most of those tones. Karma Police is an outstanding example of that, though it is never a tone which Gagging Order wishes to rely on. Yorke could very easily tour these songs alone. Radiohead’s lyrics hold a nuance to them, and these acoustic versions lay it out clearly. It’s a nice switch-up for those wanting to cut through the instrumental skill of the band and focus solely on the feelings, the hopefulness in the most unlikely of places. These acoustic versions are sharp yet soft, a fine blur of what Radiohead did best. Sail to the Moon is a magnificent song near the end of a compilation that offers surprise after surprise. Delicate cuts of brilliant work throughout are what will keep Radiohead fans returning to Gagging Order.
