31 years of ‘Pablo Honey’, Radiohead’s debut album

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The discs of Radiohead They have marked an entire subsequent generation of musicians in the United Kingdom and are among the bands that have generated the greatest consensus among specialized critics in the last three decades.

The five members of the group, Thom YorkeBrothers Johnny and Colin greenwood, Ed O’Brien and Phil Seway, they met the private school Abingdon (Oxfordshire, England). Under the name of On A Friday, the only day of the week on which they could rehearse in the school music room, were growing in popularity in Oxfordshire and, in the early 90s, the EMI record company became interested in them. At the request of what would be their new label, they changed the band’s name to Radioheadborrowing it from the song of Talking Heads of 1987.

When the explosion grunge By the early 1990s began to take the rock world by storm, Radiohead were in the perfect position to become one of the first bands of the genre’s second wave and In 1993 the band’s debut album with the publication of Pablo Honeythe first work of a group of boys who aspired to be rock stars.

Radiohead.
/ AJ Barratt/Avalon/Getty Images

Released on this day 31 years ago, Pablo Honey It did not initially receive critical acclaim; in fact, it is considered by many to be the worst album from the british band (always comparing it with those that have come after), because it lacks the innovation that now characterizes them, but what it does show are the influences that the group had in those moments of U2, The Cure, The Smiths and even The Who and its beginning towards excellence. Despite everything, Pablo Honey contains hitstoday classics, such as Stop Whispering , Anyone Can Play Guitar, Blow Out either Vegetables.

Creepthe great success

However the great success of the album was the topic Creepwhich was released as a single in 1992, months before the album’s release. Creep It is still today, 30 years later, Radiohead’s most famous song and, as a curious fact, it must be said that it has the same chord sequence as the song by The Hollies, The Air That I Breathe, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewoodand that these, after suing, legitimately ended up in the credits of the song.

The menacing guitar notes that come just before the chorus of Creep are possibly the most memorable hook of the song and came about spontaneously, as It was a song that Jonny Greenwood hated and tried to ruin it with discordant noises. Also, this topic came to be in blacklisted by the BBC because they considered it depressing.

Most of the album was recorded in the fall of 1992 and the recording sessions were completed very quickly, as the band had been playing many of the songs for years.

Although the commercial success of Pablo Honey was overshadowed by the later success of albums such as The Bends (1995) and OK Computer (1997), the album became a classic of the ’90s, and positioned Radiohead as one of the most important bands of that decade.

Staff

Written by

Christopher Johnson

Christopher Johnson is a dedicated writer and key contributor to the WECB website, Emerson College's student-run radio station. Passionate about music, radio communication, and journalism, Christopher pursues his craft with a blend of meticulous research and creative flair. His writings on the site cover an array of subjects, from music reviews and artist interviews to event updates and industry news. As an active member of the Emerson College community, Christopher is not only a writer but also an advocate for student involvement, using his work to foster increased engagement and enthusiasm within the school's radio and broadcasting culture. Through his consistent and high-quality outputs, Christopher Johnson helps shape the voice and identity of WECB, truly embodying its motto of being an inclusive, diverse, and enthusiastic music community.