Kevin,
I had similar a feeling during the show we saw, when the arena turned green and “Myxomatosis” howled into life.
Now, I know that “Myxomatosis” is not the best Radiohead song. It’s always been one of my favorites from Hail to the Thief, but the recorded version doesn’t reach the same heights as the others we’re talking about here. But in concert, that distorted guitar changes from a neat effect to a thundering roar. Yes, music often sounds better live simply because it’s louder, but this was more than volume. That guitar rattled some deep part of me. I’ve often thought that Radiohead would be delighted to write the soundtrack for the apocalypse, and that sound could kick the whole thing off.
I watched a ton of recordings of the song from their current tour, and often the guitar simply overwhelms the microphone. Of course, it’s impossible to truly capture the effect on a smartphone, but I think this one comes closest:
Oh, and if you’re curious (and I know you are), this is the best video of Thom Yorke dancing to “Myxomatosis.” We could probably do another series just breaking down his moves.
