Radiohead - Itch [1994] Japan Import

I've had this album sitting here for a few weeks now and had a listen to it a couple of days ago. Never been a full on fan of Radiohead but I always loved hearing that song 'Fake Plastic Trees' from their album 'The Bends'. It's a great song for sure. The lyrics really cut through you, if you bother to digest them. That album was my introduction to Radiohead way back in 1995 or early '96. I always get a stirring memory when I hear Radiohead and especially that song. Let me tell you why:
I knew a guy called Russell who lived on the Island in Scotland that I had lived on for years..he was locally thought of as a bit weird; scatty; a bit of a druggie. He played guitar and was really quite good too and so, me being a guitarist we ended up knowing each other. Long story short, I discovered exactly why he was so neurotic and supposedly weird, he was dying. He had a terminal condition and was in serious intractable pain 24/7.
Yet he still managed to come round and have a joint and play guitar with us all.
He brings a smile to my face when I think of some of those times we all had. He was a mad fucker but a more genuine guy you couldn't hope to meet.
The Radiohead connection comes in when I went to his house one day and he put 'The Bends' on. I was talking at the time and he just looked over at me and said 'SHUT UP and just LISTEN'. whilst I was in half sentence.
I listened.
To the whole album.

He then went on saying that Radiohead were going to go down in history; a band with a huge & rare talent and, compared to the popuilar bands of the moment which were Oasis, Oasis and er, Oasis(at least where I lived!) he said they blew them out of the water without even trying. Being an Oasis fan -idiot- I would laugh at this but somewhere I knew he was talking sense. I got 'The Bends' and listened to it a lot from then on. We taught each other the tracks off of it and would sing Radiohead when we were drunk enough(!).
I left the Island about a year after that.
I got word Russell died a month or two later.
I bet he would have loved this album.


So how is the music?
In a nutshell this is a collection of EPs that were released onto this album in Japan, just before The Bends was released. Seems it then became quite a golden egg to get a hold of. Not sure if that situation is the same nowadays but either way it's still rated, in my opinion, as one of THE albums to get if you like the band. It sits there alongside 'The Bends' as a work of genius as far as I am concerned. I don't have or listen to much of any other Radiohead music. I don't think any of it compares to this one and The Bends.
If you like 'em, get it!
If you haven't tried 'em - You NEED to get it!


Tracklist
1. Stop Whispering (US Version) (4:13)
2. Thinking About You (2:17)
3. Faithless, The Wonder Boy (4:09)
4. Banana Co. (2:26)
5. Killer Cars (Live) (2:17)
6. Vegetable (Live) (3:12)
7. You (Live) (3:38)
8. Creep (Acoustic) (4:19)

Nice finish with the acoustic rendition of 'Creep'...the song that broke them into 'stardom'.
Not that they'd have given a shit either way.

LINKS:

Single Rar Archive] Click or Click
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Hope you give it a try and, above all, enjoy the tunes.

I have asked my better half if she will take over for a post, the next one..as it was an artist she suggested so I thought it might be good if she tells you about it too..

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