John Aizlewood follows up his sublime book on Joy Division & New Order by turning his considerable talents towards another idiosyncratic British band, the unique and groundbreaking Radiohead. Written in his usual erudite, irresistibly flowing and ever-so-slightly irreverent style, Aizlewood charts the evolution of Radiohead from their early days as private school boys with potted histories of each band member, through their 'a bit pants' gigs as On A Friday, onto Britpop-shunning stardom as Radiohead, and their enduring legacy as one of the most critically-acclaimed bands Britain has ever produced.
Every album is listed and analysed, with the chapters on the era-defining 'O. K. Computer' and the game-changing 'In Rainbows' being especially good, but the whole book is superb. Radiohead's rise to the top wasn't easy and Aizlewood's sparkling prose brings the story of their eagerness to evolve from their surprise hit 'Creep' and the later ups and downs of their career to vivid life. Radiohead have always done their own thing and John Aizlewood's book is a celebration of that. No surprises, this book is awesome.
-- - 5 star NetGalley review
There's a lot of information about the band in Aizlewood's excellent book, from their younger days in public school to the early days of the pandemic. The author has written an engaging and informative work with this title...reading this was such a gift because it brought back to me the knowledge that Radiohead's music is still utter genius. Definitely recommended.
-- - 5 star NetGalley review
I loved that the length of the book was on the shorter side, and we got fast facts in a chronological order from the formation of the band until what they are currently doing. I think this memoir is great for casual to die-hard fans of Radiohead, and I have been motivated to rediscover their vast catalog of music after learning about recent reissues of albums through the book. 5 stars!
-- - 5 star NetGalley review
...hundreds of intriguing facts...a must-have for fans.
* The Independent *
