In the 1990’s, Radiohead were immersed within the peak of alternative rock music’s resounding popularity. “Creep,” their song that is seemingly posed in the forefront of their notoriety, and their hit single that everybody and their dog knows the chorus to, was released in 1993 on their album Pablo Honey. From there, they released an album every two years and made multiple tours around the globe.
Amid their fanfare and chaos of the mid-nineties, it was documented that a song titled “Lift,” was being played at most of their live shows. It never made it onto a studio album. Now, according to an interview with guitarist Jonny Greenwood, the Radiohead member has said that the band will be reworking the song while recording their upcoming release.
This would not be the first time the band has reworked a song for a new album. “Morning Mr. Magpie,” off of King of Limbs precedes the 2011 album, with well-known recordings dating back to 2002.
“What people don’t know is that there’s a very old song on each album, like ‘Nude’ on In Rainbows,” said Greenwood. “We never found the right arrangement for that, until then. ‘Lift’ is just like that. When the idea is right, it stays right. It doesn’t really matter in which form.”
“Lift” surely fits well in between their 90’s hits, with their reoccurring trance-like rhythm against alternative guitars, yet with a reworking it is possible for Radiohead to flipside the song to sound much like songs from their 2011 release, which have an electronic tinge to them. For now, anticipation is all that Radiohead fans will hear, aside from live videos of one of the band’s rarities, as seen below.
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