''Pablo Honey'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
and on 20 April in the US by
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
. It was produced by
Sean Slade,
Paul Q. Kolderie
Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones ...
and Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford.
Radiohead formed at
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...
in
Abingdon, Oxforshire, and signed a recording contract with
EMI in 1991. Their debut release, the ''
Drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driver chuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
'' EP (1992), achieved little success. ''Pablo Honey'' was recorded in three weeks at
Chipping Norton Recording Studios
Chipping Norton Recording Studios was a residential recording studio in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, which operated from 1971 until October 1999.
The studios were created by Mike and Richard Vernon as the in-house studio for Mike Ver ...
in
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primaril ...
from September to November 1992. The recording was hampered by Radiohead's lack of studio experience.
The singles "
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
", "
Anyone Can Play Guitar
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached number 32 in the UK, and remained a staple of Radiohead's live sets throughout the e ...
" and "
Stop Whispering" made little impact. However, "Creep" gradually gained international radio play, reaching number seven on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
after it was reissued in 1993. Radiohead embarked on an aggressive promotional tour in the US supporting
Belly
Belly may refer to:
Anatomy
* The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach
** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking
** Belly dance
* The fleshy, cent ...
and
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...
, followed by a European tour supporting
James. In May 1995, a live video, ''
Live at the Astoria'' (1995), was released on
VHS.
''Pablo Honey'' reached number 22 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. It was
certified gold in the UK in 1994 and triple platinum in 2013. In the US, it was certified platinum in 1995. ''Pablo Honey'' received generally favourable reviews, but some found it underdeveloped or derivative. Though it is less acclaimed than Radiohead's later work, some retrospective reviews have been positive and it has appeared in lists of the greatest albums. The members of Radiohead have criticised it, citing weaker songwriting and their studio inexperience. "Creep" remains Radiohead's most successful single.
Background
![Abingdon School, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England-23April2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Abingdon_School%2C_Abingdon%2C_Oxfordshire%2C_England-23April2011.jpg)
The members of
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
met while attending
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...
in
Abingdon, Oxforshire.
In 1985, they formed , the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.
They recorded demo tapes, including ''Manic Hedgehog'', which featured versions of the future ''Pablo Honey'' tracks "You", "I Can't" and "Thinking About You".
In late 1991, On a Friday signed a six-album recording contract with
EMI and changed their name at EMI's request. Their name was taken from the
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talki ...](_blank)
song "Radio Head" from ''
True Stories'' (1986).
Radiohead released their debut EP, ''
Drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driver chuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
,'' in 1992. It was produced by their co-manager, Chris Hufford, in Courtyard Studios, Oxfordshire. It reached number 101 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
; the ''
Guardian
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...
'' later described it as an "inauspicious start" that drew little attention. Around this time, the American producers
Paul Kolderie and
Sean Slade, who had worked with bands including the
Pixies and
Dinosaur Jr
Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name.
The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlo ...
,
were in the UK looking for work. The EMI A&R director,
Nick Gatfield, gave them a selection of acts to consider. They agreed to produce Radiohead after he played them "
Stop Whispering".
Steve Albini, another producer who had worked with the Pixies, was also considered, but EMI felt he was too risky; he had not yet worked with major acts such as
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
.
Kolderie was more impressed by Radiohead's managers than the band, calling them "crafty mothers ... I don't think I've ever met two guys who had more of a plan." Since
independent labels dominated the
indie charts in the UK, and EMI was a
major label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...
, Radiohead's managers planned for them to use American producers and tour aggressively in America, then return to build a following in the UK.
Recording
![Former_Chipping_Norton_Recording_Studios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Former_Chipping_Norton_Recording_Studios.jpg)
Radiohead recorded ''Pablo Honey'' at
Chipping Norton Studios
Chipping Norton Recording Studios was a residential recording studio in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, which operated from 1971 until October 1999.
The studios were created by Mike and Richard Vernon as the in-house studio for Mike Ver ...
in
Chipping Norton
Chipping Norton is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about south-west of Banbury and north-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the civil parish population ...
, Oxfordshire.
They first attempted to record two songs that EMI was considering for Radiohead's debut single, "Inside My Head" and "Lurgee".
They made little progress; Kolderie described Radiohead as "desperately inexperienced", and neither they nor the producers liked the choice of songs for the single. Kolderie said, "'Inside My Head' was not very melodic, didn't have any of the stuff we thought the others had, so we were rather disappointed."
Hufford described the results as "overblown bombastic rock".
During rehearsals, Radiohead unexpectedly played another song, "
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
". They considered it a "throwaway" track, but it impressed the producers. At Kolderie's suggestion, they recorded a take, after which everyone in the studio burst into applause.
EMI were persuaded to make "Creep" Radiohead's debut single. According to Kolderie, "everyone
t EMIwho heard Creep just started going insane" and he and Slade were hired to produce the entire album.
Radiohead took elements of "Creep" from the 1972 song "
The Air That I Breathe
"The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by British-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, initially recorded by Hammond on his debut album, '' It Never Rains in Southern California'' (1972). It was a major hit for ...
".
Rondor Music
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram.
Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...
took legal action after "Creep" was released; the songwriters,
Albert Hammond and
Mike Hazelwood, were given shared royalties and songwriting credits.
''Pablo Honey'' was recorded in three weeks. Kolderie described it as a struggle, and said: "It was their first record and they wanted to be
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
, and the mix had to have no
reverb
Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abs ...
, and they had all the ideas they'd ever come up with in 20 years of listening to records."
Kolderie noted the band's studio inexperience, and their difficulty in finishing tracks; still, he enjoyed the work due to the small group and joking atmosphere. For the introduction to "
Anyone Can Play Guitar
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached number 32 in the UK, and remained a staple of Radiohead's live sets throughout the e ...
", Kolderie had everyone in the studio, including the cook, create sounds on guitar. "The idea was to live up to the title: anyone can play guitar," he said.
The guitarist
Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores.
Along with his elder brother, t ...
used a paintbrush for his part.
Radiohead did not like the version of "Lurgee" they recorded with Kolderie and Slade, and used an earlier version, recorded with Hufford at Courtyard, for the album.
The album title comes from a
prank call sketch by the
Jerky Boys
The Jerky Boys are an American comedy act from Queens, New York City, New York, whose routine consists of prank telephone calls and other related skits. The duo was founded in 1989 by childhood friends Johnny Brennan and Kamal Ahmed. After Ah ...
in which the caller poses as the victim's mother and says: "Pablo, honey? Please come to Florida." Yorke said it was appropriate as the band were "mothers' boys".
A
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of ...
of the sketch appears during the guitar solo on "How Do You".
Kolderie said ''Pablo Honey'' was "not cheap", and estimated that it had cost more than £100,000 to record.
Music
In ''Pablo Honey'', critics found elements of
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of ...
,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
,
stadium rock,
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
,
college rock
College rock was the alternative rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream ...
,
post-grunge
Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox and Collective Soul that emulated the ...
, and
jangle-pop
Jangle pop is a subgenre of pop rock or college rock that emphasizes jangly guitars and 1960s-style pop melodies. The term originated from Bob Dylan's song " Mr. Tambourine Man", whose 1965 rendition by the Byrds became considered one of the ...
.
The album drew comparisons to
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
,
Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name.
The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlow ( ...
,
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
,
U2,
the Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
,
the Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
,
the Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
and
the Jam
The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 198 ...
.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described it as a blend of the anthemic rock of U2 with "atmospheric" instrumental passages.
O'Brien described it as a "hedonistic" album that "you might put on in an open-top car on a Saturday night going to a party".
Release and promotion
"
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
" was released as the lead ''Pablo Honey'' single on 21 September 1992.
It initially received little airplay and sold around 6,000 copies, reaching number 78 in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.
The 1993 singles "
Anyone Can Play Guitar
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached number 32 in the UK, and remained a staple of Radiohead's live sets throughout the e ...
" and "
Stop Whispering", plus the non-album single "
Pop Is Dead
"Pop Is Dead" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album ''Pablo Honey''. It reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. It was included in ...
", were unsuccessful. While "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Pop Is Dead" charted on the UK Singles Chart, "Stop Whispering" gained no traction. Radiohead rerecorded "Stop Whispering" for the US single as they were not happy with the album version; O'Brien said the new version was "more atmospheric", likening it to
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after attend ...
.
In late 1992, Radiohead toured the UK as the support act for
Kingmaker
A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a royal or political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious and military means to influence the succession. Origina ...
and performed at the UK EMI conference in September. They impressed the EMI promoter Carol Baxter, who said: "This funny little band came on and they obviously had something. This was a hideous record company do but Thom gave it everything."
That Christmas, ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' published a review of a Radiohead performance that dismissed them as "a pitiful, lily-livered excuse for a rock 'n' roll group".
''Pablo Honey'' was released in February 1993 and received little press.
It reached number 25 in 1993's
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
. However, "Creep" became a hit in Israel, where it was played frequently by the radio DJ
Yoav Kutner
Yoav Kutner ( he, יואב קוטנר; born 18 May 1954) is an Israeli music editor, TV and radio presenter, who has significantly promoted performers ranging from Mashina to Radiohead.
Life
Yoav Kutner was born in Jerusalem, Israel on May 18, ...
. In March, Radiohead were invited to Tel Aviv for their first overseas show. Around the same time, "Creep" began receiving airplay on US radio stations and rose to number two on the US
Modern Rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
Radio format
Mod ...
chart. By the time Radiohead began their first North American tour in June 1993, the music video for "Creep" was in heavy rotation on
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.
The single reached number 34 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart.
Radiohead gave an infamous performance of "Anyone Can Pay Guitar" live on MTV Beach House that July. It saw Yorke scream the improvised lyrics “fat, ugly, dead!”, before breaking down on camera and jumping into a pool. Yorke was holding a live microphone and narrowly avoided electrocuting himself.
"Creep" reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart when EMI rereleased it in September 1993.
That month, Radiohead performed "Creep" on the British music programme ''
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
''
and as the first musical guests on the American talk show ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
.'' EMI's American arm Capitol wanted to continue promoting ''Pablo Honey'' and build on the momentum.
Radiohead declined an offer to tour the US in support of
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
; their managers felt they could earn more credibility by supporting
Belly
Belly may refer to:
Anatomy
* The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach
** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking
** Belly dance
* The fleshy, cent ...
.
They also opened for
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments.
Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...
in New York City and Los Angeles.
The band struggled with the tour; Yorke disliked dealing with American music journalists and had tired of the songs.
Radiohead appeared in promotional material they later regretted, such as fashion shoots for
Iceberg
An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...
jeans and the magazine ''
Interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
.''
According to Radiohead's agent, the promotional work triggered "a lot of soul-searching about why they were in a group at all".
Jonny Greenwood said they "spent a year being jukeboxes ... We felt in a creative stasis because we couldn't release anything new."
Kolderie credited Radiohead's ''Pablo Honey'' tours for "turning them into a tight band".
The American tour was followed by a European tour supporting
James.
Afterwards, Radiohead cancelled an appearance at
Reading Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...
after Yorke became ill; he told ''NME'', "Physically I'm completely fucked and mentally I've had enough."
According to some reports, EMI gave Radiohead six months to "get sorted" or be dropped. EMI's
A&R head Keith Wozencroft later denied this, saying: "Experimental rock music was getting played and had commercial potential. People voice different paranoias, but for the label
adioheadwere developing brilliantly from ''Pablo Honey''."
''Pablo Honey'' was
certified gold in the UK in April 1994. It was certified platinum in June 1997 and triple platinum in July 2013.
In the US, it was certified gold in September 1993 and platinum in September 1995.
On 13 May 1995, a live video featuring performances of many ''Pablo Honey'' and ''Bends'' songs, ''
Live at the Astoria'' (1995), was released on
VHS.
Critical reception
''Pablo Honey'' failed to make a critical impact upon its initial release.
''NME''s
John Harris referred to Radiohead as "one of rock's brightest hopes".
Harris said the track "How Do You?" "breaks the
lbum'smomentum... horribly", but described ''Pablo Honey'' as "satisfying" despite its flaws.
''NME'' later named it the 35th-best album of the year. Remarking that "British teenagerhood has never been grumpier," ''
Q'' felt that it was a "good" album with moments that rivalled
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
,
Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name.
The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlow ( ...
and
Sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
.
In the United States, "Creep" drew parallels with Nirvana, with some describing Radiohead as the "British Nirvana".
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' said the lyrics had "enough bite to make it on their own" despite the U2 comparisons.
In a mixed review, Mario Mundoz of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' wrote that it "doesn't really deliver anything you haven't heard before
..though, it does offer clever lyrics and good hooks."
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
'' did not recommend the album, but named "Creep" a "choice cut". ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' wrote that its charm originates from its guitar work, song structures, melodies, and choruses that invoke a "pop appeal".
Legacy
Although ''Pablo Honey'' did not receive the acclaim of Radiohead's later albums, it has received praise in retrospective coverage. According to
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, the songwriting does not always match Radiohead's sound, but when it does, it achieves "a rare power that is both visceral and intelligent".
Kenny EG Perry of ''NME'' described the album as "the sound of one of the best bands of this or any other generation playing the music that taught them all their good early lessons". ''
Clash'' said that it "points towards everything that
adioheadwould go on to be".
In a 2008 review, Al Spicer of
BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
described ''Pablo Honey'' as Radiohead's "exploration of suburban, adolescent self-awareness" and "one of rock's most impressive debuts."
In 2009, ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' Mehan Jahasuriya criticised ''Pablo Honey'' as "a hodgepodge of half-baked grunge, jangle-pop and stadium-ready alternative rock ... nearly indistinguishable from other early '90s college rock throwaways, save for a few hints of greatness".
After the success of "
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
", Radiohead grew to resent it.
In 1993, Yorke said: "It's like it's not our song any more ... It feels like we're doing a cover."
The success almost led to Radiohead's breakup.
Their frustration with "Creep" and ''Pablo Honey'' influenced their second album, ''
The Bends'' (1995).
The album title, a term for
decompression sickness
Decompression sickness (abbreviated DCS; also called divers' disease, the bends, aerobullosis, and caisson disease) is a medical condition caused by dissolved gases emerging from solution as bubbles inside the body tissues during decompressio ...
, references Radiohead's rapid rise to fame; Yorke said "we just came up too fast". Though Radiohead achieved greater commercial and critical success with later albums, "Creep" remains their most successful single.
In 2007, ''Pitchfork'' wrote that, with ''Pablo Honey'', "Radiohead didn't so much ride the coattails of grunge to mass success as stumble over them, and they've been apologising for it ever since."
In 1996, the bassist,
Colin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments.
With h ...
, said, "I'd give
'Pablo Honey''a seven out of 10 – not bad for an album recorded in just two and a half weeks." In 1997, O'Brien said it was derivative of
Dinosaur Jr.
Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984, originally simply called Dinosaur until legal issues forced a change in name.
The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter), Lou Barlow ( ...
and the
Pixies. He described it as "a collection of our greatest hits as an unsigned band". Jonny Greenwood said in 1998 that it "lacked freedom", and was hindered by the band's fear and inexperience.
O'Brien said in 2020 that ''Pablo Honey'' was "pretty shit
..but we worked hard and became good. That's one of the things I've held onto: you don't have to have all the answers straight away."
Accolades
In 1998, ''Pablo Honey'' was voted the 100th best album of all time in a poll held by
Virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
and 61st in a poll by
''Q''. The journalist
Colin Larkin
Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged".
Along wit ...
placed it 301th in the third edition of ''
All Time Top 1000 Albums
''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...
'' (2000).
As part of its 2014 list of "1010 Songs You Must Own", ''Q'' included "Lurgee" and "Blow Out" in a list of 20 essential lesser-known Radiohead songs. In 2006, ''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' and ''
Metal Hammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...
'' named ''Pablo Honey'' one of the 20 greatest albums of 1993. In 2008, ''
Blender
A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen appliance, kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsion, emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender ...
'' ranked it 82nd in its list of "100 Albums You Must Own".
Reissues
On 31 August 2009, EMI reissued ''Pablo Honey'' in a "Collector's Edition" with the ''Drill'' EP tracks, B-sides and alternative takes.
Radiohead had no input into the reissue and the music was not remastered.
In February 2013, Parlophone was bought by
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
(WMG). In April 2016, as a result of an agreement with the trade group
Impala
The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Germa ...
, WMG transferred Radiohead's back catalogue to
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group.
Although only releasing an average of six album ...
. The "Collector's Editions" of Radiohead albums, issued without Radiohead's approval, were removed from streaming services.
In May 2016, XL reissued Radiohead's back catalogue on vinyl, including ''Pablo Honey''.
Track listing
All lyrics written by
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
. All music written by
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
, except "Creep", written by Radiohead,
Mike Hazlewood
Michael Edward Hazlewood (24 December 1941 – 6 May 2001)[Mike Hazelwood – Credits ...](_blank)
and
Albert Hammond.
# "You" – 3:29
# "
Creep
Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to:
People
* Creep, a creepy person
Politics
* Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign
Art ...
" – 3:56
# "How Do You?" – 2:12
# "
Stop Whispering" – 5:26
# "Thinking About You" – 2:41
# "
Anyone Can Play Guitar
"Anyone Can Play Guitar" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It reached number 32 in the UK, and remained a staple of Radiohead's live sets throughout the e ...
" – 3:38
# "Ripcord" – 3:10
# "Vegetable" – 3:13
# "Prove Yourself" – 2:25
# "I Can't" – 4:13
# "Lurgee" – 3:08
# "Blow Out" – 4:40
Personnel
Radiohead
*
Colin Greenwood
Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments.
With h ...
– bass guitar
*
Jonny Greenwood
Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician and composer. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the alternative rock band Radiohead, and has written numerous film scores.
Along with his elder brother, t ...
– lead guitar, piano, organ
*
Ed O'Brien
Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB.
O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he met the other mem ...
– guitar, backing vocals
*
Philip Selway
Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Selway released his debut ...
– drums
*
Thom Yorke
Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been describe ...
– vocals, guitar
Production
* Chris Blair –
mastering
* Chris Hufford – production, engineering
*
Paul Q. Kolderie
Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones ...
– production, engineering , mixing
*
Sean Slade – production, engineering , mixing
Design
* Icon – design
* Lisa Bunny Jones – paintings
* Tom Sheehan – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
1993 debut albums
Radiohead albums
Parlophone albums
Capitol Records albums
Albums produced by Paul Q. Kolderie
Albums produced by Sean Slade