(My stupid list's introduction
here)
#20 and #21: The King of Limbs and Shouso Strip
My ordering criteria are as unorthodox as they are personal. This is a personal list, I have a special connection, history, and feelings towards these records and that factors greatly. But it’s not the sole variable. Something has to be said of overall composition and focus; quality. A person may like The Backstreet Boys a whole lot, but saying “I Want it that Way” is better than something like Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” on those grounds is pretty heinous (and what’s the likelihood anyone would want to read this guy’s opinions?) So this list is grounded on the soupy foundation of personal preference and artistic quality. Attributes balanced and adjusted on a case-by-case basis by me and my whims as an accurate portrayal of the concept we call opinion.
The schism between the numbers 20 and 21 is apparent inherently in this situation, but I had no idea how deep until it came to deciding what was in the top twenty and what was out. The gap between 20 and 21 not only encompassed the difference between artistic quality and personal preference, but the ideas of accessibility, artistic goal, and art itself.
The choice was between Shiina Ringo’s sophomore effort, Shouso Strip, and Radiohead’s newest, The King of Limbs. The juxtaposition was delicious. At the time, the former sounded most like the latter, which was apparently a big influence. Arriving at these two albums was quite the conundrum.
Historically, if you asked me to select between Shouso Strip and Shiina Ringo’s debut Muzai Moratorium, I would have picked the debut (their first album was
always better, no?) Too in my selection process
Muzai Moratorium (earning its honorable mention here) was floating near a late-teen placement until I forced myself to actually think about the album. It’s a stellar album and a strong debut. It is easily her most accessible work and has strong hooks. I’ve always viewed it and Shouso Strip as sister albums, separated by mere months and sharing common origins. But perhaps I foolishly never bothered to consider what was truly separating these works. Muzai is the squeals of an optimistic girl chomping at the bit to make a record and succeed, if rebellious by Japanese societal standards. Shouso Strip is the stroke of a woman determined to steer her career, and perhaps the musical scene, somewhere deliberate and challenging.
Shouso Strip is definitely a denser record on cursory glance. Noise, beeps, and samples abound. These are not empty adornments to disguise shallow songs; her songs grew more complex and meaningful than her arrangements. No longer does she muse about her idols, where she’s grown up, and how she makes music. She had learned a lot in those mere months. She looks past herself and addresses femininity, and objects to just what the hell it means. We get an album of varied music with differing sensibilities all earnestly handled and possessed by Shiina the auteur. Few other albums will you find such differing representative singles as Shouso Strip. What it lacks in accessibility, it gains in monster hooks to ensnare you so you hear what she has to say.
I too would have chosen
The Bends as my Radiohead album of choice in previous years. Accessible and familiar are what essentially defines that album as the band veered farther and farther from there since. On the other end of the spectrum is
Kid A. While The Bends is an awesome collection of songs, and Kid A is remarkable experimental commercial feat. I always felt both lacked something I could take away with.
The King of Limbs was a true surprise to me as I gauged it across albums I’m far more familiar with, and possibly better understand. Album after album I eliminated and the King remained. How could it be that as “Street Spirit” faded out, I kept coming back to “The Separator”? It must be the new album smell!
I truly think what separates it from other Radiohead albums in my eyes is the journey. The journey from “Bloom” to the album’s close is what sticks to me. For an album that incorporates so many studio tricks and digital effects, how it evokes such imagery of nature and being lost in strange woods is fascinating…and eery. The limited track selection is a huge asset I this regard. Unity. Each track has elements of standard pop songs mixed with experimental ambience to keep you off kilter every step of the way and by the end of it, my feelings are less “I got through it!” (like Kid A) and more “I want to go again!”
In spite of some scary arty farty words used to describe the album, The King of Limbs is probably the easiest to digest Radiohead since The Bends and Ok Computer.
So what does this mean? Instead of two albums I’m very comfortable and familiar with, I found myself choosing between two albums I’ve only
just begun to appreciate fully. And what’s more, I was certain there’s no album I hadn’t already placed that I would choose above them. How did I decide The King of Limbs make the cut over Shouso Strip?
Shouso Strip has some mega tracks, but The King of Limbs is a sum of the parts affair. The King of Limbs feels like a story, whereas Shouso Strip feels like a manifesto (and they probably both are!) Shiina Ringo is still looking for her peace at the end of Shouso Strip whereas Radiohead has found and given us closure, even if their lyrics tell us otherwise. From my perspective, it’s easy as hell to ask a question, to challenge authority. It is much more compelling when you can actually make sense of things and draw a conclusion. Radiohead’s album gives me this feeling, and it’s catchy to boot. Even if it lacks the heft and gigantic hits that Shouso Strip offers, The King of Limbs yields such an immersive world to explore.
So what does this mean? Maybe as I’ve gotten older, an album is a bit less about what good songs are on there and how the overall tone of the album. The songs still should be good. But even if “Kyogensho” is a better song than “Bloom,” then that’s not necessarily a score for Shouso Strip if Bloom is a better introduction
for its album. A favorite album for me is no longer what has the bitchingest singles nor is it one I’ve spent more time with. I guess that’s growing up. So much has been addressed in only the selection for the final spot! Hopefully, there is something to be taken out of this article, and hasn’t just devolved into a re-review of these albums. Good albums are always worth revisiting.
Thanks for reading!