The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement

Summary

The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement is a 2011 live video album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, performing their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011). It was Radiohead's second performance for the series From the Basement, following In Rainbows – From the Basement (2008). Producer Nigel Godrich described it as an effort to record a different version of The King of Limbs and show it in a new light.

The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement
Video by
Released19 December 2011 (2011-12-19)
Recorded2011
VenueMaida Vale Studios
GenreExperimental rock
LabelTicker Tape
DirectorVern Moen
ProducerMusic
Nigel Godrich
Film
  • James Chaos
  • Dilly Gent
  • Nigel Godrich
  • John Woollcombe
Radiohead chronology
TKOL RMX 1234567
(2011)
The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement
(2011)
A Moon Shaped Pool
(2016)
Singles from The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement
  1. "The Daily Mail" / "Staircase"
    Released: 19 December 2011

Music edit

The video includes performances of all eight tracks from Radiohead's 2011 album The King of Limbs, plus the songs "The Daily Mail", "Staircase", and "Supercollider".[1] It was recorded in Maida Vale Studios, London, and produced by Radiohead's longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich.[1] Radiohead were joined by Clive Deamer on additional drums and percussion, and by a horn section for some songs.[1]

Godrich said the performance was "a very conscious attempt to do something special: to record the album again, once it had been rehearsed and played live, to show it in a different light ... for a record that was very mechanised and completely different".[2]

Release edit

The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement was broadcast on several TV channels internationally.[1] The performances of "The Daily Mail" and "Staircase" were released as singles in 2011.[3]

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]

Reviewing The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement for AllMusic, Gregory Heaney wrote that "the session feels like the perfect environment for Radiohead to perform in, allowing them the freedom to relax and experiment with their sound without the pressure of a massive stadium audience to distract them from their music".[4] In a 2015 article for Stereogum, Ryan Leas argued that it was superior to The King of Limbs: "You hear muscle and movement and bodies existing where the now tapped-out ingenuity of Radiohead’s electronic impulses has begun to make their recorded music brittle."[5]

Tracklist edit

  1. "Bloom" – 6:13
  2. "The Daily Mail" – 4:10
  3. "Feral" – 3:35
  4. "Little by Little" – 4:47
  5. "Codex" – 5:09
  6. "Separator" – 6:36
  7. "Lotus Flower" – 5:43
  8. "Staircase" – 5:06
  9. "Morning Mr Magpie" – 5:46
  10. "Give Up the Ghost" – 5:53
Bonus track
  • "Supercollider" – 5:41

    Personnel edit

    Radiohead
    With
    Recording
    • Nigel Godrich – production (music and film), mixing
    • Vern Moen – direction, editing
    • Darrell Thorp – sound engineering
    • Drew Brown – recording assistance
    • Daniel Landin – direction of photography
    • James Chaos – production (film)
    • Dilly Gent – production (film)
    • John Woollcombe – production (film)
    Brass
    • Noel Langley
    • Yazz Ahmed
    • Clare Moss
    • Trevor Mires
    • Oren Marshall
    • Ben Castle
    • Phil Todd
    Design
    • Steve Keros – stills photography
    • Wildwood & Twain – artwork and layout

    References edit

    1. ^ a b c d Mukadamm, Salim (21 June 2011). "Radiohead – The King of Limbs: Live From The Basement". BBC Worldwide. BBC. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
    2. '^ "Nigel Godrich talks From the Basements return, Radiohead webcasts, and more". Pitchfork. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
    3. ^ Young, Alex (19 December 2011). "Check out: Radiohead – "The Daily Mail" + "Staircase" (studio versions)". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
    4. ^ a b Heaney, Gregory (27 January 2012). "The King of Limbs: Live from the Basement". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
    5. ^ Leas, Ryan (10 March 2015). "In defense of The King of Limbs". Stereogum. Retrieved 12 March 2015.

    External links edit

    • Official The King of Limbs website
    • Official Radiohead website