Anyone Can Play Guitar – Details, episodes & analysis

It's the big one. After more than three years of learning every Radiohead song on guitar, Nick and Austin spend a few hours ranking their favorite albums, b-sides, and songs. They even find time to pick out the worst songs in the catalog, in case you want to know how they both feel about "I'm A Wicked Child." Along the way, Nick mentions the unconscious more than he should, and Austin talks trash about "Optimistic" again. 

Thanks for listening. 

But is this the end? 

1:32 - A discussion about learning each album on guitar 

12:50 - The Best Radiohead Albums 

34:00 - The Worst Radiohead Songs 

47:10 - A concise history of Radiohead b-sides

50:25 - The Best Radiohead B-Sides 

1:01:40 - The Best Radiohead Songs 

With the main album out of the way, Nick and Austin dig into the meager leftovers of A Moon Shaped Pool. Austin geeks out about 90s movie soundtracks, before bringing up the inspirational American football movie, Rudy. For some reason, Nick talks about the charity single, "We Are The World." Then they both debate the fundamental nature of the b-side, and whether one song released without a single can even qualify. 

1:00 - "Ill Wind" 

7:45 - "Spectre"

"True Love Waits" original version from Brussels

"Spectre" time signature?

James Bond "Spectre" 

"Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon

Radiohead cover of "Nobody Does It Better"

Rudy

The Sandlot

Hoosiers

"Big Boots (Man of War)" by Radiohead in "Meeting People is Easy"

Sam Smith "Writing's On The Wall" (from Spectre)

Michael Jackson "Earth Song"

Did Sam Smith copy 'Earth Song' in 'Writing's On The Wall'?

The Greatest Night in Pop

Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files

The "Creep" Award: The Best Song, Begrudgingly or Not

Austin - “Identikit” 

Nick - “Daydreaming” 

The "Blow Out" Award: Our Personal Favorite Song 

Nick - “Daydreaming"

Austin - “Present Tense"

The "I Can't" Award: Most Improved Song

Austin - “Decks Dark” 

Nick - “Present Tense"

Before Nick and Austin reach the pearly gates, they first have to make it through the last three songs on In Rainbows. Things start off strangely, with Prince-like lyrics and mentions of wife-swapping. That's before Nick says the word "love" about 100 times and Austin brings up death again. Along the way, they struggle to pronounce Mephistopheles and discuss the Nietzschean concept of Eternal Return. Join the discussion on Facebook.

Songs Discussed: 

1:40 - "House of Cards" 

15:55 - "Jigsaw Falling into Place" 

25:40 - "Videotape" 

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" by Prince

"The Ice Storm" by Rick Moody

"House of Cards" music video

"Jigsaw Falling Into Place" music video

"This Charming Man" by The Smiths

Devo

The secret rhythm behind Radiohead's "Videotape"

"After Life" by Hirokazu Kore-eda

"Videotape" at Bonnarro (June 2006)

Mephistopheles

Eternal return

Ezra Pound and the drafts of The Waste Land

You'd be crazy not to follow along as Austin and Nick delve into the mesmerizing middle of In Rainbows. Austin feels confident that all the songs are about death, before bringing up Blues Traveler. Nick continues to find excuses to chat about R.E.M. and The Beatles. Along with loads of praise, the two do manage to pick their least favorite track of the album. The episode starts with another round of "Spot the Alternative Rock Riff." Thanks for listening to season 5. Join the discussion on Facebook.

Songs Discussed: 

6:25 - "Weird Fishes" 

22:01 - "All I Need" 

31:22 - "Faust Arp" 

38:55 - "Reckoner" 

Musical canon

Thom Yorke's "Arpeggi / Weird Fishes" debut

Brad Osborn, "Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead"

James Doheny, "Radiohead: The Stories Behind Every Song"

R.E.M. "So. Central Rain"

Blues Traveler "Run-Around"

Ophelia by John Everett Millais

German legend of Faust

The band Faust

Jonny Greenwood's "There Will Be Blood [Original Soundtrack]"

The original version of "Reckoner"

You don't have to pay anything to listen to Nick and Austin discuss Radiohead's beloved 2007 album, In Rainbows. Just prepare yourself for some enthusiastic diatribes about terminally climatic song forms and Colin's bass playing. Austin admits to stopping his car in the middle of the street when he first heard "15 Step," while Nick can't stop thinking of Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk." Thanks for listening to season 5. Join the discussion on Facebook.

Songs Discussed: 

6:45 - "15 Step" 

21:10 - "Bodysnatchers"

30:03 - "Nude" 

Radiohead's In Rainbows screenshot "Pay what you want"

Thom Yorke "The Eraser"

Brad Osborn's "Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead"

Peaches "F*** The Pain Away"

Lost in Translation

Radiohead - 15 Step Live (Grammy's 2009) Feat. Usc Trojan Marching Band

USC Trojan Marching Band + Radiohead @ 2009 Grammys | Behind the Scenes

Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk"

Through-Composed Music

Subverting the Verse–Chorus Paradigm: Terminally Climactic Forms in Recent Rock Music Brad Osborn

Wolfmother

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

The Body Snatchers by Jack Finney

High Fidelity Mixtape Rules

"Nude (Big Ideas)" on Meeting People is Easy

James Doheny, "Radiohead: The Stories Behind Every Song"

Thought Nick and Austin were too rough on "Hail to the Thief"? Just wait until they make their way through the "Com Lag" EP, which collects the b-sides from the era. How bad does it get? Let's just say that both find songs that they dislike more than "Pop is Dead." Nick sticks up for one track, while Austin talks about how much he loves the blues. Finally, they have the "Hail to the Thief" awards, though a certain single steals the show.

Songs Discussed:

2:45 - "Paperbag Writer"

10:50 - "I am a Wicked Child"

16:10 - "I am Citizen Insane"

20:25 - "Gagging Order"

28:27 - Where Bluebirds Fly

36:45 - "I Want None of This"

Original Pitchfork review of Com Lag

Pitchfork review of the deluxe version of "Hail to Thief"

The Beatles "Paperback Writer"

The Beatles "Let it Be"

Pavement "Terror Twilight"

B.B. King

Björk: Sonic Symbolism

Reddit fan ratings of "Hail to the Thief" songs

"Help!: A Day in the Life" charity album

The "Creep" Award: The Best Song, Begrudgingly or Not

Nick - “There, There”

Austin - “There, There”

The "Blow Out" Award: Our Personal Favorite Song

Austin - “There, There”; Otherwise favorite, "I Will"

Nick - “There, There”; Otherwise favorite, "Scatterbrain"

The "I Can't" Award: Most Improved Song

Austin - “Scatterbrain”

Nick - “There, There”, "Scatterbrain"

It's the end of Hail to the Thief, but will Nick and Austin get the flan in the face? Nick sticks up for one of the album's least-loved tracks, while Austin has sharp words for one of the most beloved. Along the way, they discuss a viral rabbit disease, Bob Dylan, and Thomas Pynchon.

1:45 - "I Will"

9:28 - "A Punchup at a Wedding"

14:55 - "Myxomatosis"

19:56 - "Scatterbrain"

27:58 - "A Wolf at the Door"

Radiohead - I Will and Like Spinning Plates (reversed): I Will Like Spinning Plates

Radiohead - I Will / Like Spinning Plates (Cover by Joe Edelmann ft. Lucas Vallim)

"Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead" by Brad Osborn

"I Will" (Los Angeles Version)

Through-composed music

House Rabbit Society definition of myxomatosis

Cuttooth

Scatterbrain live

Thomas Pynchon

Bob Dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

John Lennon "Gimme Some Truth"

Will Austin and Nick finally find a song on "Hail to the Thief" that they love, or will the disappointment continue? Things certainly don't start well, as Austin briefly considers giving up on the whole project. Fortunately, they both persevere and eventually stumble onto one of their favorite songs. Along the way, they discuss New Order, Fiona Apple, and "Gulliver's Travels."   

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Songs Discussed:

3:10 - "Go to Sleep" 

8:52 - "Where I End and You Begin" 

15:17 - "We Suck Young Blood" 

23:32 - "The Gloaming"

32:09 - "There There" 

"Go to Sleep" video

Gulliver's Travels

New Order "Age of Consent"

Charles Mingus "Freedom"

Reddit: TIL Paul Thomas Anderson shot an (unreleased) video for “We Suck Young Blood” with an old 1920s camera

Fiona Apple "Across the Universe" music video directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

"This Isn't Happening: Radiohead's "Kid A" and the Beginning of the 21st Century" by Steven Hyden

"There There" demo

"There, There" music video

Have you been paying attention? Nick and Austin attempt to make sense of Radiohead's messy and slightly political sixth album, Hail to the Thief. Both had troubled experiences with the album when it was released in 2003, but will learning all the songs on guitar help them appreciate it? Nick catches up on George Orwell's "1984," while Austin ponders if Yorke actually sang "the raindrops" every single time in "Sit Down. Stand Up."

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Songs Discussed:

10:36 - "2 + 2 = 5"

21:20 - "Sit Down. Stand Up"

27:35 - "Sail to the Moon"

35:51 - "Backdrifts"

"Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead" by Brad Osborn Ph.D.

George Frideric Handel

George Orwell "1984"

George Orwell "The Road to Wigan Pier"

Revelation 3:16, New International Version

Genesis 5:32-10:1, New International Version

Sailor Moon

So far, Nick and Austin have been split on Radiohead's b-sides, struggling with Pablo Honey and OK Computer offerings, but loving the playfulness of the tracks orbiting around The Bends. Where will the Amnesiac b-sides land? Topics this week include Phil Collins, T.S. Eliot and the banking system. They end season three by discussing Kid Amnesia, the recently released deluxe album, which came with a bonus disc of unreleased tracks.

Songs Discussed:

3:42 - "The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy"

8:10 - "Trans-Atlantic Drawl"

12:02 - "Fast-Track"

15:04 - "Kinetic"

18:16 - "Cuttooth"

25:06 - "Worrywort"

29:23 - "Fog"

32:08 - "If You Say the Word"

33:19 - "Follow Me Around"

"The Amazing Sounds of Orgy" live on Austin City Limits

"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins

Neu!

"Spiders (Kidsmoke)" by Wilco

Warm by Jeff Tweedy

"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot

"Fog" live

"Follow Me Around" on Meeting People is Easy