Rating: A

Remember, a friend asked recently, when Radiohead used to do melodic guitar-rock songs instead of these dour, arty concept albums?

Despite the dense songwriting of last year's Kid A and the new Amnesiac, Radiohead certainly remembers its melodic side as well. Wednesday night's Red Rocks show was a breathtaking mix of old and new, from a sublime "Fake Plastic Trees" to a taut reading of the suburban soul-death despair of "No Surprises".

The British band has caught flak lately for the air of self-importance that surrounded its latest albums, its reluctance to tour and singer Thom Yorke's general refusal to explain the music.

That image, however, was nowhere to be seen Wednesday night, only the second night of the tour, as Yorke comfortably commanded the stage in fine voice. The well-chosen set list included the familiar (a stunning "Karma Police") and the obscure ("Permanent Daylight", "Talk Show Host"), woven together in a tight package that, yes, was heavy on melody and even the occasional bit of lighthearted fun.

May I, then, take this opportunity to eat my words for less-than-glowing reviews of Kid A and Amnesiac? Like most Radiohead material, the songs live are much more impressive than on record. At Red Rocks, the claustrophobic paranoia of "Packt Like Sardines" somehow made much more sense than on record and everything, new and old, fit perfectly next to each other in the set list.

Of course, the band's mood helped. Yorke was downright chipper, hugging the audience and even giving a smile and a thumbs-up at the end of "Fake Plastic Trees". He tried to sternly shush a loud audience member during "Exit Music", then laughed despite himself, blowing a verse. Such a gaffe could have caused a full meltdown a few years back. The band played together with confidence and aplomb. Jonny Greenwood demonstrated how very essential he is to the band's sound, bouncing from guitar to theramin to piano to xylophone as needed.

He and Yorke worked together to provide the highlights. Greenwood coaxed squealing Neil Young-like notes out of his guitar in a soaring "Fake Plastic Trees".

It's odd how one great performance can change perceptions (and this show might change a lot of them; MTV was there, filming for broadcast). The band is clearly breaking out of the persona it has sculpted over the past few years.

Maybe it was a phase. Maybe it was records they needed to make. Maybe they've made their point.

Then again, maybe Radiohead truly is as important a band as their most fervent fans believe.

-Mark Brown

Rocky Mountain News