Radiohead
Pyramid Song
(Parlophone)

Rating: 7/12

Though Radiohead's Amnesiac is unlikely to produce a slew of singles, they have released singles for "Pyramid Song" in a number of different countries. The track listing varies a bit depending upon where the singles originated from, but between them all, there are four B-sides to be had in connection with this single. All four are available on a very pricey Japanese import of the single, or you can buy discs one and two of the British version to get all of the songs.

"Pyramid Song" is among the better songs Amnesiac has to offer. Its airy feel and odd timing give it a quickly recognizable Radiohead feel, though it has little in common with Radiohead's usual instrumentation.

The B-sides are less than thrilling, which is very disappointing, because Radiohead's B-sides are often as good as the songs they kept on the albums. But then again, what do you expect from the B-sides of an album made up of B-sides (is Amnesiac really anything but the B-sides from Kid A)?

"The Amazing Sounds of Orgy" is a spooky song built around a low end pulsing, which is very much an unassuming song, that could work better if it were matched with good songs. "Trans Atlantic Drawl" is a frenzied dance-rock song, which falls apart and becomes thickly layered keyboards that sound a little too reminiscent of a church choir. "Kinetic" is probably the better of the B-sides, with its heavy repetition and creepy undercurrent. None of the new songs have any strength to speak of, except in their function as forgettable filler.

Then again, listening to this single has made me love "Pyramid Song" even more because it stands out so much from the rest of the tracks. So, as a promotional tool for Radiohead's latest single, this release is a complete success. As an actual release, that actual fans will hear (and some may even be stupid enough to pay as much as $25 to get all the extra tracks) this fails.

Sean Hammond

Fakejazz
02.07.01