You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.
The Bends has stood the test of time as my favorite Radiohead album mainly because of its collection of muscular, guitar-driven bangers. They seem to come relentlessly one after another. “Planet Telex”. “The Bends”. “Bones”. “Just”. “My Iron Lung”. “Black Star”. And “Sulk”. But by shifting down the gears, the quiet wallow of “Street Spirit” was an anthemic closer on an album full of monster riffs. And it’s probably my favorite Radiohead song.
“Street Spirit” is a slow, meandering downward spiral. It’s a song that you cannot escape from. It sucks you in with its cascading arpeggios on guitar and symphonic whole notes hovering over you on synthesizer. The pain and emotion can be felt in every note Yorke sings. The lyrics, gripping yet not fully understandable. The music, overtly chilling and isolating. The sequence, perfection. “Street Spirit” was created to be the closer - on The Bends and on the band’s set lists.
“ROWS OF HOUSES, ALL BEARING DOWN ON ME. I CAN FEEL THEIR BLUE HANDS TOUCHING ME. ALL THESE THINGS INTO POSITION. ALL THESE THINGS WE'LL ONE DAY SWALLOW.”