"True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead" is an amazing fresh take on the best Radiohead songs from all their albums to date (excluding HTTF). The fact that so many RH songs translate naturally to classical piano is a testament that RH's songs are complex, and well-written with lots of little nooks and crannies that have yet to be explored.
I knew I was old when I heard REM's "Don't Go Back to Rockville" arranged for 101 strings in a WalMart in suburban Virginia at 6p on a Saturday. I wanted to run around the store telling people "NO! DON'T LISTEN! MY FAVORITE BAND DOESN'T REALLY SOUND LIKE THIS!" But listening to this CD, I would eagerly share it with others.
Like you.
So go over to Amazon and listen to a sample. "Everything in it's Right Place" gives me chills. Put it on as background music the next time your friends come over. Wait until someone gets a look on their face like someone just farted and asks "Waitaminute, is this radiohead?" Then just sit there and smile and nod like the hardcore fan you are.
Article comments
1 - Dale
It's not HTTF you fucking yank scum.
2 - Craig
Get over yourself.
3 - Brian Flemming
It's great music.
You can pull the same stunt you mention with The Bad Plus' covers of Nirvana and Blondie.
Apple iTunes Music Store fun fact: This is one of the few classical albums available ONLY by song (usually the restriction goes the other way with classical--album only).
So...15 bucks at the iTMS, or 11 bucks at Amazon.
4 - Tom Johnson
I love Radiohead fans. Christ, it's a spelling mistake. I agree, Craig - "get over yourself."
5 - Pladask
Hail to the Fief, motherfucker!
6 - Apple Pie
yeh. a simple spelling mistake is a bit pedantic to go mad over. however yanks are fucking scum so he does have a point
7 - Craig
No wonder the pilgrims left.
8 - roberta
how do I find the piano music from film, "Unfaitful" which was taken from a RadioHead song on All Things Considered or some other NPR music? Was it played by Christopher O'Reilly, the host of a children's music show on NPR Sundays? Many thanks for your help in tracking down this CD.
9 - roberta
I'm looking for the piano music played in the film, "Unfaithful," which was taken from a Radiohead song played on NPR station in LA. Many thanks. R Maggenti@aol.com
10 - Tom Johnson
This could be jazz pianist Brad Mehldau's version of "Exit Music (for a film)" which is on his album "Art Of The Trio 4: Back At The Vanguard." Christopher O'Riley also covered this on "True Love Waits," but as I haven't heard that nor seen the movie, I can't tell you specifically which is the version you ask about. I can highly, highly recommend Mehldau, as he is one of the best and brightest in jazz today.
11 - Ray
Does anyone know if the sheet music has been published from this album?
12 - Jessica
yeah, actually there is an entire book of sheet music for it-- it's for the album the song is from, OK Computer. Check on http://www.musicnotes.com or http://www.sheetmusicplus.com...they have them for sale on both.
13 - Paul Cantrell
Sorry, I don't like it.
This might be amazingly fresh to somebody who hasn't heard much classical piano, but I find that he's mostly just stuffed the Radiohead songs full of unnecessary notes, and missed the emotional mark.
A lot of what makes Radiohead interesting is the spare and careful use of sound, and the intensely nuances emotional landscape it creates. Actually, that's a lot what makes, say, a Chopin nocturne interesting, too. Those nuances just get plowed under by Chris O'Reilly -- he has too much technique for his own sake. It's nice that he can create all these dense textures, but it's just note-spinning, and doesn't really carry much musical idea. It reminds of Liszt in full mediocre stride. This stuff is just trite. I mean, maybe the Monkees would sound really fresh if you'd never heard any rock before, but.... OK, so it's not nearly that bad, but it's really not very good either.
I'm all for musicians bring music across genres, classical players embracing rock and vice versa, etc. I just don't think this album is musically successful.
14 - joylin
well, i disagree about the emotion thing... i mean, he seriously impresses me with how emotional he IS, and how well he captures all the expression they have in their music... but i have to say, i definitely apreciate somebody else who actually.... how sohuld i put this -- cares about musical expression/tallent. most people just dont get stuff like that, and it pisses me off. and even though i honestly disagree about that particular subject, im just glad to know theres finally somebody out there who sees more to music than just something catchy that you listen to for no reason...
15 - Katie
I personally love the way Christopher O'Riley has re-done Radiohead's songs! I was looking for the sheet music on both of those sites that were mentioned above (http://www.musicnotes.com and http://www.sheetmusicplus.com) and I couldn't find them! Can someone help? :)
Thanks
16 - Rodney
You can get the sheet music here
17 - Mark VanMiddlesworth
"This stuff is just trite. I mean, maybe the Monkees would sound really fresh if you'd never heard any rock before, but.... OK, so it's not nearly that bad, but it's really not very good either."
Bad analogy. The Monkees are the exact embodiment of the opposite of virtuosity; O'Riley shreds like Steve Vai.
18 - Taylor
Christopher O'Riley DOES have sheet music for his album "True Love Waits." There's actually like twice the number of songs in the book than on CD. Some songs from his other album (also covers of Radiohead) "Hold Me To This" are in the book. The book is $60, plus at least $18 shipping. Here is the site. Scroll down. It's toward the bottom. Oh you can also see a two page preview of it here. Just click the wo pages of music and they open up in their own window. Enjoy!
19 - Ashley
Does anyone have the book? I am trying to figure out if I can adapt it for a string quartet to play True Love Waits at my wedding and would love to know without $78+ and waiting time if that would even work out. If you have it and would be willing to let me peek to see the complexity of that song in particular, please email at anonomouslyinvisible at yahoo dot com. I get married in pretty short order and we are not allowed amplified music or I would play the Radiohead version.
Thank you!!
20 - myelin
I think some of them are done very well whilst others are a bit hit and miss. I think it's a bit arrogant to say that because you've heard a lot of classical music then this one doesn't live up to the standard.
O'Reilly's done something quite extraordinary here and I think it's a testament to both Radiohead and himself. But mostly it's a testament to the universality of good music.