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''Pablo Honey'' is the debut studio album by the English rock band
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by
Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...
and on 20 April 1993 in the US by
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
. It was produced by
Sean Slade Sean Slade (born 14 November 1957) is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. On many of his productions he worked in partnership with Paul Q. Kolderie. Career Slade was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States. He graduated from Ya ...
,
Paul Q. Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bossto ...
and Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford. Radiohead formed in 1985 at
Abingdon School Abingdon School is an independent day and boarding school in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is the List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, twentieth oldest Independent School (UK), independent British school. In May 202 ...
in
Abingdon, Oxfordshire Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. The historic county town of Berkshire, the area was occupied f ...
, and signed a recording contract with
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
in 1991. Their debut EP, ''
Drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
'' (1992), achieved little success. For their debut album, Radiohead's management targeted the American market and chose American producers. ''Pablo Honey'' was recorded in three weeks at
Chipping Norton Recording Studios Chipping Norton Recording Studios was a residential recording studio in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, which operated from 1971 until October 1999. The studios were created by Mike Vernon and Richard Vernon as the in-house studio for ...
in
Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...
in 1992. The recording was hampered by Radiohead's lack of studio experience. The singles "
Creep The Committee for the Re-election of the President (or the Committee to Re-elect the President, CRP, but often mocked by the acronym CREEP) was, officially, a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election ...
", "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "
Stop Whispering "Stop Whispering" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, included on their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It was released as a single in the US in October 1993. Radiohead rerecorded it for the single release, as they wer ...
" initially made little impact. However, "Creep" gradually gained international radio play, reaching number seven on the UK singles chart after it was reissued in 1993. Radiohead embarked on an aggressive promotional tour in the US supporting
Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, ce ...
and
PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...
, followed by a European tour supporting
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
. In May 1995, a live video, ''
Live at the Astoria ''Live at the Astoria'' is a live concert video by the English rock group Radiohead, taken from their performance at the London Astoria on 27 May 1994. It features performances of songs from their first two albums, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993) and '' ...
'' (1995), was released on
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
. ''Pablo Honey'' reached number 22 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. It was
certified gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in the UK in 1994 and double platinum in 2013. In the US, it was certified platinum in 1995. ''Pablo Honey'' received generally favourable reviews, but some found it underdeveloped or derivative. Though it is less acclaimed than Radiohead's later work, some retrospective reviews have been positive and it has appeared in lists of the greatest albums. The members of Radiohead have criticised it, citing weaker songwriting and their studio inexperience. "Creep" remains Radiohead's most successful single.


Background

The members of
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
met while attending
Abingdon School Abingdon School is an independent day and boarding school in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is the List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, twentieth oldest Independent School (UK), independent British school. In May 202 ...
in
Abingdon, Oxfordshire Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish on the River Thames in the Vale of the White Horse district of Oxfordshire, England. The historic county town of Berkshire, the area was occupied f ...
. In 1985, they formed , the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room. They recorded demo tapes, including a cassette unofficially titled ''Manic Hedgehog'', which featured versions of the future ''Pablo Honey'' tracks "You", "I Can't" and "Thinking About You". One demo attracted the attention of a local producer, Chris Hufford. He and his business partner, Bryce Edge, became the band's managers after attending a concert at the
Jericho Tavern The Jericho Tavern is a music venue and pub in the Jericho, Oxford, Jericho area of Oxford, England, at 56 Walton Street, Oxford, Walton Street. In the late 1980s and early 1990s it was an important part of the music scene which produced Ride (b ...
, Oxford. In late 1991, On a Friday signed a six-album recording contract with
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
and changed their name at EMI's request. Their name was taken from the
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads
song "Radio Head" from the 1986 album '' True Stories''. Radiohead released their debut EP, ''
Drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
'', in 1992. It was produced by Hufford in his studio, Courtyard Studios, in Oxfordshire. It reached number 101 on the UK singles chart; the ''
Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...
'' later described it as an "inauspicious start" that drew little attention. Hufford said producing the EP himself was a mistake, as it created a conflict of interest and generated friction in the studio. Hufford and Edge resolved to find different producers for Radiohead's next recording. Independent labels dominated the
indie charts The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the re ...
in the UK, but EMI was a
major label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...
. Hufford and Edge therefore planned to have Radiohead use American producers and tour aggressively in America, then return to build a following in the UK. They considered hiring
Steve Albini Steven Frank Albini (; July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024) was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (band), ...
, but he had not yet worked with major acts and EMI felt it was too risky. Around this time, the American producers
Paul Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bossto ...
and
Sean Slade Sean Slade (born 14 November 1957) is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. On many of his productions he worked in partnership with Paul Q. Kolderie. Career Slade was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States. He graduated from Ya ...
, who had worked with bands including the
Pixies Pixies may refer to: * Plural of Pixie * Pixies (band) The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1986 by Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim ...
and
Dinosaur Jr Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur, the band was forced to change their name because of legal issues. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter) ...
, were in the UK looking for work. The EMI A&R director,
Nick Gatfield Nick Gatfield is a British music industry executive, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder of Twin Music Inc, providing angel investment for music and entrepreneurial talent and is co-founder and/or investor in a number of businesses inclu ...
, gave them a selection of acts to consider. They agreed to produce Radiohead after he played them "
Stop Whispering "Stop Whispering" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, included on their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It was released as a single in the US in October 1993. Radiohead rerecorded it for the single release, as they wer ...
". Kolderie was particularly impressed by
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. ''Rolling Stone'' desc ...
's vocals. Upon meeting the band, Kolderie was struck by their youth, but also their unity and closeness. He described "a seriousness of purpose and a seriousness of trying to create music that was a little different". He was initially more impressed by Hufford and Edge than by Radiohead, calling them "crafty mothers ... I don't think I've ever met two guys who had more of a plan."


Recording

Radiohead recorded ''Pablo Honey'' at
Chipping Norton Studios Chipping Norton Recording Studios was a residential recording studio in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, which operated from 1971 until October 1999. The studios were created by Mike Vernon and Richard Vernon as the in-house studio for ...
in
Chipping Norton Chipping Norton is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cotswolds in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about south-west of Banbury and north-west of Oxford. The United Kingdom Census 2011, 201 ...
, Oxfordshire. They first attempted to record two songs that EMI was considering for Radiohead's debut single, "Inside My Head" and "Lurgee". They made little progress; Kolderie described Radiohead as "desperately inexperienced", and neither they nor the producers liked the choice of songs. Kolderie said "Inside My Head" was "not very melodic" and lacked the power of Radiohead's other songs. Hufford described the results as "overblown bombastic rock". During rehearsals, Radiohead unexpectedly played another song, "
Creep The Committee for the Re-election of the President (or the Committee to Re-elect the President, CRP, but often mocked by the acronym CREEP) was, officially, a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election ...
". They considered it a "throwaway" track, but it impressed the producers. At Kolderie's suggestion, they recorded a take, after which everyone in the studio burst into applause. EMI were persuaded to make "Creep" Radiohead's debut single. According to Kolderie, "everyone
t EMI T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is de ...
who heard Creep just started going insane" and he and Slade were hired to produce the album. Radiohead took elements of "Creep" from the 1972 song "
The Air That I Breathe "The Air That I Breathe" is a ballad written by the British-Gibraltarian singer-songwriter Albert Hammond and the English songwriter Mike Hazlewood. It was initially recorded by Hammond on his debut album, '' It Never Rains in Southern Californi ...
". After
Rondor Music Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a global music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing has been ranked the #1 music publisher in market share by Billboard for multiple consecutive quart ...
took legal action, the songwriters,
Albert Hammond Albert Louis Hammond Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a Gibraltarians, Gibraltarian singer, songwriter and record producer. A prolific songwriter, he also collaborated with other songwriters such as Mike Hazlewood, John B ...
and Mike Hazelwood, were given shared royalties and songwriting credits. ''Pablo Honey'' was recorded in three weeks. Kolderie described it as a struggle, and said: "It was their first record and they wanted to be
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
, and the mix had to have no
reverb In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is a ...
, and they had all the ideas they'd ever come up with in 20 years of listening to records." Kolderie noted the band's studio inexperience and difficulty in finishing tracks, but said he enjoyed the work due to the small group and joking atmosphere. He said ''Pablo Honey'' was "not cheap", and estimated that it had cost more than £100,000 to record. Yorke,
Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numer ...
and
Ed O'Brien Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter, and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB. O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he formed Radiohead ...
overdubbed the same guitar parts multiple times to create a distorted "wall of sound". For the introduction to "Anyone Can Play Guitar", Kolderie had everyone in the studio, including the cook, create sounds on guitar. "The idea was to live up to the title: anyone can play guitar," he said. Greenwood used a paintbrush for his part. Radiohead did not like the version of "Lurgee" they recorded with Kolderie and Slade, and used an earlier version, recorded with Hufford at Courtyard, for the album. The album title comes from a
prank call A prank call (also known as a crank call, a hoax call, or a goof call) is a telephone call intended by the caller as a practical joke played on the person answering. It is often a type of nuisance call and can be illegal under certain circumsta ...
sketch by the American comedy act the Jerky Boys in which the caller poses as the victim's mother and says: "Pablo, honey? Please come to Florida." Yorke said it was appropriate as the band were "mothers' boys". A
sample Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...
of the sketch appears during the guitar solo on "How Do You?"


Music and lyrics

''Pablo Honey'' has been described as
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
, but also
stadium rock Arena rock (also known as stadium rock, pomp rock or corporate rock) is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences. As hard rock ...
,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
,
college rock College rock is rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s and 1990s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream rock p ...
,
post-grunge Post-grunge is an offshoot of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s alternative rock bands such as Bush (British band), Bush, Candlebox, Colle ...
, and
jangle pop Jangle pop is a Music subgenre, subgenre of pop rock and college rock that emphasizes jangle, jangly guitars and 1960s-style pop music, pop melodies. The "jangly" guitar sound is characterized by its clean, shimmering and Arpeggio, arpeggiated ...
. The album drew comparisons to
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Dinosaur Jr. Dinosaur Jr. is an American rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur, the band was forced to change their name because of legal issues. The band was founded by J Mascis (guitar, vocals, primary songwriter) ...
,
Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
, U2,
the Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
,
the Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
,
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
and
the Jam The Jam were an English rock band formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey, consisting of Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. They released 18 consecutive top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in ...
. O'Brien later described ''Pablo Honey'' as a "hedonistic" album that "you might put on in an open-top car on a Saturday night going to a party".
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described it as a blend of the anthemic rock of U2 with "atmospheric" instrumental passages. The ''
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
'' journalist
Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author and music historian. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio w ...
said it featured "distortion-blurred guitar lines that twisted like a kite in the wind". Gary Walker, writing for '' Guitar.com'', described it as "nakedly naive and unguarded" compared to Radiohead's more complex later work. He wrote that it captured the "embryonic dynamic" between the three guitarists and described Greenwood's guitar work as an "exhilarating melange of tremolo-picked soundscapes, chunky octaves, screaming high-register runs and killswitch antics". The opening track, "You", moves between major and minor chords and alternating
time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
s. "Blow Out" combines elements of bossa nova and
krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...
; it starts with "tense, jazzy" drumming and raked chords and concludes with a
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...
section. Zaleski said the ''Pablo Honey'' lyrics express anger at the status quo, the feeling of being an outsider, and worry for the future. "Creep" features a quiet verse and a loud chorus, with "blasts" of guitar noise from Greenwood. Yorke described it as a "self-destruct song". The lyrics were inspired by a woman that Yorke followed around who unexpectedly attended a Radiohead performance. The lyrics of "Stop Whispering" are about
oppression Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment of, or exercise of power over, a group of individuals, often in the form of governmental authority. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. No universally accepted model ...
, and the frustration from failing to explain it. Yorke wrote the line "Grow my hair, I wanna be
Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...
", from "Anyone Can Play Guitar", in response to people in the music business who "think they have to act like fucking prats in order to live up to the legend". According to Zaleski, "Ripcord" is about the "experience of hurtling into the unknown". "Lurgee" ends with a "meandering" solo.


Release

"
Creep The Committee for the Re-election of the President (or the Committee to Re-elect the President, CRP, but often mocked by the acronym CREEP) was, officially, a fundraising organization of United States President Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election ...
" was released as the lead ''Pablo Honey'' single on 21 September 1992. It initially received little airplay and sold around 6,000 copies, reaching number 78 on the UK singles chart. The 1993 singles "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "
Stop Whispering "Stop Whispering" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, included on their debut album, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993). It was released as a single in the US in October 1993. Radiohead rerecorded it for the single release, as they wer ...
", plus the non-album single "
Pop Is Dead "Pop Is Dead" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as a non-album single on 10 May 1993, several months after their debut album, ''Pablo Honey''. It features a chromatic guitar riff and lyrics criticising the music industry. ...
", were unsuccessful. While "Anyone Can Play Guitar" and "Pop Is Dead" charted in the UK, "Stop Whispering" gained no traction. Radiohead rerecorded "Stop Whispering" for the US single as they were not happy with the album version. O'Brien said the new version was "more atmospheric", likening it to
Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
. ''Pablo Honey'' was released in February 1993 and received little press. It reached number 25 in 1993's
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. However, "Creep" became a hit in Israel, where it was played frequently by the radio DJ
Yoav Kutner Yoav Kutner (; born 18 May 1954) is an Israeli music editing, editor, TV and radio presenter, who has significantly promoted performers ranging from Mashina to Radiohead. Life Yoav Kutner was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Kutner lives and works in ...
. In March, Radiohead were invited to Tel Aviv for their first overseas show. Around the same time, "Creep" rose to number two on the US
Modern Rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...
chart, and ''Pablo Honey'' was selling well on import. "Creep" reached number 34 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
chart, and reached number seven on the UK singles chart when EMI rereleased it in September 1993. In the UK, ''Pablo Honey'' was
certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
silver in February 1994, gold in April 1994, platinum in June 1997, and double platinum in July 2013. In the US, it was certified gold in September 1993 and platinum in September 1995.


Tour

In late 1992, Radiohead toured the UK with
Kingmaker A kingmaker is a person or group that has great influence on a monarchy or royal in their political succession, without themselves being a viable candidate. Kingmakers may use political, monetary, religious, and military means to influence the ...
and
the Frank and Walters The Frank and Walters are an alternative pop band from Cork city in Ireland. The band was founded in 1989 and named in honour of two eccentric Cork characters. Members The original band line-up included Paul Linehan (vocalist and bassist), his ...
. That September, they performed at the UK EMI conference. They impressed the EMI promoter Carol Baxter, who said: "This funny little band came on and they obviously had something. This was a hideous record company do but Thom gave it everything." That Christmas, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' published a review of a Radiohead performance that dismissed them as "a pitiful, lily-livered excuse for a rock 'n' roll group". In June 1993, Radiohead began their first North American tour. In July, they gave a performance of "Anyone Can Play Guitar" live on '' MTV Beach House'' in which Yorke screamed the improvised lyrics "fat, ugly, dead!", before breaking down on camera and jumping into a pool. Yorke was holding a live microphone and narrowly avoided electrocuting himself. Radiohead cancelled an appearance at the 1993
Reading Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
after Yorke became ill; he told ''NME'', "Physically I'm completely fucked and mentally I've had enough." According to some reports, EMI gave Radiohead six months to "get sorted" or be dropped. EMI's A&R head, Keith Wozencroft, denied this, saying: "
Experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...
music was getting played and had commercial potential. People voice different paranoias, but for the label adioheadwere developing brilliantly from ''Pablo Honey''." In September 1993, after "Creep" was reissued, Radiohead performed it on the British music programme ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'' and as the first musical guests on the American talk show ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...
''. EMI's American arm, Capitol, wanted to continue promoting ''Pablo Honey'' and build on the momentum. Radiohead declined an offer to tour the US in support of
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
, as their managers felt they could earn more credibility by supporting
Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, ce ...
. They also opened for
PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer-songwriter. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automat ...
in New York City and Los Angeles. On 13 May 1995, a live video, ''
Live at the Astoria ''Live at the Astoria'' is a live concert video by the English rock group Radiohead, taken from their performance at the London Astoria on 27 May 1994. It features performances of songs from their first two albums, '' Pablo Honey'' (1993) and '' ...
'' (1995), was released on
VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...
, with performances of ''Pablo Honey'' songs such as "Creep", "You" and "Anyone Can Play Guitar". Radiohead struggled with the tour. Yorke disliked dealing with American music journalists and tired of the songs. The band members appeared in promotional material they later regretted, such as fashion shoots for
Iceberg An iceberg is a piece of fresh water ice more than long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". Much of an i ...
jeans and the magazine ''
Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
''. According to Radiohead's agent, the promotional work triggered "a lot of soul-searching about why they were in a group at all". Jonny Greenwood said they "spent a year being jukeboxes ... We felt in a creative stasis because we couldn't release anything new." The American tour was followed by a European tour supporting
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
and
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the synth-pop bands o ...
. Kolderie credited the ''Pablo Honey'' tours for turning Radiohead "into a tight band".


Critical reception

''Pablo Honey'' failed to make a critical impact upon its initial release. ''NME''s John Harris referred to Radiohead as "one of rock's brightest hopes". Harris said the track "How Do You?" "breaks the lbum'smomentum... horribly", but described ''Pablo Honey'' as "satisfying" despite its flaws. ''NME'' later named it the 35th-best album of the year. '' Q'' wrote that "British teenagerhood has never been grumpier" and described ''Pablo Honey'' as a good album with moments that rivalled Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr. and Sugar. In the United States, "Creep" drew parallels with Nirvana, with some describing Radiohead as the "British Nirvana". ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' said the lyrics had "enough bite to make it on their own" despite the U2 comparisons. In a mixed review, Mario Mundoz of the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' wrote that it "doesn't really deliver anything you haven't heard before" but "does offer clever lyrics and good hooks".
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' did not recommend the album, but named "Creep" a "choice cut". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' wrote that the album's charm originates from its guitar work, song structures, melodies, and choruses that invoke a "pop appeal".


Legacy

Although ''Pablo Honey'' did not receive the acclaim of Radiohead's later albums, it received praise in retrospective coverage. In 2018, the musician and journalist Phil Witmer wrote that "''Pablo Honey'' is endearing because we now know the band that made it would become something extraordinary not even five years later". He chose "You" and "Blow Out" as the most sophisticated tracks, pointing towards Radiohead's later work. The ''
Premier Guitar ''Premier Guitar'' is a media company devoted to guitarists. It is based in Marion, Iowa. Interviews have included guitarists such as Pete Townshend of The Who, Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Guthrie Govan, Brent ...
'' writer Shawn Hammond also highlighted "Blow Out" as a "glimpse of future brilliance". According to
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, the songwriting does not always match Radiohead's sound, but when it does, it achieves "a rare power that is both visceral and intelligent". Kenny EG Perry of ''NME'' described the album as "the sound of one of the best bands of this or any other generation playing the music that taught them all their good early lessons". '' Clash'' said that it "points towards everything that adioheadwould go on to be". In a 2008 review, Al Spicer of
BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...
described ''Pablo Honey'' as Radiohead's "exploration of suburban, adolescent self-awareness" and "one of rock's most impressive debuts". In 2009, ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' Mehan Jahasuriya criticised ''Pablo Honey'' as "a hodgepodge of half-baked grunge, jangle-pop and stadium-ready alternative rock ... nearly indistinguishable from other early '90s college rock throwaways, save for a few hints of greatness". Reviewing the 2009 reissue for ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'', Scott Plagenhoef praised "Creep", "You", "Stop Whispering" and "Prove Yourself", but described "How Do You?", "I Can't", "Ripcord" and "Vegetable" as "run of the mill at best". In 2025, '' GQ'' named ''Pablo Honey'' the worst Radiohead album, calling it "an uneven, unsteady beast" that might have been forgotten but for the inclusion of "Creep". After the success of "Creep", Radiohead grew to resent it. In 1993, Yorke said: "It's like it's not our song any more ... It feels like we're doing a cover." The success almost led to Radiohead's breakup. Their frustration influenced their second album, '' The Bends'' (1995). The album title, a term for
decompression sickness Decompression sickness (DCS; also called divers' disease, the bends, aerobullosis, and caisson disease) is a medical condition caused by dissolved gases emerging from Solution (chemistry), solution as bubbles inside the body tissues during D ...
, references Radiohead's rapid rise to fame; Yorke said "we just came up too fast". Radiohead stopped performing "Creep" for several years. Though Radiohead achieved greater commercial and critical success with later albums, "Creep" remains their most successful single. Based on their work on ''Pablo Honey'', the American band
Hole A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid Body (physics), body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in m ...
hired Slade and Kolderie to produce their 1994 album ''
Live Through This ''Live Through This'' is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on April 12, 1994, by DGC Records. Recorded in late 1993, it departed from the band's unpolished hardcore aesthetics to more refined melodies ...
''. In 2007, ''Pitchfork'' wrote that, with ''Pablo Honey'', "Radiohead didn't so much ride the coattails of grunge to mass success as stumble over them, and they've been apologising for it ever since." In 1996, the bassist,
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With his y ...
, said, "I'd give 'Pablo Honey''a seven out of 10 – not bad for an album recorded in just two and a half weeks." In 1997, O'Brien said the guitar arrangements were "boring", with all three guitarists playing similar parts. He said ''Pablo Honey'' was derivative of Dinosaur Jr. and the Pixies, and described it as "a collection of our greatest hits as an unsigned band". Jonny Greenwood said in 1998 that it "lacked freedom", and was hindered by Radiohead's fear and inexperience. O'Brien said in 2020 that ''Pablo Honey'' was "pretty shit ..but we worked hard and became good. That's one of the things I've held onto: you don't have to have all the answers straight away."


Accolades

In 1998, ''Pablo Honey'' was voted the 100th-best album of all time in a poll held by
Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...
and 61st in a poll by ''Q''. The journalist
Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British music writer. He founded and was the editor-in-chief of ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. Along with the ten-volume encyclopedia, Larkin also wrote the book ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'', and edited th ...
placed it 301st in the third edition of ''
All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...
'' (2000). As part of its 2007 list of the "500 Greatest Lost Tracks", ''Q'' included "Lurgee" and "Blow Out" in a list of 20 essential lesser-known Radiohead songs. In 2006, ''
Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
'' and ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' named ''Pablo Honey'' one of the 20 greatest albums of 1993. In 2008, ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer (from Latin ''mixus, the PPP of miscere eng. to Mix)'' or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary ...
'' ranked it 82nd in its list of "100 Albums You Must Own".


Reissues

Radiohead left EMI after their contract ended in 2003. In 2007, EMI released '' Radiohead Box Set'', a compilation of albums recorded while Radiohead were signed to EMI, including ''Pablo Honey''. In 2009, EMI reissued ''Pablo Honey'' in a "Collector's Edition" with the ''Drill'' EP tracks, B-sides and alternative takes. Radiohead had no input into the reissues and the music was not remastered. In February 2013, Parlophone was bought by
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
(WMG). In April 2016, as a result of an agreement with the trade group
Impala The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'', lit. 'black-footed high-horn' in Ancient Greek) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus '' Aepyceros'', and tribe Aepycerotini, it ...
, WMG transferred Radiohead's back catalogue to
XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been run and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. It releases an average of six albums a year. T ...
. The EMI reissues, released without Radiohead's consent, were removed from streaming services. In May 2016, XL reissued Radiohead's back catalogue on vinyl, including ''Pablo Honey''.


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
.


Radiohead

*
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician who is the vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. ''Rolling Stone'' desc ...
– vocals, guitar *
Jonny Greenwood Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood (born 5 November 1971) is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numer ...
– lead guitar, piano, organ *
Ed O'Brien Edward John O'Brien (born 15 April 1968) is an English guitarist, songwriter, and member of the rock band Radiohead. He releases solo music under the name EOB. O'Brien attended Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, England, where he formed Radiohead ...
– guitar, backing vocals *
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays Double bass, upright bass and Electronic musical instrument, electronic instruments. With his y ...
– bass guitar, guitar on "Anyone Can Play Guitar" *
Philip Selway Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the rock band Radiohead. He combines rock drumming with electronic percussion. Selway was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in ...
– drums, guitar on "Anyone Can Play Guitar"


Production

* Chris Blair – mastering * Chris Hufford – production, engineering *
Paul Q. Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bossto ...
– production, engineering , mixing, guitar on "Anyone Can Play Guitar" *
Sean Slade Sean Slade (born 14 November 1957) is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. On many of his productions he worked in partnership with Paul Q. Kolderie. Career Slade was born in Lansing, Michigan, United States. He graduated from Ya ...
– production, engineering , mixing, guitar on "Anyone Can Play Guitar"


Design

* Icon – design * Lisa Bunny Jones – paintings * Tom Sheehan – photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


References


Bibliography

* * * *


External links

* {{Authority control 1993 debut albums Radiohead albums Parlophone albums Capitol Records albums Albums produced by Paul Q. Kolderie Albums produced by Sean Slade