Search - :: No Surprises

Oh Come On, People; DON'T Buy This For "Bishop's Robes!"

Jeffrey Blehar | Potomac, MD | 03/29/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"That one star might seem harsh, but I promise it's not reflective of the quality on music contained on the No Surprises/Running From Demons EP; rather, it's indicative of the price-to-value ratio, something which all of us without endless dollars to throw away need to consider.



"No Surprises" is a fantastic song, one of the best from an album (OK Computer) filled with nothing BUT masterpieces. But hey, I have it on that album already. Similarly, "Melatonin," "A Reminder," and "Meeting In The Aisle" - all of them interesting B-sides - can be found on the much cheaper (and more common) American Airbag/How Am I Driving? EP. What you're paying for here is a remix of "Pearly*" (the only noticeable difference is that it has a "hard" ending instead of a fadeout) and a B-side from The Bends era, "Bishops Robes." (To be precise, the song was more of an interim recording; it was put to tape on the same day as "Lucky.") Both songs are wonderful, but again, you can get a not-too-different version of "Pearly*" on the Airbag EP, and "Bishops Robes," while a very high quality B-side, can't really justify dropping that much cash for a Japanese import.



That being said, if you DO decide to spring for it, you should know that the layout and art presentation of the EP is wonderful, as always. Better than the Airbag EP, actually - that black cover implies an infinite amount of existential dread in its details. Still, this has got to get one star purely on a scale of utility. If you're living in the Japanese market this is a three or four star purchase, as these tracks are otherwise unavailable over there; however, this is the American market, and most of these songs are redundant."

Completely different

Adam | Berkeley, CA | 08/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is true that most of the tracks on this EP are available on the airbag EP. Even so, the *feel* of this EP differs completely from that of airbag. While the airbag EP is full of loud, upbeat, percussion-centric rock (e.g., polyethylene, pearly*, meeting in the aisle, palo alto), the no surprises EP consists almost entirely of softer, slower tracks (melatonin, bishop's robes, a reminder). While the airbag EP opens with the killer riff of 'airbag' and closes with the loud playful electronic noises of 'palo alto,' the no surprises EP opens with the soft chimes of 'no surprises' and closes with the solemn 'a reminder.' As a result, the two discs create completely different listening experiences.This difference, combined with the superior art and 'bishop's robes' (which is difficult to find elsewhere), make the no surprises EP an excellent purchase for any serious radiohead fan. Sure, I'd point a newcomer to airbag first, but no surprises is still an important part of radiohead's catalog."

Buy it for "Bishop's Robes"

Jeffrey Blehar | 07/27/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This EP is almost identical to those sold in other countries, however it is also the only place you can get the alternate ending to Pearly* and the song "Bishop's Robes". The song itself is, for a real Radiohead fan, completely hypnotic. The haunting, slow burn of the guitar paired with the beautiful anger of the lyrics make it, in my opinion, one of the best B-sides they've ever produced and makes me look forward to the next release even more. Word."