Hold Me to This: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tribute albums are always suspect; classical interpretations of rock even more so--and follow-ups to the same are fraught with mediocrity. Just witness the inexplicable glut of String Quartet Tribute discs to Tool, Bruce Springsteen, and many other top-selling and cult artists. On Hold Me to This, his second run at the music of art-rock group Radiohead, classical pianist Christopher O'Riley avoids all these pitfalls. These aren't easy-listening piano renditions of Radiohead tunes, but deeply inspired, often challenging and dissonant re-imaginings. O'Riley succeeds by taking the music on its own terms. He doesn't try to make it "classical" but lets the classical nature of the music ring out. From the storming chordal overtone clusters of "There There" to the Chopinesque refrain of "The Spinning Plates," O'Riley makes you forget these songs were originally played by a raging rock band. Instead, they seem born on the keys of his piano. His "Paranoid Android" is like Conlon Nancarrow going boogie-woogie one moment and painfully, sweetly rhapsodic the next. I'm not sure how Radiohead fans will respond to this, but piano and classical listeners should rejoice. --John Diliberto

Tracks:

There There
(Nice Dream)
No Surprises
Polyethylene Part II
How I Made My Millions
Like Spinning Plates
Sail To The Moon
The Tourist
Cuttooth
2+2=5
Talk Show Host
Gagging Order
Paranoid Android
Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Amazon.com

Tribute albums are always suspect; classical interpretations of rock even more so--and follow-ups to the same are fraught with mediocrity. Just witness the inexplicable glut of String Quartet Tribute discs to Tool, Bruce Springsteen, and many other top-selling and cult artists. On Hold Me to This, his second run at the music of art-rock group Radiohead, classical pianist Christopher O'Riley avoids all these pitfalls. These aren't easy-listening piano renditions of Radiohead tunes, but deeply inspired, often challenging and dissonant re-imaginings. O'Riley succeeds by taking the music on its own terms. He doesn't try to make it "classical" but lets the classical nature of the music ring out. From the storming chordal overtone clusters of "There There" to the Chopinesque refrain of "The Spinning Plates," O'Riley makes you forget these songs were originally played by a raging rock band. Instead, they seem born on the keys of his piano. His "Paranoid Android" is like Conlon Nancarrow going boogie-woogie one moment and painfully, sweetly rhapsodic the next. I'm not sure how Radiohead fans will respond to this, but piano and classical listeners should rejoice. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

this has the depth you need..........2007-02-17

I don't believe you need to be ga-ga over Radiohead to enjoy this CD. This CD, it's all piano (w/o vocals) if you didn't already know that going in, will provide an even deeper appreciation of the textures & depth of the Radiohead catalog. Mr. O'Riley does takes some artistic liberties with the songs, albeit minor, but in so doing he unleashes the potential they all have. And this potential is truly staggering---some selections are nothing short of gorgeous.
Hold me to this: you WILL be floored by this CD. it's well worth the purchase.

Oddly Boring.......2006-07-16

I adore Radiohead, and really enjoy solo piano. I should love this disc, but I don't. Even though the wonderful creepiness of Radiohead is completely absent, I would be willing to chalk that up to artistic interpretation. But that's not what bugs me about this disc. What really bugs me is his style of playing. He relies on resonance and the transcript is completely devoid of silence. The result is a droning wall of notes, and all the pieces sound the same. It reminds me of Windham Hill recordings, but without the expression. Get Yorke's new album, Eraser, if you need a Radiohead fix, or get George Winston if you want solo Piano. I really wish I could recommend this, but I just can't.

a bit disappointing.......2006-07-11

O'Riley takes some liberties here, and that's fine. I'm a bit disappointed by his dynamic range, which is a bit predictable from song to song, and also with his tendency to overload the songs with schizophrenic ramblings. The craziness works well at times -- see "There There" for a time when it works well -- and other times it is overwhelming (see: "Nice Dream").

Despite a sometimes overloaded sound, the song list is so attractive and O'riley hits so many high notes (if you will..) that the CD is well worth owning. I prefer the "True Love Waits" album.

Cocktail Party Radiohead.......2006-03-21

I own the first Christopher O'Reily Radiohead Tribute - True Love Waits. If you love his stunning piano in that, or if you love stunning piano altogether, you will love Hold Me To This. I am an avid lover of all things Radiohead turned into wordless music lullabyes and this one does not dissapoint.

Good effort.......2006-03-02

Sound all the same...listen to the samples before you buy it. If your a fan of radiohead you wont like it...if your a fan of the piano you wont like it. But I give my respect to the musician for making the effort to replicate already beutiful music.

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