Album: The Eraser by Thom Yorke (2006)
Genre: Alternative Rock | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Moody
Record Label: XL Recordings
Format: Album

Description: The Eraser is the debut solo album by Thom Yorke of the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 10 July 2006 on the independent label XL Recordings. It was produced by longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The album comprises electronic music Yorke recorded during Radiohead's 2004 hiatus and between their 2005 rehearsals, and makes heavy use of original samples.

The lyrics express Yorke's political concerns. Lead single "Harrowdown Hill" was written about the death of David Kelly, a whistleblower who allegedly committed suicide after telling a reporter that the British government had falsely identified weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The album artwork, by longtime Radiohead cover artist Stanley Donwood, was inspired by the legend of King Canute failing to command the ocean, which Yorke likened to government attitudes towards climate change.

The Eraser debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the American Billboard 200. It was named one of the best albums of 2006 by the NME, Rolling Stone and the Observer, and was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Two singles were released from the album: "Analyse" and "Harrowdown Hill". It was followed in the same year by a B-sides EP, Spitting Feathers, and in 2009 a remix album, The Eraser Rmxs. In 2010, to perform the album live, Yorke formed Atoms for Peace with musicians including Godrich and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

In 2004, after finishing the tour for their sixth album Hail to the Thief (2003), Radiohead went on hiatus. Songwriter Thom Yorke began recording The Eraser, his first solo release, with longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich in late 2004, and continued work throughout 2005 between Radiohead sessions. He told Pitchfork: "I've been in the band since we left school and never dared do anything on my own ... It was like, 'Man, I've got to find out what it feels like,' you know?"

The album was recorded in Radiohead's Oxford studio, Godrich's studio in Covent Garden, and Yorke's home. Yorke wanted to "approach and engage with computers and not a lot else, and yet still have lots of life and energy in the music." To generate ideas, he cut and pasted clips at random from Radiohead's library of original samples, many of which were created on laptops in hotel rooms as the band toured. He would send sound fragments to Godrich, who identified passages that could become songs, edited them, and returned them to Yorke. Describing the collaborative process, Yorke said: "'Black Swan', back in the day, was a ... nine-minute load of bollocks. Except for this one juicy bit, and  goes past and goes, 'That bit. Fuck the rest.' Usually it's something like that."

To create the title track, Yorke sampled piano chords played by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and cut them into a new order. "And it Rained All Night" contains an "enormously shredded-up" sample from "The Gloaming" (from Hail to the Thief), and "Black Swan" samples a rhythm recorded by Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Philip Selway in 2000. Yorke said "Harrowdown Hill" had been "kicking around" during the 2002 Hail to the Thief sessions, but felt it could not have worked as a Radiohead song.

Yorke initially intended to create instrumental tracks, but added vocals at the encouragement of Godrich. On Radiohead albums, Yorke had altered his voice with layers of reverb and digital effects; however, for The Eraser, Godrich wanted Yorke's voice to be "dry and loud." As Yorke found it difficult to write lyrics to loops of music, saying he could not "react spontaneously and differently every time", he translated the music to guitar and piano and generated new musical components in the process.

Yorke saved one song recorded in the Eraser sessions, "Last Flowers", for the bonus disc of Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows (2007). Another song, "The Hollow Earth", was finished later and released as a single in 2009.

Artist Background: Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October, 1968 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England) is best known as the lead singer of the English alternative rock band Radiohead. He has also recorded as a solo musician. His debut album, The Eraser, debuted July 10th 2006 in the UK and July 11th in the US. Two singles were released from the album, "Harrowdown Hill" and "Analyse". Yorke formed Atoms for Peace, who toured in 2010 performing the entirety of The Eraser. The rock ‘supergroup' features Red ... Part of the Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England music scene. Emerged in the 1960s era. Associated with Electronic movement.

Related Artists: Atoms for Peace, Radiohead, Jonny Greenwood

Music Scene: Part of the Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England music scene. Emerged in the 1960s era. Associated with Electronic movement.

Tags: Alternative Rock, Rock/Pop, Moody, 2000s, Album, XL Recordings

Additional Context: Based on 3 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


The Eraser is the debut solo album by Thom Yorke of the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 10 July 2006 on the independent label XL Recordings. It was produced by longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. The album comprises electronic music Yorke recorded during Radiohead's 2004 hiatus and between their 2005 rehearsals, and makes heavy use of original samples.

The lyrics express Yorke's political concerns. Lead single "Harrowdown Hill" was written about the death of David Kelly, a whistleblower who allegedly committed suicide after telling a reporter that the British government had falsely identified weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The album artwork, by longtime Radiohead cover artist Stanley Donwood, was inspired by the legend of King Canute failing to command the ocean, which Yorke likened to government attitudes towards climate change.

The Eraser debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the American Billboard 200. It was named one of the best albums of 2006 by the NME, Rolling Stone and the Observer, and was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

Two singles were released from the album: "Analyse" and "Harrowdown Hill". It was followed in the same year by a B-sides EP, Spitting Feathers, and in 2009 a remix album, The Eraser Rmxs. In 2010, to perform the album live, Yorke formed Atoms for Peace with musicians including Godrich and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

In 2004, after finishing the tour for their sixth album Hail to the Thief (2003), Radiohead went on hiatus. Songwriter Thom Yorke began recording The Eraser, his first solo release, with longtime Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich in late 2004, and continued work throughout 2005 between Radiohead sessions. He told Pitchfork: "I've been in the band since we left school and never dared do anything on my own ... It was like, 'Man, I've got to find out what it feels like,' you know?"

The album was recorded in Radiohead's Oxford studio, Godrich's studio in Covent Garden, and Yorke's home. Yorke wanted to "approach and engage with computers and not a lot else, and yet still have lots of life and energy in the music." To generate ideas, he cut and pasted clips at random from Radiohead's library of original samples, many of which were created on laptops in hotel rooms as the band toured. He would send sound fragments to Godrich, who identified passages that could become songs, edited them, and returned them to Yorke. Describing the collaborative process, Yorke said: "'Black Swan', back in the day, was a ... nine-minute load of bollocks. Except for this one juicy bit, and  goes past and goes, 'That bit. Fuck the rest.' Usually it's something like that."

To create the title track, Yorke sampled piano chords played by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and cut them into a new order. "And it Rained All Night" contains an "enormously shredded-up" sample from "The Gloaming" (from Hail to the Thief), and "Black Swan" samples a rhythm recorded by Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Philip Selway in 2000. Yorke said "Harrowdown Hill" had been "kicking around" during the 2002 Hail to the Thief sessions, but felt it could not have worked as a Radiohead song.

Yorke initially intended to create instrumental tracks, but added vocals at the encouragement of Godrich. On Radiohead albums, Yorke had altered his voice with layers of reverb and digital effects; however, for The Eraser, Godrich wanted Yorke's voice to be "dry and loud." As Yorke found it difficult to write lyrics to loops of music, saying he could not "react spontaneously and differently every time", he translated the music to guitar and piano and generated new musical components in the process.

Yorke saved one song recorded in the Eraser sessions, "Last Flowers", for the bonus disc of Radiohead's seventh album, In Rainbows (2007). Another song, "The Hollow Earth", was finished later and released as a single in 2009.

The Eraser

Thom Yorke

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