The Myth Of The Tragic Troubadour

The great unsung “sliding doors” moment in the history of ’90s rock begins in the summer of 1993. Radiohead (of all bands) is at the original MTV Beach House in the Hamptons (of all locations). They look out of place, but not as out of place as you might expect. This is Radiohead 1.0, the band known only for “Creep.” At this juncture, nobody is betting on them one day becoming the decade’s defining English art-rock group. The band members look gawky and goofy, especially Thom Yorke. A bleach-blonde with a bad attitude, he sneers at the camera while singing “Anyone Can Play Guitar,” a deep cut from Radiohead’s debut Pablo Honey that only hardcore fans remember now.