Music Editor Alfie Warner reviews Colin Greenwood’s How To Disappear: A Portrait of Radiohead, a two decade-long collection of photographs with Radiohead and the memories that are attached to each one
Colin Greenwood is the bassist for one of the most notorious bands of the 21st century, Radiohead. He has performed primarily with Radiohead, but has also recorded and performed for other bands such as Gaz Coombes and most recently with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the Wild God tour.
How To Disappear: A Portrait of Radiohead is Greenwood’s two-decade amalgamation of photographs of Radiohead from 2003 to 2023. It charts intimate moments in recording studios and run-down countryside homes, to on-stage during their performances. Interspersed throughout are micro-essays written by Greenwood, discussing everything from Radiohead’s pre-fame days to the recording processes and tour stories.
Greenwood’s essays are meticulously written; every sentence seemed well-placed and intentioned. A particularly pertinent passage to me was ‘Our Own Studio’, which discusses Radiohead purchasing their studio by the Thames in Oxfordshire. He describes the band’s musical inspirations as ‘catholic and disparate’ and it was fascinating to hear such a breadth of inspirations being named to different Radiohead tracks: The Beatles ‘I Am The Walrus’ (a great song but a harrowing album cover) for OK Computer, or Isaac Hayes in ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’.
Greenwood’s essays are meticulously written; every sentence seemed well-placed and intentioned
What he wrote after this resonated with me: ‘These responses are personal, and surely make no sense to anyone else. They are emotional accords between what we are performing and working on, and the musical journey I’ve taken to bring me into that moment.’ It struck a chord with me, and I thought about my own musical taste and how that had influenced the music I performed. It is so easy to get caught up in the genre of music you are performing, and it becomes very easy to get stuck in one big repetitive loop. Keeping that breadth of musical taste and interest is so important not only for performing but also for expanding and refining your musical identity.
Throughout the essays, Greenwood lists many places where Radiohead have recorded: some more ‘standard’ picks such as the former Victorian Schoolhouse that is Chipping Norton Recording Studios or Drew Barrymore’s LA home over Sunset Boulevard, some more unconventional locations such as Jane Seymour’s home (whether this is the medieval Queen of England or the actress is unclear).
The photography is the main draw of the book, with the essays very neatly rounding off different sections covering different material. Sections included backstage and travel photos – the ‘liminal spaces’ of touring in Greenwood’s words – alongside photos of Radiohead’s many moments in increasingly eclectic recording spaces that ventured further and further away from the traditional recording studio.
The photography is the main draw of the book, with the essays very neatly rounding off different sections covering different material
I received the ‘Special Edition’ of the book, which included Greenwood’s signature and also a small booklet titled ‘Lights’, which was a montage of Greenwood’s photography to do with light patterns, refractions, and other strange photos. Personally, this was a bit of a lacklustre addition for a ‘Special Edition’ especially considering just how much more it costs than the standard edition, as the photos aren’t really that interesting and there is no extra commentary.
By far my favourite collection was at the end, which contained a plethora of shots of Radiohead during their performances. Seeing such intimate shots of Radiohead during such large, live performances is a treat to take in. The final image is of Thom Yorke with his hands together in front of 20,000 people in New Orleans and is an absolutely breathtaking photo. The magnitude of so many people gathered in one space coupled with the quietness of Yorke in the foreground is just a beautiful shot, though it does make me wonder how Greenwood was taking these pictures in the middle of performances whilst also playing bass.
The book is a nice gift for a Radiohead fan; the essays are the core of what makes this book enjoyable. Though there are far fewer essays than photos, the photos compliment the essays very well. Unless you desperately want Greenwood’s signature, I would strongly advise getting the standard edition, and it’ll be far easier to get your hands on.
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