Ed O'Brien
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ed O'Brien | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Edward John O'Brien | |
| Born | April 15, 1968 | |
| Origin |  Oxford, England |
|
| Genre(s) | Experimental rock, Indie electronic, Alternative rock | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician | |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Misc. Effects manipulation, Harmony/Backing vocals | |
| Years active | 1987-Present | |
| Associated acts |
Radiohead | |
Edward "Ed" John O'Brien (born April 15, 1968, in Oxford, England) is a member of Radiohead. He plays guitar and sings harmony vocals live and on some tracks from the band's first three albums. All vocal parts on their subsequent albums were done by Thom Yorke, although Ed still handles the harmony parts from those songs in concert.
O'Brien's vocals have a unique siren-like quality to them, sometimes (but not always) functioning as an individual "instrument", rather than complementing the lead parts. One example of this is on the OK Computer track, Airbag, where his short backing vocal part near the beginning (to be precise, from 0:44 to 0:57) helps set the song's energetic and euphoric tone. This effect is generally used sparingly by the band, as evidenced by the absence of O'Brien vocals on their recent albums. However, the track "Arpeggi", expected to be on the band's next album, features significant vocal parts by Ed in the aforementioned style.
Ed is known for his large collection of effects pedals, which are important in creating Radiohead's distinct sound. Even on tracks that do not feature any guitar work, his pedals are put to use for other purposes, such as altering Thom Yorke's vocals (Along with Greenwood on the Korg Kaoss Pad). Though he served primarily as a rhythm guitarist on the earlier albums, Radiohead's migration beyond alternative rock instrumentation often saw fellow guitarist Jonny Greenwood called on to play keyboards, the modular synthesizer, or the Ondes Martenot, moving Ed to the forefront as Radiohead's chief guitarist. He is a self-taught guitarist, but took drum lessons and is an accomplished drummer, though his only drum works for Radiohead to date have been the auxiliary drums on Hail to the Thief track There There, a task he shared with Jonny Greenwood, and an additional drum piece on the b-side "Pearly*".
Although all members of the band are credited equally for all songs, Ed is not usually involved in songwriting, apart from few notable exceptions, such as the opening riff on Go To Sleep, which he wrote. He mainly helps to expand on the musical framework created by Thom Yorke, and is known for his contributions to "Karma Police" (he created the effect that closes the song), "Lucky" (he created the effect that opens the song, and his backing vocals during the chorus are an integral part of the track) and "Treefingers" (his guitar chords were processed electronically to sound like ambient music). He also played the guitar solo on Climbing Up The Walls, and plays lead guitar on the fan favorite B-Side and live staple, Talk Show Host.
Ed was originally invited into the band by Thom Yorke because of his resemblance to Morrissey. He is often considered the most photogenic rock star of the band, and the most gregarious with the public. However, promotional material has never shifted the emphasis on Yorke and Greenwood to him, and neither the band nor their labels have attempted to use Ed as a selling point. He is easily the tallest member of the band, at 6' 5" (no other band members exceed 6 feet tall). Ed has a wife named Susan and a son, Salvador, who was born in January 2004 and daughter, who was born earlier this year, 2006.
Ed is known to smoke marijuana recreationally, and is a supporter of the campaign for cannabis reclassification. Despite the "no-drugs-during-sessions"-policy of the band, Ed has said that he recorded songs during Pablo Honey and The Bends while stoned. In Meeting People Is Easy documentary, Ed was seen rolling a spliff. At the Brit awards in 2001, Ed talked openly about how he had used hallucinogenic mushrooms. Ed and Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood claimed they had been under the influence of mushrooms while attending the 2001 Grammy awards.
[edit] Work outside of Radiohead
Ed made contributions to a soundtrack project for the BBC drama series Eureka Street before recording Kid A. During sessions of Kid A and Amnesiac, Ed kept his fans up to date with an open diary posted on the band's website, providing the most in depth look at how those experimental albums were recorded. His most recent collaboration outside of Radiohead involved some guitar work on album of Asian Dub Foundation. He played on "1000 Mirrors" (with Sinéad O'Connor), "Blowback" and "Enemy of the enemy". He also played live with Neil Finn and various others in Seven Worlds Collide.
[edit] External links
- StringsReunited.com : Includes a regular blog by Plank, Radiohead technician, giving technical information.
Ed's unofficial fansite is Edquarters.
