Radiohead

[Ender Durden]

Kid A is easily my favorite album of all time, from anyone, of any genre.

everyone should own it and if you havent at least heard it, u are so very deprived.

 

[PLAS]

don't forget Amnesiac

 

[jaguarr]

Their music isn't really my cup of tea, but I respect the hell out of what they're doing with this album release, challenging the current music business model and trying to change the game to the advantage of the artist for once.

jag

 

[PLAS]

more mainstream artists need to do this

 

[AhabTheArab]

they are mainstream because they bow to the record companies....

 

[sinewave]

lol, nowhere near as predictable as the fact that all the hipsters love Radiohead, lol.
It's the law.
I, I dare to admit that I can't make it all the way through most of their songs. Their songs should be an installation in a gallery, but I don't actually want to have to listen to them.

My suspicion is that it's because you have to be stoned to enjoy their post-Creep music...because once I did really enjoy their 20 minute long computer-talking dynamic-olympics and suicidal crybaby caterwhaulyrics, and it was when my roommate got me stoned and I was drunk enough to overpower the usual terror/paranoia-inducing effects of the marijuana.

I'm just from the "Rock Songs Should Be 3 Minutes Long And Have A Chorus, Verses, A Bridge, A Solo, And Then Fade Away" Camp. Sorry.

i agree with most of this. pablo honey and the bends are by far my favorite radiohead albums. i like some of their newer songs, and i can appreciate what they're trying to do, but i think most of it just boils down to self-indulgent, over-processed crap that's trying too damn hard to be bizarre. they're great composers and performers (i caught a live concert on mtv europe that had the most goosebump-inducing version of "stop whispering" i've ever heard), but they're waaaayyyyy too over-hyped. i love a good 3-minute pop song, but also dig the occasional long, spaced-out jam ala mogwai or yo la tengo.

 

[PLAS]

they are mainstream because they bow to the record companies....

if by "bow to the record companies" you mean the following:

-after hitting big with "Creep", decided not to repeat the same hit again and actually stopped playing it live for several years, playing it just every now and then
-after making a superb second album (the bends), they went somewhere else and did OK Computer, and just to "bow to the record companies", they released as their first single a song more than seven minutes in length with a very disorienting song structure
-released a couple of anti-comercial albums (kid a and amnesiac), with no actual singles released, but videos made by fans released on video outlets
-scrapped sessions for their sixth album several times, until they got the vision they wanted and not what the company wanted them to do
-when their contract with those record companies you claim they bow to expired, instead of opting for a renewal, they said "**** off" and went to write, arrange, record and produce their new album on their own

but yes, you sure know a lot about them

 

[sinewave]

if by "bow to the record companies" you mean the following:

-after hitting big with "Creep", decided not to repeat the same hit again and actually stopped playing it live for several years, playing it just every now and then
-after making a superb second album (the bends), they went somewhere else and did OK Computer, and just to "bow to the record companies", they released as their first single a song more than seven minutes in length with a very disorienting song structure
-released a couple of anti-comercial albums (kid a and amnesiac), with no actual singles released, but videos made by fans released on video outlets
-scrapped sessions for their sixth album several times, until they got the vision they wanted and not what the company wanted them to do
-when their contract with those record companies you claim they bow to expired, instead of opting for a renewal, they said "**** off" and went to write, arrange, record and produce their new album on their own

but yes, you sure know a lot about them

very true. if anything, they've got the record company uniquely wrapped around their fingers. it's pretty impressive. i can't think of another band on a major label that's been afforded the same level of artistic freedom as these guys for as long as they have.

 

[scoobydude]

i love how they allow you to choose how much you can pay. every band should do this.

 

[PLAS]

very true. if anything, they've got the record company uniquely wrapped around their fingers. it's pretty impressive. i can't think of another band on a major label that's been afforded the same level of artistic freedom as these guys for as long as they have.

Prince and Tori Amos come to mind

 

[sinewave]

Prince and Tori Amos come to mind

true, but their music isn't as far out there as radiohead's is. plus, those artists haven't been relevant for years.

 

[Ender Durden]

don't forget Amnesiac

amnesiac is certainly a beautiful album, but compared to Kid A i think its a step backward. Like Kid A was the climax and Amnesiac was the slow outro. it does have beautifully amazing songs though. like pyramid song is one of radiohead's most beautiful. i love the jazziness of Knives out and how it continues on the guitar riff started by paranoid android, and later on scatterbrain on Hail to the Thief. Like Spinning plates is unlike any song ive heard.


the thing is people go off on how weird some of Radiohead's songs are, but really there quite accessible and straight foward. its just they were one of the first mainstream bands to REALLY jump headfirst into the electronic area, which weirded people out. also theyre not afraid to really go balls out crazy and experimental with their instruments while still sticking to a familiar song structure.

 

[PLAS]

if they are still releasing albums and drawing crowds, I'd say they're relevant, maybe not as much as they were 15-20 years ago, but the material is still being released and there's no decrease in the output's quality

so, I'd say is still relevant

 

[jaguarr]

if they are still releasing albums and drawing crowds, I'd say they're relevant, maybe not as much as they were 15-20 years ago, but the material is still being released and there's no decrease in the output's quality

so, I'd say is still relevant

By irrelevant, sinewave means that he doesn't listen to them.

jag

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

the thing is people go off on how weird some of Radiohead's songs are, but really there quite accessible and straight foward.

In a world of AC/DC's and the Go-Go's, no, they are not "quite accessible and straightforward."

You would not hear their meandering, innovative-for-innovation's-sake albums post-Pablo Honey and say, "I'd describe that as quite accessible and straightforward."

no.

 

[PLAS]

amnesiac is certainly a beautiful album, but compared to Kid A i think its a step backward. Like Kid A was the climax and Amnesiac was the slow outro. it does have beautifully amazing songs though. like pyramid song is one of radiohead's most beautiful. i love the jazziness of Knives out and how it continues on the guitar riff started by paranoid android, and later on scatterbrain on Hail to the Thief. Like Spinning plates is unlike any song ive heard.


the thing is people go off on how weird some of Radiohead's songs are, but really there quite accessible and straight foward. its just they were one of the first mainstream bands to REALLY jump headfirst into the electronic area, which weirded people out. also theyre not afraid to really go balls out crazy and experimental with their instruments while still sticking to a familiar song structure.

exactly

 

[jaguarr]

In a world of AC/DC's and the Go-Go's, no, they are not "quite accessible and straightforward."

You would not hear their meandering, innovative-for-innovation's-sake albums post-Pablo Honey and say, "I'd describe that as quite accessible and straightforward."

no.

The ghost of Bon Scott could kill Thom Yorke. It's true.

jag

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

An origami swan telegram from the KGB could kill Thom Yorke.

 

[jaguarr]

An origami swan telegram from the KGB could kill Thom Yorke.

So could a screen door blown by the breeze.

jag

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I'm surprised the impact of the drum stick hitting the snare during their performances hasn't vaporized him yet.

 

[jaguarr]

I'm surprised the impact of the drum stick hitting the snare during their performances hasn't vaporized him yet.

I believe he has to wear subwoofer-proof clothing.

jag

 

[PLAS]

In a world of AC/DC's and the Go-Go's, no, they are not "quite accessible and straightforward."

You would not hear their meandering, innovative-for-innovation's-sake albums post-Pablo Honey and say, "I'd describe that as quite accessible and straightforward."

no.

well,the bends is a pretty straight forward, in your face album, if you actually listen to it, it's more brit pop than anything they've done before

OK computer is also a very simple album, they did experiment more with instrumentation and production, the most elaborate song is Paranoid Android and that one is basically three songs put together (beautifully)

although, I would agree, that Kid A and Amnesiac are weird, I'd say that they are more hermetic than anything

besides, what's so wrong about trying to break out of the bounds? to not repeat oneself?

I mean, you say "innovative-for-innovation's-sake" like if there were something wrong with that, of course, all innovations, are for the sake of innovating, otherwise, why would anyone try to be innovative?

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

I mean, you say "innovative-for-innovation's-sake" like if there were something wrong with that, of course, all innovations, are for the sake of innovating, otherwise, why would anyone try to be innovative?

I prefer accidental, naive innovation, except in the case of Bowie/Eno collaborations of course.

 

[PLAS]

I prefer accidental, naive innovation, except in the case of Bowie/Eno collaborations of course.

why?

 

[Wilhelm-Scream]

why?

Well, I'm just off to take a smoke break and maybe I'll come back and write that book.