The Official Radiohead Thread

Stephen · 05-13-2011, 06:46 PM

OK Computer was my favourite for years but I think In Rainbows has bumped it recently. It didn't grab me immediately but after a few more listens it really got to me. Especially Reckoner, House of Cards and Weird Fishes. I still need to have a good listen to King of Limbs. I bought it when it was released but it hasn't been a stand out so far.

Thom Yorke · 05-14-2011, 08:17 AM

Yeah I don't think it will change too much. OK will be more generally acclaimed but Kid A will rival it for critical acclaim.

Mykonos · 05-17-2011, 04:18 PM

One of the best bands of the 21st century, without a doubt. Radiohead are one of the few rare bands that can take a completely avant-garde or unusual recording and create it in a way that makes it sound like it should be a standard. Hell, they make it sound like it had always been popular (Amnesiac, The King Of Limbs). They can completely change their entire musical style after creating one of the most acclaimed sounds of their generation, and still amaze people the world over. As someone who was introduced to them mainly through their music videos and earlier sessions, it came as an amazement to me when I heard albums like Kid A and realised that there could be more to music than just standard rock bands, so I also have them to thank for introducing me to more music. All I have to do is see them live, and I'll be happy for a while.

Mr November · 05-17-2011, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mykonos

One of the best bands of the 21st century, without a doubt. Radiohead are one of the few rare bands that can take a completely avant-garde or unusual recording and create it in a way that makes it sound like it should be a standard. Hell, they make it sound like it had always been popular (Amnesiac, The King Of Limbs). They can completely change their entire musical style after creating one of the most acclaimed sounds of their generation, and still amaze people the world over. As someone who was introduced to them mainly through their music videos and earlier sessions, it came as an amazement to me when I heard albums like Kid A and realised that there could be more to music than just standard rock bands, so I also have them to thank for introducing me to more music. All I have to do is see them live, and I'll be happy for a while.

I don't know if they're THAT good. It's subjective I guess...

Mykonos · 05-17-2011, 11:34 PM

Heh, well they were one of the first real artists I listened to, and still one of my favourite bands now, so I'm naturally going to be extremely biased.

Mr November · 05-18-2011, 10:35 PM

Fair enough :P

duga · 05-19-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mykonos

One of the best bands of the 21st century, without a doubt. Radiohead are one of the few rare bands that can take a completely avant-garde or unusual recording and create it in a way that makes it sound like it should be a standard. Hell, they make it sound like it had always been popular (Amnesiac, The King Of Limbs). They can completely change their entire musical style after creating one of the most acclaimed sounds of their generation, and still amaze people the world over. As someone who was introduced to them mainly through their music videos and earlier sessions, it came as an amazement to me when I heard albums like Kid A and realised that there could be more to music than just standard rock bands, so I also have them to thank for introducing me to more music. All I have to do is see them live, and I'll be happy for a while.

Radiohead are good at creating a song that gives the impression it is avant garde. I'm not denying that most of their music is very creative, I just think it is less original than the impression it gives off. I also think there has been a very logical progression to their music.

Pablo Honey - Very straightforward alt rock. Didn't work out as well as they had hoped, so they had to change it up on the next album. They couldn't just reinvent themselves, though so...

The Bends - They weird it up a bit. They get a little more creative, but it's still alt rock however you want to slice it. They were obviously itching to be a little more experimental, but it would have been too much of a shock to the few fans they had at this point.

OK Computer - Now they really expand, but they still have to do it within the confines of their guitars. They are a rock band, after all. Replace some of the guitars on this album with some creepy synthesizers and you have an album that fits right in with the next 5 albums.

Kid A/Amnesiac - OK Computer was a hit, so now they have the freedom to do what they had wanted to since the Bends.

Hail to the Thief - A few fans were a little more upset about the lack of guitars than they had expected, so they decided to do Kid A again, but with a few more guitars.

In Rainbows - By this point they have a completely patented Radiohead sound. If they got rid of it, many fans would be a little pissed. Maybe a lot of people here would appreciate it, but we can't deny that most people fear change. They are now stuck in that sound. This brings us to...

The King of Limbs. Not that great.

I think that is the most I will ever write about Radiohead. It's a slow day at work, I guess...

Phantom Limb · 05-19-2011, 10:54 AM

^^How can the music be less original than the impression that it gives? Radiohead use uncommon tactics to make relatively easy to listen to songs. I havent heard any other band that sounds quite like them, just bands that try to rip off their sound and fail at it (muse). Also, I think your view of their "logical progression" doesn't really give them full credit, for instance, i don't think in Rainbows was necessarily the next logical progression from HTTT. HTTT had some of their most experimental stuff on it and after that they ended up going and doing their most pop album. i think that how everything turned out just looks "logical" in hindsight. Think about it, King of Limbs was essentially an electronic album, i don't know about you but i was expecting lush, intricate, pop rock.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-19-2011, 11:00 AM

Honestly, I hate the way you write down their timeline as if it were carefully calculated for popularity. I'm not denying the very first comment you made about making avant-garde accessible, but to reduce their entire career to a formula for listeners makes me furrow my brow. Had their success ever been a top priority, I don't believe they'd have released Kid A, period, I believe they'd have continued down the OK Computer path.

duga · 05-19-2011, 11:47 AM

Ah, that's not what I was trying to imply at all. In fact, I admire their progression...they could have kept cranking out OK Computer-esque music for the next decade. I just don't think any of the changes they've made over the years were all that extreme. Really, it was a long winded way of saying they aren't the music gods a lot of people think they are. They had a definite natural direction in their music...they didn't completely reinvent themselves with every album.

View Poll Results: Favorite Radiohead Album?
Pablo Honey	17	2.80%
The Bends	97	15.95%
OK Computer	218	35.86%
Kid A	129	21.22%
Amnesiac	30	4.93%
Hail to the Thief	30	4.93%
In Rainbows	85	13.98%
The King of Limbs	2	0.33%
Voters: 608. You may not vote on this poll

05-19-2011, 11:47 AM	#3360 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	Ah, that's not what I was trying to imply at all. In fact, I admire their progression...they could have kept cranking out OK Computer-esque music for the next decade. I just don't think any of the changes they've made over the years were all that extreme. Really, it was a long winded way of saying they aren't the music gods a lot of people think they are. They had a definite natural direction in their music...they didn't completely reinvent themselves with every album. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

05-13-2011, 06:46 PM	#3351 (permalink)
Stephen I sleep in your hat Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Melbourne, Vic. Aus. Posts: 1,846	OK Computer was my favourite for years but I think In Rainbows has bumped it recently. It didn't grab me immediately but after a few more listens it really got to me. Especially Reckoner, House of Cards and Weird Fishes. I still need to have a good listen to King of Limbs. I bought it when it was released but it hasn't been a stand out so far.

05-14-2011, 08:17 AM	#3352 (permalink)
Thom Yorke Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,848	Yeah I don't think it will change too much. OK will be more generally acclaimed but Kid A will rival it for critical acclaim.

05-17-2011, 04:18 PM	#3353 (permalink)
Mykonos AWhatup Ganache? Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 381	One of the best bands of the 21st century, without a doubt. Radiohead are one of the few rare bands that can take a completely avant-garde or unusual recording and create it in a way that makes it sound like it should be a standard. Hell, they make it sound like it had always been popular (Amnesiac, The King Of Limbs). They can completely change their entire musical style after creating one of the most acclaimed sounds of their generation, and still amaze people the world over. As someone who was introduced to them mainly through their music videos and earlier sessions, it came as an amazement to me when I heard albums like Kid A and realised that there could be more to music than just standard rock bands, so I also have them to thank for introducing me to more music. All I have to do is see them live, and I'll be happy for a while.

05-17-2011, 11:34 PM	#3355 (permalink)
Mykonos AWhatup Ganache? Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 381	Heh, well they were one of the first real artists I listened to, and still one of my favourite bands now, so I'm naturally going to be extremely biased.

05-18-2011, 10:35 PM	#3356 (permalink)
Mr November Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Halifax, Canada Posts: 429	Fair enough :P

05-19-2011, 11:00 AM	#3359 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Honestly, I hate the way you write down their timeline as if it were carefully calculated for popularity. I'm not denying the very first comment you made about making avant-garde accessible, but to reduce their entire career to a formula for listeners makes me furrow my brow. Had their success ever been a top priority, I don't believe they'd have released Kid A, period, I believe they'd have continued down the OK Computer path.