The Official Radiohead Thread

Paedantic Basterd · 05-19-2011, 11:49 AM

That's fair enough. What I think they do well isn't to be inventive, but to take a broad variety of influences and channel them into pop music very well.

duga · 05-19-2011, 12:34 PM

I actually think that is a great way to put it. I can give them credit where it is due...they are a great band. It is rare that a bad is not only incredibly talented, but also popular. No matter what you do if a band reaches the heights that Radiohead has, their music is going to have a huge pop influence. I just think a lot of the fanboys don't realize that.

Mykonos · 05-19-2011, 01:39 PM

There's a rumour that they created Kid A to try and hope for a rubbish album to get out of their record contract. If that's true, then Radiohead are possibly the only band that can't pull off a dud album. As for their timeline of evolution, I'm not sure I'd say it was engineered to impress people. Even though I'm too young to have liked them back when they were released, I can understand the surprise Kid A and Amnesiac had amongst the fan base, and while both albums have undoubtedly done wonders for the band's sound, I'm not sure if the reaction at the time was amazement or shock. Probably a bit of both.

Surell · 05-19-2011, 10:33 PM

I'll grant that Radiohead does channel a lot of music and it may not be completely avant-garde or entirely original, but Tom Waits has done the same thing on Swordfishtrombones, which is what i love it for: It takes multiple, sometimes overlooked genres and makes it feel fresh. However, Radiohead does it in a more experimental way.

I do see the big-picture appearance of natural progression, but i don't think it was necessary formulated in such a way, and i do think there was a good deal of reinvention in their music. I think it's what the band wanted and what they needed, and they got it, fortunately; but there was change, from OK Computer to Kid A is not an easy leap. Jumping somewhat back to OK but retaining Kid A on HTTT is clever to me. Now newer radiohead is not my specialty so i'll keep my hands off of that.

Also, i think looking for progression in their discography is tricky; at least it is for me.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-19-2011, 11:54 PM

Pablo Honey was a dud. I might even say the King of Limbs is a bit of one, though not the abomination the first was.

Mykonos · 05-19-2011, 11:58 PM

I don't think all of Pablo Honey was a dud. Prove Yourself often gets unfairly slated.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-20-2011, 12:01 AM

Whole thing's unbearable for me.

Mykonos · 05-20-2011, 12:22 AM

Don't get me wrong, most of the album's a total dud, but there's a few tracks that aren't worth forgetting on it. And Creep, of course.

Phantom Limb · 05-20-2011, 04:51 PM

Creep is definitely the only good song on Pablo Honey. Also, I don't think it's going too far to call TKOL a dud. It was a dud at least as far as Radiohead goes.

Howard the Duck · 05-20-2011, 06:13 PM

Pablo Honey sounds to me like a nascent band finding its way.

I wouldn't say it's a dud but I wouldn't say it's anything but mediocre, either.

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, 12:34 PM	#3362 (permalink)
duga MB quadrant's JM Vincent Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 3,762	I actually think that is a great way to put it. I can give them credit where it is due...they are a great band. It is rare that a bad is not only incredibly talented, but also popular. No matter what you do if a band reaches the heights that Radiohead has, their music is going to have a huge pop influence. I just think a lot of the fanboys don't realize that. __________________ Confusion will be my epitaph...

05-19-2011, 11:49 AM	#3361 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	That's fair enough. What I think they do well isn't to be inventive, but to take a broad variety of influences and channel them into pop music very well.

05-19-2011, 01:39 PM	#3363 (permalink)
Mykonos AWhatup Ganache? Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 381	There's a rumour that they created Kid A to try and hope for a rubbish album to get out of their record contract. If that's true, then Radiohead are possibly the only band that can't pull off a dud album. As for their timeline of evolution, I'm not sure I'd say it was engineered to impress people. Even though I'm too young to have liked them back when they were released, I can understand the surprise Kid A and Amnesiac had amongst the fan base, and while both albums have undoubtedly done wonders for the band's sound, I'm not sure if the reaction at the time was amazement or shock. Probably a bit of both.

05-19-2011, 11:54 PM	#3365 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Pablo Honey was a dud. I might even say the King of Limbs is a bit of one, though not the abomination the first was.

05-19-2011, 11:58 PM	#3366 (permalink)
Mykonos AWhatup Ganache? Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 381	I don't think all of Pablo Honey was a dud. Prove Yourself often gets unfairly slated.

05-20-2011, 12:01 AM	#3367 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Whole thing's unbearable for me.

05-20-2011, 12:22 AM	#3368 (permalink)
Mykonos AWhatup Ganache? Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 381	Don't get me wrong, most of the album's a total dud, but there's a few tracks that aren't worth forgetting on it. And Creep, of course.