Some thoughts on Radiohead

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Jackson Doofster
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Some thoughts on Radiohead

Post by Jackson Doofster »

Maybe this is sacrilege... maybe not

I think Radiohead have become a bit of a parody of themselves. Pablo Honey was ok. I still love The Bends. I kinda still enjoy parts of Ok Computer, but do feel I've outgrown it now (always preferred The Bends anyway).

However, I just couldn't get into Kid A and I found Amnesiac painfully self-indulgent. Is this just me ?

I know that I'm not supposed to say this, but I'm bored with hearing how Thom Yorke and his band are 'breaking down the walls of conventional rock music' etc. In short, I am starting to find Radiohead dull and experimental rock a little boring. Give us some tunes for god's sake, man!!

I may not even buy Hail to the Thief - SHOCK HORROR :shock: :shock:

NB. The views of the Doofster do not necessarily represent the views of Noise Radio :D
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SoLikeCandy
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Post by SoLikeCandy »

Although there were parts of both Amnesiac and Kid A that I adore, I have to agree with you, Doofster. Melody left the building long ago with Radiohead. There are good things about their new direction--yeah, even things that really haven't been done before--but the problem with Radiohead is that they seem to be doing the same thing, just bigger. I mean, they're critics' darlings, and they'll always be lauded for "breaking down walls," as you so eloquently put, but they're not really doing anything particularly new now. While some songs on Kid A and Amnesiac blew me away, many sounded like blatant rehashing of their once innovative sound, or bloated posturing, or bloated rehashing. Radiohead is a little too close to the edge now, though--at this point, they will either revert to their "Pablo Honey" garage rock, or lose the guitars altogether and just have Thom and a computerized voice bleeping and beeping. Meh. I'm dying to hear the new album, though, just to see if they either explode into new territory or implode into self-robbery.

Wow. I should never post to the board while drunk...
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tokyo vogue
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Post by tokyo vogue »

radiohead were never really ground-breaking...i mean, yes, they did certain things that hadn't been done in a commercial context, but they didn't invent anything. the more experimental they got, the more obvious it was that someone had already done the same thing, and had done it better.


good songs, though. mostly.


i hope they don't start doing full-on ambient. they're really not all that good at it. we already have one godspeed you! black emperor, we don't need another one. nor do we need another brian eno or aphex twin. let alone a third-rate version. crap, the grammar in this paragraph is atrocious.

I know that I'm not supposed to say this, but I'm bored with hearing how Thom Yorke and his band are 'breaking down the walls of conventional rock music' etc.


that's how i feel about wilco. i say: ehhhh. whatever. could not possibly care any less.
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Jackson Doofster
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Post by Jackson Doofster »

SLC.....on the contrary, you should try more to post whilst drunk.

posting whilst drunk is always the most interesting :D
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martinfoyle
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Re: Some thoughts on Radiohead

Post by martinfoyle »

Pablo Honey was ok. I still love The Bends. I kinda still enjoy parts of Ok Computer, but do feel I've outgrown it now (always preferred The Bends anyway).


The Bends is there most complete and best album so far. A fluke, apparently, since its a mix of demos and 'proper' studio versions. All their albums since have had their moments, none of them add up.
One query: Is there much, if any, difference between the released version and the leaked version of HTTT that came out two months ago?
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King of Confidence
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Post by King of Confidence »

I came in at Kid A, then went back and picked up The Bends and OK Computer. I love all three of them, but I feel no compulsion to get anything else (except maybe the live EP that came out a couple years ago).

Everything they do well seems to be contained in those three.
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Post by shabbydoll »

Never really liked them, though a few of their songs are storming. A friend has tried to get me interested for quite a few years, to no avail. Heard them at Glastonbury a few years back (if you remember it, you weren't there). Sounded great a couple of miles away. Reminded of the Cure (only because it sounded great a couple of miles away).
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Post by noiseradio »

I think you're all quite wrong. Lovely people, but dead wrong. Other than Pablo Honey (tiresome dreck that sounded like everyone else at the time), I think every one of their records is brilliant. I don't think they've made a mistake since releasing the Bends, and they've positively saved rock from the hands of Blink 182 and their ilk. I think they're the best rock band around, bar none.
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LessThanZero
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Post by LessThanZero »

at least noise and his avatar aren't getting big heads... :P
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

I'm not as far along it, but I'm more down the Noise road than the largely anti-Head feeling elsewhere. The newer LPs will never excite me as much as LPs 2 and 3, but they all have brilliant stuff on them, and I always admire a band who hit critical mass and then make it clear they won't play the game, like Pulp. I like to see someone who's got big insisting on developing the individualism that got them there and not just clinging onto their safest template.

Dr J can tell you better, having seen them of late, but I think the fact that they can still cut it live shows they're still very much a functioning band. For those who like them but don't know the live short LP I Might Be Wrong, buy it! It's very listenable indeed, and a lot of the songs have a life about them that's somewhat lacking in the studio. I don't agree at all that they haven't been groundbreaking - they have in many ways, and very few bands can make guitars sound as wonderful as they do. It's quite an achievement to write songs that are powerful and memorable that don't rely on obvious melody. I can't wait to hear the LP, it's sure to have several classics. I think the leaked version just wasn't fully mixed, so it might be interesting to hear how they compare.

Every single article about the band I've seen of late refers to Thom's miserableness, and goes on about this in a tedious way, rather than really looking at what the music's doing, and they are in danger of living up to this endless cliche and getting too locked into it.

One thing that truly sets them apart is Thom's voice. It is truly wonderful. Like Bjork, it alone makes them incredibly special and worth listening to at all times. And he's a big Costello fan.
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Post by ReadyToHearTheWorst »

Otis Westinghouse wrote: ... And he's a big Costello fan.
Amongst their many, often oddball, live covers there's a fine version of 'I'll wear it proudly'.
Last edited by ReadyToHearTheWorst on Fri Jun 20, 2003 6:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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DrJ
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Post by DrJ »

Well I've been listening to Hail to the Thief for about 10 days now and it's great, but let me back pedal a bit.

Radiohead make the most sense live. It's a simple as that. Same as EC, I think, lend your friends the records if you want but bring them to a gig and they're fans for life. The other thing that EC and Radiohead have in common is that they're hilariously funny at times, yet they're both labeled miserablist or bitter. Not so.

I was in Berlin last week for a few days and that's when I started listening to HTTT. First time I heard it, and I had heard some of these songs live last month, I thought it was awful. It's worth pointing out that the first time I heard The Bends and OK Computer I couldn't fathom them either, but came to love them.

So I listened to HTTT a bunch of times and wandering around Dublin about three days ago, listening on headphones the music just hit me and I thought I was going to break down. That lasted about five minutes. It was very strange but I enjoyed the sensation that music still affects me sometimes. I've really been getting into HTTT now. If you have a problem with the "repays repeated listening" policy fine, don't play along, but EC fans should know what it's like to really get an album. (I thought I'd choke on first listen to Painted From Memory)

Driving home from an exhaustive day's work about three hours ago, it happened again: Radiohead were singing "Sail to the Moon" and it just destroyed me.

I don't think HTTT will become the loved-by-all bohemoth that OK Computer became, but that's not the point. As Otis says, there's going to be brilliant stuff on a Radiohead record no matter what.

While I was in Berlin, my friend had a copy of the "NME Originals: Radiohead" magazine that's out now which collates 10 years of articles on the band. I read the whole thing while getting into the record. There's a great one from about 1995 where Thom recounts that a friend told him that his lyrics were too personal, which he thought about and then dismissed deciding to just let his lyrics spew out "like that song on Blood&Chocolate, the one that goes on and on"

I'll dig out the actual quote.

My favourite Radiohead record is Kid A.

DrJ
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Poppet
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Radiohead, and Stephen Malkmus, in boston

Post by Poppet »

given that we're told we should see radiohead live, and chatter on the old board re: Mr. Malkmus, i thought the following would be of interest:


Radiohead
With Special Guests Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts Mansfield, MA
August 13, 2003 - 7:30PM Eastern
On sale June 21, 2003 - 10:00AM
Lawn : $ 38.50
Reserved : $ 45.00


not that i have every radiohead album, but my fav is Amnesiac. when i first got it, i had to listen to it constantly. it's worn off quite a bit, but i still find it lovely.
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