Radiohead

[SpacemanRob]

I know Radiohead often polarise opinion on this board but the new album on initial listen sounds like it has huge potential to anybody that loves Kid A or Amnesiac but wished they had incorporated more orthodox guitar playing. Certainly on Bodysnatchers they have a more commercial sound than previously. Anyway the album is potentially free as they are only asking for contributions so no harm in listening. Would be good to hear other opinions. R n r.

[olliemorr]

Im a huge Radiohead fan, but for some reason I cant seem to get into this album at the moment.
I do however love the last track on the album, 'Videotape'.
More listening required methinks.

[helm]

i 'picked it up' for £3.50. out of interest, what did everyone else pay?

[olliemorr]

I paid £0.00 for it last week, but only because I was waiting for payday so that I could buy the £40 box set thingy.

[Already There]

Now I have decided for myself that it is the album I like least.

[TheWarmth]

Really? You like Pablo Honey and Amnesiac better than In Rainbows? Personally, I rate In Rainbows very highly.

[Already There]

Really? You like Pablo Honey and Amnesiac better than In Rainbows? Personally, I rate In Rainbows very highly.

Well, I have songs on both albums that I really love. Not on In Rainbows. ^^ And I don't like how the album progresses either. It's something you'd put on in a lounge. It's not an album you love. -_-

[BzaInSpace]

Odd one to dig this up again now but...you know what, it's the ONLY good Radiohead album, because it has a little bit of soul. I like almost every song which is the exact opposite of their bizarrely over-rated back catalogue...I think anyway.

There were occasional moments before (well, one - 'Pyramid Song') but too much of the "pigs crushd like insects" babble and a distinct feeling of...unfeeling.

Hmm...Oasis, Beatles, Radiohead...

NEXT!

[TheWarmth]

Really? You like Pablo Honey and Amnesiac better than In Rainbows? Personally, I rate In Rainbows very highly.

Well, I have songs on both albums that I really love. Not on In Rainbows. ^^ And I don't like how the album progresses either. It's something you'd put on in a lounge. It's not an album you love. -_-

I respectfully disagree. In Rainbows is a nearly perfect album. I listen to it all the time. "All I Need" floors me every time.

[Stuart X.Hunter]

Odd one to dig this up again now but...you know what, it's the ONLY good Radiohead album, because it has a little bit of soul. I like almost every song which is the exact opposite of their bizarrely over-rated back catalogue...I think anyway.

There were occasional moments before (well, one - 'Pyramid Song') but too much of the "pigs crushd like insects" babble and a distinct feeling of...unfeeling.

Hmm...Oasis, Beatles, Radiohead...

NEXT!

Suede?

I picked up Pablo Honey on vinyl about 3 years after it came out and then got given OK Computer for Chrimbo (the Chrimbo 'round about when it came out) by someone...I used to have Kid A but apart from Thom' solo album (The Eraser...very enjoyable) I can't say they impacted on me much. I'm now struggling to actually remember what I was actually listening too mid-to-late 90's!

See Bza, I liked that "distinct feeling of...unfeeling".
Which clearly should have been an album title;

Oasis - "The distinct feeling of...unfeeling"

with nice collage cover art by Peter Howson using "the feelies" from Brave New World as inspiration.

Best,

Stuart

[MODLAB]

This was written by a friend of mine.
I have few of the albums and not once thrown them on in the last few years.
Also, I walked out on them during a concert. Total garbage!



Yesterday, I made my annual attempt to develop an interest in Radiohead. As usual, it lasted about 20 minutes. We’ll see what happens in 2010, but 20 minutes seems to be the standard. I have 7 Radiohead albums that people have given me and yet have probably played only about 10 songs on those albums. (Note: I’ve heard Radiohead songs literally hundreds of times when someone else put them on or they’ve come on the radio, so it’s not like I haven’t been exposed to them; I’m just talking about how seldom I’ve personally chosen to listen to them). About once a year, I choose an album, put it on, and experience an immediate swell of respect and regard for the band, followed by an almost immediate lapse into disinterest. After a few songs, I realize I haven’t paid attention for the last 10-15 minutes and terminate the exercise.

The weird part is that I literally don’t have a single negative thing to say about Radiohead. I entirely respect them, find them utterly innovative and can immediately detect clear evidence of artistic integrity and creativity in their music. It’s just that I’m not interested in listening to them. Nick Hornby has a great comment on this difference between respecting music and liking it in 31 Songs – I’m paraphrasing here, because I don’t have the book on hand, but he’s basically talking about some dorky pop song he’s recently fallen for and says, “And, yes, I know it’s not as good as Astral Weeks. But when is the last time you’ve actually put on Astral Weeks? It’s something like falling in love: we don’t necessarily choose the best person, or the smartest, or the best looking. There’s something else going on.”

I’ve come to think of this phenomenon as The Gram Parsons Zone– when there’s an artist, or album, or song that you consciously recognize as good and feel you should like, but it just doesn’t take. Of course, the name I’ve given is dangerously subjective– if you love Gram Parsons, or have never heard of him, then it doesn’t make any sense. But, I’m sure everyone can come up with their own artist that fits this description for them. You really know you’re in the Gram Parsons Zone when you feel both guilty and secretly relieved about throwing in the towel. Incidentally, the Gram Parsons Zone can apply to things outside of music. I’ll never forget the liberation I felt when I finally admitted to myself that I don’t enjoy transcendental meditation, Thomas Pynchon or herbal tea.

[johnnyboy]

Ha, I really like that last post! So true the amount of futile effort we sometimes put into listening to a record or a band that you know you should like but it just doesn't click......yet we keep on trying.

For me I'll call it the "Trout Mask Replica Zone".........or "Public Image Ltd Zone". The latter chosen because of them being in the news and forums right now and I just can't see the excitement about seeing Lydon do his annoying thing again. Half of Metal Box is excellent and half is crap and very skippable. The debut has about 2 great songs on it.

Phew! I finally admitted it after all these years.

[runcible]

I entirely respect them, find them utterly innovative and can immediately detect clear evidence of artistic integrity and creativity in their music. It’s just that I’m not interested in listening to them.

That's very simply but very well put and pretty much how I feel about them. I love Airbag from OK Computer I must admit but the rest baffles me in terms of everyone else saying how amazing it is.

For me I'll call it the "Trout Mask Replica Zone".........or "Public Image Ltd Zone". The latter chosen because of them being in the news and forums right now and I just can't see the excitement about seeing Lydon do his annoying thing again. Half of Metal Box is excellent and half is crap and very skippable. The debut has about 2 great songs on it.

Yes indeed. I find Trout Mask Replica worrying and rather unpleasant. I'm not much of a Beefheart fan anyway but this is largely pretty horrible. I occasionally have another stab and fail again.

Your view of PiL is interesting too but I give the 1st LP more credit than that. The utter genius of the self-titled single (still one of the greatest songs I have ever heard by the way) isn't backed up by a lot of the album. I bought it when it came out aged about 13 as I'd loved the single and, as something of a teenage punk, was a little surprised by the album. Having said that I played it again about 5 years ago for the first time in maybe 20 years and I was astonished at the first track Theme which is unbelievably psychedelic. Annalisa and Low Life are decent. The bass on Fodderstompf is also fun. I agree more with you on Metal Box. There was a discussion here about their appearance on Whistle Test performing 'Bad Baby' which is really extraordinary - again massively psychedelic. It's easily found on YouTube and really worth looking at. Lydon's sneer, Levene's guitar and Wobble's enormous jacket...

[TheWarmth]

I can't get into Troutmastreplica or Astral Weeks, either. Big fan of Gram Parsons, though!

I have a friend who told me that he forced himself to listen to Troutmastreplica every day all the way through until he "got it." I'm not doing that.

[spzretent]

I'd chime in on Trout mask Replica as well. I'd also toss Pet Sounds in there...(gasp!)

As far as Radiohead go gimme The Bends and call it a day. I think the backlash is thru no fault of their own. The post OK Computer hype hurt them a great deal. Was it out a year before being proclaimed the greatest British LP ever? No one could have survived that.
It did allow them to stretch out on subsequent releases which is good. I just didn't like the following releases.

[runcible]

I can't get into Troutmastreplica or Astral Weeks, either.

I didn't get any Van Morrison at all for years and years, particularly Astral Weeks. Then I found a CD (curiously titled 'Brown Eyed Girl') which turned out to be most of his debut album at the shop I used to work at and kept playing it to see if I could work it out. Now I think it's excellent (songs like T.B. Sheets, Spanish Rose, He Ain't Give You None are truly fantastic), as is Astral Weeks. I'd recommend persevering with that as I felt the same as you for ages.

[Stuart X.Hunter]

Yesterday, I made my annual attempt to develop an interest in Radiohead...

Love that opening line...and I'm sure everyone must have something (some band/artist) they respect and would very much like to have a grander attachment too, but just can't.

I was going to say that it may make an interesting sub-thread but it's slightly negative start point.

Best,

Stuart

[Already There]

I entirely respect them, find them utterly innovative and can immediately detect clear evidence of artistic integrity and creativity in their music. It’s just that I’m not interested in listening to them.

That's very simply but very well put and pretty much how I feel about them. I love Airbag from OK Computer I must admit but the rest baffles me in terms of everyone else saying how amazing it is.

I find this really interesting. I mean... I often find it hard to get into music a lot of people love, but not with Radiohead. I mean... I borrowed all their albums off my best friend and I can say that I loved the time I was getting into them.

At the moment, I am not too interested in them. ^^ But I still think they're a good band.

I can't get into Troutmastreplica or Astral Weeks, either. Big fan of Gram Parsons, though!

I have a friend who told me that he forced himself to listen to Troutmastreplica every day all the way through until he "got it." I'm not doing that.

I'd chime in on Trout mask Replica as well. I'd also toss Pet Sounds into that as well...(gasp!)

As far as Radiohead go gimme The Bends and call it a day. I think the backlash is thru no fault of their own. The post OK Computer hype hurt them a great deal. Was it out a year before being proclaimed the greatest British LP ever? No one could have survived that.
It did allow them to stretch out on subsequent releases which is good. I just didn't like the following releases.

Oh wait, I almost forgot about that. The album I used to hate. The Bends. ^^ I never got the hassle about The Bends. I didn't get why it would end up on number 2 on the Q's best albums list. But last year... It was great. I could finally accept the album.

Oh yes, the hype was probably the worst thing that could have happened to them. I believe the band dynamic is pretty f***ed at the moment. ^^ Well, it's not as bad as 10 years ago, but still...

[johnnyboy]

Radiohead - love them now but all the Bends and OK Computer hype had me disliking them for years without even really hearing the albums all the way through. My first album of theirs was Kid A, which I love(d), so then got OK Computer, then Amnesiac and each one since. Really love listening to them. Fascinating band.

PIL - agree the debut single is immense. Always remember Richard Fearless of Death In Vegas DJ'ing it at a night in London and it was a brilliant moment. I've tried really hard with the debut album but the bad outweighs the good for me. I'll give it another go again just because of Runcibles 'psychedelic' quotes. Makes me want to hear it afresh. Metal Box is a different beast. Sometimes I can pretty much play it all the way through and feel stunned, bar a few tracks in the second half, but most times I think "I must play Metal Box and love it because it's a classic" but then feel wound up by it and agitated....in a bad way.

Beefheart - Troutmask Replica is just too much hard work, should've been edited right down. I mean who wants to hear a spoken word song with him just spouting any old crap off the top of his head??? It's bollocks. But I do love Safe As Milk, Mirror Man, Spotlight Kid and Clearspot. All great.

Astral Weeks - not played that since about 1991. Don't really feel the need to either. I know it's a classic but can't be arsed hearing it again.

That's me done fo t'night.

[Greeny]

With Radiohead I worship the ground they walk on AND I listen to their music all the time - more than any other artist I reckon, including Spiritualized. For me they're second only to the Beatles among major selling UK bands in terms of producing such a consistently great - and evolving - body of work over so many albums. And the resent releases hint that there's still plenty more in the tank...

That said, I know they're not bright and breezy enough for many ears - doesn't bother me, though, coz I'm a miserable f*cker most of the time anyway!