Radiohead

[thomasowen]

A radiohead thread to discuss the band and get excited about their performance.

For me KID A is by far and a way their best album followed by In Rainbows and OK Computor.

[scottt]

Kid A, no and no

[Vacant0]

The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows are all on a par with each other I think - voted OK Computer anyway.

No.

No - because I won't be there - if I was then yes (so I voted yes).

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

Just got in from a long boring day at work, and I have a Radiohead thread to post in...yay!

In my opinion Kid A is their greatest album, but only in context of their others. Musically isolated, I'd say OK Computer snatches it. However, for the sheer way Kid A slots into the Radiohead canon, taking an avant garde approach to follow up one of the most successful albums of the 90s took real musical inspiration and ingenuity.

What I love most about Radiohead is that you can trace development right throughout their work.

Pablo Honey: The adolescent debut, angsty, rockier, anyone can play guitar and they thought they'd have a go. I personally love this CD because I was once (like many) an angsty teen, and I related to it's at times puerile themes. I think anyone who gets into radiohead post maturity who works back from Ok Computer/The Bends is bound to be disappointed by it's straight up rock approach.

My Iron Lung EP: Weird Pablo-Honey. Takes a darker twist, the angst gives way to depression and the experimental textures just about begin to take place.

The Bends: Goes even further, but the angst has matured somewhat. Dissatisfaction is now channeled poetically, the songs are more structured, the songs are more layered, more dense.

Ok Computer: Reaches a zenith. In terms of the feelings of alienation and anxiety built up upon the previous records, Ok Computer takes the crisis from the personal to the social. The song structures are off the wall, especially the crescendo in Climbing Up The Walls. The Tourist seems like a good place to call aside the first stage of their career...it kinda just drifts off peacefully...

----------------------

Kid A: Reboots the band in a completely different direction. Avant-garde, reliance on drum machines and Greenwood's multi-instrumentation and O'Briens technical manipulation to create new and interesting sounds. The music created is so disparate it just should not go together...somehow it does.

Amnesiac: Cut from the same sessions ('cut the kids in half') as Kid A, Amnesiac felt like the Big Band take on their avant garde direction. Like Spinning Plates is just plain ridiculous (assuming you have a sound system good enough to appreciate it). Second phase of the band goes out with a loud jazzy bang...

-----------------------

Hail To The Thief: Marries the above two phases in one congruent whole. Hugely underrated and hated by many casual fans for it ('yay a rockier song...o what the f**k is this noise?). The Gloaming and There There should not fit next to each other, but yet again Radiohead manage it.

In Rainbows: The minimalism of Pablo Honey, with the competent musical theory and studio love of the other albums. A long time in the making it's hard to really place it into the context of their body of work.

I personally can't understand anyone who finds Radiohead 'boring' (in my experience people who do this usually haven't bothered to listen much; a great piece of music requires many listens before all the levels come together and begin to make sense). I can understand if they aren't to your taste, but to call music with so much going on (in terms of musical theory, multi-instrumentalism, lyrical themes drawn from a range of great literature, musical complexity and some astounding sonic experimentation) 'boring' smacks of ignorance.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[tomisnothere]

In Rainbows is my favourite

i hope they don't play creep at all, i'd rather a different song. it's not one of my favourites. i guess it would be pretty intense if they did play it though. and yeah, i'll be watching.

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

O yeah forgot.

Creep is one of their weakest tracks. I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing, whether I was conditioned to hate it as a teenager as it was the only track my mates knew, or whether it is generally lacking.

Either way, what I like about the puerile themes of Pablo Honey are the optimism which underpins in, Creep is just plain self indulgence. It irks and feels out and place, and has that rubbish little powerchord riff just before the chorus which f**ks me off.

One of few poor tracks they've done in my opinion (the others being 'We Suck Young Blood' and 'House of Cards')

Edited May 27, 2009 by Explosions_In_The_Sky

[Tristan]

Kid A is my favourite, a perfect example of an experimental album. Closely followed by In Rainbows and OK Computer.

No - they should definitely not finish with Creep! Waste of a song in my opinion, just doesn't do it for me.

Yes - I will most certainly be watching them

It's interesting - I agree with the poster above that I can't believe how anyone would find Radiohead 'boring', but then I guess a lot of people would wonder why I don't like Metallica and other metal bands.

What I would say to anyone who's a bit unsure is that you should go and see them - they are AWESOME live.

[hearing_aid]

One of few poor tracks they've done in my opinion (the others being 'We Suck Young Blood' and 'House of Cards')

[Explosions_In_The_Sky]

Pop is Dead...?

They should play Killer Cars.

[hearing_aid]

I think Pop is Dead is genius. A witty catchy little ditty on the death of the medium in which the message is carried in.

Killer Cars is amazing, as is Banana Co.

I used to have all the B-Sides and rare stuff on some CD-Rs a few years back (Limewire job) but the cd corroded. The Deluxe Editions of PH/TB and OC are tempting for this reason (I'd only need the first two as I have the Airbag EP) but I'll wait till my finances are better before grabbing them.

[moss265]

Controversially went for Pablo Honey - the heavier stuff appeals to me more - and for the classic line "I am not a vegetable" cos it makes me chuckle!

[SpiralD]

OK Computer or Kid A is best

I'd prefer if they didn't do Creep at all....

Yes, of course I will, I'd be mad not to

[thomasowen]

I didn't realize so many people dislike Creep! It always gets the biggest reaction live and personaly I would love them to close with it rather than everything in it's right place (which always seems to be an anti climax live) or any of the bends/ok computor singles which slot in better in the middle of the set.

[Lithium05]

Pablo Honey, Yes and No (unless the yes was a certainty)

Creep is by far the most accessable song and would be known by the majority of non Radiohead fans who are checking them out anyway. Not only that, it's also one of, if not their best (out of the four albums I own, it's the track that gets the most listens.)

Like it or not RH fans,it's the same as Nirvana and "Smells like teen spirit", the hardcore fans don't like it, the band themselves don't like it, but the majority would be pissed off if it wasn't in their headlining set list (if that was still possible).

Edited May 27, 2009 by Lithium05

[SpiralD]

Like it or not RH fans,it's the same as Nirvana and "Smells like teen spirit", the hardcore fans don't like it, the band themselves don't like it, but the majority would be pissed off if it wasn't in their headlining set list (if that was still possible).

[robsadler]

for me ok computer is my favourite album. i got into the band when this album came out but also bought the bends around the same time. from what little i have heard of pablo honey im not sure i like it all that much.

i have kid a and amnesiac and i really like both of them. not bought the other 2 latest or thom yorke's solo work. i mean to get all of them though.

i don't really want them to play creep at all as they have much better songs than this.

people who say radiohead are boring don't really get it. you can't really get much more exciting. even if you don't like them, boring is not a term to use to describe them.

from my experience the type of people who find radiohead boring are into metal and cite kevin smith films as their favourite of all time.

i will definitely be seeing them!

robx

[Northen_Desire]

Im a very new radiohead fan, as in i have had 3 opportunities to see them and turned them down on each occasion including their highly rated performance at V in 06. I did this based purely on the fact i hated radiohead as a teen, they went against all the music i stood for and seemed dreery and boring to me. I have now finally given them the time and effort to discover their music that they deserve and i have to say i was wrong. This was especially hard to admit to my lifelong radiohead die hard best friend who has constantly nagged me about listening to them more. The bends is in my opinion one of the best albums ever written nevermind just radioheads best piece of work. I still struggle with Kid A and Amnesiac and have to be in certain moods to listen to those 2 albums but their discorgraphy as a whole is one of the greatest back catalogues any global force would be proud of and im sure their performance at leeds is going to be one of my greatest sets to look back on when im older. I am sure they will reach the dizzy heights of Pearl Jam 06 and RATM 08 which are probably my two favourite leeds moments so far. My only gripe is that I'm sacrificing what i feel will be an epic performance in the tent by the Lp's.

[flossy_]

Kid A

NO TO CREEP. They have so many better songs/they hate it themselves so wouldn't even be playing it with feeling, so therefore would be a waste of 4 minutes.

Yes Yes, i shall be there

[flossy_]

I didn't realize so many people dislike Creep! It always gets the biggest reaction live and personaly I would love them to close with it rather than everything in it's right place (which always seems to be an anti climax live) or any of the bends/ok computor singles which slot in better in the middle of the set.

[thomasowen]

Kid A

NO TO CREEP. They have so many better songs/they hate it themselves so wouldn't even be playing it with feeling, so therefore would be a waste of 4 minutes.

Yes Yes, i shall be there

[rossg123]

They should definately play 'Creep', not a fan of the song, but it's a good sing-a-long. NOT at the end though, they should end with 'Lucky', 'Street Spirit' or even 'Nude'.

I really wish they'd play WOLF AT THE DOOR but that is doubtful.

I'm lookin' forward to 15 Steps, Bodysnatchers, Paranoid Android and 2+2=5 most of all.

Edited May 27, 2009 by rossg123

[The_Functions]

In Rainbows no doubt about it.

Other than that then The Bends.

If OK Computer wasn't so over-rated then no doubt that Radiohead would be my favourite band.

[hearing_aid]

In Rainbows no doubt about it.

Other than that then The Bends.

If OK Computer wasn't so over-rated then no doubt that Radiohead would be my favourite band.

[flossy_]

I don't think they hate creep, I found this quote

'It’s a great song to play. The reaction you get is really extreme.'

[The_Functions]

So Ok Computer is in fact your favourite album but you don't want to say?