Sell me on Radiohead.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I'm not feeling it.

[Guest Shutterspeed]

If you've heard a decent amount of Radiohead and aren't a fan now, you probably won't be.

[Youth N Asia 0]

I could not make myself get into that band, no matter how great they're suppose to be. I gave a couple albums a couple listens and it wasn't doing it for me.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Czech, what kind of music do you like? You've always struck me as not too committed to anything all that interesting.

 

There are 3 good starting points for Radiohead:

 

-The Bends is the most accessible and full of fantastic songs; some especially strong choices are "The Bends," "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," and "Just." Try "High and Dry" for the sensitive side.

 

-OK Computer is probably their best album overall. If you listen to that all the way through and don't like it, they're probably not a band for you. If you don't feel like listening to the whole thing, try "Airbag," "Paranoid Android," and, say, "Exit Music (For A Film)."

 

-Their most recent album, Hail to the Thief, serves as a sort of summation of their career to this point. It's not as good as either of the two albums I've already mentioned, but it sounds a little bit like everything they've done all mashed together. "There, There," "2+2=5," and "Myxomatosis" should give you a feel.

[Nighthawk 0]

I like them ok but I never really listened to them. How about somebody list their albums from best to worst, factoring in nothing besides musical quality. I'll work my way down and stop when it gets bad.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

My take. Others will certainly differ.

 

OK Computer

The Bends

Kid A

Hail to the Thief

Amnesiac

Pablo Honey

 

godthedog or Incandenza hates Kid A, and the other hates Amnesiac, for some dissenting voices. I can't remember who hates what.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I hate Amnesiac.

 

I guess I'll rank, too:

 

The Bends

OK Computer

Kid A

Hail to the Thief

Pablo Honey

Amnesiac

 

For what's it worth, I think the top three I listed are the only worthwhile ones. I like HttT, but I never wanna listen to it; the other two I simply can't stand, outside a song or two.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I actually think the most accessible track off of OK Computer is Electioneering, to add to Edwin's list.

 

I take it that Inc doesn't feel into the whole "Radiohead are one of the best bands ever/90s" line of thinking? He doesn't seem to impressed by reading what he posted. I have always noticed that people who like The Bends more then OK probably aren't that into Radiohead in the first place.

 

OK Computer is amazing.

The Bends is as well, but is completely different.

Ditto for Kid A.

I'm not a big fan of Pablo Honey, or Amnesiac, but HttT is a pretty solid album, but not as good as the top three.

[Myxamatosis 0]

I agree with some here that if you don't like 'em now, you may not like that at all. They've produced the most consistent body of work of any band over the past 10 years.

 

Not since Kurt Cobain's death can you name a rock band that has been willing to latch onto something creative and innovative as Radiohead has. Try it, I dare you.

 

Prodigy? Gone and irrelevant.

 

Oasis? Still good, but buckeled under the pressure of stardom.

 

Modest Mouse? Original sound over the past eight years and may be the only comparison.

 

The Flaming Lips? Seriously, four albums of sound to be played in four different stereos? That's just stupid.

 

Outkast? Different genre.

 

Thom Yorke has been influenced heavily from the music of Jeff Buckley, one of the greatest vocalists of all time, and The Pixies, one of best underground acts ever.

 

His lyrics deal with the emotionless nature of society and questions why the feelings of disenchantment and false love exist in today's "all-connected" world. A frontman in the grand spirit of Bowie and Mercury, but the storyteller in the spirit of Dylan and Young.

 

Johnny Greenwood's guitar work is amazing. He's abstract, violent and melodic at the same time.

 

Key tracks:

 

Idoiteque - Kid A: The standout track on their standout album. Why is there standout album? Despite what Bono says, Radiohead did not dodge stardom after Ok Computer. Rather, They chose to deliver something that pleased their musical imaginations. And the album still went to number 1.

 

Let Down - OK Computer: Harmonies, Harmonies, Harmonies. This track is breathtaking towards the end.

 

Paranoid Android - Ok Computer: An opus. Three songs stiched into one. A rock opera of sort. No song in the past ten years has captured our generation more so than this song, in my opinion.

 

The Bends - The entire album has no skippable tracks. Everything remains consistent throughout the record. The music keeps your head nodding while lyrics keep your mind focused onto the message.

 

Creep - Pablo Honey: No Radiohead enthusiast should deny the power of this track. If you don't like this track, then Radiohead just isn't for you. It embodies much of their musical roots and while most of their musical material is drastically different then Creep, the power of the vocals here is something that remains constant in the band.

 

There There and True Love Waits: Both of these tracks are my favorites. I also enjoy Lift and Big Ideas. Check 'em out.

 

Basically, Radiohead is band that just has to grow on you. It didn't start liking them until I saw them in concert a few years back. Their live show has been voted the best by both indie and mainstream magizines. Plus, female Radiohead fans are fucking hot boy!

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I take it that Inc doesn't feel into the whole "Radiohead are one of the best bands ever/90s" line of thinking? He doesn't seem to impressed by reading what he posted.

Basically, yeah, though I think the title track to The Bends is the best thing Radiohead ever did AND one of the best songs of the 90s. Nothing else they've done (on that album or since) can touch it, in my mind.

[Myxamatosis 0]

Not even 2+2=5?

 

Not even The National Anthem?

 

Not even Paranoid f'n Android?

 

Damn...

 

By the way Inc, who is the best band of the 90's?

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Not since Kurt Cobain's death can you name a rock band that has been willing to latch onto something creative and innovative as Radiohead has. Try it, I dare you.

 

Their live show has been voted the best by both indie and mainstream magizines. Plus, female Radiohead fans are fucking hot boy!

Holy shit, where to begin?

 

Prodigy? Gone and irrelevant.

 

They released an album this year.

 

Oasis? Still good

 

Ha.

 

Modest Mouse? Original sound over the past eight years and may be the only comparison.

 

Modest Mouse is hardly original; they'd be nowhere without "one of best underground acts ever," the Pixies.

 

The Flaming Lips? Seriously, four albums of sound to be played in four different stereos? That's just stupid.

 

Way to dismiss an entire band's output based on one gimmick album, you ass.

 

Outkast? Different genre.

 

Thanks for clarification! Now I feel silly for always confusing the two.

 

Now I'm gonna skip a whole bunch of crap you wrote and get to this:

 

Their live show has been voted the best by both indie and mainstream magizines.

 

Boy, you should totally join their street team!

 

Plus, female Radiohead fans are fucking hot boy!

 

Shut the fuck up, kid.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

By the way Inc, who is the best band of the 90's?

I really like Tindersticks!

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

On best bands of the 90s: as much as I like Radiohead, it would be hard for someone to point me to many groups with a better body-of-work than ATLiens and Aquemini. Go Kast.

[godthedog 0]

yeah, i'm the one who can't stand 'kid A'. although after reading the pitchfork review, i can't help but think i missed something. and i kinda like 'amnesiac' (though not enough to miss the copy that i sold), and i like 'thief' more than most people. so i may not be the one to trust on these guys.

 

'the bends'

'ok computer'

'hail to the thief'

'amnesiac'

'kid A'

 

never heard 'pablo honey'.

 

good tracks:

 

1. "street spirit" (the bends)

2. "paranoid android" (ok computer)

3. "everything in its right place" (kid A)

4. "there there"/"i will" (hail to the thief--works best as a two-shot, in my opinion)

[godthedog 0]

and the best band of the 90s is ween. i can go point-by-point over why they're better than radiohead.

[Myxamatosis 0]

Disregard.

[Myxamatosis 0]

Please, by all means, begin. Because if you can name a band that has remained relevant and as successful as Radiohead and remained true to their artistic roots, then I'll believe you.

 

They released an album this year.

 

Was it good? Was it even decent?

 

Ha.

 

Yeah, there still good, so what? Not great. They never were.

 

 

Modest Mouse is hardly original; they'd be nowhere without "one of best underground acts ever," the Pixies.

 

They'd be nowhere? I need tangiable results, not something this vauge. What band has had the original and recogiziable sound such as this? And what band could've lasted as long as they have? Please Inc, use examples. It'll make you seem much smarter.

 

Way to dismiss an entire band's output based on one gimmick album, you ass.

 

Whoa, calm down there. I still enjoy their ep's and their last album was good. But you cannot deny the absurdity of that concept. It didn't totally ruin the band for me, but it made it hard for me to take them seriously. Plus, they were on the Spongebob soundtrack. The fuckin Spongebob soundtrack. Defend that.

 

 

Thanks for clarification! Now I feel silly for always confusing the two.

 

Man, seriously, calm down and try and to argue objectively.

 

 

Boy, you should totally join their street team!

 

But can you deny that fact? You can only use sarcasim and skepticism for so long.

 

 

Shut the fuck up, kid.

 

You're a crazy one Inc.

[Myxamatosis 0]

and the best band of the 90s is ween. i can go point-by-point over why they're better than radiohead.

Please, by all means....

[The Czech Republic 0]

To Edwin, who said I'm not committed to anything interesting, I'm a big fan of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, and some other stuff which is fairly interesting. I didn't think you would infer anything about my musical tastes, or anything about me at all, seeing as how I don't know a single thing about you.

 

My problem with Radiohead just seems to be that I feel like they're trying too hard. Like they're going out of their way to say "Well fuck you Moody Blues and ELO, because THIS is the most pretentious art-rock on the planet!" I guess Thom Yorke is a genius or something, but frankly, I'm underwhelmed. Someone played Kid A for me and I was just struggling to figure out what the big deal was. Then I listened to Amnesiac and just hated it. I don't care if you cite jazz influences or not, some of that stuff is just garbage.

 

So I guess they're passable at best, but hardly in the pantheon of British guitar bands.

[Myxamatosis 0]

That's cool that you're open to new and interesting music. And if you don't like or get Radiohead, don't worry too much about it. It takes most years to really get into them and their catalog.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

To Edwin, who said I'm not committed to anything interesting, I'm a big fan of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, and some other stuff which is fairly interesting. I didn't think you would infer anything about my musical tastes, or anything about me at all, seeing as how I don't know a single thing about you.

Exactly. I too didn't know a thing about you previous; now I know that you like some good stuff. Solid and a half.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I thought OK Computer, in particular Paranoid Android was decent.

 

I don't care for the rest of it, though. I think the last album turned me off for good.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Not since Kurt Cobain's death can you name a rock band that has been willing to latch onto something creative and innovative as Radiohead has. Try it, I dare you.

I think I just choked on my tongue....

 

And Kurt Cobain wasn't very innovative.

[Myxamatosis 0]

Other than being a "Pixies cover band," as he'd like to say, he did spawn a number of look-a-like bands. For the early 90s, he was it. He wasn't Bowie or Lou Reed, but for what he was, I think he was pretty innovative.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Other than being a "Pixies cover band," as he'd like to say, he did spawn a number of look-a-like bands. For the early 90s, he was it. He wasn't Bowie or Lou Reed, but for what he was, I think he was pretty innovative.

He was popular, not innovative. Huge Huge Huge difference. They were a pop punk band. Some of their songs sounded like the Pixies, others kinda like Sonic Youth.

[Myxamatosis 0]

I agree, point taken.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

I hope Inc didn't diss Oasis? Thats difficult to swallow.

[Nighthawk 0]

So I gather Radiohead has three essential albums. Good, it'll take me a while to get through three albums. Thanks gents.

 

Best band of the 90s probably was Outkast, much as I'd like to say something different.

[Special K 0]

I'd say Nirvana is the definitive 90's band, as much as Cobain is underservedley (is that a word?) sainted, Nirvana made good music in a style that bridged punk into a new rock genre. How it ever tuned into whiny alterna-rock is a mystery to me.

 

The Bends is great, but is not for everyone. I can understand how York's singing style could bug people, for one. (I saw Muse as part of a concert, and while they were fine, in fact musically excellent; his York style of singing bridled me.) Every album since then I have liked, but if you don't like The Bends, I can be fairly sure you won't like Roadiohead.

 

Different strokes. Kid A is particularly abstract, and reminds me of the Sonic Youth album NY ghosts & Flowers. I love Sonic youth, but play some fucking SONGS. Radiohead needs to realize that the great rock bands created songs while thinking about the next revolution. Every album doesn't need to be a masterpiece. In fact, a few rockin' 'light'songs will get the juices going, and probably be as good as the musical revolution you're trying to create.