Sell me on Radiohead.

[godthedog 0]

Ween can write a good song, yes, but the one thing I never liked about them (their early stuff, anyway) was a lot of it came off as mindless noodling with a drum machine and vocal effects. At least a third of Pure Guava is guilty of that.

hmm. this is true. i've pretty much blocked 'pure guava' out of my brain.

 

Radiohead's "genius" lies in the influences they take to put in there music. Miles Davis, DJ Shadow, The Pixies, Sigur Ros, Aphex Twin, The Smiths and all manner of classical and jazz musicians. The fact that they have managed to put all these different styles into their music, as well as putting their own twist on it, mwans they end up with something completely individual and brilliant.

eh. since the beatles and miles, it's not terribly spectacular anymore to synthesize together a bunch of disparate styles. sure, it's part of what makes any number of bands great, but it doesn't make radiohead BETTER than all the other bands that did this just because they took from more sources.

 

speaking of which, where the hell IS the miles influence in radiohead?

 

As for best of the nineties, it'd be hard to name a band whose body of work is as good as Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer (their nineties albums).

can't make a judgment on 'pablo honey', but i do find 'the pod' and 'the mollusk' a lot more fulfilling than 'the bends' and 'ok computer'.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

speaking of which, where the hell IS the miles influence in radiohead?

no shit, i nearly lsot my shit when i saw that. do you have a brain?

[Slayer 0]

A few years ago a friend of mine tried to sell me on Radiohead, citing them as "almost mainstream accesible prog rock"

 

I didn't dig it

 

As for Oasis, I didn't even know they were still around (if they were at all). All I remember is "Champagne Supernova" and I fucking hated that song

[Nighthawk 0]

As for best of the nineties, it'd be hard to name a band whose body of work is as good as Pablo Honey, The Bends and OK Computer (their nineties albums).

Even though I haven't listened to those albums yet, I'm still betting Outkast's albums were as good or better. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik may not have been as inovative as their later work, or quite as good, but it was damn good for what it was and hardly a blemish on them.

ATLiens, I can't find anything bad to say about it except it wasn't as good as Aquemini. Aquemini is just one of the greatest albums ever released. OK Computer might be as well, but there's a certain point of greatest reached where nothing is better, just good in a different way. Aquemini is there.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Bleach = Pablo Honey

In Utero = The Bends

Nevermind = Ok Computer

 

Bleach ain't good, but Pablo Honey isn't really either. And I'd gladly take the 1-2 punch of Nevermind and In Utero over The Bends and OK Computer.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

While not a direct influence on any songs in particular, Jonny Greenwood has always said he was influenced by Bitches Brew when making OK Computer. More the experimentation and tone that influenced them rather than an obvious sound you can hear, although they've specifically named "Subterranean Homesick Alien" as their attempt to emulate Davis.

 

And personally, I'd take The Bends over Southern... and ATLiens put together, and while a great album, OK Computer takes Aquemini simply by the range of sound and the fact that barely a second is wasted.

 

As for Nirvana vs Radiohead, I've never been a fan or Nevermind. The Bends is a greater album on most levels, while OK COmputer shades In Utero.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Man, liking music is hard.

 

It's also funny that Czech hasn't posted in here since he started the thread.

 

As little as it means, here's my own list of album preference, but don't even ask me to explain why, when it comes to music I just like what I like without any reason to it.

 

OK Computer

Kid A (the top two are virtually tied though)

The Bends

Amnesiac

Hail to the Thief

Pablo Honey

 

When I try to sell people on them, I suggest tracks from mostly OK Computer and The Bends, then suggest some Kid A if they're still curious or somehow wondering why people call the band difficult. I'm actually one of the few Radiohead fans I know in real life who absolutely loves Kid A.

[Nighthawk 0]

From the sound of it, I will love Kid A. I adore barely cognizant noise albums.

[godthedog 0]

From the sound of it, I will love Kid A. I adore barely cognizant noise albums.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

It's also funny that Czech hasn't posted in here since he started the thread.

Look harder.

 

REM has had two great 90s albums, in New Adventures and Automatic. They should be up there I think, though I've never seen any REM fans on this board before...

[Art Sandusky 0]

Dammit, I keep overlooking Czech's posts. A nasty habit.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Like I said, I need flashing lights and blinking squares for my posts to get Kotz's attention.

 

I don't feel the Miles Davis in Radiohead at all. The Smiths, sort of, based on "Death of a Disco Dancer."

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

From the sound of it, I will love Kid A. I adore barely cognizant noise albums.

BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK SCRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

[Murmuring Beast 0]

It's also funny that Czech hasn't posted in here since he started the thread.

Look harder.

 

REM has had two great 90s albums, in New Adventures and Automatic. They should be up there I think, though I've never seen any REM fans on this board before...

I might sound like an old crone but owning every REM album, there are only two 90s albums that I listen to and those are the ones you mentioned.

 

I think Out Of Time is a bit flimsy (Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People are great; the rest is kinda self-derivative). Monster is terrible and I stand by that. There are a lot of pretentious views on that album, but I think it is embarrassing. Peter Buck uses about 4 chords on that album; for a decent guitarist his playing on that is atrocious. The lyrics are awful and Stipe had a definite off year when recording that.

 

Up is ok; not as bad as I first thought. There are some good songs on it, but it is far too long and way too synth based. Reveal is also a nice listen.

 

Around The Sun is an absolute disgrace for REM - it is far and away the worst album they have ever done. Derivative, soppy rubbish with boring lyrics, stolen melodies (from themselves) and uninspired playing (is Buck there at all?)

 

I listen to the entire 80s catalogue quite often and its energy and melody takes away from the fact that the were very forumulaic on the early albums (Jangly guitar, lively bass).

 

As for Radiohead, I own The Bends and have never gotten into it. It's the only album I own that I really can't be bothered listening to. I'm sure it's great, but I find REM far more accessible.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I'm actually one of the few Radiohead fans I know in real life who absolutely loves Kid A.

One of the things I should have noted in my list is that I was going more for the general conception than my own solid opinion. I love Kid A, and there are plenty of days when I think it's my favorite Radiohead album.

 

I too can feel an inkling of the Smiths in Radiohead, but frankly, just about every British guitar-based pop-rock band has a bit of the Smiths in them. Radiohead hasn't got Morrissey's sense of humor at all.

[godthedog 0]

radiohead has no sense of humor at all.

 

well, almost. i can sense a bit of snide humor in "a wolf at the door." i can't really locate it anywhere, but it feels like it's sort of there.

[BX 0]

Kid A is fabulous stuff.

[Myxamatosis 0]

radiohead has no sense of humor at all.

 

well, almost. i can sense a bit of snide humor in "a wolf at the door." i can't really locate it anywhere, but it feels like it's sort of there.

It's a subtle humor. Like on "No Surprises" or the underrated "Thinking About You." They have taken themselves too seriously in the past, but on "Hail," you can see that their guard has been let down.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

I'm actually one of the few Radiohead fans I know in real life who absolutely loves Kid A.

One of the things I should have noted in my list is that I was going more for the general conception than my own solid opinion. I love Kid A, and there are plenty of days when I think it's my favorite Radiohead album.

My two main problems with Kid A:

 

1) The Warp influence was taken way too far. Out of all the albums since PH, it's probably the most derivative.

 

2) Once they got to performing the songs live, they were completely transformed, often into better versions. The definative versions of National Anthem, Idioteque and Everything in it's right place are the live versions off the I Might Be Wrong EP. Morning Bell and the acoustic version of Motion Picture Soundtrack are also far superior. Once you've heard these versions, the recorded versions seem flimsy in comparison.

[Myxamatosis 0]

2) Once they got to performing the songs live, they were completely transformed, often into better versions. The definative versions of National Anthem, Idioteque and Everything in it's right place are the live versions off the I Might Be Wrong EP. Morning Bell and the acoustic version of Motion Picture Soundtrack are also far superior. Once you've heard these versions, the recorded versions seem flimsy in comparison.

I have to agree with that one. Their concert perfomances expand the songs so well.

[Guest krazykat72]

Guilty Pleasure of mine would be Smashing Pumpkins, although I'm not guilty, because of the fact that I don't feel guilty about what I like, but that's the buzzword for "bands/artists you like that aren't typical of bands/artists you like". Siamese Dream is a great rock record, Adore is pretty good, and if you trim down, okay, SEVERELY trim down Mellon Collie to one disc it's pretty solid as well.

Smashing Pumpkins are far and away my favorite band. I disagree with your assertation of trimming down Mellon Collie to one disc and highly recommend the Aeroplane Flies High box set (which has perhaps the best music Billy ever wrote on it).

Gish is a great debut album and Siamese Dream is a masterpiece.

The evolution of the sound of the band is something else.

Track down the Mashed Potatoes 5 Disc bootleg which can be found at www.billy-corgan.com and then the Gravity (instrumental MCIS demos) along with the Adore demos and Machina Acoustic Demos and the changes are unbelievable but in a good way.

Too many people buy into the ridiculous media labels he's been given and don't spend enough time looking at the music.

 

*rant mode off*

 

Helmet's also one of the best bands of the 90's, but that's a whole other post.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[Guest P!NK.]

OK Computer

Kid A (the top two are virtually tied though)

The Bends

Amnesiac

Hail to the Thief

Pablo Honey

 

That's pretty much where I stand as well, though I listen to Kid A far more frequently than OK Computer.

 

My two main problems with Kid A:

 

1) The Warp influence was taken way too far. Out of all the albums since PH, it's probably the most derivative.

 

Care to expound on that?

 

 

The great thing (or critical flaw) with Radiohead is that they often refuse to settle on just writing great songs. Many of the songs in the Kid A/Amnesiac arc are great songs that have just been thrown off-kilter by one particular experimentation or another, which has led to some direct hits...and clumsy misses. Use alien-sounding synthesizers for "Everything In Its Right Place" and suddenly it's a great song and the perfect opener to the album. Take the same techno-electric trickery to the first few tracks on Amnesiac ("Pyramid Song" excepted) and you suck all possible momentum out of the album.

 

A lot of people debunked Hail To The Thief for eschewing those experimental tendencies, and I'd say that they had a good point; most of the songs on that album are good, but they don't really have that same hook or allure of the OK Computer / Kid A stuff because the lack of instrumental/production experimentation exposes the songs as being decent, if unspectacular, pieces of work. Two albums earlier, Radiohead probably would have mashed the hell out of something straightforward like "Scatterbrain" but, as it is on Hail to the Thief, it just sits there as just a good song. Better than a lot of other bands out there, but not great.

 

So of course most of the recommendations for Radiohead come from two areas - the first being the period when they could write great songs without excessive experimental tomfoolery (The Bends), the second being the period where the experimentation churned out a bunch of really crazy tunes (OK/Kid A).

 

If you like straight-away rock, The Bends is probably one of the top ten albums of the 90's. If your tastes are more exotic (I loathe to use "sophisticated"), you can't really do much better than the OK Computer / Kid A duet. The fact that Radiohead caters to both groups speaks volumes of their skill as songwriters and performers.

 

And yeah, they have really hot groupies.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I love Radiohead now.

[BX 0]

- Mission Accomplished, Close Thread Now.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I don't really like The Gloaming!

[Mystery Eskimo 0]

Up is ok; not as bad as I first thought. There are some good songs on it, but it is far too long and way too synth based. Reveal is also a nice listen.

I adore Up, it seems like one of the few REM albums where they've actually made the music they want to, rather then what they think they should be making.

 

I have nothing to back that up, but then I seem to have weird taste in REM albums. I don't really like Automatic or Reveal and I love Monster.

[Guest Temet]

I don't really like The Gloaming!

That's because it's a poor cousin of Idioteque.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Why does Mystery Eskimo think it's weird to not like Reveal.

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

So I was at open mic night last night at my local coffee shop and these two Asian guys played an excellent, EXCELLENT acoustic version of "Bulletproof."

 

That's really all I have to say.