Radiohead
 

I've searched around the boards to find discussions about Radiohead, but I haven't found any. It being one of my favourite bands ever, I had no choice but to start one!

Are there any other fans of Radiohead around here? From The Bends' awesome rock music to Kid A's experimental songs, Radiohead has proved that it's one of the most creative popular band in the world.

How can one not admire the beauty of songs such as Street Spirit (Fade Out), How To Disappear Completely and Let Down? They're all wonderful ballads that are really emotional while never going near the corny-area.

If you're more into rockier songs, Paranoid Android and Where I End And You Begin are some of the best stuff I've heard from recent music.

Their album OK Computer and Kid A show up on a lot of the world's most prestigious magazine's top 10 rock CD of all time (i.e.: Rolling Stones) and I believe I have to agree with all the praise it's getting.

Keep in mind that yes, Radiohead isn't easy-listening music, it can sound weird, dissonant, and many people hate Thom Yorke's voice. However, learning to like their music can result in quite an awesome experience as it is one of the most complex, multi-layered and all-around GOOD music I've heard.

Discuss.

It's kind of funny that I didn't even know about radiohead until a few years ago, after hearing a solo piano version of paranoid android by Brad Mehldau.
After someone had told me who it was originally by I decided to look into them, and since then I have enjoyed some of their music. Melhdau also does Exit Music (For A Film) by them, which is also very quite nice by both artists.

Despite being slightly biased towards the piano, I do enjoy Creep quite a bit. I like how just before they go into the chorus you're hit with some short, but heavy, power chords. Someone had told me that those chords were never suppose to be recorded on the final track. Do you know if there is any truth to this?

In my honest opinion these guys have made some fantastic songs there is no doubt; but they peaked far too early into their career.

I actually haven't heard anything about that, I must say I'm much more familiar with Radiohead late work (OK Computer and on...)

And if you're into piano a lot (like me), you should definitely check out Christopher O'Riley's 2 full albums of Radiohead piano arrangements, very nice stuff.

And in answer to you El Ray Fernando, I don't believe Radiohead peaked early into their career (I'm assuming you're speaking about OK Computer being the peak here). They could've went the easy way and come out with OK Computer #2, #3, etc. (which would be doing what 90% of the bands are doing these days), but instead, they chose to go more experimental, to constantly change their sound, which I believe is what turned a lot of people off. I think that they shows how much of a great band they are.

I must agree though, that some of their recent more experimental work has gone somewhat wrong (mainly referring to some of Amnesiac's stuff and Hail To The Thief's myxamotosis). However, I still don't think they've yet to peak, and the stuff they're preparing for their next album (due in 2007) already sounds great from what I've heard.

They are a band in constant reinvention, so there's really no peak to speak of. This is one of the few bands where I will buy their CD without question, and enjoy myself while listening to their music no matter what. I have yet to be dissapointed with their style and their directions.

As for touring, I caught their show outdoors when they were on the Hail to the Thief tour. It was an extremely good show, and hope to catch them as they come through Vancouver again.

One of my favorite bands. Though I'm normally pre-disposed towards alt/indie-rock kind of stuff, my favorite album by far is Kid A.

Anyone heard Thom's solo album (The Eraser) yet? It comes out early in July, but it's been leaked for a couple weeks now. It's excellent, along the lines of Kid A/Amnesiac, since it was all done by Thom. It's more low-key as a whole than any Radiohead album so far, but all the songs are top-notch.

Lastly: Jonny Greenwood is my hero.

Real story: Jonny Greenwood hated "Creep". So, as they were recording it, he slammed on the distortion pedal and banged out some "KA-CHUNK" noises right before the chorus in an effort to ruin it. They're not even notes, really, just loud, distorted noises. Ironically, everybody loved the "KA-CHUNK" noises, and now Jonny's rather forced to play them when they perform the song live. Funny how things work out that way, huh?

I am a huge Radiohead fan, myself, and I'm terribly sad that I was unable to see them on their summer tour. I tried to catch them at the Boston Pavillion, but the tickets sold out in literally under a minute. Anyway, you should get ramoth in here. He's also a Radiohead nut.

Also, Jonny Greenwood effin' destroys. I love his work with the Ondes Martenot on the latter three albums, in addition of course to his excellent guitar work.

In other news, my favorites of theirs would include "Let Down", "How to Disapper Completely", "The National Anthem", and the obvious "Paranoid Android"

*agrees*

I should also mention Pyramid Song as one of Radiohead's best work, its haunting piano and strings make for an awesome piece of music. And... just TRY playing it on the piano, the time measure is so hard to grasp, it took me literally 2 weeks to learn to play and sing the song at the same time!

I LOVE "Pyramid Song". I can play and sing it as well, it's rather strange to do it without drums, though. I have done it, though, at a local coffee shop (local to college, anyway), and to warm reception. I think I actually stamped my foot during the latter half to emphasize the truly jazzy nature of it! It's really well-composed, I think, in the way that you can't tell the metre or that everything is on the off-beat until the drums enter in 3/4 with breaks of 2/4 and such.

I'll make a recording sometime, maybe!

Radiohead is awesome. I originally got into them by purchasing Kid A (of course) years ago. Now, I own all of their albums and count myself as an avid fan. They're one band that continually progresses and seems to be trying to be aware of how they can improve and reinvent themselves. While I used to love Kid A at first, my favorite album of theirs has got to be The Bends.

I just wish they'd come near/around Columbus sometime on one of their tours.

I really love them, but unlike most people I don't seem to have a favorite album - seems to me there's a few really amazing songs on each album. I like all their songs, but I tend to skip over all the guitarry songs with some sort of political message - I've outgrown that stuff by now. The reason I like them so much is their specialty - absolutely beautiful, melancholy songs.

I'm not usually a big fan of this sort of music, either - at first I thought they were terribly dreary and depressing, but every time I listen to an album I appreciate another song more. A lot of people don't like Hail to the Thief at all, but I genuinely enjoyed it - it was different, yes, but not too drastic a change in quality or style. One of my favorite songs (There There) is on that album. Other favorites: Let Down, How to Disappear, Optimistic.

"There There" friggin' rocks. So does "Where I End And You Begin" - what a great bass groove, I always want to air-bass along while I'm driving, then I realise that I'll crash if I do, so I don't. Or I do it at stop signs. And why is "Sail to the Moon" so completely underappreciated? I think it's an absolutely gorgeous song, and Thom's cracking falsetto is used perfectly. It always gets me when he breaks off at the end of the line "know right from wrong~" - the delivery is so emotional throughout the whole song, and the contrasting "spacey" major key sections with the minor key sections is perfect. I don't understand why people hate this song. Can anyone assist me here, or do you all like it as well?

Other note: Radiohead has better B-sides than many bands have A-sides. Case in point: "Talk Show Host".

Radiohead is a great band, whether it's the mainstream stuff (Creep, You), and their experimental stuff, they make it quality. I had the privilege of seeing them live, which was another experience that cannot be put into words.

I actually have started liking these guys more as I hear them. They still aren't one of my favorites (yet), but they are definitely very talented and aren't afraid to go out on a limb and totally reinvent themselves for a different sound. They just have a different sound to begin with, and I like it. I guess I can respect them because that's kind of how Queen was :p.

I started listening to Radiohead since my brother introduced Karma Police to me. That song's chorus struck me as impressive, especially when Yorke belts out "I lost myself" over and over. Of course I've heard Creep on the radio way too many times; it's still a good song.

If I had to choose an album as my favorite, it would probably be the rockish The Bends, with such songs like (of course) The Bends and Street Spirit (Fade Out). I actually read somewhere that Yorke's inspiration for Street Spirit was a dream he thought was from the devil; he refuses to perform it live because of that. Someone refute this if it's untrue.

The only album of their that I have no qualm with is OK Computer. Other than that they're a singles band to me.

They're great! One of my favourite "Western" bands. My favourite album would be O.K. Computer, the whole album is simply excellent.

I find it amusing how the last two posters said rather different things, but still had one thing thing in common: You both like OK Computer from start to finish. OKC was my first Radiohead album, and it's still my favorite. However, I don't consider Radiohead a "singles" band. Pablo Honey is a relatively weak offering, with "You", "Creep", and "Thinking About You" clearly being the highlights, but I think the closer "Blow Out" is very strong offering that hints at where the band would go next. The Bends I find very solid all the way through, there's not a track that I tend to skip.

Majin, have you listened to Kid A at all? The album had no singles, but as an album, I consider it an artistic achievement. The whole thing flows from start to end, and it has absolutely no right to - It consists of such diverse elements as sparse electronica, soundscapes, Free Jazz, IDM, and tracks such as "How to Disappear Completely", which is one of the most well-composed songs I've heard in a long time. The song makes so much use of elements set against each other, like the guitar in six and the bass in four, or strings playing a tone cluster which against very tonal music. And the moment where the strings rise and rise and choke out the rest of the music, and the tension builds and builds, then suddenly breaks is absolutely perfect. "HTCD" is, in my opinion, a masterpiece.

I have listened to Kid A (it's on my Zen). However, I only really like 'The National Anthem' and 'How To Disappear Completely'. TNA is one of my fave Radiohead tracks actually.

I'll admit Kid A is weird and different, and I agree that "TNA" and "HTDC" are the best tracks. But I'm a weird and different kind of guy, I guess. I think I gave the album about three listens straight through before passing judgement. But, hey, not everybody is me, so you're entitled to your opinion. "TNA", though, we can both agree, kicks serious ass. I have a video of them performing it live on SNL if you want me to upload.

Changing the topic. I see you're a big Muse fan. What do you think of the Radiohead/Muse comparisons? Any credibility to them, or just a load of bunk?

I think it's a load of bollocks to be honest. The sound nothing alike and I'm quite confused as to how it came about to be honest.

One of the things I don't like about Radiohead comparisons (like Coldplay... seriously, what?) is that they base it solely on the band's origin. Or maybe very weakly on the vocalists, who still sound nothing alike.

Yea I don't get the comparisons either...I'm sure bands are highly influenced, but there's not really a direct ripoff.

As of lately, i've been heavily listening to them. I seriously cannot get enough of their music, it's too beautiful and too haunting. Hell, right now i'm listening to Knives Out...which is a fantastic song btw. They're definitely a profound band that can make music that can appeal to many people. My favorite song by them has to be hands down, 'Where I End And You Begin', also...who DOESN'T love 'Talk Show Host'? I mean, come on lol.

Karma Police and Paranoid Android are the two that do it for me. Just such beautiful tracks.

<<<RAGH DELETE. please.>>>

Radiohead is alright. I enjoy OK Computer, however I didn't care for Kid A. I liked one song off of it but didn't care for the rest.

As for the Muse/Radiohead comparisons I can see it, since on some songs the singer from Muse has a similarity to Tom Thorke and if one didn't know better they'd probably think they were listening to Radiohead.

On the subject of albums - I think the problem is that with this band, and others, just any band in general - people just look for singles. They don't listen to an album in it's entirity, and they don't get a true picture of its genious...or failure, lol. Some bands are just good singles bands, some bands are good album bands - some are both. You gotta try both styles of listening to figure out where any band truly shines.

I think it also depends on how you hear the band. If you pick it up from the radio then more than likely you'll enjoy what they have on the radio more than what's not being played. If you heard them from another source, then perhaps you'll enjoy more of their albums.

Usually when I listen to an album, I latch onto one or two tracks, really love and obsess over them, and then gloss over the rest of the album. Then days, weeks, or months later, I listen to the rest of the album again and latch onto one or two more. Depending on how much I like the band, this may keep happening until I like the entire album, or just the one time and I move on. I don't tend to be an album listener because I get too attached to a couple songs to listen to the disc the whole way through, but I also tend to pick songs that weren't the radio singles as my favorites.

I'm still not done doing this with Radiohead, there are a lot of songs I've only listened to once or twice.

I agree 100%. Pablo Honey was a great first album, but then the Bends was a masterpiece compared to it, and in and of itself. OK Computer is one of the great masterpieces of rock, and will be remembered as such 100 years from now, assuredly. However, if you put Kid A and Amnesiac together, you still get... half an album. I have listened to "The Bends" at least 400 times, and "OK Computer" at least 700 times, but I will not even bother to buy Hail to the Thief at this point. Just sad... Although, "Morning Bell" is pure genius.

I liked Hail To The Thief better than Kid A or Amnesiac. This might just be me though.

As much as I love OK Computer, my personal favorite out of all their albums is Amnesiac. While there are a few duds on the album, (Morning Bell/Amnesiac and Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors come to mind) it has amazing tracks like "You and Whose Army?", "Like Spinning Plates" and "Pyramid Song". The B-Sides are all top-notch, too bad they're only found scattered among singles. I really wish that they would release a B-Sides collection from all their albums, they would make a killing off it.

When's their next album coming out? They're due out with something new here pretty soon I'd imagine.

The album was originally due sometime this year, but it's been delayed to next year. They're currently touring and playing some of their new songs during their shows. Right now, they don't even have a deal with a company for their new LP since their contract with EMI ended recently.

I am a fan of metal and usually listens to music which I would term as direct. Radiohead is probably the only band I enjoy which I wouldn't say was direct. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is I like about them, but I do like their songs.

My favourite Radiohead album is probably Kid A. I find it unorthodox and uneasy. Love Idioteque. My CD is screwed up for some reason though, it keeps skipping on that track. Never really touched Pablo Honey though.

The first time I heard Radiohead was back in the summer of '97, when Paranoid Android was played sporadically on the radio. I just loved it that song. In the end I just had to ride my bike to the nearest music shop about 10 miles from where I lived to buy the single. Couldn't find it, so I bought the entire album, which I grew to love. Good times.

Fave songs: Lucky, Paranoid Android, Pyramid Song, Knives Out, You, Kinetik, The Trickster, Talk Show Host, Optimistic, I Might Be Wrong, Sail to the Moon, Where I End And You Begin, A Wolf At The Door, Idioteque (especially the live version on the I Might Be Wrong-album)
Hm, it was hard to narrow them down.

It annoys me that so many people connect Radiohead only with 'Creep' and 'Karma Police'. I guess 'Karma Police' is ok, but 'Creep' is just...bad. No wonder people don't like Radiohead if those are the only two songs people think of when they hear the name 'Radiohead'.



Really? I don't really find those two bands very similar, apart from the singing style of the vocalists, perhaps.

Ah yes, I had forgotten the b-sides! Good stuff. I have a mix of them I'll have to dig out. Exit Music (for a film), Talk Show Host, Pearly, Killer Cars... there's a lot of nice tunes there.

I like the song 'Creep', but it did become a bit of a curse to them because people who turned up to listen to the band back then were always expecting to hear this song.

I can only draw similarities between the voices of the singers of Muse and Radiohead. Their styles are different. I find the music Radiohead to be unorthodox, even uncompromising at times whereas Muse was overblown (in a good way) at least for the first two albums...

Also, 'Exit Music (for a film)' was not a b-side. It was on the OK Computer album.

I meant the singers in Mars Volta and Muse, not Radiohead and Muse.

Radiohead oh shit son.

As Amara said, I'm a gigantic Radiohead nut. I don't know anyone who knows significantly more about them than me. :P

I'm eagerly awaiting Thom's solo album, The Eraser (July 11th). I'm literally counting down the days, I can't fucking wait.

Has anyone else been listening to the bootlegs coming off the current tour? My favorite songs are Down Is The New Up and Videotape. When Thom posted the lyrics to Videotape on Dead Air Space I tried imagining what it would sound like. I actually ended up being pretty close. :o

Their new album is coming out next year, supposedly. They haven't really even selected a producer. Originally they were self-producing, and then they were working with Spike Stent, and now they are on tour road-testing some of the new material, trying to get their act together. They are not going to be working with Nigel Godrich (who incidentally produced Thom's solo album). They want to explore new sonic territory. I expect to hear some dub influences in their new album, as they've been listening to a lot of it. In fact, Jonny recently listened to nothing but Dub for 6 months. He posted about that on the official message board.

Yeah :nerd:city for me right here.

Double Post:
Good article here on The Eraser and Radiohead's new albumymymy and tour.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/02/ar...ic/02pare.html

If you need a login, try http://www.bugmenot.com

I seem to recall that Muse once gave Radiohead as an influence during an iterview and I think to a certain extent, Matt Belamy (who is GOD btw) used a similar vocal style to Thom Yorke on the first Muse album, but just like Radiohead do, Muse constantly change their sound and this is probably the only real similarity between the two bands.

But yeah, The Eraser, Thom Yorke's solo album comes out on July 11th. Everyone should go buy it.

I've already been listening to it. It's pretty good, but none of the tracks really grab me. A solid release, but nothing mind-blowing or overly spectacular. It's somewhat of an unfair critique though cause most every radiohead album has blown me away. Just because this one doesn't do quite the same, doesn't mean that still isn't better than 90% of the crap out there. Of course, you may find it to suit your tastes.