Is "In Rainbows" underrated??

[djerdap]

Great album, but yes overrated, only due to how so many use it as the THE example of "experimental music" of the past 5 years.

I've rarely heard anybody talk about In Rainbows as an example of Radiohead's experimental sound.

 

[barlowdog]

Damn. Strong post.

This sums up basically my exact thoughts about the album. I agree with all of it.

Thanks, GirlsAloud. Nice to know when someone whose opinion I value shares my thoughts.

When barlowdog actually posts, he posts quality.

I have avoided this thread, as I too am a bit confused by anyone calling any Radiohead album other than Pablo Honey "underrated". Maybe in the spectrum of pop or radio music, In Rainbows was underrated. In the general realm of music though, it received massive amounts of press, universal critical acclaim, and essentially everyone who likes music "bought" it because of the initial "pay what you want" model.

Thanks, U2PM. I appreciate that. I've always enjoyed your posts as well. There's a thread on Everything You Know Is Wrong about "Please", single vs. album version. Didn't check first to see if you posted on it, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. I'm not sure now which version to use on U2 mixes I make for people.

 

[BVS]

I'm not sure who is placing one Radiohead's most straightforward albums on the "experimental" pedestal.

I've rarely heard anybody talk about In Rainbows as an example of Radiohead's experimental sound.

Were you all not around when it came out, or again when NLOTH came out?

 

[LemonMelon]

Never heard any of that either. The method of release was experimental, but In Rainbows is basically their (far superior) ATYCLB.

 

[BVS]

but In Rainbows is basically their (far superior) ATYCLB.

Glad to hear people finally admit this.

 

[iron yuppie]

In Rainbows is no Amnesiac in terms of experimentation, but it does have tracks that are entirely distinct from anything else in their catalogue. "Nude" and "Reckoner" spring to mind immediately. "Videotape" is also perhaps the sparsest track in their catalogue. As always, this conversation is going to hinge on how we define "experimental."

 

[Jive Turkey]

I don't think I've ever heard In Rainbows being described as experimental around these parts either. As a matter of fact, I believe people at the time were saying it's the logical successor to The Bends

 

[u2popmofo]

I've always thought it was their most straight forward and accessible album. Hell, even local mainstream radio stations played songs from it now and again.

 

[PhilsFan]

Were you all not around when it came out, or again when NLOTH came out?

I was not really around when In Rainbows came out, but I was when NLOTH came out. I've never heard In Rainbows referred to as experimental. It's considered one of their most straightforward by basically everyone.

 

[PhilsFan]

In Rainbows is no Amnesiac in terms of experimentation, but it does have tracks that are entirely distinct from anything else in their catalogue. "Nude" and "Reckoner" spring to mind immediately. "Videotape" is also perhaps the sparsest track in their catalogue. As always, this conversation is going to hinge on how we define "experimental."

It's new ground for Radiohead, certainly. But it's not experimental in the way people mean when talking about OK Computer or Kid A/Amnesiac.