Radiohead Discussion Thread Part II

[HCL]

I like it as well, orange cat. Hunting Bears is one of my most listened to tracks from Amnesiac, so I feel your pain.

Ha! First time anyone used the orange cat one. Even though it's not why I used this name, nice one. And I have to admit that I had to listen to Hunting Bears again to remember it.

I like Pulk/Pull as well.

You wanna talk minority, you gotta go with songs you DON'T like. I'm in the very small group who thinks How to Disappear Completely is boring and overrated, and nowhere near one of their best songs, best slow songs, whatever.

Seriously? I love that song.
Well, let's see... I really don't get all the drooling over Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, it's a nice track but that's it; the only one on In Rainbows that I don't find awesome though. And I have a serious problem with High & Dry, as with most of HTTT, especially There There; this one bores me.

 

[u2popmofo]

especially There There; this one bores me.

Even live?

 

[HCL]

Even live?

Even live. Probably I even prefer the studio version if I had to choose, but meh for both, to me.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I think Backdrifting and The Gloaming are incredibly blah, and pretty miserable examples of their respective influences.

I agree with you on the recorded 'The Gloaming' off HTTT, but I have to say that I've seen it performed live at least 4 times and it's been great each time; 'The Gloaming' works really well live.

 

[nielsgov]

I hate Sulk. It's my least fav of The Bends. And there are many songs on HTTT and Amnesiac that I don't care for.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I hate Sulk.

You are dead to me now.

 

[PhilsFan]

And I think My Iron Lung is the worst song on The Bends.

I completely agree.

 

[lazarus]

I agree with you on the recorded 'The Gloaming' off HTTT, but I have to say that I've seen it performed live at least 4 times and it's been great each time; 'The Gloaming' works really well live.

This.

 

[PhilsFan]

For minority opinions to contribute: I don't like The National Anthem because the horn section annoys the shit out of me.

 

[nielsgov]

 

[martha]

I was less than impressed with Phil Selway's new solo song yesterday.

 

[lazarus]

Did you get that email from him?

I almost reported it as spam before I realized what it was.

 

[If you shout...]

lol

Are you serious? That was from Philip Selway? I deleted them shits without a second thought.

 

[lazarus]

Ha! Yeah, I saw "Hello, it's Philip and I'd like to tell you about..." and was about to click the spam button before I saw the WASTE address it was from.

 

[martha]

Did you get that email from him?

I almost reported it as spam before I realized what it was.

No email. I have a RH widget on my Mac and it had a link to the song on it.

 

[cobl04]

Who DOESN'T like Sulk?

Friggin' Cobbler.

wrong again, apparently.

i'm glad someone bought up Amnesiac because it gives me another opportunity to say that i loathe that album, though Pyramid Song is amazing and Packt and Glasshouse are quite good. the rest of it ranges from among the worst songs i've ever heard (Spinning Plates) to utter garbage to downright mediocrity. and yes i'm including both You and Whose Army and I Might Be Wrong (cool riff but Thom ruins the song).

 

[Imperor]

Amnesiac is my second favorite of theirs behind OKC.

 

[the tourist]

You And Whose Army through Dollars And Cents is one of my favourite on a Radiohead album.

 

[nielsgov]

How can you dislike You And Whose Army and I Might Wrong? Two of my favourite RH songs. Knives Out is whiny though.

 

[LemonMelon]

Amnesiac is pretty good, but not good enough to drag you into its spell the way Kid A does. There is a dark, dusty feel to the album (I feel like I'm describing wine over here), as if you've just uncovered a series of demos that were never meant to be heard and are probably cursed, but, sadly, I skip around so much that it mostly just sounds like a series of demos. It starts out great, but by the time Pulk comes around, it's pretty obvious what it is you've just purchased. The second half is pretty much a wasteland. Thankfully, I love nearly everything in the first half, so overall I like the album.

 

[HCL]

but by the time Pulk comes around, it's pretty obvious what it is you've just purchased.

But Pulk is so awesome.
I agree though, the first half is much better. (I do like the second half however, not as much as the first, but I do.)
If I had to name Radiohead's worst album after PH it would had to be HTTT. There's something in it... that doesn't click with me. Guess is no coincidence that Thom had so much control over HTTT's sound and that I feel the same distance with The Eraser.

 

[djerdap]

Amnesiac's 2nd half has Like Spinning Plates, which automatically makes it awesome (the beautiful live version only makes it better). And I was never as big of a fan of Life in a Glasshouse as some, but I appreciate it more as time goes by.

 

[LemonMelon]

the beautiful live version only makes it better

Mmmhmm, got a chance to see this for myself (whilst discussing the art direction of Stroszek, as well as the validity of the term "art direction" in modern cinema; it was the Virginia 2008 show and therefore the only time wearing a scarf in late May could have made sense). I find the album version an amusing scribble with a certain hypnotic quality that's kind of cool, but live it's so gorgeous. A comepletely different song, really.

 

[djerdap]

There's something about that studio version that creates some fascinating images in my head. I cannot imagine a more fitting soundtrack to lyrics like "our bodies floating down the muddy river".

 

[FitzChivalry]

Amnesiac's 2nd half has Like Spinning Plates, which automatically makes it awesome (the beautiful live version only makes it better). And I was never as big of a fan of Life in a Glasshouse as some, but I appreciate it more as time goes by.

There's something about that studio version that creates some fascinating images in my head. I cannot imagine a more fitting soundtrack to lyrics like "our bodies floating down the muddy river".

These. Almost to a 'T'. QFT.

Except, probably in the minority here but, I don't prefer the live version over the album version. I absolutely LOVE the album version and it's always been my favorite track off Amnesiac.

 

[cobl04]

But Pulk is so awesome.

i hate Pulk, but there was also a time i hated Kid A (the song) and now that's firmly in my top ten.

Amnesiac's 2nd half has Like Spinning Plates, which automatically makes it awesome (the beautiful live version only makes it better). And I was never as big of a fan of Life in a Glasshouse as some, but I appreciate it more as time goes by.

that's part of the reason the album disappointed me so; i purchased it having heard a live version of Spinning Plates with this beautiful piano line, thinking there'd be at least one song that made it worth coming back to. but it's just a pointless, meandering mix of computerised noises and a woeful vocal. but each to their own.

 

[cobl04]

something else I wanted to ask... why is OKC, and in particular Lucky & Tourist, continually get referred to as "Pink Floydian"? i've never understood.

 

[FitzChivalry]

I'm not the best with the whole musical-analysis skillz, but I can definitely hear DSOTM in those tunes.

 

[nielsgov]

I don't hear it but I'm not good in comparing music.

 

[iron yuppie]

The soaring guitar parts in "Lucky" seem like they came right out of David Gilmour's arsenal. The solos in "Time" and "Comfortably Numb" among many others have the same drawn-out, echoing sound.

I think that OK Computer and Dark Side are also very similar thematically, both dealing with the manner in which individuals deal with the pressures and paranoia of their respective environments. I've often thought that OKC can be seen as Dark Side updated for the 90s, at least from a lyrical standpoint.