Radiohead: The King of Limbs, Continued

[Catman]

While I wouldn't say there is any specific track that I dislike per se, there also isn't one that really moves me at an emotional level; it's a very cerebral record compared to the more visceral In Rainbows, IMO.

Also, whenever I listen to KoL, I can't help but think that the entire record was recorded while Radiohead were hopped up on adderall or something. It seems like so much attention was made towards the tiny details, that the band sort of forgot about the larger picture - so while the songs themselves aren't bad, the record as a whole doesn't seem to measure up to the sum of its parts.

meh, that's just my overall take on The King of Limbs at the moment

 

[cobl04]

little Annie Adderall was an outcast in high school...

 

[lazarus]

I can't help but think that the entire record was recorded while Radiohead were hopped up on adderall or something. It seems like so much attention was made towards the tiny details, that the band sort of forgot about the larger picture - so while the songs themselves aren't bad, the record as a whole doesn't seem to measure up to the sum of its parts.

Something this album's cheerleaders are oblivious to, sadly.

 

[Lancemc]

Be more condescending about it.

 

[Imperor]

No, Lance. We're wrong to enjoy this album as much as we do. I already came to terms with the fact that my opinion is incorrect. You should do the same.

 

[lazarus]

Be more condescending about it.

Sure thing:


Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Radiohead: The King of Limbs

 

[nielsgov]

so while the songs themselves aren't bad, the record as a whole doesn't seem to measure up to the sum of its parts.

I disagree completely with this. I think the flow of the album is extremely good and while there aren't as many outstanding songs on TKOL as on most Radiohead albums I feel that the flow and cohesiveness compensate that (partly). But to each their own I guess.

 

[LemonMelon]

I disagree completely with this. I think the flow of the album is extremely good and while there aren't as many outstanding songs on TKOL as on most Radiohead albums I feel that the flow and cohesiveness compensate that (partly). But to each their own I guess.

Yeah, I feel the exact opposite of Catman. Which isn't to say that I consider the album to be perfection defined or anything, but it's pretty clear that the album flows brilliantly. It's the individual songs that leave something to be desired when viewed in the greater context of Radiohead's discography.

 

[lazarus]

Well I think he's right about the attention to detail at the expense of the overall quality, whether it be of the songs themselves or the album as a whole. So it depends what you mean by Big Picture. It's a dynamic aural experience, but the overall weight isnt there.

 

[iron yuppie]

I really don't know why discussion about this album keeps coming back to the idea of standout songs. Maybe it's symptomatic of the current milieu in which almost everything is conceptualized as a 99-cent (or whatever the hell they are charging now) iTunes download rather than a unified piece of music, but to me it's fairly clear that the band was not trying to produce immediately-gripping songs. It's not as though I go around humming songs from Bowie's Low, but that doesn't mean that the album is some kind of failure, either. I think that the same applies to KoL.

 

[LemonMelon]

It's not as though I go around humming songs from Bowie's Low

You don't think Be My Wife and Sound And Vision are catchy? Not exactly musique concrete there.

But I'm splitting hairs. I just don't have much use for any of the album's tracks individually. If I'm listening to King of Limbs, I'm fucking listening to King of Limbs. All of it. But I don't get excited when I hear Lotus Flower on our local indie station because it's not anything special in and of itself. With In Rainbows, I felt I could do both.

 

[Catman]

Well I think he's right about the attention to detail at the expense of the overall quality, whether it be of the songs themselves or the album as a whole. So it depends what you mean by Big Picture. It's a dynamic aural experience, but the overall weight isnt there.

Yeah, my comment was more directed towards the songs themselves. I suppose a more accurate assessment would be that the individual songs fail to measure up more than the sum of their respective parts.


...or I just don't "get it"

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

boohiss..

Radiohead rule out releasing 'Kings Of Limbs' sequel | News | NME.COM

 

[iron yuppie]

What really struck me about that article was this sidebar: Coldplay fans are 'least likely to have sex on a first date' | News | NME.COM

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

^

 

[lazarus]

I rest my case.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

YEP.. that's birth control right there.. ^

 

[LemonMelon]

boohiss..

Radiohead rule out releasing 'Kings Of Limbs' sequel | News | NME.COM

When we start a new record, we tend to start afresh. It's kind of an evolutionary thing-- only the fittest survive.

I don't think we could have been further off in our appraisal of Radiohead. I chuckled a bit.

 

[lazarus]

Anyone who actually thought there was more coming out is a rube.

The band already is on record as saying they don't have interest in any ambitious projects anymore, so get used to wispy, glorified EPs like King of Limbs.

 

[cobl04]

The second album business was based on the fact the record was 38 minutes long (a perfectly acceptable length as it is ) and the last lyric in Separator being "if you think this is over you're wrong". If you think about that, that's quite fucking ridiculous.

Doesn't look like they're touring either.

Spoiler

Cunts.

Excuse my French there.

 

[MoodyJ]

Doesn't look like they're touring either.

Spoiler

Cunts.

Excuse my French there.

That sucks!

 

[BVS]

I'm glad they aren't releasing another album from those sessions...

Radiohead need to just purge whatever they have leftover and release a "b-sides and left overs" album and then start over new. They need another "dream it all over" phase.

 

[bono_man2002]

What really struck me about that article was this sidebar: Coldplay fans are 'least likely to have sex on a first date' | News | NME.COM

Awesome!

 

[djerdap]

If anyone wants to listen to a shitty quality leak of the two new songs, here's the link:

Check Out: Radiohead – “The Butcher” + “Supercollider” � Consequence of Sound

Looks like Supercollider got the 4 Minute Warning/Go Slowly/Videotape treatment (aka let's bury the catchy piano-based melody as much as possible into electronic dribble).

I do like it though!

 

[djerdap]

It has been done to death, but this one is priceless:

YouTube - Hitler on The King Of Limbs

 

[lazarus]

Somehow, this meme still manages to be funny when done right.

"Wonky-eyed little fuckwit", "I've taken shits that are longer than this record!"

Perfect.

 

[LemonMelon]

You don't fuck with the man whose hairdo inspired you so.

 

[lazarus]

"And to think I wasted all that time staring at that photo of them in the woods and looking for secret messages in those shitty songs!"

 

[djerdap]

"It's all that fucking dubstep shit."

 

[mikal]

yeah, Supercollider and Butcher sound tasty. i think i'm going to add them to TKOL somehow. not sure what placement i'll give them.