Radiohead Discussion Thread

[elevated_u2_fan]

Do any of you little cnuts know what the deal is with a follow up album to In Rainbows?

I've been asking this for months...

 

[u2popmofo]

From shooting hoops to the Super Bowl

Feed me the rock

 

[Dalton]

Feed me the rock

I'm going to stab you in the heart with a knife I stole from an artist.

 

[phillyfan26]

Feed me the rock

Now give me the rock.

Also:

1. In Rainbows
2. OK Computer
3. The Bends
4. Hail to the Thief
5. Kid A
6. Amnesiac
7. Pablo Honey

BOOM.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

since all the cool kids are doing it:

1. OK Computer
2. Hail To The Thief
3. In Rainbows
4. Amnesiac
5. Kid A
6. The Bends
7. Pablo Honey

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I do not recall seeing the video to Fake Plastic Trees and all I can say is awww ...

YouTube - Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees

 

[phanan]

1. The Bends
2. OK Computer
3. In Rainbows
4. Amnesiac
5. Kid A
6. Hail To The Thief
7. Pablo Honey

 

[cdisantis83]

1. In Rainbows
2. OK Computer
3. Kid A
4. Hail to the Thief
5. The Bends
6. Amnesiac
7. Pablo Honey

I should note, however, that Kid A and OKC is really a toss-up, as are numbers 4-6.

 

[Dalton]

1. OK Computer
2. Kid A
3. In Rainbows
4. The Bends
5. Amnesiac
6. Hail to the Theif
7. Pablo Honey

 

[FitzChivalry]

Favorite Radiohead albums (in no specific order):

OK Computer
The Bends
In Rainbows
Hail to the Thief
Kid A
Amnesiac

We're almost exactly the same mofo:

1. OK Computer
2. The Bends
3. In Rainbows
4. Kid A
5. Amnesiac
6. Hail To The Thief
7. Pablo Honey

 

[MMP]

As you wish...

1. OK Computer (perfection)
2. In Rainbows
3. Kid A
4. The Bends
5. Hail to the Thief
6. Amnesiac
7. Pablo Honey

 

[FitzChivalry]

As you wish...

You said it wrong. It's goes: Aaaas you wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!

 

[impy13]

1. OK Computer
2. Kid A
3. Amnesiac
4. In Rainbows
5. Hail to the Thief
6. The Bends
7. Pablo Honey

 

[Saracene]

1. Kid A
2. The Bends
3. In Rainbows
4. OK Computer
5. Amnesiac
6. Pablo Honey
7. Hail to the Thief

I initially had Pablo Honey in the last position, but then decided it wasn't really accurate - I don't care for this album but I really detest Hail to the Thief.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

1. Ok Computer
2. The Bends

 

[phillyfan26]

1. Kid A
2. The Bends
3. In Rainbows
4. OK Computer
5. Amnesiac
6. Pablo Honey
7. Hail to the Thief

I initially had Pablo Honey in the last position, but then decided it wasn't really accurate - I don't care for this album but I really detest Hail to the Thief.

There There and A Wolf at the Door are greater than anything on Pablo Honey. Oh, and A Punchup at a Wedding, too. Maybe even 2+2=5. You know what? Yes, 2+2=5, too.

 

[cdisantis83]

Yeah, I would agree with Philly, but take it one step further. Everything on HttT in my opinion is better than the strongest track from Pablo Honey, with the sole exception of Young Blood, which just may be the weakest thing they have ever committed to tape.

 

[LMP]

Pablo's a weak album overall, but "Blow Out," "Stop Whispering," and maybe even "Lurgee" are all knock-out tracks.

OK Computer
Kid A
In Rainbows
The Bends
Amnesiac
Hail to the Thief
Pablo Honey

I love the first 4 pretty much all of the way through, and nuggets of the following 3.

 

[lazarus]

Pablo Honey better than HTTT? Or In Rainbows?

What a pathetic, bitter opinion.

I can understand how some are disappointed with either of those (or both), but Pablo Honey is fucking amateur hour. With only a couple highlights.

 

[Saracene]

I just find Hail to the Thief a stale, joyless affair that combines everything I dislike about Radiohead with none of the aspects of the band I enjoy. Whereas Pablo Honey is merely a mediocre first album.

 

[phillyfan26]

I like half of HTTT, which puts it right in the middle as far as their albums go.

 

[phillyfan26]

2+2=5, Go to Sleep, There There, A Punchup at a Wedding, Myxomatosis, A Wolf at the Door. All great.

 

[LemonMelon]

1. OK Computer
2. Kid A
3. In Rainbows
4. The Bends
5. Amnesiac
6. Pablo Honey
7. Hail To The Thief

At least Pablo Honey is fun, if a bit dated. It's hard for me to take that album seriously. HTTT on the other hand...it doesn't have a consistent enough atmosphere to reach for "dark" or "chilling", so it has to settle for dour and/or petulant. Pretty poor effort to their lofty standards.

 

[cdisantis83]

Petulant? That's an interesting perspective. To me HttT maintains a haunting atmosphere quite effectively. The only problem with it is the length; it should probably have been only 10 or 11 songs.

Backdrifts is essentially a weaker version of The Gloaming, Young Blood could be jettisoned, and either Go to Sleep or I Will could go as well.

 

[impy13]

it's amazing to me how underrated "Backdrifts" is. I adore that one.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yeah, I think petulant is a good word for it. Radiohead have gotten criticism for being "serious" to a fault, but I've never found it to be justified, because there's joy all over albums such as OK Computer and The Bends. Hail is the first record where the moodiness actually feels suffocating to me, and to the detriment of the music. It's like they're parodying that one facet of themselves, and it grates on me a bit. That's just my view, of course.

 

[MMP]

it's amazing to me how underrated "backdrifts" is. I adore that one.

(2)

 

[lazarus]

I love Backdrifts as well.

What's really underrated is Scatterbrain. Beautiful track.

I like Go To Sleep, but it's kind of Generic Radiohead Song for me, and even lifts some of Paranoid Android's guitar solo, which is weak.

Yeah, I'd definitely get rid of We Suck Young Blood and I Will. 12 songs is fine.

 

[FitzChivalry]

joyless affair

so it has to settle for dour and/or petulant.

Yeah, I think petulant is a good word for it.

LM, you had it right with "dour", not "petulant".
pet⋅u⋅lant
–adjective
moved to or showing sudden, impatient irritation, esp. over some trifling annoyance.


I agree with a lot of what LM and Sarcene said, most of HTTT is joyless and suffocating, but then there's 'A Wolf At The Door', 'Myxomatosis', '2+2+5' and 'There There' to bring in the light. And though dark and dour, 'Where I End And You Being' is just The rest of HTTT was either done much better on previous RH albums, or hits the nadir of joyless and suffocating.

Both Pablo Honey and Hail To The Thief have about 5 songs I really like, but the craftsmanship is so much better on HTTT, that's why I put it just above Pablo, but only slightly. Pablo Honey does after all have 'Blow Out', which is 50x better than anything off HTTT.

 

[cdisantis83]

Radiohead have gotten criticism for being "serious" to a fault, but I've never found it to be justified, because there's joy all over albums such as OK Computer and The Bends. Hail is the first record where the moodiness actually feels suffocating to me, and to the detriment of the music. It's like they're parodying that one facet of themselves, and it grates on me a bit. That's just my view, of course.

There is certainly legitimacy to that argument. I personally have never seen any joy in Radiohead, but rather a kind of dejected fortitude. The world is callous and irreparable; the only way to combat it is simply to persevere. Thus Radiohead is certainly dour, but not defeatist. Even a line like "immerse your soul in love" to me is an acknowledgment that society will not reciprocate. It is despondent but in a very comforting way - a theme that I think Hail to the Thief is highly adept at capturing. Kid A functions the same way to me; environmental catastrophe is looming, and it will not play favorites. For me that sort of unabashed cynicism is brave - it is not pandering to anyone, which is likely why we see so many people come into these threads and complain about Thom's general outlook.