I thought that it would be cool to talk about the latest offerings from 2 bands that at one point were making quite similar music, and were often compared to each other. But then came 2000, where we had ATYCLB from U2 and Kid A from Radiohead. Since then, their music has been vastly different.
I think a lot of U2 fans also began to gravitate towards Radiohead being their favourite band in the wake of ATYCLB, because according to them, Radiohead were still pushing forwards musically while U2 seemed to have 'mainstreamized'. I was actually one of those people - I thought that Radiohead were basically everything U2 was before ATYCLB and weren't anymore - they had the tunes, the lyrics, the musicianship, the passion, and they were willing to take risks. U2 on the other hand were a pale shadow of what they once were.
But HTTT in my opinion has absolutely nothing on HTDAAB - as someone whose favourite RH album is the Bends (closely followed by Kid A), I was initially excited by the partial return to more concrete song structures in HTTT combined with the sonic landscapes. But after a few months of trying to convince myself that it was on par with their best work, I stopped listening to it. Beside 'I Will' and maybe 'Myxomatosis', I feel that its pretty crap. A completely uninspired piece of work - the lyrics are strange without being interesting, the melodies are weak, and the experimentation seems terribly indulgent (as opposed to Kid A, where after a while it seemed almost natural that the songs should be the way they were).
With HTDAAB on the other hand, I was almost waiting to tear it down from the day Vertigo came out - I was determined not to 'try to love it', like ATYCLB (minus Kite and IALW) and feel like I tricked myself a year later (btw the idea that ATYCLB is weak is simply my opinion). But a month after its release, it still blows me away. Regardless of the continuation with more structured songs and the terrible mixing in some parts, I think its a motherfucking awesome album (the only weakness for me being OOTS). To be able to listen to a piece of music with your heart totally into it and your head keeping silent despite its best attempts to find fault is an amazing feeling, and HTDAAB does that for me.
I honestly did not think U2 could compete with Radiohead on that level anymore after 2000, but this album has proven me completely and happily wrong. What do all the other Radiohead listeners think?
I think a lot of U2 fans also began to gravitate towards Radiohead being their favourite band in the wake of ATYCLB, because according to them, Radiohead were still pushing forwards musically while U2 seemed to have 'mainstreamized'. I was actually one of those people - I thought that Radiohead were basically everything U2 was before ATYCLB and weren't anymore - they had the tunes, the lyrics, the musicianship, the passion, and they were willing to take risks. U2 on the other hand were a pale shadow of what they once were.
But HTTT in my opinion has absolutely nothing on HTDAAB - as someone whose favourite RH album is the Bends (closely followed by Kid A), I was initially excited by the partial return to more concrete song structures in HTTT combined with the sonic landscapes. But after a few months of trying to convince myself that it was on par with their best work, I stopped listening to it. Beside 'I Will' and maybe 'Myxomatosis', I feel that its pretty crap. A completely uninspired piece of work - the lyrics are strange without being interesting, the melodies are weak, and the experimentation seems terribly indulgent (as opposed to Kid A, where after a while it seemed almost natural that the songs should be the way they were).
With HTDAAB on the other hand, I was almost waiting to tear it down from the day Vertigo came out - I was determined not to 'try to love it', like ATYCLB (minus Kite and IALW) and feel like I tricked myself a year later (btw the idea that ATYCLB is weak is simply my opinion). But a month after its release, it still blows me away. Regardless of the continuation with more structured songs and the terrible mixing in some parts, I think its a motherfucking awesome album (the only weakness for me being OOTS). To be able to listen to a piece of music with your heart totally into it and your head keeping silent despite its best attempts to find fault is an amazing feeling, and HTDAAB does that for me.
I honestly did not think U2 could compete with Radiohead on that level anymore after 2000, but this album has proven me completely and happily wrong. What do all the other Radiohead listeners think?
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