[Borat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't expect to see quite so much Radiohead mentioned here, especially considering the press they getand legion of fans. If any Radiohead fans are still reading this thread, what way would you recommend to "get into" them?

Do you happen to have a time machine?

I think the only way you can listen to them objectively is to go back to 1995 or so and listen to The Bends without being aware of their critical acclaim and rabid fan base. There's no way you can listen to Radiohead today without this stuff hanging over you and letting it affect your judgment.

I actually think a good number of their "fans" just fake it and say they like Radiohead (particularly Kid A and later albums). I believe they think this makes them appear smart/sophisticated in regards to pop music because they "get" Radiohead. And conversely, a good number of their detractors don't even give them a fair listen because a band cannot possibly be deserving of all this hype/critical praise so they instantly decide they are "overrated" and thus actually suck.

But really it's no big deal. You either like something or you don't. Just because a lot of other people love their records doesn't mean you are going to feel the same way. I wouldn't put any major effort into trying to like something. It's not worth it.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you happen to have a time machine? I think the only way you can listen to them objectively is to go back to 1995 or so and listen to The Bends without being aware of their critical acclaim and rabid fan base. There's no way you can listen to Radiohead today without this stuff hanging over you and letting it affect your judgment. I actually think a good number of their "fans" just fake it and say they like Radiohead (particularly Kid A and later albums). I believe they think this makes them appear smart/sophisticated in regards to pop music because they "get" Radiohead. And conversely, a good number of their detractors don't even give them a fair listen because a band cannot possibly be deserving of all this hype/critical praise so they instantly decide they are "overrated" and thus actually suck. But really it's no big deal. You either like something or you don't. Just because a lot of other people love their records doesn't mean you are going to feel the same way. I wouldn't put any major effort into trying to like something. It's not worth it.

Dude - you know I love you and respect you but seriously - SERIOUSLY - I have a very open mind regarding all things music and I still don't "get" Radiohead. It's a point of argument with many young music fans as well as my brother.

My brother first introduced me to them and I had heard nothing about them at the time. I thought Karma Police was OK but that's it. Then, later on, I find out that they have a huge fan base and their albums are considered "great". I was seriously thinking "What!!!???!

:confused_face (1):"

After listening to all their albums I can honestly say that I just can't "get into" them. I certainly don't hate them or anything but I just don't consider them great musicians.

 

[userlander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dude - you know I love you and respect you but seriously - SERIOUSLY - I have a very open mind regarding all things music and I still don't "get" Radiohead. It's a point of argument with many young music fans as well as my brother. My brother first introduced me to them and I had heard nothing about them at the time. I thought Karma Police was OK but that's it. Then, later on, I find out that they have a huge fan base and their albums are considered "great". I was seriously thinking "What!!!???! :confused_face (1):"

I felt the same way, which really surprised me. I'm open to a lot of different kinds of music, I like aphex twin/ambient, classical, free jazz, etc. so with all the hype and my tastes going that way anyway I thought I was going to really like RH. It's one thing when just a bunch of teenagers likes something, in which case I don't really expect to like it, but with the almost universal critical acclaim RH got, I thought they were going to be a slam dunk.

Then I listened to it, and thought the same thing you described. It's like "where's the music?"

It's like the most non-musical music I've ever heard. Which liking ambient and some avant-garde jazz and classical, 12-tone, minimalism, etc. I am not totally opposed to, but I just can't connect at all to what RH does. That's what made me start thinking that was part of the point, that they were making bad music intentionally to reflect alienation, etc. But in that case, okay I get the idea, I don't need to be bored to tears listening to it, too.

 

[sonci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LFF /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dude - you know I love you and respect you but seriously - SERIOUSLY - I have a very open mind regarding all things music and I still don't "get" Radiohead. It's a point of argument with many young music fans as well as my brother. My brother first introduced me to them and I had heard nothing about them at the time. I thought Karma Police was OK but that's it. Then, later on, I find out that they have a huge fan base and their albums are considered "great". I was seriously thinking "What!!!???! :confused_face (1):" After listening to all their albums I can honestly say that I just can't "get into" them. I certainly don't hate them or anything but I just don't consider them great musicians.

What/Who do you consider great contemporary musicians?

 

[limpidglitch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borat /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you happen to have a time machine? I think the only way you can listen to them objectively is to go back to 1995 or so and listen to The Bends without being aware of their critical acclaim and rabid fan base. There's no way you can listen to Radiohead today without this stuff hanging over you and letting it affect your judgment. I actually think a good number of their "fans" just fake it and say they like Radiohead (particularly Kid A and later albums). I believe they think this makes them appear smart/sophisticated in regards to pop music because they "get" Radiohead. And conversely, a good number of their detractors don't even give them a fair listen because a band cannot possibly be deserving of all this hype/critical praise so they instantly decide they are "overrated" and thus actually suck. But really it's no big deal. You either like something or you don't. Just because a lot of other people love their records doesn't mean you are going to feel the same way. I wouldn't put any major effort into trying to like something. It's not worth it.

It's quite possible there's a lot of truth in this, but I had no idea about the Radiohead fandom before I read about them here. My exposure to them until this was through a few friends, one of them having an OK Computer poster, leading me to inquire about this band. I was turned off, as mentioned by others here, by the sterility. There were no soul there that could manifest in my mind. I'm by no means a stranger to alternative music, I listen to drone (Sunn O))) is the correct spelling btw) and what could be considered to be pretty much pure noise (see CGR).
If I want something that resembles Radiohead, but has a lot of soul, I go for Animal Collective, but I wouldn't be surprised or offended to learn that someone feel exactly the opposite to this, it's quite possible that there's something about Radiohead that simply eludes me.

 

[DavidMahler]

I will say the first time I heard Paranoid Android back when it came out I had no idea who it was but I knew that it was the best new song I'd heard on the radio in many years. It was only later that I realized that a lot of people felt the same way.

 

[adrift]

I mentioned this before, but I'm another one who doesn't get OK Computer or Kid A. I don't hate them, but I find them sort of... boring. Nothing going on. I own both albums and occasionally I'll give them a listen to see if anything's changed, but nope.

For those who don't like Velvet Underground I think there's a couple keys to liking their music... I was a bit of a stoner when I first started listening to them. I'm not advocating drugs, and I don't do them now, but their music has a sound that puts into mind what it feels like to be high. This goes along with the wall of sound approach they use on some of their stuff. There's an intensity to a song like Heroin that if you've been high you kind of... get. At least, that's how it worked for me. You get enveloped in it.

Those who are nay saying Dylan, I think you may need to understand his music in its proper historical context and the, at the time, uniqueness of his sound. Helps if you like folk as well

 

[scompton]

I don't mind Dylan, but I almost always like covers better than the original, mostly because almost anyone is a better singer. I heard of one review of his latest album that said he makes "I'll Be Home for Christmas" sound more like a threat than a promise.

 

[Aynjell]

Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth, perhaps it's not even a great album but I picked up a long time ago and I was very easily disenchanted with it, only 1 or 2 listenable songs, the rest is filler created from the same soundboard.

 

[sonci]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMahler /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will say the first time I heard Paranoid Android back when it came out I had no idea who it was but I knew that it was the best new song I'd heard on the radio in many years. It was only later that I realized that a lot of people felt the same way.

THANK YOU

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aynjell /img/forum/go_quote.gif Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth, perhaps

You're not alone. That is by far NIN"s worst album, a complete pander to alt rock radio, not coincidentally after a long layoff, where I'm sure TR felt a little light in the pockets.

 

[zChan]

I don't think anyone considers it a "great" album.
I do like "Only" and love "Right where it belongs" though

 

[MaZa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sno1man /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 for me. The screaming just wrecks it for me, like nails on a chalkboard

Problem is not the screaming. Hell, as a fan of extreme metal there is rarely any other style of vocals than guttural growls of hellish demons or ghastly screams of tortured and ripped souls.

Its the music that goes over my head. I like my music (all music, be it classical, metal or ambient) with a flow that goes forward and progressess naturally with a clear theme through the song, and lots of emotion too, something I can sink in. Progressive music like Opeth (or any Prog-metal band) seems bit broken in structure if that makes any sense.

 

[adrift]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't mind Dylan, but I almost always like covers better than the original, mostly because almost anyone is a better singer. I heard of one review of his latest album that said he makes "I'll Be Home for Christmas" sound more like a threat than a promise.

Well the voice is the selling point though. Its off kilter, its wrong, its nasally and not very melodic. But it's unique and works with the working man folksy image he created. Much in the same way that Tom Wait's voice is supposed to reflect the road weary, beer tavern balladeer. I really think that Dylan's voice is trying to evoke an image in the listener's mind (or at least, that was the initial idea). I think if some folks make sense of that it goes a long way in helping to appreciate his music.

 

[scompton]

I can agree with that for his early stuff, but now, his voice is just awful.