[Xakepa]

I was looking to buy OK Computer the other day on Amazon (as a gift), considering it being "probably the best recording of the nineties" and OMG it's rated 4.5/5 stars, almost 2000 reviews and many many cruel bashers...

Why's all that? Plain ignorance, envy...rage against all that "Towering Above The Rest" recongnition RH gradually achieving...why it never happened to Pink Floyd?

C'mon Radiohead haters, stick it.

 

[Enverxis]

To be honest, there's nothing wrong with positive and negative reviews of CDs, it isn't that hard to look at them and try to judge which reviewer would hold a similar opinion to your own, and go from that as a point of reference. The Negative reviews are there for a reason, because not everybody thinks that Radiohead is the best band in the world, and not everybody listens to / likes Alternative Rock (or Progressive Rock). The things you find appealing about their music the next person might find repelling. There are people out there that like Radiohead simply because they are popular and people out there that dislike Radiohead simply because they are popular.

edit: And the reason there are so many reviews and so much differentiation between opinions is because of exposure, because Radiohead is a rather mainstream artist, the majority of the world population is exposed to mainstream music, You will probably find that if you went onto rateyourmusic.com and looked at the ratings that people gave that particular radiohead CD, most likely the people that gave the CD less than 3 stars would have a rather different taste in music to yourself.
Whereas with lesser known, underground and more "avantegarde" bands, there will probably be alot more positive reviews towards their work because the only people that are going to review them are the ones that went looking for their music, because the majority of people wouldnt even know about their existance in order to be able to write a review saying "too out there", "doesnt make sense" etc.

 

[Uncle Erik]

No one likes everything they hear. For one, I like to hear some criticism of music. That's how you learn and get exposed to new things. Mind you, there's a difference between criticism and threadcrapping/trashing. I haven't looked at the Amazon reviews, but I'm sure people cross that line.

But as for Radiohead, I don't think the non-fans get much pleasure out of hating them. I sure don't. I'm into alternative music and I liked "Creep." I bought a couple of albums and made an effort to get into them, but just couldn't. I'm half disappointed at that, too, since I wanted to like them.

 

[slinger1182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik But as for Radiohead, I don't think the non-fans get much pleasure out of hating them. I sure don't. I'm into alternative music and I liked "Creep." I bought a couple of albums and made an effort to get into them, but just couldn't. I'm half disappointed at that, too, since I wanted to like them.

Yep, same for me. I don't get Radiohead in the same way I don't get Nirvana.

@OP: Well, with all bubblegum pop floating around, it's really difficult to appreciate music that is esoteric. They maybe darn good musicians but they are not exactly catchy. I bet a large percentage the people who claim to like Radiohead do so because the rock critics love them.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I don't have a problem with Radiohead themselves, however I do hate a large number of their fans who act as if Radiohead is the only band on earth that has ever or will ever matter. This is not unique to Radiohead, but does seem to be more common amongst alternative/indie rock bands. Weezer has always struck me as a band with such fans (and irritating ones at that). I quite like Tool's music, but I can't stand their annoying, egotistical fans. For reasons like these, if I were to write reviews of such bands, I'd have to rate them less than a perfect rating, if only to balance out the fanboys who suck up to them at no end, since no music could be as good as they make it out to be.

And before you cry hypocrite, I can and do recognize valid criticism of any of my favorite artists. The bottom line is there is no such thing as perfect art (i.e. music), no matter how much the brainwashed fanboys might argue that THEIR favorite band is perfect. Radiohead seems to me to have an annoyingly high contention of such folks.

 

[glenmorangie]

i hate them because they are boring to listen to

 

[redshifter]

like any difficult music it polarizes opinion.

 

[virometal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xakepa C'mon Radiohead haters, stick it.

Yeah stick it ya haters! Who cares really. If everyone agreed, the world would be a boring place. Take this thread for example. What if everyone agreed with Xakepa? Booooooooring...........

 

[Enverxis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter like any difficult music it polarizes opinion.

That'd be the one liner I was looking for

 

[roadtonowhere08]

I listened to the whole album last night, because my wife wanted me to listen to it. Wow, what a BORING album. I got a "let's be different for the sake of being different and throw a bunch of sound effects and feedback into otherwise bland music" vibe from it. Also, the lead singer is terrible. He would be overpowered by a man blowing on a jug. Modern day Pink Floyd, my butt.

I do not get the appeal of Radiohead AT ALL and I have listened to more of what's out there than many Radiohead "fans".

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadtonowhere08 I listened to the whole album last night.

I'd suggest you try listening to it again, and again until you think differently.

Listening to anything once hardly warrants an opinion.

 

[Svperstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer I don't have a problem with Radiohead themselves, however I do hate a large number of their fans who act as if Radiohead is the only band on earth that has ever or will ever matter. This is not unique to Radiohead, but does seem to be more common amongst alternative/indie rock bands. Weezer has always struck me as a band with such fans (and irritating ones at that). I quite like Tool's music, but I can't stand their annoying, egotistical fans. For reasons like these, if I were to write reviews of such bands, I'd have to rate them less than a perfect rating, if only to balance out the fanboys who suck up to them at no end, since no music could be as good as they make it out to be.

I completely agree with everything you just said. A+ Post.

Radiohead is a good band, I have a few of their cds, more than Radiohead, Tool fans drive me nuts. They act like Tool is the only band that exists and it drives me crazy, I saw Tool live in 2002, so its not like I hate them, but I dont get this worship of them by guys in black tshirts.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter like any difficult music it polarizes opinion.

I didn't find much of anything challenging with Radiohead. It took a few listens to enjoy the Firebird Suite and I like it now. I listen to Schoenberg, too, as well as Captain Beefheart and have loved the Residents for years. Currently, I'm trying to get my head around Eric Dolphy... he does a lot of stuff on the bass clarinet that I was taught never to do (I've played since junior high) and it's tough at times. But I am learning to love his art.

This was not shying away from difficult music. My reaction was, 'is that all there is?' Maybe I should read up on a particular scene they're in or dig into their backgrounds for context. Does Radiohead have a backstory that makes sense of thier music? I don't know, but the music itself leaves me empty.

That's not to trivialize the fans, however. I think they're sincere.

 

[MasiveMunkey]

It actually took me a long time to get into Radiohead. I have a friend who is a hardcore fan always telling me to listen to them and when I finally gave them a chance and listened to Ok Computer I thought it was extremely boring.

I really think I wasn't musically mature enough to like it back then because now when I listen to it I really think it's probably one of the greatest albums I've listened to. Everyone has opinions though, but before just hating them from one listen, give it a couple chances especially Paranoid Andriod, which is just amazing.

BTW I don't understand all those avid Dream Theater fans, I think DT is extremely boring.

 

[Svperstar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik That's not to trivialize the fans, however. I think they're sincere.

Sounds to me like you have a broad appreciation of music compared to most radiohead/tool fans I have talked too.

Almost nobody wants to admit they listen to pop but almost everyone does. Radiohead is pop, Tool is pop, all the bands are, yet at the same time the fans act like the music is so underground and esoteric, please.

I have had the following conversation, "Man I HATE pop music, it drives me nuts, that why I listen to Audioslave!"

Yes someone actually said that. As if there could be anything more pop than a super group.

My point? The music might not be as deep as it appears to be.....

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, another band that a few years ago had legions of people digging as deep as possible into the songs/lyrics said something similar to "It amazes me that people will spend days and days analyzing lyrics to a song that I spent 45 minutes writing, and come up with things I never meant"