Why so many people hate Radiohead?
Jul 5, 2006 at 11:39 PM Post #31 of 81
I've heard only Puablo Honey and The Bends, and I think they're both great. I've listened to them more than any other discs in the last few months (I've only this year "discovered" Radiohead), especially the latter. That they are not original makes no difference to me--the music stands well on its own merits. Criticism of that sort is infinite. Recently I read a published review that blasted a band for using the "cliche" guitar/bass/drums/vocal lineup, as if that combination stagnated the music. As if the actual composition were flawed by it. You see, worthless criticism of this sort is endless and is biased by factors outside the music on the record. OK Computer is on its way to me, and I'm very much looking foreward to it.
 
Jul 5, 2006 at 11:39 PM Post #32 of 81
The most pointless arguement ever. Either you like a band or you don't. I'll never understand it. 'Kid A' completely changed my life. In my opinion Radiohead isn't matched at what they do. Does that mean I'm mad at you for not appreciating them? That's ridiculous.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 12:25 AM Post #33 of 81
I personally like Radiohead
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(and also Dream Theater)
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 1:50 AM Post #34 of 81
just because one likes some difficult music doesn't preclude one from disliking others. this thread is a good example of polarized opinions.

radiohead will be the first to admit that they rely on certain musical tricks:

Quote:

[new yorker] There's something very particular about the chords of your songs. You hold a single tone and skate from one chord to another unexpectedly.

[thom york] Yeah, that's my only trick. I've got one trick and that's it, and I'm really going to have to learn a new one. Pedals, banging away through everything. I just find it really nice, because things can pull and push against it. I don't know many chords, and what I do know is from guitar playing—to approach playing piano after playing guitar is quite peculiar. I'm not worried about filling up the chord, and I really like the low, fat sound. I don't like the high stuff at all.


full interview here:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/cont...n_onlineonly03
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 1:54 AM Post #35 of 81
As for not liking a particular band:
There are bands you may not like b/c the music is simply sub-par.
Then there are others that you dont like b/c you dont enjoy their music, but you can appreciate their talent.
This in my opinion, differentiates immature music listeners from mature ones.
I have noticed that head-fi has quite a few posters who are adamant about only the genres they listen to and just rip everything else.
Ripping Radiohead (as many have done in this thread and in previous posts) is both hasty and just plain silly.
Whether you like it or not, Radiohead is an immensely talented band, period.
I cant stand Dream Theatre; literally-I cant listen to their music, however-I do recognize them to be a tremendous talent.

Ive learned to take my time before making a final judgement on a piece of music; most of the music that I adore today took a very long time to initially get into.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 4:38 AM Post #36 of 81
Kwitel - You obviously like Radiohead.

I can speak as somebody who likes neither Dream Theater NOR Radiohead. Dream Theater has some incredibly skilled musicians in the group. There is absolutely no doubting it. They do things on such a technical level that it baffles musicians, and that includes myself. As a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, some of the stuff they do is simply astonishing. But I can't get past their corny metal sound and corny metal vocals. However, this does not discount their ability as musicians and as song writers. They are brilliant.

However, Radiohead is a band that has never demonstrated this talent. They're copy cats. They write music that has no substance. A song can "drone" on such as how Sunn 0)), Sigur Ros, Boredoms, and Growing do time and time again. However, these bands offer immense amounts of substance in their songs. Radiohead exercises technology wastefully. They are pretentious, yet have nothing to show off. Kid A was their closest attempt at actually doing something original, but it still contained the classic Radiohead characteristics: Little stylistic originality, an overly-dramatic and useless singer, and, quite simply, a little amount happening over a large span of time. Most of their songs sound more like kitchen appliances to me. If the instruments they sampled/played were kitchen appliances, then I could appreciate that kind of bold move. Pink Floyd wanted to do that before they came up with "Wish You Were Here".

And how interesting - have you guys ever thought maybe they were 'copying' Pink Floyd? Being inspired is fine, but they seem to not want to get past these inspirational roots. Unlike Sigur Ros, who took the qualities originally used by the Floyd and brought them to a whole new extreme and a whole new stylistic quality, Radiohead seems to want to do nothing more than write simple songs and have them drone on for long periods of time, with little to no changes in the song, and with little to no meaning behind the songs. It's like they took all of the qualities which made Pink Floyd unique and bastardized them.

When I see Radiohead actually try and do something different for a change, I will give them their merit. Until then, however, I will continue to see them as a lesser, modern version of Pink Floyd who hides behind contemporary studio technology.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 4:38 AM Post #37 of 81
I dislike the Radiohead I have heard, which consists of OK Computer and some tracks from Kid A.

I suppose one could say that they are of an unusual or strange nature (although I'm not familiar with other bands in whatever genre they are) but that does not, on its own, make them deep, profound, enriching, or even necessarily creative. It may make them more difficult but to be more difficult to get into does not make something better, in the same how hiding a cake in a complicated puzzle doesn't make it taste better than just presenting the cake directly. You may have a great sense of accomplishment once you solve the puzzle but it's still the same cake.

I doubt I will grow to rate the music of Radiohead to be significantly above average, and while it is possible it will happen if I listen to them regularly, I see no reason to do that when there is enough good music in the world which is not composed by them.

Of course if you like Radiohead there is nothing wrong with that and I'm sure it's my loss for not being able to enjoy them. It's just annoying how people often latch onto whatever their favorite band of the moment is and proclaim it to be the best band ever, for their favorite CD to be the best CD ever, and engage in alot of praise of it using pretentious words and huge generalizations and proclaim the band to be a titan of 20th century music, on equal footing with Beethoven.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 5:32 AM Post #38 of 81
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman
...Radiohead is a band that has never demonstrated this talent. They're copy cats. They write music that has no substance...

Most of their songs sound more like kitchen appliances to me...

It's like they took all of the qualities which made Pink Floyd unique and bastardized them.



Aman,

That's an example of "mature and tolerant reviewers being openly cruel" to RH. But you made a point...

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Jul 6, 2006 at 7:42 AM Post #39 of 81
It's boring, uninvolving, and I hate the guy's singing. I just don't like Radiohead. I'll give it another shot though.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 12:39 PM Post #41 of 81
Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman
And how interesting - have you guys ever thought maybe they were 'copying' Pink Floyd? Being inspired is fine, but they seem to not want to get past these inspirational roots.


No.

I've been listening to Pink Floyd for about 26 years.

Most of my life. I don't hear it.

I don't think any band can exist without having some of what came before them incorporated into their sound. Yes, Pink Floyd came up with the whole extended pop song thing, which is great. Should Radiohead choose not to do longer songs because they didn't invent the idea?

I enjoy both bands. Life is good.

-jar
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 12:41 PM Post #42 of 81
Maybe the lyrics don't mean a whole heck of a lot. I've never studied them. I don't need to. They still pack a ton of emotion into their songs. I get it. If you don't, then fine. Not everyone gets the emotion in, say, Mahler's music. I get it.

-jar
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 2:59 PM Post #43 of 81
i love Kid A. i think it's fantastic.

the rest of their albums do absolutely nothing for me.
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Jul 6, 2006 at 8:38 PM Post #44 of 81
Quote:

Originally Posted by Masonjar
No.

I've been listening to Pink Floyd for about 26 years.

Most of my life. I don't hear it.

I don't think any band can exist without having some of what came before them incorporated into their sound. Yes, Pink Floyd came up with the whole extended pop song thing, which is great. Should Radiohead choose not to do longer songs because they didn't invent the idea?

I enjoy both bands. Life is good.

-jar



No, what they shouldn't do is use the exact same philosophy of the Floyd in their songs and then removing all that made this philosophy work. Floyd's songs were dynamic. Actual chord progressions occurred - key changes - whatever. Radiohead? Literally, they will play a verse-chorus-verse song without ever once making it dynamic. Don't get me started on their songs that have untraditional structures! It's as if they WANT to bastardize the brilliant innovations of other people!

Have you ever heard of the term 'popular avant-garde'? It's a term used for musicians who are hailed by enormous amounts of fans for being "out there" and "different", but, in reverse, they are taking music a few steps back instead of a few steps forward. Sunn 0))), Boris, Angel, Boredoms -- these are the kinds of bands that innovate in today's alternative/avant-garde rock/metal scene, and they ALL do what Radiohead does, but correctly. Don't ask me to translate any more of what my ears hear into text. Listen to an album by each youreslf and compare them. I sure as hell know I've done it.
 
Jul 6, 2006 at 9:11 PM Post #45 of 81
"No, what they shouldn't do is use the exact same philosophy of the Floyd in their songs and then removing all that made this philosophy work. Floyd's songs were dynamic. Actual chord progressions occurred - key changes - whatever. Radiohead? Literally, they will play a verse-chorus-verse song without ever once making it dynamic. Don't get me started on their songs that have untraditional structures! It's as if they WANT to bastardize the brilliant innovations of other people!"

Maybe I understand what many people find annoying or boring about Radiohead. Their songs, especially KidA/Amnesiac, are NOT MEANT to be dynamic or like verse-chorus-verse-songs. They start somehow, make you listen to them, and then disappear into nothing... Pink Floyd is much more classical composed. Radiohead is doing that differently and innovative IMO. What also strikes me, is that most people who do not like Radiohead, don'like them because of the singer Thom Yorke. Yes, he is pretentious and yes, he is a whiner. But that is exactly what I like about him and what is so fascinating about Radiohead. He makes you believe that he really knows the deepest and darkest corners of a poor soul - which we all are somehow
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And that is also why I like the albums after OKC better...
 

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