At risk of my life, I'd like to make a criticism of Radiohead--one of Dan and Shasta's favorite bands.
Now, we all know (or maybe we don't) that Radiohead is an incredible band--with such hits as "Street Spirit", "Just", and "Creep". We also know that Thom York is a musical genius. But we also have to admit that there is a big difference between Radiohead's earlier albums and their albums since The Bends (compare "Fitter Happier" to "Stop Whispering"). I was just listening to Hail to the Thief and I decided what I don't like about their newer albums.
It's not that their lyrics or music isn't good. It's really superb. What bothers me is that they never seem to go anywhere within the song itself. It doesn't have an overall dynamic to it: no introduction, no resolution. It almost reminds me of beat jazz or something out of a lounge. I feel like the entire album is building, building, building ... and then with no real resolution.
Ok, Dan and Shasta, I'm ready for your response.
7 years ago
3 comments:
Okay Jared, here's my response:
I don't think that Radiohead's later approaches in albums are wrong....just different.
OK computer is my favorite, but I love the ambient experimentation they do in later albums....kind of like 'godspeed you black emporer," "mogwai," and "sigur ros." As for Hail to the Thief, I absolutely love it. Music does not have to go somewhere to be good.... It just has to carry you....transport you as the listener. We're all so focused on where we're going that we never sit down to meditate on what we're doing. Jeez. Its late. Anyway, perhaps I'll focus a blog entry one of these days on the brilliance of Radiohead, their musical commentary on present day western culture, and other reasons why i think they're so great... blblblala bla bla
First of all:
Compare "Fitter Happier" to "Stop Whispering"? Why not compare it to "Karma Police"? "Fitter Happier" is sort of an oddball song, even for Radiohead, and even in the context of its home album, OK Computer.
All right. That's out of the way. I will certainly agree that their music has changed since the early days, when it was pretty much your standard guitar-driven rock. It is really good guitar rock, don't get me wrong, but not much different from Radiohead's contemporaries. Although, with "Street Spirit", I think there's sort of a premonition for what lay ahead on OK Computer.
And, since you are using OK as one of Radiohead's "newer albums", I have to point out that the songs on there are hardly stuck in a bland non-dynamic rut. Check out the fantastic "Paranoid Android" for quite the variegated sonic landscape. From the same album, "Exit Music" starts off very quietly, climaxes in a beautiful crescendo (still gives me chills), then eerily winds down with Thom muttering "We hope that you choke."
However, I will grant that Kid A and Amnesiac are certainly less accessible albums, and are much riper targets for being called lounge music. However, it's lounge music ... from Space! They are more experimental and transitional in nature, and can sorta be lumped together 'cause they were recorded at the same time. Most definitely "Treefingers" is doing little more than crafting atmosphere.
But I dig it, baby, I dig it all. I like the astrojazz. I like funky synths and eerie vocals. (If I had to confess, Pablo Honey is probably the album I listen to the least ... yes, that's even with songs like "Creep" and Everybody's Favorite Radiohead Song (tm), "Thinking About You".)
However, in this commenter's humble opinion, Hail to the Thief is a return to much more cohesive songs in the traditional sense. "2+2=5", f'rinstance, opens the album with a lil' bit o' guitar feedback and a sort of steady beat and monotone, then ends in a manic jumble of words. There are even readily-detected verse-chorus structures! And "There There" is the most radio-friendly song Radiohead's produced in recent years. It's a great album, with a fun--a relative term when discussing Radiohead--mix of faster songs, and moodier pieces, and a bunch of in-between, miscellaneous tracks; sort of a blend of OK Computer and the atmospherics of Kid A/mnesiac.
Well, that's longer than I intended to ramble! The thing to remember is: you're under no obligation to like Radiohead's newer stuff. You're just missing out! (Whee! couldn't resist)
Thanks! I knew I would get great feedback on this one. I wasn't trying to be smarmy, either, or trying to complain for complaint's sake. I also didn't feel like I explained myself that well ... so Dan's description of "astrojazz" and "lounge music from space" is exactly what I was not-so-succesfully describing.
I also want to make it known that I really respect Radiohead as one of the best bands out there: cutting-edge in every respect, and the definitive Indy rock band (though I cringe to typify them). But their newer albums are less accessible to me, with the exception of a few songs. I still think they're incredible...
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