What moment in time did Radiohead start sliding into an ocean of suck?

[Tron]

Fischy made me think of something in another thread that has been on my mind on and off.


In your opinion, when did Radiohead start their gradual (or not so gradual) decline?


For me it was Kid A. I really liked Everything In It's Right Place but beyond that it was a bunch of abstract noise. Their crafty songwriting with that special unique edge died with that record.

 

[Tron]

How did they go from this:

To this:

 

[Tron]

Or this:

To this:

 

[Fu Manchu]

daft

it was right after OK computer.

 

[Fu Manchu]

i loved them up until, and including this album. (OK computer)

Kid A was bad, with a few good tracks interspersed.

after that, its just fukking awful.

 

[FairWarning]

From the start.

 

[Tron]

From the start.

DING DING DING DING!!!!111


We have a winner folks! It took him 27 minutes to come though but FairWarning makes the first "I add nothing to the discussion but I'll say something anyway" post

 

[fiveteamer]

I feel about them the same way George Costanza feels about pesto.

 

[AMBy]

They started to get "too smart for their own good" if you know what i mean....

Everyone told them how awesome their music was and how different it was from everything else and they kept pushing it. It eventually got to the point that no one was able to listen to it.

 

[Tron]

They started to get "too smart for their own good" if you know what i mean....

Everyone told them how awesome their music was and how different it was from everything else and they kept pushing it. It eventually got to the point that no one was able to listen to it.

I pretty much agree with this. I think they lost sight of the fact that if Kid A was their first record, they would have never gotten signed and no one would have given two shits about them.

 

[FairWarning]

DING DING DING DING!!!!111


We have a winner folks! It took him 27 minutes to come though but FairWarning makes the first "I add nothing to the discussion but I'll say something anyway" post

Ouch. Funny I almost started a thread here about Radiohead. This is a band i never got. Please tell me why they matter? The critics blow them, but i know that doesn't mean anything.

So, what am I missing?

 

[fiveteamer]

 

[FairWarning]

Yes Daft, you'll probably find me in many music threads. I can honestly say i have had less than 10 requests for Radiohead in 14+ years playing at a rock/alt bar, and every request was for Creep. Too bad for them that they are too cool to play it live, since much of their fan base evolved from that song.

 

[Tron]

While I'll agree that Radiohead is overrated, they have about 8-10 really good tracks.

Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry and 90% of OK Computer lives up to the hype.

Music is very subjective so maybe they're just not your style (which is perfectly fine) but I'm suprised you can't see how some would find some of their work remarkable. I don't like Pearl Jam but I can definitely see why many people would really enjoy them. Does that make any sense?

 

[Polaroid]

I pretty much agree with this. I think they lost sight of the fact that if Kid A was their first record, they would have never gotten signed and no one would have given two shits about them.

He actually made a valid point (unless you want to defend Pablo Honey which I'd advise against).

 

[Fu Manchu]

i like pablo honey. its definitely better than kid a or any of their later (post kid a) albums.

 

[Matty]

In Radiohead's defense, where do you go after Ok Computer? Very few bands are able to produce something even half that good.

Kid A did feel like a bad joke. I don't think I ever gave a listen to the following albums.

 

[Polaroid]

In Radiohead's defense, where do you go after Ok Computer? Very few bands are able to produce something even half that good.

That would have been my next point. A lot of bands release a really awesome album. A lot fewer release two of them. And at some point those creative juices generally just dry up - nothing to do with being too smart or sliding into an ocean of suck. You can't produce musical masterpieces throughout your career and the longer you keep going, the more likely it is that you're going to jump the shark. The Beatles should have stopped before Let It Be, Stevie Wonder should have done nothing past Songs in the Key of Life.

Kid A did feel like a bad joke. I don't think I ever gave a listen to the following albums.

In Rainbows is actually well worth a listen.