What is the appeal of Radiohead?

my view for any band,
in my youth like many folk on here, where pointed in the direction of certain bands etc
in some cases, because I like so and so, other times because of the buzz or hype around at the time.
So back then, thinking I'll give them some of my hard earned cash and investigate, only to find they were not my thing.
Thankfully in someways not being flush with spare cash in my teenage years I gave up on such bands after one album.
Though some years later I may have bought a later release that was more to my liking (can't think of one at the moment if I'm honest, but giving the benefit of doubt, there probably is one or two). If only streaming services were around back then, I probably wouldn't have three years mortgage left to pay

An old work colleague was a big Springsteen fan and once told me that no mater how hard he tried and had bought a couple of albums by Tom Waits, just couldn't get into him despite a few of his friends saying ''if you like Bruce you'll love Waits'' etc but didn't find this to be the case but kept buying Waits albums in the hope it would click, but he never really got into him .

My view in the last 30 or so years is, if it hits, ''It's gonna hit so hard''
it hits after the first or first few listens.
If it doesn't leave it and move on, there's plenty of stuff out there you will enjoy. Don't fell obliged ''to be into something just because''
that's bull sh1t. Don't believe the hype even if it's coming from your mates. You know what you like, if it sounds good to you that's all you need to know.

oh and Radiohead, I liked Creep when it was out as a single, thought they might be my thing, but turned not to be the case.

 

His voice is unbearable. Not to mention the phoney angst.

 

Radiohead is a band of very talented musicians, but Thom and Jonny make the band. Here is one of my favorite (semi)recent Radiohead outputs:




Also, if you really want to get the full appeal of Radiohead, see them live. Their shows are mind blowing my good. They have a bunch to stream over at the Radiohead Public Library. That place is a gold mine. I went to grab the link just now and spent the last 45 minutes streaming Le Reservoir performance from 2003. Good stuff.

 

the appeal of Radiohead, as with any band I like, is that they make music that sounds pleasing to my ears and appeals to me emotionally.

it's no more complicated than that. for anyone.

 

These days I think most folks who get into the band start with In Rainbows. Based on anecdotal evidence of course.

 

Phil is an incredible drummer. He knows just what to play and never does too much or too little. He and Colin really hold the songs together, even if they don't often get the credit they deserve. Songs like All I Need and Where I End and You Begin really give them room to shine.

 

I was listening to some Pink Floyd on YouTube last week and in the sidebar was a Radiohead song, so I clicked and was entranced. I'm sorry after a week I can't remember which song from which album but it was great. I have In Rainbows, and that is all I own. It would be fun to find a great band to get into...

 

May not be to everybody's taste (but what is?), but I think he has a beautiful voice. And how do you know his "angst" is phoney? Do you know him?

 

There are two Radiohead's. You want the one that existed before the awful Kid-A.

And then you should discover Coldplay. Again, there are two Coldplay's too. You want the one that existed before Mylo Xyloto.

Start with Radiohead's "The Bends" and Coldplay's "Parachutes". That will tell you if you like Radiohead-type music or not. If you don't love those two albums, this subgenre isn't for you.

 

What's awful about Kid A? It's not a trick question, I'm genuinely interested.

 

Don't feed the trolls, pls

 

OK Computer could easily go into the "Artist you don't necessarily enjoy, but there's that one album..." thread for me. It's awesome but I can't say that about the rest.

 

OK Computer was one of the greatest alternative rock albums of all time and Radiohead was too afraid to try to top it and instead ran away from the pressure to become a non-guitar mumbling 'art' band. Kid A and all that followed it doesn't sound like the Radiohead that millions of people fell in love with. They alienated their fans and became something unlistenable. So we resent them for it.

The early Coldplay albums were a good replacement for those of us abandoned and stunned in a post-OK Computer world. So The Bends > OK Computer > Parachutes > Rush Of Blood To The Head is a mighty foursome circa 1997 to 2003.

 

I think the song “Creep” is all right but not an essential

I bought OK Computer shortly after release but didn’t get much out of it. 20 years later I saw they were releasing a deluxe version, so I went back to my old copy thinking I’d missed something

what I think now after a second round of listens is there’s some interesting music on the album, but the vocals put me off. The singer has a way of slurring all the words like he’s drunk or half asleep

 

Their good looks, bright smiles and tight trousers. The rest is whatever.

 

Jonny Greenwood is pretty great, also his soundtracks (frankly I think they are better then his work in Radiohead)

 

What’s the appeal of anything? How can we possibly understand why you don’t like their music? What we like is based on so many different factors in our lives and our upbringings, it’s impossible to explain and isn’t that a wonderful thing?

Like Dave Chapelle said, some people like cucumber better pickle

 

heard this somewhere, sort of cheeky but a bit spot on too:
Coldplay is Mom’s Radiohead
David Grey is Dad’s Radiohead
Elbow is your cool Uncle’s Radiohead
Clinic is Radiohead’s Radiohead

 

Agreed about Jonny Greenwood,his soundtracks have all been stellar...he should have won an Oscar for Phantom Thread.But as a whole I don't get the appeal with Radiohead,I saw them live and they were better than expected,but I wouldn't ever buy or own anything by them.

 

Unlistenable? Okay....gotcha. That explains it comprehensively. Thanks.

 

How do you think Beatles fans would have reacted if after Sgt. Pepper they released an album with 14 tracks of Revolution 9? Because that's what Radiohead did.

We adored the majesty of OK Computer, we went back and discovered The Bends, then we waited three-and-a-half long years and they dropped 45 minutes of Revolution 9 on us. The worst practical joke and career suicide in the history of popular music.

 

The suggestion that Coldplay are somehow a replacement for Radiohead is laughable, IMO.

 

By definition, they did not commit "career suicide." They still sell our stadiums whenever they tour. They're hugely popular. I get that you don't like them post-OKC, but your statement is simply inaccurate.

 

Point taken. I'll let it be, to quote the fabs.

 

Their live shows really are special. I’ve seen them ten times and only one was less than incredible. They breathe a ton of life into songs that can sometimes sound sterile and cold on LP (like the Gloaming). Their live arrangements of electronic songs have made me appreciate the records more (like almost all of The King of Limbs). And they always bring a top notch light show. That helped win me over the first time I saw them.