Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead: A Moon Shaped POLL

So, I'm listening to A Moon Shaped Pool for the first time in weeks and I guess my initial responses to this record have turned out to be little more than a bunch of red herrings. Upon first listen, this album did sound quite beautiful in places and seemed to have the potential to grow even more to become one of their more satisfying works, but listening to it now it seems that the criticisms I've heard and read about this album being meandering, mostly turgid and a little on the bland and boring side are actually, sadly, completely and totally OTM.

Now, Radiohead fans being the kind of special breed that they are, would have you believe that this record is a deep, rich and intense emotional experience lovingly delivered by "the most forward-thinking band in popular music(tm)" but, truth be told, it isn't. Firstly, this must be one of the least "forward-thinking" releases in Radiohead's catalogue - which isn't a bad thing in itself, but what it does mean is that, in the absence of much fancy window dressing/sonics, the listener focuses upon the quality of the songwriting, and a lot of the compositions meander and aren't particularly melodically interesting. Radiohead have got around this problem in the past by dressing up songs that are barely there with sonically interesting arrangements. Here, the sound is mostly monochrome and a touch on the bland side - and the string arrangements, as just about competent as they are, aren't enough to carry a lot of these songs. Also, 'True Love Waits' had a hell of a lot of potential, and it was hard to imagine them fucking it up - except that's precisely what they did. A beautiful song turned into a whiny, dull mess.

One of the main criticisms of Radiohead's output over the years is that they're depressing, a criticism that I don't quite agree with and never have really agreed with. However, what is depressing is that Radiohead, this time around, have delivered their equivalent of an adult contemporary record, a la Coldplay or David Gray - albeit one that is distinguished by Thom Yorke's melodic sense and compositions that avoid the traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus-mid 8-chorus structure - and hardly anyone has seemed to notice this. The songs mostly operate in the mid-tempo range and plod and meander from beginning to end and Thom Yorke does his high pitched "ooooooohs" a lot like we haven't heard it all a million fucking times before. Nigel Godrich's production too, gives the whole album that "once-aurally-exciting-16-years-ago-but-now-is-actually-quite-fucking-boring-learn-some-new-tricks-goddamn-it-you-cunt" Godrich sheen that makes everything sound so flat and samey. The sound of a band with dick-all left to say and not particularly arsed about finding something to say, knowing that idiots will lap whatever they do up anyway.

Highlights: Burn The Witch, Decks Dark, Ful Stop, Identikit, The Numbers.
Destroy everything else, and search for the live version of 'True Love Waits' on I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings.

thought this was OK, tho much prefer the new leak

Agree to disagree Turrican.

Agree to disagree as well. Holds up for me still and is the first Radiohead album in years I've stuck with past the initial excitement.

I've stuck with past the initial excitement because it's a beautiful piece of work.

it's absolutely an adult contemporary record, or "sophisti-pop", or whatever. nobody fucking needs fifty-something revolutionaries. it's certainly reasonable to think that the strength of the compositions and arrangements isn't enough to overcome the mid-tempo lope of all the songs (mid-tempo lope is exactly my problem with the sex pistols). personally i'm irritated that radiohead is still mastering their albums for jogging or top 40 rotation, which means i have a difficult time listening to it straight through.

however, the songs are still better than whatever that "lotus blossom" stuff they were doing for their last album was. i'd put them on a par with, say, "hail to the thief". radiohead aren't bowie, they can't reinvent themselves with every album, but they've done a good job of consolidating their sound.

Well, I don't think particularly highly of The King of Limbs either, which has always struck me as being mostly a collection of underwritten songs at their core - although I'll concede that 'Codex' is better than pretty much anything on A Moon Shaped Pool.

On the whole, though, for at least the last 9 years or so, the gulf between the actual quality of Radiohead's music and what the hardcore fans say it is could not be more apparent.

the hardcore fans, sure, but once i got off the bus i started liking their music a lot more.

However, what is depressing is that Radiohead, this time around, have delivered their equivalent of an adult contemporary record, a la Coldplay or David Gray

wtf what album are you listening to

like I only like this record but still

it's absolutely an adult contemporary record, or "sophisti-pop", or whatever

y'all are talking nonsense. I would die for an adult contemporary radiohead record. this album sounds like art pop

it's closer to a late talk talk record than bryan ferry or phil collins

When I read your post Turrican, all I could think about is how much you love that latest Suede album. A lot of the things you describe about A Moon Shaped Pool could be applied to Night Thoughts for me.

The songs mostly operate in the mid-tempo range and plod and meander from beginning to end and Brett Anderson does his high pitched "ooooooohs" a lot like we haven't heard it all a million fucking times before. Ed Buller's production too, gives the whole album that "once-aurally-exciting-16-years-ago-but-now-is-actually-quite-fucking-boring-learn-some-new-tricks-goddamn-it-you-cunt" Buller sheen that makes everything sound so flat and samey. The sound of a band with dick-all left to say and not particularly arsed about finding something to say, knowing that idiots will lap whatever they do up anyway.

Night Thoughts doesn't have 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Needlessly Long Title' on it, a song that seriously ought to come free with a flask of coffee and a sleeping bag. With the Radiohead bear on it of course.

wtf what album are you listening to

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Sunday, August 14, 2016 10:59 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A Moon Shaped Pool, the ninth album by popular British combo Radiohead.

Godrich's production on this has more in common with the productions he did on Chaos and Creation in the Backyard and Travis' The Man Who than Kid A or OK Computer.

This is totally an adult contemporary record, albeit an adult contemporary record targeted at the Radiohead fans that are now approaching, or are, middle aged.

oh no radiohead isnt cool anymore?

adult contempo is an actual genre with an actual set of sonic features to distinguish it from other genres and...this is not adult contempo.

Godrich's production on this has more in common with the productions he did on Chaos and Creation in the Backyard and Travis' The Man Who than Kid A or OK Computer.

here are some other records this guy produced, for lamer bands or artists in lamer ages of their career

While it may not be a Bon Jovi or a Celine Dion record, it would definitely fit in snugly with a person's Coldplay or David Gray records. Acoustic, soft rock, piano ballads, songs about divorce. It has it all. It's Radiohead's Ghost Stories, or... ahahaha... their No Jacket Required!

Maybe Thom Yorke should go the whole hog and shave his head. Go for the "full Collins" ... but as crap as No Jacket Required is, at least Collins remembered to fucking emote on it.

it's closer to a late talk talk record than bryan ferry or phil collins

― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson)

it's close to neither. "adult contemporary" doesn't have to sound like that song from "robin hood: prince of thieves". we're talking about a genre that got its start with joni mitchell and fleetwood mac.

yeah robin hood prince of thieves is the spectrum I'm describing with "bryan ferry" and "phil collins"

it would definitely fit in snugly with a person's Coldplay or David Gray records. Acoustic, soft rock, piano ballads, songs about divorce

they talk about the same things and use some similar instruments! same!

pretty sure no jacket required isn't about divorce and doesn't have many acoustic guitars and piano ballads

I'm pretty sure there is a song about divorce on that record written by a middle aged guy.

"adult contemporary" doesn't have to sound like that song from "robin hood: prince of thieves". we're talking about a genre that got its start with joni mitchell and fleetwood mac.

― a confederacy of lampreys (rushomancy), Sunday, August 14, 2016 11:40 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM.

While it may not be a Bon Jovi or a Celine Dion record, it would definitely fit in snugly with a person's Coldplay or David Gray records. Acoustic, soft rock, piano ballads, songs about divorce. It has it all. It's Radiohead's Ghost Stories, or... ahahaha... their No Jacket Required!

this is such hackneyed criticism though. "oh no, the normals might like it, it's not daring enough!" -- I thought we were kind of over this line of thinking

^^^

turrican will feel vindicated to hear my mom loves this record, which made me happy

i like the giant piano notes in this "true love waits", like big melting blocks of ice

Turrican has been scrambled all day.

as crap as No Jacket Required is

lol have you heard NJR? There's some spiky, unsettling moments.

and when were Radiohead revolutionary? They were a decent rock band with cool arrangements.

a tradition that persists on the new record

this is such hackneyed criticism though. "oh no, the normals might like it, it's not daring enough!" -- I thought we were kind of over this line of thinking

― The bald Phil Collins impersonator cash grab (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Monday, August 15, 2016 2:50 AM (53 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I'm only saying what the record is.

lol have you heard NJR? There's some spiky, unsettling moments.

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, August 15, 2016 3:13 AM (31 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes I have, and it's shit. Some music really does deserve to stay in the '80s.

shifting into second geir

http://d2zvpytoa1rk5g.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pantera-nocomp.jpg

and when were Radiohead revolutionary? They were a decent rock band with cool arrangements.

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

don't recall anybody listening to "kid a" and saying "wow, radiohead sure are a decent rock band with cool arrangements"

though mind you "decent rock band with cool arrangements" is a pretty good description of sgt. pepper

People be damning each other with faint praise for a band.

I did!

xpost

wow, alfred, your ennui sure was ahead of its time :)

on consideration i don't think that "a moon shaped pool" is adult contemporary, but only because radiohead aren't interested in marketing themselves as such. if they wanted to sell themselves on the adult contemporary market, people would buy it without their having to change anything.

You can see "Daydreaming" or "Identikit" fitting in here without their having to change anything?

shifting into second geir

― droit au butt (Euler), Monday, August 15, 2016 4:53 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A+

xpost A++

errr - that was meant to A++ JCLC's A+

fuck I somehow missed the "geir," that's amazing

'Daydreaming' is one of the most painfully obvious adult contemporary tracks on the record.

As for Geir, as annoying and frustrating as he could be, even he was occasionally OTM.

It is, however, amusing on some level that some people can't handle the idea of their old favourites being on the skids that they'll circle jerk each other into a frenzy over a shit pun.

it would definitely fit in snugly with a person's Coldplay or David Gray records

This would indeed represent a rapid departure from all those other Radiohead albums.