Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

I wasn't thinking of that type of rock

my only objection here's that it seems a bit churlish to complain of "mid-tempo plod" during oasis poll month; get in the spirit imo

― le Histoire du Edgy Miley (difficult listening hour), Monday, August 15, 2016 6:06 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The first two Oasis albums have far more energy to them than this record. As does Suede's Night Thoughts, for that matter.

How is it possible that this discussion is actually getting worse?

Was going for the "edgelord" thing just recently but was trying to actually contribute with my earlier post.

Jeez, why is everyone piling on Turrican? Dude just expressed his opinion. I usually agree with him but in this case I don't, and that's what makes horse-racing.

Look, I own every note Radiohead's every released. Been on the train since I first heard "Creep" when it hit the airwaves. Will rep for their hated debut album but feel like "The Bends" is well played-out for me. The new one scratches that particular Radiohead itch I get, though I can sympathize with the criticism of Thom's moaning, and that some of the songs are a bit amorphous and run together in the mind (though "Burn The Witch" is f-ing brilliant and unique on the album). But I'm no super-fan. For some reason, as much as I enjoy hearing their music when it's playing, I rarely crave them. Not really sure why.

My experience with Radiohead is almost always the same for each album since "Kid A" - subsequent plays reveal more little things to connect with and get excited about. Also, the live element really transforms much of their material, c.f. the "In The Basement" versions of the previous two albums absolutely stomp on the studio releases. I hope we get a similar version of "A Moon Shaped Pool".

I think two things here:

1) There's a piling on of Turrican because he's really off base with the adult contempo likening. Add to that he keeps doubling and tripling down and it gets to the point where he's lost his way.

2) Why are there so many people in here all like, "I'm not a Radiohead fanboy"? Is there some sort of disconnect with being a very active fan of the band and not being able to assess the situation clearly? I'm a very big fan of the band and proud to say it. This doesn't mean I'm unable to express a clear headed opinion.

I think it's less that I'm off base with saying that it's Radiohead's equivalent of an adult contemporary record, and more that folks don't like the idea that anyone could possibly say that Radiohead are entering their carpet slippers phase.

im in my carpet slippers phase and im v happy with where my life is right now and i like this radiohead record a lot. for me it's 100% your wack as fuck AC designation.

You'll get over it, I'm sure.

already am *sips apple juice*

Good, I'm off to listen to a record that doesn't sound like five comatose septuagenarians slowly dying in front of a piano, barely able to get a decent swing on their rocking chairs.

*tries to make jerkoff motion, limited by arthritis*

It's tempting to imagine Thom Yorke in years to come doing exactly that, when the home help arrives to wipe his arse and flicks the radio on and 'Daydreaming' comes blasting out on some future adult contemporary/golden oldies station. "Oh bless 'im, he's always been his most harshest critic!"

Poops

I think it should be noted for the record that Geir liked No Jacket Required

It's not that Turrican is expressing his opinion, it's that he's using one of the most infantile and annoying Internet arguments to defend it, ie 'if you don't agree with me it's because you can't HANDLE THE TRUTH'

also contempt for older people, ways of listening to/appreciating music that don't tally with his, and gentle remonstrance with "let me tell you how things really are" blowhard hetoric

rhetoric. hectoric would've also done.

]It's not that Turrican is expressing his opinion, it's that he's using one of the most infantile and annoying Internet arguments to defend it, ie 'if you don't agree with me it's because you can't HANDLE THE TRUTH'

― chap, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 8:21 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No, it really is simple. Turrican gives his opinion and description of the record, people don't like his opinion and description and find ways to get annoyed about it. This isn't Turrican's problem. "Simples", as the meerkat said.

Just kind of curious if anyone had a reaction to my take.

Also why are people having so much trouble merely getting the gist of what each other is saying in this thread?

No, it really is simple. Turrican gives his opinion and description of the record, people don't like his opinion and description and find ways to get annoyed about it. This isn't Turrican's problem. "Simples", as the meerkat said.

― the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican)

your herpes simplex is of no relevance to this thread

Also why are people having so much trouble merely getting the gist of what each other is saying in this thread?

what are you saying

The "contempt for older people" thing in particular is absolutely priceless.

If you mean contempt for older people that make music then Blackstar wouldn't be my album of the year - a record which has, in places, an intensity (see: 'Sue') that this new Radiohead album is sorely lacking.

If you mean contempt for older people in general, then you wouldn't really know about that either way.

I recall a review of the Manic Street Preachers' Lifeblood where it said it "(sounded) like it (needed) a blood transfusion" ... OH NOES! CONTEMPT FOR PPLS THAT NEED BLOOD TRANSFSNS!!1!

It's a description of a record. Nothing more, nothing less.

Just kind of curious if anyone had a reaction to my take.

― Evan, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 3:13 PM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I can't help but feel that many conveniently overlooked it. I agreed with it, fwiw.

Thanks, no worries. Just tried to jump in late but there was too much yelling already.

evan, my take on it was that i'm far enough away from being a "radiohead fan" that i don't listen to radiohead so much anymore and compare it to "typical radiohead", so that wasn't my experience with the record. but i liked your take.

Actually it wasn't my experience at first either, but once I got used to the aspects that felt refreshing early on I start to feel like they're still very much in their comfort zone on this record.

Fuck me this is still happening.

So, I'm listening to The King of Limbs again right now and even though I don't think the songwriting is all that great, at least it's somewhat exciting on a sonic level in comparison to A Moon Shaped Pool. I guess the last couple of Radiohead records have basically confirmed to me that Thom's songwriting skills are on the slide and he needs to dress his songs up in "interesting" arrangements to mask this fact.

Yes, because I'm sure Thom is the only one in the band that does any writing.

**smacks forehead**

I think it's very well known at this stage that the core of the songs come from Thom and the rest of the band provide the window dressing.

https://vimeo.com/178823364
A video essay exploring the many hidden secrets in Paul Thomas Anderson's new Radiohead music video: "Daydreaming."

Where are you pulling that from, Turrican?

How is it possible that this discussion is actually getting worse?

board description

this record is having an unplanned renaissance in my house/car, like a lot of ppl seemed to i'm really drawn to the identikit/numbers back to back and have found the other songs through that sequence. i was listening to bits of in rainbows and tkol today and this feels so much more organic by comparison.

It's definitely a more organic album! From the heavy use of acoustic piano to the acoustic guitar strums, I would reckon that was a conscious decision by the band to move that direction.

in 2016 we have 'renaissances' for albums that are less than four months old

Online until Sept 22nd: full festival show in Berlin, Sept 11
http://concert.arte.tv/fr/radiohead-lollapalooza-berlin-2016

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/radiohead/2016/treptower-park-berlin-germany-73fc461d.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hgVihWjK2c

Rachel Owen, former partner of Thom Yorke, has died. http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/12/rachel-owen-longtime-partner-of-thom-yorke-passes-away-from-cancer/

Which somehow makes this album feel even sadder.

WTF!?

Whoa

Which somehow makes this album feel even sadder.

otm

I haven't listened to the record much since May, but I imagine there'll be a lot of Blackstar-esque lyric parsing going on now, beyond the obvious True Love Waits ending.

So awful, only 48 with two young kids

As if we needed more reasones to say fuck 2016

oh no
i hadn't seen the above update, how sad

was just listening to this and came to post how this album has really had staying power for me and i like it more now than when it came out, one of their best up there with ok computer, kid a/amnesiac (which i sorta count as one), and in rainbows

Oh, it's better than In Rainbows. Probably their most consistent album, which is saying something.

The news about Yorke's former partner is just horrid.

Yeah, sad news indeed... I don't care who it is, 48 is really no age to go, children have lost their mother shortly before Christmas and it's an awful situation for all concerned. Fuck cancer.

Yorke (and Owen) were private people who went to great lengths to ensure that their personal lives were kept private, therefore I'm not comfortable with speculating any further on what are incredibly personal events. Whether this is the timeline of events or poring over the lyrics on the most recent album looking for "clues" ... it really isn't any of my business.

As for the LP, I think its sonic consistency is one of the flaws of the record - I find my interest starting to wane at some point after 'Identikit' ...

It's definitely not as engaging as In Rainbows, IMO.