― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― trappist monkey, Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― sleep (sleep), Thursday, 28 April 2005 13:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― rizzx (rizzx), Thursday, 28 April 2005 14:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 12:56 (eighteen years ago) link
xpost.
― david marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 12:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― D.J. Andesron, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 13:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 14:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 14:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 14:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 14:11 (eighteen years ago) link
for real.
― Gregor Vox (Gregor Vox), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 15:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dan (And So On) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 15:49 (eighteen years ago) link
Talk about missing the point.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 15:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 15:51 (eighteen years ago) link
me, too! and they're fans as well...they all seem to lack it.mostly you get a 'radiohead's gawd, and there's no way around it' sorta thing, which gets really old, really quick.
― eedd, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link
If someone like David Byrne or Mark Mothersbaugh had written a song with the chorus: "I'm a reasonable man, get off my case," methinks it would be regarded as witty/homorous/whatever. Plenty of examples of the same type of thing.
In general, though, the humor is in bizarre turns of phrase: "her hitler hairdo is making me feel ill" is damn funny. Not all humor involves punchlines. I'm not saying they're the next Jonathan Richman, I'm just sayin.
― erklie (erklie), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― erklie (erklie), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dan (Grammar Humor) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 16:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link
The main point I was making is that their rampant and admirable experimentalism might be also applied to exploring emotional tones beyond the already exhaustively explored nuances of alienation etc, and that being wildly successful and acclaimed for over 10 years might have, you know, cheered them up to the extent that they might feel able to musically explore different the lighter side of life without compromising their artistic integrity.
"However, the kind of emotional palette you seem to be talking about, a simple personal misery, they moved past years ago."
The recent material still sounds fairly downbeat and glum to me, sorry! Thing is, Thom has talked in interviews about wanting to celebrate both the “highs and lows” of everyday life, and I don’t really hear much celebration of the former, despite their having becoming the most acclaimed band on the planet.
"Does having millions of fans ease an existential or spiritual conflict?"
And millions in the bank don't forget - well, err, sorry but yes, I genuinely imagine it would bolster the ego somewhat, reconcile you to the world to certain degree, and generally take some of the edge off your existential angst – who knows, it might even nudge you towards the occasional joyful moment which you might then occasionally reflect in your music, rather than remaining emotionally monochromatic. Even if they weren't feeling on top of the world, they might want to try writing something joyful just for the hell of it, just for the sake of experimenting.
Re the supposedly funny/humorous aspects to Radiohead's music/lyrics - I must confess bafflement. I love comedy, and indeed the darker the better eg Monkey Dust and Peep Show, but the supposed 'humour' in their work is clearly too subtle for me insofar as it doesn’t make me laugh. That is what humour is supposed to do, right?
FWIW just in case anyone interprets this as random hating, I should make it clear Radiohead are easily my favourite band, and that I just wanted to voice an honest criticism.
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:06 (eighteen years ago) link
I'd like to suggest that the fact that they don't have scantily-clad girls singing in unison on their refrains doesn't mean that they don't do pop songs anymore but I'm afraid you'd hit me.
― Dan (There There Is A Fantastic Pop Song) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― js (honestengine), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:11 (eighteen years ago) link
How many bands really sing about being happy and joyful anyway?
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:23 (eighteen years ago) link
No, it isn't the same as emotionally depressing either.
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― dave marsh, Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:28 (eighteen years ago) link
There is humor, but I prefer the dark and subtle strains of it, the vaguely absurd.
I don't see what the point of aiming for actual laughter would be. It would just be distracting and weird, some goofy or overly joyous song sitting in the middle of one of their albums.
Radiohead themselves are pretty silly though, and I'm absolutely sure they don't take themselves nearly as seriously as most people seem to think they do.
They find joy in the act of exploring and creating interesting music, I think that's enough.
(x-post, no)
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:31 (eighteen years ago) link
not song, album, band, genre, music can be everything anyway.
not that i'm a big fan of RH, but what sort of criticism is it to say that a band doesnt experiment with enough emotional variety (even if it WAS true in this case, and it may not be)?
― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― JB Young (JB Young), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dan (Let It Go Already) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 18:02 (eighteen years ago) link
"Good Radiohead song" = Thom Yorke's dystopian mewling subsumed by atmospherics and ugly-loud guitars.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dan (Unforgivable Album In Almost Every Regard) Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:08 (eighteen years ago) link
When did they last write a pop song? Something that a busker could cover?
― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 19:22 (eighteen years ago) link