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And it’s gorgeous. No guitars or drums, just an orchestra, vocals, and effects.
meh.
Let me guess: It’s long, “dreamy,” and his voice warbles.
Not long, no. The other two, yes, but I wouldn’t say that long songs are a defining characteristic of Radiohead. The only two that come to mind are from OK Computer.
Also, criticizing Radiohead for sounding dreamy and warbly is like criticizing Slayer for sounding loud and distorted. It’s what they do.
John said:It’s what they do.
Snoozefest 5000.
They also rock the fuck out sometimes, too. It’s about half and half.
John said:They also rock the fuck out sometimes, too. It’s about half and half.
I love them, but dude it’s generous to say that it’s 75/25. Each album has one, MAYBE 2 songs that sort of approximate rocking out. That’s about the extent of it.
I didn’t believe you, so I just went through, starting at the bends and did a rockers to sleepers tabulation:
- Ok Computer – 4.5/5.5 (Let Down is kind of a halfsy.
- Kid A – 3/6 (counting treefingers as not a real song)
- Amnesiac – 4/6 (Knives Out and Dollars and Cents add up to one whole rocker)
- Hail to the Thief – 8/6. Definitely their most energetic and rockish album to date.
- In Rainbows – 4/6 (and if you count the second album, it’s 7/9)
Definitely closer to 50/50 than 25/75.
You must have some insanely lax standards for “rocking”.
Kid A has National Anthem. That’s it.
Amnesiac has Knives Out (and even that barely passes muster).
Hail To The Thief has Myxamatosis (I don’t know where you pull that as their most energetic album to date).
In Rainbows has Bodysnatchers.
Just being slightly uptempo doesn’t qualify as rocking out. It’s a combination of being uptempo, with distorted or semi distorted guitars or bass or whatever.
Don’t get me wrong, they are capable of it since Pablo Honey and The Bends and most of OK Computer are definitely rocking. Most songs on those first 3 records are my definition of rocking and yeah, when they play those it fits the bill. It’s just not what they’ve done since then. Other than maybe, possibly those songs I mentioned (and again I’m being very generous).
Why do you need guitars and bass and drums to rock out? I totally disagree with that. Idioteque rocks harder than some metal and there’s not a guitar in site.
You’re nuts. Kid A has National Anthem, Optimistic, and Idioteque all which rock the fuck out. Even pessimistically, you have to at least give a good portion of optimistic and every fucking second of Idioteque.
Ok, I’l give you Amnesiac. Packed Like Sardines and Pulk/Pull Revolving doors are maybe too weird to be good rockers and You And Whose Army only really rocks out at the end for a good 30 seconds or so, tops.
Hail to the Thief has the first and second tracks, both which get insanely rocked out (how can you skip them?! seriously!?), then go to sleep and backdrifts, which can both get you moving. Where I end and you being starts slow but definitely gets noisy and awesome and energetic. Fuck you, There There rocks and I don’t care what you say, and then wolf at the door. Plus the obvious Myxamatosis, that’s 8 rockers.
And In Rainbows…?! How can you not count the first track!? How can you not count Jigsaw!?
You don’t necessarily need bass and drums to rock out, but it needs to be uptempo and aggressive which none of those songs you mention are. Any number of electronic artists “rock” as well. Chemical Brothers, Underworld, etc. I would say those bands rock as well. None of those songs you mention by Radiohead are uptempo and none of them have the slightest bit of aggression. Just because the rest of their late period stuff is so sleepy and lilting doesn’t make something rocking just because it’s moderately uptempo by comparison.
Again, if you want examples of Radiohead rocking it’s their first 3 albums. And those later songs I mentioned are the ones that come closest to approximating that early sound. I understand what they do on the later albums is not as rock oriented, and I like that later stuff a lot. Optimistic? Idioteque? Great songs, but in no way, shape or form does either song “rock the fuck out”. Maybe to like my parents or something but to ears that actually appreciate rock music? No way.
Has your obsessive, heavily biased fandom gotten this bad?
You are insane. You admit that Underworld rocks, and then you don’t give Idioteque any credit? What about the “ice age coming, ice age coming!” part and all the noise that follows for the rest of the song? How can you not give it up for "HOW COME I end up where I started!? What the hell do you call all of 15 Step? At the very least, from 2:45 on! How is Jigsaw not a rock track when he’s yelling “come on in and let it out!”? How do you not Have you just not listened to these songs in a while?
What about the entire second half of 2+2=5? “You are not really! Paying attention!” with fucking distortion, feedback, yelling, bass, and drums. That fits your definition. Then it immediately follows with Sit Down, Stand Up wherein the second half gives Underworld or Chemical Brothers a run for their money on how to rock out without guitars. Are you just shutting all these songs off halfway through?
I just gave each of those songs/parts another listen and no, those parts you’re mentioning do not “rock” (although on a second listen the back half of 2+2=5 does….I forgot about that part). They raise the volume slightly and maybe pick up the pace from the rest of the song but that still doesn’t qualify. I like all the songs and listen to them all the way through.
I’ve even come pretty much fully around to your way of thinking on the later Radiohead > early Radiohead attitude. I listen to Hail To The Thief and In Rainbows at least twice a week each. They are just in no way, shape, or form “rocking the fuck out”. Maybe it’s just a matter of what you’re listening to the rest of the time and comparing it to. Yes, if you’re comparing that stuff to Grizzly Bear or Dirty Projectors and stuff like that, sure those parts you mention may as well be Negative Approach songs. But in the broad spectrum…..not so much.
You guys are arguing over Radiohead.
I really need to find another board.
Did someone say Treefingers?
Ahhh, arguing of interpretations of “rocking out”. I think you guys are gonna need to agree to disagree about something like this.
BTW, in my opinion Radiohead rarely “rocks out”… not that it’s a bad thing.