Down with the 80's

[MarkGrace]

I will also acknowledge that DDD's advice is better than mine. When my old man first got into Radiohead he started with OKC, then The Bends, then In Rainbows, and then moved into the more difficult stuff like Hail to the Thief, Kid A and Amnesiac.

That's closer to the DDD plan, and the better way to go about it. I was worried that he wouldn't love Kid A and Amnesiac in the way that I do given their esoteric weirdness, but once he had been hooked by the other albums he was ready to give those two the concerted efforts that they really take to crack. He ended up liking both of them a great deal, and I don't think he would have had he started there.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Out of respect to my younger CUF amigos, I have downloaded some Radiohead music. I have OK Computer, Kid A, and a two-disc Best Of collection. I hate to admit it, but I am struggling a bit to see what the fuss is about. Can you RH fans point me to some specific tunes that I should put in my playlist?

TIA.

The key to understanding Radiohead is understanding that Pablo Honey and The Bends were commercially successful albums that established a fairly big following.

They then came out with the abstract OK Computer (I was on my mission during this time so I missed out on the release of this record) and apparently the hipster community latched onto Radiohead harder than a 30-year-old single LDS female clings to any guy that asks her out. U2 hadn't been relevant in years, Pearl Jam was in decline, and the coffee house BS (see Dave Matthews) had been WAY overdone so the time was right for Radiohead to strike while the iron was hot.

Radiohead then stepped it up a notch and came out with the completely incomprehensible Kid A. Hipsters love exclusivity and Radiohead plays this crowd like a fiddle.

It's recommended that a helping of Radiohead is best finished off with a double dose of Prozac.

[MartyFunkhouser]

JeffLebowski,

It will have to grow on you a bit. After so much hype, it will take some time to move beyond the expectations and just enjoy the music.

I would suggest starting with the following 4: The Bends, OK Computer, In Rainbows, and Hail to the Thief.

After you digest a couple of those and get a taste, then you are ready for Kid A and Amnesiac. These 2 were long rumored to be companion pieces, with Amnesiac being dubbed Kid B before its release, and represent a vastly different direction for the band. I would not try to intro myself to radiohead by listening to Amnesiac or Kid A. Kid A is amazing, but highly evolved, even for them. Save those for after you have begun to appreciate their other work.

Pablo Honey gets slagged by a lot of folks, but it is actually a really good record. It isn't their best, but it has several listener friendly tunes on it.....creep, anyone can play guitar, ripcord, etc. In my opinion, it kind of floats out there on its own. It isn't their best record, and it doesn't really fit with any of the other records. It is just kind of there. But it is enjoyable.

Just a thought.

Funny because Kid A was the first Radiohead album that I listened to and enjoyed.

[MarkGrace]

Also funny is that Kid A was their first album to chart #1 on Billboard (charted #1 in 7 countries), won a Grammy (the mainstream hype machine), and was more commercially successful upon release than either Pablo Honey or The Bends (went platinum its first week of release).

I'm not sure where this talk of exclusivity comes from, but if CMBF has proven anything in this thread it's that he's not quite sure what he's talking about.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Also funny is that Kid A was their first album to chart #1 on Billboard (charted #1 in 7 countries), won a Grammy (the mainstream hype machine), and was more commercially successful upon release than either Pablo Honey or The Bends (went platinum its first week of release).

I'm not sure where this talk of exclusivity comes from, but if CMBF has proven anything in this thread it's that he's not quite sure what he's talking about.

I admit to not sitting around with my headphones on and listening to Kid A countless times so I could finally "crack" it. I'll admit that you can kick my ass around the block more than a few times on the subject of Radiohead. Good for you.

Zooropa hit #1 on the charts so the fact that Kid A hit #1 after OK Computer doesn't mean a damned thing. A group builds up a lot of fans and goodwill and a subsequent release is rewarded. Are you trying to imply that Kid A was more accessible than The Bends and OK Computer? I'm not sure if I get your point about Kid A hitting #1 and how that detracts from the album being confusing.

Radiohead fanboys always go back to the "you just don't get it" line. And I've never see another group of fans go to such lengths to tell everyone why Radiohead is so great. The arguments have gotten more play than Tyler Perry's House of Pain promos during the NBA Playoffs on TNT. For some reason Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Who don't have to do this, their greatness self-evident.

[MarkGrace]

Zooropa hit #1 on the charts so the fact that Kid A hit #1 after OK Computer doesn't mean a damned thing. A group builds up a lot of fans and goodwill and a subsequent release is rewarded. Are you trying to imply that Kid A was more accessible than The Bends and OK Computer? I'm not sure if I get your point about Kid A hitting #1 and how that detracts from the album being confusing.

You implied that fans like it because it is exclusive. When that number of people have access to an album and it enjoys that level of commercial success, I fail to see how it is exclusive. That was my point. Zooropa...also not exclusive.

Radiohead fanboys always go back to the "you just don't get it" line. And I've never see another group of fans go to such lengths to tell everyone why Radiohead is so great.

I don't see any of that occurring here, so I'm not quite sure why you are whining about it. Lebowski merely asked for some suggestions, and a few of us who are fans gave him some.

For some reason Zeppelin, the Beatles and the Who don't have to do this, their greatness self-evident

Have you missed recent discussions with Funk?

[SteelBlue]

Pablo Honey gets slagged by a lot of folks, but it is actually a really good record. It isn't their best, but it has several listener friendly tunes on it.....creep, anyone can play guitar, ripcord, etc. In my opinion, it kind of floats out there on its own. It isn't their best record, and it doesn't really fit with any of the other records. It is just kind of there. But it is enjoyable.

Just a thought.

Pablo Honey only gets slagged by folks who can't stand anything to which the masses might enjoy listening. It's a great album, even if there are no ambient textures.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Thanks everyone. I have no problem with the concept of acquired tastes. I have been richly rewarded in the past through patience and a willingness to explore.

[Flystripper]

If you weren't alive and old enough to be interested in sex/drugs/rock n' roll during a certain decade then you should not have any credibility in dismissing the music of that decade. I think that we often like music as much for what is going on in our lives during the time that we hear it as we do for the quality of the music.

this is the truth

[Flystripper]

10. Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique

Paul's Boutique was so ahead of its time. It was ridiculous.

[MarkGrace]

Paul's Boutique is awesome. A landmark in sampling.

If you want to hear another deftly sampled and montaged record, DJ Shadow's Endtroducing is awesome. (That is if you haven't heard it already)