Monday, March 24, 2008

Radiohead Is Not Very Good


They're really not. The Bends was amazing and Ok Computer is a fantastic piece of work, but to have only two good albums in a catalog that spans 16 years, that sucks just a little bit. Why does everyone suck up to Radiohead you might ask? What the fuck do I know. This blog is about bands I find relevant and unfortunately for Thom Yorke and Co, I think that while they might be remembered as pioneers and innovators, I find listening to elevator jazz more exciting and tolerable. What happened to them? Everyone knows Pablo Honey is a sticky piece of shit, with "Creep" being the true gem. Not often is the single the best cut off a record, but it really is. I've tried to like this record for 15 years and I give up.

The thing I can't stand about them is their smugness and the "too cool for us all" attitude. I'm all for originality and innovation but sometimes a line needs to be drawn which separates a good song from a bad idea. Since Kid A, they've had a lot of bad ideas. I bought into In Rainbows and I even liked it a bit upon first listen. Unfortunately just like Probot, it's gets worse with repeat listens. Plenty of bands push the envelope and make truly amazing ORIGINAL music, yet don't find the need to play a switchboard.

I guess my main problem with Radiohead is that they get tons of media attention from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone, but I truly believe they've ascended to that group of artists that get high ratings every time they release music, simply because they are who they are. They join the ranks of Beck, Dylan, Kanye and a few others that could vomit out Taco Bell and it would get an 8.4 on Pitchfork and a full page review with a goofy picture in RS with 4-5 stars, talking about how they will "Save Rock N' Roll". Newsflash: no one needs to save rock n' roll. Rock N' Roll is there to save you. My Soundgarden LP's aren't going anywhere. I'm pretty much saved over here.

I do love The Bends though. It's a tough spot for sure.

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