I can't listen to much Radiohead, I find it depressing and I don't like Thom Yorke's vocal.
But I was persuaded by my Radiohead crazy friend to go and see them at the Empire Ballroom in Blackpool in 2006 and I thought they were absolutely astonishing live.
The whole thing was overwhelmingly emotional and it was a brilliant gig.
I still don't listen to them at home though, but you can't deny they're a talented and ground breaking band.

As for Muse, I love them, especially live, and I'm sure they've admitted to being influenced by Radiohead.

I think the difference between them is that Radiohead IS depressing, navel gazing, introverted music, while Muse is madness, insanity and hysteria played on guitars.

Muse's first album, Showbiz, is where they sounded somewhat like a heavier Radiohead, then they went off and became proper Muse with their second record. I think it would be fair to say Radiohead paved the way for both them and other bands like Coldplay, who were sort of like the 'positive' Radiohead.

I find that most people have this stupid vision of what Radiohead are and they're usually way off the mark. Thom Yorke is one of the greatest geniuses in British music history. That's simply a fact. If you're really into music then you know how good he is. If you just like MOR then you're never gonna get him.

Coldplay are an abomination, as are their many wannabees.

Radiohead are a total one off, and they deserve respect for the music they make, the way they distribute it, their attitude to the music biz/celebrity industry and their apparent determination to never take the easy route.

I struggle to listen to much of their music, just like I struggle with Mahler and Wagner, but it doesn't mean I can't see their value.

A sad clash with the Chemical Brothers, I seem to remember.
Chem's got my custom that night.

Oh my gosh, there's so much wrong with this post, my brain is going to explode

Radiohead are fantastic, and have been relatively consistent over the years. They are fantastic live and the songs are second to none.

But Coldplay?? Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn :yawn:

And as for not listening to The Verve due to reported drug issues I couldn't give a damn if the singer is jacking up in teh recording studio. they can do what they like as long as they're producing good music for my ears. It's not my problem, and it's not for me to judge. Try finding bands that have never dabbled in drugs.....

I like The Verve, too.

I hate all the music you have listed, but love Muse and Radiohead are good too (though a bit depressing)...

... So maybe they just aren't a good match up.

[quote=Gorky;33587799]Yes they have. When their debut album, Showbiz, was out and everyone was comparing them to Radiohead. They said they were big fans and were an influence. I remember it well.

Oh well i shall stand corrected on that. My apologies. Its not the one i remember is it when they responded saying something like radiohead were popular when they forming so it was impossible not to be influenced by them cos thats what they were hearing a lot on the music scene? If so i never took that as them citing them as definitive influence.

Its a shame i dont like radiohead, i dont think their bad I like Street Spirit, Yorke has got a poweful voice alright. Its one of those things where you feel theres something great your missing out on.

I must be alone in liking

Muse - pretty much everything, in an over the top, slightly mental and finely crafted bomabstic rock way

Radiohead - Pablo Honey, the Bends & OK Computer - then they lost me at Kid A, and nothing I've heard has dragged me back

Coldplay - Some absolutely top songs - 'Yellow' is genius, and 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' is full of great stuff.

The Verve - Urban Hymns is top, although they are one of the worst live acts I've ever seen

and thinking they all sound completely different.

I think i've noticed something from this thread, Radiohead fans are really snobbish, and as a poster above said so are Leonard Cohens (don't like him much, I think William Shatner's better ).

What's wrong with Coldplay, I get laughed at for liking them a lot ?

I like Coldplay as well as Radiohead.

Yeah as everyone else says, The Bends is probably one of the greatest albums of all time by any band let alone just Radiohead. It makes me sad that they have failed to make anything even remotely as good since.

we should go bowling!

But then to me you, like others who have said the same, are missing the point about Radiohead.

They could have easily made The Bends, The Bends II, The Bends III, The Bends IV, The Bends V, etc., made a vast amount of money... and been really bored by it all.

Instead each album has been different and challenging, both to them as a band and to people who listen to their music. To me that's why they're one of my favourite bands - because they do what they want to do to satisfy their creative talents, and not pander to their record label or those who think music is only any good if it is released as a single and played on Radio 1.

There is a fine line between moving on, and making different sounding albums and descending into unlistenable muso-w*nk. For me, Radiohead did the latter. It's not about liking stuff that's popular, but it has to sound good - and for me, nothing past OK Computer has. Good music grabs you from the get go - be it throwaway bubblegum pop, rock, inde, classical, opera, dance, rap or whatever. It may reward you more with repeated listens, but anything that is described as 'challenging' is (in my view) a chance for people to elevate pretention above appeal (the same is true of food, art, TV and films). Like it because you like it, not because it makes you part of some sort of elite who 'get it'.

I'm not missing the point of 'Kid A' and beyond, I just don't like the sound of it - it's no different to me not liking UB40, Beyonce, Maria Carey or The Smiths..

You've contradicted yourself a bit there. Have you never had an album you thought you didn't like but after more listens you ended up really liking? I've had dozens like that so I would never say good music always grabs you immediately.

For me, the "challenging/unlistenable/tuneless" Radiohead some people talk about is not one I recognise at all. For me, the very thing that makes them special is their ability to write songs with a strong melody and remain tuneful whilst not being totally conventional and predictable. Their songcraft is second to none imo.

I have found other "alternative" rock/indie bands far more difficult to get into than Radiohead. Certain types of music/bands definitely take longer than one listen to appreciate but the rewards can be great. Sometimes you still don't "get it" and have to put it down as being "just not my thing". There's no harm in that.

Too intellectual for me, I like my pop music commercial and populist.

I think it takes time to get into Radiohead. It took me a few listens to actually like OK computer and now i love it and have bought several other of their albums and love them too. I think The Bends is the album to listen to, its perfect.

I love Coldplay too, they are both great bands.

I'd better not recommend you try a band like The Mars Volta, then....


100% agree. Too many bands just replicate what they've done before, and to me any band who attempt to break the mould deserve credit.

I don't think I did contradict myself - if it doesn't grab me to some extent form the start, I won't listen to it again. Some stuff does improve with repeated listens, but there is a minimum threshold it has to pass to get those listens. If I listen to an album and don't like it, I won't listen to it again.

The key question for me with music is 'Do I like how it sounds?' - if yes, then I'll listen some more. And I can like things for many different reasons, in many different ways.

@Glawster2002 - I've not heard anything by 'The Mars Volta' - i might give 'em a spotify. You never know..

Fair enough, you're talking about your own listening habits and personal taste whereas in the other post it came across as a general theory of what constitutes good music. I guess we all have different tastes and thresholds. After all, one man's unlistenable muso-w*nk is another man's work of art .

thats what Radiohead are like ^^ART^^ , Modern day Mozart Crafted Perfectly

oops, double post

if you want something a bit newer to listen to and its on spotify try chickenfoot or dream theaters latest releases.

I'd be staggered if you like them if you consider a lot of later Radiohead "unlistenable muso-w*nk".