antiMUSIC is pleased to welcome aboard
Trent McMartin who not only has been filing special news reports but now
will give you the "lowdown" on various music related topics!
As always the views expressed
by the writer do not neccessarily reflect the views of antiMUSIC or the
iconoclast entertainment group .
The Radiohead Backlash
Some people just don’t get it. Being a
Radiohead fan is the equivalent to being a rock and roll snob. Their music
is a critic’s dream, with each subsequent listen bringing further analysis
and dissection. Genius. Brilliance. Pioneers. These are all words that
have been used to describe British rock band Radiohead and their hesitation
to fit into anything deemed mainstream.
A rock and roll experiment, run amuck amidst
a legion of safe, reliable and dependable artists insured to make a return
for record company stock holders. Radiohead is all things scary and unadulterated.
Illustrating what music should be, especially music that encourages individuality
and exceptionality. But it’s not for everyone as is exemplified by radio
and television’s unwillingness to play their music.
Blessed with the ability to write guitar
heavy rock songs ("Creep") and mournful ballads ("Fake Plastic Trees"),
Radiohead exploded onto the scene in the early and mid nineties releasing
a handful of records that gained international acclaim and commercial success
that would unknowingly set the blueprint for many British acts to follow
over the next decade.
Bored and dissatisfied with their achievements,
the band set to experiment and cover new territory with the critically
hailed 1997 album OK Computer. All Music Guide calls OK Computer,
“the album that establishes Radiohead as one of the most inventive and
rewarding guitar rock bands of the '90s.” The record recently topped a
poll in Britain that asked Channel 4 viewers what they’re all-time favorite
album is. U2 came second with their 1987 effort The Joshua Tree,
while Nirvana's landmark 1991 album Nevermind was third.
All these accolades are in direct contrast
to the ever-growing legion of Radiohead detractors that are voicing their
opinion in the media, the Internet and your local tavern. In an October
2003 edition of the New York Post, journalist Maxine Shen wrote an article
titled “It’s Radiohead” reporting on the rising amount of non believers
who view Radiohead as nothing more than a group of whiny, overachieving
lads from across the Atlantic.
According to the article, a study was conducted
in San Lleandro, California, where fifth graders were exposed to Radiohead
and were asked to draw their reactions to the music. One child drew a graveyard
scene with tombstones, a man who hanged himself and a booth offering “Free
Suicides.” Another drew a picture of a child standing on the mountain saying,
‘I hate my life.” Shocking? Yes. It’s kind of unbelievable when a rock
band is credited in stirring all these emotions with a bunch of ten year
olds.
Some blame the band themselves for the
backlash while others direct their detestation to the music industry and
the imitators for ruining their Radiohead experience. “After the release
of the Bends (Radiohead’s 1995 album), there started a flood of
Radiohead type bands into the music world with the same type of sound,
same tone of vocals, same mixtures of sound,” said fan Darren Nobrega of
Edmonton, Canada. “I lost interest in Radiohead due to the music industries
saturation of their sound. Too many followers making music that sounded
just like Radiohead. Leave it to the music industry to exploit a popular
sound to the point of destroying its effect, “Nobrega explained.
The public is not alone in their distaste
for Radiohead. Some musicians share the same feelings asking what all the
fuss is about. In a 2003 issue of Q Magazine, Kid Rock was quoted as saying,
“I don't hate them, I just don't understand them. I've listened to their
music and it does nothing for me. If I have a party on tour I'm not going
to grab for the Radiohead CD to get the party started.” Kid Rock than joked
it might be funny to tour together saying, “They can go out and be sad
and I'll pick ‘em up.”
But for every detractor of Radiohead, there
are five supporters. Jason Manning, Music Director for Edmonton’s modern
rock radio station Sonic 102.9 FM proclaimed, “Radiohead are one of the
most talented groups in the world right now. They are creative and cool.
And they have put out some of the coolest albums out in the last few years.”
Fellow musicians, who long to emulate Radiohead
but know they cannot match their ambition and originality, look to Radiohead
as beacons of inspiration. In the recent “Immortals” edition of Rolling
Stone, Dave Matthews said, “Every time I buy a Radiohead album, I have
a moment where I say to myself, maybe this is the one that will suck. But
it never does, “ Matthews says. “ I wonder if it's even possible for them
to be bad on record.”
In a recent Newsweek article, Coldplay
front man Chris Martin explained his inferiority complex to label mates
Radiohead. “We’re like an eager dog just yapping around their heels, and
they're trying to kick us away,” he joked. “It's like unrequited love.
I'm in love with a lot of things. Some of those things love me back. And
some of them don't -- and one of them is Radiohead.”
As time passes and Radiohead sinks evermore
into their own musical cocoon, the divisiveness grows. A recent report
surfaced on Radiohead fan site www.greenplastic.com
adding to the rumours that the band was back in the studio record the follow-up
to 2003’s Hail to the Thief. The record is expected to be
released by February or March of next year.
This is little consolation to many fans
weaned on their 90’s work. A new album offers little hope to a return of
the Radiohead of old. “Within soft acoustic guitar melodies, Radiohead
would mix heavy electric riffs lead by a very distinct voice,” said fan
Darren Nobrega. “Combined, these sounds created a powerful effect of mood.
Music that gave you no choice but to get ‘into it’. The type of music
that certain sounds, smells and moments would trigger the memory of the
exact moment you were listening to those albums.”
“I appreciate Radiohead, for the albums
in which I first fell in love with, and for their ability to be pioneers
in what could be classed as new genres of music,” said Nobrega. "But
I like rock and I like music belted out by well skilled musicians. The
potential of the guitar, and the person behind it can never be replaced
by the hard drive of a computer.”
Trent McMartin.
Your
turn.
Fan
Speak:
Posted by stupor:
i think that the interesting thing about most of radiohead's detractors is that they seem to be trying to compare them to something esle, which is pretty much opposed to what the band stands for. somehow, i don't think they really care if kid rock likes them, or if they sound better than pink floyd. they make music, they play it, and hopefully you like it. there might be a message in there somewhere, there might not.
Posted by PartySan:
Radiohead are a paradox: one of the most critically acclaimed bands, their commercial success has been moderate by many standards. Unlike bands they're compared to, like Pink Floyd, Radiohead amount to a cult band. They're absent from radio stations and TV.
Their music is really superb, because it is fearless and experimental. They're a band who aren't afraid of standing out. And they've got hardcore fans to back them up on this. Amen for that.
It's true, their music is depressing and invokes mood swings, but that's the best. Any album which after listening makes you feel diferrent in any way has emotional depth.
So what if it's depressive? Art knows no bounds.
Maybe the ****ing Goths and Emos and all stupid depressed whiny teenagers should listen to this band.
It's better than any ****ing band in their list.
Posted by Thom Yorke:
ian you are a arse bandit. i can sing proper good.
Posted by James:
Radiohead's first albums were a new slant on the stuff that was already out their. Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief are something different. The critics probably don't see it, they say the band is original because they have never seen the like before and maybe it unnerves them. The real magic behind Radiohead, especially their latest albums, is that they are now so seemless, they are the theme tune to another world, if you are deep enough, if you are willing to listen they can take you there and it is amazing. The people who don't like Radiohead are the ones that can't hear, that are left on the shore staring at Radiohead's world across a vast sea. If they don't understand that's fine. Slagging Radiohead off because they can't follow is just childish. There is NO SUCH WORD as over-achievers.
Posted by Mr. Winke:
Too bad the people that you showed supporting Radiohead were all parts of the music industry. Rolling Stone? Some Radio Station? Please, try to support them better next time--you did dicredit the industry and then try to use them to support your argument. Radiohead deserves better.
Posted by I'm Jack:
Why all the comparisons? Why all the unrest? They are just people and they just play music. Some like it, some don't. Though I love their music, the world would be a boring place if Radiohead was the only thing to listen to, but it would be worlds more interesting than if Kid Rock were the only choice. Get back to work you droids.
Posted by natalia:
i think Chris Martin has a kind of "Radiohead Karma", which made him to try to copy things from them, which is funny and not good, obviously. and also, he WANTS to be LIKE Thom Yorke, he is his "karma", so he tries to copy Yorke in every thing; movements, positions to play the piano, etc... I bet he was and is lots of hours watching tons of videos, as many fans, but he ends always tryin to be like Yorke, even when he KNOWS he never will...
Posted by Russell:
All I can say is that Radiohead's music moves me. And I've been actively listening to, and playing, rock, since the 50s! Radiohead's music is the next step in the evolution of rock, and, if you've been "paying attention" all these years, you're ready and thirsty for it. Otherwise, you're just not gonna get it. kctexan@comcast.net
Posted by Ian:
LOL. Funny how an opinion of one can spark some emotion. Compare Yorke's vocals to some of the classics like Sinatra or Lennon, and Yorke's vocals are really nothing special. However, true musical ability does not stop at the vocals, as Chopin and Mozart might attest to. Next time, attack my opinion rather than me, "Thom Yorke...I Wish I Was".
Posted by Aubrey the Elf:
Radiohead has a way with chords and notes that makes one believe that the words in the song could never be sung any other way. It's supposed to sound the way it does. They pick harmonies on the scale that boggle my mind. Obscure notes. It makes it all very lovely. Sail to the Moon is a great example as is Black Star.
Posted by Thom Yorke...I Wish I Was:
Ian: you are a fool. Name a better singer around at the moment. Thom Yorke has more soul, and a far greater range to his voice than most of the recent bands to emerge into the spotlight. Take Chris Martin. As much as i love Coldplay, only a fool would say that he is a better singer than Thom Yorke. Yorke has a more interesting and versatile voice even than the likes of Bono or Michael Stipe. Take a song from Pablo Honey like 'You', and compare Yorke's voice to his vocals in a later song like 'How To Disappear Completely' from Kid A. However, i would agree with you that Radiohead's overall technical ability is astonishing, and that is what truly brings them above other bands.
Posted by Ian:
Let Down and Bulletproof are gorgeous, even though Thom Yorke isn't a particularily talented singer, those songs is still incredible, a true testament to their overall musical ability.
Posted by syrinx:
Those who fail to understand "Hail to the Theif" will surely have a hard time with this article's cloaked message. Thom was correct when he called Coldplay "lifestyle music." At least I'll never have to worry about Radiohead being pumped into supermarkets all over america while soccer moms shop. Radiohead makes music for the sake of making music--no pretensions, no subordination, and, best of all, no interviews. It's difficult for critics to categorize Radiohead, which leads many of them to steal superlatives from their collegues. It should not be the desire for critics to tell me what I can hear with my own ears; Radiohead is, quite simply, superb. The sometimes exquisite use of language by critics does not make the listening experience better for me. Any critic worth his or her salt would, however, point out and explain from where such creativity emanates. It is a pity that Jeff Buckley's influence is not mentioned more often in regards to Radiohead's sound evolution. It was Buckley, appearing solo, who performed in England in 1994 in front of Thom and Colin. The aftermath of that watershed event was a restructuring of 1995's "The Bends," specifically the inclusion of the song "Fake Plastic Trees." Since all of us have ears, perhaps those of you familiar with "The Bends" would sample 1994's "Grace" album by Buckley. It may be difficult for some to swallow (espescially the Brits) but this American paved the way for Radiohead and all the fodder that came after them. Still, for musicians and critics alike, Radiohead is rare in that they create not just sounds, but landscapes of emotions. "Airbag" is the correct way to begin an album....come out with your fists up, not limp. Announce your arrival with the force of an army and you'll be recognized.
Posted by Bwill:
Radiohead is by far the best band in modern times. They are highly influential and music wouldn't be music anymore without them. People like Kid Rock who don't get them just don't have the brainpower is all. They write crappy music. Radiohead writes good music. I hope they continue to make CDs for years to come and if you don't agree...you don't have good taste in music.
Posted by aubrey:
Radiohead is amazing. Simply put.
Posted by Jeff B:
Radiohead is all i got.
Posted by Jet:
I laugh at the morons who think Trent hates Radiohead. I do wish they went back to the 90's rock though *sigh*
Posted by A Paranoid Android:
Jim C:
I think Kid A might have fried our brains, which led some of us to the false truths about this article.
K
Posted by Jim Caviezal :
From what I heard one of Trent's favorite bands is Radiohead. Get with the program readers. If you all cannot "get" what he was trying to say than how the heck do you understand Kid A.
JC
Posted by matt:
i totally agree with trent, kid rock is such a great musician
Posted by timothy:
its very amusing watching this journalist pin 'something' bad on radiohead. He tried so hard, and all he could come up with is a corporate 'rock' degenerate like kid rock? Bashing radiohead is like trying to label the backstreet boys with credibility.
Posted by a nutter:
ambition makes you look pretty ugly kicking screaming gucci little piggy. don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Radiohead don't write particularly happy songs. So what? They're still brilliant.
Posted by aG:
I'm pretty shocked by some of the reactions here. I thought the average Radiohead fan was smarter than this and would realize that Trent is making fun of people that trash Radiohead and their reasons for doing so. I mean come on using Kid Rock and children as an example! That's classic and pretty damn funny but more importantly it makes the point without having it spelled out for you. I guess that went over most people's heads, like Radiohead does.
Posted by John Davidson:
Luke is a loser.
Posted by Kip:
This world wide intranet is "wow"! I can interact with folks, and shop for goods!
Posted by Baron of Malta:
I have to agree with the baron of prussia. I have a radiohead pin.
Posted by Baron of Prussia:
Anyone who fully understands and appreciates radiohead probably feels as I do, that every article of praise is still an understatement. This will be realized in the future, when we all drive rocket cars.
Posted by luke:
ps. i totally agree. their nothing like Pink Floyd. R'head far surpassed PF with Pablo Honey, and then went uphill from there...
Posted by luke:
wow....Kid Rock....he's totally gay. “They can go out and be sad and I'll pick ‘em up.” WTF is up with this guy? i can almost guarantee he was interviewed while sitting in his pimp mobile, with one arm on the outside of the door with his rediculas shades on...cant you just picture it? AHEM! i agree with all you guys who say that r'head have changed your life. i couldn't agree more! and the guy that wrote: "They can have Britney and 50-cent. We got the real deal." i must amend you. thats all my thoughts put down into words. thanks :D one last thing ive got to say to Trent McMartin: 'Go home and die' thanks
Posted by joey:
Ok, first of all theyre NOTHING like pink floyd, and second of all there are hundreds of bands 100 times more pretentious than radiohead.
but nonetheless radiohead are god-like, favourite song: Let Down.truly amazing band
Posted by rufus pumpkin:
The reason Radiohead is Radiohead, is because they are a spiritual band without holding any sort of specific spiritual beliefs. They are true to life, and life as we know it, is miserable without something or someone greater than un us saying it's not. Life is hopeless outside of God, thom knows that, and writes from that perspective. Honestly, i'm waiting for them to come up with a religion....or just continue down the road of honest self-awareness and find Jesus.
Posted by Johny Joe:
Radiohead has proven to be my favorite band of all time. I've only recently been into them (since Hail to the Theif), but so far, I've never had a moment where I doubted my obsession with them. Although thier older stuff is better than their newer, I still love every album they have made more than I do any other album by any other musician. They have managed to sturr the very emotions described in this article, and for that I commend them. Another strange thing about thier music is when I listen to it, I tend to remember things alot better. Sometimes, I'll even remember times when I was a baby, and I'll even feel the same emotions of uncomprehension of the world that I did when I was an infant. Radiohead is the best band ever.
Posted by Lispo:
This band is so different. There music anf Thom's haunting voice, somehow moves the heart and mind and invokes mood swings (good ones) It can be up or down or sideways, but each song is different and it's allways fullfilling. I pity those who can't get into this music, life for them must be shallow. But then if youve never experiences the feelings this music brings then you can't kmow how much you are missing. If you aint into it grab a copy (from the store) of Kid A or OK Computer, give it plenty of time to grow on you, then you can enjoy something you've probably never experienced and i'll bet you listen to them for years to come. "Sounds like crap", you think ? Buy it , try it and then deny it. Nothing to lose, trust me!
Posted by Monkey:
Kid A Rock
Posted by Wynn:
radiohead is indeed my favorite band...their music hits a place deep within my head that i never knew existed until i heard their music...i have 4 dvds, over 14 cds of live, rare, and official releases..and yet i still feel that nothing could compare to the sight and sound of seeing themlive, i have such a high hope for the new album and i will travel any distance i have to to be able to witness such an amazing band, great article!
Posted by OWIE:
THIS IS THE TIME when everything crumbles down...but radiohead's music will explain to us how lucky we are to see this things happen... beep beep beep z
Posted by Lara:
their music is different and new. New is better than the repeating of old. If a band can not produce new music and all is similar to every other album it is not worth listening to them anymore. Radiohead has never let me down and always comes up with new and exciting ways to express themselves through sounds and music
Posted by 2+2=5:
"you have not been paying attention, paying attention, paying attention..."
Posted by fred wessex:
RH makes we not want to play music anymore . . . humbling
Posted by PF sucks:
Pink Floyd blows. Radiohead is way better.
Posted by The boney king of nowhere:
'Just coz you feel it, doesn't mean it's there.' Better than sex
Posted by noam chomsky:
they know.
Posted by James:
The fact that Kid Rock doesn't understand them is a reason to like them.
Posted by AC:
Kid Rock obviously was the wrong person to ask when discussing radiohead. I can't credit comments from someone with cheesy rock songs as being legitimate.
Radiohead is a complex and amazing group. All of their albums are unique and brilliant in their own way.
I also believe they are the modern-day Pink Floyd!
Posted by rOB:
Have have been a radiohead fan for about 13 years now & I will always be a fan, buy their album & go see them in concert as long as they are around, which I do believe will for as long time, as the Rolling Stones. I do wish that they do an album of all guitars & no electric crap but its not my band & I am not a song writer. Tom & the band really do know what they are doing & I have to trust their judgement when it comes to their music. Eventhough I my not like every single song on their new albums, like I do the BENDS, you can find a few great songs that are better then the ones on the BENDS. All I can say is that if they come out with a Greatest Hits album, it would be one of the best since The Beatles.
Posted by Dan:
this guy is an idiot
Posted by A Paranoid Android:
Music is music. If a critic doesn't appreciate a certain band, despite its enormously talented output, then so be it. The same critic may not appreciate Pantera as one of the greatest metal bands ever, but go to tell that to the countless bands that took that mould and put metal on the map in the new millenium. The fact that a band unashamedly threw together a handful of ditties that turned into albums that shook the music world is what happened. A million and a half critics can write as many articles as they want, but the band will still do as they like. Is the music too depressing for you? Try taking a look outside your cubicle. The world is a horrifying place. It'll kill you to stand outside for too long in certain places, or to even be born a certain colour. Given that music is an expressive outlet, do we write a bunch of dance tunes as a soundtrack to that? Or perhaps shall we all write an upbeat rocker to celebrate our wondrous achievements as a human being. I think not. To some of us, a vacuous pop ballad can encompass an entire range of emotions, but to others that simply will not suffice. Music is music. Its our healer, its our feeler. Its how we gauge our perception of reality, and its our backdrop to our every day lives. A song lyric, a guitar riff--any thing musical--may encapsulate any given sensation in a certain context. Radiohead might do it for a lot of people. Why berate them over the lot of artists supported by a lot of criminal suits hijacking radiostations and brainwashing us with nonsensical garbage just to make a pretty penny.
Music is music. Its the barometer of our collective consciousness and the soundtrack to our times. While the lot of you decide to dance a bit to some escapist music, the rest of us will be doing other things and likely be listening to OK Computer or Kid A. Not that its a bad thing, but we can't all have the same taste or the same view on the world (and therefore, music).
You dig?
K
Posted by Brovold:
They are the modern Pink Floyd. For better or for worse. Mostly better.
Posted by ThePatient:
As long as they keep making music I will have something to live for.
Posted by 6TON:
Heh? If you are telling me that this band made a group of ten year olds feel complex emotional feelings then welcome to my world... and everyone else who does or doesn;t like them. Kid Rock they ain't!
Posted by Thom Yorke....I Wish I Was:
Radiohead are the best band in the world at the moment. They are the most experimental, ambitious, emotional, imaginative, subtle, intelligent and bold musicians since Pink Floyd. Howevever, while I worship them now, it took me about six months to get into them. But I know they will never get boring. A huge number of people write off any music that they don't get into strate away. So many people don't give things a chance. A lot of people feel alienated by Radiohead, especially by their later work of Amnesiac and Hail To The Theif. I have loved Radiohead for about a year and a half, but i am only now realising how brilliant these later albums are. Radiohead are good enough to be compared to the all time great bands; look at the amount The Beatles progressed during their careers, and likewise the difference between Pablo Honey and Hail To The Thief. Radiohead have astonished me, and will continue to do so.
Posted by darryl:
most of any dislike for radiohead i've seen is of the same sort that any ground-breaking music (or idea) faces. it forces us to perceive in a new way. kid a was too weird for many people, but once they heard it a few times and allowed themselves to really HEAR it, it quickly became one of their favorites. it's a common process in the human psyche. besides, a lot of music that was once considered hardcore, bad-a*s, and rebellious is now just coservative and stagnant. sorry about the philosophy folks but i had to say it.
Posted by Jim Langely:
What was the point of the article? Kid Rock sucks and you know it.
Radiohead are as good as everyone says, They arent promoted, so therefore the hype is real.
Posted by radiohead98122:
eh... don't have much to say about the article.... OK Computer turned me onto Radiohead.... seeing them in concert changed my life. Who cares what others think, some of us have better ears than others.
Posted by Coppini:
Ok Computer changed my life. It's simply the most important album I have ever listened to. Kid A, Amnsiac and Hail to the Thief are just so original and ahead of its time that it'd be impossible for the mass media to understand it. That's fine. They can have Britney and 50-cent. We got the real deal.
Posted by Martha:
I just know good music when I hear it. If likin' good music is wrong, then I don't wanna be right.
Posted by Elvis:
A KId, Kid Rock
Posted by bob:
radiohead is like a fine wine. you may love it. but others may think it awful. its too bold. or its too sweet. their music isnt for everyone. like all good musicians they play for themselves. we are just lucky enough to stop and listen.
Posted by Jim:
According to the story, Radiohead has a new album due early next year. This is the best news I've heard. I cannot wait to hear it. Radiohead has always been the band all my friends could always Fagree on. Every era of my life that I can remember listening to a Radiohead album is a special moment filled with creative energy only felt from the soul altering and awakening music. From Pablo Honey to Hail to the Thief. The next album, as my 9-year-old nephew says, is going to be "Bad A."
Posted by just another sardine:
radiohead's music completeley altered my route in life, that's how powerful their music is. I am forever greatful to them, and i will keep listening until i fold.
Posted by Justin:
I can't believe they actually quoted Kid Rock in this article. Of all people.
Posted by Ralph Nader:
There was no point to this article. All it did was roast the band for being what it first praised them for being, Different and progressive.
Posted by Warren Ester:
Radiohead are the Beatles of this generation, Trent McMartin, your article was useless like a pen with no ink.
Posted by Jesus:
That article was crap, Nobrega is obviously a close minded twit.
Posted by Dave:
Radiohead are skilled musicians but their message is better said but the type of music they play now.
Posted by GJB:
If only all artists had their originality, thought, skill and daring! Then we wouldn't have to put up with "Idol" or any other half arsed singing competition. Thank you Radiohead for making my life happy and making music interesting. P.S. They are the best band live, EVER!
Posted by X:
The article wasn't that bad Bob Saget. I guess you're full of what your initials are. B AND S!.
Posted by Tom:
I got into Radiohead with OK Computer and have been a fan ever since. Although I wasn't sure about Kid A at first, I gave it a chance and I now think it is an absolute masterpiece. The truth is that all of the great bands/artists who stand the test of time evolve their sound over their career and this is the only way to remain fresh and exciting. Bands who try to please the fans by reproducing the same sound over and over never last. Despite being more experimental these days Radiohead can still reproduce the songs on stage and this is a testament to their vast skill and imagination. Genius!
Posted by Bob Saget:
Man, what a poorly-written article, it reads like a half-arsed essay by a 15-year-old kid.
Posted by darksmiley:
well said "immerse your soul in love" i couldn't agree more =)
they are the most gifted, most experimental, most intelligent and least understood band around today. The more i look into their songs and listen to them the more i discover about them and love them!
Keep it up guys and don't let anyone put you off!
Posted by My Iron Lung:
Sit down......stand up...
Posted by immerse
your soul in love: i will support what most have said and
what some have yet to discover:
Radiohead is the best band of my generation
their music has changed my life and i thank
them for giving me the music i will never understand but the music that
never stops reaching out
