Actually, what's really weird is that I was going to reply to this post, but then I read Michael's response and realized this was exactly what I was planning to say. Like you, I loved The Bends and OK Computer, but was completely confused by Kid A and Amnesiac. But I really do like most of Hail To The Thief. It does keep some of the expermental stuff from the 2 former albums, but yes, the song structures are back... ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Bennett" To: Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 1:03 PM Subject: Re: Radiohead > It's weird -- while the band certainly achieved an annointed status, also > afforded to Wilco and Flaming Lips, IMO, that leads to worship rather than > objective analysis, I think that Radiohead is a great band. > > THE BENDS was simply an awesome record -- one of the most influential albums > of the last 10 years. Great songs rendered with superb production. > Everything from the hooks to the playing to the arrangments and details are > top notch. > > OK COMPUTER upped the arty ante. Before it came out, record company folks > were alarmed by what they saw as a lack of songs. But numbers like "Karma > Police" and "No Surprises" still had conventional melodies and hooks (though > they were spooky as hell) and rubbed elbows with oddball stuff like > "Paranoid Android". > > For me, the KID A and AMNESIAC duo were near the "fart in a bag" territory. > I think they were self-indulgent discs by a band doing their lab experiments > in public, putting the results on display regardless of whether they were > coherent. Each disc has it's moments, but the praise heaped on the band, > IMO, was misguided, as they were being lauded for the output, which wasn't > that great, rather than the attempt, which was somewhat daring. > > However, HAIL TO THE THIEF is a different animal. I think all of the > experimenting they did on the last 3 albums comes to fruition brilliantly. > The band brings back an emphasis on song structure (I've seen reviews and > such stating to the contrary -- "This isn't much different than KID A and > AMNESIAC" -- and I think those people must have been smoking crack -- there > are more structured songs on this album than since THE BENDS, me thinks) > while incorporating a lot of the things they have learned along the way. In > so doing, they have really made a statement that encapsulates the tension > inherent in their music - technology based alienation from society, > expressed in music that embraces technology in seemingly every form. I > think the album is addictive and is littered with great songs. > > Mike Bennett > > > > Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com > > > > > > >From: AssociationWorks@aol.com > >Reply-To: audities@smoe.org > >To: audities@smoe.org > >Subject: Radiohead > >Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 12:09:21 EDT > > > >I haven't seen much list discussion on "Hail to the Thief" yet.... > >For quite some time now, I've felt that Radiohead was one of the > >most over-rated bands on the planet...and the collective drool > >fest most critics have had over their latest reaffirms my belief... > >I think Spin Magizine Editor-in-Chief Sia Michel said it best several > >months back that the band could virtually "fart into a bag", put in > >on a record and critics and music journalists would call it the best > >thing ever recorded. Does anyone else out there just see these guys > >as a by-the-numbers indie rock band that's mediocre at best....or am > >I missing something completely? Just curious for some other feedback... > > > >Jeff > > _________________________________________________________________ > The new MSN 8: advanced junk mail protection and 2 months FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail >