July 5, 2001

8:18 AM

Radiohead to appear on South Park!Insert unfunny South Park quote here. Suggestions: "Looks like Thom Yorke got sand in his vagina." "Why hello, children. Allow me to sing you a chilling apolcalyptic ballad about the future when we'll all be robots." However, anyone who mentions "Oh my god, they killed Thom Yorke!" will be kicked in the balls. I'm serious. None of that.
posted by tweebiscuit (69 comments total)

how about "screw you moping, english, angst-ridden voices of Generation Y... I'm goin' home"?

BTW. Being a moping, english, angst-ridden voice of Gen Y is a good thing.
posted by jpoulos at 8:23 AM on July 5, 2001

i'm just waiting to see how much they over-exaggerate thom's lazy eye...heh
posted by cheaily at 8:28 AM on July 5, 2001

Oops, I forgot about the beast with Thom Yorke for a leg...
posted by tweebiscuit at 8:31 AM on July 5, 2001

I see Mr. Hanky singing a stirring rendition of "The Bends"

Or of course Kenny singing "Bulletproof (Wish I Was)"

But mostly, same old South Park: "No Surprises"
posted by Kafkaesque at 8:36 AM on July 5, 2001

heres hoping they have Robert Smith back on to kick their asses. please?
posted by jbelshaw at 8:41 AM on July 5, 2001

And ironically, I'm going to see Radiohead in South Park on Saturday. With 40,000 people present, this will be the biggest musical event ever in Oxford (Radiohead's hometown).
posted by salmacis at 8:44 AM on July 5, 2001

Radiohead? Grow up, people. They're so...nineties.
posted by davidmsc at 8:50 AM on July 5, 2001

Argh...and in DC we don't get Comedy Central!

However, I did score Radiohead tickets for their DC concert in August. *jig*
posted by jennak at 8:56 AM on July 5, 2001

Where you been David? Kid A was an absolutely stunning album....

And Salmacis and Jennak, I just saw them in Houston, absolutley great great show. The Beta Band didnt show up, something about passports, but it was still great.... They did seem to make the show more "rocky" for the U.S. crowd, taking away alot of the electronic elements, which I was disapointed about, but it was still great. Have fun.
posted by Espoo2 at 9:07 AM on July 5, 2001

davidmsc:

You're kidding, right . . . ? Radiohead transcends the decade classification model.
posted by dopamine at 9:07 AM on July 5, 2001

the decade classification model

You're kidding, right? Music transcends the decade classification model.
posted by daveadams at 9:18 AM on July 5, 2001

am i the only one who doesn't like Radiohead?
posted by jbelshaw at 9:22 AM on July 5, 2001

Can anyone give me a review of the Beta Band's self-titled album? I have "The Three EP's" and think it is great (well except for the long boring song with all the chirping). I have heard the other album borders on goofy. Any opinions?
posted by Kafkaesque at 9:23 AM on July 5, 2001

Radiohead sucks!

Radiohead rules!

Everything in its right place.

Kafka, I like the self-titled Beta Band, but I don't think it's anywhere as strong as the Three EPs. It has some wonderful tracks, but it feels forced over all. I have higher hopes for their new album (which I heard songs from when they opened for Radiohead in Vancouver BC), coming out this month. Hot Shots 2!
posted by Skot at 9:33 AM on July 5, 2001

jbelshaw: no, you're not. Overrated electronic disaffection appealing to the digital subgeneration of hipster doofi.
posted by Dreama at 9:35 AM on July 5, 2001

Bring back Robert Smith! Bring back Robert Smith!
posted by keith at 9:41 AM on July 5, 2001

How can people listen to it? How? I can't understand.
posted by owillis at 9:48 AM on July 5, 2001

How can people listen to it? How? I can't understand.

Aw, geez, owillis, you've proclaimed a fondness for rap, if I recall correctly. Haven't you had your own line aimed at you before, and didn't you find it frustrating? You might as well ask, "How can people eat eggplant? How? I can't understand." Because, you know, eggplant is fucking disgusting.

If I had the money, I'd buy everyone here the Onion t-shirt that says "Your favorite band sucks."
posted by Skot at 10:02 AM on July 5, 2001

Well. I'm a dance music lad meself, but I have to say, I am very proud of the rock output of my designated home city, Oxford.

I love Radiohead and Supergrass and (a few of) the incarnations they were beforehand.

They are, and I have to say this realy is a unique aspect of this tiny corner of the world, the most down to earth bands EVER.

About three years ago, on Christmas Eve, there was an extravaganza involving one of the most popular nights ever in Oxford's (local) history. It was called Disques Vogue (GBP2.99 to get in) and it was held in The Venue (insert your name for this place, if you know it, as its had a few different names over the years, and I know more than a few MeFi-ers have lived in this enclave of the wider world at some time).

Disques Vogue was an easy listening night. Nearly all of the band was there on the night in question and me, being off my rocker at the time, walked up to Johnny Greenwood and Thom Yorke (and the rest) and expressed my love of their work.

I got a quirky smile from Thom and a shake of the hand from Johnny and I've been happy ever since.

They are the best. Glad to hear the rest of the world like them too.

Oxford rules.
posted by davehat at 10:09 AM on July 5, 2001

I love eggplant. Mm, eggplant...
posted by tweebiscuit at 10:42 AM on July 5, 2001

Would someone please wake me when Radiohead's 15 minutes are up?

Thanks.
posted by bondcliff at 10:45 AM on July 5, 2001

Skot: not really. I like one or two rap people, some pop, some country. But my problem with Radiohead is that it sounds like someone crying or moaning, or something. I can't grok it.
posted by owillis at 10:45 AM on July 5, 2001

15 minutes? Let's see. A well-enjoyed debut, followed by an album that topped nearly every critic's "Best of the 90s" list (and, incidentally, created all of this Radiohead hype in the first place, as everyone was waiting for another masterpiece), followed by another album that's adored by at least half of the people in a position to say one way or the other, and a vaguely less-successful follow-up album. All of this over, oh, six or seven years. Wow, I hope those other flash-in-the-pans -- Dylan, for instance, or REM -- burn out soon too. Jesus.
posted by tweebiscuit at 10:48 AM on July 5, 2001

tweebiscuit: I think you're missing a few records there.

bondcliff: just coz you never heard of them until 15 min. ago...
;)
posted by sonofsamiam at 11:16 AM on July 5, 2001

owillis, I'm sorry but did you just say "I like a little country?!"
posted by mathowie at 11:18 AM on July 5, 2001

I may be a bit out of the ordinary here, but..... I can live without Radiohead. Buckner and Garcia, however, I cannot. Talk about a band that truly transcends the decade classification model.......
posted by bradth27 at 11:21 AM on July 5, 2001

tweebiscuit: I think you've missed their first, "Pablo Honey".

Minus that, your album statements seem chronological.

Pablo Honey is still good though, if you never caught it (This has possibly their most famous worldwide track, "Creep").

My favourite track of theirs is "Subterrainean Homesick Alien". Closely followed by "Morning Bell" and the Black Dog mix of "Talkshow Host" (a remix of the one on the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack).

Ah well, I'll be off this thread, Looking forward to the South Park episode though.....
posted by davehat at 11:30 AM on July 5, 2001

owillis, I'm sorry but did you just say "I like a little country?!"

Come on now, Matt. Johnny Cash is the man [in black]. To further spiral into country territory, I just noticed in my last Banana Slug Review (or whatever it's called) that Gillian Welch is a fellow UCSC alumni. Had no idea.
posted by Kafkaesque at 11:32 AM on July 5, 2001

mathowie, don't be so quick to judge. The new Lucinda Williams and Johnny Cash albums are perfection.
posted by tweebiscuit at 11:32 AM on July 5, 2001

To compare Radiohead to Dylan is blasphemy. When Radiohead has been around for ~30 years, lets talk. When Radiohead is the catalyst for a fundamental change in a movement within music, call me.

I personally don't get why OK Computer was so "critically acclaimed". or any of their other albums. I'll admit, I was the only one of all my friends that hated "Creep". I thought it sucked. That Karma police song did nothing but grate on every nerve in my body. I have been known to dislike things based on their "critics" acclaims before, but quite honestly, this time its different.
posted by jbelshaw at 11:37 AM on July 5, 2001

matthowie: My country tends to be more Dixie Chicks and Alan Jackson's "Chatahooche". I dunno, like I always say - music's music, which is why I don't "get" Radiohead or really why so many seem to like it...
posted by owillis at 11:40 AM on July 5, 2001

Corporate rock still sucks.
posted by thirteen at 11:41 AM on July 5, 2001

*sigh* I knew I'd get blasted for mentioning Dylan. I was exaggerating in order to emphasize the ludicrousness of using "15 minutes of fame" and "Radiohead" in the same sentence. If Radiohead is considered a passing fad, then Dylan might as well be too. Music criticism always breaks down, however, when people try to predict the future influence of bands based on their personal opinions of them. My philosophy is "I like Radiohead, but other people don't. I don't like Tool, but other people too." I'm not sure those people have any desire or obligation to hear about my opinions of their favorite band. Getting the picture?
posted by tweebiscuit at 11:47 AM on July 5, 2001

i pride myself for having a somewhat diverse music (opera, trance, indie hip hop, angsty folk, country, rock, emo, etc., etc..), but i tried some radio head tracks after hearing all the talk and... i just wasn't "feeling it."
posted by lotsofno at 11:48 AM on July 5, 2001

tweebiscuit: you are right. my post was worded a bit strongly. I certainly don't think Radiohead is having 15 minutes of fame. I'm sure they are a great band and will release good stuff as long as they are able. I tend to pick out Radiohead in particular, because their more rabid fans just can't seem to believe that there is anyone who doesn't like them, and if I just listened to "this one song", i'd be hooked. I felt the same way about Pearl Jam. I couldn't care less.

Trying to compare a current artist to the legacy of a legend is ludicrous. Radiohead's legacy is still to be written.
posted by jbelshaw at 11:58 AM on July 5, 2001

Music criticism always breaks down, however, when people try to predict the future influence of bands based on their personal opinions of them.

Damn skippy. Music for the average person is generally too emotional to be criticized objectively. At least, its that way for me. I've realized that I can't criticize music all that well because I don't know much about the "language" (if you will) of music, but I do know what I like to hear. So when you throw wierd stuff like Kid A at the average person... well, most probably won't like it.

As for Radiohead on South Park... I guess it could be fun.
posted by tallman at 12:13 PM on July 5, 2001

Poll: whose diction is worse, Thom Yorke's or Robert Plant's? Or is this just my personal hearing problem? (btw, I like both Radiohead & Led Zeppelin).

Confession: for many years I thought the song went "I'm a creep/I'm a widow."
posted by witchstone at 12:15 PM on July 5, 2001

skot: please send me that t-shirt asap.
posted by jcterminal at 12:18 PM on July 5, 2001

jbelshaw & dreama: Add me to your list of folks who don't "get" Radiohead. And for some reason, on the rare occasions when I reference their *big* album (to my teen daughter & her posse, fer instance), I always wind up calling it "Good Computer."

Speaking of music: did anyone catch the "Nightline" show last night that featured Eva Cassidy and the surprising popularity of her music (five years after her sad death from cancer)? Quite interesting.
posted by davidmsc at 12:22 PM on July 5, 2001

If you have listened only to a few isolated Radiohead tracks, it's hard to understand why people like them. OK Computer is a spectacularly solid album when listened to all at once, but the individual tracks don't really hold up so well isolated from context.

More power to 'em for doing whatever they want in the aftermath of such a critical and popular hit as that album.
posted by kindall at 12:27 PM on July 5, 2001

yes
posted by Hackworth at 12:39 PM on July 5, 2001

jbelshaw: Ok, now we agree. I'm a big believer in the immediate, personal impact of music: I personally can't stand nu-metal (Staind and the like), but I know plenty of kids who feel that music, and that's all that's important. What bothers me is when people start discrediting the reputations of bands based on that immediate reaction. I'm glad we're reconciled. ;)
posted by tweebiscuit at 12:51 PM on July 5, 2001

(and by the way: for what it's worth, I firmly believe that Radiohead will be one of the most influential bands of the 90s/00s in twenty years... but again, that's MHO.)
posted by tweebiscuit at 12:52 PM on July 5, 2001

In conclusion:

Some people like Radiohead, and some people don't.

Stop the presses!
posted by speicus at 12:57 PM on July 5, 2001

Hey, I didn't start it...
posted by tweebiscuit at 1:04 PM on July 5, 2001

I think it's pretty obvious that the future success of Radiohead depends not on the number of people who "get" the followup to Kid A, but whether or not their South Park appearance compares favorably to Korn's Scooby-Doo spoof appearance.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 1:05 PM on July 5, 2001

Yeah, where is Korn these days anyway? I really miss those guys...
posted by donkeymon at 1:21 PM on July 5, 2001

I think they're recovering from their cranio-rectal extraction surgery...
posted by tweebiscuit at 1:54 PM on July 5, 2001

it isn't a follow up to Kid A, they were recorded at the same time as far as i understood....

and as far as their influence goes, i have yet to hear an indie-emo band that isn't trying to be either Radiohead or Pavement, [though some say they are trying to be like Sunny Day Realestate while actually sounding like a mix between bowie, the cure and Ocean blue...which is odd in and of itself because i always thought they sounded more like a serious Robyn Hitchcock.] Everything in music now days seems as derivative as urban outfitters fashions.

I love it when people don't like the music i do, makes me feel young and post-modern again instead of like a 30-something fudy-dudy.
posted by th3ph17 at 2:00 PM on July 5, 2001

amnesiac and kid a were originally going to be released as a 2-disc album, with Amnesiac as the first CD.
posted by sonofsamiam at 2:04 PM on July 5, 2001

Yes. Call it a followup, a companion, or whatever... that's what it is.
posted by tweebiscuit at 2:09 PM on July 5, 2001

it isn't a follow up to Kid A, they were recorded at the same time

True, but Amnesiac is still a follow-up album to Kid A.

How can people listen to it? How? I can't understand..... I can't grok it..... I don't "get" Radiohead

What does your ability to "get" something have to do with whether people like it or not? Or whether they should like it or not? How can you listen to the Dixie Chicks? How? I can't understand! I can't grok it! I don't "get" the Dixie Chicks!
posted by daveadams at 2:15 PM on July 5, 2001

But you see, that's the beauty of Dixie Chicks -- there's nothing to get. You can turn your brain completely off and still enjoy it. Sometimes that's preferential to the stuff that you have to cogitate over repeatedly in order to "feel" fully.
posted by Dreama at 2:23 PM on July 5, 2001

Which, of course, is the reason why, after a hard day at work, I sit down in the La-Z-Boy, and turn on some Oingo Boingo.
posted by bradth27 at 2:32 PM on July 5, 2001

surprisingly, i'm with dreama on this one... i'll listen to more complex stuff (i.e. aceyalone, ani), but sometimes, i'm just in the mood to enjoy the dixie chicks or the get-up kids... plus, just the vocals of the lead on dixie chicks is enough for me to enjoy....
posted by lotsofno at 2:45 PM on July 5, 2001

hey i'm listening to aceyalone now. he's good. so is radiohead. they're no dylan but they might be the closest thing to pink floyd since floyd. whole albums who suffer when listened to as individual tracks, full album length concepts, plenty of playing around with layered sounds and how the sounds are created (IE Kid A, like Floyd's Meddle, uses moving microphones and similar tricks), and that same sort of vague mystery and importance. I hate South Park more than I hate corporate rock but I do believe that Radiohead has made the most incredible (rock) albums of the past few years.

and while Kid A and Amnesiac were recorded at the same time, it seems to me when you listen to them that a lot of the stuff on Amnesiac is leftovers that didn't make Kid A. In other words, its not even an album so much as a collection of really good leftovers from an incredible album.

and that's the way I see it.
posted by whoshotwho at 3:41 PM on July 5, 2001

two disc sets don't have to be just longer single albums do they?

i guess i see the amnesiac tracks as different, not leftovers. Ani Difranco's 2-disc set Reveling/Reckoning is a great example of this, each has a specific meaning attached it, which--combined together--creates the whole experience.

Definitely the album experience, as opposed to a bunch of songs supporting a Radio-play single, is a lot more powerful in my book.
posted by th3ph17 at 4:08 PM on July 5, 2001

whoshotwho, you've basically spoken my mind there. Thanks for saving my fingers the work....

I, too, pride myself in listening to a diverse collection of music, just about everything, I'd say, with a slight leaning towards electronic and jazz....

Maybe some of you are trying to hard, if you think radiohead is something you cant just sit back in the la-z-boy and listen to. . . To me, thats what its about.
"Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream. . ."
Kid A is nothing short of breathtaking with a good pair of headphones. My favorite album since Floyd's Meddle.

I'm not even that much into modern rock, honestly. I'm still fairly young (23), but I dont dig most of it... I like Unwound, Modest Mouse, and a few others, but Limp Bizkit turns my stomach at the lack innovation...

Oh blah.
posted by Espoo2 at 6:32 PM on July 5, 2001

Definition: When I say I don't "get" Radiohead, it means two things:

1) I don't care for their music (not in a vehement way, however...it simply doesn't appeal)
2) I don't understand their success and popularity among so many people.

I'm usually semi-accurate when trying to gauge the likely popularity of new acts, but Radiohead's success and appeal to *smart* folk simply baffles me. Not a criticism - simply quiet puzzlement. Same thing with The Police - when "Zonyatta Mondata" (sp) was released, I didn't think they would be stadium-sized, mega-popular...but then with "Ghost In The Machine" they just seemed to...implant themselves (themself? itself?) into the music-buying consciousness.

Uh, oh...I just aged myself considerably, didn't I?
posted by davidmsc at 6:46 PM on July 5, 2001

Doofi? Yes!
Episode 7 : Return of the Doofi

Tee hee.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:16 PM on July 5, 2001

2) I don't understand their success and popularity among so many people.

Since (at least) 1997, Radiohead has consistently been one of the most honest and original bands *in mainstream music* -- there haven't been many bands/artists in the past decade that have maintained a mainstream image, all the while getting respect for essentially staying true to themselves. Sure, much of their "experimental" stuff has been done by others, but I can't think of another RNR band that has made innovative and exciting music that has been appealing. In an age where a lot of us feel like we are being force-fed crap like Limp Bizkit and NSYNC, Radiohead is reassuring in some way: at least we feel like we can trust them. Radiohead's music and Thom's lyrics simply speak to a lot of us -- I don't think it's always about "getting it" or not.
posted by kphaley454 at 7:27 PM on July 5, 2001

Gawd, the seventies were so much simpler...either hard rock or disco (or variations on those themes), your choice. Except for Bowie. He transcends time & space, ya know. Not just his music - I mean Bowie himself. Space Oddity? You bet.
posted by davidmsc at 7:57 PM on July 5, 2001

davidmsc: No, David Bowie was exceedingly good at promoting himself, firstly, and then was a good performer. He was also quite the popularizer of many marginal or outside trends/subgenres within the (mostly white - a sometimes important fact, sometimes not) world of rock. (If you're freaked out by 1975's "Fame," say, check out some of the '70s era Philly/psychedelic soul to come out before. The long verison of Wilson Pickett's "Engine No. 9" would be an impossibly good place to start.) I don't hate Bowie, quite the contrary actually, but I hardly ever listen to his stuff anymore. There were a zillion folks out there more talented than him at the height of his popularity. And I wonder if he'd be the first to admit it. Hmmm. Certainly not the first, but among the first.
posted by raysmj at 9:22 PM on July 5, 2001

davidmsc: I also seem to remember a lot of Stevie Wonder on rock stations in the '70s. Bless John Cusack's heart for putting Stevie music in "High Fidelity." Also the Wilson Pickett number I mentioned, from 1970, has an ear-piercing guitar part on it. Then what of Styx? What the hell were they anyway? Rock? Disco? (Which didn't start until the mid-'70s anyway.) Unclassifiable shit you never want to hear again, except at cheesy of-the-era music in films? Also what of "Heart of Glass" and "Miss You?" Rod Stewart inquiring as to your opinion re his sexiness or lack thereof? What of Bob Seger's constant soul covers, or Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run?" Bah.

And just for the record, Radiohead is way overhyped, but it's not their fault, as far as I can tell. So I cut them so slack.
posted by raysmj at 9:37 PM on July 5, 2001

OT: jcterminal: you can buy the t-shirt from The Onion store. Other gems include "End Racism. Kill Everyone." and "I am in a promising local band."

I love these "(insert band name here) is the greatest/most overrated band ever" threads. Didn't we just do this with Nirvana this week?
posted by topolino at 12:37 AM on July 6, 2001

This is strange. Every thread I start becomes exceedingly long. Huh.

And I am definitely buying one of those t-shirts.
posted by tweebiscuit at 11:17 AM on July 6, 2001

Sometimes [easy music like the Dixie Chicks] is preferential to the stuff that you have to cogitate over repeatedly in order to "feel" fully

So you're saying that Radiohead's music isn't relatively simple and that you have to think about it? Hmmm...

As for why "so many" people think Radiohead is a good band, who cares? If you don't like them, that's cool too. I don't like green beans, and I cannot understand how anyone could enjoy them. I think they're way overhyped (of course, it's not their fault, and I cut them some slack for that), and I really wish they'd stop appearing in my meal choices at restaurants and at home.

I prefer food I don't have to cogitate to enjoy. Like butter. And sugar. Oh, water, that's some great stuff.
posted by daveadams at 12:46 PM on July 6, 2001

Green beans are OK...but how in the name of all that is holy can anyone eat asparagus? Good lord, it looks like some sort of giant walking-stick insect!
posted by davidmsc at 2:04 PM on July 6, 2001

Really late with this, but: No, daveadams, it'd be like having "GREEN BEANS" appear in 48 point type in front of your face in restaurants at all times, having middle aged rock crits with ponytails screaming about "GREEN BEANS" because "GREEN BEANS" are so cool. And so on and so forth.
posted by raysmj at 12:28 PM on July 7, 2001