CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Music and Recordings => Topic started by: music_4321 on May 12, 2015, 08:04:50 PM
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EDIT: Discussion split from here. http://www.changstar.com/index.php/topic,2286.msg66432.html#msg66432
Just for the record, I like Creep but it's definitely NOT one of my favourite Radiohead tracks — there's at least 40 other tracks by the band I enjoy (much) more.
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Just for the record, I like Creep but it's definitely NOT one of my favourite Radiohead tracks — there's at least 40 other tracks by the band I enjoy (much) more.
Okay! Let high-jack this Angie thread and get a Radiohead favorite album list going. I feel like I may have an unpopular opinion about this but:
1) Amnesiac
2) OK Computer
3) Hail to the Thief
4) Kid A
5) Whatever else...no particular order
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This is a difficult song for me to listen to at any volume. And I'm Thom Yorke.
Whoa.
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Okay! Let high-jack this Angie thread and get a Radiohead favorite album list going. I feel like I may have an unpopular opinion about this but:
1) Amnesiac
2) OK Computer
3) Hail to the Thief
4) Kid A
5) Whatever else...no particular order
Kid A >= In Rainbows >>> HttT > Amnesiac = OKComputer > TKoL. I don't consider The Bends or Pablo Honey worthy
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Kid A >= In Rainbows >>> HttT > Amnesiac = OKComputer > TKoL. I don't consider The Bends or Pablo Honey worthy
Kid A >= Amnesiac > OK Computer > In Rainbows >= TKOL > HttT > The Bends > Every b-side compilation > Pablo Honey
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Kid A >= In Rainbows >>> HttT > Amnesiac = OKComputer > TKoL. I don't consider The Bends or Pablo Honey worthy
I used to be of the opinion that Kid A and Amnesiac were the best of their albums until the last couple of years. The more I listen to Kid A now the more dated and cheesy it sounds to me. It still has some of the best songs of their collection for me but as a whole it just sounds little funny now when I listen to it. It is perhaps because of its theme. Totally agree about The Bends and Pablo Honey though. Maybe I need to listen to In Rainbows again...
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Kid A >= In Rainbows >>> HttT > Amnesiac = OKComputer > TKoL. I don't consider The Bends or Pablo Honey worthy
While The Bends isn't my favourite Radiohead album, I still think it's a great album, or, if not a great album, a damn good one — Street Spirit (Fade Out) and Fake Plastic Trees (FPT) are certainly worth the price of admission. FPT has got to be one of RH's best tracks ever.
Of course no Radiohead album is as good as Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden—an album I'm sure Mr T Yorke knows veeery well.
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While The Bends isn't my favourite Radiohead album, I still think it's a great album, or, if not a great album, a damn good one — Street Spirit (Fade Out) and Fake Plastic Trees (FPT) are certainly worth the price of admission. FPT has got to be one of RH's best tracks ever.
Of course no Radiohead album is as good as Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden—an album I'm sure Mr T Yorke knows veeery well.
Was just listening to Talk Talk's Laughing Stock. That and Spirit of Eden are wonderful albums IMO. Just beautiful.
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I prefer Mark Hollis' solo album to either of those two Talk Talk albums.
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The more I listen to Kid A now the more dated and cheesy it sounds to me.
Those are the last words I would use to describe Kid A. I feel it holds up remarkably well for an "electronic" record.
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Those are the last words I would use to describe Kid A. I feel it holds up remarkably well for an "electronic" record.
I also didn't think I would ever say that even just five years ago. But the more I listen the more it makes me chuckle sometimes. Like reading 1984 when one is 18 to rereading it 10 years later. Still great, and holding up well, but there are some chuckle moments, at least IMO.
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Tough for me to rank Radiohead albums in a row. I kind of have them in tiers. Top would be OK Computer, Amnesiac, and Kid A. Second would be In Rainbows and Hail to the Thief. Then you would have The King of Limbs and The Bends and lastly Pablo Honey. I like all the records though and Radiohead occupies an odd space where I can listen to any of their songs at any time in any mood. That doesn't happen with anyone else. And for the record Creep isn't a bad song it's just very generic. Easy to understand why it's popular, but disappointing when you consider what they released afterwards.
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I think TKOL is the most underrated Radiohead album to date. Of course, you have to add in the the 4 b-sides (Supercollider, The Butcher, The Daily Mail, & Staircase) to make it a complete album, but it's actually quite strong. It's an album that asks more of you than HttT or In Rainbows, but I've found it quite rewarding.
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I think it's an album that required a lot of listens before I really got all of it. Most of the rest of Radiohead's discography gives me instant gratification (besides Kid A, that one took me a while too)
Y'know, I still don't think I heard all of the b-sides. Need to get on that.
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I think King of Limbs should have never been released
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I think it's an album that required a lot of listens before I really got all of it. Most of the rest of Radiohead's discography gives me instant gratification (besides Kid A, that one took me a while too)
Y'know, I still don't think I heard all of the b-sides. Need to get on that.
I think Radiohead missed the mark by only releasing the 8 songs. I think they should have gone all out with the 12 (8 + the b-sides). Some of the best songs are in the b-sdies.
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I think King of Limbs should have never been released
Strong opinion. Care to elaborate?
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To me it sounds like generic Radiohead - nothing special - and a disappointment after In Rainbows
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Really tough call between Kid A and In Rainbows. Would put Kid A just ahead, but it's close. I like them for different reasons. Then HttT, then Amnesiac. Love all of them. OK Computer has some decent moments. Don't care for earlier stuff. TKoL was just too boring for me after a couple listens...not bad, just nothing really stood out. Had a couple decent tracks I guess. Never cared enough to check out the B-side stuff or any additional tracks like that.
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I'm lame. I chose OK Computer. I loved The Bends, but they hadn't matured enough from their grunge sound yet. OK Computer was the first album in a while that made me go "oh shit, this is going to be remembered." I wore the crap out of the vinyl (had a TT setup back then). Just a great pop album (remember, I love pop music) that appealed to my more intellectual sensibilities; but wasn't artsy fartsy, or shit wrapped in brocade or the hackneyed schlock that I commonly saw among the Ann Arbor/ Santa Cruz / San Francisco "artists" of the 90s.
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I'm lame. I chose OK Computer. I loved The Bends, but they hadn't matured enough from their grunge sound yet. OK Computer was the first album in a while that made me go "oh shit, this is going to be remembered." I wore the crap out of the vinyl (had a TT setup back then). Just a great pop album (remember, I love pop music) that appealed to my more intellectual sensibilities; but wasn't artsy fartsy, or shit wrapped in brocade or the hackneyed schlock that I commonly saw among the Ann Arbor/ Santa Cruz / San Francisco "artists" of the 90s.
Ok Computer is great! It is a favorite of mine, just behind Amnesiac. I've forgot about it for years at a time, but when I put on again, it never lets me down. headbang
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Just listened to my Amnesiac vinyl this afternoon.
I went with The Bends. Honestly, though, it just depends on my mood. Kid A was my first experience with the band, which makes it pretty special.
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OK Computer
In Rainbows
Amnesiac
The Bends
Kid A
KoL
HttT
Pablo Honey
I voted In Rainbows because I thought all the votes would be split between OK Comp and Kid A. I probably like OK Comp a tiny bit more than IR. It has stronger songs, but I don't care much for the Fittier Happier/Electioneering/Climbing Up the Walls segment. I like IR from beginning to end. Tough call.
I think the first 4 songs on KoL suck, but I like the last 4 quite a bit. Those first 4 songs sound like HttT throwaways to me. I was excited for this album, but it was definitely a Let Down.
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Kid A was one of the first two CD's I bought.
The other was an obscure Buck 65 hip hop album with the Centaur on it. *parental advisory*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmStKhO5dAM
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OK Computer
In Rainbows
Amnesiac
The Bends
Kid A
KoL
HttT
Pablo Honey
I voted In Rainbows because I thought all the votes would be split between OK Comp and Kid A. I probably like OK Comp a tiny bit more than IR. It has stronger songs, but I don't care much for the Fittier Happier/Electioneering/Climbing Up the Walls segment. I like IR from beginning to end. Tough call.
I think the first 4 songs on KoL suck, but I like the last 4 quite a bit. Those first 4 songs sound like HttT throwaways to me. I was excited for this album, but it was definitely a Let Down.
I am surprised to see you rank KoL higher than HttT.
I saw their HttT tour at The Hollywood Bowl and was one of the best concerts I have ever attended
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I could've gone either way probably. I haven't listened to either of those in a while. Listening to Talk Talk as recommended earlier, thanks for the suggestion guys.
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I think Radiohead missed the mark by only releasing the 8 songs. I think they should have gone all out with the 12 (8 + the b-sides). Some of the best songs are in the b-sdies.
Agreed with that. It was a very odd release with the secondary released songs and then all the remixes as well.
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I probably love every album except Pablo Honey.
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HttT is the best overall album. It just sounds well put together, almost as if it were 1 very long song with differences introduced every 4-5 minutes. Each song is not all that great, but they are all good and flow well with each other.
OK Computer has the best individual songs and the most of good ones, but the album itself is probably one of the worst.
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I like IR from beginning to end.
:)p4 It's one of those albums I can listen to at any time. I don't need to be "in the mood" for IR unlike the others. Although I acknowledge Kid A as a superior work of art
I went through a big HttT phase because of that edgier, more straight-forward rock sound. That album has my favorite Radiohead tracks in themselves (Go to Sleep, There There, A Punchup at a Wedding)
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I like The Bends from beginning to end. I would say the same for OK Computer if it weren't for that one crappy song in the middle - it totally does not belong there or on any album
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I look at Fitter Happier as Radiohead's equivalent to On the Run. Just pretentious noodling nonsense lol
Actually taking the 2nd disk into account I'd prob have to put IR #1
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I was referring to Electioneering - that song seems so out of place on that album to me.
Yes, the second disc of IR is excellent
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I saw their HttT tour at The Hollywood Bowl and was one of the best concerts I have ever attended
I was there! Way back in the nose bleeds, but the "Tell Me Why" cover was amazing.
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I don't care much for the Fittier Happier/Electioneering/Climbing Up the Walls segment. I like IR from beginning to end. Tough call.
Climbing up the walls in one of my top 5 favorite Radiohead songs. It's so delightfully creepy and Jonny takes it up a notch. Amazing live. I'd check out the Bonnaroo show version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs3SuN2EWLk
I think the first 4 songs on KoL suck, but I like the last 4 quite a bit. Those first 4 songs sound like HttT throwaways to me. I was excited for this album, but it was definitely a Let Down.
Bloom is an amazing song, but it can be tough to appreciate how intricate and interesting it is until it's been heard live. I'd rate the TKOL tracks as such: 4 b-sides the best, Bloom, tracks 5-8, tracks 2-4. Check out the b-sides. It's like Radiohead threw away some of what they were trying to achieve with this album. I'll admit it's flawed, but it has some serious strengths, just in different places than one is used to.
If there's a taping of Radiohead at the Santa Barbara Bowl for the TKOL tour, I'd highly recommend it. Not only is it one of my all-time favorite venues, the band played a ton of TKOL songs and the energy behind them were just excellent. It was a fantastic show, one of my favorites.
Here's the Coachella show from a few days before or after:
Edit: Added some video links.
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I like The Bends from beginning to end. I would say the same for OK Computer if it weren't for that one crappy song in the middle - it totally does not belong there or on any album
I look at Fitter Happier as Radiohead's equivalent to On the Run. Just pretentious noodling nonsense lol
I was referring to Electioneering - that song seems so out of place on that album to me.
Yes, the second disc of IR is excellent
It took a while for me to appreciate Fitter Happier. It's actually a beautiful song in that takes all of the British cliches and uses the computer voice to show how hollow and dehumanizing they are. If there is one song that embodies the phrase "OK Computer" more than any other on this album it's this one. I'll admit musically/sonically it's pretty dull, but wow does it capture the emptiness of cliches and how robotic we sound using them. It's kinda the opposite of Kid A, which takes computer sounds and humanizes them.
Electioneering is the low point of the album for me. I could have used any other song (especially some of the OK Computer b-sides or say "Lift") other than that one. It does do the job of picking up the mood after Fitter Happier, but otherwise, it's lousy.
This cover of Fitter Happier is pretty fun and may be right up Marv's alley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtTG-8s5Zd8
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I was there! Way back in the nose bleeds, but the "Tell Me Why" cover was amazing.
I was also in the nosebleeds for one of the days they played at the Hollywood Bowl. Their sound was massive. Climbing up the walls gives me chills all the time. Great song!
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Apparently, their drummer/bassist/something went to my college. This makes me a happy person. Think his name's Colin or something.
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Climbing up the walls in one of my top 5 favorite Radiohead songs. It's so delightfully creepy and Jonny takes it up a notch. Amazing live. I'd check out the Bonnaroo show version:
+1, not a recording masterpiece, but that's not the point.
I like the IR mostly because it sounds good out of anything, while OK Comp or HttT not so much.
Your voice irritates crappy gear and through that the ear ;) Through good gear though, HttT/OK are my favorite.
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I've always been drawn to only The Bends and In Rainbows, just because these two albums sounded the least sinister. :)p13
I do have a question though, is there a definitive live Radiohead album for equipment testing purposes?
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Don't know about live-s, but almost whole Ok/Amnesiac/HttT/Kid-A albums are un-listenable through some Sabre dacs with HD800. Yorke's voice sticks and rinGs badly.
Through my current system I think the acoustic scene is best recorded on IR and Limbs of studio albums.
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Listened to the Bends for the first time evar... Thanks Donald... Great album
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Since I'm the unofficial thread starter (read: I didn't actually start this thread even though it looks like I did — I did, however, mention a Radiohead track in a different thread, which, in turn, sparked all manner of RH-related posts...and that lead to this), that means I pretty much call the shots here.
So, since we all agree Pablo Honey is Radiohead's best album (interesting that Mr OJneg forgot to list that one on page one), how about mentioning now your favourite Radiohead track? Just one (no top 3/5/10) and sticking to album tracks (no b-sides). Be brave.
Mine (for the last year or two): Reckoner
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Subterranean Homesick Alien
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Not claiming this is their "best" album, but my favorite (and I have all of them) is The Bends. Although I like their later music quite a lot, I still tend to prefer their more commercial alterna-indie pop from the early albums and think that collection is really strong. Although OK Computer is undoubtedly a better and clearly more important, yet still commercial, record, I like the tunes on The Bends better. Plus, at the time of this album I was indulging in a lot of "stuff" that was extremely music enhancing, which might have had something to do with my fondness as well.
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I do have a question though, is there a definitive live Radiohead album for equipment testing purposes?
I wouldn't be the one to know if there is a definitive, but Radiohead released the mix board tapes of their Bonnaroo 2006 show, so the quality of that is fantastic. Also, several of the shows in Europe have been professionally recorded and broadcasted, but I don't always like the mix of those.
Favorite Radiohead song: Talk Show Host
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I've always been drawn to only The Bends and In Rainbows, just because these two albums sounded the least sinister. :)p13
I do have a question though, is there a definitive live Radiohead album for equipment testing purposes?
I'm not sure if it's considered their definitive live album but I've never been disappointed with the sound quality from this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Might-Be-Wrong-Live-Recordings/dp/B00005QXXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431541642&sr=8-1&keywords=radiohead+live
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The Bends
Street Spirit
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Climbing up the walls in one of my top 5 favorite Radiohead songs. It's so delightfully creepy and Jonny takes it up a notch. Amazing live. I'd check out the Bonnaroo show version:
I actually like Climbing Up the Walls, not sure why I lumped it with those two.
I get Fitter Happier, and it's fine the first few times, but it doesn't have any re-playable factor for me.
I'll be popular and say Karma Police, but I honestly don't have a favorite Radiohead song. Lots of great songs but I don't think any single song stands out above the rest.
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Very hard decisions, Favorite song(s) in no particular order:
Kid A, Like Spinning Plates, Pyramid Song, Idioteque, Hunting Bears, Paranoid Android, Exit Music, Wolf at the Door, Life in a Glass House.
That was hard. Extra one: Four Tet's remix of Scatterbrain :money:
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They have more great B-sides than most bands have A-sides and singles.
With that being said, I love Polyethylene and Palo Alto among others.
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The Bends, then OK Computer. Not really into their latest experiments...
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OK Computer, Amnesiac, Kid A. Then others for me.
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Hail to the Queef. It was the album that got me into Radiohead. It still gets the most playtime. Though I'm not ready to say it's their best album. After that, Kid A. Then OK Computer. Then the rest.
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Just listened again to HttT and KoL. To me, the two aren't remotely close - HttT is way better
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Lol, I had my DVR record KoL 'Live From the Basement'. Halfway through the second song I started to FFWD to each song and quickly gave up and deleted it. I think you need to be a fanatic to dig that album. Felt too forced and pretentious to me in a way that I think would make even Stravinsky roll in his grave.
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Lol, I had my DVR record KoL 'Live From the Basement'. Halfway through the second song I started to FFWD to each song and quickly gave up and deleted it. I think you need to be a fanatic to dig that album. Felt too forced and pretentious to me in a way that I think would make even Stravinsky roll in his grave.
Aside from a few songs, I'd have to agree. I don't really love mood and feeling of that "From the Basement" recording. It's like they realized how great the In Rainbows From the Basement was and tried to replicate it. It just came off feeling forced and devoid of emotion.
Check out the Coachella recording, it's way more fun and less pretentious, though it suffers from it's sample rate I think. Though admittedly TKoL is just more pretentious in general.
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Lol, I had my DVR record KoL 'Live From the Basement'. Halfway through the second song I started to FFWD to each song and quickly gave up and deleted it. I think you need to be a fanatic to dig that album. Felt too forced and pretentious to me in a way that I think would make even Stravinsky roll in his grave.
*shrug*
I enjoyed it.
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Forgot about Hail to the Thief...I like that album too. When it got more compressed and electronic I lost the love. OK Computer I used to listen to for everything. Happy/Sad/Mad/Walking/Running/Lifting Weights/Sleeping. Maybe I need that Fitter, Happier programming again. It used to work.
For a long time, I have wanted "Let Down" to be played at my after-death party. Just because of the sound.
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Now that there’s no Radiohead discussion going on, those of you who appreciate the music of RD might enjoy this excellent album: https://polyenso.bandcamp.com/
Credit goes to Mr Uncool (aka james444) for having recommended this great album some 15 months ago.
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Now that there’s no Radiohead discussion going on,
Hey! A Radiohead thread!!
"I celebrate [their] entire catalog." Hail to the Thief is magnum opus in terms of where they came from and whatever they are now. I appreciate that Kid A was the album that really signified that shift, but I feel like HttT signifies the arrival. Also, In Rainbows is fucking beautiful to hear.
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While I'm not a terribly huge fan of HTTT, going back and listening to it, as a sound it sounds fantastic. The biggest problem I have with it is it doesn't feel very polished. Some of the songs sound either like b-side material or like they didn't go far enough to get them right. Other songs sounded much better on the short tour leading up to the album (I weep for what We Suck Young Blood could have been. You know that part where it goes crazy and then suddenly stops? Imagine if it didn't). I just wish they had spent more time with it getting it right.
That said, it's still a Radiohead album, so who am I to complain.
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That is interesting. First, I would love to have heard an alternate ending to young blood. Moving on, I love Kid A and Amnesiac but felt they suffered from (if anything) overproduction. HttT felt more pure, and the sound was more immediate, which is what appeals about it.