Come on, let us give your mind a ride.
I'm disappointed by the latest Radiohead album.
There, I said it.
This follows a string of, to my mind, disappointing albums. Speaking honestly, and not through rose-colored glasses, it seems to me that Hail to the Thief was a total disaster, a complete mess of an album. Amnesiac and Kid A were both, well, what they were, but to be quite honest, I didn't really like them as much as many other people did. They were ok, I suppose, but they felt like small albums. They did less with less, rather than more with less. That might be a good thing, but I myself didn't really get into it.
I think the conclusion that I have to come to is that, for me at least, Radiohead has entered the phase of being a band I once really liked, but who are continuing to produce albums far past their prime. They're a band whose new recoreds I feel obligated to purchase, mostly out of inertia, but whose output I recognize full well will sadden me.
This happens every once in awhile. I like to think that The Cure entered this phase with "Wild Mood Swings," although I liked their most recent album, and I actually think that if they keep the lean "Trilogy" lineup, their new record will be a significant step in the right direction. In other words, The Cure appear to no longer just be treading water. It's too early to make a judgment about The Flaming Lips, but their latest record is flirting dangerously.
Midnight Oil's turning point was after "Earth and Sun and Moon," (which is a freaking great record and, by the way, one of the most rotary-speakered albums I've ever heard). Prince's last great effort was "Diamonds and Pearls." Bowie entered this phase after "Scary Monsters," but as of late has appeared to turn it around (although I'm not authoritative on this point).
How about you people? Which great bands are going through the motions?
There, I said it.
This follows a string of, to my mind, disappointing albums. Speaking honestly, and not through rose-colored glasses, it seems to me that Hail to the Thief was a total disaster, a complete mess of an album. Amnesiac and Kid A were both, well, what they were, but to be quite honest, I didn't really like them as much as many other people did. They were ok, I suppose, but they felt like small albums. They did less with less, rather than more with less. That might be a good thing, but I myself didn't really get into it.
I think the conclusion that I have to come to is that, for me at least, Radiohead has entered the phase of being a band I once really liked, but who are continuing to produce albums far past their prime. They're a band whose new recoreds I feel obligated to purchase, mostly out of inertia, but whose output I recognize full well will sadden me.
This happens every once in awhile. I like to think that The Cure entered this phase with "Wild Mood Swings," although I liked their most recent album, and I actually think that if they keep the lean "Trilogy" lineup, their new record will be a significant step in the right direction. In other words, The Cure appear to no longer just be treading water. It's too early to make a judgment about The Flaming Lips, but their latest record is flirting dangerously.
Midnight Oil's turning point was after "Earth and Sun and Moon," (which is a freaking great record and, by the way, one of the most rotary-speakered albums I've ever heard). Prince's last great effort was "Diamonds and Pearls." Bowie entered this phase after "Scary Monsters," but as of late has appeared to turn it around (although I'm not authoritative on this point).
How about you people? Which great bands are going through the motions?
posted by dd0031 at 4:25 PM
2 Comments:
i cant take you seriously, knowing that you once tried to defend pablo honey as better than ok computer. In Rainbows is pretty darn good, as was Hail to the Thief.
I agree that some bands keep going far beyond their prime, but pretty much any band that lasts a long time is going to make new albums that no one likes as much as the old ones. but on the flipside, its always sad to see a favorite band call it quits when you think they could still be good.
Listen here, "Dr.," if that is your real name. I never defended PH as better than OKC. Maybe many years ago after I had just lost, again, to Mikey Mike at Wayne Gretzky 3D Hockey, just to piss him off. But never in a serious way. OKC is clearly their best record. I just can't get myself to believe that "In Rainbows" is a Radiohead-quality record. I mean, it's a decent record, but it's beneath them. Even "Videotape," which I was excited about when I heard a live bootleg that Shelby sent me, seems to have lost all its character on the record. And will somebody please take that Theramin-sounding machine out of Johnny Greenwood's hands?? It's becoming cliche...
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