Album Club: 06.09.2011: Radiohead - The King of Limbs

[WAD62]

Perhaps I'm in the minority, as I found OK Computer to be just that OK..and not much more, and Pablo Honey and the Bends to be rather formulaic indie...it's their later stuff post OK computer that interests me more.

I did think it would be a bit of a marmite selection...

[ikaruga]

An album I'm very familiar with and listening to again as I type this to make sure Im happy with what I say.

I love the polar opposite opinion they garner, almost akin to Apple. They're so successful that so many people love to hate them. Athough I know you guys on here are a little more mature than to head down that route just to sound 'cool' to be a hater.

Onto the album. Well it's like the majority of theirs for me, some absolutely classics and a fair amount of listenable filler that over time slowly gets better but never raises itself to great heights. Bloom and Codex are in the classics category that will sound as good 10 years later to my ears.

Morning Mr Magpie is shuffles along with the noodly grove that Radiohead seem to do so well. But doesnt really excite much. Little by Little much the same. The d&b tinged Feral plods along rather nicely but again not really elevating to any great levels. Then we go rather dull for Lotus Flower, nothing to write home about here. But Codex hits the spot, and then some. Deep, emotional and rolling. The highlight of the album for me.

Not much else to say about the other tracks without repeating myself.

Whole album is very indicative of what Yorke is listening to at that time, as it always has been with Radiohead, not to mention the dubstep producers he's collaborating with. You just need to look at the Radiohead Top 10 office tunes on their website to see where they're getting influence from - and I proudly say a couple of my mates have had their tunes in that top 10 not so long back (Macc & dgoHn).

In Rainbows was better but this is still ok.

Hope I've captured the essence of the album club with this post! I've voted 3 out of 5. Bloom & Codex are worth the money alone.

[Thing Fish]

I have 'OK Computer' which I aquired because of the hype that surrounded the band at the time and quite enjoyed it. But to be honest the king of limbs just didn't do it for me.

[John]

I given it a few listens whilst I do hate it I be suprised if it stays in my collection For me a 2 sorry

[MartinT]

Well, I have tried. There is something about the whiny voice of Thom Yorke that makes me think of The Smiths - constant and unrelenting downbeat misery. More positively, I like some of the instrumentation very much and the whole is crafted with obvious care. I really should like Radiohead as my tastes lean that way, but somehow for me the whole is less than its parts.

There is much worse music around than this, so even though it doesn't inspire me, it gets a 3.

[Tim]

Well I have all Radiohead's albums, but the only two I play with any regularity are The Bends and OK Computer, in fact 'Fake Plastic Trees' and 'High and Dry' are firm favourites. I got this album blind and TBH honest it was a mistake and I didn't like it first play and it hasn't really improved since then - in fact it's going the other way, the more I play it the less I like it and I find it a little frustrating that such a talented band (IMO) felt inclined to produce what to many is such an uninspiring album.

I did listen to it with fresh ears and tried headphones and speakers, but I just don't get it all (sitting or standing!). There doesn't seem to be any natural flow or structure to the music, more like a self-indulgent jamming session. I'll keep it short as the majority have pretty much said it all, but I will give it 3 stars, as I'm feeling generous and I quite like the beat in 'Little by Little' and the piano in 'Codex', but overall it's my least favourite Radiohead album.

[griffo104]

Having given it a couple of more listenes it's not as bad as I first thought, in fact it has some very good moments and I'm sure if I listen to it more some of the other bits will grow on me.

As other's have mentioned there's a lot worse music out there and these guys are all excellent musicians and are in a position where they have total artistic control over their output - which is always a nice place to be.

I've given it a 3.

I still think they would be better with someone sensible overseeing them.

[The Grand Wazoo]

So how about this theory then?

When you run out of ideas, the only thing left is to turn to technology.





(No axe to grind one way or the other - just a little bit of healthy devil's advocacy!)

[MartinT]

Oooh, vicious. Some of the most brilliant minds have created wonderful technology. Engineers versus scientists, etc.

[The Grand Wazoo]

It really isn't meant to be vicious Martin, just a spark for a little bit more discussion maybe?
I don't intend to definitively state that technology is bad, or that it's use stifles creativity, or even that Radiohead are washed up!