Arthr2ShdsJcksn
Banned
Kind of hard to listen to the lyrics, know about the breakup, and not draw conclusions, valid or otherwise.
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Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool |OT| A Moon Shaped Poo
- Thread starter JehutyRunner
- Start date
Kind of hard to listen to the lyrics, know about the breakup, and not draw conclusions, valid or otherwise.
uncelestial
Member
I deprived myself of listening to the singles before the album came out and I'm glad I did because Burn the Witch continues to be my favorite. I'm such a sucker for the incredible mix of pizzicato strings, distorted bass, and minimalist groove -- what an album opener.
I feel like I should start listening to the album from The Numbers on, because the back half of it hasn't gelled into songs with separate identities yet. It all feels like a whirlwind of sparkling and whooshing and sighing.
I feel like I should start listening to the album from The Numbers on, because the back half of it hasn't gelled into songs with separate identities yet. It all feels like a whirlwind of sparkling and whooshing and sighing.
X-TREME GAFFER
Neo Member
So what's up with everybody not being super stoked on Tinker Tailor? You guys should be stoked on Tinker Tailor.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
Amnesiac is my favorite Radiohead album, but it's just not clicking yet.
Certainly not a bad song at all.
Decks Dark is immense, been in my head all day. Hits that midtempo Beatles/Damon Albarn-esque sweet spot, just a great song with great buildup and instrumentation.
DataStream
Member
I mean, as long as people aren't asking Thom in interviews about his break-up in probing ways, I think it's kind of fundamental to this record. It completely recontextualizes the final track from what it meant as a hard-core fan rarity to the somber statement about isolation that it is now.
Frankly, his lyrics on some of the songs here are the most direct they've been since The Bends, I think him releasing the statement about the separation was to reduce speculation and get ahead of people discussing that very obvious thread in the lyrics in more tabloidy ways.
Frankly, his lyrics on some of the songs here are the most direct they've been since The Bends, I think him releasing the statement about the separation was to reduce speculation and get ahead of people discussing that very obvious thread in the lyrics in more tabloidy ways.
Fluffhead14
Member
after about 5 or 6 listens, i'd put only HttT and PH behind this. it's certainly gorgeous, and the Sea Change comparison (in relation to the artist's work) is apt, but much like that album, i think i'd just rather listen to a lot of radiohead's (or beck's) other albums over this.
that's not to say it isn't a good record. i think its more successful than, say, HttT because of its focus (that album could have lost 3 tracks or so). that singular focus is what i love about my favorite radiohead albums (Kid A, Amnesiac, TKoL). i just don't think the songs here are as interesting, on the whole, as the rest of their work.
i appreciate them, as they often do, pushing themselves and the music in a new direction, and it's not an indictment on them at all- they haven't "lost it" or anything, i just don't like the direction all that much.
that's not to say it isn't a good record. i think its more successful than, say, HttT because of its focus (that album could have lost 3 tracks or so). that singular focus is what i love about my favorite radiohead albums (Kid A, Amnesiac, TKoL). i just don't think the songs here are as interesting, on the whole, as the rest of their work.
i appreciate them, as they often do, pushing themselves and the music in a new direction, and it's not an indictment on them at all- they haven't "lost it" or anything, i just don't like the direction all that much.
Love the way Thom's voice soars on "wings of butterFLIIIIII-HI-HI-IIIIIESS" in The Numbers.
Best strings on the album.
Best strings on the album.
Jack Remington
Banned
Feels like they really neutered Identikit. I was super excited for this song when I first heard it live. Listening to the album version compared to the Coachella 2012 version, it's like they took a whole bunch of valium and then re-recorded it.
Still positive overall on the album.
Still positive overall on the album.
DataStream
Member
This album hits me in much the same way Automatic For The People does. It has a quiet resignation that is at peace with the emotions it invokes; whereas previously there would be more angst now there is acceptance and calm at the center of the storm.
After living with the album for a while, I have to say that I'm liking it but not loving it. I think part of it has to do with my expectations - so many of the songs seem like they're building up to a big climax that never comes, and I'm a sucker for big climaxes.
I keep looking for something that hits me like that last verse of "Let Down," the coda of "All I Need," the tonight, we ride part of "You and Whose Army" or the hit the bottom and escape part of "Weird Fishes."
That said, I still think it's a really solid album. It's just that my socks are still on my feet.
And maybe this is blasphemy, but I'm really interested in hearing a Radiohead album that isn't produced by Nigel Godrich.
I keep looking for something that hits me like that last verse of "Let Down," the coda of "All I Need," the tonight, we ride part of "You and Whose Army" or the hit the bottom and escape part of "Weird Fishes."
That said, I still think it's a really solid album. It's just that my socks are still on my feet.
And maybe this is blasphemy, but I'm really interested in hearing a Radiohead album that isn't produced by Nigel Godrich.
Identikit is the only song I'm disappointed with to be honest.
It should blow up more than it does.
Is this because of the loudness?
I certainly do wish their albums had more DR, but I'm not sure Nigel is the one I blame.
ElectricBlanketFire
Member
That's a great comparison.
There would never be another Radiohead album then. :lol They can't work without Nigel. They tried going with another producer after Hail to the Thief but it didn't work out and basically wasted a year.
So the Pitchfork review is out, and they scored it 9.1... which is fine, who cares, right? but what really annoys me is that it is so poorly written. It's just a song-by-song breakdown without talking about Jonny's soundtrack work or the production or meaningful comparisons to older albums. Blech.
I'd rather if they gave it a bad score with a well-argued piece of critique.
It's my least favourite song. It doesn't get going until the halfway mark and I don't like Thom's singing on it.
I'd rather if they gave it a bad score with a well-argued piece of critique.
It's my least favourite song. It doesn't get going until the halfway mark and I don't like Thom's singing on it.
Not really, though I do think this album is ridiculously compressed for such subtle, mellow songs. It's more that even though Radiohead's always liked to include dissonant elements in their music, the production is always pretty slick. And some of their production tricks have become a little predictable - things like Thom's super-reverby vocals, and the short repeating loops that go throughout a song. It's part of why I think TKOL worked so well live.
Well, in that case - I'd rather have Radiohead release more albums than none.
KidA Seven
Member
I didn't like the live version. Felt like apart from the synths, it lacked elsewhere. I'm satisfied by the album version.
Funny how these things go, but Decks Dark went from my least liked song on this album, to my favorite. It really grew on me with each listen. My upper echelon of the album is now Decks Dark, The Numbers, Present Tense, Ful Stop and Identikit.
I've also been discovering In Rainbows, which is also slowly growing on me. Favorites there are Bodysnatchers, Reckoner, Jigsaw, House of Cards. I don't like Nude yet though, breaks the flow of the album a bit.
Also, man how good was Hail to the Thief? Aside from We Suck Young Blood every song on there is great. It also makes me hungry for a more energetic Radiohead, it's truly a OKC/Kid A mix album if there ever was one. I don't know how hardcore fans see that album nowadays, but man I still love it so much.
I've also been discovering In Rainbows, which is also slowly growing on me. Favorites there are Bodysnatchers, Reckoner, Jigsaw, House of Cards. I don't like Nude yet though, breaks the flow of the album a bit.
Also, man how good was Hail to the Thief? Aside from We Suck Young Blood every song on there is great. It also makes me hungry for a more energetic Radiohead, it's truly a OKC/Kid A mix album if there ever was one. I don't know how hardcore fans see that album nowadays, but man I still love it so much.
JehutyRunner
Banned
Before AMSP dropped, Hail to the Thief was outside my top three Radiohead albums. With the exception of Backdrifts, I love the first half of the album - including We Suck Young Blood, even if the song ruins the rhythm of what the album was going for (but standalone, I love it as a song) - but it's kind of from after There, There it goes a bit downhill for me. The wrong version of I Will picked for the album (should have gone with the LA version from ComLag) and not a fan of A Punchup at a Wedding. A strong final three songs and that mostly fantastic first half is what it saves it for me.
And it took me a while to get around to Nude, but I subsequently came around to it. Same for House of Cards.
I still love Hail to the Thief. It's definitely top 3 for me. I think I Will is one of their best songs and I hardly ever see it mentioned. It's awesome.
Screaming Meat
Unconfirmed Member
Not one of their best for me but I like I Will (not the LA version) a lot.
Jack Remington
Banned
Pitchfork should cease to exist. If I were king they'd be the first ones against the wall.
Fluffhead14
Member
Backdrifts
We Suck Young Blood
Punch Up
I Will
all should have been dropped.
Scatterbrain is great.
We Suck Young Blood
Punch Up
I Will
all should have been dropped.
Scatterbrain is great.
JehutyRunner
Banned
Keep 2+2=5
Keep Sit Down, Stand Up
Keep Sail to the Moon
Drop Backdrifts
Keep Go to Sleep
Keep Where I End and You Begin (the one keep that is undebateable for me)
Torn on We Suck Young Blood - it interupts the flow of the album, yes, but as a song, I love it
Keep The Gloaming
Keep There, There
Drop I Will (at least drop the album version, replace it with the LA version)
Drop A Punchup at a Wedding
Keep Myxomatosis
Keep Scatterbrain
Keep A Wolf at the Door
I'd swap the dropped songs with Gagging Order, Where Bluebirds Fly and maybe either I Am A Wicked Child or Paperbag Writer.
Keep Sit Down, Stand Up
Keep Sail to the Moon
Drop Backdrifts
Keep Go to Sleep
Keep Where I End and You Begin (the one keep that is undebateable for me)
Torn on We Suck Young Blood - it interupts the flow of the album, yes, but as a song, I love it
Keep The Gloaming
Keep There, There
Drop I Will (at least drop the album version, replace it with the LA version)
Drop A Punchup at a Wedding
Keep Myxomatosis
Keep Scatterbrain
Keep A Wolf at the Door
I'd swap the dropped songs with Gagging Order, Where Bluebirds Fly and maybe either I Am A Wicked Child or Paperbag Writer.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
I can't believe so many people dislike Backdrifts.
Backdrifts, The Gloaming, and Myxomatosis probably get better for me each listen to HTTT. I didn't care for them initially.
IMO, drop "We Suck Young Blood", it kills the flow of the album and at 5min, it overstays its welcome. Also drop "I Will" which I just don't find that interesting. Also a couple of tracks I'm kinda ambivalent about. "Sail to the Moon" is a beautiful song in almost every way, but it has some seriously over-sentimental lyrics that I'm not fond of at all, especially coming from a band like Radiohead. "Go To Sleep" has some good ideas but I find myself wanting more from it, probably because their live performances of it take the outro up a notch, which I enjoy.
IMO, drop "We Suck Young Blood", it kills the flow of the album and at 5min, it overstays its welcome. Also drop "I Will" which I just don't find that interesting. Also a couple of tracks I'm kinda ambivalent about. "Sail to the Moon" is a beautiful song in almost every way, but it has some seriously over-sentimental lyrics that I'm not fond of at all, especially coming from a band like Radiohead. "Go To Sleep" has some good ideas but I find myself wanting more from it, probably because their live performances of it take the outro up a notch, which I enjoy.
I don't get it either. I love Backdrifts.
Hindenblewp
Banned
No no, no, no no, no, no, no, no no, no, no, no, no no, no,
I don't even know what to tell you. It's garbage-tier.
JehutyRunner
Banned
Get yourself a cookie for the response, even if I disagree with it. You deserve it.
CoffeeJanitor
Member
i feel like this is the album httt could have been if anyone made an attempt at editing it
Seriously, it's one of my favorites from HTTT
On the other hand, I've never liked "We Suck Young Blood" very much so... ¯\_(ツ
_/¯NowhereFaded
Member
Punch up is one of my favs. Guess I'm differnt. New album is phenomenal. Exceeded my expectations. IMO there is something angelic about daydreamers, I can't put it to words.
Jack Remington
Banned
Myxomatosis is one of the best Radiohead songs period.
XANDER CAGE
Member
2+2=5 and Sit Down, Stand Up are an either/or situation. They are both good songs, but they are a terrible sequence back to back - they both sound like openers. Pick one, imo.
EDIT - my personal arrangement of HTTT would be
Sit Down, Stand Up
Backdrifts
There There
Sail to the Moon
Where I End and You Begin
A Punch Up at a Wedding
The Gloaming
Myxomatosis
Scatterbrain
A Wolf at the Door
tight 10 songs, 43 mins.
EDIT - my personal arrangement of HTTT would be
Sit Down, Stand Up
Backdrifts
There There
Sail to the Moon
Where I End and You Begin
A Punch Up at a Wedding
The Gloaming
Myxomatosis
Scatterbrain
A Wolf at the Door
tight 10 songs, 43 mins.
charlequin
Banned
myxomatosis has maybe the best riff radiohead have ever written, it deserves to live for that alone
Jack Remington
Banned
A HTTT playlist that cuts Go to Sleep. Now I've seen everything.
That's like trimming Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by cutting Zero.
That's like trimming Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by cutting Zero.
I think I've come to terms with the new Identikit. Thom's vocals and the ending guitars kind of make up for the neutered synth section of the live version.
Kind of
Poimandres
Member
Pffft, Go To Sleep? That's an apt title because that song is hella boring!