Radiohead: are they any good?

Today I shall be mostly listening to Radiohead, in an attempt to find out if they're as bad as I remember.

While it's not 100% true to say that I dislike all things which are popular, it is true that the more ubiquitous something is, the more likely I am to take violently against it. My answer to "Blur or Oasis?" was "Get the hell away from me before I cut you." And Radiohead were everywhere when I was at school. Playing out of every other window, lyrics scrawled on walls, you name it. As one spotty oik, my entire year (except me) went into town and bought OK Computer on the day it was released. But as far as I could see it was just tuneless dirge played by wankers who hated their fans and couldn't even be classy about saying so. I have no problem with depressing music - I listened to quite a lot of depressing music back then, being a teenager and all - but Radiohead were depressing and rubbish.

But it's thirteen years later, and Radiohead are still inexplicably popular, so perhaps I was the one who was wrong. Sometimes you're just not ready for certain music, and will enjoy it more later. And music's always easier to appreciate when it isn't assaulting you every time you turn a corner.

So today I'm going to listen to a bunch of Radiohead albums in chronological order, make notes on each track, and post them on my blog for your amusement.

( Here's what I'll be listening to: notes will appear throughout the afternoon. )

( Overall verdict )

wormwood_pearl is now teaching herself to play Karma Police on the ukulele :-(