Radiohead the new Pink Floyd (1 Viewer)

[Kristoffer]

Is it just me or are Radiohead a lot like Pink Floyd ?
They both made songs about Money and the bad influence it can have ( On people, the world ) ; Money and Dollars and cents. There music is sometime very experiential and they have both clearly been inspired by drugs !
And both bands revolutionized rock in there time.
What do you think, thoughts ?

BTW I love both Pink Floyd and Radiohead !

 

[Ted Lee]

well, i'm not real familar with floyd's stuff, but i have every radiohead album!

i would certainly agree that radiohead have not been one to stay the course. their music has clearly evolved from rock to more electronic stuff. but the magic is that they're maintained originality in all their stuff.

radiohead is definitely one of my fave bands!

 

[LawrenceK]

I personally don't see the comparisons between Radiohead and Pink Floyd. I find Pink Floyd's music boring, whereas Radiohead is probably one of my favorite bands of all time. They are constantly evoling and experimenting, and everything they do is exciting. All I could say is that some of Radiohead's music is sort of "spacey" like Pink Floyd's, but you could say that of a lot of bands. I don't really think the lyrical content between the bands is up for comparison either. Radiohead's lyrics are literate, humorous and most of all varied in style. Pink Floyd's are pretty pretentious...and often cringe enducing ("We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl"). Sorry to go off on Pink Floyd here, since I know they have a lot of fans, but I am just sick of the comparisons between them and Radiohead. I feel it is a disservice to a really great band like Radiohead to just disregard them as a "new Pink Floyd". Oh and also I don't think Radiohead is heavily influenced by drugs, if at all.

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

I'm the opposite of you Lawrence. I can't stand Radiohead, and find any comparison an insult to the genius that is Pink Floyd.

 

[Mark All]

I too like both bands. Really, I can't see much to compare between Pink Floyd and Radiohead except maybe with OK Computer in that it was a thematic recording without songs specifically designed for success as singles. On the other hand I can see a divergence--Pink Floyd started out very experimental and have become less so (as the drug haze has worn off). Radiohead started out like many other good guitar bands but have turned into a very experimental band. I'm not aware of any band that has been able to successfully pull off an incorporation of the wacked-out lyrics of a Roger Waters with the unique guitar playing of David Gilmour. However, there seem to be several bands that have successfully imitated the early Radiohead work, although I'v never heard anything comparable to the last two Radiohead CDs.

By the way, I'd rather have "OK Computer" or "Kid A" on a multichannel SACD than "Dark Side of the Moon." I also actually preferred "Animals" and "Wish You Were Here" more from Pink Floyd.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I like both, but I have to say Floyd was the stronger band, at least on their best material. I'll wager a lot more people are listening to Floyd than Radiohead 50 years from now.

 

[Ian Lascell]

I like them both. The "concept album" is what I see in common. I think if you listen to either one while high, they will probably take you on a pretty exciting jouney. Also, I think there is a creativity and also a pretty big ego involved from both songwriters. As far as the music itself being influenced by drugs, I've never heard that about Radiohead. I hear that about Floyd a lot but I think people are wrong. Other than the well publicized LSD breakdown of Syd Barrett very early on in the band's career, I'm not aware of any big drug problems among the other members. Certainly nothing that compares to well known heavy drug use among virtually every other band from the same era.

LawrenceK, I think the reason you don't like Floyd's lyrics is because you feel you have heard them all before. But nobody had ever written lyrics like that before and at the time they were pretty amazing and completely original. Nowadays, I think it is much more difficult for a band to sound original, since it seems almost everything has been done before. That's what I like about Radiohead, they are original and because of that they stand out over most of their contemporaries.

 

[JordanS]

Lawrence K,

I'm going to go ahead and sort of "disagree" with you on a couple things. First, the lyrics of Pink Floyd are anything BUT boring, and definitely aren't pretentious. Roger Waters is one of the best lyricists of all time.

Also, Pink Floyd wasn't heavily influenced by drugs after the short period Syd Barrett was the creative force. Anything after "Obscured by Clouds" all the way through "The Division Bell" is definitely not drug influenced. In my opinion, Pink Floyd is a much stronger band, musically and lyrically.

 

[Angelo.M]

Love 'em both. I've never bought the 'Radiohead as the next Pink Floyd' or 'Radiohead as the next U2' stuff. Both of those bands are clearly influencing Radiohead, but they're influencing many others as well.

In terms of a particular cut, the one Radiohead track that always reminds me of the Floyd is subterranean homesick alien. Not sure why, but I can hear Roger Waters and company taking a stab at that--might have fit in on Dark Side.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Whoa dude. You can talk trash about "Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together In A Cave And Grooving With A Pict", but "Wish You Were Here" is hallowed ground!

 

[andrew markworthy]

Yep, Radiohead are like Pink Floyd, except without the tunes.

 

[LawrenceK]

I just don't like Pink Floyd. I know they have their fans, hell, my friends love them...but I will just never like them. I find their "soundscapes" sparse and boring, and though they had a unique style, I find that their music lacks "charm", for lack of a better word. My major problem with Pink Floyd's lyrics is that I feel they are impersonal, and now of course everyone is going to point out "Wish You Were Here" or "Shine on You Crazy Diamond", but these are the exception, not the rule, at least in my experience with the band. Maybe it is blasphemous to say this, but MY favorite work by them is their first album with Syd Barret. I loved HIS lyrics. If you would like me to mention some lyricists I admire and look up to: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Neutral Milk Hotel, Ian Curtis, Kurt Cobain, Joe Strummer, and recently Bright Eyes. I identify with lyrics that are personal and universal at the same time, not vague attempts at critiquing music industry politics.

I like both, but I have to say Floyd was the stronger band, at least on their best material. I'll wager a lot more people are listening to Floyd than Radiohead 50 years from now.

I will take that bet.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Pink Floyd ... boring. Never heard that one before.

Ok, you mentioned Ian Curtis, so there is hope.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Comments about threadcrapping deleted.

 

[Camp]

I personally don't see the comparisons between Radiohead and Pink Floyd. I find Pink Floyd's music boring, whereas Radiohead is probably one of my favorite bands of all time. They are constantly evoling and experimenting, and everything they do is exciting. All I could say is that some of Radiohead's music is sort of "spacey" like Pink Floyd's, but you could say that of a lot of bands. I don't really think the lyrical content between the bands is up for comparison either. Radiohead's lyrics are literate, humorous and most of all varied in style. Pink Floyd's are pretty pretentious...and often cringe enducing ("We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl"). Sorry to go off on Pink Floyd here, since I know they have a lot of fans, but I am just sick of the comparisons between them and Radiohead. I feel it is a disservice to a really great band like Radiohead to just disregard them as a "new Pink Floyd". Oh and also I don't think Radiohead is heavily influenced by drugs, if at all.

I'm with you Lawrence. Pink Floyd is pretentious and boring.

 

[LanceJ]

I been wanting to buy a Radiohead album for a long time--any suggestions for a first-timer? I like experimental stuff, but as long as it's not just random noises, non-sense lyrics, etc.

Pink Floyd? I have four of their albums: Meddle, Wish You Were Here, The Wall(vinyl) and DSOTM(vinyl). Very (good) moody music to listen to, so I have to be in the right mood. But usually nowadays, if I need "sad" music, it's either Sarah McLachlin or the The Rollins Band (well, Rollins is more like MAD/sad music!). Pink Floyd is little bit too.....arrogant?......sounding to help me get though bad times. Sarah & Henry (Rollins) are a lot more personable with their thoughts and especially, eventually offer hope that things will get better. PF is just too--for me--barren sounding and hopeless. Their CDs and albums just collect dust in my rack now. And after seeing interviews with Roger Waters I like his lyrics even less (what a snotty jerk--no wonder David Gilmour doesn't get along with him). The music itself though, is very good.

Trivia: I remember reading a review somewhere that said The Alan Parsons Project was the "poor man's" Pink Floyd. And personally, I always thought the Moody Blues were the upbeat version of PF.

My favorite Rollins Band album and the lyrics to "Shine", a great get-off-your-butt-and-do-something-useful song. And an interview with Henry Rollins.

LJ

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

I've called Radiohead "the new Pink Floyd" (much to the displeasure of my friends) for years. I guess it helps that i can't stand either

-Vince

 

[Ted Lee]

lj -

radiohead has kind of shifted their sound. their early stuff was more guitar / rock 'n' rolly sound. i really like their first album for that style.

now that they're more experimental/electroniky, i gotta go with "kid a" - i absolutely luh-ove this album. but it's not at all like their earlier stuff.

 

[Kristoffer]

Hey LanceJ
Start with ok Computer. Thats the most assessable album in my Opion, then go for the Bends which is more mellow and Pablo Honey. Then if you really like them check out Kid A and Amnesiac which are great albums but takes a little time.
Good luck

 

[LanceJ]

Thanks guys for the Radiohead suggestions. Now that I've got a dvd-audio player & turntable coming in, I've got to be careful with my music money budget (those little 30 second samples at Cduniverse only tell you so much).

LJ