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Topic ClosedRadiohead and Progressive

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npjnpj View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Radiohead and Progressive
    Posted: December 03 2016 at 01:33
I'm slightly curious about the attitude of a lot of members on this site towards Radiohead. It seems that the general consensus is that they are not progressive. I'm basing this impression on a lot of comments I've read in several forum threads. Now, I haven't listened intently to Radiohead in the past, but I've caught up with some of their albums recently, and they seem to incorporate a lot of factors that I would rate as just that.

Most importantly, to my ears they don't sound like anyone else that I could name off-hand. The composing and time signatures are very unusual in a lot of cases, the instrumentation and arrangements are pretty singular (as far as I can tell from my experience), and the plentiful effects seem very carefully placed and in context with the songs. I'm impressed with the care and thought that seems to have gone into these songs.
To my way of thinking this adds up to a progressive band that experiments with a lot of new things and don't seem to be emulating or incorporating anyone else.

So why are so many people here so certain that they're not progressive, in the way it's defined or understood here?


Edited by npjnpj - December 03 2016 at 01:38
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2016 at 05:53
The progressiveness of Radiohead depends on which album are you listening to, that band likes to play multiple genres:

Pablo Honey: Alt Rock
The Bends: Alt Rock, slightly progressive
Ok Computer: Art Rock/Alt Rock with Progressive Rock influences
Kid A: Progressive Electronica
Amnesiac: Progressive Electronica with a bit of Jazz and Rock influences
Hail to the thief: Art Rock/Alt Rock with Progressive Rock and IDM influences
In Rainbows: Art Rock/Alt Rock, slightly progressive
The King of limbs: IDM, Rock with syncopated drums
A Moon Shaped Pool: Art Rock with Progressive rock/Krautrock/Symphonic influences

I think the band doesn't like to be called progressive because they think that when people say progressive, they think of bands with ELP organs, Genesis-inspired acoustic/clean guitar parts and Hipgnosis/Hipgnosis-inspired album covers
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2016 at 10:13
The point is the difference between progressive music (music that progresses in some way past what had already done) and progressive rock (the genre). Radiohead are progressive in some ways, but not really part of the genre, even though there is some affinity to it.




Edited by WeepingElf - December 03 2016 at 10:13
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 03 2016 at 21:41
They are, no doubt.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2016 at 06:20
They are obviously progressive even if they're not actually progressive rock. People who dismiss them as unprogressive, probably ironically listen to a lot of prog rock that actually isn't 'progressive'... if that makes sense...

I think their alt rock/indie roots don't sit well with many 'prog traditionalists'

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2016 at 06:31
I'd call em progressive but not a prog band. Know quite a few who feel similarly regarding Radiohead.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2016 at 16:03
I think the music speaks for itself.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 04 2016 at 22:13
Originally posted by Guldbamsen Guldbamsen wrote:

I'd call em progressive but not a prog band. Know quite a few who feel similarly regarding Radiohead.
Precisely
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 09 2016 at 18:34
They're art-rock for me, not prog.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 11 2016 at 14:31
Originally posted by TheLionOfPrague TheLionOfPrague wrote:

They're art-rock for me, not prog.


Fine. They were the first band to whom I saw the label "new art rock" attached, but I am not sure whether "new art rock" is a thing at all. Judging from what is considered "new art rock" by the (German) music press, I feel that this "genre term" is pretty meaningless. (What do RPWL have in common with Radiohead?) Also, it seems as if the term "new art rock" only exists in Germany ;)

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