Billy Corgan vs Radiohead

[Taboo]

It isn't just artists as well who I think should focus on their respective bands, its the fans in particular too. Too much of this us v them with eras and bands among fans.

Indeed..

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

I mean you're right Sooty, Radiohead is really not a "guitar" band, and Blackmore is a strong player who knows his stuff.

Well Radiohead isn't a guitar band anymore. Back in their (hey) day they used to be all about guitars.



There are three guitars right there. Ritchie is obviously the most technically proficient out of Jonny, Billy, and himself but he doesn't play guitar anymore (not that I can say that Jonny Greenwood really does either). For his earlier, unhinged and aggressive work I rank Jonny Greenwood as one of my favorite guitarists as the last 20 years. That said however Billy is right in what he's saying. It's a vicious cycle of Radiohead thinking they can put out any jargon and get away with it and critics responding by going "Well the new Radiohead album is coming out next week. I better get my critical acclaim review ready for it." rather than lampooning it for being rubbish. They're just a very strong example of what is wrong with critical assessment in music these days.

When all is said and done though I still consider The Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead to be the two most influential bands to come out of the 90's for alternative rock.

 

[Tray73]

It isn't just artists as well who I think should focus on their respective bands, its the fans in particular too. Too much of this us v them with eras and bands among fans.

Absolutely

Well Radiohead isn't a guitar band anymore. Back in their (hey) day they used to be all about guitars.



There are three guitars right there. Ritchie is obviously the most technically proficient out of Jonny, Billy, and himself but he doesn't play guitar anymore (not that I can say that Jonny Greenwood really does either). For his earlier, unhinged and aggressive work I rank Jonny Greenwood as one of my favorite guitarists as the last 20 years. That said however Billy is right in what he's saying. It's a vicious cycle of Radiohead thinking they can put out any jargon and get away with it and critics responding by going "Well the new Radiohead album is coming out next week. I better get my critical acclaim review ready for it." rather than lampooning it for being rubbish. They're just a very strong example of what is wrong with critical assessment in music these days.

When all is said and done though I still consider The Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead to be the two most influential bands to come out of the 90's for alternative rock.

And boy do I mourn that

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

You and I both, Tray.

 

[Riff Raff]

So I gather being a noob to Radiohead that I should stick to the 3 albums of theirs I got in Pablo, Bends and Ok Computer? I haven't heard any material past Ok Computer.

 

[Cosmic Harmony]

Well that depends, Riff. Radiohead became a very different band after "Ok Computer". Starting at "Kid A" they really got into electronic music and writing songs around unusual percussion rhythms. It's very hit and miss for me but I would at least recommend "In Rainbows". Radiohead has put out some goods songs since the millennium started but their albums aren't as solid as a whole, at least not to me. If not for "In Rainbows" then I would think Radiohead is incapable of putting out a great album, front to back, anymore. A lot of people really like "Kid A" too though I'd probably put that forth or fifth on my list of Radiohead albums.

 

[Lynch]

Well Radiohead isn't a guitar band anymore. Back in their (hey) day they used to be all about guitars.

" I've never heard ANYTHING from this band that would ever make me consider then a "guitar band".

Any examples anyone would like to share?

 

[ILoveJimmyPage]

^^^

The Bends


Just


Paranoid Android

 

[AboutAGirl]

Interesting discussion, guys. I agree with a lot of what has been said.

I like the Pumpkins a lot more than I like Radiohead but there's no question Radiohead has contributed more to music than Corgan has, at least in my mind. They were both huge bands but objectively speaking we can at least say Radiohead's later recordings have been far more successful than Corgan's later recordings -- which leads me to my next conclusion. What this reminds me of more than anything is when Jack Bruce was seriously pissed off about the Led Zeppelin reunion causing a 10 times bigger wave than the Cream reunion did.

The very fact that Corgan would aim his crosshairs at Radiohead tells me that the dude is pretty pretentious, because Radiohead and The Pumpkins are pretty closely related style-wise, which makes it seem like he's taking a cheap shot at a formidable rival. If he had instead picked on, say, Cryptopsy, what he's saying would seem a lot more reasonable. Even if he just went a TAD farther out and said an indie band ala Arcade Fire, it wouldn't seem like such a cheap shot. But Radiohead & The Pumpkins were both making their spacey, synthy alterna-rock albums side by side in the 90s so I just can't shake the feeling that jealousy is the sole arbiter of his complaint.

But as for his actual comment, seems like it boils down to him wanting old guitar slingers from his youth to get respect. Can't begrudge him that but he's looking in the wrong place, all he has to do is divert his eyes a couple spaces and look at the metal community. Ritchie Blackmore isn't considered one of the guitar gods in alt-rock? Wow, no fricking way! I also bet Neil Young isn't considered one of the guitar gods in neo-classical metal, nor would I expect to hear Alvin Lee brought up amid a discussion of the virtues of country & western guitar playing.

All in all he's just another clueless fool overdosing on ego. Gosh if these people would just bounce their opinions off of a friend first they could avoid sounding like such ultimate jesters. Billy's saying he'll diss his contemporaries but he won't diss the classic acts from when he was a kid. SO SHOCKING. That only means he's exactly the same as damn near every musician who has ever lived. He's such a "radical." He's as new and exciting as a black & white TV with bunny ear antennae.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Well Radiohead isn't a guitar band anymore. Back in their (hey) day they used to be all about guitars.

You got me there

I stand corrected