Maybe OK Computer too, but I don't know how much hype there were because I was too young then...
I believe this was a 'first' and there was more hype about that than the album itself.
In Rainbows is my favorite Radiohead album for sure, closely followed by the Bends.
Therefore, there was virtually no hype...
The other half see them as bandwagon music.
I think they're music is alright but I think most people dive into like it's the bible or something and you can't say anything bad about them.
The other half see them as bandwagon music.
They are both right. OK Computer and Kid A deserve all their praise and more. They were like nothing else in popular music at the time. After those two records, they were rather bandwagonesque, although to their credit, they did create the bandwagon they have ridden on since then. Although the self-release they did for In Rainbows certainly changed the artist relationship with fans and media companies. How they released that album was far more the game changer than the content.
I think of Radiohead as our late stage Beatles. Experimental and exciting, even if there's a jagged edge now and then.
In Rainbows was very accessible and holds up in my view.
OK Computer was more of a surprise. Listen to The Bends first, and you will hear what a break it was in quality and style. Their next release, Kid A, was the one that was hotly anticipated. It was also a huge departure, but when they were the biggest band in the world.
Kid A holds up too.
I think Radiohead lives up to the hype. One way to check on this is to watch them live (say, on YouTube) or pick up some of their concerts on etree (a free taper sharing site). They make headphone records, and then they replicate most of their sounds in real time.
tons of people copy this now, it’s not even notable. but at the time, the idea that they would let you type in $0 was shocking.
