music fiend
life lusting
I bought Pablo Honey when it went out and, in a more conventional format, it is very good IMO.
Music that systems have ruined or saved
- Thread starter darrenyeats
- Start date
Ok Computer is an all time classic, I have the original vinyl, sounds great but generally play the CD or stream as I find the packaging on the records very annoying. It’s very difficult to play the album in order (eany, meany etc) & the sides are quite short.
It is a very dense recording, you need very resolving speakers; my previous all naim set up struggled a bit with the scale. Current active set up delivers as you would expect.
It is a very dense recording, you need very resolving speakers; my previous all naim set up struggled a bit with the scale. Current active set up delivers as you would expect.
Whaleblue
Southbound
No Surprises falls into the relatively easy to portray on any tonally accurate system category. It’s the likes of Paranoid Android that need rather more than just that.
One of the best albums of all time, but most everything they’ve done is pretty special. Pablo Honey has Creep, but otherwise sounds like a very simplistic form of what was to come. King of Limbs is my least favourite of the later albums.
Any Radiohead fans are likely aware of The Smile, whose two albums are very well worth getting into.
Tony L
Administrator
I thought the first one was pretty good (got the yellow vinyl), though declined to buy the second as what I’ve heard just doesn’t do it for me. Tried streaming it but gave up after a couple of songs.
Whaleblue
Southbound
I could bang on, but all I can say is give it another couple of spins end to end.
It’s worth it.
joe9407
actress/activist
Me too! (Though that could be the nostalgia talking; The Bends came out during my senior year of high school and I did a lot of driving around in the Arizona desert listening to it.)
I didn't really care for Pablo Honey and thought Radiohead might be a one-hit wonder -- I was quickly disabused of that notion after hitting play on The Bends the first time!
nws56
pfm Member
Earlier this year my sister threw out - in my direction - a John Cooper Clarke 'best of ' cd that she had only just purchased. Via her stack system (JVC or Denon I think ) she complained it was completely unintelligible. She has never, ever rejected any recorded music on any format before.
I used to have some of JCC's stuff in my vinyl period, and sure enough those tracks that I used to know well now sounded hard and brittle.
And some were indeed completely unintelligible. It took me a few months to realize that this was, in fact, the perfect test disc. Improvements to the system can easily be guaged by well recorded material, but the final and most fascinating test for me is that atrocious Mancunian genius. And, little by little, the sound becomes more intelligible.
I'd still like to horsewhip the guy responsible for the digital transfer though...
I used to have some of JCC's stuff in my vinyl period, and sure enough those tracks that I used to know well now sounded hard and brittle.
And some were indeed completely unintelligible. It took me a few months to realize that this was, in fact, the perfect test disc. Improvements to the system can easily be guaged by well recorded material, but the final and most fascinating test for me is that atrocious Mancunian genius. And, little by little, the sound becomes more intelligible.
I'd still like to horsewhip the guy responsible for the digital transfer though...
darrenyeats
pfm Member
Ok Computer, having another bash now (OKNOTOK which on quick check I thought had slightly smoother top than regular on Qobuz, Tony). First time I attempted this album in a while!
Avert your eyes Whaleblue. The problem I remember is that Radiohead do outstanding half-albums attached to okay half-albums ... exception being In Rainbows IMO which is a good consistent album even if it doesn't hit their musical peaks (... runs and hides!)
But have now listened to all of OK Computer, based on all the prodding here.
The opener is a lot tighter rythmically (which I like) than I recalled.
Obviously several well known and excellent songs on the album, don't need to name them.
The counterpoints and syncopation in Let Down - wow. So clever.
Climbing Up The Walls - probably least strong song but they styled it out with perfomance at least.
Last couple of songs ended strongly.
Overall much better than I remember and I think I'll listen again. Well done chaps.
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1964meb
pfm Member
Wow! I thought it was just me. My naim cdx ruined my enjoyment of the red hot chilli peppers! Just toooooooooooooo strident in the rumbling tracks. Swapped the CDX for a …….. Mac book pro and took a time to bother to return to the rhcps. Streaming solves all that now. ps. I have since found out that they sound great on vinyl …….. shhhhhhhhhh
tuga
Legal Alien
Pablo Honey sounds like another band. I saw them opening for James in '93 and wasn't impressed. Today they are my favourite band.
darrenyeats
pfm Member
Revisited The Bends today, very good. Very strong first half. Angular chords on "Just"! I think I lost interest in 2nd half when I last tried (apart from Street Spirit ofc) but better this time. The album is compact, which I like.
darrenyeats
pfm Member
Parachutes is a good album, even many haters would concede that.
PS: Listening now, FWIW just discovered hi-res on Qobuz, I hear a touch of grit gone compared to my CD rip.
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darrenyeats
pfm Member
Reminds me a bit of NIN; this is a genre I could get into at some point I think.
darrenyeats
pfm Member
Download £14.50 at 7digital (for those who want to buy outright without a Qobuz Sublime subscription).