Saturday, June 09, 2012

On Radiohead

I'm feeling left out of something.  So, I have to pick on it, because I'm mature like that.

Here it is:  I have a theory that a bunch of the people who say they like Radiohead are fibbing, because they know Radiohead is critically cool.  Obviously, there are people who are truly passionate about them, or there wouldn't be that many nodding heads and glowing cell phones on the live stream from Bonnaroo that I have on in the background.

I don't know, man.  I'm sure a rain of shite (i.e., two comments) will descend on me for declaring my ambivalence toward Radiohead. But it's such a thing among some Gen-Xers. Radiohead = God. Done. No further discussion needed.  Let's all just hang back in our chunky black glasses, confident in our premium vintage of musical entertainment.

But I just can't get on board with the deification of Radiohead.  And if anyone should, it's me.  I mean, good Christ, I was ridiculously plugged into the early '90's music scene, the time when they hit the national (alternative) stage.  This is me from 1989 to 1994:  Reading Rolling Stone cover to cover (and I mean even all of the Top 10 lists in he back, EVEN COUNTRY), going to all-ages shows in dives around Baltimore and DC, HFStivals, DC101 Chili Cook-offs, house parties with live bands, high school jazz band performances...

I should at least be nostalgic for Radiohead, shouldn't I?  Hearken back to my junior year of high school, developing black and white photos in the art department's dark room after school?  I mean, jeez, my musical opinion fomented in the age of 'Creep.' So, really, just for nostalgic reasons, I should freakin' love them, right?  But NO. I don't. I want to cram their fake plastic trees in a recycling bin. I want to tell Kid A that he needs to go to summer school. I want the karma police to arrest them.

I have tried, and tried, and tried again, but either the emperor has no clothes and they are merely meh, or I have really, really missed the boat on something.  I worry that I'm going to be that sniffy 60-something who's all, "I didn't much care for the Beatles.  Herman's Hermits were more my thing."

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