Radiohead prog or not prog?

I know some of you are thinking why Radiohead? For me, I love radiohead big time, but some of them consider them progressive rock (Now there's nothing wrong with Prog Rock, I admire Prog Rock big time, don't get me wrong with that). I don't cosider Radiohead Prog, because they don't do 23-minute pieces like ELP and King Crimson do, But Radiohead carry the Alternative side. I'm not bashing Prog, or anything like that. What I'm saying is Radiohead is not Progressive Rock. I consider them the new Pink Floyd big time. Do you think Radiohead is prog or non-prog?

Not.

Yes, listen to Kid A and Amnesiac and tell me they're not Prog and excellent at that.

New Pink Floyd? PF are one fo the greatest prog bands. Gentle Giant never did epics either, so they're not prog now?

In before the constructive "Radiohead isn't Prog / It is! / No, it isn't! / Is! / Not!" argument, part 121.

The only song that comes to mind from Radiohead that I would be willing to categorize as prog rock is Paranoid Android. In what genre box to stuff Radiohead then? Difficult to say, but bands like Radiohead, Muse and Tool and such are not exactly prog in my opinion. Rather something like art rock or experimental rock (for the lack of a better word now), but those labels aren't precise either.
Correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't Yorke mentioned sometime, circa Ok Computer, that he hates prog rock and doesn't want people to associate Radiohead with it. On the other hand I think I read a long time ago that Marillion used to a big influence on Radiohead, so I don't know what to believe.

Radiohead are Prog Rock - that much is obvious.

They play Rock music that is progressive - especially in terms of harmony and rhythm, but also in terms of form - which is the single most important aspect of defining Prog Rock.

On later albums, like Kid A and Amnesiac, they took on a more progressive approach to instrumentation and especially form.

The early comparisons to Pink Floyd (an almost undisputed Prog Rock band) are valid - but there are also obvious comparisons to Barclay James Harvest on OK Computer, and to Can on Kid A and Amnesiac.

The fact that they don't do 23-minute extravaganzas is neither here nor there - length is not important - form is.

That and the fact that Thom Yorke is probably the single most influential voice in Progdom, whether people like it or not, makes Radiohead a Prog band, whether Thom Yorke likes it or not.

Bad luck, Thom - you're in, and you did it to yourself!
    
    

Edited by Certif1ed - November 23 2006 at 03:51

^^  ok, so Radiohead are like Yes and Genesis.

I'm quite sure that if you asked Radiohead whether they would call their music "progressive" or "Prog Rock", they would not choose "Prog Rock". It's implying a certain style, reminiscing the bands which defined the genre in the 70s, as diverse as they might have been. Spock's Beard are Prog Rock, The Flower Kings are Prog Rock ... but not Radiohead. They're the most "Un Prog Rock" modern band in the archives, yet they might be much more progressive than Spock's Beard or The Flower Kings.

In my humble opinion, as always.


Edited by MikeEnRegalia - November 26 2006 at 11:38

I never believed Radiohead is Prog or even related wth Pink Floyd (They were called the new Pink Floyd by certain press but Coldplay also so I don't believe in that press), but they are here to stay, so what's the problem.

All I can say is that Radiohead have released some of the greatest albums ever; I cannot decide if they are Prog or not.

I think KidA is most definately prog, and Ok Computer prog-related. I think Art Rock genre is the best place for them.