Without saying they suck, I'd take Radiohead over Muse anyday. Something about Muse just always made them seem corny to me, like Mew or something. I don't know, maybe it's the synth noodling they are so fond of. Either way I'd definitely say Radiohead. Also, it is ridiculous to say that Radiohead are one of the worst live bands ever. I've seen Radiohead before and it was easily the best concert I've been to (I'm not even a huge Radiohead fan). Even if you don't enjoy yourself at a Radiohead concert, that's ridiculous.
Originally posted by grabblegarrr: Without saying they suck, I'd take Radiohead over Muse anyday. Something about Muse just always made them seem corny to me, like Mew or something. I don't know, maybe it's the synth noodling they are so fond of. Either way I'd definitely say Radiohead. Also, it is ridiculous to say that Radiohead are one of the worst live bands ever. I've seen Radiohead before and it was easily the best concert I've been to (I'm not even a huge Radiohead fan). Even if you don't enjoy yourself at a Radiohead concert, that's ridiculous.
i do enjoy myself in a radiohead concert, but it's the songs i enjoy and not the live performance... (i hope you understand)
i am a big fan of both muse and radiohead. however, being quite young i discovered muse first as they were 'happening' at the time that i got interested in music. i later discovered radiohead through a friend and as a result experienced the 'similarities/influences' in reverse, which i imagine is quite unusual.
in terms of both bands more recent material i dont think muse's sound is similar than radiohead's, other than both being alternative british bands incorporating high-pitched vocals.
however, as began to collect both bands' back catalogues i found that when listening to muse's older material, including some parts of showbiz, the radiohead influences are very clear (however, in my opinion the early muse b-side 'coma' is the most radiohead-esque, which is similar to radioheads more lively material, especially 'just').
i believe it is likely that bellamy consciously distanced muse's sound from that of radiohead when it came to the origin of symmetry and hullabaloo days, which were arguably their best. from this point in time onwards, i dont think the 'muse are a radiohead rip-off' argument would stand up in court.
however, in some ways muse are a more 'extreme/crazy' version of radiohead, both in music style and political beliefs.
one major difference between the two bands is that often with muse its just 3 people making all that sound, though recently of course they have used an extra pair of hands when playing live. usually there are no multiple guitar parts, just the one. on the otherhand radiohead have a much more dense sound often with three seperate guitar parts and complicated string arrangements.
which is the better band? i always find myself asking myself whether i prefer straight up stadium rock with its catchy riffs and accompanying mosh or more groundbreaking experimental stuff with interesting time signatures and complicated arrangements. for me both muse and radiohead offer both of these styles of music, but both with obvious emphasis on one of the two, and of course both demonstrate excellent technical ability. that is why i love them both.
however i would say that radiohead's lyrics are more intelligent and that they are a more important band in terms of the progression of british music (i would also say that muse is more of a one man show, not that i mind!)
Posts: 1 | Location: UK | Registered: 16 April 2007
OK, I Like Muse, but Radiohead are substantially better.
They released The Best Album Ever Released between 1985 and 2005 (OK Computer), an acheivement Muse haven't (well haven't yet) made.
Also, Muse's song 'Starlight', contains the rhythm of 'Let Down' by Radiohead and the lyrics are along the same lines of 'Subterranean Homesick Alien' by Radiohead. Matt Bellamy sounds unbeleivably like Thom Yorke....So my point here is that Muse are trying to be Radiohead with there new stuff, and it just isnt working for them
Radiohead are absolute legends, and Muse, who could be in years to come legends, aren't even in the same league as Radiohead
Gw
Posts: 1 | Location: Scotland | Registered: 05 July 2007
I'm not sure how Muse is trying to be like Radiohead, as their music is becoming more and more accessible and hard-rock, while Radiohead's most recent stuff has been hard for casual music fans to swallow. They're completely different bands with no designs on each other. And no matter how often I say this, Bellamy's vocal resemblance to Yorke will always bring the one-post-wonders out to yell MUSE IS A RADIOHEAD COPYCAT POOPFACE
------ Let's raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer! I do believe he was our only decent teacher
Posts: 2060 | Location: ATL-abouts. | Registered: 24 October 2006
Muse may have ripped Radiohead off in the beginning, but you can hardly compare them right now. Matt Bellamy's falsetto vocals bare some resemblance to Thom Yorke, but they're both worlds apart these days.
I think both bands have had peaks and troughs. Although it's not popular to criticise Radiohead on this forum, I think they've made some really tedious, self indulgent music - this is not to say that OK Computer isn't one of the greatest albums in rock history (and it is a record I own and love), just that I'm deeply uninterested in a lot of the reactionary material - 'we're SO anti-mainstream etc'. I understand and appreciate contemporary music, but when Radiohead just go through the motions of making inaccessable albums, it's hard on your mental stamina. I find myself strangely drawn to Slayer...
Muse too have made some good music, some bad. Muse made their name as a Radiohead copycat band and people will always slag them off for it, but they moved on from there about 5 years ago.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Duncan Black,
None more Black
Posts: 483 | Location: Kent | Registered: 29 September 2005
Originally posted by Duncan Black: Matt Bellamy's soprano vocals...
soprano?...ouch! hahaha
quote:
Originally posted by Duncan Black: I think both bands have had peaks and troughs. Although it's not popular to criticise Radiohead on this forum, I think they've made some really tedious, self indulgent music - this is not to say that OK Computer isn't one of the greatest albums in rock history (and it is a record I own and love), just that I'm deeply uninterested in a lot of the reactionary material - 'we're SO anti-mainstream etc'. I understand and appreciate contemporary music, but when Radiohead just go through the motions of making inaccessable albums, it's hard on your mental stamina. I find myself strangely drawn to Slayer...
you know, despite the popular belief that Radiohead has become too "weird and experimental", i don't find their later albums all the inaccessible and anti-mainstream. as much as i love the Bends and OK Computer, i find that i don't listen to them that often anymore. Kid A/Amnesiac, Hail To The Thief, on the other hand, are constantly on my playlist. no, i don't find it tedious to listen to, quite on the contrary, i find it rather refreshing. yes, those albums might take a few spins to get into, but those who persist are richly rewarded in the end.
Muse? i don't even know what to say...i liked them for a short while (they reminded me of Radiohead, errr, kind of, maybe), but i grew tired of them rather quickly. they just don't have that special something that Radiohead possess and that cannot be replicated.
I believe that Radiohead released four (counting the live one) of the best albums of the 2000s, and I never needed a second spin to know I was right. Those extra listens just made me act crazy, I think.
"Naked Woman, Naked Man Where did you get that nice sun tan?"
Posts: 12874 | Location: Behind the Orange Curtain | Registered: 14 May 2004
Originally posted by mark f: I believe that Radiohead released four (counting the live one) of the best albums of the 2000s, and I never needed a second spin to know I was right. Those extra listens just made me act crazy, I think.
:high fives you: you're truly a Super Bad-Ass Jedi =p
I listen to both bands and for me they're chalk and cheese. Radiohead have depth and subtlety to their music whereas Muse mostly go for shameless wall-to-wall histrionics with no subtlety whatsoever; theirs is a faster, louder, harder, bigger and overall different approach. Plus I think that people often tend to focus too much on the similarities with Radiohead and ignore the increasingly eclectic elements and influences in Muse's material: classical music, 50s surf-rock, Queen, flamenco guitar, 80s electronica, Rage Against the Machine etc. Some vocal resemblance is there, certainly, but again I think that both vocalists have a different overall approach to singing; Thom Yorke's being by far more subtle and restrained and Matt Bellamy's more operatic and powerful. Both singers cited Jeff Buckley as an influence so a lot of this similarity I think comes from a common inspiration.
As for personal preference, I absolutely adore Muse (especially after being completely blown away by their live show earlier this year) but never really grew to love Radiohead beyond loving a few individual songs though I'd readily say that they're a great band. Maybe because for me their music, especially post-Bends output, has this dour joyless tinge to it that gets more and more persistent the longer I listen to their albums in one go. I'm the same way with REM - great band with a few admittedly classic albums and some songs that move me to tears - can't really get into them for one reason or another.
Posts: 28 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 20 May 2007
Originally posted by Yggdrasille: I listen to both bands and for me they're chalk and cheese. Radiohead have depth and subtlety to their music whereas Muse mostly go for shameless wall-to-wall histrionics with no subtlety whatsoever; theirs is a faster, louder, harder, bigger and overall different approach.
yes, i agree with that. i think perhaps, that's why i grew tired of Muse so quickly....just too much theatrics for my taste, personally.
quote:
Originally posted by Yggdrasille: Both singers cited Jeff Buckley as an influence so a lot of this similarity I think comes from a common inspiration.
that's actually a hearsay. Radiohead were recording their second album by the time Grace was released. having said that, they did see Jeff Buckley live in 1994 and apparently were so impressed with the performance that they went back into the studio right after to record Fake Plastic Trees. so one might say, the way that particular track turned out was directly inspired by Jeff Buckley's performance that night. but if you compare vocal styles of Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke, you'll find the only common thing they have is the extensive use of falsetto. besides, Thom Yorke's vocal stylings are just too varied sometimes even from track to track not to mention from album to album, to be influenced by just one singer.
I listened to some Muse songs again today, and it's just not great at all, and it's just not good. How can you compare Radiohead with Muse? Radiohead put Muse KO in the first round.
Originally posted by eggTweedyegg: How can you compare Radiohead with Muse?
I don't really compare them. I think the similarities are few. I listen to Radiohead when i'm chillin'. I listen to Muse when I feel like jammin' out. Two different types of music.
Muse sounds like a band who got the elements to create great music but can't make a good final result by lack of talent and honesty. Yeah they surely use weird electronic sounds and heavy guitars sometimes, but that's not enough. Sounds like an "original" band who try to be popular by being different....
Well egg, I couldn't disagree more. I think they absolutely rip, and well. Black Holes just kills. But I think if you spend to much time looking at Muse to find their weak points, you'll miss their magic. You just have to accept them for what they are. Once you do, you'll realize that they play rippin' hard rock, that's original as well.
yeah it's hard and original, but they are a bit....like.....clumsy. I'm able to accept bands as they are and not trying to look only at the bad points (proof: i'm a Primus fan) so maybe i just should listen more carefully i think.
