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May 21, 2007
Obviously, I have no idea what I am talking about
I’ll get right out with it: I am utterly disappointed in the results from the first round of voting of the Radiohead bracket. The gallery chimes in: “But aren’t upsets the reason we love tournaments such as this?” To that point: yes, they are. Further to that point: when they do happen, it is conceivable, and should be expected that people will get, you know, upset. Consider this rant a fulfillment of that overstated expectation.
There are some results that are upsets only in my own mind. I am aware that “True Love Waits”, “Stop Whispering” and “How Can You be Sure” are two of my favorites, not necessarily universally adored cuts. (Does nobody else like Bends-era b-sides?) But “Just” losing out to “How to Disappear Completely” I simply do not get.
And let us not forget the result that completely belies the supposed intelligence of our readership: “Scatterbrain” over “Creep”. Really? I’ll tell you what, I’ll give the Swanksters the benefit of the doubt; perhaps people were simply voting against my smarmy preview of the Hail to the Thief track.
I’m also willing to allow for the possibility that I am completely in the wrong here, so after seeing the results, I listened to the two tracks in question, back to back. And then I listened again. And again. And again and again and again. Ten times. Not once did “Scatterbrain” ever sound like the better song. (Although a couple of times, I will admit that I felt it could have been ranked a seed or two higher.) Sure, I’ve loved “Creep” for some 14 years now, and I’ve had only (sic) four years to digest the other song, but you could give me another one hundred fourteen and one hundred four more years and I likely wouldn’t change my mind on this issue. This may be precisely because I’ve had so much more time to stew over it, but there is permanence to “Creep” that “Scatterbrain” just simply does not possess. It’s a nice song, but ultimately stands a better chance of being one of the forgotten Radiohead tracks, while “Creep” is forever ingrained in our subconscious. Then again, referring to the title of this pose, perhaps I’m just flat out wrong.
But I’d like an explanation. Apparently, 23 people disagree with me, and I think I’m owed an explanation. I’m not suggesting that anyone try to convince me to change my mind (probably won’t happen), I’m just curious as to what other people are thinking: What makes “Scatterbrain” so wonderful? Where in the canon does it really reside? More importantly, what’s wrong with “Creep”?
Posted by Randall Monty at May 21, 2007 07:49 PM
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Comments
i have made the reasons for my hatred very clear.
Posted by: dan vaughn at May 22, 2007 10:42 PM
You hate people who like "Creep", so "Scatterbrain" is a better song?
Posted by: Randall Monty at May 22, 2007 11:04 PM
I don't hate "Creep", hell I don't even dislike it and at times it hits just the right string it needs to with me, but I mean the boys in the band don't even like it that much.
Those two disonant chords that seem so out of place right before the chorus... that's Johnny's protest during the original recording of the track for christs sake. A lot of people say that's what makes the song. Again, I like "Creep"... a lot, but even you have to admit, it's overrated when viewed in the scope of the Radiohead canon.
Scatterbrain on the other hand uses minimalism to hit that string everytime I hear it. The understated chord progression starts tugging at my heart before the lyrics even kick in, and then Thom seals the deal with that "oh so wanting" wail.
Also I'm not sure if this can be counted as a factor within the confines of this tournament, but where Scatterbrain falls into sequence on HTTT is no short of brilliant. It's the cool down after the exhausting freak out that was Myxamatosis. Add "A Wolf on the Door" and you have of my top 3 album track progressions of all time.
Just like you above, I don't expect everyone to deal with my personal critique, but you asked for reasoning... an explanation if you will. There is mine.
Posted by: doctashock at May 23, 2007 02:21 AM
re: doc
Thanks for the explanation. I don't know if I'd go as far to say that the track sequence on HTTT is "brilliant", (although your suggested "best ever" would make for a great post; hint, hint, Swankster). Logical, maybe. But your saying so leads me to think that a lot of the "Creep" hating has more to do with when the song came out than anything else. If we ripped time open and switched the two songs, I wonder if people would like "Creep" and loathe "Scatterbrain". Or would everyone see through the songs' environments and vote the same way.
I feel as though RH has been playing with house money for so long that every new thing they do is seen as genius by a majority of people. Case in point: the voting for nearly every match-up has straight-ticket favored the more recent songs.
Posted by: Randall Monty at May 23, 2007 07:02 PM
i would root against the yankees if they were playing the indians, tigers, or angels. the pick was against "creep", not for "scatterbrain".
Posted by: dan at May 24, 2007 11:56 PM
But what if it were the '96 Yankees vs. the '96 Tigers. You could root for the Tigers, but who would you say is better?
Posted by: Randall Monty at May 25, 2007 04:54 PM
I'll say it too: I just don't like "Creep". I didn't like it when it first came out, and I still don't like it. Granted, I've gained a greater appreciation for it, but I've never really liked the song. It drones on, and I find it very annoying. I feel similarly about "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Sail to the Moon". I like "Scatterbrain" okay, but it's certainly not one of my favorites. My vote was more related to the fact that I just don't like Creep, not really saying that "Scatterbrain" is all that great.
Posted by: Jason at May 25, 2007 11:08 PM
