Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Other than Pearl Jam, who else is there?
Post Reply
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

I don't know if I'd use the word "muddy", trag.
User avatar
tragabigzanda
Production Police
Posts: 51634
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by tragabigzanda »

Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 13, 2026 12:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
LoathedVermin72
The Master
Posts: 33839
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 9:32 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

tragabigzanda wrote:
zeb wrote:I don't know if I'd use the word "muddy", trag.
I still haven't heard it anywhere other than my headphones or home stereo; neither are ideal, but they are both fairly well-rounded pieces of consumer junk. And it sounds muddy here -- too much cluttered instrumentation in the low end. Very boomy and "pfffffffffy." It might be my gear. I know I have near-perfect hearing (as of 2013)...

So all that said, is your disagreement with my term, or the characterization behind the term?
I would use a term more like "a beautiful blanket wrapped around a bittersweet memory."
User avatar
tragabigzanda
Production Police
Posts: 51634
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by tragabigzanda »

Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 13, 2026 12:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
LoathedVermin72
The Master
Posts: 33839
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 9:32 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

I'm sorry zeb, I'll leave you alone now
User avatar
Norah
Poster of the Year
Posts: 37328
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 2:04 pm
Location: September 2020 Poster of the Month

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by Norah »

The distortion is a problem.
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

tragabigzanda wrote:So all that said, is your disagreement with my term, or the characterization behind the term?
I can see where you are coming from, trag, but I feel like the album is sonically subdued rather than muddy. I'm certainly not sensing the clutter that you are.
User avatar
tragabigzanda
Production Police
Posts: 51634
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by tragabigzanda »

tragabigzanda wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb
I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 13, 2026 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

Yes, I wouldn't characterise the record (sonically or compositionally) as bright or energetic, so I think we agree on that.
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

From a percussion standpoint, the things that normally provide that high end cut through - the snare drum and crash cymbals - are mostly absent from this record.
User avatar
tragabigzanda
Production Police
Posts: 51634
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by tragabigzanda »

Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 13, 2026 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
LetMeSleep
Posting (live)
Posts: 17987
Joined: Wed February 06, 2013 2:47 am
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Location: Scooby Doo

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by LetMeSleep »

tragabigzanda wrote:
zeb wrote:From a percussion standpoint, the things that normally provide that high end cut through - the snare drum and crash cymbals - are mostly missing from this record.
Yea, it's true. And I'm hearing too many instruments playing in lower registers, with a lot of air around them, and they're loud and laid out across the whole stereo spread. It's taking over the other sounds. And it fits the album's name -- I think this is the sound they were going for. My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.

Chud, what kind of distortion are you hearing?
Harmonic distortion in the audio?
Speaker distortion in your car?
Digital clipping?
Are you suggesting there maybe some brickwalling happening with Chud's car?
User avatar
Norah
Poster of the Year
Posts: 37328
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 2:04 pm
Location: September 2020 Poster of the Month

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by Norah »

LetMeSleep wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
zeb wrote:From a percussion standpoint, the things that normally provide that high end cut through - the snare drum and crash cymbals - are mostly missing from this record.
Yea, it's true. And I'm hearing too many instruments playing in lower registers, with a lot of air around them, and they're loud and laid out across the whole stereo spread. It's taking over the other sounds. And it fits the album's name -- I think this is the sound they were going for. My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.

Chud, what kind of distortion are you hearing?
Harmonic distortion in the audio?
Speaker distortion in your car?
Digital clipping?
Are you suggesting there maybe some brickwalling happening with Chud's car?
well done
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

tragabigzanda wrote:My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.
Wouldn't you think that a band like Radiohead and a producer like Godrich would have a well-established process of testing those mixes outside of the mixing room though?
User avatar
Norah
Poster of the Year
Posts: 37328
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 2:04 pm
Location: September 2020 Poster of the Month

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by Norah »

tragabigzanda wrote:
zeb wrote:From a percussion standpoint, the things that normally provide that high end cut through - the snare drum and crash cymbals - are mostly missing from this record.
Yea, it's true. And I'm hearing too many instruments playing in lower registers, with a lot of air around them, and they're loud and laid out across the whole stereo spread. It's taking over the other sounds. And it fits the album's name -- I think this is the sound they were going for. My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.

Chud, what kind of distortion are you hearing?
Harmonic distortion in the audio?
Speaker distortion in your car?
Digital clipping?
the shit we talked about earlier
User avatar
ridleybradout
Future Drummer
Posts: 2551
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:33 pm
Location: Rand McNally

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by ridleybradout »

LetMeSleep wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:
zeb wrote:From a percussion standpoint, the things that normally provide that high end cut through - the snare drum and crash cymbals - are mostly missing from this record.
Yea, it's true. And I'm hearing too many instruments playing in lower registers, with a lot of air around them, and they're loud and laid out across the whole stereo spread. It's taking over the other sounds. And it fits the album's name -- I think this is the sound they were going for. My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.

Chud, what kind of distortion are you hearing?
Harmonic distortion in the audio?
Speaker distortion in your car?
Digital clipping?
Are you suggesting there maybe some brickwalling happening with Chud's car?
:haha:
User avatar
LetMeSleep
Posting (live)
Posts: 17987
Joined: Wed February 06, 2013 2:47 am
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Location: Scooby Doo

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by LetMeSleep »

zeb wrote:
tragabigzanda wrote:My suspicion is that it this album sounds amazing in their mix room, but decidedly less so on consumer equipment.
Wouldn't you think that a band like Radiohead and a producer like Godrich would have a well-established process of testing those mixes outside of the mixing room though?
When I did mastering at Abbey Road (where Radiohead mastered before using Bob Ludwig), we went and sat in the engineers car to check the kick/bass levels as we were really pushing it. It was weird as people were taking photos of us.

So yes, of course they'd be checking it everywhere.
User avatar
tragabigzanda
Production Police
Posts: 51634
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by tragabigzanda »

Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 13, 2026 12:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
zeb
$5 Donation Gets Custom Title
Posts: 7167
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 10:43 am

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by zeb »

A lot of these tracks definitely occupy the same sonic space but I think that was a conscious stylistic decision.
Last edited by zeb on Wed May 18, 2016 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
iweartwoshoes
A Return To Form
Posts: 136
Joined: Sat April 23, 2016 6:27 pm
Twitter: https://twitter.com/

Re: Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

Post by iweartwoshoes »

http://www.baeblemusic.com/musicblog/5- ... -pool.html


So Radiohead have been clearly planning for 20 years incase there was ever a referendum on leaving the EU and have embedded their message here. Great forward planning Thom.
Post Reply