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Kid A

Radiohead

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Customer Reviews

Wondeful Album

This is one my favourite Radiohead albums. One reason is the personal sound it has if you give yourself the time to listen to it attentively. Maybe it's just me, but I disagree with this reviewer and I believe it is not fair to discourage listeners through writing strong personal opinions in a review. I know it is hard to distinguish what music applies to only you and what applies to the general public. But, a lot of people have really loved this album - including myself - and that should be aknowledged. Sorry for such a boring and stiff review.

A Landmark of Humanity...

Tonight was a good night. One of my favorite things to do in life is peruse record stores to see if I can find any gems to add to my cd collection. Tonight after I met a friend for beers I trekked down to Everyday Music—a huge record store on West Burnside here in downtown Portland that I frequent. I went there with the intent of securing for myself a copy of Radiohead’s “Kid A”, which after all these years is still an album I’ve found myself without a physical copy of. Sure enough, I found one used for six bucks. Sweet.

I wouldn’t say that I’m what you would call a Radiohead expert. In fact, several years ago I really cared nothing for this band. I’d even go so far as to say I actually hated them. Oddly enough, given the subject of this review, “Kid A” was the album I hated most and hated them for.

I think my hatred stemmed from a live performance I saw them do on what I think was Saturday Night Live. They were performing the song “Idioteque” and lead singer Thom Yorke was bobbing and spazzing around like a mad man while he sang lyrics that made absolutely no sense like, “Go on, take the money and run,” over and over. To me, it was all just too weird a combination and I really couldn’t understand how anyone could like a band like this.

This was all around the time I was in high school. I’ve mentioned before that during this time I was really into bands like Creed, Good Charlotte, and Limp Bizkit, to name a few. If this isn’t a good enough indicator of why I may not have enjoyed a band like Radiohead, it should be.

For example, how many Nickelback fans do you know who really just get into the music of TV On the Radio? I’m not saying I am or ever have been a fan of Nickelback (I hope I’d have the sense to have someone shoot me if I was). I’m just helping you to make the connection of why I may not have enjoyed Radiohead given that bands like Creed were usually in my cd player.

Anyway…

Times have changed, I’ve grown up, and let’s just say this: Creed came out with a new album and did a comeback tour last year and I didn’t exactly run out and buy a copy of the album and a ticket to the show. There will always be a special place in my heart for that band, but that place in my heart also has a special compartment for hate and resentment geared towards all the people who still to this day make fun of me for ever liking them.

Okay, moving on.

Radiohead’s fourth studio album, “Kid A” was quite the departure for them in terms of sound. Their first two albums have been described as “anthemic” and were way more accessible and easy-to-swallow. However, I wouldn’t say “Kid A” comes as a total shock as their previous work “OK Computer” sort of kept that accessibility while at the same time hinted at what they explored more deeply with this album. I look at “OK Computer” as being a sort of bridge between the old Radiohead and the Radiohead that has mostly held true up through today.

One of the things that most surprises me is that it seems people were ready and willing to accept this change. This is evidenced in the fact that “Kid A” was the first Radiohead album ever to debut at No. 1 in the United States. It then went on to be nominated for “Album of the Year” at that year’s Grammy awards and actually took home the “Best Alternative Album” award.

“Kid A” marks the second time Radiohead paired with Nigel Godrich—the producer with which they’ve worked on every album since. I’ve always admired bands who can work with the same producer year after year on every album yet still mightily evolve their sound. A lot of bands aren’t capable of that and have to constantly seek after new producers to challenge them and keep them fresh. The absolute best example of monstrous evolution with a constant producer would be The Beatles with George Martin. The man literally produced every studio album the band ever made (excluding “Let It Be”).

If actual drums and guitars—both acoustic and electric—were heavily present on all of Radiohead’s previous albums then they’re only about half-present on “Kid A”. If there were a shock to the system when realizing this album for the first time, this would probably be it—it could probably easily be classified as an electronic album.

It is one of those albums that just begs to only ever be listened to all the way through. Yes, each and every song is great but the album is a unique enough experience to where it’s a necessity that it is kept as a whole. Perhaps that’s why the band chose not to release any official singles from the album.

If I had to pick a few standout tracks they would be:

-“Everything In Its Right Place” for its eerie electric piano.

-“The National Anthem” for its repetitive, yet killer bass line, rocking drums, and most importantly the horn section jabs that are scattered throughout.

-“How To Disappear Completely” for its soothing acoustic guitar and effects. I picture myself being able to fall asleep to this song. Who knows what kind of screwed up dreams it would bring.

-And finally-

-“Idioteque” for just being plain weird and entertaining. It has one of the most unique-sounding beats I’ve ever heard. Just don’t ever ask me what the lyrics mean cause I’m truly stumped on that one.

When listening to albums I always ask myself, “Is this good enough to stand the test of time?” Very rarely do I come across an album where the answer is completely and unequivocally a resounding “Yes!”

With “Kid A” that’s the case.

Arguably the best album of the decade

To quote pitchfork's review of the album, "It's cacophonous yet tranquil, experimental yet familiar, foreign yet womb-like, spacious yet visceral, textured yet vaporous, awakening yet dreamlike, infinite yet 48 minutes." Yes, it's a unique sound, but there is so little wrong with this album that it's impossible not to appreciate.

Biography

Formed: 1989 in Oxford, England

Genre: Alternative

Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s

Radiohead were one of the few alternative bands of the early '90s to draw heavily from the grandiose arena rock that characterized U2's early albums. But the band internalized that epic sweep, turning it inside out to tell tortured, twisted tales of angst and alienation. Vocalist Thom Yorke's pained lyrics were brought to life by the group's three-guitar attack, which relied on texture — borrowing as much from My Bloody Valentine and Pink Floyd as R.E.M. and Pixies — instead of virtuosity....
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