Artist: Radiohead
Label: Parlophone Records
Released: 2009
Rating: 3.8/5
Well, it’s that time of the month again, when all us fans of volunteer firefighter parties, hikes up Šmarna Gora, cop jokes and sticking forks in our eyes gather for our traditional Radiohead album listening session, to drive out whatever traumas we’ve got left from living in that suburb called Slovenia. This time we picked Kid A, which is bursting with optimism and jokes about toenail fungus.
Okay, joking aside. Kid A is Radiohead’s fourth studio album, and up to that point probably their most ambitious one too. It came out three years after their previous record, OK Computer, so of course the fans were waiting for it with bated breath. Those who had made peace with Yorke’s whining and the band’s constant sonic experiments definitely got what they wanted, while the rest tossed their razor blades and snapped out of their suicidal trance.
The first thing you notice about the album is that there’s no real hit material on it, even though Radiohead did shoot a few videos for it. The album works more as a whole, and all the songs feel somehow connected thematically. Despite that inaccessibility, Radiohead had already built such a name that Kid A was a huge success practically everywhere in the world. You could say these guys are a Frank Zappa-type phenomenon, since they manage to win over the masses with innovative music.
The reissue from this year once again gets us at least one extra CD, packed with another heap of goodies. This time it’s only live material, but it’s still interesting to hear how these tracks sound quite different on stage. Maybe this reissue doesn’t hide the best surprises, but there’s still plenty here to keep fans of the band interested.
With Kid A, Radiohead set out to explore even more new musical territory. On top of post rock, indie rock and psychedelia, they now started mixing in quite a lot of electronics, which is still a logical next step from their earlier psychedelic expeditions into previously uncharted areas. With this, Radiohead once again prove their love of experimentation in music, since they refuse to settle down and rest on what they’ve already achieved, yet they still manage to keep a style all their own.
One of those distinctive elements of their music is Thom Yorke’s voice and his lyrics. He still can’t help but cry, but this time the vocals are pushed back a little into the background and are less present. The lyrics are once again full of cynicism and social criticism, just like we’ve come to expect from the cheerful Yorke.
Kid A continues Radiohead’s tradition of trying something new on every album. This time they put more emphasis on electronic influences, which could get on plenty of people’s nerves, but I think Radiohead pulled it off with feeling and very unobtrusively, so the overall impression is very good. So, Kid A is yet another Radiohead album you simply have to own, since it’s totally different from its predecessors, yet still similar.
Lineup
Thom Yorke – vocals, guitar
Colin Greenwood – bass
Jonny Greenwood – guitar, keyboards
Ed O’Brien – guitar, vocals
Phil Selway – drums
Production
Radiohead
Tracklist
CD1:
1. Everything in Its Right Place (4:11)
2. Kid A (4:44)
3. The National Anthem (5:51)
4. How to Disappear Completely (5:56)
5. Treefingers (3:42)
6. Optimistic (5:15)
7. In Limbo (3:31)
8. Idioteque (5:09)
9. Morning Bell (4:35)
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack/[untitled] (6:59)
CD2:
1. Everything in Its Right Place (BBC Radio One Evening Session – 15/11/00)
2. How to Disappear Completely (BBC Radio One Evening Session – 15/11/00)
3. Idioteque (BBC Radio One Evening Session – 15/11/00)
4. The National Anthem (BBC Radio One Evening Session – 15/11/00)
5. Optimistic (Lamacq Live in Concert: Victoria Park, Warrington, England – 02/10/00)
6. Morning Bell (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
7. The National Anthem (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
8. How to Disappear Completely (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
9. In Limbo (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
10. Idioteque (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
11. Everything in Its Right Place (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
12. Motion Picture Soundtrack (Canal+ Studios – 04/28/01)
13. True Love Waits (I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings)
