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Amazon.co.uk Review
Radiohead may well be the most courageous band in Britain. Their second album, The Bends, was a success both critically and commercially, and they followed it up with an album of epic prog-rock, OK Computer, that would have destined a lesser band to commercial failure and, eventually, obscurity. Instead, it was almost universally hailed as one of the finest albums ever recorded. So it should come as no great surprise that their fourth album, Kid A, is even more experimental, owing a debt to the studio-born soundscapes of Brian Eno, Aphex Twin and even later Talk Talk. Kid A is an album that would not sound out of place on the Warp Records roster, as keyboards, sequencers and electronic effects take the place of guitars on most tracks (particularly unusual for a band that boasts three guitarists). In fact, this is an album that succeeds without rock's bombast, from the looping keyboards of album opener "Everything In Its Right Place" to the bouncing, bass-led "The National Anthem" to the album's hauntingly atmospheric highlight, "Idioteque". Meanwhile, more traditional Radiohead tracks like "How To Disappear Completely" and "Optimistic" offer a natural bridge between the electronic noodlings of Kid A and the (slightly) more mainstream-sounding OK Computer. Radiohead may well be the most innovative popular band since the Beatles; as such, Kid A represents the most successful evolution of a major British act since Sgt Pepper's. --Robert Burrow
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It has been said that this album was recorded to put off the masses so that the band could continue to record in relative peace. 'Kid A' will very possibly put off those fans who only liked the anthems from 'O.K. Computer' (Paranoid Android, Lucky, Karma Police)and 'The Bends'(Street Spirit, High and Dry) but for the majority of their fans this album is a progression from the unusual to the wildly strange and fascinating. The Album starts with 'Everything in its right place', a throbbing rhythmic piece with stacks of pace and tempo plus unusual lyrics 'Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon...' completely fresh from all their songs and does not let listeners hear what direction the band has taken. 'the title track 'Kid A' is a mixture of a nursery rhyme and a nightmare, eery and frightening but with twinkling percussion sounds, involves Yorke singing random thoughts 'We've got heads on sticks' in a heavily disguised voice. 'The National Anthem:' fuzz bass and heavy drumming still no evidence of guitars, dissolves in to a collection of wild brass instruments, innovative and different. 'How to disappear completely' is in my opinion the track of the album, soft acoustic guitar and clashing strings are powerful but the way that they regularise into a beautiful harmony is breathtaking, a truly spellbouinding song. 'Treefingers' is a floating instrumental that contains an element of pure peace. 'Optimistic' is a track fot the hordes: anthemic. major guitars, cracking riffs, huge energy 'this one came out of the swamp.' 'In Limbo' is hugely experimental, it is in fact my least favourite track although others heatedly dis agree with me, rippling sea-shore esque sounds, forlorn sounds. 'Idioteque' Yorke's favourite song, fantastic new direction, pounding beats, desperate lyrics 'This is really happening' fantastic pumping rhythms, dance for the anti-dance fan. 'Morning bell' a mourning melody, sad almost builds up to 'Motion Picture Soundtrack' a fantastic ending, majestic, harp-filled bursting with life, truly beautiful. This album is a fantastic piece, it needs to be listened to as a whole not as individual segments, it is dark in some aries and airy and light in other. It is in my opinion the unmissable album of the year.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When I first heard that Radiohead were going to release a new album, I figured it was going to include all those unreleased songs from the video 'Meeting People is Easy'. I was disappointed with most of the album for about a day or so until i really loved it.
The immediete songs i enjoyed by simply flicking through the tracks were, 'How to disappear comepletely', and 'Morning Bell', as to me they are just your average Radiohead songs to me. Getting used to songs such as the title track and 'In Limbo' definitely took time, but now I appreciate them so much now. Radiohead's influence of Aphex Twin is obvious is 'Everything in its Right Place' and 'Kid A', with the random drum beats, the chiming synthisers and the electronic voices muttering such lyrics as "we've got heads on sticks / We've got ventriloquists." People were very annoyed as to 'Treefingers' being slap-bang in the middle of the album, as it suddenly slows it down, but I personally think its ok to go. To me, putting it as a bonus track isn't so effective, and I think the 'Head boys saw that too. At first, I wasn't so impressed with the 'National Anthem's' bass riff, as being a big rock fan I saw nothing special with it, but that also grew on me. The industrial like thumping drum beat on 'Ideoteque' gives the album a bit more spunk, and 'The National Anthem' sounds as emotional as Nine Inch Nails 'The Great Below'. The only real disappointing song on the album is 'Optimistic', simply because I don't think its that good a song, simple as that.
To me, 'Kid A' is a wonderful album. With the album, I can picture images to suit the music, or a film which would go well with it. When it comes to going out, 'Kid A' is always first to go in my CD player, and it just fades into the background. Compared to Radiohead's past albums, this must never be compared to them. However, I still think 'OK Computer' is better, and the boys from the head could never have beaten it.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
..there was a bit of a kerfuffle. And so it seems there was a bit of a fuss over this album. It isn't filled with indie guitar anthems, but generally quieter songs, using the studio as an instrument alongside their normal tools. Musically you can compare it with Underworld's, Bjork's and their own more laid back moments, but its recognisably Radiohead. It's a difficult sort of album for a guitar band to attempt and I think they've done well. I like it a lot. Listen to it while I'm working or reading, and I'll find it suddenly grabs my interest and takes me off somewhere else.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
musical genius
im a massive radiohead fan but i could never get into this album...... after a few listens.... yes this is pure genius !!!!!! END OF
Published 6 months ago by mattholmes
Genius [jeen-yuhs]
1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart.
2. Read more
2. Read more
Published 8 months ago by matt
So in its right place
THere's nothing left to say about this album, I guess, but as one who 'feared' it would be too difficult, I found I just couldn't and can't get enough of it. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Theresa O'Shea
Very pleased
The CD was delviered really quickly and in perfect condition. when i looked at the disk itself it was also in perfect condition. Read more
Published 12 months ago by hora incendiae
Boundary breaking
As I write this short piece, 408 reviews have been posted; the most I have seen for the majority of music albums, showing what a polemic album this proved to be. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. I. J. Weston
Over my head
In my opinion, The Bends and Ok Computer are two of the greatest studion albums of all time. Personally I would put The Bends in the top 5 ever, although most fans/critics seem to... Read more
Published 15 months ago by KaesarSosei
Transcendental
It seems fairly common to not 'get' this album to start with. It's not so much a case where I would say that the word 'difficult' is an understatement, as if you approach this... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Mr. M. Tetlow
Transcendent music at its finest.
The critics claim this album is just 40 minutes of squeaking noises... As if that's a bad thing!
40 minutes of squeaking noises is what music has become and this album was one... Read more
40 minutes of squeaking noises is what music has become and this album was one... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Elliot Tomlinson
I don't get it.
Have enjoyed previous offerings, bought this on the back of that (and considerable hype at the time) and have been disappointed! It all seems rather self-indulgent to me. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jay Dee
Brilliant album, though perhaps not as good as some of their others...
A brilliant album, with some classics (Anyone can play guitar, How to disappear completely, Everything in its right place... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Snark
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