Radiohead's "Kid A" - I don't know why it took me so long to get this album

[LynneSin]

For some reason I had all the Radiohead albums but this one. I love "Ok Computer" so how I would overlook a gem like "Kid A" baffles me. But after seeing how it was listed as the top album of the first decade of 2000, how could I not own it.

All I can say is MESMERIZING!!

I love it more than "OK Computer".

Anyone else a fan of this album?

[dawg]

1. How to Disappear Completely.

You haven't heard pathetic until you've heard my rendition of this song on acoustic guitar.

Oh, and there's two or three album's worth of *great* radiohead b-sides. If you don't have those, I strongly recommend you get them.

[SteppingRazor]

2. I actually prefer OK Computer, but Kid A is pretty awesome. n/t

[LynneSin]

3. But that's like asking if you prefer Chocolate Chip Cookies or Snickerdoodle cookies....

it's a win situation no matter which cookie or Radiohead album you pick!

[SteppingRazor]

4. That's true. The band's never made a bad album. n/t

[vi5]

5. I have a long history of Radiohead issues...

I saw them after Pablo Honey came out. Amazing show. The band were animated, tight, and totally engaging. They clearly loved performing. After The Bends came out it was the same thing. I was a sucker for British glam rock/pop so both of those albums were favorites of mine.

Then I saw them after OK computer and they started doing the whole disaffected "We're so above it all", faux artsy prog rock bit. It seemed completely contrived and they seemed to be contemptuous of even having to perform. I don't doubt bands can change and/or progress but this just seemed so forced and so at odds with their earlier stuff.

I kept giving their subsequent albums chances but everything I heard and saw just seemed to forced and intentionally weird. Whenever I would argue with people about the merits of the band during this period I always busted out 2 magazines I had saved. Both were year end "Artist Favorite" issues where the bands listed their favorite albums of the year. The first one was from around the time of Pablo Honey and the band listed totally mainstream, pop and rock artists. Like borderline post-grunge stuff. Rage Against The Machine, Stone Temple Pilots, Blur, whatever it was. The other was from 2 years later and the list of their favorites of the year were like these completely weird, obscure and odd things like Tuvian Throat singing compilations or whatever (I exaggerate, but the point is it was stuff that was totally off the beaten path and willfully obscure). It just pointed out that even if bands can change, to do so that drastically in ones taste in two years seemed completely forced.

Cut to several years later and I finally decided to see them live again (after In Rainbows came out). And it totally clicked again for me. They had really come into their own and the changes seemed natural and not forced, and they did some older songs and they really seemed to enjoy playing and interacting.

After that show I went back and revisited everything Kid A and after which I hadn't previously been able to get into, and now I love them all. Although I do think that the most recent 2 (Hail To the Thief and IN Rainbows) are my favorite.

Sorry for the indulgent, overly personal post.

[Lucinda]

6. I love posts like this :)

Indulge away! :toast:

[NightWatcher]

9. I think that Pablo and Bends gave them the freedom to explore

Ok Computer and Kid A are my faves, but they had an experimental feel to them.

I can imagine you felt like some Beatles fans felt after Love Me Do was replaced by She's So Heavy, Sun King, and eventually extended sitar riffs with Ravi Shankar.

It took me a while to come around to In Rainbows and Hail to the Thief, but I did come around.

The voyage from Anyone Can Play Guitar to 15 Steps is a long one, but a fun ride nonetheless.

[IcyPeas]

7. I prefer Muse. . .

who are often compared to Radiohead. I don't really even see the comparison and I like Radiohead too.

[Name removed]

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[Odin2005]

10. That's ironic, I'm listening to Radiohead right now.