#380: Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

Zack: We’ve previously talked about our system for picking albums, which involves me throwing nominations for different genres at Emily and her deciding on the basis of which name she likes best. Among my powers within the nomination stage is controlling how we get acquainted with the biggest bands and artists on the list. For the people with only one album, that’s it for them. Except in rare cases like Drive-by Truckers (just got done re-listening to The Dirty South by them and it is soooo good), we’re not delving any deeper into those catalogues. But the people with 2+ albums are trickier because the order can really matter. We’re going to listen to another Byrds album soon but I’m already dreading it because of how much I disliked the first one. In general, I think Emily is predisposed to want to go in chronological order. I like to switch it up. Sometimes a band improves, and I would rather capture that with our first listen. That said, I really wish we’d gone chronological on this one. Radiohead just seems to be a very reactive band. The Bends, which I finally realized I loved 6 months after I initially listened to it when I was trying to work on a paper during a hurricane, was a reaction to their first album, Pablo Honey. Likewise, I’ve heard that Kid A is a reaction to the sound they had created on OK Computer. Having not listened to OK Computer before, it sort of felt like I was missing part of the picture. That said, I liked Kid A, and I’m certainly open to the possibility that it will grow on me as hard as The Bends did. Perhaps 6 months from now I’ll be caught in a maelstrom and I’ll put it on and be blown away while I try to paddle away. But right now, I liked The Bends better.

Favorite Tracks: The National Anthem; Optimistic; Everything in Its Right Place

Emily: I just think I'm one of those people who will never get Radiohead. Once in a while I'll listen to The Bends again, and I like it, but it doesn't blow me away to a point where I understand why they're so critically adored and have so many albums on this list. I thought Kid A might help me towards that point, but it just made me more confused. Departing from the band's alternative roots, Kid A sees Radiohead leaning way in to electronic and experimental rock. There are very few actual lyrics, creating an atmospheric effect where the songs seem to blend into each other. It's an interesting album, but doesn't make a whole lot of sense for alternative music in 2000. Maybe, as Zack notes, I need to listen to OK Computer to really understand the evolution from The Bends to Kid A. Until then, I'll probably remain a Radiohead skeptic.

Favorite Tracks: The National Anthem; Idioteque; In Limbo