The discord is now live! Come hang out outside of YT where I can give real-time responses! discord.gg/BbdyNZChWv Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=76355966
I saw a quote from Thom stating it was their best recording. I stop everyting I am doing when I hear it. And that includes prolonged periods of breathing.
@@Literallyjustmintthat's actually a really cool interpretation, especially since in the kid amnesia exhibition, the section with motion picture soundtrack is called ascension
Jonny is very likely not too keen on doing Ideoteque live. He does the synth and electronic sequencing and Thom's insanity just gets thrown at him. - "I can see the crack in your ass, Jonny!" - "Faster Jonny!"
“How to disappear” had me remembered times I was in hospital, when I was in extreme distress, when I was at funerals, when I was losing something, losing sanity… it’s about denying that pain that comes with the circumstances of life. And Tom Yorke’s voice was so emotional.
Music and lyrics are such great outlets for emotions, both together and separately. Thom did such an amazing job with both. This would have helped in so many situations when I was younger.
Radiohead got me through a really rough time when my wife died suddenly in 2015 I will never understand people who harp on how bleak they are they are great for hard times very cathartic.
Idioteque really shines in concert. I saw them at Bonnaroo in 2006, and being in a crowd of 80,000 fans tossing around glow sticks during that song was unreal.
First, thanks for your authenticity in Motion Picture Soundtrack. You didn't play it up or hide it. And that made it a beautiful accompaniment to a beautiful song. When this album came out, it was a pretty nasty shock and a tough listen. I didn't really properly give it a chance for probably another 20 years. It was only after I realized how brilliant In Rainbows is I went back and really gave the interceding 3 albums a chance. The Bends is also outstandingly good.
Almost exactly my reaction to it I let them go for almost 10 years until I caught one of the basement versions of a song from In Rainbows then I listened to them for a year straight and loved all the records I missed.
"Motion Picture Soundtrack" is a masterpiece, i always cry at this one it's just magical.. You don't know how lucky you are to discover their discography for the first time, you have only scratched the surface yet :)
Great reaction. I too used to get a bit emotional when hearing Motion Picture Soundtrack. In case you're thinking about reacting to Amnesiac, it's totally worth it. Although it was very well received, both critically and commercially, lots of people used to think it was mostly made up of leftovers from Kid A, but I think anyone who knows the band knows that's not something they'd do. More importantly, they have explained, on many occasions, that they just couldn't agree on which tracks to put on Kid A, so, for a while they considered releasing it as a double album, but eventually decided to do two separate discs. That's all there is, and several members of the band have vehemently defended Amnesiac and made it clear they don't consider it inferior at all. I do think Kid A is a better album (and most people agree), but Amnesiac is still a very good one, and contains at least three of the best songs the band’s ever written, in my opinion.
That great to hear that there's more material from the same era! This is actually the case for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' recent album releases this year, Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen. They wrote over 48 songs and wanted to release a giant double album of 34 songs, but the record company did not want to do it. So instead they released two separate double albums within 6 months of each other.
I'll never forget back in 2004, my family was on vacation in Arizona and took a drive through Wupatki and Sun Crator Natl Monuments, where the landscape changes colors every few miles with strange looking ash bunches dotting the black sand landscape. It looks otherworldly. My mother stopped our car and told me to put on Kid A because "we need some ethereal music to match this landscape." We listened to the whole album on that drive. Treefingers coupled with that landscape gave me chills.
When you became emotional during motion picture, I had to subscribe. It’s obvious RH hit a nerve with you, they’re such an amazing band. Welcome to the club 🤝
Fun Fact: the guitarist and string arranger from Radiohead (Jonny Greenwood) is also a RENOWNED film scorer, and has scored Oscar winning films such as There Will Be Blood and Phantom Thread. You can hear the brilliance of his string arrangements on "How To Disappear Completely". His string choices are never the "obvious" choice. It's always really avant-garde, clever, cutting-edge styles of strings (heavily influenced by the legendary composer Kristoff Pendericki). Also on "In Limbo", you can hear how exotic and trippy their sense of timing can get. They always go out of their way to push the listener to challenging places. They actually like making their audience uncomfortable with each shift in direction, but I swear after enough listens, the genius of every album reveals itself.
I have definitely been kept on my toes throughout these albums, but it didn't take long for the songs to settle with me nicely. So far I have not been led in a direction I didn't welcome.
How to Disappear Completely also has pretty obvious (in my opinion) homage to Scott Walker's It's Raining Today who is also known for his more and more avant-garde arrangements despite his pop origins.
@@owenhu9465 The string arrangement from It's Raining Today for sure. But the rest of How To Disappear is very distinct from It's Raining Today. What they share is having that dissonant string arrangement leading the track, but it retreats in HTD, but sticks around in It's Raining Today.
@@lusciousluie One of the greatest songs of all time, IMO. What you were calling "violins on the side" are an ondes martenot, and early (1920s) electronic instrument that Jonnie Greenwood helped to revive.
Great reaction! So glad you're diving in to Radiohead; I can listen to their music endlessly. Really enjoyed your OKC reaction too. So interesting to hear your perspective as a drummer. Thom wrote 'How To Disappear Completely' whilst dealing with sudden fame, burnout and dissociation during the utterly relentless Ok Computer tour. He asked Michael Stipe (of REM) for advice as he couldn't handle it and he said him to pull the shutters down and just repeat "I'm not here, this isn't happening". Absolutely stunning song.. I come back to the strings at the end a lot, all dissonance and then there's a moment where the sun breaks through the clouds, with Thom's soaring falsetto. Also, Untitled wasn't actually a track on the album.. there's about a minute's silence after Motion Picture Soundtrack and then you'd get this hidden track. The live versions of Kid A tracks are really incredible. The National Anthem where Jonny plays the radio and Idioteque with him playing modular synth are really worth watching. I think you'd really enjoy The Smile (Thom and Jonny's new band with drummer Tom Skinner). Lots of interesting polyrhythms and weird time signatures.
They are going to become a regular on my playlists easily. I love their overall sound and approach. I'm so glad to hear about Michael Stipe having an influence on the project because I really like REM. So many great details about this about and I'm so glad to hear these facts! Also The Smile sounds like a great project to check out!
I'm very very glad you enjoyed this album. Kid A is probably my favorite Radiohead album and possibly my favorite album in general. So many pieces and different ideas that come together incredibly. I don't think there is any other album that comes close to how this album feels to listen to. The backstory behind this album is pretty interesting. Thom was suffering from depression after the OK Computer tour, along with him and the other members of the band having burnout from how much they worked in the past couple of years. He then became interested in IDM artists (stands for "intelligent dance music" which is similar to EDM but more nuanced) such as Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. You can see a lot of influence from those artists in songs like Idioteque. If it weren't for the band going in this completely different direction, they most likely would've broken up due to how much tension was between them. If you are going to listen to more Radiohead in the future, go back to their album The Bends. It's artsy alt-rock that gave a glimpse into what they would go on to do in OK Computer. Also, I'm excited for your reaction to Favourite Worst Nightmare. Though I prefer their debut album, I think it's at about the same level of quality.
Yes! Thank you for making the recommendation! It's fantastic and it makes me appreciate the album even more with the backstory behind it. Will definitely be checking out more of Radiohead on the channel in the future. Favourite Worst Nightmare may come as soon as this week!
This is my all time favourite album as well. I would add as a backstory about the How to disappear completely, which is simply the best song ever written imo. During the OKC tour and Thom's growing depression, he was very close to stop playing on some concerts. The pressure, the load of touring, being in front of tens of thousands of people for a prolonged time caused a lot of tensions. According to Thom, his friend Michael Stipe, singer of R.E.M. suggested him imagine he's somewhere else, not there, that might help survive such tense situations. That's what the song is about, the best ever written song is about.
@@stefanba2029 yeah i forgot to add that part to my comment but mine was long enough as is how to disappear completely is probably the best from this album for me also and easily one of the greatest songs of all time (along with a lot of other radiohead songs)
The Bends is my favorite of their albums, though it should not be inferred that I dislike any of them. I also don't think it's their best album. But man, it's just my happy place. Their best is probably In Rainbows, but they're still kicking ass in A Moon Shaped Pool and my favorite song of theirs is from Pablo Honey (it isn't Creep). My fandom spans the whole discography and it really is just a matter of what I'm in the mood for. The great thing about a band like this, with such a diverse set of sounds across their career, is there's pretty much always a version of Radiohead that fits the occasion. Lately, I mostly listen to Kid A onwards, with a heavy emphasis on their last three albums, but I'll still sit down and listen from You to True Love Waits every few months.
Personally my favorite album. Completely special and unique. Groundbreaking because of who created it and when they created it and no matter how many negative reviews it receives, it will remain an absolute masterpiece on the level of Ok Computer and any major work by other band in music history.
I totally agree that it is a masterpiece. Works so well as a project and I love the backstory behind it. Already in love with the music on it had to offer.
I've never listened to so called critics, so I didn't even know it was panned so heavily until now! Loved it the moment I first heard it... well perhaps some of it took a few listens, but couldn't stop listening for weeks after I bought it anyway.
@@carlhartwell7978 Today it's hard to find negative reviews about it, but when it went on sale... there were! . And apart from professional critics, many people reacted negatively on first listens, it didn't fit with the band's previous works. In any case, time has put it in its place and it doesn't seem like it was your case either. Greetings.
Another highly challenging artist you might appreciate is Godspeed You Black Emperor. I highly recommend the album "Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennae Towards Heaven". It more or less perfected the art of instrumental post-rock. Absolutely epic masterpiece of an album.
Bro, thanks for taking the time to go through this album track by track. Arguably my favorite Radiohead album. It was an honor to witness your first reaction! Keep it up.
Aw man.. im glad you checked this one out.. very worth watching this, and im glad it hit you, and you didnt edit it out, dont be ashamed of tears, embrace it and be proud, got a good heart man, and im sure most of us radiohead fans can relate, great video, thank you
Thank you! I absolutely would have kept the entire reaction in the video if it wasn't for copyright. Music really means a lot to me and being able to get these moments to go back to is surreal.
Totally agree with what you're saying about how fans may have reacted to the change in sound. But we've already been through it between Pablo Honey to The Bends to OkC. And the ride just never stopped haha, wait until you make it to their Moon Shaped Pool album, night and day from where the started with Pablo. And yet all their albums are great! Waiting for In Rainbows!!
Trust me, after you start listening to radiohead for a while you cant stop exploring and listening to them until you finish exploring all their stuff from the beginning until now (The Smile). Radiohead will satisfy you in ANY WAY!
I discovered Radiohead on a large dose of LSD and it changed the way I listen to music forever :) one of the amazing parts of this album is the transitions into the next song!!
There's few things I find more intriguing than seeing other people explore my all time favourite band. It's not for everyone, so it's especially nice when you stumble upon people who get it. You still haven't reacted to what I consider to be their best album (In Rainbows). Looking forward to that!
I've been working on keeping an open mind when it comes to new music and band's or artist's musical choices and perspective. Fortunately, I've been able to easily click with Radiohead's vision. And the background behind these albums just make me love them that much more.
I tell new people to Radiohead to start with Pablo Honey and then trust the process. Kid A is shocking, took me a little while to appreciate this album as did most Radiohead fans. But the absolute balls on these guys, the daring, the gall, it's what makes Radiohead so good and so influential. They will experiment, they will find new creative sounds, new creative arrangements, and they will learn from them and grow. Take out any one album and you don't get the next one. Where they've ended up in A Moon Shaped Pool is outstanding, and how they got there is really quite remarkable. The journey has so many great highlights, across all their albums.
the story of kid a, one where one feels abandoned in an imperfect, predatorial world without knowing how you got there or why you are there, is, deep down, everyone's story. when i first listened to this album i was immediately transported into a trance where i was watching a movie of a completely isolated person trying his best to enjoy living in the snowy, mountainous world on the album cover. but the world just continued to reveal itself as, tragically, being against those who inhabit it. i felt like some invisible being with more power than me was showing me the plight of reality through one man's experience. i had never seen the images i saw before, but i had felt the feelings before, and i realized how so much of my life was an escape of the traumas and bad experiences, but the reality was still there. kid a is the real version of the song-writer, like one soul radiating in different planes at the same time. the song-writer is in our world, and kid a is by himself in a terrible world. everything he experiences in our world is due to what's happening under the surface in the kid a world. in our world, thom yorke feels isolated from something important, despite being around people. simutaneously, in kid a's land, he is alone and the world is out to get him. the surface existence of our world begins to fade away as the world with greater magnitude brings out the true inner reality of the song-writer through his connection with kid a's reality. i view this album as thom yorke moving from blaming the people in the world for his problems (the ok computer perspective) to seeing that the world itself is bad. this album is him painfully wrenching himself through that helpless feeling 1. everything in it's right place sounded like i was being introduced to a real place that is hidden somewhere, right before the introduction of the clone kid a arrives. things being in their right place represent the idealistic fantasy the song-writer is holding onto to be able to sleep at night. 2. kid a is the helpless, vulnerable state of someone introduced to a new world completely unprepared, yet forced to continue. kid a is dropped off by space ship into the world, and begins his journey. the little white lie he slips on is, "i'm in control. i've got this. my dreams will come true", that he tells himself to keep himself together. 3. national anthem is the first time we experience kid a trying to live out his fantasies. the pace of the music is as if the song-writer were skiing down a mountain in attempt to get fulfillment. but the world begins to show it's ugly head, he loses control, and he crashes into something, like how the horn section sounds in the song. 4. how to disappear completely is about the overwhelming helplessness one feels after seeing the discrepancy between his hopes and what reality is. it feels like abandonment by whatever caused you to exist, and it makes you wish you could abandon yourself and escape into a different story. 5. treefingers is the serene calm before the storm, like how one feels after allowing yourself to cry. nothing has changed, but you've finally at least been able to express yourself with success for the first time. the atmospheric sounds of the song are like self-exploration that you havent been able to do yet. 6. optimistic is an avalanche[of emotion]. now that he's allowed himself to express displeasure, the dam of all the layers of true feelings, good and bad, breaks. the optimism that came from the serenity of the last scene is now being tested by an avalanche. he's reminded of the powerlessness again, and is reduced to "the best you can is good enough". the big fish eating the little ones is representative of the world itself being predatorial just to reproduce its existence. that's how shitty it is. 7.in limbo is where he is stuck while the avalanche is taking place. the outside world is chaos and destruction, and he needs a way to escape it. he gets into a boat and sails to the land across the sea, thinking he's escaped. but the world won't let him, as a trap door suddenly opens, and he starts sliding down 8. idioteque is about the fools gold of being safe, sterile, and believing you can control/plan your way. even though kid a escaped the forces outside the cave he fell into, there is still no escape from the danger and suffering. even though he now has everything there all of the time, and is safe, it's still not worth it. having the courtesy to prioritize the women and children in the event of a catastrophe only further reminds kid a of the worthlessness of his existence. he's starting to value numbness due to its power to be a different experience. 9. morning bell is about kid a finally having the determination to try to leave. he wants to be released from his predicament, but it's sadly still up to him to do so. "where'd you park the car" and "Clothes are on the lawn with the furniture" are testiments to this. but an even worse thing has happened to kid a: he has become like the world he's trying to escape. "cut the kids in half". the world has already won the war over kid a, but he is so focused on his escape plan that he doesnt see it yet. once he begins to he starts justifying his actions to himself, "Everybody wants to be a friend and nobody wants to be a slave". he is still convinced that his slavery to the forces in the world is escapable. the world has not been his friend, and so he thinks he should be free to do anything to not be a slave.....so he starts walking until he reaches another boat to the sea and gets in it. 10. motion picture soundtrack is kid a at sea, completely burned out from his endless suffering. he realizes that he's been controlled this whole time by things that made believing lies desirable. the best way out he's known up to this point-- the cheap sex, red wine, sleeping pills, letters-- no longer carry enough potency to be worth it. "i will see you in the next life", is him completely given up hope, accepting his fate, and he jumps off the boat into the sea to drown himself. 11. untitled. after seemingly being dead from drowning, some powerful force made of light appears out of nowhere and pulls kid a out of the water. he then began his next life somewhere else. he fulfilled his purpose for that world with everything in its right place to kill him. my fav songs are kid a and optimistic. kid a sounds like it was made by a sinister, creepy person who knows about my insecurities and knows that the synths make me feel comforted. optimistic is just the perfect rock song.
Awesome reaction I enjoyed this very much! "I feel like I've just discovered my third eye from this band" is something I'm sure a lot of us felt, definitely a revelation, and for me, nothing really comes even close to Radiohead in conveying ideas and emotions SO perfectly and vividly, whether it's Thom's voice or the phrasings/timing choices, or the music they conjure up, man they can have me in tears with just some perfectly placed words or tones and every song has an emotional impact, they've helped me through some hard times and still do. Good music heals the soul, and this is much much more than good. By the way, Morning Bell 👌🏻is just so tight yet so artful it's one of my favourites, but to be honest they're all standout tracks. I love that you discovered this, and congrats! 😁 Oh, and as a drummer, you're gonna love the "In Rainbows" album. Loved the video, thanks 👍🏻 By the way also, check out their live performances, it's truly incredible how they bring all this to a live performance they are such talented musicians.. Check out their "Live on Jools Holland" performance of Paranoid Android, for example, you'll be blown away.
Yeah they are the total package for me tbh. I'm excited there's still so much more to discover with them. I will definitely be looking for the drums in "In Rainbows" for sure now!
In Kid A, I always interpreted the line "We've got heads on sticks, you've got ventriloquists" to mean that we have done away with our puppet masters, you have not.
This album is GOATed. It's my favorite, but I really love everything they've released aside from Pablo Honey. I would recommend simply continuing in chronological order. I'm one of the few who thinks the best song on this album is Kid A. There's something so transcendent about it. It feels like I float to another dimension when it comes on.
In Rainbows will be later on this week. I totally agree with that statement. I was describing ascending in some of these tracks. Definitely feels otherworldly and the album cover gives me the same vibe.
I can't formulate my love for this band in this moment, but I so appreciate your input on these reactions and Motion Picture Soundtrack is just heartrending. I was lucky to see them play this at my first RH gig, at the Gorge on the Solstice with an absolutely mad crowd, second to last time they played it. The organ they used blew out a month later at their homecoming show at Oxford's South Park show in July 2001
This is one of my favorite albums of all time, I really enjoyed your analysis! Not that you should change anything, obviously, but one thing you miss when you stop between tracks is the beautiful transitions between songs like that funky outro on optimistic and the waves at the end of in limbo. It doesn't help that there is stuttering between songs on modern streaming platforms like spotify and such. Great video!
Please check out Radiohead- The Bends (the album that preceded Ok Computer). The trio of albums- the bends>ok computer>Kid A- just tells such a wild tale of growth. The Bends contains some of the best 90s rock/indie rock sounds that defined the generation to come in British rock, then Ok Computer completely changed modern indie rock, and then they released Kid A which was sooo ahead of it’s time.
I'm excited to check out The Bends. The concept sounds right up my alley. The next one I'm reviewing is going to be In Rainbows this week and I will check out The Bends after a break from Radiohead.
I really like your perspective on these tracks. I've been with Radiohead since the beginning, and I avoided listening to Kid A for a long time (about 10 years) because I couldn't comprehend the why and how of it. I know realize that it is all artistic license, and creative process. After finally listening and processing, it isn't all that bad-just different, and interesting.
there's another verse in Motion Picture Soundtrack unreleased version (well they released it in OKNOTOK Casette) this version is even more depressing than the original release “ beautiful angel pull apart at birth limbless and helpless i can't even recognise you i think youre crazy, maybe i will see you in the next life ” i dont know why the band remove this verse
Not sure who will read this but two decades ago, in the cd era, my friend asked for me to lend him a mix cd a friend had made and he'd lend me this cd by this artist called Radiohead. I was in my late teens at the time and had no interest in this music I couldn't understand. Give it a few months and one day when I was feeling low I decided to throw on Kid A again and it changed my life, literally. I got lost in this records soundscape and the rest was history. I've seen them perform several times live and have even met them face to face, (thanks KROQ). I'm grateful those here can share a similar transcendent experience. Much love to you all.
I loved this reaction. Kid A has been my favorite album for years, but this is the first time that Motion Picture Soundtrack actually got me. I would love to see you react to Ren. He has a lot of moving music, and a lot of fun music, so pick anything. The gateway song is usually Hi Ren.
That’s an album you’ll love a bit more every time you listen to it. I was confused at first, but decades later, I believe it’s a masterpiece, one of the best albums of all time, for me the best band of all time, they’re like Mozart or Beethoven of modern days.
I only truly got into Radiohead's discography this year as I'm listening along with a podcast going from album to album. Growing up I loved OK Computer but i always heard the legacy of this album and the whole "greatest left turn" story. I tried giving the album a chance a few years back and by time I got to Kid A, I had to switch it off as it just freaked me out a bit too much as a teenager. However in preparation for the podcast reaching Kid A/Amnesiac, I finally forced myself to listen to the album front to back a few times. It took a while but it eventually clicked with me and I absolutely love the album and the story behind the making of both Kid A and Amnesiac. The standout track of course is Motion Picture Soundtrack which I fell in love with from first listen. There is a video of a band peforming the song at the funeral for one of their fallen members and the arrangement is just so beautiful its hard to explain without hearing for yourself.
This why I love Radiohead too, or a huge part of it, it sounds like the most fun band in the world to play in. Please watch "Live from the basement" it is so much for to watch for a musician!! :D
This was a great reaction! I really appreciate the attention to detail that a lot of other people don’t usual pick up on, or explain very well in their reactions, but you did a good job doing so. Also, do you take album suggestions? If possible, I would really like you to check out Either/Or by Elliott Smith. It’s a completely different vibe from Radiohead, but it’s still full of emotion, and I’m curious to see what you might think about it! Thanks.
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback about my approach. I try to see how much I can pick up on the first listen. I do take suggestions and see how I will work them into the channel in the future. I have yours saved on spotify and in this next video I am taking suggestions of how the suggestions can be worked into the channel.
Wonderful reaction! Kid A is probably my favorite Radiohead album... and I say that as a die-hard OK Computer fan. One of the greatest left turns in music history since GENESIS went from "Selling England By The Pound" to "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"... Both albums are absolute genius... and I LOVE how Radiohead just ignore their well-earned laurels for OKC and "got out of their lane" for art's sake. My three favorite songs on this album would have to "Everything In Its Right Place," "The National Anthem" and "How To Disappear Completely"... May I also suggest you check out the other Radiohead album which, in my opinion, occupies the very top shelf for this remarkable band: "A MOON-SHAPED POOL" is another masterpiece.. more grounded in orchestral garments... but so deeply personal and haunting and beautiful. Well worth checking out! Cheers!
Good choice again! This is my favorite Radiohead album for sure. I always get a lot of interesting visuals in my mind when this is on. They have many good albums, but nothing else quite matches the unique darkness of this one.
My personal theory is that by the time they're done producing an album, they're already so bored with it that they say "you know what, let's do ANYTHING other than what we already did" XD I ahould add that on the original album tracks 10 and 11 were on the same track and there was a long pause between them (~45 sec iirc). So they're really two parts of the same song IMO.
Totally agree with you on that. If I was creating original music I'd get very creative to challenge myself but also like you said, the hell with it! lmao. Also I really like that those two songs were part of the same original song.
Ya I agree with you at the end when you said you can vibe to these albums as you see fit. Ok Computer I tend to listen to when I’m feeling pretty decent Kid A is usually what I go to when I’m having like mental struggles or having a rough time and In Rainbows, omg just wait my man just wait that album right there whew I can’t even describe what that albums does to me, by far In rainbows is the most listened to Radiohead album for me. Appreciate another solid reaction from you dude thanks a bunch
Those albums are great in their own ways for sure. It's almost like they have their own auras to them. The red hot chili peppers are my favorite band and each of their albums feel that way to me. I can't wait to get into In Rainbows after some time!
Great reaction my guy! My favorite was OK Computer for so long, but as of late in my adult years, I finally learned to love and appreciate KID A. When familiar with the sonic landscape it just keeps on giving and is hands down their best work of all time. Everything is A tier from them though (except for maybe the debut Pablo Honey), and I'd strongly recommend to check out their ongoing catalogue from here. Early stuff (the bends) is also good, but nothing comes near the era that began with and came after OK Computer. The next in line, Amnesiac, was sorta meant to be a double album along with KID A but got released seperately shortly after. That album has the best album closer ever made by any band before and after. Simply perfect.
I'm very excited to get into more of Radiohead! So far there's a good balance between my liking of OKC and Kid A. I know I've only listened to them for a short time but the music has clicked with me so quickly.
@@lusciousluie When a tear appears at the end of a record, it's usually a good sign. Can't wait to see what you think of their other albums. Keep it up, your reactions are highly appreciated.
Great thoughts n input on the album! Kid A is one of those albums that’s great listening to all the way through, it’s like a complete piece of art from start to finish.
As one of those old people who grew up with cassette tapes, I tend to listen to whole albums most of the time, but Radiohead definitely lends itself well to that style of listening. I find that my favorite artists tend to be those who release more cohesive albums anyway so it all works out. Artists that just release a set of disjointed singles tend not to capture my attention quite as often.
Loved the video, count me amongst the ones who hope you consider doing Amnesiac. I saw a good description of the two "Kid A is seeing a fire in the distance and Amnesiac is being in the middle of the fire." Its kind of the sister album to this one; not quite as polished, but might be my favorite.
Thank you! I will eventually listen to all of their albums on the channel. That makes me very excited to hear, because I normally prefer music that is not standard for the bands I listen to!
7:03 it's funny you say that actually, because Jonny Greenwood (guitars & synths etc) said somewhere on the internet that he loves to use a variety of new sounds / musical devices and newer, modern techniques together to create a unique sound. (Or something similar) 😄
Really nice first listen. One thing, and this is not a criticism, you should position your mic so you don't pop so much. Look up "plosives" - P and B sounds direct air downward directly into your mic. I hope that helps with the mic technique. Kid A is such an amazing album and I remember at the time relishing the fact that so many fans hated it - to me that means they are going in the right direction and doing new material.
Haha.. What Radiohead did to your eyes during Motion Picture Soundtrack is the same thing that happened to me before. The difference is that it happened during a song on the Amnesiac album.
Well, about Optimistic and grunge. The band hated mainstream rock and these type of more common and acessible rock, they pretty much were disgusted with the mainstream music scenario and the rockstar persona. They didnt had any influence on grunge and they werent influenced by it. The influences on this album were pretty much experimental and diverse, like jazz bassist Charles Mingus and eletronic musician Aphex Twin.
I believe, the idea of How To Disappear Completely comes from Michael Stipe of R.E.M., who is a great friend of Thom Yorke and who Thom called after one Radiohead concert, that in his oppinion gone bad. Stipe said, that is his way to cope, when all goes wrong and he feels overwhelmed, he closes the curtains, lays down and repeats: That's not me, i'm not here, this isn't happening.
“The rats and the children follow me out of town” lyric is a reference to the folktale of the Pied Piper. It makes the song even more sinister. Kid A is a very political album in general, but something about the title track in particular feels like it’s full of seething resentment towards an unjust system
At this time late 90's just after Ok computer Thom Yorke visited Bjork personnal studio and he was Mindblowing..... and decided to radically change the musical direction of Radiohead
“How to Disappear Completely” is probably the best song I’ve ever heard capturing what depression and isolation fees like. There’s nothing quite like it. Many songs from the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack could compete with it too.
Two things. First, Radiohead started as a grunge band in the early 90s. Their first album is pure punk/grunge with a brit pop feel. Their breakout hit "Creep" is one of the classic grunge anthems of all time. Second, you HAVE to listen to the acoustic guitar demo of Motion Picture Soundtrack. It's so much better than the album version and better suits the song.
Some of the cover bands I've played in have played Creep as part of our setlists! It was actually the only song from the band that I was familiar with. I'm excited to hear the demos, b-sides, and live performances from the band!
When you get to the King Of Limbs please react to the basement session instead of the studio version the album is the only one of theirs that was overproduced in my opinion but the basement version is really great.
I don't quite like pablo honey and the bends doesn't precisely makes me love them but in secondary school I couldn't stop listening to Ok computer on my Diskman lol. Then came Kid A and Amnesiac and was like wow I'm loving this. Then Hail to the thief was woooow. Then In Rainbows is my FAVOURITE album of them and one of my top albums of all time. King of limbs is kind of infamous but Loved it. Moon shaped pool think has very different opinions, I'm not in love with that album. I may recommend their "from the basement" sesions. The side B of king of limbs and their side proyects. Thom's Atoms for peace, Johnny Greenwood Symphonic work for movies and the solo albums from the drummer, Philip James Selway (more straight forward tranquil songs but beautiful nevertheless). cheers again!
You have a really good ear and an interesting perspective because you're a drummer. No offense tho, it seems your listening experience is pretty limited. That combination makes for a great reaction to watch. I would love to see you listen to Mr. Bungle's 'Disco Volante' going in completely blind.
Thank you for the feedback! I have not spent a lot of time experiencing full length albums and certain bands or genres which is the reason for this project. Is that what you mean by limited? Also because I've only ever focused on drumming, my ear and vocabulary to describe the rest of the instruments is going to be especially limited but I'm working to build that over time. I'll definitely give that a listen! Thank you!
So in this song, there's a line that says "They fed us on little white lies." During Kid A, Thom had said "I slipped on a little white lie," which I immediately caught and thought that was funny that he happened to use the same word choice again.
