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Radiohead | Kid A

CD, EMI

Tekst: Dennis Elbers

Publicatiedatum: 30 september 2000

As you probably know Radiohead is currently touring Europe in a huge tent. Their last show in Nijmegen was great, with amazing new songs. On stage there was a fresh looking, inspired and very concentrated band playing. From the first song on it was obvious that this would be different to everything we had seen so far by Radiohead. The show caused a great curiosity for their new album, "Kid A". The first time I heard this new album was when I was driving on my way home from their show in Nijmegen. The highway was empty and dark and every now and then a couple of headlights would appear to fade away slowly. There could not have been a better place to listen to this album. Its atmosphere completely matched my vision. A week later I saw an interview with Thom Yorke, he described "Kid A" the same way I had seen it that night. Amazing, isn't it, maybe just as amazing as the album. On "Kid A" Radiohead isn't just Thom Yorke anymore, they have become a more complete band. His voice is still a trademark but it is obvious that all bandmembers have put more personal ideas into the songs, resulting in very complex and complete compositions throughout the record. The structures of the compositions are complicated and consist of different layers. Thom Yorke uses his voice in a different way, just like the instruments are used differently. The role of guitarplayer Johnny Greenwood has increased big time. Now he is the man who does the most interesting things to the compositions. I would like to refer all parts that appear on Kid A as compositions and not as songs. Just because of the way they were build, bit by bit, and the way they sound. Fact is some parts were even edited down from 20 to 4 minutes. The overall atmosphere on the album is one that is continually searching for a climax, but is just not reaching it (so it seems). From the first song on, "Everything In Its Right Place", this is illustrated beautifully. It opens with some nice synthesizer tunes, but striking are the backing vocals build out of samples from Thom Yorke's voice by Johnny Greenwood. Just when you are really getting into it, "The National Anthem" opens with a real fuzzy bass, that will continue throughout the entire composition. The song is built up really well and results in a cacophony of trombones and saxophones, noticeably inspired by jazz hero Charles Mingus. Before you know it is all over and you're experiencing the very melancholic and vague "How To Disappear Completely", the first composition in which the guitar is actually used. The next composition is the soundscape-esque "Treefingers". A nice relaxing tune without any singing that let your thoughts wander. The first version was about ten mins. After this ambient "Optimistic" comes around and you are back on planet earth again. Already declared by many critics as another Radiohead classic, it was recorded live and features Thom Yorke jabbering in a dramatic way about Animal Farm. "Idioteque" (originally a twenty minute-long synthesizersample) is Thom Yorke's fave. Yes, that is the one with the heavy beat he danced so fancy on during the show! When the album reaches its climax, and this is not during The National Anthem although you may feel so (my fave), but further on, it is very different than the one you were expecting. This almost causes one to not notice the climax, but when it is gone you will know it was there. Also the climax is faded by the songs following the climax. The album ends with the composition called "Motion Picture Soundtrack". This is actually a song composed in the early nineties, patched up nicely. After this and some silence there is a 50 second composition that finishes the album. So when the last tunes of this album have reached your ears you are left with an empty but very rich feeling. Although the songs are very experimental the album is a whole. I'm curious what all the fans think about this album, some might like it others might not comprehend it. That is exactly the part I like so much about this album. The album will be easier to listen to than some parts of the gig (if you get to see one), but still might be a bit difficult, so it really needs attention when you listen to it. It looks like Radiohead will open ears for more experimental music with this masterpiece.

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