Radiohead - Kid A - OT
Linda
home. It was about what I expected from what I had heard. It's not your
standard verse and chorus type music, so if you don't like adventure, don't
go there. When I got home I put it in the player with headphones. This
improves the experience a HUGE amount.
This is a very hard CD to nail down with descriptions. To me it sounds
psychedelic. I think those guys had some very high powered mood candles in
their studio. First of all there are some really beautiful, atmospheric
parts here. My impression is of haze, people moving in slow motion, or
maybe even closer, underwater. There is for some reason a sense of fluidity
and smoothness.
For me this is music you can practically feel. I don't get much from the
lyrics, at least not yet. It is more of a high tech epic tone poem. "The
National Anthem", which sounded mostly like cacophony in the car, turned
into more of a brain in a blender thing with the headphones on.
The whole thing sounds like a soundtrack for a fever dream. The singer
often sounds detached. Especially in "How To Disappear Completely." Which
makes sense. Almost like you wouldn't be surprised if he actually just flew
away.
One thing for sure, Mongo is going to loath this one.
I like it, but it makes me feel like I'm on Nyquil.
Linda
Zemborato
We both like it. It's mood music, good background stuff that drones on
sometimes but occasionally reaches out and grabs you with a startling shift
or a subtle yet high-impact musical inflection. I'm not sure weather to
believe the band is brave or simply foolhardy. But I do admire that they
are in no way pandering to current musical trends. I won't be surprised if
Kid A gets zero radio play.
One thing that strikes me about Radiohead ever since OKC is that their music
sounds like a 1950's dream of a dystopic space-age future. But not as
cheesy as stuff actually projected during the 50's.
Kid A is not OKC 2, but then that would just be asking too much of any band.
Zem
Linda <lind...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:B5FFBC8B.4936%lind...@earthlink.net...
Linda
> Kid A gets zero radio play.
I think it will be big on college radio and adult contemporary album radio
(both stations) but will be basically invisible on rock and Top 40. Perhaps
they thought about this for the track "How To Disappear Completely."
>
> One thing that strikes me about Radiohead ever since OKC is that their music
> sounds like a 1950's dream of a dystopic space-age future. But not as
> cheesy as stuff actually projected during the 50's.
I'm guessing that a dysfunctional future view is part of their message. A
conflict between technology and humanity. I understand that Yorke in a
webchat said that Kid A referred to the first human clone, and that he
believed it had already happened.
>
> Kid A is not OKC 2, but then that would just be asking too much of any band.
>
> Zem
I'd never expect Radiohead to do a sequel. I think asking them to do OKC 2
would have been against their reputation for innovation and change.
Although Kid A seems to have taken quite a few solid fans by surprise. The
strangest thing I've heard is someone quoting Thom Yorke in Q magazine as
saying that that the emphasis on rhythm and lack of melody was what he
wanted because "melody is embarrassment." (Haven't been able to locate the
article yet. I'm curious about the context)
Linda
TFSMooooo
>One thing that strikes me about Radiohead ever since OKC is that their music
>sounds like a 1950's dream of a dystopic space-age future. But not as
>cheesy as stuff actually projected during the 50's.
most definitely man... when i first heard ok computer it just plain frightened
me, i thought the martians were landing and were coming to take me away...
jenn
###
OrLeaveMe: i'll read the clint-less chapter as soon as i get back.
OrLeaveMe: He's probably reading your story, depressed over not getting any
play.
###
Hold me closer tiny dancer. . .
Zemborato
> > Kid A is not OKC 2, but then that would just be asking too much of any
band.
> >
> > Zem
> I'd never expect Radiohead to do a sequel. I think asking them to do OKC
2
> would have been against their reputation for innovation and change.
Hmmm. I guess I didn't mean a sequel in a literal musical sence, but in a
quality sense. Kid A is a fine and interesting album, but OK Computer is
incredible.
> Although Kid A seems to have taken quite a few solid fans by surprise.
The
> strangest thing I've heard is someone quoting Thom Yorke in Q magazine as
> saying that that the emphasis on rhythm and lack of melody was what he
> wanted because "melody is embarrassment." (Haven't been able to locate the
> article yet. I'm curious about the context)
Although a bit thin in that regard, compared to what I can hear on hip-hop
stations, Kid A is a melodic masterpiece. That is a strange quote if he
said and meant it. If you dig it up I'd be inerested to learn the context
as well.
Zem
DsnyWorld
those interested.
Sharon °o°
Linda
> Although a bit thin in that regard, compared to what I can hear on hip-hop
> stations, Kid A is a melodic masterpiece. That is a strange quote if he
> said and meant it. If you dig it up I'd be inerested to learn the context
> as well.
> Zem
I'm still looking for the actual article but I found this news release.
http://www.nme.com/newsdesk/20000831141328.html The quote makes a bit more
sense in that context.
I also found an interesting article from Q in 1997 after the release of OK
Computer.
Excerpts:
Q: What actually starts you off writing a song7
The melody. Or a sound. For Lucky it was the sound Ed makes on his guitar at
the beginning. This (sings it, squeaky mouselike little voice),
ninganinganinga. Like nothing we'd ever heard before.What it boils down to
is, whenever you go looking for something you never find it. So it's better
to respond to things when they happen.
To live a life like that is quite weird. Very privileged. Pop stars tend not
to say how great that is.
***
A friend sent me a copy of these flash cards that Eno uses when he's
recording. One of them says something like, "Whatever worked last time,
never do it again."It's incredibly depressing, but it's true. Whatever
method you have at this particular moment will never work again.
http://www.netsoc.ucd.ie/~lauraw/rh/qthomi.html
I think Jarrod once mentioned that phenomenon of having a melody or part of
a melody for a song come onto your consciousness unexpectedly. And how if
it isn't acted upon quickly it can disappear just as quickly. The
importance of the mini recorder. I agree with Mr. Yorke, it must be a very
nice life to have these creative bursts.
Linda
susan m
"Zemborato:
> My wife and I got Kid A last night and put it on the stereo at high
volume.
> We both like it. It's mood music, good background stuff that drones on
> sometimes but occasionally reaches out and grabs you with a startling
shift
> or a subtle yet high-impact musical inflection. I'm not sure weather to
> believe the band is brave or simply foolhardy. But I do admire that they
> are in no way pandering to current musical trends. I won't be surprised
if
> Kid A gets zero radio play.
>
> One thing that strikes me about Radiohead ever since OKC is that their
music
> sounds like a 1950's dream of a dystopic space-age future. But not as
> cheesy as stuff actually projected during the 50's.
>
> Kid A is not OKC 2, but then that would just be asking too much of any
band.
-------------
I bought Kid A last Wednesday, and I've been playing it daily since....
when my kids aren't home or in the car with me, that is. They haven't
heard it yet all the way through, but I don't think they're "gonna get it".
I knew from the first listen that I liked it a lot...
but that I would have a hard time explaining to all the rest of you why
I'm enjoying it.....for more than the reason that Thom Yorke's voice
grabs me (I could listen to him sing in a totally foreign
language and the emotionality of his voice would affect me.
Cynical but vulnerable, with that occasional breathy catch.)
For me the main reason for my interest is that the tracks draw
upon my previous auditory experiences (symphonic, jazz, to Beatle
experimental, 60-70's psychedelia and theme albums, Moody Blues,
early Edgar Winter, Laura Nyro, Neil Young, techno or afro-haitian rhythm
background music for dance classes I took while in college, Mannheim
Steamroller, Cirque de Soleil to Jellyfish, AT and Jeff Buckley... ) The Cd
doesn't "scare" me at all...it takes off on a lot of what is familiar to me.
The CD comes as a welcome antidote to the structured formula-ized,
predictable tracks of mainstream top40 diva, boyband clones...and
sound-alike alternative bands.
I was skeptical from reviews, as I thought that the effort might
be, to use Zem's word, "fool-hardy", or total selfish indulgence by RH,
with intention to mock their fans. But I think it's an earnest
attempt, a further pushing of the edge after OKC. Artistically
legitimate. More an auditory abstract landscape than the isolate, detailed
world of OKC. I really doubt that mainstream airplay was a goal....
So, we've heard descriptions of "space-age" futuristic...atmospheric
haze, people moving in slow motion, underwater. fluidity and smoothness.
And I can understand those descriptions. Rather than lyrics, the vocals
are like transcendental meditative mantras (chanted, repetitive and often
undecipherable catch phrases or cliches) that are rather hypnotic. Rather
than full melodies, the instrumental portions are tonal, electronic or
percussive patterns that are layered, added one after the other in some
cases. Both the vocal and instrumental elements build like improvisational
"streams of consciousness". There's obvious production handling but the
tracks seem to develop free-form measure by measure. For me "Optimistic" and
"In Limbo" are descendants of one of my favorite tracks off OKC (the
late-60ish sounding track #8 Electioneering)...and show off the whole band
more, with more guitarwork (finally!): a rhythmic tempo change between the
two tracks is really effective. "Morning Bell" is intriguing with a quirky,
irregular drumbeat throughout
that adds to the tension of Yorke's plaintive vocals.
And then on a turn of a heel, the last track "Motion Picture Soundtrack"
lives up to its name, with more of slow, sweeping almost "religious
experience" sound that perhaps that Kid A has been uplifted or "risen" from
the desolation.
It sounds a bit other-worldly, or extraterrestial.
I guess there will be speculation made of RH's symbolism with this CD,
that perhaps as Linda mentioned that "Kid A" refers to the first
human clone...and that the theme of the album is a OKC carryover of man vs
machine. The bleak liner notes add to that thinking , as the visual and
written images provide sharp, cold contrast and irony (and no
resolutions) to the more simplified and somewhat uplifting arrangements.
However the band intended, Kid A is interesting and pleasurable,
even if a person just listens to the CD for its experimental quality.
susan
Hestia00
~ dick clark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't use it...
Tryin' to make it real,
Compared to what?
hanna
>
>~ dick clark
DICK
why dont you come around here more often?
hanna
hmm.
OrLeaveMe: You'd think, being an adult and all, she'd be
finer in the ways of seducing a quarter celebrity
TheGrammarPolice
Officer FYI has been authorized to issue an APB on Officer Homonym. :o)
-- TGP --
OcifferHomonym
>:: I'm not sure weather to believe the band is brave or simply foolhardy.
>
>Officer FYI has been authorized to issue an APB on Officer Homonym. :o)
>
>-- TGP --
~salutes TGP~
This should read, "I'm not sure whether to believe the band..."
Thank you,
Officer Homonym or Ociffer Homonym or somebody
TheGrammarPolice
Officer Homonym has been requested to lay off the NyQuil.
-- TGP --
TFSMooooo
>>From: ociffer...@aol.com (OcifferHomonym)
>
>Officer Homonym has been requested to lay off the NyQuil.
>
>
>-- TGP --
youpeoplearesostrange
jenn
###
"I feel like a tramp
That's been blown off for years
I can't hold back these acidic tears"
- TheMoffatts
###
Linda
> i like it cuz it's got a good beat, and you can dance to it.
>
> ~ dick clark
Kid A would have scored a 30 on the Bandstand. Funny how everybody always
said that same thing to describe every song. It's hard to figure out just
what it is about a song that really interests you. For most people it's in
one ear and out the other with no thought in between. Perfect for
mainstream radio.
Speaking of radio, call your stations and request Better Than Nothing At
All, TODAY!!!
Linda
Linda
>> From: ociffer...@aol.com (OcifferHomonym)
>
> Officer Homonym has been requested to lay off the NyQuil.
>
>
> -- TGP --
Hey Officer, I thought you said you didn't want to have to come back here
again tonight.
Linda - stolen from Jeff Foxworthy