Album Rating: 4.5

I probably do overrate this on a notch at a 4.5, "Pyramid Song", "Knives Out", and "Life In a Glasshouse" are all classics and there are 3-4 other really excellent tracks but the remainder did never quite work for me.

Album Rating: 3.0

The opening chord progression ascension is kinda like “everything,” just thought this gonna put it out there

Album Rating: 5.0

Narrative is everything.



Amnesiac:

intriguing experimental opener, one of their best piano ballads, interesting filler, magnificent piano-deep cut, heavier-hitting signature rock song, one of their catchiest songs in their catalog, pointless new version that is not worse than the original, slow-burn deep cut experimenting with song structure, pointless intermission, ambient-fuelled depressive cut - live piano version was EVEN better, jazzy iconic closer



Kid A:

iconic opener, weird experimental piece, heavy-hitting signature rock song, arguably their best slow track, ok ambience, standard rock song, great atmospheric transition, their surprisingly iconic catchy glitch experiment, spooky atmosphere deep cut, moody iconic closer



conclusion: amazing twin albums that stretched the boundaries of contemporary rock music, with a stunning first release and a follow-up that is weaker just a tiny bit, mainly (but not exclusively) due to the absence of the shock effect kid a enjoyed

Album Rating: 3.0

I’m a fan of double albums but I’m pleased they identified Kid A and Amnesiac as separate albums and released them separately - Amnesiac would have really taken the shine off Kid A if it was the ‘second disc‘



Amnesiac just had a bummer vibe when it came out, and that continued through HTTT really as well - a sort of dull wash? Kid A doesn’t have it anyway and neither does In Rainbows. It is probably an aesthetic choice, at least on Amnesiac, but personally it’s not my favourite presentation of Radiohead - the cartoonishly funereal closer on Amnesiac being a worst offender.



When people say Radiohead are a bit of a dirge the only two albums I really think that’s close to valid on (as complete listens) are Amnesiac and HTTT

Album Rating: 5.0

fair enough

I still feel Amnesiac is underrated both relative to Kid A and in the context of RH's discog, but when it comes to music, one can only find their own truth

Album Rating: 3.0

yeah, I totally recognise it is just personal taste - also, both albums have great tracks that revel in that presentation, so maybe they could have worked better for me

Album Rating: 4.0

"I probably do overrate this on a notch at a 4.5, "Pyramid Song", "Knives Out", and "Life In a Glasshouse" are all classics and there are 3-4 other really excellent tracks but the remainder did never quite work for me."

yeah, that's probably about how I see this. It's 'those 3' a couple of other v notable cuts and some stuff I don't mind but isn't necessarily essential

Kid A is wall-to-wall brilliance (save for Optimistic, but I have learnt to accept its presence even if it doesn't quite get me going in the same way)

Album Rating: 3.0

Hmm, I’d take Optimistic over half this album, grew on me

Album Rating: 5.0

I’d take Packt Like Sardines over Everything any day



Honestly if the release dates for Kid A and Amnesiac swapped, half the critics of this album would disappear

Album Rating: 5.0

Like yeah it has similarities to Kid A, but the endless comparisons doesn’t do either album justice



Kid A is frigid and bombastic like a frontier through the tundra

Amnesiac is warm and hypnotic like sitting by a fire in a log cabin



Both winter albums, but in such different ways

Album Rating: 5.0

Also Optimistic rules, definitely not my least fave on Kid A

Album Rating: 3.5

"I’d take Packt Like Sardines over Everything any day"



Ewwww

Album Rating: 5.0

Ew?



Packt is one of their best songs

Album Rating: 4.0

"Hmm, I’d take Optimistic over half this album, grew on me"

this is your brain on Bends nostalgia, yuck

Album Rating: 5.0

I just don’t get how so many criticize a fantastic song like Life in a Glasshouse and then praise Motion Picture Soundtrack as if it isn’t some of the most boring background music ever



Maybe this is controversial but I’d much rather hear Thom dryly sing over jazz horns than repetitive classical harp

Album Rating: 3.0

He sounds a lot better singing over lighter touch (sympathetic?) jazzy instrumentation in The Smile than over the hammy schlock but that’s again - just my opinion



Optimistic clearly sounds more Ok Computer not The Bends

Album Rating: 3.5

"Packt is one of their best songs"



Sorry brainfart,read it as pulk for some weird reason. Although everything is really one of their all timers

Album Rating: 3.0

Listening to Optimistic and the effects in that song are fantastiche (the vocal echo) and the ascending melody and resolve in the chorus is so great and the end section is genius how it leads to In Limbo.



It’s no more rockist than Knives Out anyway…

Album Rating: 3.0

Listening to that song twice in a row I always had it down as the weakest song (Treefingers is exempt and fine) but it’s impressed me, makes me actually want to listen to Radiohead more and generally I don’t listen to Radiohead outside The Bends as background listening * too much these days



* The Bends (forwarding My Iron Lung) is the only non 'normie scaring' Radiohead - def only full RH album my wife would tolerate being played anyway

Album Rating: 4.0

‘Maybe this is controversial but I’d much rather hear Thom dryly sing over jazz horns than repetitive classical harp’

Why not both? Two of their best cuts

And yeah The Bends is normie as hell, at least we agree there. Lol