The Zimmermann Note

Radiohead – Kid A

“Kid A, Kid A, Kid A”

When the common fan thinks about Radiohead and the internet, they might think of “In Rainbows” the album that Radiohead allowed fans to choose their own price for, a milestone in the ages of music and the internet. However, ‘Kid A’ might have been a bigger internet sensation, one that Radiohead had to sit on the sidelines and watch.

You just released one of the greatest records ever and what do you do as a follow-up? Release one of the greatest records ever. The jump from The Bends to Ok Computer to Kid A is by all accounts one of the bigger jumps of three consecutive records on memory. They are going from your common Britpop Band creating a futuristic album that works at both destroying everything within Ok Computer but ends up changing music once again.

Historically, the album plays a much larger significance by being one of the albums that ended up getting leaked on the internet. Instead of the leaks being a detrimental effect, they created an early buzz for the album that after listening to it, you could understand the difficulty that they were under. Radiohead was in a unique position of having one of the most anticipated albums of it’s generation and do so with flying colors.

Some might suggest that the album was commercial suicide and it might have been if it not for the album leaking and allowing for fans to listen and digest it. After Ok Computer received so much critical support, this album suggested there was an audience for experimental rock. While there was an obvious post-apocalyptic event which happened in their music, the themes on the album entailed much of the same thoughts. I have always felt that ‘Everything In It’s Right Place’ and the track ‘Kid A’ in particular sounded like a bunch of ones and zeroes, essentially introducing us to the 21st century. Is Kid A dealing with the first cloned human? Then there were songs such as “How to Disappear Completely”, based on a conversation that Thom Yorke had with Michael Stipe dealing with the stresses of being in a band.

Even with it’s influences among electronic music and jazz, Kid A still stands by itself, really unable to be repeated or attempted. There are a host of forces at work, including the beautiful musicianship as well as Yorke’s sorrowful vocal exhibition. So much credit has to be given to a band that took a true leap of faith to create one of the best albums ever made.