Is Kid A the album of the decade?

musicismylife78

As per my other thread, Pitchfork just named Kid A, as the best album of the decade.

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

I think its a brilliant album, yet, every single album by Radiohead this decade has been brilliant of course.

I think Kid A is one of those records that sort of changes your whole outlook on music, and challenges the listener to question what is and what isnt music.

I also think its one of those records that flips a switch in your brain, and alters your view on things.

The song Kid A, and how Thoms vocals are distorted, the feeling of floating and airlessness you get from How to Disappear Completely, The almost techno/dance/blip beat of Idioteque despite its lyrics of global warming apocalypse, Morning Bells eerie warning of cutting the kids in half

No question it deserves it high rating on Pitchforks list. OK Computer was odd and experimental, but this album took it to the logical extreme and peak.

musicismylife78

Obviously Kid A deserves the praise, but I think for me I actually like Amnesiac better.

catefrances

umm... as much as i love radiohead im gonna say no.

malcyrvs

No.

Newch91

I'd say so. I mean, it is Pitchfork, which gave Backspacer a poor review while everyone else praised it. But this isn't about Pearl Jam, it's about Radiohead. With that being said, they put OK Computer as the #1 album of the 90s and I think that is something they actually did right. But Kid A is genious. I often compare Radiohead's shift in music to U2's when Achtung Baby came out; comparing OK Computer and Kid A to Achtung Baby.

So with all that babbling around, Kid A definitely deserves to be the best of the decade.

Rolling Stone next?

facepollution

It's not even Radiohead's best album of the decade, let alone the album of the decade.

DewieCox

I'd put it above the other Radiohead albums.

Lateralus is pretty amazing.

keeponrockin

No. I'd give that to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or Funeral.

Ledbetterman10

musicismylife78 wrote:

Obviously Kid A deserves the praise, but I think for me I actually like Amnesiac better.

I do too. The only Kid A songs I'm really into are National Anthem, Optimistic, and Idiotech. I like Amnesiac from start to finish.

itsevobaby

It's a great record but it's not even Radiohead's best album of the decade. It was a bold move at the time though & Pitchfork lap that shit up.

JordyWordy

Pitchfork are too biased towards "different" music. Instead of just ranking albums on their merit overall they just go for things they think the public dont like or havent fully appreciated yet. Granted Kid A is huge anyways, but i agree with above poster - its not even Radioheads best album of the decade.

drew0

Pitchfork's obsession with everything Radiohead is so annoying that I can't take them credibly any longer.

scottstappsucks

Radiohead is the most overrated band in recent memory. The only reason they're popular right now is because of this stupid hipster generation.

Architect and Builder

scottstappsucks wrote:

Radiohead is the most overrated band in recent memory. The only reason they're popular right now is because of this stupid hipster generation.

:roll:

boroff89

No. In my opinion, it's Arcade Fire's Neon Bible.

Newch91

I know I said Kid A, but I just thought of the best album of the decade and my pick for it: Elephant by the White Stripes. What a fucking album that is!!

drew0

I like Radiohead, but I think most critics and their fans overrate them.

In my opinion, I think the top album is subject to debate. I would argue the Top 10 would include:

Arcade Fire - Funeral
Tool - Lateralus
The Strokes - Is This It?
White Stripes - Elephant
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am...
Radiohead - Kid A
The Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium
The Killers - Hot Fuss

For the record, I still think Ten, Nevermind, Achtung Baby, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and Siamese Dream > OK Computer.

Hitch-Hiker

Oh good god no! I have no idea what I'd consider the best album of the decade, but it's definitely not Kid A. If I had to pick just a Radiohead album I'd go for Hail to the Thief. I've been bored shitless by everything else post-ok Computer.

Splodge21

Nah, as a massive Radiohead geek, I'd have to go with In Rainbows, it's aural depth alone is incredible never mind the seemingly simple compositions of the suprisingly catchy tracks... I think the only reason it's not higher rated on these polls is it's easily accessible to a large majority and not just Musos

But like the jam the band are about evolution not stand alone triumphs which make them great instead of formulaic, grow with them baby...

mookeywrench

based on Pitchfork's M.O. of musical progression, and Radiohead bias...KID A is the perfect fit for album of the decade...for Pitchfork.

Kid A broke the barriers of what it is to be a rock band, plain and simple.

Pitchfork cares about fresh sounds and moving forward with music history, if an album can't accomplish this then it probably wouldn't make the list.

a four star album that stretches outside the current standards of music will outshine any five star classic album that perfectly utilizes the current standard of music, in Pitchfork's eyes. Is that good or bad? Neither, it's just the grain of salt that's needed when reading a Pitchfork review. Oh yeah, and it's Radiohead.

aspoonfulweighsaton

Why is everyone too cool to realize that The Bends is Radiohead's best album? I mean seriously. Too many choruses? Melody? Guitars? Everyone needs to just put down the pipe and Kool-Aid. :roll:

And how Pitchfork ever gained any credibility with anyone is beyond me. I put about as much credence in what they tell me about music as I do Maxim.

darthvedder

DewieCox wrote:

Lateralus is pretty amazing.

This.

Pepe Silvia

musicismylife78 wrote:

Obviously Kid A deserves the praise, but I think for me I actually like Amnesiac better.

i've always thought the same thing, however as a whole i think Kid A flows a lot better. like jam at the end of optimistic into in limbo and the end of Idioteque into Morning Bell...

but over all i like Amnesiac better, it's definitely in my top 3 of their albums.

so, no, even though i love Radiohead i don't think i'd call Kid A album of the decade

Pepe Silvia

scottstappsucks wrote:

Radiohead is the most overrated band in recent memory. The only reason they're popular right now is because of this stupid hipster generation.

no, i'm pretty sure them making great music has something to do with it....

analogueaddict72

I heart Scout Niblett wrote:

musicismylife78 wrote:

Obviously Kid A deserves the praise, but I think for me I actually like Amnesiac better.

i've always thought the same thing, however as a whole i think Kid A flows a lot better. like jam at the end of optimistic into in limbo and the end of Idioteque into Morning Bell...

but over all i like Amnesiac better, it's definitely in my top 3 of their albums.

so, no, even though i love Radiohead i don't think i'd call Kid A album of the decade

I think I would agree with this, Kid A is better appreciated in one listen but I could probably only retrieve a handful of tracks to play on their own, whereas I think more of the tracks on the not so critically adored Amnesiac stand up to being separated from the others.

Although Kid A flows better and is appreciated as a whole more than Amnesiac. An album that contains such gems as Pyramid Song, Dollars & Cents and the awesome closing Life in a Glasshouse and that;s just picking my favourite 3, Knives Out & You and Who's Army are tops as well. I could pick without a doubt National Anthem, How to Disappear Completely and of course Idioteque.

Not to say I don't like the others on Kid A but they only really work as part of the whole piece if that makes sense. It's like Any Colour You Like or On The Run on Darkside, I wouldn't listen to them on their own but DSOM wouldn't be same without them.

My Wife always asks for me to miss out Fitter Happier when I put OK Computer on because of her dislike of it. I'm certainly not going to play it on it's own but when I listen to this album I can't miss it out it's part of the experience of this incredible album.

The battle will rage on forever what is the best Radiohead album, personally although the quantum jump between Pablo and the bends is so evident, I recently bought PH on vinyl ,I hadn't heard it properly for years and as soon as I got 4 tracks in I realised why, it sounds like a completely different band.

Radiohead certainly had their Robert Johnson moment at the crossroads between these 2 albums, the difference is incredible, I defy anyone to say different, every track on The Bends outstrips Creep big time.

That being said for me OK Computer will always ace The Bends, I feel OK is just an astounding body of work but I know many prefer the rockier predecessor, I don't deny it's not a fantastic album and better than anything Pulp, The Manics or Oasis ever released but OK came out and sounded like nothing around at that time and left the competition in the dust.

Yes Roni Size snatched the Mercury prize for his innovative debut but OK was the album of that time and for me although it's hotly contested here and everywhere I've not heard an album as good since and I used to work for an independent record chain so the amount I've heard isn't exactly small.

Ricsard

For me the album of the decade would be:
Amnesiac (>>> Kid A)
The Strokes - Is This It?
or
Binaural

My3rdEye

IMO - impossible to pick one single album. Kid A is a good album. I think it's a bit overrated but that's probably just because it's not my taste as much as say Lateralus.

I think American Idiot at least needs to be in the discussion. It's absolutely brilliant especially considering the source.

intodeep

It was my 12th favorite album of the decade.

My favorite was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

gabers

facepollution wrote:

It's not even Radiohead's best album of the decade, let alone the album of the decade.

I second that. I guess I'm just not cool enough to call Kid A the best album of the decade. I'd rate it behind In Rainbows and Hail to the Theif in rank of Radiohead albums this decade. Too much electronic nonsense. It's like listening to R2D2 chatter. We get it, you're so over straight up guitar rock guys.

goldrush

Kid A isn't even the best album that was released that month (October 2000), let alone the whole decade so far!

PJ Harvey's "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" and Johnny Cash's "American III - Solitary Man" are both superior albums that were released in that month

SVRDhand13

scottstappsucks wrote:

Radiohead is the most overrated band in recent memory. The only reason they're popular right now is because of this stupid hipster generation.

Hipsters don't listen to Radiohead.

And yes, Kid A is the best album of the decade. Lateralus is good but I wouldn't put it anywhere near Kid A. Funeral is the right second place album too. I don't agree with Daft Punk at #3.