Radiohead - Kid A
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.26 You Save: $7.64 (64%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.00 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Kid A
Free Music Review: A Bold And Unique Masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
Radiohead are one of the very few bands who had one of the most difficult tasks in the history of rock music from a critic's perspective: how to follow up a monumental masterpiece. The album they were aiming to top, or at least equal, was "OK Computer." That 1997 classic, in the space of three years, had been called everything from ground-breaking and revolutionary, to the Greatest Album Of All Time. I agree with the praise that was piled on top of that album, because it simply is a superb piece of artistic work. More than three years passed before the music press heard anything about a new Radiohead album. When news broke that the follow-up was due for an October 2000 release, the media went into overdrive and the die-hard Radiohead fans prepared themselves for easily the most anticipated album release of the year.
All the hype over one album called "Kid A." I was (at the age of 13) oblivious to all the fuss, but four years later I am older, wiser and more appreciative of quality music. Radiohead are easily my favourite rock band. Sorry to say, but they run Oasis and Coldplay into the ground for sheer musical genius. Thom Yorke and his fellow band mates frequently make comment about their music, saying they don't know what all the fuss is about, and that they don't appreciate the overwhelming praise they receive every time they release a new album. With Kid A, two things were obvious: fans were going to be disappointed that it didn't live up to OK Computer (it was an impossible task to achieve) and they were also going to hail it as a musical masterpiece in its own right. Why did they do the latter? Because Radiohead, ever the experimentalists, went out on another large limb and dabbled with electronica in rock.
It was the new millennium, right? The music scene was changing (or at least Radiohead were changing it) so the band wanted to not only keep up to date, but to stay ahead of the game. Kid A is definitely that, and them some. This was the band's fourth studio album and went straight in at No.1 in both the UK and the US. So how can a band so abstract and removed from commercial desires be so commercially successful and appealing? Maybe it was all hype, but there's something about this album that makes it easily one of the finest rock albums of the past 10 years.
The album opens with "Everything In Its Right Place." A stuttering of strange noises opens this track as Yorke dabbles his vocals in electronica, his tone jittering over the bass, making for quite the unusual intro. The song in itself is a very unusual yet - ultimately - masterful blend of electronica and abstract lyrics, such as "Yesterday I woke up sucking a lemon." The album's title track, "Kid A," is the next song, and definitely one of my favourite songs that Radiohead have ever put together. A lot of people don't like this song, but I was immediately drawn to its intricate and minimal blips and clicks, along with the remarkable attention to detail. The song feels really close and comforting like its cradling you in its arms. Yorke's computerized vocals aren't even fathomable, but that doesn't matter when you have a song like this. The beat that bounces along merrily is also rather catchy which you wouldn't expect from Radiohead. The introduction of the heart-warming synths just after the third minute also make for must-hear listening.
"The National Anthem" is the first real rock song on the album and what a song it is. The bass in this song is one of Radiohead's best ever, because it's so gritty and dark. The intro is rather long as Yorke doesn't sing until 1:36, but once he starts, you really begin to feel a part of this elaborate and freaky song. The distant voices shouting remind of the "Speak To Me/Breathe" intro from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon." Halfway through the song, a brass band starts playing! You wouldn't expect it, but then again, you should expect the unexpected with Radiohead. Some say the trumpets spoil the song - I say it's a welcome introduction. "How To Disappear Completely" is easily my favourite song from the album. At nearly six minutes long, this epic masterpiece adopts the sweeping grandeur of soundscapes which made OK Computer so successful on songs such as "Airbag" and "Subterranean Homesick Alien." The song is very slow to begin with, as a gentle guitar plays contently to the level of anticipation which is created by a strange sound in the background. It gently dies out around 1:37 as the beautiful soundscapes begin to sweep in. It has two notes and sweeps up then down in such a majestic quality over and over. The song gradually picks up pace as Yorke effortlessly weaves his vocals around the long, mournful aches of electronica. The tension in his voice is beautiful and Heavenly, rising and falling to the beautiful soundscape. It peaks at 5:02 before gently descending to where it started, leaving you feeling complete and entirely fulfilled. Masterpiece.
"Treefingers" is a beautiful instrumental track which not many fans like, as they feel it slows the pace of the album down. I personally love it and think it divides the album up into two separate halves. This is a superb song to chill out to. There's not really any instruments, it's all electronic: close your eyes and imagine drifting through space to this as the soft little bleeps shine in the distant corners of space like stars. "Optimistic" is a return to true rock form as the band begin to fire up. The song is probably the most accessible on the whole album because it has some catchy hooks and a very enjoyable melody. I love the lyrics, "You can try the best you can, you can try the best you can, the best you can is good enough!" You won't even notice that the next song has started when it does because it fits in perfectly with its predecessor. It's called "In Limbo" and it's one of my favourite songs from the album. You can't really hear what Yorke is mumbling in the background, but it doesn't matter because the focus is on the resonating electronic beats and guitar which pound endlessly. A superb song which achieves that feeling of an epic landscape.
"Idioteque" is a song that seems to divide Radiohead fans, but again, I absolutely love it. This song has an almost Trip-Hop/Funk appeal to it with the beat which reminds me of something from Bjork's "Homogenic," along with the crunching sounds at around 0:38. The distress in Yorke's voice in this song is really powerful and I find it very moving to experience this song in its entirety. If you put it on repeat you'll become lost in the arrangement. My favourite lyrics include, "Ice age coming, ice age coming, throw it in the fire, throw it in the fire!" The next song, "Morning Bell," is probably my least favourite song from the album although I still really like and enjoy it. The drums on this song are great and the song creates a feeling of paranoia in my opinion. I'm not sure why I feel this every time I listen to it, though. The album closes with "Motion Picture Soundtrack," which many regard as the album's finest moment. I disagree, but it's definitely one of the best tracks on offer here. It starts off rather strange and Yorke's vocals seem a little disoriented, but that's all part of the plan for the introduction of the beautiful and bright sounds which spiral like a color wheel of harmony around 1:39. The song is so unusual, but I find it so mezmerising that I can't help but feel such love for it. The song finishes (or does it?!) around 3:16. Yorke wants to create a feeling of silence - is silence music or not? Can you feel content listening to silence? Think about this as you don't hear anything, then the song suddenly plays again for a short while, before finishing.
OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
Just as a little side note, not many people know this, but if you gently take out the black plastic case that holds the CD you'll find a sheet of paper with even more artwork on it! Speaking of the album art in general, it's just absolutely beautiful. Flicking through the many pages, you get a sense of the music just by the gorgeous images. Radiohead didn't even equal the genius of OK Computer with Kid A, but I know that wasn't their aim. Sure, they want to make great music, and they do, but they don't feel the pressure to top themselves every time they try. I adored Kid A for my own personal reasons because I had heard about many comparisons to Bjork's 2001 album "Vespertine." The lush beauty of that album by Bjork made it one of my favourite albums of all time. She dabbled with electronica boldly like no other because she fused it with classical music. The results were stunning. Radiohead, on the other hand, have blended electronica with rock on Kid A. The results aren't as amazing as Vespertine in my opinion, but the pure beauty and intelligence of this album cannot be denied. Buy it now and see what all the fuss was about.
Free Music Review: The Sgt. Pepper of the 2000's...Only not so bright and happy
Hit: 5 Stars
2000's "Kid A" is Radiohead's brilliant and chilling vision of the future. The melodies, structures, arrangements, lyrics and singing found throughout the album are all unique and amazing. That much we all understand...However, There seems to be a story being told here. As we all know, a theme Radiohead love to depict is the Loss of humanity at the hands of our quickly progressing technologically obsessed world. With this album, all of those themes come to afore.
In fact, after having listened to it countless times, I have gathered an opinion on the actually concept "story" of Kid A. Tom Yorke himself has said that "Kid A" is the story of the first human clone. With this knowledge and with the flow of the album so well put together, I feel a coherent story has been told here. Track by Track I will attempt to describe the story Radiohead seems to be going for...
1. Everything in it's Right Place - This song, with the futuristic sound and themes it attempts to get across, seems to be depicting the moments before this first human clone has been created. When Yorke sings the phrase "Everything, in it's right plaaaace", one gets the idea that things are not at all in their right place. Something sinister is going on here. It ends with the sound of an alien ship landing, perhaps signifying the birth of this "new" being.
2. Kid A - the title track starts with infant toy box sound effects, and Thom Yorke "sings" the song through some sort of effect rendering "the baby's" voice. The whole song has a sort of new and innocent feel that contributes to the sense that this "kid A" clone has just been created.
3. The National Anthem - WOW. The brutal anthem of the nation, world, or whatever, this song is Radiohead's idea of the song of the world in the age of cloning. And frankly, it's scary. Kid A, the new clone baby, has been thrusted into the reality of the new world and it is terrifying. Neverending skyscrapers, oil fields, and greedy, dehumanizing corporations come to mind. This is just not a place humanity can survive in. After the intense swirling of horns and dissonant-as-hell chords ending the song, we hear Kid A scream a weary call of anguish as he simply cannot handle the awful reality of the world. His desperate call fades into...
4. How to Dissapear Completely - with this song, Kid A, so dissolusioned with the world he is brought into, strives to dissapear from the dehumanizing circumstances of reality. He claims he is "not here....this isn't happening". Whether it is meditation or just a total loss of self due to the uncaring, brutal reality...He is lost.
5. Treefingers - as it turns out, he seems to have found peace of mind from his efforts in "dissapearing", and this lyric-less, almost chordless soundscape perfectly represents his state of utter tranquility and transcendence.
6. Optimistic - Returning from this peace of mind in an entirely new state of mind, he has a sense of optimism about his life, for the first time in fact. Singing, "You can try the best you can, you can try the best you can...the best you can is good enough". Kid A seems able to cope with the world for the first time. But....
7. In Limbo - this newfound possitivity doesn't last. No, indeed, Kid A finds himself in a whirlwind of uncertainty in this brutal world. He is undecided what to do and where he stands. "In Limbo" is the perfect title for the track, as the music, beat, and lyrics are all awash in a swirl of haze and never quite seem to go together...yet radiohead makes it work.
8. Idioteque - WOW again. AMAZING. Set to an awesome dance beat with 4 sad, super-metroid sounding chords providing the backdrop, the song is brilliant. What is going on here, you ask? Eh, it's only the end of the world. "Ice age comin', ice age comin...women and children first and the children first..." Thom sings these lines with such convincing panic that it really feels like the world, or his chances of being a real human in the dissolusioned world, are coming to an end. In the end, the hysteria overwhelms poor Kid A. Leading us to...
9. Morning Bell - A song filled with lines like "You can keep the furniture" and "where'd ya park the car" one gets the sense that this song is about relationships and the trivial things that engulfe people's lives these days. But then, the mantra "Release Meeee, Release Meeee" comes in and it's clear. Kid A is begging for a release from this world. He sees no value in becoming a slave worker of the masses, the brainwashed consumer, or part of the status quo middle class. Longing for the peace of mind he felt earlier, as shown in "Treefingers", Kid A forgoes the valueless existence so many settle for in the scary world he observes and begs to be "released"...
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack - Singing over a funereal organ melody, Yorke, or "kid a", is granted his wish of release. His death seems to come as a relief to him, and with his final call of, "I will see yooou...In the next liiiiife", it is evident that Kid A's life in this world has come to an end. One can only hope his "next life" is FAR different from the one he went through here.
Kid A is Radiohead's Sgt. Pepper. Like it's predessor, it is experimental, intriguing, and a representation of the times and feelings of the time it was released...
However, as we all know, the 21st century looks to be a pretty bleak time, with wars, famine, disease, industrialization, technological progress, and money hungry corporations setting the stage...Lord knows what's coming next. One can only hope the concept of cloning ceases before things get out of hand. The ability to truly render the gene code of a human being and implant into an egg is frighteningly near. And once it happens, we will all realize that this has gone far enough.
Wow, it'd have been nice to have been born hundreds of years ago, before America was turned into a "booming" metropolis of asphault, grey looming skyscrapers, billboards, corrupt politics, greed, and advertising.
Of course, that's why one day I will move to the hills of California with a family and get away from all the hubbub of middle class droning, thereby finding some place "real" and untouched by the aimless blade of science and consumerism.
NOTE: For a less bleak vision of the world, listen to those idealistic lads the Beatles. Amazing albums include "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper", "The White Album", and "Abbey Road"...Oh hell, just buy em all.
Free Music Review: Welcome to the future: learn to love it
Hit: 5 Stars
For a band so uninterested in the visuals of its members, and so stark in its performance, it is simply amazing how unable to hear Radiohead's music both critics and punters have found it. A book could be written on the history of misunderstandings between journalists and Radiohead and misleading marketing campaigns.
Radiohead are not balladeers of depression and apathy---not makers of "music to slit your wrists to", as early critics had it---but authentic documentarians of dread and free-floating anxiety. Their vitality is sparked by outrage, even disgust, not rapture, at the insignificance of the inhabitants of contemporary democracies. Sure you can vote, but will your vote even be counted? Where to turn when your candidate or political party does not represent your views?
"I laugh until my head comes off" are the words of a man unhinged with bitterness and despair. This is the nanosecond before the bomb goes off. 'Idioteque' is one of the most authentically frightening songs of recent years: if the university-educated, politically-engaged Radiohead of Oxford can't see a way out, then maybe we really are in irretrievable trouble. ('Morning Bell' isn't much less spooky, with singer and lyricist Thom Yorke chanting 'walking, walking, walking' in the background and sounding like Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining'.)
'Idioteque' also seems to satirize the worst failure of the other greatest band in the world: U2 and their ghastly, pointless "Discotheque". Maybe Radiohead aren't so ethereal and oblivious to competition as they let on?
"Ice age coming/ women and children first/ We're not scaremongering/ this is really happening". No kidding, pal. Yorke has an astonishing capacity for telescoping a series of thoughts, whether a wad of newspaper editorials or an avalanche of scholarship. "Ice age coming/let me hear both sides" drops out the central referent (the debate between the GOP versus the rest of the educated world about the existence of global warming) while remaining entirely comprehensible.
Sure, Yorke will toss in the odd bizarro word ("Myxomatosis"---a form of rabbit disease---is the title of one (dance) song on "Hail to the Thief"), but Radiohead, for all their poly sci readings, are hugely less pretentious than Sting, who cannot stop praising himself for reading "Lolita", or even Bono, for all his good intentions (indeed, one might argue that the intentions---to deliver the world on Judgement Day---are the problem).
Yorke studs the vocals with disarticulated vocal units, true music, virtually plainsong. Sometimes he communicates with words, sometimes with vocal effect alone. This type of modesty is worthy of some contemplation. (The track 'Treefingers' is even instrumental.) Yorke develops a trend Kurt Cobain revived from authentic punk: sing your lyrics with such utter passion, that they become indecipherable. Sure, something is lost (the explicit verbal text), but there is no denying something is gained when the human voice screams, wails and cries in a palette of colours almost unknown outside a locked unit.
Significantly, Yorke, who fussily oversees the production of beautiful CD booklets of original art for each album, has not reproduced 'Kid A''s lyrics, having grown frustrated with verses being studied in isolation from the total sound. But what about a rare, crystal-clear line in "How to disappear completely" like "float down the Liffey". That's not just any old river: that's Joycean territory you've dived into.
"There are two colours in my head/ what was it that you tried to say?" captures in a mere couplet what it took U2 an entire album ("Zooropa") to communicate: the simple inability to hear a single meaningful thing in the babble and Babel of multichannel, surround sound culture.
Beyond immediately calling to mind a Rothko or Barnett Newman, the listener understands that the two colours either clash violently or can scarcely be distinguished, and the mental gymnastics instantly kick in. Yorke is very consciously twisting the radio knobs in your head, as a technician of synaesthesia.
Instead of an unambiguous forward move in a rock vein, which much of the industry had expected, Radiohead opted for an immensely ambitious lateral move into a form of electronica sometimes denigrated as mere esoterica. "Kid A" refused to function as "OK Computer Redux". This did not generate universal praise; many critics saw a dodge, a stumble or even a feint, and longstanding (and accurate) rumours of Yorke's writer's block and excruciatingly slow recording sessions in Paris, Copenhagen and the UK did not bode well for the release. Radiohead seemed ready to lose their mass audience fast upon assembling it with "OK Computer".
Thom Yorke is said to have initially stumped (and frightened) some members his four-guitar, one drum band with an abrupt fascination with electronica like Aphex Twin and Autechre (whom Yorke name-checks in every interview), causing the other members to reconsider their potential input with Kid A. Lead guitarist Johnny Greenwood is another incessant experimentalist, responsible here for instruments as diverse as the theremin and the Ondes Martenot. Production took a queer turn for a rock band. The title song "Kid A" would emerge from a computer program Yorke wrote. "Everything in its Right Place" would employ a 10/4 time signature. Not every player would play on each song. Some contributions were silent.
Titles like "Treefingers" and "Idioteque" are initially fearsome, bringing to mind singularly inaccessible experimental music: spookily incoherent like Miles Davis's "Tutu". But "The National Anthem" explodes into throbbing bass and horns in a kind of Merz-jazz, a caterwaul and feedback rapture.
But Radiohead got their dance sound and bent their mental universe around it. "The National Anthem" has such a heavy, superb beat while voicing such bleakness that it might be best to dance to it in ESL. As music to crash your car to, however, that and "Idioteque" can't be beat. Something to say for the group that produced the miracle of "Airbag" as the debut of the abruptly, violently brilliant "OK Computer", only one album before.
Free Music Review: Don't listen to the non-believers !
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, I just want to advise you- don't listen to all the critics jumping on band-wagons saying that Kid A is "Whiny" , "monotonous" and simply "too weird". For this album is none of the above. It is in fact a modern masterpiece, a 'soundtrack' to 21st century life if you like. in decades to come, people will realise how definitive this record will be in future music- just look at the new directions being taken by Blur (Music is my Radar), Muse (see Origin of Symmetry) and a whole number of typically indie bands using synthesisers,etc. I'm 14 and I see this as the perfect soundtrack to accompany all the changes going on in a teenager's body, all the chaos in our minds, the un-certaintity and doubt in life, and the overall transition from child to adult. This is what I think of each individual track:Everything in it's Right Place: Menacing, and intimidating, Despite reassurance in the vocals. This was written about Thom's need for order.
Kid A: Beautiful, Dreamy & Surreal. Seemingly like a music box at first, but the percussion kicks in and it sounds like the Soundtrack to an alien's life- distorted vocals.
The National Anthem: Similar to 'I Might be Wrong' from 'Amnesiac', and similar percussion to 'Take a Look Around' by Limp Bizkit. (Which was recorded after Kid A) One of the standout tracks- Begins with a simple riff, and escalates into an awesome sax solo, and eventually a full Brass Band/Orchestra.
How to Dissppear Completely: Second best track on the album. Almost reminiscant of The Verve. Tear inducing. In my opinion the world NEEDS this song as something we can all relate to: wanting to "Dissapear Completely" Beautiful, Haunting lyric- "I'm not here/this isn't happening".
Treefingers: Seems very old- like you're wandering around an ancient castle- could be used in a Survival/Horror video game like Resi Evil or a horror film. No Vocals.
Optimistic: Would have been at home on 'OK Computer'- "normal" guitar and vocals. Coinsidently, this is probably the poorest track on the album and seems repetitive.
In Limbo: Similar to 'Knives Out', The new single (again, from 'Amnesiac'). A nice guitar song, and another one everyone can relate to- being unsure of what to do, insecurity, and helplesness.
Idioteque: The BEST song on the album. Despite Kid A being publicity- free and having no singles, Idioteque had airplay on a number of alternative radio stations in the UK. It contains a very uneven beat- think garage/ drum & bass, but 10,000 better. Beautiful synth sounds. Debated lyrics. nice lyrics (when desiphered !) - "Here I'm alive/ Everything all of the time". This song seems to have all the elements of Radiohead's change in direction. Chilling ending. Thom's vocals suit this track perfectly.
Morning Bell: Not as good as the Amnesiac version- more chaotic and forced vocals. In a strange way this song makes me think of 'Muscle Museum' by Muse.
Motion Picture Sondtrack: Another very Chilling, emotive, thought provoking track (Radiohead seem to be getting good at those !). The Instrumental sounds like accordian or harmonica but is most likely to be synthesised. Dreamy & Surreal towards the end. (The band couldn't have chosen a better end to this record).
Whatever style of music you normally buy (Metal, Indie, Electronica, Techno), I'd recommend you buy this album. It's becoming gradually so influential. It makes you think so much about the meaning of each track, and the subject matters. Forget the Manic's attempts at projecting Political opinions in their music- This album makes them seem ignorant, and "Wannabes" (to quote a little known girl band of a few years ago). So forget these fools saying that Radiohead have forgotten how to make music and got worse with Kid A & Amnesiac. Believe me, they've got a whole lot better.
Free Music Review: One of the best albums of the past 10 years
Hit: 5 Stars
Before I heard this album: I was a big fan of Radiohead's "OK Computer", but never fully heard "The Bends." When I heard they were making a new album, it was immediately one of my top most anticipated albums, although I knew it would be extremely hard to top OK Computer, and if it did it would be close to a miracle. When this album came out I have heard reviews saying both this is a work of genius and terrible. I was low on money at the time and I was barely buying anything, so I didn't rush out to buy Kid A. But I made a stop at a CD store where you can listen to albums before you bought them, and went there mainly to listen to Kid A.First Listen: When I first heard the synth in the opening song, "Everything In It's Right Place," I was taken. I felt a tingling in my stomach. I wasn't in the store anymore, I was in the song. This is what music is supposed to do to you. Music isn't strictly made for dancing, or for partying, or to rock out to - which is all good - but music, good music, communicates. When the climax in the song came in I felt like crying, something that music almost never does to me. I can truly say "Everything In It's Right Place" is one of the greatest songs ever made, at least to my ears. But after that song, the next one, "Kid A", took me to a completely different place again. Then after that, "The National Anthem", the big controversial song, with the out of place instruments and weird sounding horn arrangements, came on. I don't know why people don't like it, because it's a song I absolutely adore. After I heard it I immediately took the CD off the shelf and payed for it with whatever few dollars and change I had.
It was all I was listening to for about 3 weeks afterwards. I like it even more than OK Computer.
The biggest reason why I love this album: It's different. It shows that you don't have to be like everything else to be good. Popular music of today is terrible, lets face it. The criticisms I have been hearing for this album are mostly "there's no guitars or anything!" or "it's really weird!" The thing people don't realize is there's no written rule of how to make music. The thing about this album is it's striving NOT to be a popular album, Radiohead would be doing the same thing even if they weren't big rock stars. This album reminds a lot of Pink Floyd's "The Wall", as in they are trying to take you on a journey. Pink Floyd's "The Wall" doesn't have a trace of disco music, or whatever else was popular at around that time, at all. And that's how Kid A is. This album goes beyond genre, just like The Wall did. If I had to file this under a certain genre at a music store I would put copies in every genre, because it touches everything. Jazz, Blues, Rock, Hip Hop, Techno, even some fans of classical would like this album.
The second reason why I like this album: The melodies created in this album are amazing. But they aren't melodies you would sing to yourself somewhere, it doesn't work like that. I've tried singing the melody from "Everything In It's Right Place" or "In Limbo" before, and it doesn't work. They only sound good on this album, and that's the genius of it.
The reason why people don't like it: The same reason why I love it. People aren't open minded in today's music. But that's how it is in popular music, it all sounds the same, that's why it's popular. If a group like N'Sync did an album like this, they wouldn't be popular anymore. But they would never do an album like this because doing an album like this isn't popular. You see what I mean?
Today's pop music is set around rules, which basically are 1) you have to be able to dance to the music (if it isn't a love song, of course), 2) All music has to be in 4/4 time, 3) It must not make you think, 4) it must have some kind of a drum beat, and 5) It cannot be experimental in ANY WAY. People who say they don't like Kid A are either stuck in some (if not all) of those pop music rules, really do like it and are lying to us and themselves (for some reason), or didn't even listen to it in the first place (and are lying).
I read a review here that said if an unknown band released this album then people wouldn't like it. That's not true at all. If an unknown band released an album like this I would want to know about it, and I'm sure many other people would want to know about it, too. Infact, people would probably like it MORE if an unknown band released it. And I'm sure it would be a big seller, too. The same person also said the only reason people say they like this album is because it's like being part of a secret "club" of alternatives that no one understands, but you can easily say the same thing about people who don't like the album. You can even say OUR club is better than YOUR club. People don't say they like certain music because they just like saying it, they really have to like it.
And another thing, so what if there's more synthesizers than real instruments on this album? Was there any written rule that says you have to make music a certain way or else it isn't music? The only thing it does is show how great of a band Radiohead is. I myself am more of a hip hop fan than anything, although I do like older jazz, rock, and funk/soul. I have no interest in synth made music, because most of it, like techno, sounds the same. But every once in a while I'll hear something that I like that I wouldn't normally like. It's all about making something that communicates. The only thing an artist like Britney Spears communicates in her music is either "I'm Sad" or "I'm Happy." An album like Kid A goes everywhere in between those two emotions and beyond, and the genius of it is that you get those emotions not from the singing, but the actual melodies of the music.
You should buy this album if you are a fan of music. I cannot tell you whether you will like it or not, you will have to listen to it yourself. I am not going to say "keep an open mind" or anything like that. Because if you like it, then you like it. If you don't, then you don't. I will say one thing though - If you "aren't sure" about it after listening, then you probably don't like it. If you truly like this album, then you will know.