Gatefold package
NO digital version included
Audio Quality: 4.5/5
Song Quality: 5/5
Packaging: 4.25/5
First things first... let's get real. This is one of the best albums released in this decade, no question. It will probably also go down as one of the most innovative and landmark recordings in history. Now, this will probably make me sound like a young whippersnapper rapscallion, but Kid A was also the first Radiohead album I ever heard, which helps explain why it holds a very special place in my heart. I saw Thom and the guys play on Saturday Night Live
shortly after the album was released, and they performed "Idioteque" and "The National Anthem." I'll never forget watching them, sitting on the edge of my seat, with my jaw on the floor. I had absolutely never heard anything like this before. I had also never seen anything like it before, what with Thom Yorke's spastic dancing and Jonny Greenwood playing what looked like a telephone 
switch board. Some might say that Radiohead took the electronic innovations they made on 1997's OK Computer and went too far from their rock roots. However, in this writer's opinion, by putting down the guitars and picking up computers, samplers, and synthesizers, they pushed the boundaries of modern music in an irreversible way. If OK Computer is Radiohead's Revolver, then that makes this album their Sgt. Pepper. It's that good musically, and it's that important historically. Some might call that hyperbole, but they're wrong.It's funny how feelings can change based on context. I bought this vinyl when it was first released, and it immediately became one of my favorite sounding records. When I listened again for this review, it sounded undeniably great, but compared to some of my newer purchases, it's not quite the mind-exploding listening experience I remembered. The one track that specifically bugged me was "The National Anthem," which sounded a bit small, tinny, and compressed compared to the others. Other than this arguable blemish, the album is big, warm, and crystal clear. Previous Radiohead albums on vinyl have sounded good, but this one clearly steps it up a notch. Not sure if this has to do with the way the albums were recorded (digital vs. analog), but that is definitely my guess. The processed vocal samples in the opening "Everything In It's Right Place" perfectly sit on the sides of the song's otherwise electronic piano and vocal arrangement. The whole album (save "The National Anthem") sounds great, so I won't go into specifics on each song, but the other track that's definitely worth mentioning is the last song, "Motion Picture Soundtrack." An organ and vocal performance complimented by the introduction of a full orchestra, featuring the ethereal sweeps of countless harps and voices, is absolutely one of the most beautiful moments ever captured on tape. Just stunning.
As for the songs on this record, I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's a relentlessly innovative and gorgeous collection of songs. It's also one of the most cohesive albums I've ever heard. I never put on a single song from this record, whether I'm at the turntable or the laptop. It's always a full-album listen. "Idioteque" has one of the best sounding drum tracks ever laid down, and with Thom Yorke's
apocalyptic lyrics and frantic delivery, it's an unforgettable experience. "How To Disappear Completely" and "Optimistic" are probably the most similar to old Radiohead, with guitar-heavy arrangements and haunting production. However, the most haunting is definitely the title-track, "Kid A," featuring toy keyboard sounds and electronically programmed drums. On top of that, Thom sings through a robotic vocoder, "We've got heads on sticks. You've got ventriloquists." You'd be hard-pressed to find music that gets more profoundly disturbing and unsettling than this.
The sum of all these parts is a truly profound listening experience. If you're open-minded and willing to give something absolutely out-of-this-world a serious shot, then there's so much to love in this record. Without question, it's in my Top 10 albums of all time.The packaging is interesting. As you may have seen/read, Radiohead chose to release this and Amnesiac as double 10-inch 180-gram LP sets. Not sure why, but it certainly makes them more unique. You might have difficulty storing them with the rest of your Radiohead vinyl, though. This, the "From the Capitol Vault" reissue, preserves all the original artwork and presentation, which includes a very beautiful and perfectly creepy visual compliment to the music. And, as I said, it sounds really great. I have no comparison to the original pressing prepared, but I can't imagine it sounding better than that. The records come in printed sleeves, and the entire set is in a gatefold package. No digital copy is included, which is lame, but other than that, it's a very attractive set.
Die-hard Radiohead fans (and which Radiohead fans aren't die-hard?) will probably want to go out and buy all their albums on vinyl, and that's not a bad idea. The old ones definitely don't sound bad. However, Kid A is the first that sounds great, and the records that follow sound just as great. If you're looking for a starting point, try this one. Or perhaps In Rainbows, which I'll be reviewing soon. Either way, you'll be most satisfied.
Buy the LP at Amazon.com
Buy the LP ***ON SALE*** at ElusiveDisc.com
Tomorrow: Fugazi - Margin Walker
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