Radiohead - Kid A / Lemmings - 'Lets Go' Volume One

Back to the box this week, and it’s another tape recorded for me by David in the summer of 2001. I’m not sure when I heard Radiohead for the first time, it was probably ‘Creep’ on daytime Radio 1 or something. I remember liking The Bends when it came out, but it was really OK Computer that made me sit up and take notice of them. When we were in Year 11, so before the sixth form afforded us the luxury of a common room, we were allowed to use the school hall at lunchtimes, so I remember that album often being played over the PA system not long after release.
 
In the months immediately before Kid A’s release anticipation in the music press steadily grew and grew. I vividly remember tuning into Steve Lamacq’s show on the evening that four tracks from the album were being premiered for the first time. I was blown away, it sounded so different to what they had done before, but in a good way. I’ve seen influences cited including electronica artists on the Warp label such as Autechre and Aphex Twin, Krautrock (urgh I hate that term) acts such as Can, jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Charles Mingus, modern classical, as well as the more esoteric hip hop offerings on the Mo’ Wax label. Whilst I’m not sure I see all of those, there’s definitely at least some of those elements in the sound of Kid A.
 
Artist: Radiohead
Album: Kid A
UK Record Label: Parlophone
UK Release Date: 2nd October 2000
UK Single Releases from Album: None
 
Opener ‘Everything in Its Right Place’ is a great way to start things off, a real statement of intent: “This is our new direction, and if you don’t like it then tough!” I read somewhere that on this album Thom Yorke wanted to use his voice as more of an instrument than just as a traditional way of imparting the lyrics to the audience and this track is an excellent example of exactly that.
 
That’s followed by the title track, which is a more mellow affair, in fact it’s almost ambient in places. I can understand someone who had loved The Bends and wanted more of the same having a tough time with a track like this one, but I think it’s really strong.
 
Track 3 is ‘The National Anthem’. Of course, that’s just a name, it’s not an actual national anthem. This is one track where you can clearly see some of the influences I listed above, specifically Charles Mingus. Of note is Jonny Greenwood playing a somewhat obscure instrument called the Ondes Martenot, which David and I actually saw him play live along with the London Sinfonietta at the closing night of the 2005 Ether festival (that he also curated) at Royal Festival Hall. They were joined on stage for two tracks by Thom Yorke, so I guess you could say that I’ve seen two fifths of Radiohead live.
 
Next up is ‘How to Disappear Completely’. A more traditional ‘song based’ track than we’ve had so far, but not unpleasant.
 
At the halfway point we have ‘Treefingers’, and this one is most definitely ambient, evoking the likes of Brian Eno. This was probably the most ‘un-Radiohead’ like track they had ever produced at that point in their career.
 
From the most different sounding song on the album to perhaps the most atypical, ‘Optimistic’. This could quite easily have found a home on OK Computer (had it been written when it came out of course).
 
‘In Limbo’ is fine, perhaps my least favourite on the album, but that’s not to say it’s bad, just that it maybe doesn’t stand up as strongly as some of the others tracks on the album.
 
The next track however, ‘Idioteque’, most definitely does stand up. My favourite track on the album, the Warp influence on this is obvious, if it didn’t have the vocals it could be an Autechre track.
 
The penultimate offering is ‘Morning Bell’, opening with a distinctive Fender Rhodes electric piano intro courtesy of Thom Yorke, we have track that is reminiscent of PiL’s Metal Box at times.
 
‘Motion Picture Soundtrack’ is our finale and apparently this track dates back to the time of ‘Creep’. One can only imagine the reception it would have got had it been included on Pablo Honey. The track seemingly finishes, however after a minute’s silence we are treated to a reprise of Greenwood’s Ondes Martenot with a sound I’ve read described as a cross between angels and sirens. Two more minutes of silence bring the album to a close.


Links:
Discogs
 
Artist: Lemmings
Album: ‘Lets Go’ Volume One
UK Record Label: None
UK Release Date: 1991
UK Singles Releases from Album: None
 
Okay, I’m really not sure what I can find to say about this. It’s the music to the first sixteen levels of classic early 90s Amiga game Lemmings. David obviously liked it enough to record a full loop of the music, then play through the level, then repeat sixteen times.
 
I’m not sure I’ve ever actually listened to this (sorry David!), but I’m genuinely really enjoying it. Original pieces are mixed in with chiptune versions of Pachebel's Canon, the can-can, ‘(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?’, ‘London Bridge Is Falling Down’, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, ‘Ten Green Bottles’ and ‘She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain’ amongst others.
 
There’s not much more to say really, but that was good fun.


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