Amnesiac (Vinyl) [Limited Edition, Import]

 

 

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I like to think of myself as a pretty forgiving music fan-and a big Radiohead fan at that-but this sounds more like crap that should have been left on the cutting room floor. I quite liked 'Kid A' and it grew on me. But here I find only one or two (ahem...) 'songs' in any resonable sense of the word. The rest is just bizarre but apparently it needs to be said again: just because it's strange or different doesn't make it good! I'm all for moving forward, but if this is some sort of improvement in their musical progression I'm not seeing it.

'Pyramid Song' is great and one or two others. The rest is a major let down. Knowing Radiohead's supposed hatred of mass marketing and publicity, I would not put it past them to continue to release stuff like this just to see how long it takes for people to really criticize them. They've been media darlings since 97, but if they continue on this course they will destroy any fanbase they once had. People will just go back to playing the last 3 albums instead of bothering to buy the new stuff. If they don't do something better next time they're gonna lose my interest...

...Why oh Why did Radiohead have to put this out. I thought they could do no wrong, and they [messed] up and so very badly. While Kid A was IDM-lite, it had its charms and its masterpieces, like The National Anthem. Amnesiac is horrid, its so half-assed, that any Warp alum could duplicate it with minimal effort. "But its got layers dude, that you haven't explored," the hell with that. This album is twaddle, that goes nowhere and right when a song is about to get interesting it stops, so yes I would classify this as self-indulgent nonsense that deserves to be thrown away with the rest of the trash.

Radiohead obviously musically influenced by Pink Floyd from back in the day definetly has a knack for creative artistry. Here are the songs I liked off this CD

1.Pyramid Song: Love,love,love Thom Yorke's vocal on this song...it is hauntingly beautiful. One of the most recognizable voices in Brit Rock I think. This song is on one of my favorite playlists still and I think reaches an emotional chord with most Radiohead fans.

2.Pulk/Pull Revolving Door: Somehow I love the strange fragmented instrumentational arrangement of this song. Very creative. I think it should have been put on OK Computer as it has a robotic sound to the vocal delivery (more like words spoken) in this song. They definetly are experimenting with different instruments, sound engineering and avante garde vocal techniques. I have it on one of my playlists simply because of it's unique construction which definetly gets people talking when they hear it! You should have seen my cat's reaction when I played this one! Ha! Ha!

3.You & Who's Army: One of Radiohead's most remembered & reverred songs. There have been others that have done this song but none like Radiohead. The vocal is so mesmerizing and sung with such clarity. I like the addition of the bass in this song.

4.I Might Be Wrong: Wicked, wicked guitar work in this song and drumming! So sets the tone for the interesting vocals on this one. Softly directed; then love the way he draws out a couple of the words to make it even more poignant for the listener. This song is so good (and on my favorite playlist) oddly enough I could have seen this song on their CD "The Bends" which I still consider their best CD. Love the ending of this song, the change up is so cool and his voice is just sublime!

5.Knives Out: Guitar work is good & I love hearing the cymbols on it repetively. This is a teenage angst song for sure...better to sing it out than act it out right? Ha! Ha!

6.Morning Bell/Amnesiac: Another cool song.....what a beautiful use of his falsetto vocal ability in bit's & pieces that are lovely! I really like the instrumental arrangement of this song. Some strange lyrics that Radiohead is known to do. Sometimes I thought that was Radiohead's weakness but I think over time I found it to be a creative element because of their unpredictability whether intentional or not.

7.Hunting Bears: OMG>>>>>doesn't everyone just love the electric guitar riff on this...right down to hearing him change frets! So makes this song more intimate in nature. Plus I love it when they throw in a total instrumental just to keep us off guard! I like whatever instrument they used (maybe a washboard) that gave the effect of waves or surf splash.

8.Life In A Glass House: Liked the trumpet in this song...so well done. This vocal gave a darkness to it...seemed like a piece to hear in a "Dick Tracy" film...or a song you'd hear behind a funeral procession in New Orleans.

These are the songs that stood out to me from this CD. Some of which are on various playlists I have. Check it out if your into listening to something creatively unique!

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3.0 out of 5 stars Vinyl, not so great.
I think Capitol shorted themselves (and us) on this. For my ears, I really don't think they remastered this for vinyl. Read more

Published 10 months ago by M. Dalton

5.0 out of 5 stars Amnesiac should not be forgotten (its not just "Kid B")
Radiohead have pretty much run the gamut of rock music (from alternative to uncategorizable), and nearly all of their albums have been fantastic. Read more

Published 15 months ago by Quexos

1.0 out of 5 stars Dull, boring, uninspired and one of the worst albums from Radiohead
This album has to be considered one of the worst albums by Radiohead. The writing is terrible. The production is no good. Radiohead is simply one of the worst bands around.

Published on Sep 19 2006 by Vader

5.0 out of 5 stars Sitting in the Fire
I started this review 3 times, and erased it every time. It's hard to explain something like Amnesiac without people actually hearing the album all the way through. Read more

Published on April 16 2005 by Corey S.

5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite cd ever
The songs on this are all so beautiful, but alas, this is Radiohead's least understood album. My theory is that anybody who likes Kid A, but not Amnesiac just hasn't listened to... Read more

Published on July 15 2004 by x_cjunkie

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm a Reasonable Man
There seem to be various and sundry reviews about Amnesiac: those that claim it to be the most astounding example of Radiohead's brilliance, and those that were less impressed by... Read more

Published on July 12 2004 by D. B. Rocca

5.0 out of 5 stars misunderstood
Pyramid Song is one of the most quietly beautiful songs EVER.
That being said, I find the rest of this album slightly harder to understand as a single unit than Kid A, which... Read more

Published on July 10 2004 by B

4.0 out of 5 stars Hunting Bears
I would agree with some others that "Amnesiac" is not as good Kid A. It's slightly below the level of the other records Radiohead has releasted in the past half decade. Read more

Published on July 8 2004 by Brandon J. Seger

3.0 out of 5 stars Standalone or companion piece?
Amnesiac plays as sort of a continuation of the sound and ideas found on Kid A. Similar sounds pervade it, and similar themes link it. Read more

Published on Jun 9 2004 by thenintengenius

5.0 out of 5 stars Amnesiac-The best of Radiohead
Amnesiac made Radiohead one of my favorite bands. There are such powerful musical arrangements on every song, and on many there are strings and horns. Read more

Published on May 31 2004 by Sam M

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