A friend of mine once told me that he thought that Kid A was a concept album about a persons journey through life.
I thought it was an interesting view on it.
went a little like this:
Everything in it's right place is being in the womb and the initial moments of life.
(I can't remember exactly what he said for Kid A but it seems to be a bit of an anomaly)
Then National Anthem comes in and it's about the moment you're born into the world and you've no idea what's going on and you're terrified: "Everyone around here, Everyone is so near What's going on?"
Then how to disappear is about childhood and being involved in the world but really being completely oblivious to what's actually going on around you. A sort of denial to your surroundings.
Then treefingers is the switch to being a teenager.
Optimistic is realising the world you're actually part of leaving behind the fantasy world of how to disappear.
In Limbo is the point of having to decide what you want to do with your life and having no idea.
Idioteque is reaching the stage where you should be thinking about marriage and having a decent job i.e "Mobiles skwrking Mobiles chirping Take the money run".
Morning Bell is about getting divorced.
Then Motion Picture Soundtrack is moving towards old age and the last line is obviously death: "See you in the next life"
Obviously it's not perfect but I really like it and I think I enjoy the album even more since he told me.
Have you any concept ideas for the album?
I was talking about this idea with a friend
on the way back from the gig on Tuesday. Listening to the album has never led to me having an epiphany and realising the concept, I've usually just listened to it as an album of the usual Radiohead songs about isolation and the like. I think the prevailing idea in my mind whilst listening to it is the idea that these songs stemmed from this concept, rather than the songs being a rigid concept to be taken as such.
Does this make any sense? I dunno, it's too long to abandon reply... here goes.
if that's the concept
then it's pretty weak
how does Treefingers = teenagehood? WHAT ABOUT KID A?
nice idea, but i don't see it
well yeh like i said
kid a is a major anomaly and it's obviously not a concept album for this. I just thought it was an interesting point of view as a lot of it fits nicely.
I'm not saying this is a major revelation and that the code has been cracked or anything. There probably isn't even a code to be cracked.
there might be a code
Radiohead seem like the concept album/mellotron solo in wizard's gown type
Interesting, yeah. Admirably thought out, yeah. Right? Nah
I thought it was about
Cloning of humans? Hence the title. And the references to life.
^^ this
.
i think
that was just a radiohead injoke they took a bit too far.
s'better
than Chuck Klosterman's thing about it being the "soundtrack to 9/11". despite coming our A YEAR PREVIOUSLY.
LOL
im certain
in a bootleg, thom yorke says Morning Bell is about trying to find a place to park.
And i assumed Idioteque was tied to global warming (ice age coming, ice age coming).
Who knows, like he said on tuesday, its all nonsense :)