What Album Was Radiohead ‘s High Water Mark?

Actually, what turned me off to 'Kid A' as an Album overall despite 4 really Good Songs, as that it was the opposite of 'Emotional' to me as it left me feeling Cold like the Album Artwork(which I do think is excellent btw). 'OK Computer' was a Very Emotional Album to me, so I found 'Kid A' just not providing that same aspect, but I guess YMMV, since you find 'Kid A' to be Emotional. The Title Track left me really Cold and just saying 'WTF is This?' 'Everything In It's Right Place' also left me feeling Cold and Emotionless along with Treefingers(if I wanted to listen to Ambient Music, I just play an Album by Brian Eno, but guess this Song was used as a bridge in between the 1st and 2nd Parts of 'Kid A')

I do think that 'How to Disappear Completely' is a Great Song though and worth of 'OKC' Music. Probably would rank 'Morning Bell' & 'Optimistic' as the other Top Songs on 'Kid A'. Also, since Radiohead decided to go in a completely different direction with this Album(and Amnesiac which contained Songs recorded the same time, so we are really talking about a Double Album here), I do think it worked with 'The National Anthem' and 'Idioteque'.

Thankfully, to get an Emotional Album in 2000, I discovered 'Lost Souls' by Doves(discovered this Album and New Music Artists-although they had made Music in the '90s under a prior name of Sub Sub until their Recording Studio burned down and Doves rose out of the ashes, by reading NME and UK Music Magazines in 2000), and Doves remain one my Top 3 Music Artist Post 2000 despite that their last Album was released in 2009, then a few Side Projects(Black Rivers-Williams Brothers and Odludek-Jimi Goodwin), and my biggest wish is that all 3 get back together, as all 4 Doves Albums and B-Sides are as good as it gets to me-sorry to get off topic of Radiohead, but was thinking of Emotional Music from 2000, since 'Kid A' was released that left me Cold & Confused(but I do like 6 of the Songs).

 

Still going strong and always changing it up with different approaches. Moon Shaped Pool is as good as anything they've done IMO, and that's their latest. They first got my attention with The Bends, their early masterpiece. The continual progression is a hallmark of historically great bands.

 

I think Pablo Honey is a Good Album(Besides 'Creep', 'Anyone Can Play Guitar', 'You' & 'Stop Whispering' are Good Songs-IMO), but with 'The Bends', Radiohead made a Quantum Leap, and then again from 'The Bends' to 'OK Computer'. Also some Real Good B-Sides from Pablo Honey, like 'Killer Cars'.

 

A Moon Shaped Pool. Beautiful from start to finish, and solidifies my belief that 2016 was one of the best years ever for music. AMSP also has my favorite Radiohead artwork. The deluxe set is worth every penny (except the vinyl SQ is “meh”).

 

I like the the change of style and AMSP is more Cinematic to me(along with including 'Spectre' that was ticketed to be on a James Bond Movie, but was not used in the end). I think it is an Album that will eventually move into a tie for 3rd Place with 'In Rainbows' over time, although being a different style of Music. Too bad the CD is terribly Brickwalled, and the Vinyl had Pressing Issues(still not sure if a Good Pressing was ever re-issued yet, as I have held off waiting, but will get the EU Vinyl Pressing eventually).

'The King of Limbs' was the first time I lost interest in the Band(outside of a few songs on TKOL, including the excellent 'Separator' and the B-Side, 'The Daily Mail').

Also glad they left the Electronic Blips & Beeps behind(or left for Yorke's Solo Albums-The Eraser and Tomorrow's Modern Boxes and Atoms for Peace to an extent. Although, Yorke won me over with 'Suspiria', but I like Horror Theme'Soundtrack Music).

 

Kid A - but damn there was some great albums before and after. Really great albums!

I don't like this thread. It's like doing math.

 

I know it’s not very highly rated but it’s unbelievable that Hail To The Thief has fewer votes than Pablo Hk year and King of Limbs.

Surprised that Amnesiac has so few votes as well.

Pretty incredible run though.

 

In Rainbows. A mind-blowing masterpiece and one of my 10 favorite albums ever.

 

The original vinyl is meh or the deluxe version?

 

I’ve warmed on Kid A over the years, but have never been a huge fan of it. I don’t dislike it because it was a change in direction. To me it always felt like a rock band learning to play with electronics... to that end, it’s a transitional album for me, not a masterpiece like OKC.

My vote, however, goes to In Rainbows. I think that’s the one where they embraced their rock and electronic interests and built a perfect, unique sound.

 

With Radiohead, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

 

The deluxe version vinyl is meh. Pressing quality is great, but the digital master is so loud that I can hear the distortion. Haven’t listened yet on the Ortofon Quintet Black S, though, so I’ll do so and report back.

 

Ok Computer and then Bends for me. Love them both!

 

I mean OK CPU is their best and most groundbreaking but I went with TKOL because I flat out love it and for me it sparked a return to form (I listen to it most now). I have no idea and can’t understand why it’s considered ‘weak’. It’s probably my favorite album of the last 10 years...

My rankings:

1. OK CPU - 10/10
2. The King of Limbs - 10/10
3. The Bends 9.5/10
4. Kid A - 8/10
5. A Moon Shaped Pool - 8/10
6. Hail to the Thief - 8/10
7. In Rainbows - 6/10
8. Pablo Honey - 4/10
9. Amnesiac - 3/10 (though I listen to it quite a bit, I can’t crack it)

 

How Can You Be Sure?

 

OK Computer, followed by In Rainbows.

 

My top 3 are the same as yours. Whilst OK was a massive progression from The Bends, Kid A for me and no doubt others, was a real 'What the hell is this?' moment. Just really different, scarily so at times. I like the album, but I have to be in the mood and am less likely to reach for it as I am for Bends, OK, IR, AMSP. Also I agree with your other post about not feeling an emotional connection and it leaving you cold. Amnesiac has taken time, and like another poster said in their list, I can't crack it either. I absolutely hate Pulk/Pull and am not a big fan of the Kid A title track. I suppose there's plenty of songs from Kid A / Amnesiac & its b-sides to make your own single disc version. Another project for me! Personally I don't get Idioteque either. I don't generally skip it, but I don't get the hype. I read 2 articles recently which ranked every 'Head song, and Idioteque was very high up in one and I think topped the other. Really?

+1. We hear so much about the progression from The Bends to OK and then from OK to Kid A. But lets not forget that they took a gigantic leap from Pablo to The Bends.

Yes, Pablo is more than just Creep, and has some great songs, but a small number of clunkers, including most of the b-sides. Going up against the rest of their output it will always be lacking, but if it had been done by a band who quit after 2 albums then maybe people would look back on it differently.

Yes, they have certainly never done the same album over and over, so fair play to them. I need to give more time to Hail, I think I'll probably appreciate it more now as its a while since I've heard it. Stilll never got into TKOL

 

Kid A and The Bends are both great albums but OK Computer is unquestionably their greatest album

 

I voted for The Bends. It's the most hopeful of their albums. Great guitar work, drums, bass, Tom using his voice a lot.

Ok computer and Kid A are both excellent. Great 3 album run. Ok Computer has some of the best textures and layers of sound for newer albums. Kid A was such a different sound. Their SNL performance of National Anthem and Idioteque really sealed how great the songs are live

Amnesiac felt like Kid A b-sides released as an album. Hail to the Thief seemed unfocused. In Rainbows has grown on me in the past few years.

Pablo Honey reminds me of early brit pop. Not bad but not one I reach for.

I really disliked King of Limbs. I should give it another try. It seemed like a Thom solo.

Moon Shaped Pool is ok. I'm glad they did a studio version of True Love Waits. The album just didn't have enough of a pulse.

I'm curious where they go next.

 

It is much better played in Concert if you ever saw Radiohead and they played 'Idioteque'. Actually, after a few years(by 2002), the Studio Version grew on me. I still skip 'Everything In It's Right Place', 'Kid A' & 'Treefingers' though(I was ticked off that they played 'Kid A' at the Concert I saw last year, when there are so many other Great Songs from their catalog that they could have played instead of the Tuneless Song).

For most of 'Kid A', they took the Guitar out of Jonny Greenwood's Hands, who is such a Great Guitar Player, and had him plugging Cables into some device(forget the name of the Equipment). The joke at the time was that he had only read half of the instructional manual for this device, and for the love of god, someone take it from him before he reads the rest of it. Love him on Keyboards also though and most of his Soundtrack Albums.

Thankfully, by this time(2000-2004), MUSE came along with their first Album, 'Showbiz'(1999) that was very much like 'The Bends', then they made their 3 Great Albums(Origin of Symmetry, Absolution & Black Holes & Revelations), before Radiohead recaptured my interest with 'In Rainbows'(although 'There There' from Hail to the Thief still ranks as one of my Top 4 Post 2000 Radiohead Songs).

 

I watched the full 2017 Glastonbury set recently and thought they were incredible. I can't remember the last time I played Hail, but those live versions of There There and 2+2=5 were immense, I'd forgotten how good those songs are. Yes, Idioteque seemed better live. Generally though, 'electronic blips and bleeps' (your words) are not my bag.

I'm definitely gonna put together my own single length version of Kid A / Amnesiac. Aside from listening to music, I love reading about music, making lists, etc. One of my favourite things to do is imagine that I have been handed say the 26 songs of The Bends era (before any kind of tracklist has been formed) and told to make a great album out of the strongest songs.

 

Wow, very difficult. Radiohead developed a lot, and shifted their sound considerably.

The Bends was an immense album. I spent weeks driving around with it blaring out. As a rock album, it really is one of my favorites. It would make sense if it were the one I'd name.

But then what came later was so different, it's like a different band. So to pick The Bends is to ignore music with a different kind of impact. A lot of people are going to say OK Computer, I reckon. My issue with that - and it too was huge at the time - is that they've not quite given themselves over to the new sound, not completely.

The only album that has hit me as hard as The Bends has been Moon Shaped Pool. I thought that was excellent. Still, in the end IO'm going to go with The Bends, because you know, you can only choose one. It'd be The Bends or Moon Shaped Pool.....

 

Ok computer but they have yet to release a bad album. Pablo honey is a good alternative rock album albeit basic and lacking in many ways. King of limbs was interesting and while not my favorite I still randomly revisit it because the vibe is so interesting.

 

Any list of greatest Radiohead songs that doesn't have "Pyramid Song" at number one is wrong

 

By the time of Pablo honey who could imagine how far they reach on only three albuns to Kid A? I personaly liked Pablo honey but never believed they could jump to be a major player. For me they were an average band with some good songs.
On the first chords of Planet Telex i knew something add changed and my opinion about an average band made radical turn. The rest his history.
I voted ok computer has their masterpiece.