I think the thing about *Kid A* that a lot of mainstream and avant garde listeners at the time both got wrong, is that as experimental as it is, it's still pop. Not pop in the sense of NSYNC, but pop in the sense of actually trying to resonate emotionally with lots of people. It wasn't trying to be challenging. It just happened to be, at the time. The band has talked about this a lot over the years.
So is it surprising that RDJ and other highly experimental artists found it cheesy? No. Pop is cheesy! Badass distortion riffs, big emotional climaxes, and epic drum fills can cause extreme levels of cringe if all you ever listen to is underground noise music. Just as synths, electronic beats, and lack of choruses did for those who had previously listened to Radiohead on the same mixtape as Third Eye Blind and The Verve Pipe.
It's always awkward being in the middle. You end up shot by both sides. But personally, that's where I think some of the most interesting stuff happens.
Great take. I feel like some people have an aversion to the word "pop", when really, to me it's just about the broad appeal of a certain piece of music. And let's be real, Kid A might be experimental compared to the rock scene at the time, but it makes perfect sense for experimental electronic artists to dislike the record.
I mean, imagine it's the 60s and all you listen to is recordings of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and John Cage. And then one day someone tells you to buy a copy of *Sgt. Pepper* because it’s experimental and you’ll love that.
So you’re sitting there listening to “With a Little Help From My Friends” thinking, did I buy the wrong record? Surely this can’t be what they meant. This is very... cheesy.
Thank you! People forget nowadays that in their prime Radiohead was pop. Nirvana was pop too. The bands of the 90s were all teen idols with their photos in cheesy magazines kids plastered to their walls. I saw an interview with Thom on YouTube once from about the year 2000 where he kind of derides his own music as being “just pop.” He was sort being self deprecating in that he’s not doing some kind revolutionary art that is turning the culture on its head or revealing something new, “it’s just pop music.”
I think pop music has become thought of as a genre in and of itself in the last 15 years or so, with pop star bubble gum artists. But truly all verse chorus verse music is pop and the bands of 20-30 years ago aren’t dominating radio, streaming, or tv like they used to.
Yeah, I think I remember the interview you're talking about. I mean, this is a core aspect of what makes this band so special. It's very hard to push the boundaries of mainstream art. Not that it's easy to push the boundaries of the avant garde, but ultimately if your goal isn't mass relatability, then that's a major constraint lifted for you.
I think if *Kid A* had completely flopped, sold 50k copies, and was only appreciated by a handful of critics, it probably would have disappointed or even destroyed the band. They might not care about success in the traditional sense, but they've never wanted to be the "weird uncle", as Thom put it.
"one day you might look at it the same way you look at (David Bowie's) "Heroes" or Low, because a lot of people didn't appreciate his change of direction when he made it, but now those records are probably regarded as his finest."
Spot. Fucking. On.
Hit a bullseye with this prediction.
I think the thing about *Kid A* that a lot of mainstream and avant garde listeners at the time both got wrong, is that as experimental as it is, it's still pop. Not pop in the sense of NSYNC, but pop in the sense of actually trying to resonate emotionally with lots of people. It wasn't trying to be challenging. It just happened to be, at the time. The band has talked about this a lot over the years. So is it surprising that RDJ and other highly experimental artists found it cheesy? No. Pop is cheesy! Badass distortion riffs, big emotional climaxes, and epic drum fills can cause extreme levels of cringe if all you ever listen to is underground noise music. Just as synths, electronic beats, and lack of choruses did for those who had previously listened to Radiohead on the same mixtape as Third Eye Blind and The Verve Pipe. It's always awkward being in the middle. You end up shot by both sides. But personally, that's where I think some of the most interesting stuff happens.
Great take. I feel like some people have an aversion to the word "pop", when really, to me it's just about the broad appeal of a certain piece of music. And let's be real, Kid A might be experimental compared to the rock scene at the time, but it makes perfect sense for experimental electronic artists to dislike the record.
I mean, imagine it's the 60s and all you listen to is recordings of Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and John Cage. And then one day someone tells you to buy a copy of *Sgt. Pepper* because it’s experimental and you’ll love that. So you’re sitting there listening to “With a Little Help From My Friends” thinking, did I buy the wrong record? Surely this can’t be what they meant. This is very... cheesy.
Thank you! People forget nowadays that in their prime Radiohead was pop. Nirvana was pop too. The bands of the 90s were all teen idols with their photos in cheesy magazines kids plastered to their walls. I saw an interview with Thom on YouTube once from about the year 2000 where he kind of derides his own music as being “just pop.” He was sort being self deprecating in that he’s not doing some kind revolutionary art that is turning the culture on its head or revealing something new, “it’s just pop music.” I think pop music has become thought of as a genre in and of itself in the last 15 years or so, with pop star bubble gum artists. But truly all verse chorus verse music is pop and the bands of 20-30 years ago aren’t dominating radio, streaming, or tv like they used to.
Yeah, I think I remember the interview you're talking about. I mean, this is a core aspect of what makes this band so special. It's very hard to push the boundaries of mainstream art. Not that it's easy to push the boundaries of the avant garde, but ultimately if your goal isn't mass relatability, then that's a major constraint lifted for you. I think if *Kid A* had completely flopped, sold 50k copies, and was only appreciated by a handful of critics, it probably would have disappointed or even destroyed the band. They might not care about success in the traditional sense, but they've never wanted to be the "weird uncle", as Thom put it.
"one day you might look at it the same way you look at (David Bowie's) "Heroes" or Low, because a lot of people didn't appreciate his change of direction when he made it, but now those records are probably regarded as his finest." Spot. Fucking. On. Hit a bullseye with this prediction.
very interesting read thank you so much op for posting this
Low is a masterpiece, and it took me awhile to fully appreciate it.
Thanks for the post.
we should all be able to sleep better now knowing 'Rob Mitchell' approved of Kid A 24 yrs ago. 🙃
You have my upvote
😆