Amnesiac
Radiohead
2001
Album Summary
Amnesiac is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 30 May 2001 by EMI subsidiaries Parlophone and Capitol Records. It was recorded with producer Nigel Godrich in the same sessions as Radiohead's previous album Kid A (2000); Radiohead split the work in two as they felt it was too dense for a double album. As with Kid A, Amnesiac incorporates influences from electronic music, 20th-century classical music, jazz and krautrock. The final track, "Life in a Glasshouse", is a collaboration with the jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band. After having released no singles for Kid A, Radiohead promoted Amnesiac with the singles "Pyramid Song" and "Knives Out", accompanied by music videos. Videos were also made for "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors" and "Like Spinning Plates", and "I Might Be Wrong", which was released as a promotional single. In June 2001, Radiohead began the Amnesiac tour, incorporating their first North American tour in three years. Amnesiac debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number two on the US Billboard 200. By October 2008, it had sold over 900,000 copies worldwide. It is certified platinum in the UK, the US and Canada, and gold in Japan. Though some critics felt it was too experimental or less cohesive than Kid A, or saw it as a collection of outtakes, it received positive reviews; it was named one of the year's best albums by numerous publications. Amnesiac was nominated for the Mercury Prize and several Grammy Awards, winning for Best Recording Package for the special edition. "Pyramid Song" was named one of the best tracks of the decade by Rolling Stone, NME and Pitchfork, and Rolling Stone ranked Amnesiac number 320 in their 2012 "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Kid A Mnesia, an anniversary reissue compiling Kid A, Amnesiac and previously unreleased material, was released in 2021.
WikipediaIt's not just Radiohead. On Life in a Glasshouse it's Radiohead and jazz/comedy legend Humphrey Lyttleton. Which is enough that I want to give it five stars regardless! People often see this album as the poorer sibling of Kid A, but I suspect that had they been released in the opposite order people would feel the opposite way.
Kid B. I have a hard time separating Kid A from Amnesiac since they are almost siblings, but it's another classic Radiohead album for sure. Like Kid A, this one took me longer to get into but eventually I came around. I would have loved to be a Radiohead fan when this came out, alas it was before my time.
Every bit as good as Kid A and perhaps more enjoyable. Amnesiac doesn't have the same dense overarching structure to wade through, but still maintains a richly textured atmosphere. Almost like something between OK Computer and Kid A. Best of both worlds if you ask me.
After years of waiting, I jumped in the river and what did I see? Barn doors, revolving doors, sliding doors, secret doors and trap doors. Come on, come on Holy Roman Empire! Have yourself a good time, there's nothing at all. If you'd been a dog, they would have drowned you at birth. Cut the kids in half, be constructive with your blues. This just feels like spinning plates, that's a strange mistake to make.
You ever notice that when Radiohead puts out a new album, everyone and their mother talks about it for a week or two and then you don’t really hear anyone talk about Radiohead again until the next album cycle? Kind of weird, right? Following the trio of Ok Computer, Kid A and Amnesiac, Radiohead earned a mythological status: Every record was destined to be a game changer before it even hit the shelves…they were the greatest band in the world, constantly inventing, revolutionizing modern rock…blah, blah, blah. Just look at the reviews on this site for Radiohead records: There’s so much superfluous verbiage and hyperbole about this band that you’d think I was the one writing all the reviews. (Look at that, I’m being self-effacing…it’s truly the dawn of a new year and, more importantly, a new me.) The hype train gets revved up hard before every Radiohead release and a lot of the time, the final product doesn’t live up to the hype. Don’t believe me? Go dust off your Hail to the Thief and King of Limbs CD’s and reminisce about how great you anticipated those records would be. I’m told In Rainbows is an exception, I’ll have to wait until the generator recommends it to really find out. …but you know what? Maybe the hype was earned at one point. Amnesiac, essentially a collection of cast-offs from the Kid A sessions, is better than an album of leftovers has any right to be. It’s sort of an alternate reality Kid A, just a bit more scattershot, weird and less memorable. The problem for Radiohead is that the unbearable weight of hype eventually comes crashing down, as we saw with Hail to the Thief and King of Limbs. You build up enough hype, eventually people are going to be let down. Both of those records, I feel it’s worth pointing out, were follow-ups to critically lauded albums (Kid A/Amnesiac and In Rainbows, respectively) and were considered disappointing. So Radiohead ended up kind of stuck in this cycle, where every record was expected to be a revolutionary, forward-thinking game changer and a massive amount of anticipation accompanies each release. From an artistic standpoint, it’s got to be an immense pressure: trying to create something that exceeds not only your previous attempts, but also the expectations of the world. I guess my point in all this is that Radiohead, as good as they can be, aren’t infallible and its necessary to separate the actual finished product from what hype dictates. Is Amnesiac a ‘greatest of all time’ record based off its songs, production and experimentation or is it getting more credit than it deserves because the seed has been planted (by fans, the press, PR teams) that Radiohead is the greatest, most innovative band in the world and anything they do is important? Amnesiac is a very solid record, but can you die without having heard it? I think so. St. Peter’s not going to ding you one at the pearly gates because you never heard “Dollars & Cents”. Most of what you hear on Amnesiac is not that far off from Kid A, stylistically speaking. There are some great songs on Amnesiac. Several classics for Radiohead fans, I’m sure, but a lot of the album sounds a little same-y, like they had an idea of what they wanted Kid A to sound like and these songs are the experiments on the way to getting there.
I'm going to say it...Radiohead is overrated and this album is not their best effort.
Listens,: 1 Enjoyed: no I feel l Ike I've been had of this week. Endless mix of poor depressing music
I do remember a time when there was no Amnesiac and only Kid A. Whit the passing of the time, there seems to be a conception of the two albums being tied, but at the time it was a complete different experience. It was more cryptic but in a way more interesting than its predecessor. I remember countless hours listening to this on my Sony discman. I remember once going to the rooftop and seeing the moon rise behind the clouds while listening to Pyramid Song. I guess I was at a melancholic stage of my teenage years, but I got something out of this record that did not get from Kid A or OK Computer. You and Whose Army? Still gets me every damn time (we ride tonight ghost horses!) same with Life In a Glass House, of which just the other day a listened to the extended version which I had not heard in a few years, what a delight! Many tend to think of Amnesiac as a lesser work than other Radiohead records but I can’t see why, it is one of the greatest records I have ever had the pleasure to listen, I love songs like Hunting Bears or Like Spinning Plates (of course I like the live version better but who doesn’t?) I love that half-forgotten / half remembered sound in Knives Out and Morning bell. Do you remember that amazing video clip they did for Pyramid Song? Damn that ending with the diver staying underwater and cutting the oxygen line will haunt me forever. There was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt…
I didn’t hate this but it does kind of seem like “when geniuses faff around”. Most of the instrumental innovation struck me as merely electronic noodling. Only the last track really stood out as striking new ground.
The OK stuff is OK. Merely OK. Not great. The terrible stuff is absolutely awful. This is one of those albums that the britpop music ponces cream themselves over. To them, this album is genius. If you don't like the awful, talentless thrashing of the bad stuff it's simply that you're too stupid to appreciate the craftmanship and the beauty of the Emperor's new clothes. I have briefly considered giving this two stars, given that there genuinely are a few listen-toable tracks in here. Unfortunate that the overwhelming wankiness totally obviates that.
Gets overshadowed by Kid A I suppose, but perhaps just as good. Love this album. The songs hang together despite being very different from one another. They each take you to a different wonderful and mysterious place.
It’s clear to me how impactful this album was to so many modern albums based on how familiar it sounded despite never listening to it fully before.
Somehow this isn’t in my Radiohead top 3. With most other bands this ranking would’ve meant a good but not GREAT album. That isn’t the case here. I would have liked for a couple of the tracks to be a bit more focused, but with Pyramid Song, Knives Out and Life in a Glasshouse appearing on this thing… Who actually gives a shit? Best: Pyramid Song / I Might Be Wrong / Knives Out Worst: Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors / Hunting Bears
For virtually any other band, Amnesiac would be the definitive magnum opus. With Radiohead, you can make a somewhat reasonable claim that it doesn't even belong in a list of their top 5 albums. I won't make such a claim. 'You and Whose Army', 'I Might Be Wrong' and 'Knives Out' is a strong contender for the best 3 track-stretch in their entire discography.
Wonderful, almost perfect, one of my favourite bands ever, and was always going to score well. Listening to it again, I was reminded why I loved it first time around, and it has to be five stars (at least!) Pyramid song and you and whose army are stand outs, even in an album so flawless
Nice sibbling of Kid A and equally brilliant. Thom Yorke's voice cuts through your soul and variety in music styles is fascinating. Only reason Kid A is bit better is How.To Disappear Completely, but easily 5 stars for Amnesiac too. The 3 times I saw them life are moments to cherish.
4.5 rounded up to 5 - hard to believe this isn't even in my top Radiohead albums and yet is so good
A good album by one of my favorite bands, but not necessarily to the level of most of their catalogue. Still great compared to most other bands. 4.5/5
Depressed, heavy, futuristic vibes ring out from track one. "You and whose army" really accentuates these emotions. It's as if the entire album could exist within both Blade Runner films.
this is very soothing to listen to. it gives me a sense of calmness i have not felt in a long while. automatic 5 stars for how soothing it is, another 5 for how good the music is in itself.
Combining the intensity of The Bends with the style of Kid A, this album truly breaks new ground for both Radiohead and music in general. Synthetic soundwaves create melody as Thom Yorke’s familiar voice croons brokenly in the background. This collection does have a few songs that probably can be skipped, but the standout tracks are Radiohead at their best. Standout songs are Pyramid Song and I Might Be Wrong.
Probably my 3rd or 4th favorite Radiohead album but still 5 stars for those with taste.
Imagine yourself in Radiohead's collective shoes as they worked on Amnesiac. They managed to follow up the titanic breakthrough of OK Computer with the otherworldly Kid A, and then here they are needing to find a way to follow up Kid A with an album that is neither a step backwards nor a facsimile of their previous work. And they fucking did it. Amnesiac is my least favorite out of the three albums, but it absolutely deserves its place on this list and among the greatest recorded albums of music history. It picks up where Kid A left off, but it does its own thing. While Kid A is ethereal, alien, and psychedelic, Amnesiac is far more ground. The Radiohead's anger and disillusionment show through more on this album. It's as if they thought releasing Kid A was going to change the course of the world in some way, and they created this album to tell everyone that they're disappointed that the world is still bullshit, but that that fact isn't going to stop them "After years of waiting, nothing came. And you realize you're looking in the wrong place" This album still gives me chills to this day. Easily a 5/5 5/5
If I had to choose between Kid A or Amnesiac, I’d likely choose Kid A. Having said that, this companion album is good enough to be the pinnacle of any other band’s career. The presence of Pyramid Song alone is enough to eat it 5 stars, but Radiohead being Radiohead is not content with just that. This album, from the opening percussion of Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box to the languid Dixieland jazz of the closing track, covers an insane amount of sonic ground just like its predecessor
notes - oooooo ive been WAITING for radiohead - if not my #1 band theyre absolutely top 3 - this album is the other half of kid a - part of radiohead’s switch from rock to electronic influenced more experimental music - i could listen to this album any day at any time and enjoy it - pyramid song even brings in some jazz influence that becomes stronger on future releases fav - knives out - the descending guitar melody that wraps around itself with thoms desperate sounding vocals is such a perfect match least fav - life in a glasshouse - still a really good song but the weakest on here
A very interesting album. Good to just zone out to and listen with your eyes closed. A bit of a musical journey.
It took me years to get into this record. I’d never really got anything they did after OK Computer, but You & Whose Army came on the radio one day and I got completely lost in it. Might be their best album. Maybe. Possibly.
Quinto álbum de la banda que más triunfó uniendo la experiencia de rockear con la de experimentar. Son tan minuciosos a la hora de componer, que abruma del solo pensarlo. Encontrando siempre alternativas para que su sonido suene tal cual lo quieren, y rompiéndose la cabeza para que esté todo en su sitio. Es un trabajo quirúrgico. En éste álbum de rock experimental, el cuál mezcla muchos sonidos tanto del jazz como la electrónica, termina dando una experiencia grandilocuente y épica. Es muy satisfactoria la escucha, al tener tramos ambient que te transportan a otra dimensión, sin duda. Es atractiva la producción y cómo cada instrumento, que ciertamente, fue interpretado, grabado y producido de la forma más particular que se ocurra para que suene exactamente cómo lo pensaban los integrantes de la banda. Usando también samples, cintas de grabaciones antiguas, instrumentos poco convencionales, aprovecharon al máximo esa faceta, para así darnos un proyecto el cual su atractivo vaya por la música, cómo así, por su grabación tan particular.
J'adote radiohead mais velui ci est tres speciale. Ca sonne comme radiohead mais c'est plus eclaté. J'adore 4.85
Tänään 6.11 on itsenäisyyspäivä. Samalla tavalla kuin suomi on pidettävä vapaana tunkeilijoista, pidän tänään arvostelun ilman ulkopuolisia.. anglokommentteja.. Niistä olen saanut tarpeekseni.. Aloitetaan puhtaan linjan pito semmosellas ettäs ei tässä albumissa juuri ole hitti biisejä!! HYVIN PASKA KEISSI.. jos ei yksikään biisi yllä hitiksi... Mitä helsingissä näkyy.. tiedätte... halutaan muuttaa nimi ja lippu.. EU ja tähtilippu.. Helsingissä.. Musiikkia kuunneltana.. HUOMAA SEN! HITTI BIISI KAIKKI LAITTAVAT SOIMAAN!! hehhheh... EI ANNETAKKAAN RUOKAA KERJÄLÄISILLE... jää ruoka aivan kokonaan ruuan tekijöille... Heh.. Kelalta saatava raha.. ei ruuaksi muutu.. jos eivät hehheh.. Me sitä anna.. Hehhehhh.. Nääntyminen! Se on mitä tapahtuu jos odottaa saavansa biisin tältä albumilta! Sitä ei saa.. Yhden ainutta... NYT ON RADIOHEDIN POJAT tehny.. TEHNY.. TEHNY JUMALEISSONS ALBUMIN!! Nuostu paskasta mitä ollaan painettu.. Siitä läjästä ollaan perseet.. Hehhheh.. Hinattu... Soundi on myös muuttunut.. Ollaan otettu vaikutteita klassisesta.. ja jatsista???? Jazz.. parempi mustien musiikki.... Otettu pois.. Se mitä ei täällä nykyään uskalleta.. Jos joskus ollu jollain... POIS!! TARTTE RUOKKIA KERJÄLÄISIÄ! SANO STOP! Tällä albumilla ei kerjäläisiä ruokita... Vaan niitä jotka ymmärtävät radioheadin päälle.. Nyt täysin uudenlaisen piirtelyn tuhinoista tehty teos.. Ääriviivoja ei näin silkkiseen hiili teokseen tarvita.. .Maalailua.. rumalla Thom Yorken äänellä.. Ei se kaunis ole.. sielua raastava.. Samoissa sessioissa kuin Kid A, tässä on kuitenkin parempi atmosfääri..Vahva suositus..
They are so good. Each album is a complete album and so different. No song pops out for me and I rarely go back and listen to this album but I think they get a 5 just for cohesion and production.
I don’t know this record as well as some of their others, but I’ll definitely be coming back to this one. Quintessential Radiohead, amazing songwriting and really interesting arrangements.
I love the horns in “living in a glasshouse” it’s one of the best endings for an album- so classic. I love all the weird rhythm stuff in sardines and revolving doors. Drums in pyramid song make the tune. Morning bell is one of my favorite Radiohead songs - I love the contrast from the verse and choruses.
I always thought this album was underrated compared to Kid A. It doesn't get better than Pyramid Song.
Collection of wonderful songs that remain intact under heavy experimentation. Just listen to Like Spinning Plates.
This is the Radiohead album that won me over. Probably still my favourite, along with Kid A.
Great album but I need to be a bit in the right mood to appreciate the voice of Thom Yorke and the Morning Bell version does fit but is less good than the version on Kid A. Anyways, I liked it then and like it now so let me give it the full stars it deserves.
That's cool. I mean, this album offers you a broad variety of genres, also incorporating unusual moves.
Was my least favourite Radiohead album when I was younger and first got in to them, now love it. Like Spinning Plates is a beautiful song (really recommend listening to the live piano version on the I Might Be Wrong EP). Also love the version of Morning Bell on this album compared to the one on Kid A. They were pumping out so much great stuff in those 1999-2000 recording sessions.
I did not know that this was going to be a double album with Kid A and was produced at the same time but then separated because it had too much in it for one double. I absolutely love this, super beautiful and unusual and catchy. Morning Bell/Amnesiac has been in my head for weeks now for some reason so really nice to listen to that. I don't know how he writes these tracks, so mystical.
I'm a reasonable man, but you've gotta admit this isn't as good as their other stuff, either before or after. Still a five, tho.
I was really thinking when I clicked the button it was gonna be like a Yardbirds album, but nope!! We got Amnesiac instead. This is some of the very best music in the world. The best band of our generation. The paradigm schism. What else can I say. Everything is basically perfect. I kept thinking about all the styles and all the instruments on this one album and how masterfully they are orchestrated. Just tip top.
Spectacullar album, but then Radiohead rarely misses, its the kind of experimental music that is enjoyable to listen to
This album feels the most experimental of theirs, with some tracks ("Revolving doors") that are a little hard to digest at times. Yet it also has some of Radiohead's most sublime work. "Pyramid song" might be my favorite across their whole oeuvre. "I might be wrong", "Pakt like sardines..." and "Knives out" are classics. I can't not give it 5.
This is a great album. I really enjoy Radiohead and their albums were big for me in high school. This and Kid A together are an amazing set of albums. For whatever reason I felt like people would always make you pick which of the two was your favorite back then and I tended to lean towards Kid A. But now I'm an adult and we don't have to choose. 5/5. Standout Tracks: Packt Like Sardines In a Crushd Tin Box, Pyramid Song, You And Whose Army?, I Might Be Wrong, Knives Out, Morning Bell/Amnesiac, Dollars and Cents, Like Spinning Plates, Life In a Glasshouse
I Might Be Wrong is just so cool, that funky bass line is a joy. You and Whose Army? Wow! I've been too busy listening to write notes. Dollars and Cents just got completely under my skin. Maybe I want in the mood, but I found Kid A to be disappointing, whereas this weird collection is just magnificent.
I went into this not liking Amnesiac a huge amount. I always saw it as just leftovers from Kid A that weren't as good as Kid A. But on this listen I found a lot more appreciation for it. It felt weirdly hopeful and curious, whereas Kid A was just bleak and stark. The closing track is this multi-layer orchestral piece that feels like the cheerful closing credits to the duo of Kid A/Amnesiac, the band basically saying "thank you for coming on this journey, we hope you enjoyed your stay." So while I still prefer Kid A, I have a newfound admiration for Amnesiac.
It's not my favourite radiohead album, but I think it's a little underrated. Kid A is one of my favourite albums of all time, and it's a hard act to follow and not just sound like Kid A Lite. However this still has some great tracks on it, although it's not quite as consistent as some of their other albums. Pyramid song is a masterpiece, and life in a glass house is a standout jazzy mess (in a good way).
A lot of good stuff on here. A few songs feel too bare/experimental for me, but the classic Radiohead sound and creativity are very much present. Minus a point for a lot of the lyrics kinda not making any sense. 7/10
Before only listened to OK Computer and some tracks from The Bends, so I was expecting something similar to these records. But this one has a completely different sound to it. The vibe of this record is really melancholic even for Radiohead. I think Pyramid Song might be up there in the list of the saddest songs I've heard. The sadness just covers you like a fluffy blanket when this tune comes on. In this record the band tried to create a special atmosphere. There are a couple interludes consisting of weird sounding electronic soundscapes that connect the songs together and create a special mood. Even though the band tried to diversify the record a bit by adding a some semi-upbeat sounding moments, the pacing still seemed slow to me. In some moments I caught myself wanting to turn the record off, but some cool melodies and song ideas always stopped me from doing that. Overall I was left impressed by the band's eagerness to experiment and redefine their sound
Need to listen more to get the full benefit. Can tell it is going to be a good 'un.
Amnesiac is the album that made me a fan of Radiohead. Obviously a continuation of Kid A, this a great album to listen to preferably alone, at night, and with good headphones.
Amnesiac has a magnificent couple of ending pieces and its consistency puts it strictly ahead of Kid A. Even the more pop-oriented tracks have funky mixing and appendices galore. This sits in the same sonic category as this year's We, which I also quite enjoyed. Abstract, existing warm fuzzies for the band, pretentious influences, etc. Good music.
Want to listen to more Radiohead. Much less intense than I always thought it was.
Un d'aquells discos que realment guanyen amb les escoltes. El to opressiu i angustiós encaixa bé amb l'atmósfera d'aïllament individual de començaments del mil.leni
this is a great album, and as well as the noise/electronica there are some more conventional and very beautiful songs that would fit into Ok Computer or In Rainbows. Definitely start here for the 'difficult Radiohead' rather than Kid A.
I wasn't looking forward to another Radiohead Album, but the loops in the opening track caught my attention, next came Pyramid Song, a descent ballad with nice piano and distorted strings, the next song was fairly electronic/experimental followed by those eerie retro vocals in You and Whose Army, etc. The album has been criticized as an album of outtakes, but I like that aspect - you're really not sure what you're going to get when you flip to the next track. They certainly are a creative bunch, continuing to expand artistically, not afraid to alienate the fans who jumped on board with Creep and wanting more of the same.
Kid A has always been a smidge above in my mind, but both are life-changing albums.
Heard it several times already. I like it more than the average Radiohead fan, as I think it’s unfair to consider it as a load of Kid A cast-offs. It lacks the same through-line in the tracklisting, but many of the songs are excellent on their own terms, even if Thom Yorke pushes it a little too far with the artificial manipulation of his vocals. Favourite track: Life In A Glasshouse