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Nov 05, 2021 Web Exclusive By Austin Saalman

Radiohead’s consecutive experimental masterpieces Kid A and Amnesiac have continued to intrigue, perplex, and ultimately astound. Recorded during the same 1999–2000 sessions, their vast sonic landscapes remain objects of envy and emulation. Twenty years later, both releases have been reissued and combined into Kid A Mnesia, a monumental triple album release from XL.

The group’s fourth studio album, Kid A made waves upon its release in October 2000, garnering as much controversy as it did praise. The much-anticipated follow-up to the groundbreaking OK Computer eschewed the album’s accessible guitar rock and Britpop for an icy electronica-based landscape. Despite its drastic stylistic left turn, Kid A boasts some of Radiohead’s finest music. “The National Anthem” and “Idioteque” remain ingenious classics, while “Everything in Its Right Place,” “Morning Bell,” and the positively beautiful “Motion Picture Soundtrack” have never ceased to astound.

2001’s Amnesiac continues Kid A’s stark, disaffected narrative. Opening track “Pakt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” introduced audiences to a far darker sound—a nocturnal counterpart to the lingering dayspring of Amnesiac’s predecessor. The phantasmagoric “Pyramid Song” and jazz-inflected “Life in a Glass House” prove just how far the group is willing to go to break the mold, and “Knives Out” continues to reiterate their status as leading revolutionaries of the alt rock movement. In hindsight, Amnesiac may well stand as one of Radiohead’s strongest efforts, a key entry in an already legendary musical canon.

A third disc, Kid Amnesiae, features 12 previously unreleased tracks, most notably the mournfully beautiful “Fog (Again and Again Version)” and “Follow Me Around,” which make the entire disc worth the listen. Also featured are alternate versions of “Like Spinning Plates” and “Morning Bell,” which will certainly be of interest to fans. In addition, Kid Amnesiette, a companion cassette, features album B-sides and fan favorites such as “Cuttooth” and “The Amazing Sounds of Orgy.”

Long-awaited, Kid A Mnesia is a testament of Radiohead’s phenomenal abilities, and stands as one of this year’s most exciting reissues. Fans of the group may rejoice, while newcomers will receive the full experience of two of the 21st century’s major creative achievements. (www.radiohead.com)

Author rating: 10/10