Ah, Amnesiac - in my opinion the coolest Radiohead album by far. Released in June 2001, it has at times been labeled Kid A's jazzier twin. It's also been condescendingly referred to as a collection of out-takes from the Kid A sessions, but Thom himself declares this untrue:

 

"The gnostics believe when we are born we are forced to forget where we have come from in order to deal with the trauma of arriving in this life. i thought this was really fascinating. its like the river of forgetfulness. it may have been recorded at same time as Kid A but it comes from a different place i think. i used to listen to it on my laptop on tour supposedly trying to find a running order but really because i was so happy to have something we had done that nobody else had heard and was our secret. it sounds like finding an old chest in someones attic with all these notes and maps and drawings and descriptions of going to a place you cannot remember. thats what i think anyway"

 

Tracklisting.

 

Packt like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box

Quite un-Radioheadesque at first listen, but that is the beauty of Radiohead itself. Twas written in a park in Paris, watching young children and old people passing by. Interesting effects on Thom's vocals.

 

Pyramid Song

The first single in many countries. Used to be called Egyptian song, written in Copenhagen in 1999 after Thom went to an exhibition of Egyptian art. Jonny's favourite song on the album : "Pyramid Song is probably our best ever - not that I'm so cocky as to think we're that great or anything - just relieved it's out and we recorded it well enough." Thom has called it "a song about past lives".

In an interview once he said "That song literally took five minutes to write, but yet it came from all these mad places. It's something I never thought I could actually get across in a song and lyrically. But I managed it and that was really, really tough.  Stephen Hawking talks about the theory that time is another force. It's a fourth dimension and he talks about the idea that time is completely cyclical, it's always doing this [spins finger]. It's a factor, like gravity. It's something that I found in Buddhism as well. That's what "Pyramid Song" is about, the fact that everything is going in circles."

 

Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors

Famous for being the only (correct me if I'm wrong) Radiohead song never played live. Bizarre? Yes. Flows well with the album? Yes. Brilliant? Yes. 

 

You and whose army?

Allegedly dedicated to former British prime minister Tony Blair, but it can be interpreted many other different ways. Thom commented that this is one of his favourite songs on the album, "cause it was fun to play, totally relaxed. The song wrote itself. And I love colin's double bass on it."

 

I Might Be Wrong

Simply brilliant. Also excellent live.

 

Knives Out

Radiohead's best music video. Thom once said about the meaning of the song: "It's partly the idea of the businessman walking out on his wife and kids and never coming back. It's also the thousand yard stare when you look at someone close to you and you know they're gonna die. It's like a shadow over them, or the way they look straight through you. The shine goes out of their eyes." What a crazy yet brilliant man.

 

Morning Bell/ Amnesiac

Unfortunately this is the one Radiohead song I genuinely do not enjoy. Say what you will, but I ALWAYS skip it. Ruins Morning Bell from Kid A for me, which I adore.

 

Dollars & Cents

Thom's anti-capitalist lyrics, Jonny's fabulous string arrangements.

 

Hunting Bears

Two minutes of Jonny Greenwood's mad electric guitar skills. It has no lyrics, but Thom once posted in the depths of the website this short snippet:

bears
giant bears
they will eat me and you
run back to the house before they catch us
wee hee hee cant catch me
were going on a bear hunt.

 

Like Spinning Plates

Possibly my favorite track off the album though I don't listen to it all that often. First time I heard it was in the middle of the night on a high-speed, pitch black train speeding across Germany in the middle of nowhere. Everybody was asleep...and I was just transported to another world. I love the sound at the end that sounds like a motorcycle speeding away in the distance... you can only hear it when you're listening to the song in silence.

Thom has said "I'm so proud of 'Spinning Plates' because it was the most skew-whiff way of ever writing a song you could possibly imagine. Basically it was fragments of another song ['I Will'] spun backwards - rewriting the melody that's backwards and having to change it. It was great, that's the sort of stuff I get off on. Still at the end of the day it's a song, and I think coherent." Cool stuff.

I like the lyrics too.

 

while you make pretty speeches

I'm being cut to shreds

you feed me to the lions

a delicate balance

when this just feels like spinning plates

I'm living in cloud cuckoo land

and this just feels like spinning plates

our bodies floating down the muddy river

 

Listen to the live version as well!!!

 

Life In A Glasshouse

Beautiful closer with mind blowing instrumental arrangements. The full version is amazing as well.

 

So if you haven't heard the album, listen to it! If you haven't listened to the I Might Be Wrong Live Recordings you are missing out as well.

Feel free to discuss.... favorite songs, favorite lines, first impressions...

Favorite song – Like Spinning Plates

Least favorite song – Morning Bell/Amnesiac

Most listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) - Pyramid Song

Least listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) - Morning Bell/Amnesiac

Favorite song musically - Pyramid Song (time signature)

Favorite song lyrically – Like Spinning Plates

Favorite line of the album - "But someone's listening in" - Life In A Glasshouse

Most overrated song - Knives Out

Most underrated song - Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

Current favorite – Dollars & Cents

Favorite when you first listened to the album - Packt Like Sardines In A Crusht Tin Box

 

What song best exemplifies each of the members off the album

Thom - Like Spinning Plates

Jonny - You And Whose Army?

Ed - Knives Out

Phil – Pyramid Song

Colin – Dollars & Cents

I still havent found the way to like this album :(

Favorite song – Pyramid Song

Least favorite song – Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

Most listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) – Dollars And Cents

Least listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) – Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

Favorite song musically – Pyramid Song

Favorite song lyrically – Pyramid Song

Favorite line of the album – “And we all went to heaven in a little row boat, There was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt” and “While you make pretty speeches, I'm being cut to shreds.”

Most overrated song - …

Most underrated song - Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box

Current favorite – Like Spinning Plates

Favorite when you first listened to the album – Pyramid Song

 

What song best exemplifies each of the members off the album

Thom – Pyramid Song

Jonny – Knives Out

Ed – Knives Out

Phil – Pyramid Song

Colin – You And Whose Army?

Favorite song – Dollars and Cents

Least favorite song – Hunting Bears

Most listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) – You and Whose Army? (57)

Least listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) – Hunting Bears (11)

Favorite song musically – Pyramid Song

Favorite song lyrically – Pyramid Song

Favorite line of the album – "There was nothing to fear nothing to doubt", or "And this just feels like, Spinning Plates"

Most overrated song - Life in a Glasshouse

Most underrated song - Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

Current favorite – Dollars and Cents

Favorite when you first listened to the album – Knives Out

 

What song best exemplifies each of the members off the album

Thom – Pyramid Song

Jonny – You and Whose Army?

Ed –Dollars and Cents

Phil – Pyramid Song

Colin – I Might Be Wrong

I might be wroong

Amnesiac I feel is quite possibly the most underrated Radiohead album (well perhaps besides PH). By being released after such a groundbreaking album (Kid A), Amnesiac had a lot to live up to. Also I feel that its underrated because it was released after such a short time from Kid A, making it a bit much to take it all in.

 

Radiohead is always changing up their sound and incorporating various musical styles. I feel that Amnesiac is their Jazz album, because of songs like Life in a Glasshouse, Pyramid Song, and You and Whose Army?

 

For me the songs I found easiest to get into were Knives Out, You and Whose Army?, Pyramid Song, and I Might Be Wrong. The rest of the album took quite some time to get into, especially songs like Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors, Packt Like Sardines..., and Like Spinning Plates.

 

Looking back at the album it's very experimental, picking up right where Kid A left off. Incorporating more jazz, electronica, and wierd effects it's no wonder that many people feel Kid A & Amnesiac are related.

 

One song off the album that gets far too little credit than it deserves is Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors. I know most people probably think that it's just sound, but when you listen to it over and over you get used to it and like it. Particuarly in context with following Pyramid Song it works pretty well. Another song that I find to be extremely interesting is Like Spinning Plates. Taking the idea of backwards tapes, it really makes an interesting composition. If you visit CitizenInsane: http://www.citizeninsane.eu/likespinningplates.html you will find that Thom took the song I Will (later featured on HTTT), played it backwards, wrote a melody to that piece. Then he recorded his voice for the song, played that backwards, remembered the backwards vocal piece he did, recorded that backward vocal attempt and then played that backwards to make it appear that he was singing the songs. Learning all of this I found to be quite fascinating, just to see how much time and effort went into making the song.

 

Another song that really should get more credit is Dollars and Cents. I had the privilege to see Radiohead twice during their summer 2008 tour, and one of the nights they played this song directly after Paranoid Android. I must say that putting those two songs together is quite possibly one of the greatest transitions I ever heard. I mean you finish PA with crazy lights, insane guitar playing, and then you go right into Dollars and Cents with this trippy sounding repetitibe bass and drums. It worked so well together.

Amnesiac I feel is quite possibly the most underrated Radiohead album (well perhaps besides PH). By being released after such a groundbreaking album (Kid A), Amnesiac had a lot to live up to. Also I feel that its underrated because it was released after such a short time from Kid A, making it a bit much to take it all in.

 

Radiohead is always changing up their sound and incorporating various musical styles. I feel that Amnesiac is their Jazz album, because of songs like Life in a Glasshouse, Pyramid Song, and You and Whose Army?

 

For me the songs I found easiest to get into were Knives Out, You and Whose Army?, Pyramid Song, and I Might Be Wrong. The rest of the album took quite some time to get into, especially songs like Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors, Packt Like Sardines..., and Like Spinning Plates.

 

Looking back at the album it's very experimental, picking up right where Kid A left off. Incorporating more jazz, electronica, and wierd effects it's no wonder that many people feel Kid A & Amnesiac are related.

 

One song off the album that gets far too little credit than it deserves is Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors. I know most people probably think that it's just sound, but when you listen to it over and over you get used to it and like it. Particuarly in context with following Pyramid Song it works pretty well. Another song that I find to be extremely interesting is Like Spinning Plates. Taking the idea of backwards tapes, it really makes an interesting composition. If you visit CitizenInsane: http://www.citizeninsane.eu/likespinningplates.html you will find that Thom took the song I Will (later featured on HTTT), played it backwards, wrote a melody to that piece. Then he recorded his voice for the song, played that backwards, remembered the backwards vocal piece he did, recorded that backward vocal attempt and then played that backwards to make it appear that he was singing the songs. Learning all of this I found to be quite fascinating, just to see how much time and effort went into making the song.

 

Another song that really should get more credit is Dollars and Cents. I had the privilege to see Radiohead twice during their summer 2008 tour, and one of the nights they played this song directly after Paranoid Android. I must say that putting those two songs together is quite possibly one of the greatest transitions I ever heard. I mean you finish PA with crazy lights, insane guitar playing, and then you go right into Dollars and Cents with this trippy sounding repetitibe bass and drums. It worked so well together.

 

That's an interesting way to record a song. Also, I just visited that page about the song, and now I'm super confused... :P

haha... it is really confusing to grasp how they recorded the song. wonsy (site creator) i think explains it pretty well though with using his voice

also on that page I really like the top recording that meshes Like Spinning Plates and I will

I understand how they recorded it. But the below part of the page is confusing.

it's just pieces of artwork or stuff from previous websites that references the song

I get that also, but the artwork and that stuff itself are confusing.

 

... This isn't leading anywhere. It's just me knowing very little about Radiohead compared to the rest of you.

there most underatted album.

 

Favorite song – knives out

Least favorite song – hunting bears

Most listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) - i might be wrong

Least listened to song (iTunes/last.fm) - hunting bears

Favorite song musically - Pyramid Song

Most underrated song - Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors

Current favorite – you and whose army/life in a glass house

Favorite when you first listened to the album - pyramid song (because i knew it already)

 

 

some people talk like amnesiac isnt very good,i personally think its one of the best albums ever

Oh, and, I won't fill in the survey, but I'll say that my fav is I Might Be Wrong. When I first listened to the album my fav was Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors.

Yay, some more Pulk/Pull love!

 

Amazing song.

With great lyrics!

First post edited.

PS. I'm kind of loving your sig, MK

Nice description anna111!

 

I love that story you mention about listening to like spinning plates while driving. The way that you describe it I can just imagine how it must have felt like, listening to those songs at that time of night.

 

As for Pulk/Pull Revolving doors, there are a few other radiohead songs they've never played live. Like Treefingers, I am Citizen Insane, Meeting in the Aisle (Intro music, not live), Fitter Happier (intro music as well, not live), and I think a few others. Still it is one of the very few songs they have never played live.

 

Also I dunno if you know about Pulk/Pull Revolving doors, but it was based off of True Love Waits, and I think Colin really worked the song together. Apparently there are pieces of TLW within the song, though I cant' decipher it (although it may be those bell type sounds?!?!)

so far the faves for each album are Creep, Street Spirit (fade out), Paranoid Android/Let Down (tie), and How to Disappear Completely.

PS. I'm kind of loving your sig, MK

 

Thanks.

Your hosting was good!

so far the faves for each album are Creep, Street Spirit (fade out), Paranoid Android/Let Down (tie), and How to Disappear Completely.

 

What about amnesiac?

 

Nice description anna111!

 

I love that story you mention about listening to like spinning plates while driving. The way that you describe it I can just imagine how it must have felt like, listening to those songs at that time of night.

 

As for Pulk/Pull Revolving doors, there are a few other radiohead songs they've never played live. Like Treefingers, I am Citizen Insane, Meeting in the Aisle (Intro music, not live), Fitter Happier (intro music as well, not live), and I think a few others. Still it is one of the very few songs they have never played live.

 

Also I dunno if you know about Pulk/Pull Revolving doors, but it was based off of True Love Waits, and I think Colin really worked the song together. Apparently there are pieces of TLW within the song, though I cant' decipher it (although it may be those bell type sounds?!?!)

 

thanks! yeah i never realized about those songs that haven't been played live either. That's really cool about colin and True Love waits, I never knew. but wasn't true love waits after Amnesiac? well I guess it could have been recorded before/ at the same time.

 

Thanks.

Your hosting was good!

 

grazie.

 

 

 

....Amnesiac also has the best set of B-sides!

well they have the live recorded version of TLW, which came out on the IMBW: live recordings. The song though was had it's debut in 1995

well they have the live recorded version of TLW, which came out on the IMBW: live recordings. The song though was had it's debut in 1995

 

Ohh. clueless as usual.