Sunday, October 11, 2009

FLASHBACK: Radiohead - Optimistic


Radiohead's Kid A album has been getting alot of attention in the last few weeks after topping Pitchfork's Best Albums of the 2000s list, so naturally, I had to spend some quality time with the music.  It's been a while.  I'm sitting here's now with it in the background.  I felt "inspired" after watching that BBC Seven Ages of Rock chapter that focused on British indie.

Anyway...the point is...I really forgot how good this album is.  Weather or not its the best album of this decade, or even Radiohead's best album is a debate for another time, and a debate that neither side could come out a winner.  "Idioteque" has always stayed in the forefront of my consciousness, and would definitely feature on my own All-Decade list, but I'm hearing "Optimistc" again for the first time in a while, and...it's stunning, isnt's it?  It goes into the category of "Perfect Songs".  Not necessarily because a song is earth-shatteringly brilliant, but because it's so complete in and of itself.  As-is.  Nothing needs to be added, removed or altered.  It's a rare quality to find in music.

I know some of you are reading this and saying, "Wow, is he REALLY blabbering on about Kid A right now"?  But remember, 80% of the fun in this blog (for me, anyway) is that some of you folks have Radiohead's entire catalog momorized in 4 different languages, while some of you have never heard of half the artists I post around here.  Good times.

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