My Amazon Reviews: Radiohead "Amnesiac"

I'm a reasonable man, get off my case.,

3 Out of 5 Stars 

In a rare moment of album to album consistency, Radiohead loosed "Amnesiac" a mere year after the head-turning electronica of "Kid A." And like that previous album, Thom Yorke just sucked upon that lemon until his sour view of the world oozed up from the meditative piano and synthesized songs laid forth. This time, though, things seem more traditionally based in song structures. Both "Knives Out" and the opening "Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box" almost feel like the Abacab structures. I did say almost.

And again, like "Kid A," "Amnesia" struggles to maintain the level of quality before ultimately puttering out. "Hunting Bears" is the biggest offender here, although it seemed to be included just to give guitarist Johnny Greenwood a chance to finally play. All is forgiven by the delirious brass band that closes out "Life In A Glass House." The horns that careened drunkenly on "Kid A's" "National Anthem" have sobered up enough to deliver an emotional wallop as Radiohead's dual-album experiment draws to a conclusion. In another two years, Yorke would return the guitars to the front of the band with "Hail To The Thief," and return Radiohead to rock and roll.