The Radiohead Story (1999-2001)

Exhausted by fame and on the verge of burning out following their 1997-1998 world tour, the band spent the next year in relative quiet. Thom Yorke later admitted that during that period the band were close to splitting up, and that he himself had developed mild depression. Radiohead’s only appearance later that year was at an Amnesty International concert in Paris (10 December, 1998). In 1999 Thom and Jonny performed alone at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in Amsterdam, debuting a new work, “Egyptian Song” (later known as “Pyramid Song”). The band’s only public performance was in a webcast to their fans, introducing the song “Knives Out.”

In early 1999 Radiohead began work on a follow-up to OK Computer, but in a less organised fashion than with their previous albums. Although there was no longer any pressure or even a deadline from their record label, tensions during this period were high. The members all had different visions for the band’s future, and Yorke, in his songwriting role, was experiencing writer’s block. Eventually all the members agreed with a new musical direction, redefining their roles in the band.

For the first time the band recorded without considering live performance, secluding themselves with producer Nigel Godrich in a series of different studios from Paris to Copenhagen to their own studio, newly complete in Oxford. In the process, they pared their 40 new songs down to the 30 which ultimately made their subsequent two records and accompanying b-sides.[5]

Radiohead refused to create a stylistic sequel to OK Computer, opting for a minimalist and textured style featuring less overt guitar and more diverse instrumentation, such as the ondes martenot, electronic beats, strings, and jazz horns, but retaining some of the lyrical and musical hooks of their earlier records. “The trick is to try and carry on doing things that interest you, but not turn into some art-rock nonsense just for its own sake,” Colin Greenwood said of the recording sessions,[6] which were completed in late spring of 2000, after nearly 18 months.
Radiohead’s “modified bear” icon

Kid A, released on October 2, 2000, was the first of two albums taken from these recording sessions. Synthesised, claustrophobic, alternately lush and abrasive, with ever more cryptic lyrics, the album stunned both the music industry and Radiohead’s fan base for its departures from their past work and from pop conventions. The band declined to release any singles from Kid A, apparently suggesting the album should be listened to as a whole (however, a promo of “Optimistic” received some radio play). Instead, a series of “video blips” or “antivideos” were created by video directors Chris Bran and Shynola; these 30-second largely animated videos were seen to tie in with the album’s anti-consumerist themes.[7]

Yet the “difficult” Kid A achieved Radiohead’s highest worldwide chart placement to date, debuting at number 1 in many countries, including the United States. Its position on the Billboard album chart (where OK Computer had reached a peak of #22) marked a first for the band, identifying them as one of the few modern British pop artists to penetrate the American market,[8] though the album fell off soon after. Kid A’s success has been attributed both to massive hype and to the early availability of all the songs on the Internet file-sharing network Napster, accustoming fans to the new musical style,[9] but it was also a clear result of anticipation after OK Computer.[10]

Like its predecessor, Kid A ultimately received a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album and a nomination for Album of the Year, and also appeared on many best-of-year lists. But while the press continued to brand Radiohead one of the world’s most “important” rock bands, Kid A did not inspire universal praise. “I think a lot of writers expected us to come back with a combination of OK Computer and The Bends. The fact that we didn’t do that means people who got their guitars out have had to put them back into the wardrobe,” said Jonny Greenwood. However, the record also cemented Radiohead’s enigmatic image, gaining them plaudits for courage and innovation. While some fans were mystified or appalled, many others now see it as the band’s best work.

Inspired by Naomi Klein’s anti-globalization manifesto No Logo, the band mounted a tour of Europe during this period in a big top tent free of corporate logos, but performed only three small theatre dates in North America. These concerts sold out instantly and attracted many celebrities. Along with songs from Kid A (which had been reworked for live performance after the album was finished) the band performed songs that had been recorded, but not yet released. Having rejected the possibility of a double album before Kid A, they now considered a series of EPs or singles, before settling on another album to contain the remaining material. In the meantime, a “special edition” version of Kid A was released, packaged as a children’s book and featuring additional art by Stanley Donwood and Tchock (Yorke’s pseudonym).

Radiohead’s next album, Amnesiac, was released in June 2001, and comprised further tracks from the same recording sessions. Conceived as complementary but distinct sequences of songs, the two albums are similar in style and influence, a connection made explicit with different versions of the song “Morning Bell” appearing on both records. Amnesiac saw the band’s sound coalesce into a hybrid of electronic music, avant garde jazz and art rock, though in contrast to Kid A, it did feature slightly more accessible songs, notably the piano ballad “Pyramid Song” (Radiohead’s first single since 1997), and the guitar single “Knives Out.”

“I Might Be Wrong,” initially planned as a third single, expanded into the band’s first and thus far only live record. Released in fall 2001, I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings featured performances of Kid A and Amnesiac songs from various international concerts. The live versions of “The National Anthem,” “I Might Be Wrong,” and “Like Spinning Plates” are notably different from the studio recordings. Also included on the album is a previously unreleased song, the fan favourite “True Love Waits”.

Critics who viewed Amnesiac as less accomplished than Kid A often cited a lack of cohesion. However, without quite matching its predecessor’s sales, Amnesiac was critically acclaimed and a commercial success.

After Amnesiac’s release, the band embarked on a world tour, concentrating on large outdoor venues and visiting North America, Europe and Japan. They also staged a summer mini-festival in Oxford’s South Park, featuring Beck, Sigur Rós, Supergrass, and Humphrey Lyttelton (who played trumpet on Amnesiac’s closing track, “Life in a Glasshouse”).