10 Most Inaccessible But Ultimately Rewarding Albums Ever

3. Radiohead - Kid A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNqv3nHyteM Although never a band to rest on their laurels, it was hard to see what direction Radiohead would go in after the monumental successes of The Bends and OK Computer. That direction would turn out to be quite directionless in the most stunning way possible with the expansive Kid A. As groundbreaking as their previous release was, this boundary shattering release would continue to break the mold with subtle, electronic experimentation and shifting sound waves full of textural touches helping to create a bewildering but deeply soothing palate. It is reminiscent somewhat of the theatrical works of bands like Tangerine Dream or the post-rock blissfulness of Tortoise because of its stark and meticulous arrangements. It's easy to see why Kid A was so divisive when first released in 2001 because it lacks shape, form and structure even for the musically curious Radiohead but it transcends these confines with expert sonic awareness, helping to take the listener on a journey through the enticing unknown. From beginning to end the record transitions from fevered euphoric peaks (the intense musical collage of 'The National Anthem') to ground crawling breathers (the cinematic and climatic 'How To Disappear Completely'). On a record full of glistening moments perhaps the best blend of these varying ideas is the glacier moving 'Idioteque'. It is fractured, scattered and fragmented in a mystifyingly cohesive way, helping to form a harrowing dreamlike state through the use of scattered programmed drumming, shimmering electronic stuttering, repetitive vocal techniques and atmospheric, background noise explorations. Again it sums up the record as a whole - wonderfully simple but deceptively complex. Radiohead would go further into their experimental shell with the years that followed but Kid A is perhaps their most beautifully opaque and effortlessly deft release that is a shining example of the phrase less is more but at the same time, how powerful more is more can be when applied by the right musicians at the wheel.