I Might Be Wrong (Live Recordings) - Radiohead > Reviews > Kid A brought to life.

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Adds raw live energy to tracks off Kid A & Amnesiac, previously unreleased bonus track True Love Waits
Disadvantages:	Short -  only 8 tracks, no Optimistic

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When Radiohead unveiled their new experimental sound of synth and electronics on Kid A in 2000 many of their fans found it a rather bitter pill to swallow. The new electronic driven, guitar-less sound left many cold as it seemed to be lacking the raw energy and emotion of previous efforts.

However for those doubting the musical genius of Kid A and Amnesiac this live CD is a worthwhile listen as it brings tracks from both albums to life and injects raw energy into the music which is lost in the produced album versions.

The opening track The National Anthem was probably the most energetic track that appeared on Kid A. However in a live setting it comes across as an even more thunderous track as Colin Greenwoods fuzz bass roars over Thoms wailing vocals providing a real rush.

Idioteque is also a highlight as the catchy beat transfers well to a live setting and Phils frantic drumming really adds to the song. Definitely one to jump around the room to!

Dollars and Cents is a slowburning bass driven song which slowly builds to a crescendo. This track is played slightly faster than the studio version and sounds great live. The only bad point is that the woozy guitar effect in the studio version isnt as prominent which detracts from the song a little.

Like Spinning Plates stands out on this live album as the swirly electronic sound of the album version is transferred to piano. Combined with an excellent vocal performance from Thom this has to be one of the highlights on the CD - a very emotional and inspiring track.

The final track True Love Waits is a delicate acoustic number that has not been released on any other album. It serves as a good closing track to the CD.

For the most part this collection of songs is certainly enhanced in a live setting which is surprising given the highly experimental nature of the original recordings. My only real gripes are that for a Live CD it is too short and that Optimistic arguably one of the best offerings of Kid A hasn't been included.

The Packaging is also well produced and the artwork suitably gloomy, though you might get a surprise when you open up the case for the first time (No The CD isn't missing!).