Steven Hyden

This Isn't Happening isn't just the story of how Radiohead's "Kid A" was the apex of their continuing multi-decade long career and how the album encapsulated our pre-millennium anxieties. It also serves as a springboard for thinking about the history of rock music, the Internet, and the chaos we have lived through the past 20 years. Hyden asks: How can powerful and enigmatic works of art such as the album "Kid A" seemingly become a designated classic yet remain fresh and relevant at the same time? In this book length exegesis on Kid A, Hyden paints Radiohead as prophets of the future and unwilling representatives and ambassadors of the dying artform of rock n' roll. If you're fascinated by the music of Radiohead, enjoy cultural analysis, and are a Gen-X/Millennial member who remembers exactly where you were when the Twin Towers collapsed, this is the book for you.

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A fascinating personal look at the heyday of rock and roll, from the 1960s into the early 21st century. Hyden's basic argument is that rock and roll, or what he calls "classic rock," is a music genre that is basically dead. His takes on some of the the luminaries, (The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, David Bowie, Nirvana, Pearl Jam) are really interesting, and offered some insights I had never before considered. But perhaps the biggest insight is that the classic rock he so admires is just a genre or form, much like Motown, Disco, or Rockabilly, and is possibly just as dead as those genres.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was a bit stilted and halting in parts, making it feel like it was being read rather than told.… (mehr)