"OK Computer": Classic Or Dud?

oops, xpost.

The statement "you are insane" can only hint at my frustratingly intense disagreement.

Why the FUCK wasn't "Let Down" ever released as a single??
-- Unknown User (unknownuse...), June 5th, 2004.

it was pushed on radio a bit but the band was supposedly horrified with the video that was created for it.
-- Anthony Miccio (anthonymicci...), June 5th, 2004.

Makes sense. I remember hearing Pinfield on 120 Minutes saying that they originally intended to make a video for every song. Also I remember around the time "Karma Police" was released as a video, most of the rock stations were playing "Let Down" instead. I don't think it was until much later in the year that there was any demand to add "Karma Police" to radio playlists.

I remember returning to the States from a year abroad (i.e., Germany by way of Glastonbury, etc.; circa 1997) and weathering a small, but insistent, chorus of naysayers characterizing Radiohead in general, and OK Computer in particular, as nothing more than Pink Floyd II.

I found and find (see above) this critique/characterization puzzling because, as a fan of Floyd in general, and WYWH, Meddle, Animals, The Final Cut, The Wall, and DSOTM, in particular -- I don't hear the sonic parallel(s). Sure, OK Computer is a 'concept' album and some Floyd albums are, too -- but sonically?

As I own the above (and then some) Floyd LPs, might one of the choir step forward and do some one-to-one matching for me? I'd love to make a back-to-back playlist of the allegedly infringing Radiohead tracks and their Floyd origins.

OK Computer is pretty close to classic. Since then, however, Radiohead has become one of those acts that people get religiously weird about which is pretty uncomfortable.

None of their other output is close in quality though.

(whoever said that 'lucky' is secretly the best song was otm, however it still isn't good enough for me to still want to hear it particularly ever)

i might just take some action and throw ok computer in the bin or something.

it will look nice next to all those Girls Aloud albums ;) ;)

xp

How do the OKC haters feel about the artwork and the visual themes generally? Before I heard anything I liked off the album, I had to admit the album cover was really appealling and interesting. Especially because I hated the cover art for The Bends with a passion. Pablo Honey's cover was bad, too. No one can argue that OK Computer isn't the first decent Radiohead cover art, right??

all radiohead cover art &c is kind of hilariously awful in its relentless confusing of cryptic nothingness with Big Meaningful Messages - ok computer no exception. i can't really remember what their other albums looked like.

mental note: lex owns a radiohead album

not as of...TONIGHT, bubba.

(btw the reason 'lucky' is tolerable and the rest isn't for me is because on 'lucky' there is this one great moment where thom yorke sings really low, and it turns out that when he does that his voice is kind of rich and great! but when he sings high, ie 99% of the time, it is a quite, quite disgusting noise.)

I cannot accept this.

Time to get off the computer for a while methinks ;)

I finally added this to my iPod and joy is mine.

Absolute classic. This is one of those records that has always and consistently been an undercurrent in whatever musical identity I've had at a given time. Not embarrassed to say.

It's got very pretty songs.

Tails off a bit towards the end. Maybe it's a sequencing problem 'cause the songs aren't actually bad - ok Electioneering is a bit weak and I've never liked The Tourist. 1-6 is unbeatable though. I find myself returning to Let Down more than any of the others.

Remains (so far) the only album I've ever defenestrated.

dud

PARANOID ANDROID WILL DEAL WITH ALL OF YOU

I own this but forget what it sounds like.

I'm totally happy when one of these songs comes on shuffle, except "Electioneering" which is lame.

Funny this should be revived today, I heard Lucky/The Tourist (I think) playing out of the window of an apartment I walked by today and was amazed at how, well, uninteresting and big-whooshy-melodramatic mega rock song it was. While the 14 year old in me died a little, nevertheless it's still classic.

I KNOW THE GODDMAN THING OF TONGUE-ISH Killng Joke or whatever

But seriously, I have got your back now.

Got your back.

Karma Police.

pfft. The Tourist is gorgeous.

I lost myself I lost myself

Can I also state for the record for those who remember old Radiohead threads here that I have just talked to the Reverend on the phone and we get along fine. And I told him to say hi to Timi Yuro & Brian in Seattle. And Matos too. I told him to say hi.

For a minute there
I lost myself

You lost yourseee-eeee-eeeelf

Classic, but overhyped and overrated. I prefer warm, luxurious Radiohead to cold, paranoid Radiohead, so I'll take In Rainbows over OKC almost anytime.

"Lucky"