71 replies to this topic

[Master Shortpants]

Is neither Hail to The Thief nor The King of Limbs. (HTTT just needs to cut a few songs, and TKOL, well you can rearrange the tracks all ya want but the quality just isn't there on the studio recordings) It's Ok Computer. WARNING: ¡the contents of this post are extremely controversial and may induce blind rage in less intelligent readers!

That's right, I said it. Ok Computer. And there are a couple big reasons why I think so.

1. Depending on how you feel about the last few songs, it's completely front loaded. I mean, The Tourist is a fantastic track, but Lucky and CUTW (and Electioneering of course) aren't up to par with any of the first six tracks (which are admitedly a tough act to follow). But is it too much to ask that the 'best album of all time' be consistently fantastic? I THINK NOT (especially when it easily could've been...)

2. Radiohead made some really bad choices when it came time to decide what would make it onto OKC. Just look at what was demoted to b-side status-- Pearly! Palo Alto! Polyethylene!! A REMINDER! These are some of Radiohead's absolute best non album tracks, and it's easy to see why. Look what took their place on the record proper- Fitter fucking Happier? Fair enough, it's a concept album, all concept albums need some pretentious ambient filler no-one actually listens to but pretends to dig, I get that. But Electioneering? What the FUCK? The 2nd half of the album fails to live up to the first half because there is absolutely no momentum. You can't have Lucky AND Tourist, right next to each other. It just doesn't work!

and finally
3. Radiohead had some great material floating around that they, for whatever reason, refused to use. It's not hard to imagine how awesome a penultimate track Big Boots could've made with a little spit and shine (let's be real here, aside from Jonny's stellar riff, Lucky is a bit of a bore). And even Ed O'Brien himself has admitted that Lift could've been the best song on OKC if they'd have pushed to get it recorded. We all know that this is one of the biggest problems with Radiohead (letting awesome songs go unreleased because they couldn't get them "just right") but poor, poor Lift. I'm sure some of you will argue that Let Down already fills that 'epic, heartfelt' role, but I think this could've been even better, and perhaps a suitable replacement for the Fitter Happier/ Electioneering slot.

I know what you're thinking. "Bbbbut, Master Shortpants, your changes, however Genius, ruin OKC's thematic core of tech dread and routine-onset misery, which is a lot of what made OKC a classic in the first place!" To which I simply say: I DON'T CARE (STOP) THIS WOULD BE A MORE ENJOYABLE ALBUM (STOP) ONE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO AND APPRECIATE OUTSIDE OF MUSIC SNOB SEMINARS (STOP)

.

[rose]

Never understood what's supposed to be so bad about electioneering. I've always loved it

[Master Shortpants]

It's ok. But it's not a classic like a lot of OKC stuff is

[Bluebelle]

nothing like a good opinion thread to fire up GRT.

 

and yes, I love the way OKC is sequenced, how would you have done it, master shortpants?

[MarkGrace]

Horrible post.

[box]

The Bends

[Xenodude]

I'm mostly in agreement, though I have come to appreciate CUTW more than I used to. Electioneering almost always gets skipped. I think if it weren't for No Surprises holding it all together, I might have never listened to the last half of the album (though I don't find Lucky quite as boring as you make it out to be... I kinda find Tourist boring).

 

Also, I think we can add "Nude/Big Ideas (Don't Get Any)" and "True Love Waits" to the list of tracks that could have potentially replaced some of the weaker half, as they were written at that time. Imagining OKC with Lift, Big Ideas, Big Boots, True Love Waits, Polyethylene, and some of the other B-sides (Talk Show Host anyone?) is definitely an awesome thought.

 

But then again, isn't that just the same as imagining TKOL with Staircase, The Daily Mail, The Butcher, and TAMTW?

[-Pignoah-]

OP sucks

 

hope he dies

[Bluebelle]

I love CUTW into No Surprises, it's perfect.

[backwoods_trout]

for some reason I never really consider OKC in terms of an album. Just too many powerhouse songs, airbag, paranoid android, no surprises, let down, karma police, subterreanean homesick alien, the tourist, it doesn't let up.

[rose]

Yeah okc is more songs whereas amnesiac is all album

[Fast Tracker]

Is neither Hail to The Thief nor The King of Limbs. (HTTT just needs to cut a few songs, and TKOL, well you can rearrange the tracks all ya want but the quality just isn't there on the studio recordings) It's Ok Computer. WARNING: ¡the contents of this post are extremely controversial and may induce blind rage in less intelligent readers!

That's right, I said it. Ok Computer. And there are a couple big reasons why I think so.

1. Depending on how you feel about the last few songs, it's completely front loaded. I mean, The Tourist is a fantastic track, but Lucky and CUTW (and Electioneering of course) aren't up to par with any of the first six tracks (which are admitedly a tough act to follow). But is it too much to ask that the 'best album of all time' be consistently fantastic? I THINK NOT (especially when it easily could've been...)

2. Radiohead made some really bad choices when it came time to decide what would make it onto OKC. Just look at what was demoted to b-side status-- Pearly! Palo Alto! Polyethylene!! A REMINDER! These are some of Radiohead's absolute best non album tracks, and it's easy to see why. Look what took their place on the record proper- Fitter fucking Happier? Fair enough, it's a concept album, all concept albums need some pretentious ambient filler no-one actually listens to but pretends to dig, I get that. But Electioneering? What the FUCK? The 2nd half of the album fails to live up to the first half because there is absolutely no momentum. You can't have Lucky AND Tourist, right next to each other. It just doesn't work!

and finally
3. Radiohead had some great material floating around that they, for whatever reason, refused to use. It's not hard to imagine how awesome a penultimate track Big Boots could've made with a little spit and shine (let's be real here, aside from Jonny's stellar riff, Lucky is a bit of a bore). And even Ed O'Brien himself has admitted that Lift could've been the best song on OKC if they'd have pushed to get it recorded. We all know that this is one of the biggest problems with Radiohead (letting awesome songs go unreleased because they couldn't get them "just right") but poor, poor Lift. I'm sure some of you will argue that Let Down already fills that 'epic, heartfelt' role, but I think this could've been even better, and perhaps a suitable replacement for the Fitter Happier/ Electioneering slot.

I know what you're thinking. "Bbbbut, Master Shortpants, your changes, however Genius, ruin OKC's thematic core of tech dread and routine-onset misery, which is a lot of what made OKC a classic in the first place!" To which I simply say: I DON'T CARE (STOP) THIS WOULD BE A MORE ENJOYABLE ALBUM (STOP) ONE TO ACTUALLY LISTEN TO AND APPRECIATE OUTSIDE OF MUSIC SNOB SEMINARS (STOP)

.

 

I highlighted in red the bits that are wrong.

[Electric Candyman]

Fun fact of the day:

TKOL and Kid A are the best sequenced RH albums out there.

[Swarley]

TKOL and Kid A are the best sequenced RH albums out there.

[Master Shortpants]

Fun fact of the day:
TKOL and Kid A are the best sequenced RH albums out there.

I agree. Even if tkol is a little weaksauce.

[Master Shortpants]

Regarding the other OKC era songs, I didnt mention TLW cuz I can't really see where it'd fit and Big Ideas meshes so well with IR that there's no point in trying to wedge it into OKC. (and talk show host is just not OKC era IMO)

[Cmonkids]

Mr. Smartypants, all albums are flawed. Give me a Top 10 list, and there's flaws on every single one of them. Electioneering is a good, angry, political rocker. Climbing Up The Walls is fucking phenomenal, sexy and demented, and Lucky is gorgeous. Fitter Happier is also brilliant.

 

The controversial opinion isn't controversial, everyone's got an opinion, what makes yours worth noting? You're certainly not right. 

[Master Shortpants]

tongue is firmly in cheek, kickstart some GRT discussion, etc,etc,... I thought this was implied.

Your post makes me laugh hard though in a friendly sorta way. 'everyones got an opinion man you're not special but YOU ARE WRONG'

[Naomi WHAT!?]

I love you Shortypants.

I've always felt that OK Computer was a collection of great songs but a weak album.

[Naomi WHAT!?]

Electioneering's great though and Fitter Happier, contrary to what you said about it having a place of a pretentious concept album, is FUCKING SHIT.