I like Kid A alot, but I also like OK Computer alot.
But which is better?
There's only one way to find out...
FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
OK Computer vs Kid A
(22 posts)-
Posted 4 years ago #
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I've never heard of either. :)
Posted 4 years ago # -
Harry Hill is someone whos comedic work I am undecided on.
Like TV Burp, but it's clearly not him that's funny, it's the writer.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Kid A is a bit shite. OK Computer has some of my favourite songs on it.
OK COMPUTER WINS
Posted 4 years ago # -
Just listened to them both again as it's been a while, links:
Spotify - Ok Computer
Spotify - Kid AMy opinion, Ok Computer wins hand down!
Posted 4 years ago # -
OK Computer is the more solid album, although Kid A has better individual songs on it.
Posted 4 years ago # -
They're uncomparable really; they're so wildly different that it's surely entirely subjective.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Mart: I said both of them because they're the two most popular Radiohead albums, particuarly OK Computer.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Kid A by a country mile. OK Computer sounds really dated in comparison.
Posted 4 years ago # -
When I were a lad, the traditional pub arguement was 'The Bends' vs. 'OK Computer'. Over the years we've all changed sides a lot and the battle still rages. I'm with The Bends atm...
Posted 4 years ago # -
Believe it or not, I dont rate The Bends that high. It's a good album, but the way I see it...
Kid A > OK Computer > In Rainbows > Hail to the Thief > The Bends > Amnesiac >>>>>>> Pablo Honey.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Kid A and OK Computer are both masterpieces in their own respects. OK Computer is a better album for me, as the production of Kid A (like its bedfellow Amnesiac) is too sanitised and a number of the songs (e.g. National Anthem, Idioteque) only truly come alive on stage. That isn't the case with a single track on OK. The Bends has amazing songs, but the production already makes it sound terribly dated and "nineties".
Anyway, In Rainbows is BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM, duh.
Posted 4 years ago # -
"a number of the songs (e.g. National Anthem, Idioteque) only truly come alive on stage"
QFT.
National Anthem live is incredible.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Personally, I can't listen to Kid A without Amnesiac. They were recorded at the same time, and to be brutally honest, if you take off the filler from both albums, you'd be left with a classic. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, I just think there was a little too much self indulgence. The live version of Spinning Plates for example, is far superior to the backwards studio version. As has been previously noted, live, the songs are a different proposition, and it's a shame the live collection didn't include more of the Kid A/Amnesiac tracks. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box is so much better live, almost early 80's punk funk. Idioteque, Everything In It's Right Place and I Might Be Wrong are all good evidence of that too.
Hail to the Thief on the other hand, just sounds like they were trying to find their way again, trying to fit their love of electronica into a live band set up. Individually, the songs are fantastic, but to me it just doesn't gel as an album. Something they've recently admitted themselves.
Unlike In Rainbows, which is on a par with OK Computer (better in places even?), and sounds like a band at the height of their powers. Even though it's the most recent, it's my personal favourite by them.
If you haven't already, track down the second set of tracks included on the limited box...astonishing collection of songs, considering those are the ones that were left off the main album!
As far as OK vs Kid A goes, I'd have to go with OK. Much as I love them for trying so hard to re-invent themselves, OK is just a better album.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Pretty much completely agree with all of that, Xephon. They do make the (very) occasional poor creative decision (with lobotomosing Like Spinning Plates for the album version the most heinous example). And yeah, as much as Radiohead claim Kid A and Amnesiac are distinct works, they're clearly two sides of the same coin.
There's a neat tracklist for 'Kid Amnesiac' kicking around, that attempts to make the definitive album out of those sessions:
Everything In Its Right Place
Pyramid Song
Knives Out
How to Disappear Completely
Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box
You And Whose Army
The National Anthem
Optimistic
I Might Be Wrong
Idioteque
Morning Bell (Amnesiac)
Like Spinning Plates (Live)
True Love Waits (Live - I prefer the bootleg version with the keyboard backing line to the one on the official live album)Personally, I couldn't live without In Limbo, Dollars & Cents and Motion Picture Soundtrack, but it works.
Hail To The Thief is all over the place as an album: it's far too long and lacks focus. I can't listen to it in one sitting. But 2+2=5, Sit Down, Stand Up, There There, A Punchup At A Wedding, Myxomatosis and A Wolf At The Door are as good as anything they've recorded.
In Rainbows disc 2 is essential. Last Flowers is stunning, but was left off because it's just Thom, not the band, from his Eraser solo sessions. Down Is The New Up is immense, but I can understand why it didn't make the cut - I just don't see where it would fit on the main album. I can only fault them for failing to include Bangers & Mash, which is one of their best ever tracks (and awesome live with Thom twatting a mini second drum kit), and could've fitted in perfectly. 4 Minute Warning is also lovely. Apparently Jonny fought hard to get Go Slowly onto In Rainbows, but I just don't see (or, rather, hear) it. But that tells me they learnt their lesson after Hail To The Thief and understood what was required to make a digestible, balanced, coherent collection of songs.
In Rainbows is probably my favourite album of all-time. Nude made me cry on the second play through.
I presume you kids have seen Scotch Mist, the film they released online in December 07, that's a bunch of incredible studio performances of In Rainbows tracks?
Posted 4 years ago # -
Scotch Mist was a bit of a meh to me, it was alright, but Thumbs_Down was the better one for me, just because of their cover of that New Order song (the name escapes me) and if it werent for their cover of The Headmaster Ritual by The Smiths, I wouldnt have got the song, which is vastly superior then the Radiohead cover.
But the cover wasnt too bad for me.
Posted 4 years ago # -
DizkoSkatinSuperstar:
"...2+2=5, Sit Down, Stand Up, There There, A Punchup At A Wedding, Myxomatosis and A Wolf At The Door are as good as anything they've recorded..."You just named six of my favourite tracks off that album. Punch Up is so very sleazy, stumbling along with that funk they show every so often. I'd have to add Backdrifts (Yorke's vocal is awesome on this), Where I End And You Begin, We Suck Young Blood and maybe A Wolf At the Door. I don't think anyone would have missed The Gloaming or Scatterbrain. At 14 tracks, it was more than a little bloated, and some sound like Radiohead-by-numbers (Sail To The Moon (as beautiful as it is), Scatterbrain for example). A little more trimming and it would have been a fine album - they've produced better b-sides than some of the tracks on here!
Having said that, if they hadn't gone through the difficulties of this album, I don't think In Rainbows would have been half as good. As much as there's a discernible evolution from The Bends to OK Computer, you can hear the same thing between Thief and In Rainbows, and the latter is all the better for it. As you say, lesson learned.
Last Flowers is the one that got me...the end is just epic. Would have been interesting to hear what an Eraser version would have sounded like. Bangers & Mash is that 80's punk funk they seem to do so well, I'd love to know what they'd been listening to, they spoke very openly about the influences on Kid A/Amenesiac, it's odd they were a little more reticent this time.
They seem to have discovered how to relax and have fun making songs and it shows on In Rainbows more than anything else they've done. And as much as I love hearing their new stuff, it always makes me wonder what the hell they're going to do next!
I loved the Scotch Mist version of Bodysnatchers. The lead riff was pretty awesome anyway, but it really kicked off in that session. Maybe they should just record themselves live in a studio and leave it at that, rough around the edges.
One last thing, I'll give that Kid Amnesiac listing it's own play list on my iPod. Interesting choices. I'd have to add Kid A and Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors though...
Posted 4 years ago # -
I'll skip the wall of text and say ok computer because it doesn't have all the pointless electro crap of kid A. There is hardly any songs on kid A I like or can even sing along too o.O ? I know every song on ok computer word for word love it first album I ever bought as a teenager. Kid A though its just some weird bastard child experiment they had and if anything In Rainbows is far superior and a better comparison to ok computer.
Posted 4 years ago # -
"pointless electro crap of kid A. There is hardly any songs on kid A I like or can even sing along too o.O ?"
Great criticism.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I love the internet how :P people just quote what they don't like the sound of. OMG someone doesn't like something because of personal experience. Its not a criticism its just a shit album to listen to compared to ok computer.
Posted 4 years ago # -
"Its not a criticism its just a shit album to listen to"
Nice work.
Posted 4 years ago # -
If I truly was criticizing rather posting my experience with it I would of went into more detail about both albums since its a simple thread about which one you think is the best and not some analytical topic about each albums worth I saw no and see no point in going into why I personally think its shit compared to someone elses opinion.
Posted 4 years ago #
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