How do you compare these two albums? Which do you prefer? Thoughts?

The Bends

well, they are both innovative and groundbraking in my opinion..

it comes out.. I'm tied between the two of these...

I honestly think Kid A is one of the best albums of the 00's.. period.
but I do agree that OK Computer is the best album in the last 25 years...

I think they are albums of paticular taste..
Not everyone is gonna get this group.. especially the pop oriented side, its just not gonna happen.. this music requires too much listening, and disecting.. give them a 3 minute hook and they'll dance tables..
I would have to say, as far as experimentation goes, Kid A has my vote.. I firmly believe that one will withstand the best of them.
Quality compositions.. in terms of context, I'd say OK Computer.. the quality of the songs on that album are above average for any one album. I would say Nigel Godrich is a reason for a lot of the bands innovation.. he "is" a member of that group ya know..

Nice thread..

lilgish said:

i love you!


i was going to say that..

to answer the question

Kid A.....

more soul, more fun, it's has immediacy and permanency. It has all the best elements of something like Intersteller Overdrive; letting the dissonant chords breath instead of diluting them in the mix of a perfectly good pop song.

Didn't we just do this? Or was is Kid A and Amnesiac? Either way - Kid A. The first Radiohead album I fell in love with.

honestly..i find ok computer to be a tad on the overrated side..but i enjoy the icyness of Kid A.

they're too different to compare. a better comparison would be
between Kid A and Amnesiac.

and since they're rather different i wouldn't be able to choose
one over the other.

they're both among the most appreciated albums in my collection
and ones i play on a regular basis and fall in love with all
over again everytime i play them.

my personal favorite Radiohead period is Kid A/Amnesiac and all
their b-sides.

however, i think OK Computer is one of the best albums e.v.e.r.

very tough choise.

I love both albums, but I would have to go with OK Computer, since it came out at such a perfect time, when the internet was beginning to boom. It became like a soundtrack to the whole phenomenon.

If I remember it right, OK Computer really wasn't selling well or getting much mainstream attention, until several months after its release when it started winning awards. Then it was all over the place, there were displays for it at the records stores, etc...

I bought it like a few days after it came out, not really being a tremendous Radiohead fan, but only because I wanted some new music and there was an interesting article on the album saying that they were experimenting with new sounds. I threw it into my tape player on the way to work, and by the end of the first track I was already blown away.

Kid A is an incredible album, but it came out at time when I was trying to lay off drugs. Most of the tracks I generally associate with bottoming out, especially How To Dissapear Completely. That opening just gives me chills.

Don't make me pick.


I honestly don't know. I guess it all depends on my mood, although I guess I listen to OK Computer more.

You don't have to choose one over the other I'm more interested in discussing the two in relation to each other. I just got them both without knowing anything about Radiohead, so I'm discovering their sound. OK Computer seems more typical indie rock, and then I was surprised by how different Kid A was. Much more atmospheric and instrumental (although I'm not sure a lot of those sounds were made from instruments -- they remind me a bit of Bjork sounds) and jazzy. So far I find Kid A very soothing. I've been falling to sleep to it, which I can't do much with music anymore. Because I already listen to a lot of way out there avant-garde dissonant music, it seems pretty tame experimental-wise, but I like it. I like the beats and the foregrounded bass and wash of sounds crashing upon one another (more in Kid A). Best albums of the last 25 years...or 5 years? I'll have sit on that for a while.

Ok Computer--it's just easier to listen to. Kid A might be more innovative & cohesive as an album, but I simply prefer the songs on OK.

I finally got the Bends. Great, too, but it took me a while to really like it.

OK Computer is the more accessible album which doesn't mean that it's weak, it's not mainstream Pop that someone would want to sing along to.

KID A, like ATWIAD was ( IMO ) deliberatley made to fend off fickle POP fans who bought OK just to be hipsters, not true fans of Radiohead.

My choice would be OK just for the song Climbing Up The Walls .

KidA

It's funny to hear people say OK Computer is easier listening. Back when OK Computer came out, I hear alot of people say The Bends was easy to listen to and OK Computer was the odd but intriguing one.

OK Computer is a little depressive for my taste (coming from a former Smithshead ), so I'm jiving better with Kid A. I like the saccharine sweep of sounds combined with hard edges on both though.

heartbeatocean said:

Thats interesting, cause I always hear from people how depressing the mood is for Kid A.. I however don't see that.. maybe except for the last track "Motion Picture Soundtrack"