Since there has been some music threads lately, I figured that I would start a great debate: what is the greatest Radiohead CD of all-time? Is it their very first one, Pablo Honey, featuring their first big smash, Creep? Or is it their second, The Bends, which is routinely found in lists of the greatest CDs of all-time? How about the middle one, OK Computer, which is generally regarded as mind-blowing ? Can't forget about the follow-up to OKC, Kid A, which saw the band completely shock everyone with the material on this CD. Finally, you have the last one, Amnesiac. Okay, my vote goes to The Bends. It has the best songs like Fake Plastic Trees, My Iron Lung, The Bends, High and Dry, and Planet Telex. It also has more guitar than OKC or Kid A, and it's the album that really defined the "mature" Radiohead. Okay, that's just my opinion. Frankly, you can't go wrong with any of the choices as Radiohead will be remembered as our generation's greatest band and maybe our generation's Beatles.
Probably not...They weren't mainstream enough to be regarded as "our generation's beatles". or "our generations greatest band."
I've been in this debate many, many times. in my circle of friends, we always come down to this: the individual songs on The Bends are probably as strong, if not stronger, than the individual songs on OK Computer. but when it comes to which plays as the better album, start to finish, it has to be OK Computer. it is as perfect a collection, start to finish, as has ever been created. how's that for waltonesque hyperbole? my vote is for OK Computer
OKC has got to be the best. it was a total revolutionary turn to radiohead's music. and i'll be damned if yorke and greenwood(jonny) werent at their best. Pablo Honey was like the startin curtain to their music and the bends was juz a new album with new songs. Kid A was cool but only to prove that radiohead could do what ever they ****in wanted to do with their music. Amnesiac was like kid A number 2, minus the electronica ****. so i'm with OKC. damn good.yorke rulz.
I completely agree. The Bends has great songs on it, but if you play OK Computer from start to finish (jnstead of skipping around or playing one song off the album), it's clear which Radiohead album is the best. Kid A was also fine in my book. Amnesiac was "meh."
Exactly! The song is most important. Which is why Radiohead and the Beatles should never be mentioned in the same sentence. Oops, I just did it. I would think Pink Floyd would be a better comparison...I don't care about all your cool sound effects, just give me a good song.
Yea, my statement about the Beatles was Waltonesque hyperbole (thanks to chievous for that term). I probably should have said Pink Floyd. If any of you ever go to Amazon, look at their lists that other people do. It is amazing to see how many times OK Computer and The Bends show up on "greatest album or CD" lists.
Well, you're entitled to your opinion. Personally, I happen to love Dark Side of the Moon. As great as the individual songs are on that album, though, it's nothing compared to playing Dark Side from start to end. I believe the purpose of Dark Side of the Moon, the Wall, and OK Computer is to listen to the complete album in order. Of course, in this ADD society, no one has time for that. That doesn't make continuity overrated, though. Some albums were designed to listen to the whole thing at once. So what is the criterion for this poll? Best individual songs on an album, like fadeaway suggests? Or best album taken as a whole, like I suggest for OK Computer? I don't think Radiohead will ever be regarded as our generation's Beatles. I see them more as our (surprise) Pink Floyd. Phish will definitely be regarded as our generation's Grateful Dead.
The Bends, to me, is by far the best. I can put that cd in anytime of any day and love every single second of it. One of my top 10 songs of all-time is the title track. Personally, I couldn't stand Kid A, and when I heard Amnesiac was like Kid A, I didn't even bother.
I completely agree. I absolutely love Radiohead, but I don't think the Beatles will ever be duplicated due to the way they changed the entire face of modern music. Definitely agree about the Pink Floyd Comparisons. And it's certainly a no brainer about Phish being our Grateful Dead. I am a little biased because I am a huge PHISH HEAD (rolly polly) but I think they come closest to matching the magic of the Beatles. Phish has not written as many great songs and because of their cult status, will never be compared to the Fab Four though. Oh and as for the topic. I love all their albums, but I think the best record is OK Computer! It's just phantastic!
my standard for best album is which has the fewest bad songs. or, for a less perjorative approach, which has the fewest songs on it that I skip. I don't know if you should count Fitter, Happier as a song or not, but that's the only track on OKC that I ever skip, and I usually don't skip that. on TB, I usually skip My Iron Lung. I know, I know. I'm way in the minority on that opinion. . . but that song very much interrupts the flow of The Bends for me. to me, TB has higher individual highs. songs like High and Dry, Just, Street Spirit go to greater lengths than the individual hits from OKC like Karma Police, No Surprises or Paranoid Android. but I've already said that before. the purpose of this post was just to posit my standard for judging albums. to me, the one with the fewest skippable tracks wins. one last thought: listening to The Bends is like listening to 12 songs. listening to OK Computer is like listening to 1 long, full and sustained mood. but they're both better than 99% of the albums I've ever heard. and Manny, I'm glad you liked the Waltonesque term. I'll leave you all with my favorite [or most hated, depending on how you want to look at it] Waltonism: "Get a REEEbound if you're a Rocket!!!"
I listened to OK Computer last night all the way through, and all I got to say is that I would like to change my vote from The Bends to OK Computer. Man what an album! I love the first 2 songs, Airbag and Paranoid Android as well as No Surprises and Karma Police. But really you do have to listen all the way through this CD. It is the best flowing CD ever and it will give the listener immense pleasure after each listen.
