Comments on: OK Computer's 10 year tribute

OK Computer's 10 year tribute

puddleglum — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:14:15 -0800

OK X - Radiohead's OK Computer covered by 12 modern artists. Free download.

By: fallenposters

fallenposters — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:16:42 -0800

I guess Radiohead isn't considered modern then?

By: cortex

cortex — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:16:49 -0800

Via Projects! Was just listening to it yesterday, and it's pretty great.

By: jlowen

jlowen — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:17:19 -0800

Modern Artists? I would be more interested in hearing Radiohead's OK Computer covered by 12 artists from antiquity. Cool link, thanks puddleglum.

By: afx237vi

afx237vi — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:21:57 -0800

Link died already?

By: afx237vi

afx237vi — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:23:38 -0800

Never mind, it worked on the second attempt.

By: god hates math

god hates math — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:27:02 -0800

Bazan's been covering "Let Down" for some while - it was on a tour EP a few years back, along with Cat Power's "Metal Heart." I'm interested to see whether this is a new recording - he's got a thing for releasing multiple versions of songs. I've got a huge man-crush (and recording engineer crush, as well) on John Vanderslice, so I'm pretty excited about that track as well. I got much better speed and reliability from the "one big zip" link than the individual song links, for the record.

By: nthdegx

nthdegx — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:27:28 -0800

[this is potentially good]

By: puddleglum

puddleglum — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:28:15 -0800

Hm - yeah, "modern" does sound out of place. Mea culpa. I found it via David Bazan's (of Pedro the Lion) mailing list.

By: damn dirty ape

damn dirty ape — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:31:03 -0800

I love the term "modern." I mean, come on, this album is only 10 years old. It makes me think Radiohead might be some baroque ensemble, which sounds amusing than it should be.

By: C.Batt

C.Batt — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:34:56 -0800

Neat link. At work so I've only listened to 3 of the covers, and only one all the way through. The Paranoid Android cover is too... the arrangement is... just doesn't appeal to me. Interesting sure, but not appealing. Karma Police, one of my all time favourite songs, was butchered. I know I'm being very close minded. I just can't conceive of another way to do that song. The original is perfect - BACK OFF! I made it through No Surprises and actually kind of enjoyed it. I'm not into the whole "airy" female vocals thing, but it worked for that tune.

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:40:31 -0800

"Airbag," by Doveman, is pretty damn fine.

By: buriednexttoyou

buriednexttoyou — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:51:04 -0800

I don't know who most of these folks are, but I can't wait to get home and listen to the My Brightest Diamond track! And just so everybody knows, I do the best rendition of "Electioneering" in my car. With the windows down. At the top of my lungs. On election day.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:55:25 -0800

Waiting... waiting... the person from stereogum is here? Huh? waiting... waiting...

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:56:48 -0800

fallenposters: "I guess Radiohead isn't considered modern then?" I've only actually gotten around to listening to them in the last year or so. I remember reading good reviews of OK Computer when it came out but it took me almost ten years to get around to buying it. It's hard keeping up with all the crazy stuff that you kids listen to now.

By: maudlin

maudlin — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:08:51 -0800

I'm downloading but haven't listened yet. I highly, HIGHLY recommend the Easy Stars All-Stars Radiodread. Toots and the Maytals doing "Let Down"? Cosmic. And Kirsty Rock's version of "Paranoid Android" does justice to the original. Their Dub Side of the Moon is pretty damn cool, too.

By: MrGuilt

MrGuilt — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:09:20 -0800

Radiohead isn't "modern." Let me go get my walker...

By: Gregamell

Gregamell — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:09:36 -0800

I heard one of the gentlemen responsible for the song "thou shalt always kill" talking on the radio the other day about how Rock & Roll is supposed to be about change, breaking old molds, forging new ground, etc. There was some talk about how ironic it was to have a tribute album to the Beatles with a bunch of covers (its that whatever anniversary of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band). Tribute albums suck. and according to the Kids in the Hall, greatest hits albums are for housewives and schoolgirls.

By: jefbla

jefbla — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:10:52 -0800

Brad Mehldau does a cool solo piano cover version of Paranoid Android on his Live in Tokyo album, if you're in to that kinda thing.

By: Gregamell

Gregamell — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:12:10 -0800

although i do like Cold War Kids, and Mobius Band is a fan-freakin'-ubernerdy-tastic name.

By: gwint

gwint — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:20:59 -0800

OK Computer was released ten years ago last week. Ten years. Wow.

By: 1f2frfbf

1f2frfbf — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:37:19 -0800

Best Radiohead cover EVAR: No Surprises - The Mountain Goats (mp3 link). Full disclosure: I really don't like OK Computer. *ducks rocks, leaves out back door by light of burning torches*

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:45:36 -0800

And just so everybody knows, I do the best rendition of "Electioneering" in my car. With the windows down. At the top of my lungs. On election day. I could give you a run for your money on the "It's just business-- cattle prods and the I! M! F!" line. I haven't heard this yet, it was loading so slowly yesterday I thought I'd wait for the rush to die down. Silly me. Also, Chris Funk's Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble's cover of Morning Bell/Amnesiac is glorious. Well worth a google or two.

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:48:43 -0800

according to the Kids in the Hall, greatest hits albums are for housewives and schoolgirls. Must be members of the Steve Albini School of "Women have no taste in music", I suppose.

By: puddleglum

puddleglum — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:52:21 -0800

god hates math - yeah, it's a different version of "let down" then the one Bazan's been playing live (and appeared on the PTL live ep). His cover of Randy Newman's "Drop the Big One" on that ep is fantastic, btw - you need to hear it. I also just found Bazan's Daytrotter Sessions - it's mostly new versions of previously released song, but it seems good.

By: daHIFI

daHIFI — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:07:47 -0800

Is it just me or does the opening voice on 'Fitter Happier' sound like David Cross's voice when he does the 'Good Pussy' bit?

By: dw

dw — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:19:56 -0800

Brad Mehldau does a cool solo piano cover version of Paranoid Android on his Live in Tokyo album, if you're in to that kinda thing. It probably makes me uncool, but I like his covers of Exit Music (For A Film) more.

By: Saellys

Saellys — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:25:13 -0800

Marissa Nadler, whoever that is, stole my "No Surprises" cover and Sixpenced it up. Damn her!

By: god hates math

god hates math — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:28:32 -0800

it's a different version of "let down" then the one Bazan's been playing live Yeah, I finally got to listen to it, and I'm liking it a lot. Better than the '04 Tour EP version, I think. I love Daytrotter - there's been a lot of good songs on there lately. As for John Vanderslice, between this and the 2 songs that have leaked so far from Emerald City, I can't wait for that album to come out.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:29:19 -0800

I've got an album of Lullaby versions of Radiohead songs... it's actually pretty good, though it turns out that when they or performed on glokenspiel, vibraphone etc... they are creepy as all hell.

By: grobstein

grobstein — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:33:42 -0800

Randy Newman's "Drop the Big One" "Political Science"

By: paul_smatatoes

paul_smatatoes — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:36:08 -0800

hey, we know the server's really straining to keep up, so here's the coral cache link: http://www.stereogum.com.nyud.net:8090/okx/

By: daHIFI

daHIFI — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:43:19 -0800

OMG if you think those Lullaby Radiohead versions are creepy you should try listening to the ones they've got of Metallica and NIN. WTF? I still want the Tool one though

By: kosem

kosem — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:47:30 -0800

Neat! I'll have a listen today. My favorite Radiohead cover, which I can't find an audio of (somebody hook me up, k?), is Nickel Creek's take on Nice Dream [crappy quality YouYube from Lollapalooza] Again, at Bonnaroo last year. [Just a few seconds, also YouTube.] Neither one does the cover justice, but you might get the idea.

By: azlondon

azlondon — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:00:08 -0800

Hypeful have the same idea.

By: puddleglum

puddleglum — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:16:30 -0800

Hypeful have the same idea Nice. DownThemAll in process. "Political Science" Right. Thanks. I had a feeling it wasn't the right title, but I was too lazy to look it up.

By: painquale

painquale — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:52:26 -0800

John Vanderslice doing Karma Police! Kickass.

By: aparrish

aparrish — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:24:18 -0800

These are a lot better than I expected them to be. Thanks for the link, puddleglum.

By: buriednexttoyou

buriednexttoyou — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:41:00 -0800

I could give you a run for your money on the "It's just business-- cattle prods and the I! M! F!" line. I am deathly afraid of what would happen if we were in the same room and this song came on. The world is just not ready.

By: flippant

flippant — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:04:26 -0800

Food for my MP3 player. Thank you!

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:08:22 -0800

Have you seen the Tonight Show performance of Electioneering from July of 97, just after the album was released? Amazing and intense and heavily dominated by the guitar line. It was on YouTube for about five minutes at one point before it was removed for copyright, but is probably available on the hub.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:21:34 -0800

I listened to the album for the first time in years the other day. It sounded so... old. Or rather, it sounded so much like the 90s. I don't think it's aged well. All the usual disclaimers apply, non gustibus etc.

By: revmitcz

revmitcz — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:40:25 -0800

Listening to these covers reminds me of an Ozzy quote I read once where he said : "If you're going to do a cover of a song that has a great melody, don't change the melody, for chrissakes.". I've only listened to Paranoid Android and Karma Police so far, but.. man, they sure managed to screw those two songs up pretty well.

By: jockc

jockc — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:57:27 -0800

yeah Karma Police (or as Homer would say "mmm Carmopolis" imagining a city made of caramel) was pretty ... umm not so good. Still, interesting to listen to it all. OK Computer is one of my favorite all time albums..

By: kosem

kosem — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:00:21 -0800

It sounded so... old. Or rather, it sounded so much like the 90s. I don't think it's aged well. All the usual disclaimers apply, non gustibus etc. That's totally interesting, and I feel that way about a number of other records I used to OMG LOVE. On this one, Kattulus, I disagree completely (but understand and respect your opinion, of course)(but if you said it about _Amnesiac_, pistols at dawn, sir). I listened to this record again recently and I was shocked at how incredibly moving "Airbag" still is. There are quite a few Radiohead songs that to this very day, no matter how many times I hear them, no matter how many silly Coldplays arise to rip them off, wrench my guts.

By: sweetwildandmad

sweetwildandmad — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:38:11 -0800

Still waiting for Exit Music to download... Excited to hear Vampire Weekend cover it. We saw them recently quite by accident, and loved them. Young kids with a hell of a lot of energy on stage.

By: sleep_walker

sleep_walker — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:42:27 -0800

(on the whole) pretty gorgeous - thank you for posting this.

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:45:15 -0800

What specifically feels so old to me about OK Computer is all the electric noise wash. To me it screams 90s! like Yamaha keyboard sounds scream 80s!

By: juiceCake

juiceCake — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:41:01 -0800

Karma Police, one of my all time favourite songs, was butchered. I know I'm being very close minded. I just can't conceive of another way to do that song. Listen to the Beatles' Sexy Sadie for an alternate version done well...

By: mrgrimm

mrgrimm — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:51:25 -0800

There's a difference between a tribute album and a collection of covers, imo. Thanks for the link. I can't believe no one's mentioned Hard N' Phirm's Rodeohead yet. Yee haw! 10 years ago. Wow. It was one of those great albums (like There's Nothing Wrong with Love, Siamese Dream, Call the Doctor, Vee Vee, imo) that simply defined that time for me. Personally, I probably like Amnesiac or Kid A (or even Hail to the Thief) better, but I can definitely recognize the monumental nature of OK Computer. Top 10 of all time.

By: chuckdarwin

chuckdarwin — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:43:08 -0800

I saw radiohead on the OK Computer tour. They played in a high school auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. It was a superb set, punctuated by thunder and lightning from the electrical storm outside. There was a complete power cut during "Exit Music (From a Film)" and Mr Yorke didn't miss a beat. He continued to sing and play guitar in total darkness with no PA. He was clearly audible, and got through the entire second verse unassisted. Everything came back up for the end, and the band finished the song in the usual way. When it was over, he looked around in a casual manner and asked "Where's my goddamned drink?"