There’s no way Pablo Honey or even The Bends could have prepared us for OK Computer. This isn’t a new thought, but it is worth mentioning that in just over four years Radiohead graduated from “Creep” to visionary status. It’s startling, too, realizing OK Computer was released a decade ago: June 16, 1997 in Europe and July 1, 1997 in the U.S. Very heavy summer listening, no?
To celebrate the anniversary we’ve asked some of our favorite musicians to participate in a song-by-song OK Computer covers compilation. Indicative of the album’s continued importance, each invitee jumped at the chance; the results are personal, intense, tellingly various.
(Click here to go straight to OKX: A Tribute To OK Computer.)
Some folks honored the original “sturdy” design. Others looked to add difference. A couple wanted to flat-out shatter. None sound like Coldplay. Because critics have written more than enough about OK Computer‘s influence, we also asked each contributor to write a response to their take. But first, more from the critics?
Radiohead has spoken about attempting to overlap DJ Shadow and the Beatles on OK Computer (remember this was pre-Danger Mouse, wasn’t meant so literally), but what the quintet created — existential dread, paranoia, and technophobia set to a lush, icy soundscape — has an entirely unique sound and feel, something our generation could grab onto and own. Yorke intones, “ambition makes you look pretty ugly” before one of “Paranoid Android”‘s guitar-roar ascensions, but not here, Thom, not here? OK houses a post-everything guitar rock made fleshy and skeletal with spiraling pop arrangements, arty progressions, and complexly ingenious/uncompromising recording techniques. As those of us haunted by its melodies know, OK Computer‘s often as important for its sound as for what the band wanted to say. In fact, it’s safe to say quite a few fans know said melodies more than the words (anyone care to belt out an acapella “Electioneering” or “Climbing the Walls”?) Regarding “The Tourist,” Decemberists guitarist Chris Funk comments, “I’m sure the words are amazing and mean something, but ? it’s always the melody for me first and I find this one just like an attic space full of opium and air-conditioning.” (This coming from someone who tours with Colin Meloy?)
While Yorke’s shimmering falsetto could likely exhale a shopping list and conjure tears (to be honest we haven’t tried this yet), OK Computer‘s themes are equally ambitious: There’s that existential dream world, a need to escape empty feelings, and a wish/dread to find transcendence beyond “a heart that’s full up like a landfill, a job that slowly kills you, bruises that won’t heal.” As Twilight Sad drummer Mark Devine notes, “the fear of modern society [is] evident in every corner of OK Computer.” All that said (and placed on infinite repeat), we embrace the irony of releasing OKX as a series of MP3′s sent to us by their makers via email and enjoyed by you on a computer. Kissing might still include saliva, but putting together and playing a record no longer requires human contact. In our over-documented, blogged, reality televised, YouTube/MySpace realm — “a town where you can’t smell a thing” — OK Computer‘s sense of vacuum-packed alienation remains presciently relevant. “Yuppies” are busy networking in “Paranoid Android”; now it’s everyone (yeah, even you kid). Now more than ever we need to heed “The Tourist”‘s request to slow down and look at the scenery (unless, of course, your scenery’s an iPhone “touch” screen).
Analysis aside ? the record’s also just flat-out beautiful. Songs can’t always keep you warm, but goddamn if OK Computer doesn’t usually do the trick. OKX‘s contributors know this: My Brightest Diamond “votes Radiohead [her] favorite band of all time”; John Vanderslice votes “Karma Police”‘s bridge “the best bridge ever.” Or, David Bazan recalls being “instantly moved” by “Let Down”‘s “first depressed/hopeful (now classic) guitar line,” adding “by the end of the second verse I was choking back tears, undone.” And Cold War Kids’ Nathan Willett sums it up perfectly: “OK Computer is the single most important album to be released during my youth … it was a rite of passage ? I have never had an emotional connection with an album quite like I have with this one.” Hopefully some of that (or that or that) magic has made its way onto OKX. Slow down, dig in.
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Hmmmm…. never been much of a fan of “OK Computer” myself. It always just seemed like a necessary stop-gap that allowed them to reach the majestic heights of “Kid A” and “Amnesiac.”
ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
Wow. Thanks very much, stereogum!
Is that cover of ‘Let Down’ the same version from Pedro The Lion’s 2004 tour EP?
This has to be a first – kudos to Stereogum. Loved Doveman’s and The Twilight Sad’s covers…and I’ve just started listening.
I love this idea. Thanks for doing this!
> Is that cover of ‘Let Down’ the same version
> from Pedro The Lion’s 2004 tour EP?
Nope! These are all new! Enjoy.
“ambition makes you look PRETTY ugly”.
Nice! Can’t wait to give it a listen. I’m interested to hear just about anyone cover “Climbing Up The Walls.” Still my favorite Radiohead song ever.
> Nope! These are all new! Enjoy.
Oh la la!
lyrics police, stand back from the crime zone. this is my case now- i think that might be a joke.
dude! yes! rad. i’ve been checking back all morning — this is truly awesome. cheers!
this is a great idea in theory … in actuality?
wow. still trying to find the song in that “cover” of “paranoid android.”
give me your badge and gun, joke police. I’m taking you off the beat.
sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love???
Thank you! thank you! This is great! How long did it take to compile all of these songs for you guys to release it today?
When will someone have the sack to do a cover version of The Bends?
“never been much of a fan of “OK Computer” myself. It always just seemed like a necessary stop-gap that allowed them to reach the majestic heights of “Kid A” and “Amnesiac.”"
Wow.
Might want to give it another listen, brah.
You should really get some .ZIP action going here, Stereogum.
ram it, karma police. i’m shutting down this whole operation.
Thanks. This really is pretty cool.
The most influential album I’ve been alive to see and believe in from day one.
And still my favorite.
Hey – in the comments on the tracks it says ‘download b-sides at stereogum.com’. Does that mean some Pearly and Melatonin action?
Digging the Vanderslice, this is way better than another Sgt. Pepper tribute. Can’t wait to hear the rest.
that cold war kids cover is fucking atrocious
can i get you a coffee, sarge?
my shitty tuesday just got a whole lot better. thanks, gum.
thanks s’gum!
this is quite amazing :)
Is Ms. Nicoleslaw responsible for that awesome cover art?
this is great- one of my favorite albums of all time no doubt. I remember a couple of months ago “Let Down” came up on random and I remember thinking “this sounds like it could be released today- hasn’t aged at all.” And “Airbag”? my god…I wanna listen to it right now. Ok Computer/Kid A/Amnesiac- what an amazing run.
I’ll check out the covers- thanks Stereogum!
capt. –
that’s okay, the case is closed anyway – they covered up the crime!
no need captain. the case is closed – they’ve covered up the crime!
Helluva lineup!
this is great- one of my favorite albums of all time no doubt. I remember a couple of months ago “Let Down” came up on random and I remember thinking “this sounds like it could be released today- hasn’t aged at all.” And “Airbag”? my god…I wanna listen to it right now. Ok Computer/Kid A/Amnesiac- what an amazing run.
I’ll check out the covers- thanks Stereogum!
This is pretty cool…
Has anyone listened to the reggae version of OK Computer? Or is that old news?
If not check out Radiodread by the Easy Star All-Stars. Also cool.
Other than the Cold War Kids covering my favorite OK Computer track, Stereogum actually outdid themselves .
bends/ok computer : amnesiac/kid a :: apples : oranges
The Cold War Kids cover almost made me lose my lunch.. TERRIBLE!!
RE: b-sides … keep an eye on the site this week.
This has already been done in tribute to the 10 year mark of OK Computer @ http://www.hypeful.com
It was put up on June 22.
http://www.hypeful.com/2007/06/22/ok-computer-turns-10/
Is this a rip-off??????
This has already been done! There was a tribute to the 10 year mark of OK Comp. done over @ HYPEFUL.COM
http://www.hypeful.com/2007/06/22/ok-computer-turns-10/
It features a list of each song done as a cover!!!
Is this a rip-off, s’gum???
Really? Was the Cold War Kids cover that bad? I personally thought it was the best in the bunch, veering the loud controlled chaos into quieter terrain was a pretty fascinating choice. Almost every other track (aside from “Paranoid Android” and “Fitter Happier,” good stuff) was a dull, note-for-note retread of the original. If anything made me lose my lunch, it was that Sarah McLachlan-karaoke hack Worden.
The “Easy Star-All Stars” released a reggae version of OK Computer in 2006 called “Radiodread”. It’s a song-by-song cover album and it’s INCREDIBLE! Definitely worth a listen…
Well, Heath, it could only be a ripoff if all of these bands started recording their songs on on June 22nd or after—which I am sure they didn’t. Compilations like this don’t happen in 18 days.
Great work, ‘gum.
Thanks, doooodz. No Surprises is especially killer. DANKE.
stereogum has been working on this for months, at least. consider how long it would take to see a project like this through to completion…
Heath, someone just collected those previously issued covers from various other recordings and wrote a short paragraph about the album.
these are new takes with much more content.
cool?
Yeah, uh, Stereogum ripped off Hypeful’s badly executed version; commissioned a bunch of new covers; and improved upon the idea. Not a bad thing at all!
All I have to say is Stereogum needs to do this more often. Great idea! I’ve always wanted to compile a cover album of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. Anyway, I hope this isn’t the last time Stereogum does this. The Bazan and Vanderslice covers blow me away, and that has nothing to do with the fact that they are two of my all-time favorite artists.
exactly heath, this is a rip off. hype assembled a mix of pre-recorded covers from who knows when, while stereogum commissioned bands to record brand-new covers for purposes of this project.
you are retarded and should have your commenting license revoked. joke police, karma police, where you at?
“OK X: A Tribute to OK Computer is Stereogum’s first original music collection…” -Pitchfork
Does MySplice count as an original music collection?
alright Heath, you heard the crowd. beat it.
I just downloaded the Doveman version of Airbag. It was almost 80 megs! And it didn’t play as an mp3. Did anyone else have this problem? Thanks.
Same problem with the Doveman version of Airbag – 80mb file and doesn’t play.
Yeah, I tried downloading the Doveman track a few times now but it’s about 80mb and comes out as glitchy gibberish.
doveman’s fixed! my bad.
gothamist is claiming that “samson dalonoga” might be david cross.
gum, is it true?
Thanks for fixing Doveman.
Slaraffenland is the best. Thanks!
Coral Cache to ease the load on the server:
http://www.stereogum.com.nyud.net:8090/okx/
do you guys need/want help hosting these files to save bandwidth?
great job with the compilation!
here’s a zip file of the whole album:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/stereogum/ok_x.zip
could stereogum get any more AWESOME?
“could stereogum get any more AWESOME?”
yeah, they could .ZIP the whole fucking mess and put it out over BitTorrent. I mean, geez, this is the internet.
frankly, I think Toots and the Maytals’ cover of let down kills David Bazan’s, even thou I like it a ton. Radiodread is the shit. I’m supprized no one else really brought it up besides Been there, Heard that. It’s a way better retreatment of the album in my opinion.
Jim, you are my second fave hero with that fantab zip, Gum, you’re number one with this most impressive post. Carry on kids. Thanks and kudos to all.
thanks, ‘gum.
thanks, jim.
nice work, both of you.
Colin, I forgot to mention S3 automatically makes torrents when you add “?torrent” to the end of the URL.
so this: http://s3.amazonaws.com/stereogum/ok_x.zip
is also a torrent: http://s3.amazonaws.com/stereogum/ok_x.zip?torrent
Just when I thought you couldn’t get any gummer, you do something like this…
AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!
Do more of this. Make a series of it.
There’s no doubt that that’s David Cross. I’ve heard him make that voice so much.
why no mention that some people other than stereogum helped curate and put this thing together?
Wow! So so cool. Thanks Stereogum!
The Stereogum / Pitchfork merger finally happened! Hopefully there’s a Perez Hilton collaboration in the near future. You guys need more gossip up in here.
I don’t know if this is a rip off (see: http://www.hypeful.com/2007/06/22/ok-computer-turns-10/ ) But if it’s not . . . that sure is a BIG coincidence . . . Besides, I thought Stereogum and Hypeful were buds . . . if it’s not, gum could have ATLEAST given Hypeful a shout out . . .
With the exception of the Cold Wars Kids (it really is bad) this is an incredible compilation and one that deserves repeated listens. Even Fitter Happier is good. Well done to all involved.
Great job. Congrats. Excellent idea, fantastic execution. Has Rick Rubin called you to offer you an A&R gig yet?
Fucking brilliant. I can’t wait to hear it.
you re just gods!!!!! i really mean in the methodological way.
great idea, good project, awesome realisation. BRAVO!
im not done listening quite yet, but i really like the vanderslice “karma police”. nothing else has really struck me yet. as much as i dislike cold war kids it pains me to say thins, but their song isnt as bad as everyone makes it out to be.
and marissa nadler is still boring.
Happier. Fitter. More Productive.
The best Radiohead cover I’ve ever heard though is still Easy Star All-Stars cover of Let Down on Radiodread. The rest of the album isn’t that great but that one song is an amazing cover.
“I don’t know if this is a rip off (see: http://www.hypeful.com/2007/06/22/ok-computer-turns-10/ ) But if it’s not . . . that sure is a BIG coincidence . . . Besides, I thought Stereogum and Hypeful were buds . . . if it’s not, gum could have ATLEAST given Hypeful a shout out . . .”
Hasn’t this already been gone over? If you can’t tell the difference between Hypeful and Stereogum’s tributes then you must be slightly retarded
Kudos guys!! Weird & beautiful interpretations.
How about a Colour & the Shape tribute?? jk.
Good to see the haters are mostly absent from this one, aside from #1 up there (but who at least was civil) … we can all agree OK is one the best albums ever, who COULD hate?
Do Kid A in 2010!!
That Marrisa Nadler version of No Surprises is beautiful.
the mobius band cover is amazing! seeps in there without being too obvious and very them…lots of cool added sound! that and marrisa nadler are my favorites.
Thanks, Stereogum, I’ll give this a go, since I find actual Radiohead unlistenable. (Got to bring some hate to the party, sorry)
Maybe it’s my age, but mostly I think it’s Radiohead’s incurable upper-middle-class Englishness.
Technophobia and fear of the modern world are valid emotions, though I can’t share them, but what do they LIKE? What do they believe IN? We know what they’re against, but what are they FOR? What brings them JOY?
To think that people used to accuse The Smiths of being joyless miserablists. Maybe it’s their Irish ancestry, but the ‘Queen is Dead’ sounds like a night of Guinness-fuelled non-stop jigging compared to this lot.
right click right click right click…
Excellent guys!!
Thanks for this stuff.
:D
I was never much for OK Compu….SHUT THE FUCK UP!
Is it just me, or does any one else feel like every 5 years is a great year for music?
This came out in ’97, ’92 was a banner year, 2002 was alright, and ’07 is shaping up to be brilliant
Paranoid Android?! YUK!!!!!!!!!! I don’t mind Let Down! That’s saying something ’cause, really, it is my number one favorite song IN HISTORY. And, GOD, that Cold War Kids guy has THEE WORST VOICE! Always has.
Oh yes, and: Samson Dalonoga feat. The Found Sound Orchestra’s Fitter Happier remound me of The Chemical Brothers’ Salmon Dance spliced with Scissor Sisters’ Backwoods Discotheque.
thank you! my mouth is still agape at the My Brightest Diamond version of Lucky, which i’ll probably be playing to death for some time to come. blissful!
I am also glad this happened.
Yes, My Brightest Diamond’s Lucky is by far the best thing about this.
I’m going to have to go against popular opinion and say that Cold War Kids’ cover of “Electioneering” is probably the most successful track for my ears on the compilation. I think “Ok Computer” and Yorke’s vocal style are so recognizable and such an integral part of these songs that complete “re-imaginings” of the songs end up coming off silly.
The CWK cover works for me because it doesn’t attempt to stray away from the vocal style or rhythm that makes the song distinctive and just because imaginative with the instrumentation instead. Pretty clever way to do a cover IMO. And I don’t even really care for the Cold War Kids.
this is quite awesome ‘Gum…great work!
this is quite awesome…great work ‘Gum!
It boggles the mind how anyone with a fully functioning set of ears could find the Cold War Kids’ singer’s voice pleasant.
It’s called Variance. Inflection. Dude insistently enunciates on a single, grating register. He brings to mind that old SNL Will Ferrell skit about the guy who can’t control the volume of his own voice. Nails on a chalk board.
This is great! I posted it on my music blog, so hopefully this will get more attention. This just makes me think more about how great Radiohead is.
Shit, you better watch your bandwidth now that Dylan’s music blog is linking to you.
Ha! I’m #100!!!!1