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The best Radiohead album is In Rainbows...wait no, OK Computer...wait no, it's...

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P

Philippo

Member
The Bends > Pablo Honey >>> My toilet >>>> everything else

I really dislike the experimental/callitwhateveryouwant route they started taking since OK Computer.

And i really loved Greenwood's solos, he was so good.
 
A

A-V-B

Member
BTW, there's a really fun tonal similarity between the climaxes of Climbing up the Walls and Kids with Guns by Gorillaz :)

Yes, that sounds insane
 
A

A-V-B

Member
Philippo said:
The Bends > Pablo Honey >>> My toilet >>>> everything else

I really dislike the experimental/callitwhateveryouwant route they started taking since OK Computer.

And i really loved Greenwood's solos, he was so good.
Click to expand...

Greenwood's guitar work is still all over OK Computer. It's when Thom Yorke's electronic experimentation takes over too much is when it starts disappearing. I think King of Limbs is really guilty of sounding like a Thom Yorke solo album with guest appearances from the rest of the band.
 
W

Wreav

Banned
Lol consensus. Even as a diehard Radiohead fan, my favorite album will change with the seasons. All of them are interesting on unique levels.
 
R

Random Painted HIghway

Member
The bends, though close behind is ok computer. I think it makes a huge difference when you first started listening to them, I caught them in concert after the bends was released and my college years those two albums were in heavy rotation. For me they have gotten progressively less interesting and listenable as they aged.
 
G

Gattsu25

Banned
The Bends blew my mind when I first heard it.

It's hard to rank Radiohead albums but that would be near the top for me.

Climbing Up The Walls is one of my favorite songs, though.
 
H

hydruxo

Member
My favorites:

1) In Rainbows
2) OK Computer
3) Amnesiac
4) Kid A
5) Hail to the Thief
6) The Bends
7) The King of Limbs
8) Pablo Honey

In Rainbows gets the top spot because of Disc 1 being so incredible (specifically Reckoner). Love all their albums though.
 
A

A-V-B

Member
deli2000 said:
Unrelated Radiohead question. Which version of Morning Bell do you guys prefer, the Kid A or Amnesiac version?
Click to expand...

I heard the Amnesiac version way before the Kid A version, insanely. Amnesiac was actually my first Radiohead album from when it was released in 2001, heh.

But the Kid A version, I prefer that. Amnesiac's is just... I dunno.. too ugly? But it has its perks.
 
Daria Morgendorffer

Daria Morgendorffer

Member
Hm, OK Computer has my favourite song of all time (paranoid android), so I would choose that one.
It's great to see so many different rankings in this thread, I love it when there's so much choice for the top spot.
 
B

Blader

Member
A-V-B said:
Greenwood's guitar work is still all over OK Computer. It's when Thom Yorke's electronic experimentation takes over too much is when it starts disappearing. I think King of Limbs is really guilty of sounding like a Thom Yorke solo album with guest appearances from the rest of the band.
Click to expand...

Jonny and Colin are just as much into electronic experimentation, and Jonny's fingerprints especially are all over a lot of their guitar-lite work. Hell, all of the looping done on King of Limbs was programmed by Jonny in the first place.
 
A

A-V-B

Member
Blader said:
Jonny and Colin are just as much into electronic experimentation, and Jonny's fingerprints especially are all over a lot of their guitar-lite work. Hell, all of the looping done on King of Limbs was programmed by Jonny in the first place.
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, I totally get that. I'm not saying the artists themselves disappear. Just Jonny's guitar.

Kid and Amnesiac still totally feel like albums where all the guys are involved throughout, I think. King of Limbs not so much, even if they were. It's just not a very good album :p The sounds just mush together on it and the album loses its identity. A couple good songs, but it doesn't hold together as a collaboration.
 
D

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
Radiohead is such a prolific, talented, continually evolving and never satisfied with repeating previous successes band, it's so hard to nail down what their best album is and there's never agreement on the subject. The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows each are held as their best album by so many people. I always have and probably always will hold OK Computer as their finest achievement. It was also the first album of theirs I got into (back in 1999-2000) so that may have a little bit to do with it.

One of the things I love most about Radiohead is how long it takes me to appreciate most of their albums. By a certain number of listens I'm usually tired of most albums where as I'm just starting to fully appreciate a Radiohead album. I was really disappointed with In Rainbows at first. Months later I was still listening to it a lot. Most bands would kill to have Radiohead's longetivity.

A few random thoughts:

- I avoided Pablo Honey for the longest time until 3-4 years ago when I finally gave it a good listen and ended up really liking some of the songs. Totally under-appreciated. I still listen to Blowout occasionally. It's incredible to think of how much they've evolved since then.

- Kid A is great but I honestly think Amnesiac is superior. They were cut from the same cloth anyways.

- Hail to the Thief is definitely one of their lesser albums, certainly their messiest. I think I've given it maybe one or two full listens in its entirety. Has a couple great songs on it though.

- The King of Limbs is a bit underrated but also one of their more underwhelming albums. I've only given it several full listens because of how short it is. The last half of the album (at least the last three songs) however is fantastic and IMO up their with some of their best.
 
S

ShowDog

Member
OK Computer is probably their best album. In Rainbows is my favorite to listen to regularly. Kid A is amazing. The Bends is extremely well done.

Never cared for more than few tracks of Amnesiac, and I don't like Hail to the Thief. Pablo Honey is only really good for Creep. King of Limbs is like Amnesiac, where a few tracks stand out to me and the rest don't do a whole lot.
 
C

Cinders

Member
The Bends/OK Computer/Kid A/In Rainbows depending on my mood.

Then Hail to the Thief/Amnesiac/The King of Limbs.

Then Pablo Honey.

Those are my three tiers, so to speak. I can't really rank the albums because it changes all the time. They should be back recording; I can't wait to see what they do next.
 
Z

Zakalwe

Banned
I didn't like Rainbows. Then I stuck my Radiohead library on shuffle and almost every time a rainbows track came on it made me stop and check.

I recommend doing this if there are albums of theirs you're not find of. You might be drawn in to one without realising.

Even if not there may be a track here and there you overlooked because of where it lives.
 
B

Blader

Member
A-V-B said:
Oh, yeah, I totally get that. I'm not saying the artists themselves disappear. Just Jonny's guitar.

Kid and Amnesiac still totally feel like albums where all the guys are involved throughout, I think. King of Limbs not so much, even if they were. It's just not a very good album :p The sounds just mush together on it and the album loses its identity. A couple good songs, but it doesn't hold together as a collaboration.
Click to expand...

Plenty of guitars in the live versions. :p

I like the album just fine as is, particularly the second half, but those first four songs sound like completely different beasts when played live -- and with far more distinct parts for each band member, because I agree, the album cuts of Bloom through to Feral can sound a little same-y.
 
K

Kain

Member
Funny, I was just thinking recently of opening the EXACT same thread. GAF is awesome.

Anyway, The bends for me, followed by OK. The more electronic stuff doesn't appeal to me as much as their primeval rocky sound. It's strange because I love electronic touches in other bands.
 
1

120v

Member
amnesiac continues to blow me away to this day. though i understand why its not a lot of peoples favorite... its a very dark album
 
A

Always-honest

Banned
Ok Computer is pretty much perfect and an instant classic album.
One of the best albums ever made.

My personal favorite is probably Kid A though.
 
F

Fitts

Member
My favorite is whatever one Pitchfork tells me to like the most.

Kappa

But seriously, I hadn't found anything they had done to be all that interesting until OK Computer, Kid A was a great follow up, and then they just couldn't keep pace for me after that. Amnesiac was alright and Hail to the Thief had a few decent moments, but I found In Rainbows to be a bore and King of Limbs made me question whether or not I would bother with any future releases.
 
M

Mr.Pig

Member
A-V-B said:
Oh, yeah, I totally get that. I'm not saying the artists themselves disappear. Just Jonny's guitar.

Kid and Amnesiac still totally feel like albums where all the guys are involved throughout, I think. King of Limbs not so much, even if they were. It's just not a very good album :p The sounds just mush together on it and the album loses its identity. A couple good songs, but it doesn't hold together as a collaboration.
Click to expand...

Anyone can play guitar. ;-)
 
K

Kusagari

Member
Ok Computer > Kid A > In Rainbows > The Bends > Amnesiac > Hail to the Thief > King of Limbs > Pablo Honey

In Rainbows might seriously jump Kid A with the bonus tracks included though. Down is the New Up is the shit.
 
H

hydruxo

Member
Zakalwe said:
I didn't like Rainbows. Then I stuck my Radiohead library on shuffle and almost every time a rainbows track came on it made me stop and check.

I recommend doing this if there are albums of theirs you're not find of. You might be drawn in to one without realising.

Even if not there may be a track here and there you overlooked because of where it lives.
Click to expand...

Yeah I did this with Hail to the Thief and ended up liking it way more than I did before
 
F

FriedConsole

Banned
OK Computer is the best. It was the best mix of out there stuff and art noise. Now there is so much out there art noise most tracks are dubious as songs. Makes me sad I do a lot fast forwarding on their new stuff.
 
L

lastflowers

Banned
I really can't even rank them. Just tiers

Tier 0
In Rainbows, Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief

Tier 1
OK Computer, TKoL

Tier 2
The Bends

Tier 3
Pablo
 
G

GWX

Member
In Rainbows > OK Computer > Hail to the Thief = Kid A > rest

controversial opinion edit: Amok is tied with In Rainbows as the best thing Yorke has worked on.
 
O

OricWindstar

Member
Philippo said:
The Bends > Pablo Honey >>> My toilet >>>> everything else

I really dislike the experimental/callitwhateveryouwant route they started taking since OK Computer.

And i really loved Greenwood's solos, he was so good.
Click to expand...
Disagree with the first part, but goddamn is Jonny good. Love his film scores as well.
 
T

Teeth

Member
My favourite is probably In Rainbows followed closely by The Bends.

That said, Pyramid Song may just be the greatest song ever written.
 
N

N.A

Banned
Kid A > OK computer > In Rainbows > The Bends > Amnesiac > Hail to the Thief >>>>>>>>>>> King of Limbs > Pablo Honey

Though The Basement version of King of Limbs is excellent.
 
H

Hobbestetrician

Member
The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows are all stone-cold masterpieces. Hail to the Thief and Amnesiac aren't that far off. King of Limbs and Pablo Honey are merely good.

OK Computer takes the top spot for me with all of the other masterpieces occupying the second spot.
 
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