Achtung Baby vs. Ok Computer

[1stepcloser]

I think Radiohead are one of the most overrated bands in history. The way people fawn over them is amzing. OK Computer, Kid A and The Bends are all good albums, but the kind of slavering that they induce seems bizarre to me.

well said

 

[scottyT]

Ok Computer is painful to listen to.

 

[I'm Ready]

I don't think they are two albums to compare song-song

I will vote for achtung baby here, but I think the way things are graded, OK computer gets treated unfairly

 

[Zoots]

Yeah, I don't like doing that lateral song by song comparison! Cos say.. track 2 from album 1 may not be as good as track 2 from album 2 but album 1 may have a better overall feel! And how do you justify not comparing track 2 from here to track 5 from there? It makes no sense!

Anyway, it's Achtung Baby for me even though I love Ok Computer to death!

 

[namkcuR]

OKC is one of the records that I think is really, REALLY fucking brilliant, but that for some reason I don't listen to that much. I listen to AB all the time. I don't really want to choose.

 

[Zoomerang96]

Oh, you're going to play the stupid "you don't 'get' the music" card? Oh, I 'get' it alright, and at times, I even enjoy listening to Radiohead's music, but I can't handle Thom Yorke's voice for more than about ten minutes. And frankly, there's a difference between doing new and inventive things with music and just sticking a fork up your arse, twisting it a few times, and claiming it's experimental music. Radiohead have done both.

If you ask me, there's significantly better music than Radiohead out there.

i was only saying what you already said.

as for your last comment about there being better music than radiohead, you're more than likely right.

 

[doctorwho]

Re: Re: Achtung Baby vs. Ok Computer

As a whole listening experience...

Ok Computer by far

You simply can´t take Ok Computer as 12 different songs, it´s much more than that, is A WHOLE ALBUM

... we hope that you choke...

Yes, it's a whole album of utter crap!

I tried, and tried, and tried and tried again to get into that album. In '97 when everyone was ranting and raving over it, while my interest in Radiohead and waned considerably, I ran out and bought it. What a waste of $$. But it's Radiohead and critics and fans here loved it, so I gave it my best.

However, after 8 years, I can honestly say that I feel most of Radiohead's recent work, including "O.K. Computer" is amongst the most uninspired drip I've had the displeasure of hearing. Sadly, I continue to buy their material hoping they'll find a spark of what made them somewhat interesting years ago.

Bottom line, "O.K. Computer" shouldn't even be in the same poll as AB, let alone ranked above it.

 

[jacobus]

OK comp is a nice album, but AB is much more better and has the perfect flow. i also think that radiohead is a bit overrated. their best album imo is 'the bends'

 

[Axver]

i was only saying what you already said.

You've successfully both twisted my words and dodged my argument. Well done!

 

[timothius]

Achtung. There are parts of OK that lose me, specifically toward the end. I also prefer the "vibe" and maturity of Achtung, but this may have a lot to do with the stage at which each band recorded the album.

OK Computer vs Joshua Tree IMO would be a far more valid (and interesting) comparison. But for the love of God, somone please don't make the thread!

 

[ponkine]

OK comp is a nice album, but AB is much more better and has the perfect flow. i also think that radiohead is a bit overrated. their best album imo is 'the bends'

It´s the first time I disagree with you mate

 

[Mogi]

I pretty much created this thread to stimulate some conversation between two of the most beloved and hated bands on the planet. I can see the point that comparing song to song can be quite unfair since it is true that the whole listening experience should be measured as a whole. But anyway, it was a "measurable" and fun way of looking at it.
But I would still like to ask the question of why Radiohead is so hailed on OK and KID A as being so forward thinking and talking about our fast paced society, while U2 pretty much covered all of that from AB/ZOO TV through Pop(which I think thematically hit on the same things OK Computer was saying).
What I am trying to say is that I think U2 took on the messianic role of the new media and it´s affects(and did a great job!!) before Radiohead and I would like to see some recognition for them instead of Radiohead taking the cake for that!

 

[angelordevil]

Oh dear Lord. It's as though Achtung Baby and OK Computer are my two children and you're forcing me to decide which one I prefer over the other.

Can I be the daddy?

Ultimately, this entire debate breaks down to taste. I find Radiohead’s music to be gut-wrenching, stark, and beautiful. It’s challenging at times, because it’s not hook-driven. Often, it’s filled with subtleties and vocal turns of phrases that ultimately grow on you like a new, but familiar, vocabulary.

Radiohead and U2, at their best, are very similar in the sense that they can take you to a dimension very few bands can. Even though they are different, they share a pureness and rawness that’s equally stirring.

These two albums could be brothers...with Ok Computer being the difficult one, but still worthy of the same attention.

 

[MrBrau1]

I pretty much created this thread to stimulate some conversation between two of the most beloved and hated bands on the planet. I can see the point that comparing song to song can be quite unfair since it is true that the whole listening experience should be measured as a whole. But anyway, it was a "measurable" and fun way of looking at it.
But I would still like to ask the question of why Radiohead is so hailed on OK and KID A as being so forward thinking and talking about our fast paced society, while U2 pretty much covered all of that from AB/ZOO TV through Pop(which I think thematically hit on the same things OK Computer was saying).
What I am trying to say is that I think U2 took on the messianic role of the new media and it´s affects(and did a great job!!) before Radiohead and I would like to see some recognition for them instead of Radiohead taking the cake for that!

Agree 100%.

 

[xaviMF22]

I pretty much created this thread to stimulate some conversation between two of the most beloved and hated bands on the planet. I can see the point that comparing song to song can be quite unfair since it is true that the whole listening experience should be measured as a whole. But anyway, it was a "measurable" and fun way of looking at it.
But I would still like to ask the question of why Radiohead is so hailed on OK and KID A as being so forward thinking and talking about our fast paced society, while U2 pretty much covered all of that from AB/ZOO TV through Pop(which I think thematically hit on the same things OK Computer was saying).
What I am trying to say is that I think U2 took on the messianic role of the new media and it´s affects(and did a great job!!) before Radiohead and I would like to see some recognition for them instead of Radiohead taking the cake for that!

because Radiohead did it better

 

[Zoomerang96]

You've successfully both twisted my words and dodged my argument. Well done!

for shit sakes axver, you said "i don't understand..."

that's THAT!

you DON'T get it, and you never will. and that's fine. but because you clearly don't get radiohead's music, it doesn't mean it's tripe.

it might very well not be the greatest, or even as good as u2, but your "arguement" is absurd considering you don't even have an educated opinion on the matter!

and when you said "i don't understand...", you proved it!

there is no arguement. both are great albums, and to say one's better than the other would be a waste of everyone's time, as far as i'm concerned. both are internationally respected and at this point, it's pretty clear that only personal preference determines what's "better".

 

[ZeroDude]

For a start musical taste is subjective and at that I prefer “Achtung Baby” to “Ok Computer” however they are both amazing albums and are made up of some of the finest contemporary recordings ever in my opinion.

That’s it there is no contest, these versus threads are starting to drag and we all know that they have no agreeable conclusion that will pander to all parties.

 

[angelordevil]

That’s it there is no contest, these versus threads are starting to drag and we all know that they have no agreeable conclusion that will pander to all parties.

The polls and versus threads should spark a great debate, not a riot.

 

[U2Man]

ZeroDude is right as usual, but people will always need their silly little wars in here.

 

[yimou]

there is no arguement. both are great albums, and to say one's better than the other would be a waste of everyone's time, as far as i'm concerned. both are internationally respected and at this point, it's pretty clear that only personal preference determines what's "better".

There you go

 

[LemonAid]

because Radiohead did it better

Ouch.


Im not sure if thats true or not, it just might be, but it seems that Radiohead just added a whole lot of Teen Angst onto the whole scenario that U2 had already painted.

Fundamentally, I think that it is fair to say that Radiohead would not have made, or have been able to make the music they made had it not been for the influence of 90's U2 on them........sure, it might have been similar in some way, but they really took alot of inspiration from them, even Yorke admits that. And the reinvention that U2 so successfully did with Achtung was the blueprint for what Radiohead (and just wait for insipid Coldplay to do..) have done with Kid A

for the record, I love Radiohead, and while I understand that they may not be everyones cup of tea (like U2) you have to at the very least appreciate their skills and capabilities. The sheer musicianship on display on the whole of OK computer is astounding, it really is. Just listen to Paranoid Android, whether you like it or not, that song is incredible....the layering and layering of techniques and effects never fails to amaze me and it hasnt aged a day.

Achtung is my favourite, because like someone before me mentioned, I simply listen to it more.......which really is what music is all about.

But as statements of musicianship? I have them as equal.

2 bands at their best.

 

[AcrobatMan]

comparing OKC with Achtung baby

OKC wins easily...

if you want to compare OKComputer, the album that is in the same league as OK Computer is "The Joshua Tree". Then is when I dont really know which is a better album

 

[gareth brown]

i really can't agree that Radiohead owe a great deal of their musical ability etc. to U2's output of the nineties when you listen to 'Achtung Baby' and 'Zooropa' and listen to Radiohead and their likeness to the Pixies and so on.

 

[Axver]

for shit sakes axver, you said "i don't understand..."

that's THAT!

you DON'T get it, and you never will. and that's fine. but because you clearly don't get radiohead's music, it doesn't mean it's tripe.

it might very well not be the greatest, or even as good as u2, but your "arguement" is absurd considering you don't even have an educated opinion on the matter!

and when you said "i don't understand...", you proved it!

there is no arguement. both are great albums, and to say one's better than the other would be a waste of everyone's time, as far as i'm concerned. both are internationally respected and at this point, it's pretty clear that only personal preference determines what's "better".

What the hell are you going on about? Seriously, do you even have the faintest clue?

Let's re-examine what I said: "I don't understand why [OK Computer]'s so highly rated."

I did not say I did not understand the music. I did not say that it confused me or that I don't 'get' it, nor did I even remotely implied that. I went on to state that the reason I fail to understand OK Computer's high rating is because I consider it to be "unremarkable", which I didn't elaborate on though I should've. I did not say it's tripe; by unremarkable, I meant that it doesn't stand out as an album to me and is what I would consider to be "average" as opposed to either "great" or "poor". I don't see where you get off with saying I don't have an educated opinion when I have three Radiohead albums (The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A) plus the I Might Be Wrong live disc. Sometimes, they do interesting and unique things with their music, but as far as I'm concerned, Passengers is the album Radiohead wish they'd made, and Radiohead are inherently held back in my opinion because I do not find Thom Yorke's voice to be very good. I particularly feel that he destroys Radiohead's slower songs.

Though for the record, Electioneering and Idioteque are superb songs.

And frankly, I'll stick with what is to me interesting music, whether it's U2 or Liquid Tension Experiment or Joy Division or whatever. I'm not going to bow at the altar of OK Computer and consider it a classic (and the same applies to Achtung Baby); you can go ahead and do what you like, but I am in no way obligated to do so, and to say I have to consider it "great" otherwise my opinion is somehow inferior is just silly if I have actually thought this out (as opposed to some mindless person who likes three-minute Britney Spears pop music and would vomit no matter whether they heard Radiohead or Liquid Tension Experiment).

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

comparing OKC with Achtung baby

OKC wins easily...

I think you've been reading one too many reader's polls.

 

[namkcuR]

Ouch.


Im not sure if thats true or not, it just might be, but it seems that Radiohead just added a whole lot of Teen Angst onto the whole scenario that U2 had already painted.

Fundamentally, I think that it is fair to say that Radiohead would not have made, or have been able to make the music they made had it not been for the influence of 90's U2 on them........sure, it might have been similar in some way, but they really took alot of inspiration from them, even Yorke admits that. And the reinvention that U2 so successfully did with Achtung was the blueprint for what Radiohead (and just wait for insipid Coldplay to do..) have done with Kid A

for the record, I love Radiohead, and while I understand that they may not be everyones cup of tea (like U2) you have to at the very least appreciate their skills and capabilities. The sheer musicianship on display on the whole of OK computer is astounding, it really is. Just listen to Paranoid Android, whether you like it or not, that song is incredible....the layering and layering of techniques and effects never fails to amaze me and it hasnt aged a day.

Achtung is my favourite, because like someone before me mentioned, I simply listen to it more.......which really is what music is all about.

But as statements of musicianship? I have them as equal.

2 bands at their best.

 

[namkcuR]

What the hell are you going on about? Seriously, do you even have the faintest clue?

Let's re-examine what I said: "I don't understand why [OK Computer]'s so highly rated."

I did not say I did not understand the music. I did not say that it confused me or that I don't 'get' it, nor did I even remotely implied that. I went on to state that the reason I fail to understand OK Computer's high rating is because I consider it to be "unremarkable", which I didn't elaborate on though I should've. I did not say it's tripe; by unremarkable, I meant that it doesn't stand out as an album to me and is what I would consider to be "average" as opposed to either "great" or "poor". I don't see where you get off with saying I don't have an educated opinion when I have three Radiohead albums (The Bends, OK Computer, and Kid A) plus the I Might Be Wrong live disc. Sometimes, they do interesting and unique things with their music, but as far as I'm concerned, Passengers is the album Radiohead wish they'd made, and Radiohead are inherently held back in my opinion because I do not find Thom Yorke's voice to be very good. I particularly feel that he destroys Radiohead's slower songs.

Though for the record, Electioneering and Idioteque are superb songs.

And frankly, I'll stick with what is to me interesting music, whether it's U2 or Liquid Tension Experiment or Joy Division or whatever. I'm not going to bow at the altar of OK Computer and consider it a classic (and the same applies to Achtung Baby); you can go ahead and do what you like, but I am in no way obligated to do so, and to say I have to consider it "great" otherwise my opinion is somehow inferior is just silly if I have actually thought this out (as opposed to some mindless person who likes three-minute Britney Spears pop music and would vomit no matter whether they heard Radiohead or Liquid Tension Experiment).

Thom Yorke is one of my favorite singers to listen to in all of the rock/alternative music spectrum. Likewise, Radiohead is one my favorite bands, and I think they have made some great, great records, including OKC. But we're all free to think what we think. We'll have to agree to disagree.

 

[angelordevil]

Thom Yorke is one of my favorite singers to listen to in all of the rock/alternative music spectrum. Likewise, Radiohead is one my favorite bands, and I think they have made some great, great records, including OKC. But we're all free to think what we think. We'll have to agree to disagree.

I've really gotten into Radiohead this year (thanks to some fellow Interferencers). If they have a "weakness" at all, it may be the fact that they don't write more upbeat songs to please the masses. But I have to say, on dark and cloudy days, when the world seems screwier than ever, I see that as a strength. I see them as a very honest band, accurately reflecting the world around them.

Plus, they just plain F***ing rock

 

[namkcuR]

I've really gotten into Radiohead this year (thanks to some fellow Interferencers). If they have a "weakness" at all, it may be the fact that they don't write more upbeat songs to please the masses. But I have to say, on dark and cloudy days, when the world seems screwier than ever, I see that as a strength. I see them as a very honest band, accurately reflecting the world around them.

Plus, they just plain F***ing rock

I don't mind that they don't make upbeat music...the only weakness they might have is that they don't make very dancable music...I think someone on these forums once said, 'their music is so cerebral it might as well be neutered' or something like that. On the other hand, I find 'Myxamatosis' to be VERY dancable. Killer riff.

 

[xaviMF22]

----> dances to idioteque