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The Bends vs. OK Computer?: Let's Finally Put It To Rest...

The Long RoadThe Long Road Posts: 183
edited August 2008 in Other Music
I never could figure out how anyone could possibly think The Bends is a better record than OK Computer. Of course this is just my opinion, but I truly think that there is NO comparison whatsoever. Look at the track listing for each record and compare. It's like comparing the American League All-Star Team with the Baltimore Orioles. It seems as though a lot of Radiohead fans like to say that The Bends was better than OKC to make themselves sound like they know Radiohead better than you. Again, It's just my opinion. Discuss...
"All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives"--Ed
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  • Sexy2aFaultSexy2aFault Posts: 388
    The Long Road wrote:
    I never could figure out how anyone could possibly think The Bends is a better record than OK Computer. Of course this is just my opinion, but I truly think that there is NO comparison whatsoever. Look at the track listing for each record and compare. It's like comparing the American League All-Star Team with the Baltimore Orioles. It seems as though a lot of Radiohead fans like to say that The Bends was better than OKC to make themselves sound like they know Radiohead better than you. Again, It's just my opinion. Discuss...

    There is no comparison, The Bends was a great Pixies influenced record, not lyrically or atmospherically, but with the whole acoustic/sonic combination. OK Computer was a true original. Ok Computer just has a ice cool feel to it, the guitars on Electioneering just sound so clean, Pink Floyd wishes it could have written Paranoid Android, Airbag is better than Planet Telex, I am not sure what Climbing up the Walls is about, but it gives me an odd feeling in a good way, The Opening chords to Let Down make the listener feel like 10 different feelings at once (most noteably sadness and euphoria at the same time) and Lucky probably stands as their best song ever.

    Does the above sound retarded? Yes, but that does not take away from how truly Ok Computer stands in a class of it's own. It stands alone Not only in Radioheads discography, but in anybody's throughout history. I stand by that.

    Only Sigur Ros' untitled can rival it's beauty, but that album did not age as well as OK Computer.
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    the bends is my fave radiohead album. but i openly acknowledge that ok computer is their best album. its just personal preference. :)
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  • Sexy2aFaultSexy2aFault Posts: 388
    Just out of curiosity, when you are comparing the american League All-Star team with the Baltimore Orioles, what do you do when you have to compare the Orioles All-Star player? Is it a draw in that one instance?
  • kittykat416kittykat416 Posts: 180
    catefrances wrote:
    the bends is my fave radiohead album. but i openly acknowledge that ok computer is their best album. its just personal preference. :)

    hit. nail. on. head.

    the bends is a classic radiohead album, although ok computer is musically more genius. (Edit: don't get me wrong; I LOVE ok computer; however, the same cannot be said of Kid A, Amnesiac or Hail to the Theif - just my preferences ;) )

    think of it like PJ's Ten compared to just about any other of their albums. Ten may not be the *best* of their albums musically, but it packed with favourite songs; there is a reason that PJ shows include more Ten songs than any other albums' songs....
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  • The Long RoadThe Long Road Posts: 183
    Sexy2aFault wrote:
    Just out of curiosity, when you are comparing the american League All-Star team with the Baltimore Orioles, what do you do when you have to compare the Orioles All-Star player? Is it a draw in that one instance?

    Great question. I made the analogy like that on purpose because The Bends' all-star is Fake Plastic Trees, which is a song that can match up with just about any of the songs on OKC.
    "All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives"--Ed
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    The Long Road wrote:
    Great question. I made the analogy like that on purpose because The Bends' all-star is Fake Plastic Trees, which is a song that can match up with just about any of the songs on OKC.
    The song 'The Bends' kicks all kinds of ass as well.

    I agree, OK Computer is better, but I like The Bends way more.
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  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    ok computer epitomizes the whole radiohead experience just as yield does for pearl jam... its my favorite album of theirs and probably amongst my top 10 favorite of all time
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  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,941
    The Bends for me......pretty much just on the basis of "Just" and "My Iron Lung."


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  • prytocorduroyprytocorduroy Posts: 4,355
    The Bends. Without that album OK Computer still wouldn't make sense to me.
  • kdpjamkdpjam Posts: 2,303
    ok ok!!!
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  • MattyJoeMattyJoe Posts: 1,424
    The Bends
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  • BremertonBremerton Posts: 279
    In head to head track by track matchups I have Ok Computer 6-5 with My Iron Lung and Electioneering as a tie.

    If I order them in my favorite songs on the album I have it as 7-5 Bends.

    This concludes that they are both amazing.
  • leafs4everleafs4ever Posts: 833
    i prefer the bends over ok computer but they are both perfect albums in my opinion so it's hard to pick. Then again, i pick Kid A over either lol. Radiohead has 3 (possibly 4) albums that i would rate 10/10 so you can't really go wrong with anything they do.
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  • JulienJulien Posts: 2,457
    with the time, I started to prefer the bends. I discovered radiohead with the bends but I became a "fan" with ok computer. I went to see them 5 or 6 times during okc tour. But now, after 10 years of listening often to both albums, I prefer the bends. there are some tracks on okc that do nothing to me while every song on the bends is special and touches me.

    edit: maybe the prblme with okc is the "over-production". The album is "too clean"
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  • release30release30 Posts: 2,051
    MattyJoe wrote:
    The Bends


    Oh yea...
    Conversations getting dull
    There's a constant ringing in my ears
    Sense of humor's void and numb
    And I'm bored to tears.......
  • gleemonexgleemonex Posts: 848
    I listen to The Bends far more than OK Computer. The Bends just has more songs that I really, really like (Planet Telex, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, My Iron Lung, Street Spirit). Even though it has a few that I don't like as much as anything on OK Computer (Black Star, Bones) I still like it more because those good songs are just so damn powerful.
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  • JordyWordyJordyWordy Posts: 2,261
    OK Computer. Loads more variation, and even with the "clean" production & studio gimmickery, it doesnt sound dated at all.

    I love lots of songs off The Bends, but when i try listen to it in one sitting i get bored and switch.

    If i put OK on i have to listen the whole way through
  • jervin007jervin007 Posts: 3,182
    I think Ok Computer is a better album than the bends. But, the bends does have "street spirit", I love that song. However, I feel as though the highly underrated album Kid A is radioheads best.
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  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    OK Computer, no question.
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  • xSmackSoundxxSmackSoundx Posts: 479
    catefrances wrote:
    the bends is my fave radiohead album. but i openly acknowledge that ok computer is their best album. its just personal preference. :)

    lol... I don't even see how your opinion is possible... if you think ok computer is better.. it seems as if you have to like it more.
  • Vitalogy7Vitalogy7 Posts: 75
    the bends wins
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  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    The Bends.....never truly got the fuss over this record....its just a guitar record and Pablo Honey aside, Radioheads blandest and most generic....


    OK Computer is a much, much richer album.....



    Personally I prefer KID A and In Rainbows to both......
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  • AnonAnon Posts: 11,175
    i definitely say the bends - one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
  • The Long RoadThe Long Road Posts: 183
    xSmackSoundx wrote:
    lol... I don't even see how your opinion is possible... if you think ok computer is better.. it seems as if you have to like it more.


    Totally agree. This is exactly my point. I truly feel that people who say that the Bends is better than OKC is saying it to sound like they know the band better than anyone else. I can't believe how many votes the Bends got on here...it's laughable.
    "All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our lives"--Ed
  • JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    Ok Computer changed the face of music. It was the greatest album of the nineties and one of the greatest of all time IMHO. I used to dislike Radiohead very much but when I gave OK Computer a few more listens I fell in love. I have listened to the Bends quite a few times and it does not hit me like the other did.
  • DeLukinDeLukin Posts: 2,757
    I liked the Bends instantly the first time I heard it, even the weaker songs like Bones. OK computer was much more of an acquired taste for me but like a fine wine it kicked my ass once the buzz set in. It was such a departure from what had been done by Radiohead that it was unsettling, but after a couple of listens I realized its awesomeness. But I can understand how some people like the Bends better - it's a different album and I won't condemn anyone for preferring it's warm acoustic feel to OKC's harsher electronica.
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  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    DeLukin wrote:
    I liked the Bends instantly the first time I heard it, even the weaker songs like Bones. OK computer was much more of an acquired taste for me but like a fine wine it kicked my ass once the buzz set in. It was such a departure from what had been done by Radiohead that it was unsettling, but after a couple of listens I realized its awesomeness. But I can understand how some people like the Bends better - it's a different album and I won't condemn anyone for preferring it's warm acoustic feel to OKC's harsher electronica.
    que?
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  • Mike_Muse_RageMike_Muse_Rage Posts: 677
    OK Computer just has win written all over it. That album blows my mind every time I listen to it. I can't say the same thing about The Bends.
  • pdalowskypdalowsky Doncaster,UK Posts: 15,096
    do this again and make it a poll, would be farb easier to assess

    for my OK Comp is one of the all time greats,

    all though like many have said personally prefer the bends
  • memememe Posts: 4,695
    I never could figure out how people could think OK computer is a better record than the bends :o
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
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