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Radiohead announces OK Computer 20th Anniversary set (w/ unreleased tracks)

I still think it's tacky when a band charges more for higher quality files. Radiohead really loves bumping the price for those 24 bit WAVs and they don't even include MP3s in the download. Everyone should use the Bandcamp model.

MP3 was a download option for me, and it's not like downconverting WAV to MP3 is a Herculean task.

Is it going to be remastered or have any changes in audio quality?

There are some differences but nothing major. Overall bass is a little punchier and some of the ambiance is more spacious for lack of a better description. Karma Police is the most noticeable IMO.
 

Xun

Member
Frustratingly Karma Police is plagued with marks similar to these causing pops:

UN2odwMm.jpg


I'm probably going to contact W.A.S.T.E. about this and hope they send a replacement.
 
Pre-ordered the CD on Amazon, so I only have the MP3's to go by for now. Lift is amazing, though I might prefer the live cuts that have been floating around for years. The other two are kinda meh. Can't wait to have an opportunity to blast the discs in my car stereo.
 

Servbot24

Banned
Tbh I can't tell the difference between the original and the remaster except in a few spots... not even sure I like it better necessarily when I do notice. Nice to have at the very least though.
 

denx

Member
Tbh I can't tell the difference between the original and the remaster except in a few spots... not even sure I like it better necessarily when I do notice. Nice to have at the very least though.

I'm not an audiophile but I can notice the differences in some of the songs, especially Airbag, Let Down and Karma Police. This remaster has brought forward some details that I've missed in these songs all these years.

Glad they went with the No Surprises/Running From Demons mix of Pearly* for this. The mix on the Airbag EP is a muddled mess imo. And Lull sounds extra lovely here.
 

Manzanas

Neo Member
Frustratingly Karma Police is plagued with marks similar to these causing pops:

UN2odwMm.jpg


I'm probably going to contact W.A.S.T.E. about this and hope they send a replacement.

I know your pain. My A Moon Shaped Pool special edition vinyl is pretty much useless. Both records, are filled with horrible popping on every single track. I pretty much wasted $86 on it.
Hopefully they send you a replacement.
 

Xun

Member
I know your pain. My A Moon Shaped Pool special edition vinyl is pretty much useless. Both records, are filled with horrible popping on every single track. I pretty much wasted $86 on it.
Hopefully they send you a replacement.
AMSP was/is horribly pressed.

So you didn't manage to get a replacement for it? Once I contacted W.A.S.T.E. they thankfully sent me one.

I've not had the best luck with Radiohead vinyl...
 

Blader

Member
Tbh I can't tell the difference between the original and the remaster except in a few spots... not even sure I like it better necessarily when I do notice. Nice to have at the very least though.

The only thing that jumps out to me is the bleeps running under the guitars on Let Down. I always thought those came in at the very end, after the vocals stopped, but they come in earlier on the remaster.

Also, the piano on How I Made My Millions has been cranked up.
 
Frustratingly Karma Police is plagued with marks similar to these causing pops:

UN2odwMm.jpg


I'm probably going to contact W.A.S.T.E. about this and hope they send a replacement.

I have the same problem on the same side of the same disc...

Did you have to send them the faulty one? Or pictures just did it?

(god I realize I've signed up for w.a.s.t.e. 20 years ago)
 

Sullichin

Member
I've listened to OK Computer a million times. I can definitely tell the difference in clarity in the remaster. If you play the old/new songs back to back it's really noticeable too

So happy to have a studio version of Man of War, I can't stop listening to it. Although I wish it still had the "what a nasty surprise" line.

I can't believe he's been saying "The smell of air conditioning" in Lift this whole time. Funny that the fanmade compilation of rarities "A Smell of Recognition" is based on a misheard lyric.
 

Pavaloo

Member
I cannot stop listening to this re-release. Along with the unreleased material it has me feeling grateful I get this experience almost like OKC just released this summer.

First I couldn't stop with I Promise, then Man of War, then the remasters had me listening to the majority of OKC on loop, and now of course LIFT. God damn what a track. If they released this during the Bends they would've been known as "the band that made Lift" as a follow up to their "the band who does Creep" fame.
 

Sullichin

Member
I cannot stop listening to this re-release. Along with the unreleased material it has me feeling grateful I get this experience almost like OKC just released this summer.

First I couldn't stop with I Promise, then Man of War, then the remasters had me listening to the majority of OKC on loop, and now of course LIFT. God damn what a track. If they released this during the Bends they would've been known as "the band that made Lift" as a follow up to their "the band who does Creep" fame.

Yeah, I agree. I think it's really fucking funny that they were worried that a song about being stuck in an elevator would become the hit of the summer lol
 

Nerrel

Member
AMSP was/is horribly pressed.

So you didn't manage to get a replacement for it? Once I contacted W.A.S.T.E. they thankfully sent me one.

I've not had the best luck with Radiohead vinyl...

They had really great, consistent quality up until A Moon Shaped Pool. Every pressing from OK Computer to The King of Limbs has been a first rate release, with the In Rainbows box set being the best pressing I've ever heard. I really don't know what went wrong recently, but the AMSP box set is an awful pressing.

I'd like to hear more about the vinyl quality of this release... hopefully the issues in this thread aren't widespread like last time.
 

CS_Dan

Member
This is probably a really dumb question, but is there an easy way to tell what disk and side you're holding? I've got the standard 3x vinyl set and the labels don't have anything of use printed on them.

With regards to the quality of the pressing and mix, I personally think this sounds fantastic but am pretty new to vinyl. Curious to hear what others think.
 
Got my deluxe set today, in NJ US.

Going over to a friend's house tomorrow to open it and play it on their system. Sooooo hard not to crack it open right now :(
 

IronRinn

Member
Got my deluxe set today. One corner was slightly dented but not sure it's worth it to try and go though getting an exchange. The whole package is really well done.
 

Blader

Member
The early piano take of Motion Picture Soundtrack on the cassette has some of Thom's best vocals ever. Just fucking incredible. How was something that sounds this good buried for 20 years?
 

Tall4Life

Member
The early piano take of Motion Picture Soundtrack on the cassette has some of Thom's best vocals ever. Just fucking incredible. How was something that sounds this good buried for 20 years?

Because, and Thom will probably agree with me on this, the piano is too sharp/distorted for the more smooth vocals. Adds too much dissonance to a song that shouldn't really have that (hence with the Kid A version, the organ is more constant and not distorted).
 
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