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OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
A highly edited image of a highway. In the top left corner is written "Radiohead", with text beneath reading "OK Computer" and "OKNOTOK 1997 2017".
Compilation album by
Radiohead
Released23 June 2017 (2017-06-23)
Recorded
  • 4 September 1995 ("Lucky")
  • July 1996, September 1996 – March 1997
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length91:39
LabelXL
ProducerNigel Godrich
Radiohead chronology
A Moon Shaped Pool
(2016) 		OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
(2017) 		MiniDiscs [Hacked]
(2019)
Alternative cover
An image of a highway burnt to reveal more cover art related to the album. The top left reads the same text but without "Radiohead".
Digital cover art
Singles from OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
  1. "I Promise"
    Released: 2 June 2017
  2. "Man of War"
    Released: 22 June 2017

OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 is a reissue of the 1997 album OK Computer by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released in June 2017, the album's 20th anniversary, following the 2016 acquisition of Radiohead's back catalogue by XL Recordings from EMI.

OKNOTOK comprises remastered versions of OK Computer and its B-sides, plus three previously unreleased songs: "I Promise", "Man of War" and "Lift". The special edition includes an art book, notes, and a cassette tape of demos and session recordings. Unlike previous Radiohead reissues, which were released by EMI without Radiohead's involvement and contained no new material, the band curated the OKNOTOK material themselves.

Radiohead promoted OKNOTOK with a teaser campaign of posters and videos. Music videos were released for the three new songs, and "I Promise" and "Man of War" were released as singles. OKNOTOK debuted at number two in the UK Albums Chart and was the bestselling album in UK independent record stores for a year. In the US, it reached number 23 on the Billboard 200. It received acclaim, particularly for its bonus material.

Content

[edit]

OKNOTOK 1997 2017 was the first Radiohead compilation released after their back catalogue was transferred from EMI to XL Recordings in 2016.[1] Previous compilations were not remastered, contained no new material and were issued without Radiohead's involvement.[2]

OKNOTOK comprises remastered versions of Radiohead's 1997 album OK Computer and its eight B-sides, plus three previously unreleased tracks: "I Promise", featuring strummed acoustic guitar,[3] marching band-like drums,[4] and Mellotron;[5] "Man of War", a ballad with strings, piano, and electric guitar;[6] and "Lift", a Britpop-like ballad.[7][8]

The special edition includes the album on vinyl, a hardcover art book, a book of notes written by the songwriter, Thom Yorke, and a sketchbook of preparatory artwork by Yorke and the cover artist, Stanley Donwood.[9] It also includes a cassette containing audio experiments, session recordings, demos (including demos for two previously unheard songs), and early versions of four songs released on later albums: "The National Anthem", "Motion Picture Soundtrack", "Nude" and "True Love Waits".[10][11]

The final track on the cassette, "OK Computer Program", comprises computer tones. When run on a ZX Spectrum computer, the tones load a short computer program. The program lists the band members and the date 19 December 1996, plays several minutes of electronic tones, and displays the text: "Congratulations....you've found the secret message syd lives hmmmm. We should get out more".[12] OKNOTOK is dedicated to Rachel Owen, Yorke's ex-wife, who died from cancer months prior to the release.[13]

Promotion and release

[edit]

Radiohead announced OKNOTOK on 2 May 2017. It was promoted with posters in cities around the world featuring cryptic messages, and a teaser video featuring "glitchy" computer graphics and lyrics from "Climbing Up the Walls".[9][14] Radiohead temporarily restored their website to its 1997 state.[15]

The download and CD editions of OKNOTOK were released on 23 June 2017, and the boxed edition shipped in July. Radiohead released "I Promise" on 2 June and "Man of War" on 22 June as downloads for those who had pre-ordered OKNOTOK,[16] accompanied by music videos.[17][18] A video for "Lift" followed on 12 September.[19]

On 11 July, Radiohead released an "unboxing" video previewing the contents of the special edition. The video features Chieftain Mews, a character created by the band who appears in webcasts and promotional material.[20] In December 2019, Radiohead uploaded all their albums, including OKNOTOK, to YouTube.[21] In January 2020, they added the OKNOTOK special edition cassette to their website as part of the Radiohead Public Library, an online archive of their work.[22]

Sales

[edit]

OKNOTOK debuted at number two in the UK Albums Chart,[23] boosted by Radiohead's third headline performance at Glastonbury Festival.[24] It was the bestselling album in UK independent record shops between April 2017 and April 2018.[25] In the US, it sold 13,000 copies in its first week, reaching number 36 on the Billboard 200. Following the release of the vinyl and boxed editions, OKNOTOK re-entered the chart at number 23, selling another 17,000 copies (including 8,000 on vinyl and 7,000 on CD).[26] On 19 October 2018, it was certified gold by the BPI for sales of over 100,000.[27]

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic100/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of SoundA+[29]
Drowned in Sound10/10[30]
The Guardian[31]
Mojo[32]
The Observer[33]
Pitchfork10/10[34]
Q[35]
Rolling Stone[36]
Sputnikmusic3.6/5[37]
Uncut[38]

On the review aggregator website Metacritic, OKNOTOK has a score of 100 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[28] Praise focused on the previously unreleased material. The Observer wrote that the reissue, with its "excellent" unreleased songs, proved that Radiohead were "the world's greatest rock band, pushing the limits of what they, or anyone else, could achieve".[33] Pitchfork wrote that the best feature was "hearing how the lost material informs the original album".[39] PopMatters selected "Man of War" as the best of the new tracks.[40] Some critics felt "Lift" lacked energy compared to live bootlegs from the period.[41][42][43]

The Record Collector critic Jamie Atkins praised the special edition, particularly its version of "Motion Picture Soundtrack", writing: "To these ears it's one of the performances of [Yorke's] career. He begins sounding utterly wounded until – as if revelling in the places his voice is capable of taking the song – it ends up becoming something quite defiant."[44]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Philip Selway, Ed O'Brien and Colin Greenwood

No.TitleLength
1."Airbag"4:44
2."Paranoid Android"6:23
3."Subterranean Homesick Alien"4:27
4."Exit Music (For a Film)"4:24
5."Let Down"4:59
6."Karma Police"4:21
7."Fitter Happier"1:57
8."Electioneering"3:50
9."Climbing Up the Walls"4:45
10."No Surprises"3:48
11."Lucky"4:19
12."The Tourist"5:24
Total length:53:21
Bonus disc
No.TitleOriginLength
1."I Promise"Previously unreleased3:59
2."Man of War"Previously unreleased4:29
3."Lift"Previously unreleased4:06
4."Lull""Karma Police" single2:25
5."Meeting in the Aisle""Karma Police" single3:07
6."Melatonin""Paranoid Android" single2:08
7."A Reminder""Paranoid Android" single3:52
8."Polyethylene (Parts 1 & 2)""Paranoid Android" single4:22
9."Pearly*""Paranoid Android" single3:38
10."Palo Alto""No Surprises" single3:51
11."How I Made My Millions""No Surprises" single3:07
Total length:38:18
Boxed edition cassette – Side A[45][a]
No.TitleLength
1."Zx Spectrum Symphony"1:18
2."A.M.S. Hello"0:19
3."True Love Tape Loop"4:59
4."Let Down" (Thom 4track)2:59
5."I May be Paranoid but Not an Android.."0:16
6."Attention" (Thom 4track)2:42
7."Noise Sketch by Nigel"1:15
8."Climbing Up the Walls" (Abbey Road Strings)1:15
9."Someone Help This Guy.."0:30
10."Motion Picture Soundtrack" (Solo Piano)5:13
11."Was That Recording?"0:15
12."The Jumbled Words of Climbing Up the Walls Read by Little Dan Clements"1:21
13."Lull" (Ed Guitar Infinite Reverb)1:31
14."Airbag Drums Through Moog"1:07
15."Karma Police in Space Echo"1:56
16."Karma Police Voice Through Telephone" (Talking)0:34
17."Piano Sketch by Jonny"0:40
18."Big Bird Story by Stanley Donwood"2:04
19."No Surprises" (First Idea From a Soundcheck Somewhere)2:58
20."Radio Chaser Noise"0:24
21."Fridge Buzz"0:11
22."True Love Space Loop" (Talking)1:29
23."Are You Someone?"3:35
Total length:38:50
Boxed edition cassette – Side B
No.TitleLength
1."Nigel A.M.S Delay"0:54
2."Jonny's Radio from Climbing Up the Walls"1:15
3."Climbing Up the Walls" (Thom 4track)3:58
4."A Piano Lies Down in the Middle of the Road"2:36
5."Transposing Noise Sketch by Nigel"2:07
6."Early Paranoid Android Version Jonny & Thom"1:22
7."Alternative Paranoid Android Ending" (Live in Pittsburg)2:21
8."Airbag Early Acoustic Version" (Talking)4:38
9."Paranoid Android Loud Room at St Catherine's"0:56
10."Nigel A.M.S. Paranoid Guitar Sample"1:44
11."Nude Early Band Version"5:31
12."The National Anthem" (Thom 4track)3:19
13."Ambient Loops"0:45
14."Man of War" (Live in Montpellier)4:28
15."Nigel A.M.S. Again"0:37
16."Thom's Acoustic as Microphone in Climbing Up the Walls"2:23
17."Ok Computer Program"1:57
Total length:40:52

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ No official track lengths for the white cassette have been released. As such, track lengths shown are simply a best approximation.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Christman, Ed (4 April 2016). "Radiohead's Early Catalog Moves From Warner Bros. to XL". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  2. ^ Dombal, Ryan (14 January 2009). "Radiohead's First Three Albums Reissued and Expanded". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 17 March 2009.
  3. ^ Hilton, Robin (2 June 2017). "Watch: Radiohead Shares Video For Previously Unreleased Song, 'I Promise'". NPR. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  4. ^ Milton, Jamie (5 May 2017). "A guide to the unreleased tracks on Radiohead's OKNOTOK". NME. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  5. ^ Hogan, Marc (2 June 2017). ""I Promise" by Radiohead Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ^ Leight, Elias (23 June 2017). "See Radiohead's Paranoia-Inducing 'Man of War' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  7. ^ Cush, Andy (23 July 2017). "Review: Radiohead - 'Lift'". Spin. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  8. ^ Kreps, Daniel; Ehrlich, David; Montgomery, James (17 March 2016). "20 Insanely great Radiohead songs only hardcore fans know". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  9. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (2 May 2017). "Radiohead Announce New OK Computer Reissue Featuring 3 Unreleased Tracks". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  10. ^ Atkins, Jamie (22 June 2017). "OK Computer – OKNOTOK 1997-2017". Record Collector. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  11. ^ Reed, Ryan (28 September 2021). "In limbo: a primer for Radiohead's unheard Kid A Mnesia Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  12. ^ Wales, Matt (13 July 2017). "Radiohead's OK Computer Anniversary Edition Includes a Secret ZX Spectrum Program". Kotaku UK. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  13. ^ "Radiohead's OKNOTOK dedicated to Thom Yorke's late partner Rachel Owen". Spin. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  14. ^ Yoo, Noah (1 May 2017). "Radiohead Share Mysterious New Video With OK Computer Lyrics: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  15. ^ Plaugic, Lizzie (2 May 2017). "Radiohead restores the '1997 version' of its website for OK Computer remaster". The Verge. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  16. ^ Althea, Legaspi (2 June 2017). "Hear Radiohead's Previously Unreleased Song 'I Promise'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  17. ^ Monroe, Jazz (2 June 2017). "Watch Radiohead's New "I Promise" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  18. ^ Leight, Elias (23 June 2017). "See Radiohead's Paranoia-Inducing 'Man of War' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  19. ^ "Video: Radiohead – "Lift"". Spin. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  20. ^ Yoo, Noah (11 July 2017). "Watch Radiohead's Unsettling New OKNOTOK Special Edition Unboxing Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  21. ^ Corcoran, Nina (19 December 2019). "Radiohead upload their entire discography to YouTube". Consequence of Sound.
  22. ^ Young, Alex (20 January 2020). "Radiohead launch the Radiohead Public Library". Consequence of Sound.
  23. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  24. ^ Beech, Mark. "The Glastonbury Effect: Radiohead Back At Top Of U.K. Chart, Foo Fighters Follow". Forbes. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  25. ^ "Radiohead tops list of best-selling albums in independent record stores - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  26. ^ "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Ed Sheeran's 'Divide' Tracks Surpass 1 Billion U.S. Streams". Billboard. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  27. ^ "Radiohead - OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997—2017". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  28. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for OK Computer: OKNOTOK 1997 2017 by Radiohead". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  29. ^ Corcoran, Nina. "Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997-2017". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  30. ^ Lukowski, Andrzej. "Radiohead - OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  31. ^ Petridis, Alexis. "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997-2017 review – prescient and correct". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  32. ^ "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017". Mojo. August 2017. p. 100.
  33. ^ a b Morris, Damien (25 June 2017). "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997-2017 review – an album of depthless humanity". The Observer. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  34. ^ Greene, Jayson. "Radiohead: OK Computer "OKNOTOK 1997 2017" Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  35. ^ "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017". Q. August 2017. p. 113.
  36. ^ Hermes, Will. "Review: Unreleased Radiohead Tracks Provide More Complete Picture of 'OK Computer'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  37. ^ Rowan5215 (6 July 2017). "Radiohead: OKNOTOK 1997-2017 (Staff Review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017". Uncut. August 2017. p. 44.
  39. ^ Greene, Jason (22 June 2017). "Radiohead: OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017 Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  40. ^ "'OKNOTOK' and the Nostalgic Radiohead". PopMatters. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  41. ^ Kreps, Daniel (12 June 2019). "30 must-hear minutes from Radiohead's 17-hour OK Computer-era minidiscs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  42. ^ Cush, Andy (23 July 2017). "Review: Radiohead — 'Lift'". Spin. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  43. ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (26 July 2017). "Review: Radiohead's OKNOTOK gives OK Computer a moving, unvarnished prequel". Spin. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  44. ^ Atkins, Jamie (22 June 2017). "OK Computer – OKNOTOK 1997-2017". Record Collector. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
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  48. ^ "Ultratop.be – Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
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  50. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
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  52. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Radiohead – OK Computer OKnotOK 1997 2017" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
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  55. ^ "Charts.nz – Radiohead – OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
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Bibliography
  • Randall, Mac (2000). Exit Music: The Radiohead Story. New York: Delta Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 0-385-33393-5.
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