I SWEAR I’ve searched but haven’t found a straight answer to this simple question. What’s the best sounding vinyl pressing of OK Computer please? I have a Capitol pressing bought from Amazon in 2014 which sounds ok but I think a bit too full and warm. As a reference I also have the UK XL Kid A and it sounds excellent. Also have the In Rainbows 45rpm which sounds phenomenal. Thanks!
What versions of OK Computer are out there? 1997: First vinyl pressing on Parlophone 1997. This version has "NODATA" and interesting phrases etched in the matrix. 1997 and later: The album was re-pressed for many years, with later pressings adding "8552291" to the original etchings in the matrix. Discogs has entries for the "8552291" repress dated as of 1997 and 2008. This website says the "8552291" repress goes back to 1997, and notes another repress with the same matrix in 2013. Radiohead departed EMI in 2007, after ownership of EMI changed and the band and label could not agree on a new contract. EMI kept ownership of the back catalogue and started reissuing it in 2008. 2008: EMI reissues OK Computer on vinyl in 2008. Unclear to me if this is the first repress to add "8552291" etched into the matrix, or if that goes back earlier and this 2008 reissue just recycled an earlier repress. I note that EMI's "collector's edition" CD reissues of the band's back catalogue around this time did not have a new mastering; they just recycled the earlier CD versions and tacked on a bonus disc. (Perhaps someone with an "8552291" vinyl copy who actually bought it well before 2008 can help date that version.) Of the vinyl versions listed so far, I don't think the forum is clear on whether they sound different. I believe there are many bootleg copies of the above pressings floating out there, so buyer beware. 2008: Capitol vaults reissue 2008. Part of Capital Records' "From The Capitol Vaults" reissue series. Different mastering and matrix than the above versions. This version seems generally disfavored by the forum. 2009: Capital Records releases a number of 12" 45rpm vinyl versions of Radiohead EPs and singles, as discussed in this thread. While not an album reissue, I note because this include OK Computer singles "Paranoid Android," "No Surprises" and "Karma Police" (plus their B-sides) in 12" 45rpm vinyl format. XL Recordings acquired Radiohead's back catalogue in 2016, and started reissuing it. 2016: XL Recordings reissue 2016, plus the one and this one. The EU versions add "MPO" etched in the matrix, indicating it was pressed at MPO in Europe. Discogs also lists a US/Canada version with a different matrix. 2017: XL Recordings releases the special edition of OK Computer with b-sides and bonus tracks, OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017. This package includes a new vinyl version of OK Computer. People on the forum have mentioned getting copies with vinyl and sleeves that mix up versions. I suspect that is due to repressings using up existing unused stock of records or sleeves as part of a new run. Would appreciate any corrections or additional info, so this is complete!
Thanks for the summary. I'm also interested in knowing if there's a "best" version to pursue on this one. I recently bought a copy from Amazon that was listed as "Import", so I was hoping for the 2016 EU pressed version. But it was a USA copy and noisy, so I returned it. It did have MPO in the matrix and this is the discogs listing: Radiohead - OK Computer According to discogs, it was pressed at Optimal, but not sure if this was really the case. But like I said, it was noisy throughout, even after a wet cleaning.
About ten years ago i believe i saw an original 1997 vinyl pressing of OK Computer at my local record shop kept on passing it up since i own the 2 cd version and one day went in and it was gone. Now im kicking myself for not grabbing it. Wasn't this album recorded digitally?
I have a pressing with 8552291 in the matrices that I bought around 2003 in a Virgin Megastore. No idea if it dated back to 1997 but Discogs is correct that there was a pre-2008 pressing with 8552291 in the matrix. For the record it sounds amazing and I believe is the version to own. As far as I know every album from OK Computer on was recorded to tape. Only Pablo Honey and The Bends was recorded digitally.
Parlophone. I used to have both Parlophone and xl pressings of OKC and Hail to the Thief double 45rpm. Also a bunch of capitol 12". Originals are very nicely balanced in terms of eq. Flat and open sounding. XLs are a little bit smiley faced. Capitol are too much midbass. Though HTTT parlophone pressing I had, was a crackle fest. Still have parlophone OKC.
i have a 1997 Parlo, listening to it right now in fact and it is immense. Though i have heard this album probably thousands of times- usually drunk or "other". Discogs: r13166407 Amazing record. I don't recall seeing a 45RPM anywhere, in my opinion its not needed.
I believe the later NODATA Parlophone pressings are 180 grams while the first pressings were not. I've got a 180 gram NODATA I bought about 5 years ago from Amazon. It did not impress me on my old UTurn table. Most of my complaints had to do with QC. It was noisy after wet clean, had IGD and it was quite warped. I much preferred the OKNOTOK box version. I haven't listened to either on my current SL-1500C. Maybe I'll cut some samples for forum.
My version of OKNOTOK sounds excellent. I haven't listened to the earlier pressings but this one sounds great to my ears.
Thank you @ndoheny, you have restored a little more faith in humanity for me !! Ok Computer was one of those amazing albums that was ruined by the fact that the CD was one of the worst pieces of compressed garbage in my collection. It seems the vinyl may be worth exploring after all !!
Hm...I’ve had this one for many years and it has always been good enough for me. I’m fairly picky too and as this is one of my favourite albums I would dislike a poorly done version of this. Says mastering at Abbey Road on it. Just saw that. I’m sure there are better pressings but not sure why this one would be looked down on. The vinyl is a tad noisy sometimes but not too bad. In the liner notes in gatefold of my copy (see above) it says “committed to tape by nigel godrich with radiohead” sounds like tape was used so I assume analog?
If anyone is looking for a 1st UK press there's one on eBay right now that seems to be unnoticed. Only ships to the UK though, so I can't bid. Radiohead Ok Computer Vinyl Very Good condition | eBay
the King of Gear ; The Mix (citizeninsane.eu) OK COMPUTER KIT LIST MTA series 980 and Soundcraft Spirit 24 Otari MTR 9011 2-inch analogue multi-track Tascam DA88 digital multi-track Digidesign Pro-tools Project 8 track Studer A80 2-track Panasonic SV3800 DAT Neve 33609 Limiter URE11176 compressors Palmer Stereo speaker simulator Drawmer DS201 Noise Gate Pultec PEQ1A valve EQ AMSDMS1580 stereo sampling delay AMS RMX16 reverb Yamaha SPX1000 effects Mutronics 'Mutator' envelope filter EMT 140 Plate analogue reverb Macs running Cubase Akai S3200 sampler Emu and Roland sound modules Mellotron and Moog analogue keys Movement analogue drums Yamaha NS10m and Acoustic Energy AE1 monitors OK Computer was recorded on both analogue tape AND digital. So initial tracking to 24-track tape. If anything required digital editing, the tracks (or track) was flown into Pro Tools and edited there. It was most likely flown back to tape afterwards then mixed from tape down to the Studer A80 2-track and/or a DAT (at 16bit 44.1k) for mastering. So if you were looking at a SPARS code (which is a flawed system anyway) it would be tracking/editing/mixing/mastering = ADAD. Note that it was still practice to back up onto 2-tack analogue tape in the 90's because it was known as a reliable archival format. However, there are no "by the book" standards in professional audio so it's also up to the judgment of the producer on what format the final master would end up on. Many mixes were also archived on MiniDisc for the band to use as a reference. I am guessing DAT would have also been a back up source if tape was used (given the affordability of DAT).
This is my go-to: Radiohead – OK Computer (2013, 180 Gram, Gatefold, Vinyl) I already owned the U.S. Capitol press, but read on a forum that the UK reissue was still using the same plates as the original, which was supposedly the only true analog mastering. You could order it from Amazon for $22 or something. I wound up selling my U.S. copy. THIS is the most audiophile Radiohead vinyl out there... Yeah, even better than the Rainbows 45 RPM (which is quite nice). If you've only heard the OKNOTOK reissue, you need to just hunt down any of the UK issues with this matrix. The difference is night and day. I still have my blue OKNOTOK version for the bonus tracks, but there's absolutely no reason to play the inferior digital-source version of the album they decided to include.
