When Radiohead’s now classic OK Computer came out in 1997, Pitchfork reviewer Barry Walters called it “the most appealingly odd effort by a name rock band in ages.” OK Computer’s forward-thinking blend of art rock and experimental pop was light-years away from Radiohead’s previous radio-friendly stadium rock and even further from the grunge and Britpop that tended to dominated the music of the era. Two decades later, Walters wouldn’t change a word of his glowing review, echoing the sentiments of countless critics who agree that OK Computer is not only a high-water mark of Radiohead’s career, but a truly revolutionary masterpiece.
In honor of its 20-year anniversary, OK Computer is getting the re-release that it deserves… and audiophiles should be drooling. After going back to the original studio tapes and re-mastering these dusty analog relics for a new technological era, the audio wizards of the Radiohead team are proud to offer a 20th Anniversary Boxed Edition of OK Computer that includes the original twelve track album, three unreleased tracks, and eight album B-sides.
The vinyl edition of the OK Computer Boxed Edition offers this re-mastered music on three heavyweight 180 gram black 12″ records inside a black box that resembles a darkly burned copy of the original OK Computer cover artwork by Stanley Donwood and Dr. Tchock. The release also includes a hardcover book that contains over 30 pieces of additional OK Computer-era art, 48 pages from Donwood and Tchock’s preparatory sketchbook, 104 pages from Thom Yorke’s original hand-scrawled notebook, and a Radiohead-complied C90 cassette mix tape that features gems from the OK Computer session archives and demo tapes.