OK Computer - Radiohead

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
10/10

When i think of all the albums that i've listened to which have had a genuine effect on me, the one album which always sits at the top of the list is this. Most people who know me, will know that i'm a huge Radiohead fan. I've always been fascinated by the link between musical content and the message which it sends out to society. There are some bands who make no excuses for what they're ...
...on from it's original release, OK Computer remains a remarkable feat of musical engineering. It's the album which refined the way that i listen to music, and it sits at the top of my list when it comes to all-time favorite records. If you haven't heard this album, i wouldn't say that you're missing out, since there's no other record that you can compare it to. It's an album which you have to be patient with. I often preach about intelligent music ... more

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
10/10

When i think of all the albums that i've listened to which have had a genuine effect on me, the one album which always sits at the top of the list is this. Most people who know me, will know that i'm a huge Radiohead fan. I've always been fascinated by the link between musical content and the message which it sends out to society. There are some bands who make no excuses for what they're worth. They churn out poppy songs with fancy hooks that shift records from shelves. I was a fan of those particular bands for, well, most of my life. Until i heard Radiohead's "OK Computer". This one album changed my entire taste in music, and also introduced me to a slightly more reflective outlook on society. They're the band that inspired many of today's acts. Coldplay and Muse have both cited Radiohead as their ultimate catalysts. Rightly so, Radiohead are the modern day Pink Floyd in that they bring something utterly different to a music indistry which is flagging painfully.

"OK Computer" is the album which propelled Radiohead from post-Grunge alternative rockers, to become the most important band in the world. Arriving on the scene in 1993 with their debut album, "Pablo Honey", they were dismissed as one hit wonders in the light of their one big commercial hit ("Creep"). Fronted by Thom Yorke, they remained essentially a guitar-driven band through the early 90's. The release of their second album ("The Bends") saw them earn a very loyal fan following and there was a reasonable deal of expectation surrounding their next record. When "Ok Computer" was released in 1997, it received worldwide acclaim and quickly became acknowledged as one of the records of the year. Swooping various awards, the critics loved the futuristic sound that resonated from the album. Success took the band members by storm, and Thom Yorke has been, and still is, notoriously vocal in his dislike for the spotlight which they were plunged in to. A global tour through 1997 and 1998 turned Radiohead in to arguably the most respected band on the planet.

I still remember the first time i listened to "OK Computer". It didn't click at first. Like most Radiohead records, their sound is so complex, so multi-textured, it really does take a few listens to understand just what it is that Yorke's lyrics are trying to convey. After playing it through a few times, i slowly found myself slipping in to each track and becoming emerged in the music, in a way that i've never felt before. Each song is constructed in such a way that the album succeeds admirably in making every song sound different, yet never losing the theme of the record.

The theme itself is often pondered over, and the band have never really given a clear indication of what it's all about. Believing, probably quite rightly, that to disect every last detail would be to reveal the magic, Thom Yorke has gone as far as to refuse interviews on the subject. When a band refuses to talk about it's own music, it merely serves to create more interest. Perhaps an indication as to why their follow-up album ("Kid A") debuted at number one worldwide without any radio or television play. Even now, eight years on from it's original release, OK Computer remains a remarkable feat of musical engineering. It's the album which refined the way that i listen to music, and it sits at the top of my list when it comes to all-time favorite records. If you haven't heard this album, i wouldn't say that you're missing out, since there's no other record that you can compare it to. It's an album which you have to be patient with. I often preach about intelligent music which requires the listener to make the effort to appreciate it, and people tell me that it's crazy to have to do such a thing. But this album is an artistic achievement more than anything, just like a good book, it requires a lot of effort to understand. The reward though, is an experience that you'll rarely find in the modern day music industry.

Track Listing

Airbag - ( In an interstellar burst / I am back to save the universe ) - 8.5/10

Thom: "Has an airbag saved my life? Nah...but I tell you something, every time you have a near accident, instead of just sighing and carrying on, you should pull over, get out of the car and run down the street screaming, 'I'm BACK! I'm ALIVE! My life has started again today!'. In fact, you should do that every time you get out of a car. We're just riding on those things - we're not really in control of them."

The album kicks off with this excellent track and it really sets the tone for the album immediately. A drum loop features in the background, and Yorke's voice hums over the proceedings. Some great guitar work, a recurring theme across the album. This is one of Radiohead's better openers to an album.

Paranoid Android - ( When i am king / You will be first against the wall / With your opinion / Which is of no consequence at all ) - 9.5/10

An epic six-minute track which originally started as three smaller songs. The band took inspiration from John Lennon and pieced them together, the result is one of Radiohead's most famous pieces of work. A fan favorite when played live, Jonny's guitar work here is some of the greatest on any album, past or present. When Thom cuts in to his crying of "Rain down, Rain down, Come on rain down on me" you almost feel sorry for the guy. This song was released as a single, with a famous cartoon video. A centerpiece to the album.

Subterranean Homesick Alien - ( I'd tell all my friends but they'd never believe me / They'd think that I'd finally lost it completely ) - 8/10

This song floats along with some great studio work, the dreamlike sounds float up and really mesmorise if you listen with headphones. The lyrics are equally dreamlike, with Thom voicing his dismay at society. Almost forgotten amidst the other heavyweight songs, this is perhaps one of the best achievements from a musical standpoint.

Exit Music - (Wake from your sleep / The drying of your tears / Today we escape / We escape ) - 10/10

Thom: "I saw the Zeffirelli version [of Romeo and Juliet] when I was 13 and I cried my eyes out, because I couldn't understand why, the morning after they shagged, they didn't just run away. The song is written for two people who should run away before all the bad stuff starts. A personal song."

This song acts as the closing credits for the remake of "Romeo and Juliet". It's a hugely powerful track which starts off with the mere acoustic guitar work of Yorke, followed by the clear vocals of how a couple are being torn apart by their parents. As the song progresses, the rest of the band come in and the sound spirals out of control until finally dying down as Thom screams that "Now we are one, in everlasting peace". You can feel the emotion and this is a fine example of what Radiohead do best.

Let Down - ( One day / I am gonna grow wings / A chemical reaction / Hysterical and useless ) - 10/10

This is perhaps Radiohead's most underated song in all of their commercial work. It bounces a long with excellent drumming and such a complex sound that even now, after hundreds of listens, i'm still discovering extra riffs and hooks. There's a point halfway through this song where the music peels apart only to come back together as Yorke chants the final chorus, and it's a captivating feeling when it finally hits you. It still amazes me how any band could put together a sound this complex, yet hit all the right notes in the all the right places. This is probably my favorite song on the album.

Karma Police - ( For a minute there / I lost myself ) - 9/10

Jonny: "It was a band catchphrase for a while on tour - whenever someone was behaving in a particularly shitty way, we'd say, 'The karma police will catch up with him sooner or later'"

Thom: "This is a song against bosses, fuck middle management!"

One of the most famous songs in Radiohead's repertoire. Karma Police was released as a single and received a lot of airplay for it's hymn like quality. Some excellent backing vocals really make this song for me. It's structured perfectly and makes use of each band member's craftwork. Not quite as catchy as the hooks you'll find in the mainstream, but by Radiohead's standards, it's a great singalong.

Electioneering - ( When i go forwards / You go backwards / Somewhere we will meet ) - 9.5/10

Thom: "We live under a world banking system and media that make it almost irrelevant who is in power. Political systems worldwide are at the mercy of business and bullshit economies. I can't recycle any of the polythene packaging that fills my house. Why?"

Originally frowned upon for standing out slightly from the rest of the album, this is a rip-roaring rock song which raises the tempo and follows a brief computerised interlude known as "Fitter Happier". The guitar work, as you'd expect here, is outstanding. It's amazing how the three guitarists can play their seperate parts in tandem and produce such a faultless sound. A political song, which really gets the crowd moving when played live.

Climbing Up The Walls - ( So lock the kids up safe tonight / Put the eyes in the cupboard / I've got the smell of a local man / Who's got the loneliest feeling ) - 9/10

This acted as a sign of things to come for Radiohead. Described as the first scary song in the band's repertoire, the eerie dancing sounds combine effectively to produce a song which really does strike an uncomfortable nerve with me. It has a threatening scary sound, but one of the standout transitions of the album which really marks Radiohead for their intelligence. The track scares the listener in to a state of insecurity, before fading straight in to a child's lullaby.

No Surprises - ( A heart that's full up like a landfill / A job that slowly kills you / Bruises that wont heal ) - 10/10

Infamously panned as "Cut your wrists" music on Sky News, No Surprises is positioned perfectly on the album. It takes the unsettled listener back to bed with a simple glockenspiel intro which has become a trademark sound for Radiohead. This song really is capable of guiding you in to a deep sleep and the sounds are so enchanting that you hear something new every time, although on the surface it sounds like a simple format. Yorke's voice retains it's cool throughout. Originally slated as a potential "World Number One Hit", it's hard not to fall in love with the "little is more" sound that the band produce here.

Lucky - ( Pull me out of the aircrash / Pull me out of the lake / I'm your superhero baby ) - 8/10

A happy song deliberately modified with a slow tempo to fit in with the rest of the album. The opening tingly rift sets the tone immediately and the band once again whisk the listener away from the cosy "No Suprises" in to a much larger sound. Yorke's vocals are near their most effective hear and he really gets the emotion across perfectly. Some nice inventive guitar work helps retain the theme of the album through yet another song.

The Tourist - ( They ask me where the hell i'm going / At a 1000 feet per second ) - 9.5/10

Thom: "We were in a beautiful square in France on a sunny day, and watching all these American tourists being wheeled around, frantically trying to see everything in 10 minutes. I was shocked at how these people could be in a place so beautiful and so special and not realize it because they weren't taking the time to just stop and look around."

A really beautiful closing to the album. Yorke pleads with the listener to "Slow down", and you can feel the spacey strings bringing out every last drip of emotion. The track sounds like the perfect ending to any album, as it slows the tempo and winds in to a furious cry of emotion from the frontman. The song fades away quietly and you know that you've been taken on a music exploration of such diversity, it really is hard to explain. The Tourist marks the end of Radiohead's guitar routes, and the end of OK Computer. 

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