OK Computer - Radiohead > Reviews > Suicidal moodswings

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Something totally unique, a fine collection of music
Disadvantages:	Can get a bit on the dark and depressing side for some

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I'm in an extremely good mood tonight, despite the fact that my computer speakers keep randomly earthing at me and that the radiator next to me is belting out the climate of Egypt (just let me open a window ..), I am indeed in a very pleasant state of mind. Unfortunately, my team wolves lost to bloody Grimsby but what can you do, the other fellas and my home town Walsall who I have a large soft spot for managed to beat fellow strugglers Barnsley in an attempt to drag themselves clear of relegation … Oh and I also managed to force down a few pints of Midland's finest Banks's bitter too .. So not bad all in all.

It's at times like this then, that I reach for my CD collection and look for something vaguely alternative to review. Nothing too alternative though I'm afraid, as this would involve me waiting a week for Ciao to add the album, so we're stuck with Radiohead for now. The thing I've noticed looking through my CD collection is that I seem to quite like depressing music … I mean there's just something about it that cheers you up isn't there? You know how it is, the girl is just about to jump off the bridge, and Portishead comes on in the background, the chap is lying on his bed, his woman has just dumped him and he's lost all of his mates and … The Smiths comes on. Depressing music, great eh it? Oh and another thing I've noticed about depressing music is that a lot of the best bands of the wrist slitting fields tend to end in head, Radiohead, Portishead hmmm, and I don't seem to remember the Lemon Heads being too cheerful either. So without further ado, let's dive in, so sit back, hide the Mac 3s for now and cheer yourself up with a bit of moody tunage.

Radiohead … apart from perhaps REM and David Grey, they're well known for being one of the most depressing bands in modern history. You have to think who Radiohead actually target themselves at audience wise, cos if you take a look around, it's generally 16 year olds who are fed up with life and spend the weekend sitting on their local field listening to Pablo Honey and necking a bottle of JD that they nicked out of their dad's drinks cabinet that love the act. But I'm not a teenager in torment and although I do like JD, I've got far better things to do with my time than sit around on fields … and yes, I do like Radiohead, a lot. I first discovered them when I started seriously getting into indie music. Everyone at school back in about '96 was into this kind of music so I found myself subjected to it. I bought a Shine album (Shine 7 I think) and came across Street Spirit by Radiohead on disc 2. It was awesome, crying out in desperation but at the same time oozing sensuality and pity, I couldn't believe my ears. I then in quick succession discovered the Rebellious yet mournful Just followed by the slower and more politically aware Fake Plastic Trees, none of which were taken off this album I must add, you'll find them on the lads' second LP, The Bends.

I decided that I liked Radiohead and even if lead man Thom Yorke was obviously a little disturbed, he was good enough for me. I then saw a program on Channel 4 about the top 100 albums of all time and couldn't believe that OK Computer was in the top 5 - up there with the likes of Revolver and Dark Side of The Moon - so having already heard the fabulous Paranoid Android single taken from it, I was sold and went to my favourite Sundown Records and bought it the very next day. The spooky thing was that the chap behind the counter was actually putting a copy in a bag just as I was walking up to the counter to ask for it .. which still confuses me to this day …

But anyway, this was their third and probably most experimental album thus far. The Oxford group fronted by Thom Yorke and with the Greenwood brothers amongst others fronting the 3 pronged guitar attack that the lads employed had already released 2 albums, Pablo Honey and The Bends. The first not really gaining wide acclaim although it arguably gave rise to the band's biggest and most popular … "Love?" song, Creep. 2 years later there was The Bends, renowned as being fantastic rock album from start to finish, this launched the boys into the big time, could they sustain their attack on the alternative indie market and keep the followers happy?

Yes, is the simple answer. I bought OK Computer a few years ago and didn't like it too much until I started getting into music proper, it was a bit weird for me I thought back then, but now, oh yes, weird is good :), anything but Westlife please … Let's have a butchers shall we?

1 : Airbag

I told you that this was going to be hard going didn't eye? not overly well known for their uplifting titles (Iron lung and bones being amongst some of the earlier tracks), Airbag is a medium paced indyish ballad type thing, probably more like their older material than the rest of the album. I used to hate this song but I spose it isn't too bad. It is guitar music, with oddly sounding Christmas bells ringing in the background but it doesn't have much effect on me. Ok it's sinister sounding enough but it sounds to me as though it's not quite in tune, and although the band carry this off quite well in other tunes this isn't a track that I'm fond of. Not a bad track in effect but I generally start my listening at …

2 : Paranoid android

Ok I know that most people are probably fed up of this song by now, but I still think of it as being a work of pure genius. It's quite an epic sounding track and possibly the longest on the album which starts off as a melancholic acoustic sounding arrangement that later launches into some frantic guitar solos, followed by a passive and slower breakdown, only to crescendo again on another bizarre guitar climax. "When I am king, you will be first against the wall" warbles Yorke somewhat uncertainly, and then, Boom! The guitar solos are the highlight of this track, mainly because they sit very neatly on the line that you could describe as marking out a very thin distinction between noise and pure class. Although it may sound like a tuneless din to some ears, much of paranoid android is mind numbing with its craftsmanship and structure and only Radiohead could carry off this pain infused attack competently. A fine track and somewhat of an indie/rock anthem these days.

3 : Subterranean homesick alien

A poetic title to a far from poetic song. Twangy fenders playing some spooky chords kick off from paranoid android's exit and as the tremolo arms on the guitar dive bomb the pitch of the notes into oblivion, the true song starts. It's a quite lonely and cold sounding track but reminds me of morning with some lighter chords and the usual heavily effected guitars (in this case, some mad humaniser/wah wah I think) adding spice. This song is about alien abduction as far as I'm aware: "I tell all my friends but they'll never believe me, they think that I've finally lost it completely I'll show them the scars … and shut me away, but I'll be all right." Far less aggressive and up front than many on the album, but this is a fave of mine and is packed full of an energy of its own despite not being overly fast. Highly recommended.

4 : Exit music

This is another track that I just love, mainly due to it's very haunting melody and its later development that is tinged with elements of electronica. You can actually imagine this one being played as the credits of a film are scrolling by. It's disturbingly peaceful, with just an acoustic guitar strumming out some minor chords: "Wake from your sleep, you're drying all your tears, today we escape, we escape." Yorke's anx ridden voice is at just the right volume above the guitar and has just enough reverb to make it menacing yet it still drips with longing: "Breathe, keep breathing, don't lose your nerve". The song takes on a more urgent tone later on as some spooky synths and distorted drums march onto the scene but despite the change in mood this song is still so fine. Bitter and twisted? Yes, but it hits all the right places.

5 : Tourist

This is probably my least favourite track on the album although many people I know like it. There isn't really nothing bad about it, it's very liberal sounding and laid back and relatively normal as far as Radiohead go, but it just seems to be a bit lack lustre in terms of what has come before, without some of the impact that you'd expect. If Radiohead ever do do cheerful songs this'd probably come the closest - and I don't know why but it reminds me of nights in a city when Christmas is coming up - strange! I dunno why. It carries itself along nicely enough and is quite accessible but not a great of my books I'm afraid.

6 : Karma police

Another famous single released from this famous album, Karma Police is perhaps a bit more along the lines of run of the mill indie but it is a very good tune. "karma police, arrest this man, he talks in math, he buzzes like a fridge" and "Karma police, arrest this girl her Hitler hair do is making me feel ill" - God knows where the band get some of their ideas for lyrics from, they are totally random but fit the melody well. I know that Yorke was bullied a lot as a child on account of him having a bad squint in one eye and this is perhaps what's turned him into the twisted (with the greatest taste) individual that he is - this song is something of a retaliation against those bullies and although the piano and guitar backing are far from threatening, the lyrics convey a much deeper message. Good work.

7 : Ok computer

A very odd title track indeed. IN fact, I could have come up with much the same thing myself by using my screen reading software and some random piano chords. This track basically consists of a synthesized voice pointing out a list of morals, clichés and life ideals, with a 60s sounding piano melody chugging away in the background. This track used to quite understandably scare me a little, but if I had to have a stab at what it was getting at (and who knows what goes on in Yorke's head!) I'd guess it's something along the lines of how the world is degenerating into a digital age, all opposition and unhappiness going and us gradually moving into an age dominated by science and conflict: "A pig, in a cage, on anti-biotics".
Riiiight…

8 : Electioneering

Great track this, kicking off with a rather rousing guitar riff. Undoubtedly the paciest track on the album and with some of the best classic rock style guitar I've heard in a while: "I won't stop, I won't stop for nothing" sings Yorke in a more uplifted and forceful manner. Having heard I can't get enough of your love by Bad Company, I'd attempt to point out that this is that song gone totally wrong with a psychotic and 90s feel about it. Whilst this song isn't really depressing, it's very insistent and builds to a great crescendo towards the end. Well worth a listen.

9 : Climbing up the wall

I knew a girl at university who would quite literally go almost orgasmic when she heard this tune, that's how much she loved it. It doesn't have the same effect on me I'm sorry to say but then again I don't often climax over music … often … Very dark and very ominous this, more so than a lot of their earlier supposedly dark material like Just or Bad Dream - I must say that for the most part, I can't actually tell what Yorke is meant to be singing as the lyrics are somewhat muffled and on the strangulated side. The song does get better towards the end and has been subject to a number of decent remixes so I'm told - I don't object to it at all but the best is still yet to come …

10 : No surprises

I have another bizarre tail to this one involving me passing out over a concrete block and coming round with this playing in my head but before you all think I'm odd, I'll leave that one to another time … This track opens with a low and throbbing bass melody layered over with a more cheerful harp. There's also a kiddies music box in there too if you listen. " … a job that slowly kills you, bruises that won't heal…" the lyrics are a bit on the morbid side but are basically moaning about the pressures of every day life and how routine it all can get. Even my brother who can't stand rock loves this one - it isn't hard music at all, complete with strings and even the odd tambourine and has a catchy melody without being annoyingly poppy. The album definitely isn't fading in quality…

11 : Lucky

I'd say that this is my favourite track from the album and apart from Street Spirit, is my favourite track of Radiohead's. Painfully slow and moving and with some simple chord structures, Lucky bleeds out an epic melody note by note and is best enjoyed at high volume whilst singing at the top of your voice: "Pull me out the air crash, pull me out the lake, cos I'm your super hero, we are standing on the edge." Not overly weird or alternative at all, just brilliant!

12 :

After the mesmerising Lucky this track is a bit of an anti-climax but is a nice calm finish to a sublime album. There isn't really much to be said about it, quite standard sounding and with a sense of relief about it, it fits the concluding feel of the LP perfectly.

So my views? Well if you haven't gathered by now I'd say this is a stunning collection of alternative electronica tainted rock music. The originality and execution of lyrics and melodies are awesome, the feel is perfect and although this album controversially won many awards that the band failed to turn up to receive, it hasn't dated or deteriorated in the slightest. If you're brave and like their singles, then go out and buy it, you won't be disappointed!

Craig - March 2002