Album of the Week - Radiohead - OK Computer

OK Computer was released by Radiohead in 1997 and was heralded as being one of the greatest rock records of all time. It hones electronic drums, psychedelic keys, and pedal box guitar to create a new wave of rock and roll. The sound on this album shows growth from their previous albums Pablo Honey and The Bends. Even the video making turns over a new leaf for the band as they delve into animation and theatrics. This album was the first step in Radiohead propelling to new levels of stardom as well give them artistic clout within the rock and roll community.

Many opinions state that OK Computer is a concept album based around themes of politics, futurism and consumerism. This was never truly confirmed by the band so why don’t you read my review and then listen to the album and make up your mind.

“Airbag” – A guitar smashes across the 1st seconds of this song and bleeds into a electronic sounding drum groove. Yorke’s vocals welcome one to this new musical experience with a pleading yet optimistic lyrical line.

“Paranoid Android”– This is one of my favorite Radiohead songs and one of the best tracks on this album. It starts with an acoustic guitar and an electric guitar wandering in and out of each other over a simple drum beat. As the song develops a serious grunge tone comes over the guitar accompanied by a screeching lead guitar and a cymbal filled drum part. After about a minute and a half of rockin’ and rollin’ interlude a dark mood comes across the song. Yorke and the other band mates break into monkish backing vocal as well as a simple drum beat and strummed guitar. Through this darkness of the song comes the line “The dust and the screaming, the yuppies networking, the panic the vomit” and the song ends.

“Subterranean Homesick Alien” – The mood changes quickly as the listener feels as though there are floating psychedelic sounds flickering throughout the air around your ears. Splashy drums, crystal clear keys and twinkling guitars run throughout this track.

“Exit Music (For a Film)”– An acoustic guitar strums while Yorke’s sad vocals cut through the remainder of the silence. A choir-esque piano crashes like a wave and muddy drums clammer in the background.

"Let Down" – This is one of the more straight-ahead tracks on this album with a verse/chorus/verse approach to lyric and guitar sections. A guitar shimmers in the beginning of this song and lasts throughout with a tom and cymbal based drum beat rounding out the track.

"Karma Police" – Many of you may know this song from its video where a man is being chased by a car in the dead of night in which Thom Yorke sits in the back seat. If that does not ring a bell then maybe you heard it on American, Dutch and British rock radio. A piano and acoustic guitar riff lays a somber intro to the song. Throughout the rest of the song piano keys play a dominant role and makes their sound more distinguished. This song is poppy yet depressing and brings a very serious mood to the middle of this album. “I lost myself” is a catchy lyric that filters through the final minute of the song and sums up the theme to this pop single.

"Fitter Happier” – Electronic gibberish about daily life habits is accompanied by an acoustic piano and random sounds.

"Electioneering" – This is one of the more rocking guitar tracks on the album and is led by Greenwood’s winding guitars and Selway’s Bonham like fills. The song then builds into a frenzy and whipping guitar lines.

"Climbing Up the Walls" – Dungeon drums, booming bass and sleepy guitar rattle around. At times the listener can forget how dark and strange Radiohead can be as Yorke is not always the easiest to decipher. Lyrics like “It's always best when the light is off, it's always better on the outside” exemplify this dark complexity.

"No Surprises" – It is catchy, simple and direct. Demonstrating their ability to dash between straight ahead pop and experimental rock songs with ease. A shiny guitar line moves in and out of this music box sounding tune while Yorke croons “no surprises” over and over.

"Lucky" – This track has wavering guitar that peaks into Yorke singing “pull me out of the aircrash.” It then rips into a little funk jam akin to something the Red Hot Chili Peppers might play. It comes to a hault upon the words “were standing on the edge!”

"The Tourist" – This is such a great closing track to an album. It is mellow, poppy and a fake saxophone drones in on occasion. Its lyrics beg one to “slow down, idiot slow down...” Beckoning the listener to realize that no one Radiohead album will ever fulfill your thirst for their music. This band will always leave something to be desired, an extra song or one more riveting lyric.