Ok Computer - Radiohead

Unless you've been living under a stone or were in fact born yesterday, then you could not have possibly missed out on this genre genre defying and defining album from Oxfords greatest export Radiohead .
Ok Computer, is on many lists as the greatest album of all time if not automatically in the top 100, no small achievement from an album that was only released in 1997. Holing themselves up in St Catherine's Court an rural mansion outside Bath owned b the Actress jane Seymore. The atmosphere of this rather spooky looking house haunts the album at every corner. Recording was done along with then unknown producer Nigel Godrich and was finished in January 2007.
When Capital records heard the finished album they cut their predicted sales figures in half describing the album as commercial suicide! However once the début single Paranoid Android a 6 minute epic entered the UK charts at number 3 (a higher position than Creep Achieved or in fact any previous Radiohead track) They began to push the album relentlessly.
The music on the album blends effortlessly from track to track The opening track Airbag sounds like King Crimson and the Beatles blended into a car crash of guitars and vocals that shocks the first time listener into knowing they are about to experience something rather special and terrifying.
Paranoid Android began as 3 different songs that fit together in a disjointed and electrifying way. It has often been compared to the work of later Pink Floyd. Its title refers to Douglas Adams classic book and radio Play series The Hitchers Guide To The Galaxy in fact there are a number of references throughout the album to Adams and his work. The songs is a live favorite and one of Radiohead's signature tunes.
Karma Police is probably one of the most popular and Bends like songs on the album, and was the second single. Live Drive listeners are not alone in hearing the similarities to the song and The Beatles Sexy Sadie. The song is Radiohead's most successful song worldwide (not counting Creep of course) The title comes from a joke within the band that they would say to each other if they did something wrong, that they would call the Karma Police on them (nerds).
The next single to be released off of Ok Computer is No Surprises. This melodic track contains dark lyrical images of someone perhaps committing suicide or just being plane fed up with everything. It is beautiful, melodic and can transport its listeners from a mood of hollow depression to joy in a matter of minutes. The only song to contain the same qualities is the uplifting Let Down.
The singles are not however the best racks on the album, Aliens looking down at the word and wondering what these funny people are in Subterranean Homesick Alien drifts the listener into a bizzare word of images and superb musicianship. The empty promises of Politicians in Electioneering is the loudest song on the album with a crunching riff that ears through the lyrics as much as they do through the politicians. Climbing up the Wall is the one song on the album that hints of what is to come from Radiohead's following album Kid A. Exit Music for a film was commission by Baz Luhrman for the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack and Lucky was recorded as a single for the War Child Charity.
The album Killed off Brit Pop, inspired many of today's biggest bands from Muse to Coldplay. Mere words are not enough to do justice to this album, it is said in each track, how important Radiohead are as a band and to how important this albums is to music.
Track Listing:
1. Airbag
2. Paranoid Android
3. Subterranean Homesick Alien
4. Exit Music (For a Film)
5. Let Down
6. Karma Police
7. Fitter Happier
8. Electioneering
9. Climbing Up the Walls
10. No Surprises
11. Lucky
12. The Tourist
Labels: 1990's

















