The Leader

Issue date: 8/30/06 Section: Music

It is extremely difficult to properly put into words just how revolutionary and foresighted, how impeccably layered and composed Radiohead's OK Computer is. It is the third album from the band often known as, "the only band that matters" to those in the inner echelons of music snobbery, also known as England. Radiohead was christened as a one-hit-wonder in the US, where their first album failed to produce any hits there after the wave of hype produced by "Creep" died down. Hopefully Thom and the boys forgive us dumb yanks. We didn't know any better.

OK Computer debuted in 1997 at #1 in the band's homeland while making a smaller mark on the US charts at #22. However, the album's success still greatly swelled the group's popularity in the States, even somewhat reflecting the band's anti-consumerist themes. Singer Thom Yorke, the epitome of the dark, eccentric front man, probably wouldn't encourage anyone who wouldn't appreciate the album to buy it in the first place.

From the album's start, producer Nigel Godrich proves himself to be as much a member of the band as Yorke. He has been rightfully credited with introducing the band's ambient and experimental sound. "Airbag" kicks off the record with what is possibly the most hypnotic drum beat ever, attained by looping three seconds of Phil Selway's drumming. Yorke's lyrics are saturated with sci-fi imagery and anxiety ("Paranoid Android," "Climbing up the Walls"), as well as a deep sense of isolation. A prime example being "Subterranean Homesick Alien," which could very well be Godrich's greatest ever achievement, and possibly Yorke and lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood's as well. The guitar effects are haunting and ethereal, showcasing one of Godrich's more advanced experiments with sound engineering. The results are simple, allowing Yorke's vocals to just bleed in like watercolors.

"Karma Police" is a perfect Radiohead song. As soon as Yorke sings "This is what you get/when you mess with us," any doubts about the record's staggering hype dissipate. The song that truly showcases Yorke's soaring falsetto, however, is "Exit Music (For a Film)." Yorke's voice sounds barely capable of delivering the final lines, "We hope that you choke," while Greenwood's composition borders on surreal and impossible. "Fitter Happier" acts as the perfect interlude. With a computerized voice stumbling through a warped public service announcement, as well as a drunken Yorke playing piano in the background, it is the perfect blend of creepy and cool that will keep the listener from simply skipping over it. The album closes with "The Tourist." The song, written entirely by Jonny Greenwood, still manages to keep the brooding, scrutinizing perspective that orchestrates the mood of the entire album.

It still has yet to be seen, what the longstanding effects of OK Computer's innovation and technique will have on the music industry as a whole. Early warning signs have come in the form of bands such as Coldplay, Sigur Ros, and Muse, all youngsters in the new rock frontier pioneered by Radiohead and their magnum opus. While Yorke's recent solo debut is a prime example of artistic minimalism, OK Computer is a lush and elaborate work that, despite only being 9 years old, already stands as a modern classic.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools