Music Review by Bill Rendall
OK Computer - Radiohead
The grunge influenced song "Creep" brought widespread acclaim to Radiohead but was not indicative of their artistic leanings. I hear a progressive rock influence in their music although they don't want that label.
Their album OK Computer features thoughtful and subversive lyrics about modern society.The computer age has brought some significant technological advances but has created an unfriendly, depersonalised environment. A wide variety of sounds were used to create OK Computer. There is some heavy electric guitar but not as much as on previous Radiohead albums.
"Exit Music (For a Film)" is my favourite track on the album. It features a haunting melody, with sparse backing through most of the song. The eerie sound of a Mellotron choir adds greatly to the ominous atmosphere. The song was written for the Baz Luhrmann movie Romeo and Juliet. It was later incorporated into the music score for the movie Unfaithful.
"Fitter, Happier" is the centrepiece of the album. It neatly captures the album's theme of dehumanisation through the use of a synthetic computer voice to recite the lyrics. Unlike the rest of the album, it is even possible to figure out most of the words without having to refer to the written lyrics.
"Electioneering" is probably the most aggressive song on the album and also the one I like least. The lyrics launch a stinging attack on politicians and globalisation.
"Climbing up the Walls" and "No Surprises" work well together. "Climbing up the Walls" is a deeply disturbing song which evokes fear, paranoia and distress. "No Surprises" offers relief by retreating to a quiet, predictable life. The song uses a gentle chiming background sound reminiscent of a child's musical box.
OK Computer ends with the soothing sound of "The Tourist" in a slow waltz time, although the rhythm is broken up with an occasional extra beat. This song counters the opening track, "Airbag", which refers to a fast car. "The Tourist" warns you to slow down rather than relying on an airbag to save you.
Radiohead may deny that OK Computer is a concept album but it sure sounds like one to me. The lyrics paint a pessimistic picture but convey an important message that deserves to be heard.
Live recordings of Radiohead miss out on a lot of the subtle sound effects which characterise their studio sound. The concert recorded at the Astoria in London in 1994 has a good coverage of their songs from 'The Bends' album and earlier, but the video is unwatchable in places because of strobe lighting. Radiohead albums are very diverse in sound but are all worth a listen. OK Computer has the most consistently strong collection of songs.
The OK Computer album cover is a collage by Stanley Donwood.
Band Members:
Thom Yorke - Vocals, Guitar
Jonny Greenwood - Guitar, Keyboards
Ed O'Brien - Guitar
Colin Greenwood - Bass
Phil Selway - Drums