ok radio (OK Computer - Radiohead)

Member Name: geordieger

Product:	OK Computer - Radiohead
Date:	11/01/02 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: work of genius

Disadvantages: none

This album had a hard task in its very conception; following "The Bends" was a feat in itself.

I, myself, like many others were expecting the poppy continuance of the former album, a radio friendly offering from a very unlikely source; as radiohead had never struck me as a radio friendly band before "The Bends".

What a relief when I heard this album. The experimental tones took totally away from the stadia rock that had predecessed it. Radiohead had, infact, taken a very bold leap in recording an album that had been done, not to notch up single's sales, but to possibly be the best album that had ever been recorded.

This album is a work of genius, with Thom's expressive voice allowing the lyric's meaning to be fully appreciated and backed by a complete band that show exactly why radiohead are perhaps one of the worlds most hidden treasures.

The album opens with the raspy guitar licks in airbag and soulful lyrics of "Airbag" with a sci-filike quality that runs into "Paranoid Android".

The "Subterranean Homesick Alien" has a bluesy quality about it, as Thom observes the alien activity.

"Exit Music" starts quietly following the theme of a daring escape, and soons tumbles into the frantic running away.

"Let Down" goes back into "The Bends" somewhat with a pop quality about it, but in a more mellow way followed swiftly by the beautiful "Karma Police" which runs in the
same vein.

"Fitter Happier" is apparantly done by the same computerised voice as that of Stephen Hawking, and is certainly worth a listen if only for the words that are spoken, it certainly is worthy of an award for poetic genius.

The rock comes into play with "Electioneering" and this is probably my personal favourite if I was forced to make a decision, again the lyrics are contraversial and fan
tastic.

Mellowing out again we reach "climbing up the walls" and the mix of the spaced out vocals and the guitars make a relaxing listen.

"No surprises" is probably the only track that some people may recognise from the album, with the glockenspiel and the the repetitive and complimentary guitars/keyboards.

Again the mellow theme is continued in "Lucky" with the guitars leading in a song that epitamises the whole album.

"The tourist" brings you to the end and it starts like a theme song from a holiday programme. Relaxed and mellow, just like the whole of the CD. Fantastic!

There are people who may say, "OK computer is a depressing album", but obviously they have only listened to the album once or twice as the more listened to OK Computer is the more it strikes as a masterstroke of observation of this world in general.

I could not forward any single track as the best on the album; the whole album has to be listened to to appreciate the genius that is OK Computer, but my personal favourites are "Let Down", "Electioneering" and "Karma Police" with the brilliant "Fitter Happier" having to be a work of art.

To all doubters I would say give the album three listens in a darkened room and you will be converted.

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