OK COMPUTER

This was the first Radiohead album I bothered with. I had heard Pablo Honey, and The Bends but had not been that impressed. OK Computer inspired me to go back and take another look. I liked what I re-discovered.

I believe Radiohead to be a prog rock band. They represent where the genre is today. Thats just my opinion. OK Computer is a collection of impressively crafted songs, with strong melodies, strange and poignant lyrics, great guitar riffs and some wonderfull spacey ambient noise thrown in for no extra cost! When I first heard 'Air Bag' my reaction was 'what the hell are they doing' but then I have thought that with most VDGG and King Crimson albums. In a way my reaction indicated to me, that the album probably had 'prog credentials' 'Paranoid Android' is one of the best rock songs, and certainly one the best charting singles to be released by any band in the 90's. It is certainly prog rock. Moving from irritable paranoia, through rage and finally into what sounds like despair. It's a daring song for a band who are supposed to be 'indie' bordering on mainstream. Sorry, but it sounds pretty prog to me. 'Subteranean Homesick Alien' is equally good, full of drifting ambient sounds, spacey guitar and Yorkes lyrical mastery. 'Karma Police' and 'No surprises' were also strong and daring single releases which among the rest of the offerings on OK computer, prove that a band can still make interesting and challenging music in cynical and 'dumbed down' times, AND put it into the charts, AND earn a fat living from it! I salute Radiohead for this.