OK COMPUTER

Radiohead has gotten a lot of crap on this site and elsewhere. "Overrated" and "pretentious" are the two negative descriptions that are thrown around the most. Anyone who doesn't understand Radiohead needs to put themselves the the mindsets of the people that do. For a lot of us, this album was our first exposure to something truly different. This album is not Radiohead's masterpiece. It's a bit uneven and patchy in places. But it should be getting praise for it's impact alone.

The album opens with the strong, hard rocking "Airbag". This song opens the album with a catchy, waltzy guitar riff. But listen closely and you'll find that this is far from a typical rock song. There are so many great things going on, Colins catchy bassline, the Indian-esque riff introduced towards the middle of the song, or the subtle use of different keyboards, and even turtables. Theres something new to find everytime you ear this. Thom's vocals are both eerie and emotive, and lyrically this song introduces us to the themes found on the rest of the album. This song is probably the best opener of any Radiohead album. A song like Airbag would be hard to follow,but Radiohead pulls it off. After four beeps this track segues straight into "Paranoid Android".

Paranoid Android is considered by many to be one of Radiohead's greatest accomplishments. Like the last track, there are so many things going on that it can be hard to keep up. The interplay between the 3 guitarists is incredible. The song is divided into three "movements", which are all lead by the accoustic guitar. Even when barely audible, it's still obvious that it's the accoustic guitar holding everything together. Jonny gets two solos on this song, and both are incredible. Jonny Greenwood is one of few guitarists that is capable of combining Robert Fripp's discipline and subtlety with Joey Santiago's frantic sonic fury. Thom's voice blends so well with the music that sometimes you can hardly even tell that he's there, and that's certainly not a bad thing. The band just works so well on this song, and everything just fits together despite the songs seemingly chaotic nature.

After something so intense, the band starts to take it down a bit. The next two songs we get are ballads. "Subteranean Homesick Alien" is a story inspired by the novel Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. It describes Ford Prefect's situation perfectly, stuck on planet where he doesn't belong and longing to be abduted and brought back to his home. "Exit Music (For A Film)" is another song with a story, that seems to be inspired by Romeo And Juliet, though it may also be about domestic abuse. It starts out with just Thom's whispering vocals and an accoustic guitar, but slowly other things are added to the song. By the songs climax, many eerie effects have been added, establishing a perfectly unsettling mood.

"Let Down" is the first forgettable and skippable track on the album. Theres nothing wrong with this song. It's just very forgettable when you compare it to the last four and what those other songs accomplish. Compared to those, this song sounds like an outtake from Pablo Honey. I'll never understand why the band chose this song for this moment, as opposed to the excellent "Lift" (an Ok Computer outtake that was never recorded).

"Karma Police" is the first song on the album where keyboards actually play a lead role. It's a pretty straightforward song. The lyrics appeal the introverted youth that are Radiohead's biggest fanbase. It's a very likeable song with some of the subtle eerie touches found on the previous tracks, and continues the albums themes of paranoia.

"Fitter Happier" could easily be considered a filler track, but at the same time it's so hard to skip this one. It fits so well with the album's themes and moods, and provides a perfect transition to the next song. "Electioneering" is the hardest rocking song on the album. There is a lot of Pixies influence in the guitar riffs, and Thom and Ed's vocal parts harmonize perfectly. It also features cowbell, making it a very likeable track.

"Climbing Up The Walls" conties the mood and themes of tracks like Exit Music and Fitter Happier, which by now is starting to become redunant. But like songs songs, this one is perfect at establishing mood, and is probably the most haunting moment on tha album. This song is followed by "No Surprises", which after the last track, seems almost uplifting, with its cheery keyboards and xylophones. Then Thom's vocals come in, very low key, with depressing lyrics, but this contrast works very well. "No Surprises" would have been the eprfect way to end the album, and most people probably turn the CD off after this one.

The next two tracks, "Lucky" and "The Tourist", are both good songs, but feel reduntant. These songs give the listener a feeling of "is it over yet?". It's a shame, because when taken out of the context of the album, these are great songs, and two fan favorites at their shows

Despite some lesser moments, this album is definitely a classic, one that everyone should at least give a chance. Veterans of prog might not understand, but for many of us, this was our introduction to the genre.