OK Computer: why is it great?

[Captain Hygiene]

Radiohead's OK Computer was part of a trilogy of relatively recent (for me) albums I bought on a whim late last year, with the common theme being kind of the equivalent of a postmodern disenchantment with technology. (The other two albums were Grandaddy's Sophtware Slump and The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots). However, while I have heard by far the most praise for OK Computer, it's really failed to reach out and grab me nearly as much as the other two albums. I'm not in a good position to judge its merits as the revolutionary album it is claimed to be, but I am ready to be convinced: why is it an Important Album? Why is it Great?

Some of the reason that I don't like all of it so much is that the lead singer's vocals, like so many other modern artists, just seem so whiny and slurred. I can't even understand what he says in a lot of the songs.

However, in slightly less personal tastes, it seems to me that a problem with this album is that it lets the effects and production overshadow the actual music. A lot of the songs just have random distortion thrown in over the vocals, or the synthesizers and ever-present drum loops just completely dominate the vocal ideas. This makes it hard for me to listen musically - it's just so busy and *loud* that it just tires me out before I can listen to it enough to enjoy it. I'm trying to listen to it enough now that it will grow on me, but I'm really curious to hear why so many people recommend it or feel that it is a revolutionary modern classic.

[mightyjack]

Isn't it weird when everyone says something is genius and you can't quite figure out why? (psst, I've never said this before, for fear of angry mobs bearing torches... but I really, I mean really, don't like "Pet Sounds" in any way shape or form. Please don't hurt me! -okay, I liked "God Only Knows" and that's it)

I don't know why people love this album. You'll have to ask Mr. Atari, he'll probably give a great reason why.

Why I don't dig it comes down to personal taste. I'm a simple man. I think Ok Computer would be a work of genius; if only they'd cut each song down to about 2 and a half minutes, and add some killer hooks! - But what do you expect from a guy who listens to Avril, and likes it. He, he.

[Mr. Atari]

Why is OK Computer great?

Where do I begin?

First, I think it's a matter of historical context. When it came out, most bands were still riding the grunge and post-grunge, angry, 3-chord, plodding rock. At the time, Radiohead was still in that category of bands. For this album, they not only tried a new direction, they entered a whole new dimension. It's like when U2 followed up "The Joshua Tree" with "Achtung Baby".

OK Computer became the gold standard of intelligent rock. In their new experiments with effects, they pretty much set the bar everyone else has been aspiring to ever since. They mixed in some Pink Floyd with their mid-'90s sound and created postmodern, digital, ethereal rock. Without OKC, there is no Coldplay. There is no Keane. Wilco is just another wanna-be alt. country outfit. And "Yoshimi Battles..." doesn't become a hit. OKC changed the game.

As for the music itself, start with the arrangements, which are really brilliant. "Paranoid Android" and "Subterranean Homesick Alien" don't have choruses. "Exit Music (for a Film)" is a slow burn that just keeps growing and growing. "Karma Police" and "Paranoid Android" are a clinic on creative mixing-- the drums come in and out at weird times, the piano gives way to the guitar...it's just great. The guitar tones throughout the album are so intricate and beautiful. I love the way they balance crunch, delay, acoustic and clean guitar throughout the album. Just listen to the slow-phase guitar theme in "Subterranean..." and you'll hear what I mean. In "Paranoid Android", the distortion guitar kicks in at the 3 minute mark and just rips that song to the next level.

The chord progressions are more jazz than rock & roll. The voicings on the keyboard parts, or the notes the guitar hits, are just the right level of dissonance and are so far removed from everyday corporate rock it's stunning. And yet, the songs still sound "normal".

The album flows so well. It starts with heavy intensity ("Airbag") and takes you for a great ride before finishing so peacefully ("The Tourist", "Lucky", "No Surprises"). It works best as a complete album, because- as you said- the songs don't have that many hooks. As for Thom's voice, I agree that he is a mumbler. I've listened to this album hundreds, if not thousands, of times, and I still don't know some of the lyrics. But his melodies are mind-boggling, and his voice is like another instrument in the arrangement.

Earlier Radiohead was straight-ahead MTV rock. Later albums got more into the eccentric and farther away from grooves and hooks. But OKC was the perfect meeting of the rock & roll with the eccentric effects.

If you're looking for an album full of hits, then OKC is not it. If you're willing to listen intently to what you're hearing, you'll find OKC is one of the most creative albums ever made, and the fact that it changed how virtually every band works in the studio, I think it's deserving of it's "Classic" status.

Thank you for the opportunity to rant about this great, great album.

[Shep]

Beautiful album.

"OK Computer" and "The Bends" are essential IMO.

[Hugh Beaumont]

Well, yeah, I have nothing to add to Atari's post. It's a good album, but it takes time to fully appreciate, in my opinion. I don't listen to it much, but I can't deny its greatness. "Lucky" is downright euphoric, to me.

[Captain Hygiene]

Good responses. Mr. Atari, I knew you liked the album so I was hoping you'd have some good thoughts on it, which you did. Of course, it always comes down to personal taste in the end, but it just seems like if so many people and critics hail this album, it has a slightly higher likelihood of being worthwhile in my opinion.

If you're looking for an album full of hits, then OKC is not it. If you're willing to listen intently to what you're hearing, you'll find OKC is one of the most creative albums ever made, and the fact that it changed how virtually every band works in the studio, I think it's deserving of it's "Classic" status.

This makes sense. I have no problem at all with albums that demand concentration. I think that shows up in some of the "good" qualities of prog rock albums I enjoy from the 1970s - I can appreciate the fact that this album is not made up of commercially viable hit singles. The albums I have to work to enjoy are the ones which last much longer to me and are more worthwhile in the end. However, even with this in mind, I'm still surprised at the effort I am putting into listening to OK Computer. Like I mentioned originally, I am trying to listen to it more, and it is growing on me. I just would have expected the results to come along a bit faster.