Released: 1997
Tracks: Airbag; Paranoid Android; Subterranean Homesick Alien; Exit Music (For a Film); Let Down; Karma Police; Fitter Happier; Electioneering; Climbing Up the Walls; No Surprises; Lucky; The Tourist
Best track: Subterranean Homesick Alien
Track to skip: not a second
Unfortunately I got into this album late. This was the first Radiohead album I ever bought, thanks to a recommendation from my friend, Eric. He said that I just HAD to hear it, that it was such an amazing album. I picked it up a few months later, either in late 2001 or early 2002. Of course, he was right. You know this. It didn’t take more than one listen to recognize the brilliance of OK Computer. It’s still my favorite Radiohead album. I wish I wouldn’t have missed it though, and then I would’ve had 4 more years of enjoying it. Like anything when you discover it, you wish you had known about it the whole time. I don’t know how many hundreds of times I’ve heard this in the years since. It only manages to get better.
Man, the production on this album is just perfect; absolutely beautiful. Even when they’re being noisy, everything sounds perfect. I don’t know, what to say? As much as I love the Bends (and everything else they’ve done) the band just blew it all out of the water with OK Computer. Such great songs on here! Subterranean Homesick Alien is my favorite of the bunch. One of my all-time favorite songs and such a gorgeous piece of music. Man, speaking of gorgeous, what about The Tourist? What a perfect and beautiful way to end this album. Paranoid Android, another fantastic song. Electioneering? Wow, what a powerhouse. I have to make a special point about the bass playing on Airbag – Colin Greenwood’s presence on there is fantastic and highly inspirational.
I don’t ever skip a note of this album when listening to it. Even Fitter Happier – I think it’s a great interlude that nicely splits up the album. Pretty startling track, too. It’s terribly easy for me to review this album – I just LOVE IT. Absolutely love it. It’s definitely the best album by the most creative and original band of my adulthood. Sounds like some cliché…I don’t care. I think it’s a fantastic album.
Rating: 98
In 2009 this album (along with Pablo Honey & The Bends) was reissued with a second disc featuring all of the album’s B-sides and some BBC sessions. OK Computer produced some *excellent* B-sides and I highly recommend getting the 2-disc version.
June 9, 2009, 
1:25 pm
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