OK Computer - The Best Science Fiction Novel I've Never Read

Author's Rating:

Pros: Inventive guitar leads, incredibly quotable lyrics, manic mood swings, intriguing story!

Cons: Some might dismiss it as being slow, defeatist, or even disturbing.

The Bottom Line: 
One of the greatest concept albums of the 90's really needs no introduction or explanation, but here's my lame attempt at unraveling the story!

Author's Review
OK, so it seems I've hit another milestone. I'm now writing my 200th Review for Epinions. (Kind of staggering when you think about it!) Anyway, I kinda feel like I can't let an occasion like this pass without paying homage to something classic, and given how far back my knowledge of music goes (early 90's if I'm lucky), the best item I could come up with out of my list of old stuff I still needed to review was none other than Radiohead's OK Computer.

Honestly, it's about time I got around to reviewing what many consider to be the high water-mark of the volume of work put out by this innovative and borderline insane British quintet. After all, I've referred to the darn thing a gazillion times, not just in other Radiohead reviews, but in roughly 50% of the modern rock bands I write about. A lot of people get accused of borrowing elements from Radiohead, especially if their albums feature whiny Brit vocals or some sort of a sci-fi theme. Sometimes those comparisons aren't always fair, but much like U2 and The Beatles before them, it's tough to be in a similar genre (spaced-out modern rock, in this case) and not cover ground that these guys haven't already covered or at least attempted. From feisty, grunged-out rock numbers to introverted electronic instrumentals, Radiohead has earned a reputation for being a band that isn't content to sound like themselves.

My introduction to Radiohead was the pair of albums Kid A and Amnesiac, the band's most experimental works to date that were panned by a lot of critics at first (including me) until something happened and people who weren't already Radiohead fans started to "get it". Even after allowing a few of those songs to grow on me (and boy, did they give me a hard time in the process), I don't think I was prepared to fully appreciate OK Computer. I'd been hearing the "blah blah blah" from so many sources for years about how great the band's third album was, and though I could see that it was certainly more guitar-oriented than their turn-of-the-century efforts, it didn't rock full throttle from beginning to end, like I was sort of expecting. Much of it was slow and moody, and though a few lyrics caught my interest and led me to believe this was an album about how technology was bad and it was going to kill us all in the end, I had a tough time getting into most of the songs.

That all changed last fall. After finally getting my head around Kid A and Amnesiac, and to a lesser extent, The Bends, I decided it was time to give OK Computer another shot. What I found was a story - albeit a non-linear one - that was much more than just a diatribe against technology. This was a science fiction novel with songs in the place of chapters... and like some of the best sci-fi stories I've read, it doesn't unveil all its details in a linear fashion, nor can it all be understood in one sitting. Truth be told, I still don't get how every little piece fits together. But I'm gonna do my best to sum it up, and hopefully wet the whistles of the 2 or 3 people out there who haven't actually heard the album yet! (Come on, I had to have been one of the last ones in the whole world to get my hands on it.)

Airbag
In an interstellar burst, I am back to save the universe...
Chapter One of this musical novel begins with an ominous, buzzing guitar riff and the wintry sound of bells in the background. As Phil Selway's catchy drum cadence chimes in (apparently it was sampled, chopped up, etc. by someone else in the band, which gives it a cool, processed sort of sound), it's very easy to picture driving down a snowy British highway, passing by the scene of a catastrophic accident caused by the rough weather. Lead singer Thom Yorke, making the most of his trademark half-mumbled, half-irate vocal style, begins to describe the scene from the point of view of a survivor of the crash, still in shock from the reality of it all. "In a fast German car, I'm amazed that I survived," he recounts. "An airbag saved my life". Having a second chance seems to give him a sense of purpose, as he declares that "I am back to save the universe". As this chapter closes in a cool breakdown of drums and whacked-out guitar, we are set up for an eerie trip into the mind of this unlikely savior.

Paranoid Android
When I am king, you will be first against the wall
With your opinion, which is of no consequence at all...
This six-minute epic is Radiohead's version of prog-rock gone psycho. It was the first single released from the album, and as far as I know radio stations actually played it all the way through unedited. Not just any band can get a way with such a thing. Musically, its structure mirrors the album as a whole - it seems quiet and friendly enough as it gets underway with gently clicking percussion and a catchy acoustic guitar riff, then some of Thom's oddball lyrics grab your attention, and before you know it, you're being rushed by an onslaught of angry electric guitars and weird noises, only to once again collapse into a slow, almost dull musical wasteland. Amidst all the musical twists and turns, we are given a glimpse of our protagonist's psyche, as he battles the torture of "all the unborn chicken voices in my head" and spouts off empty threats at those who would stand in the way of whatever his mission is. It only gets creepier as the tempo builds and the band romps effortlessly through a warped jam session that changes back and forth between 7/8 and 8/8 time at will. The dirge that makes up the song's midsection feels really out of place at first, as if the band had pasted three incomplete songs together just to mess with us, and it certainly manages to keep the weirdness factor high with lyrics such as "The panic, the vomit, God loves his children", before segueing back into a dizzying guitar solo and then cutting off abruptly. An important piece of the puzzle is given to us in this song, but we have to listen closely to catch it - a robotic voice (Thom's Macintosh, actually) repeats the words "I may be paranoid, but not an android" at various points during the song.

Subterranean Homesick Alien
I'd tell all my friends, but they'd never believe me
They'd think that I finally lost it completely...
This eerie, floating-in-space piece does its title justice, lingering in the night sky like a UFO in stealth mode as Thom continues with his madman rambling. His words sound quite a bit like something a backcountry wacko would come up with after being convinced aliens had abducted him and then returned him to Earth. However, rather than being frightened about the prospect of these aliens returning, he seems to welcome the idea, because nobody on Earth takes him seriously; they're all a bunch of "weird creatures who lock up their spirits, drill holes in themselves and live for their secrets". Now that's a pointed social commentary... I think. It's as if he feels that his home is with the aliens - that's how depressed he's become with his existence here on Earth.

Exit Music (for a Film)
Pack and get dressed, before your father hears us
Before all hell breaks loose...
Thematically, the album seems to make a jump to a completely different universe as a soft acoustic intro brings us into another type of a fictional world - a Shakespearean tragedy. From what I understand, this song was originally intended for the soundtrack to the remake of Romeo & Juliet that came out not long before this album did. It's definitely creepy, taking full advantage of the fact that we all know how the story ends instead of explicitly spelling it out for us. As Romeo softly speaks (or mumbles, as the case may be) to his lover to make her escape and meet him somewhere safe from their warring families, the music slowly builds, incorporating some very fuzzy bass playing from Colin Greenwood and a creepy choir in the background. I guess you could call it "Radiohead goes goth". It's appropriate as Romeo's hopes sink when he begins to realize that his Juliet is dead and gone and that there is only one way for him to be with her again. His final words to both of their families pack quite a bit of punch: "We hope that you choke". Thom sounds rather choked up himself as he sings it and the song ends, leaving some strange electronic background noise that bleeds into the next song.

Let Down
Don't get sentimental, it always ends up drivel...
This song has a somewhat chipper melody to guide it... the fact that it deals with the inevitable disappointment of human life is simply business as usual for a band with such wit and humour. (If you spell "humour" with a "u", it has an entirely different meaning, of course.) It's a mid-tempo number, decidedly more "pop" than anything on the album so far, and that's probably why its melody sounded vaguely familiar, having heard it on the radio a few years before I got around to checking out the entire album. Thom decides to be very thematic here, depicting the comings and goings and general busy-ness of society but painting it all as extremely empty. There's also an analogy that compares our protagonist to a bug that's been trampled underfoot by a careless person walking by - all in all it's a rather defeatist attitude, which I admit makes this one of my least favorite songs on the album. It still manages to shine by sprinkling some colorful synths into the mix and crescendoing beautifully with Thom singing two parts at once. I can certainly see how this state of having your hopes and dreams squashed could arise out of something as tragic as the loss of a lover, but I'm wondering at this point what it all has to do with aliens. Also, if the whole world is out to get him, how did he survive the car crash? Hmmm...

Karma Police
Arrest this man, he talks in maths, he buzzes like a fridge...
Starting off with slow piano and plodding drums, "Karma Police" takes a few listens before it really starts to stand out. It was one of my least favorites for a while, but it manages to be strangely charming by depicting an overly judgmental society in which people are arrested for not conforming to a certain aesthetical standard. Thom is playing the part of the stoolpigeon as he tattles on a nerdy, socially awkward guy and a girl whose overall appearance is decidedly unfeminine. All the while, he seems very scared that he himself is somehow abnormal, that despite his best attempts to fit in and not be in any way disruptive, the police will find out the truth and come for him as well. I love the haunting chord progressions in this song, and how Thom seems to alternate between tattling one second and hiding from the very same harsh regimen he's trying to uphold the next. The song culminates in a temporary moment of relief as he seems to regain a sense of normalcy - "Phew, for a minute there, I lost myself!"

Fitter Happier
Now self-employed, concerned but powerless
An empowered and informed member of society...
This spoken-word track acts as an intermission of sorts between the two halves of the album, and it's been the whipping boy of several critics because it has no tune and therefore isn't a "song". I say, so what? Despite my dislike for Macs, I have to admire Thom for writing a haunting poem and having good old Fred (that's the Mac voice) read it off in his usual deadpan voice. The poor computer seems to be reciting a mantra, a list of instructions meant to keep itself living a normal, productive, healthy life. It's a pretty typical picture of what we expect a normal adult life to be like - a stable job, a good dose of exercise, a happy, smiling wife and kids waiting for you at home, etc. But for all of this protection from life's let-downs and disappointments, he can't seem to hide all of the cracks in the dam, and what was designed for the purpose of security quickly becomes a cage as the poem gets creepier and creepier. In the background, you can hear another voice looping over and over - "This is the Panic Office, section nine-seventeen may have been hit. Activate the following procedure." It's as if there's a glitch in the system, and this abnormal individual is struggling to escape his programmed existence while the enemy is in hot pursuit. Very unsettling; very cool.

Electioneering
Riot shields, voodoo economics
It's just business, cattle prods and the IMF...
From out of nowhere, a menacing, snarling guitar sneaks up, like a snake poised to inject venom into its victim, and then all hell seems to break loose as the band unleashes a raucous political number that seems totally out of left-field on a record mostly devoted to down-tempo numbers. I really can't understand why this one gets so much criticism - sure, it's different from the rest of the album, but I rather think the system needs a jolt at this point. Thom takes on a very sarcastic persona here, sneering very loudly in comparison to the mopey vocal approach he uses on most of the other songs. He seems to be playing the part of a sinister politician who will stop at nothing to secure as many votes as he can. All the while, the guitars are screaming in the background and percussion instruments - including a very loud cowbell - are being beat within an inch of their lives. Sweeeeet.

Climbing Up the Walls
I am the key to the lock in your house
That keeps your toys in the basement...
Night falls again as we turn the page to a very dark chapter, where once again we seem to be following a different character. So far the band has profiled a crash survivor, an alien abductee, a pessimistic widower, and a dirty politician, and now we're suddenly inside the skull of a serial killer. This track comes slithering in with a host of electronic insects and an almost tribal-sounding beat (electronically processed, of course). Thom's vocals are a bit distorted, making them even more difficult to understand, but a quick study of the lyrics makes it clear that he's waiting in the shadows to take someone out. The song is a taunting message, a death threat of sorts. It only gets more frightening as it goes, with Thom unleashing an inhuman scream near the end as he closes in on his victim. Our sci-fi novel has definitely taken a turn into the horror/suspense genre. Definitely not a good tune to sing the kids to bed with.

No Surprises
You were so tired, un-happy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us...
This track is quite a jolt after the last one - it starts with a calm, lullabye-ish series of single notes on the guitar, and I think those notes are being echoed on a xylophone as well. It's very calming, but obviously at this point you're aware that things are not as they seem. It's as if "Climbing Up the Walls" were a nightmare that you just woke up from, and you're realizing as you look around that you're back in the real world, where everything is safe and sterile and nothing's going to hurt you. However, being back in the real world means you have to face things like "a job that slowly kills you". The music describes a lovely little dream, and the lyrics describe a cold reality where you're suffocating and no one cares. Apparently it's enough to make a chap consider suicide. Poor guy.

Lucky
The Head of State has called for me by name
But I don't have time for him...
For a while, this was the one track on the album that I overlooked. It's one of the slowest tunes on the album, and it doesn't have the shiny gloss that helps tunes like "Let Down" and "No Surprises" to stand out. But after listening more closely, it actually turns out to be an integral clue that helps piece everything together. It opens very slowly, with little other than delicate percussion, and gradually develops into a searing rock anthem. In this, the penultimate chapter, our hero begins to realize that he is just that - a superhero. As he sings "Pull me out of the aircrash, pull me out of the lake", one has to wonder exactly how "lucky" a guy can be if he survives two crashes and even his own suicide attempts. How is that humanly possible? Unless... hey, wait a minute...

The Tourist
Sometimes I get overcharged
That's when you see sparks...
The album closes on an ultra-slow note with a curious song written by guitarist Jonny Greenwood. As he noodles around, picking out gentle notes, Phil taps out a 3/4 rhythm on the cymbals, with the song occasionally stumbling over itself and adding an extra beat. It's maddening at first, especially when Thom has the audacity to drag out the chorus, "Hey man, slow down, slow down, idiot, slow down, slow down." It's almost like our hero is finally making his break from the society that's kept him shackled. They wonder where he's headed and why he's not satisfied with the languid pace of their lives. But he's not programmed for that. He knows he's not human. At the beginning of the song, he mentions a dog barking at him - "I guess it's seen the sparks". The song takes its time to wrap up, but we do get a sweet guitar solo in the process, and an unexpected cold stop as we hear the "ding" of a bell - like the type of bell you'd ring for service when checking into a hotel - echoing off into cold silence.

And there you have it. You've just listened to an album everyone else has told you is a classic, and if you're similar to me, you're probably like, "HUH???" Well, at risk of ruining the experience of untangling it for yourself (you can stop reading here if you like), let me attempt to make some sense of this bizarre sci-fi story for you:

As I mentioned earlier, I believe that the protagonist of the story really is an android. He's a machine, built by humans, programmed to believe that he is one of them. Not only is he built tough, able to survive plane crashes and so forth, he's also built for a specific purpose: to kill. See, this futuristic society in which he exists likes to maintain a facade of perfection, but in reality there are wars and political power plays. He's a device built to storm the castle walls and "bring down the government". Except that his mission failed. Perhaps it was that first auto accident that led to it, but for whatever reason, he's malfunctioning. Not only does he believe he's human, but he's starting to exhibit behavior that would lead people to believe he has actual emotions. Quite possibly more realistic emotions than the people around him, who are quite content with the well-oiled machine they call everyday life. And when someone comes along who incites revolt in the slightest way, they're uncomfortable with it. Unable to co-exist peacefully with this society, and unable to carry out his initial purpose (which haunts his dreams, if androids have dreams in the first place - but that's another sci-fi novel altogether!), he is left with two options - escape or suicide. And of course, suicide isn't gonna work. So, finally coming to grips with the fact that he is not of this world (so to speak), he takes flight. What will he find in his travels? Who knows? That's not even the point. The point is that he escaped, and that in doing so, he displayed traits that were more human than the traits of his human creators. He's not content to just be an "OK Computer".

Betcha I just drove a lot of hardcore Radiohead fans insane with my gross misinterpretation. Oh well, that's the story in my head, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. As for Radiohead, they may seem to have abandoned their guitar-rock glory days (despite what they keep promising us every time a new disc is released), and they may never top this one, but they're certainly not done impressing us either. Can't wait to see what's in store later on in 2003.

(And now, on to review #201...)

ALBUM WORTH:
Airbag $2
Paranoid Android $2
Subterranean Homesick Alien $1
Exit Music (For a Film) $2
Let Down $1
Karma Police $1.50
Fitter Happier $1
Electioneering $2
Climbing Up the Walls $1.50
No Surprises $1
Lucky $1
The Tourist $1.50
TOTAL: $17.50

Band Members:
Thom Yorke: Lead vocals, guitar, piano
Jonny Greenwood: Guitar, keyboards, piano
Ed O'Brien: Guitar, background vocals
Colin Greenwood: Bass
Phil Selway: Drums, percussion

Website: http://www.followmearound.com