Radiohead – OK Computer (1997) / OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997 2017

As a recent avid music listener I hadn’t had high opinions of Radiohead when I first started. I was only slowly realizing how commercial mainstream music was and before that I couldn’t even understand Radiohead’s 2016 single “Burn the Witch” and it left me thinking why people liked it. But recently I’ve been on a binge, especially with “OK Computer” and this album within the wider Radiohead community is regarded as their best album followed by “Kid A,” which is more Art Rock inspired than “OK Computer.” Although this album isn’t as far reaching into sounds as diverse as “Kid A,” it’s Alternative Rock roots are enough to satisfy the itch for some good Rock and further beyond.

I wont be talking about this album in depth but looking back into when this album released, two singles teasing this album can become staples for any fans starting out. “Paranoid Android” with its 6 minute run time is something you’d think would just drag on but the lethargic vocals Thom Yorke delivers, not only here but throughout the album, adds so much being compounded with the rising guitar cords when it reaches a climax. The second single, “Karma Police,” delivers a more obvious bittersweet backdrop that brings about an ominous feeling on listen. Songs like these that fill the album really encapsulate a mood and theme that solidifies the album as something that should be a MUST listen.

Now this 2017 remaster is a bit more than a remaster as it contains previous B-sides that didn’t make the first cut. These new additions to the album add a grand total of 11 tracks and bringing the total album time to 1 hour and 32 minutes, essentially making it a double album. These new additions add or make a new narrative to the overall “OK Computer” LP and for the most part they don’t disappoint. My favorite out of the bunch is “Lift,” because it was the first music video I saw from Radiohead that I really liked. If you ever think about listening to “OK Computer” then you might as well listen to “OKNOTOK” and enjoy it as much as you can as this album is pretty much a keeper in my books.