Thursday, April 02, 2009

Album of the Day

OK Computer, by Radiohead (1997): If there is one mainstream album that I remember starting to get described using the "p-word," this is it. It's sort of a concept album (though about what I have no idea), certainly works best as a whole, and has the band working in a lot of different sonic areas. There were comparisons to Pink Floyd, as I recall. It's even got an "epic," depending on your point of view ("Paranoid Android" is a whole 6.5 minutes long!). Is it really prog? Not to my ears. Does it matter? Not a bit. It's mostly brilliant - almost worth the price of admission alone for the Melotron drenched "Exit Music (For a Film)" - and was my gateway drug for Radiohead.

1 comment:

Spike Nesmith said...

There is something about OK Computer, and I can't place it. I didn't hear it first time - I was actually rather disappointed with it on the first listen, but something clicked on listen #2 - and it's not been in their subsequent albums, but I've not been able to put my thumb on what that something is, exactly.

The album just sort of glows. It takes you into its world and spins you around and envelops you completely. Terrific stuff, and unmatched. It's not so much an album, as... an experience.