The Pessimistic Prophesy That Is 'ok Computer'

Radiohead is a British Alternative Rock band, originally formed in Oxford with the named ‘On a Friday’, since they used to practise mostly on Friday. They soon dropped their name and changed it to Radiohead, which was in reference to a song titled by the same name by Talking Heads, after they were signed in the year 1991 . They have received both critical and commercial acclaim.

Their first hit was the single Creep, which was later added to their debut album Pablo Honey. Soon After Pablo Honey, they released The Bends, which presented a harder-edged sound and was more loved by critics than their debut. Their third album OK Computer was considered a classic by the critics from the moment of its release in May 21, 1997. To this date (May 2019) Radiohead has released nine albums, each a masterpiece in its own way. Their three most popular album are OK Compute, Kid A, In Rainbows. A growing number of Radiohead fans believe that 'OK Computer' and 'In Rainbows' are both part of an over-arching masterplan. Apparently if you listen to them in sequence - one song from one, then one song from the other - they blend into each other.

#OK Computer

Saying Radiohead’s third full length to be one of the most important albums for this generation would be an understatement to masterpiece that is OK Computer. It is the highest rated album on rateyourmusic, Pitchfork has given it a perfect 10 and even the harshest of critics have called it a classic. OK Computer perfectly encapsulates the paranoia that loomed among the people about the pace with which the technological advancement was taking place.

Thom Yorke has been greatly influenced by the text of Noam Chomsky, specially by his book Manufacturing Consent, which can be seen in the album's mostexplicitly political song, "Electioneering". In an interview he said

“I had been reading a lot of Chomsky, and I hadthat feeling when you read Chomsky that you want to get out anddo something and realize, in fact, that you're impotent. "

Douglas Adams'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has been another major influence behind the song ‘paranoid android’. According to Thom Yorke the title of paranoid android was chosen as a joke to the Character of Marvin, the paranoid android.

With the gradual passage of time we can now see the lyrics taking a physical manifestation. The opening track, ‘Airbag’ was written following Thom’s accident; it portrays both the fear of the technological advancement and the fact that it can lead to our salvation. The album deals with the ennui of this postmodern life and how we are more disconnected from one another.

In the song ‘Let Down’ Thom gives us an imagery which is strangely familiar to Kafka’s Metamorphosis.

"Shell smashed, juices flowing Wings twitch, legs are going

Don't get sentimental It always ends up drivel"

By comparing humans to bug he is telling us what we have become in this technology infused society -a crushed bug twitching and calling it a living.

'Fitter Happier' describes one of the central themes of OK Computer, it describes society for what it was and what is becoming of it now. It starts with listing the expectation of society with advancement of Technology and how we as a society will improve our lifestyle, but beneath it all something sinister is going on.

“A pig In a cage On antibiotics”

Thom tells us how by doing all the mentioned things we are basically stuffing fingers in our ears and denying the cost it has incurred on us. Radiohead perfectly captured the pre-millennium tension that was looming in the air, they did so by redefining the parameters of a rock album.