Here we are, on the first day of the year 2020. I wonder what people were thinking this very moment would look like when OK Computer saw release in 1997. Maybe they envisioned that by now we'd have flying cars; that robots would deliver groceries and packages directly to our doorsteps so that we'd never even have to leave our homes; or that Donald Trump would be the President of the United States of America. If so, then they weren't very far off at all, were they?

If no one else was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt where things were heading, you best believe Radiohead were. Their third studio album was not only the true starting point of their artistic evolution - the first to be produced by Nigel Godrich, who would go on to assume the role for every album following - but it was a warped glimpse into a dystopian future society plagued by issues such as depression, poverty and reliance on technology.

The title of the record, in and of itself, reads just like something we might find ourselves uttering to our computerized assistants (be they Alexa or Siri) on a daily basis to wake them up. Occasionally, even the instrumentation personifies how people progressively appear to become more machine than human (take for example the acoustic guitar and glitching synthesizer battling for control at the end of "Let Down"). And at the moments when Thom York e 's lyrics aren't zeroing in on such aspects of modern life, they may instead be nervously focusing upon transport, death, globalization, or overall insanity. The record feels less of its own time, and more of our current time. But why exactly is it so impactful?

"An airbag saved my life."

Seeking a change from the usual, Radiohead vowed to take a new approach with their follow-up to The Bends. And they did just that. A break from recording was called, for the band to act as support on a 13-date tour with Alanis Morrissette. During this tour, a number of new songs were already being played on stage, and the group were commissioned by filmmaker Baz Luhrmann to write a song for his upcoming film Romeo + Juliet. They were given the last 30 minutes for viewing, and upon doing so, they began work on their contribution right away. What they brought to the table was the aptly-titled "Exit Music (For a Film)", which, according to Yorke, ended up being the song that would go on to shape the direction of the rest of the album.





"[Exit Music] was the first performance we'd ever recorded where every note of it made my head spin - something I was proud of, something I could turn up really, really loud and not wince at any moment."

- Thom Yorke





Unhappy with their original recording location, the band instead set up shop at St Catherine's Court, an unoccupied historic mansion in Bath, Somerset, to continue their work in September of 1996. It was a move that would turn out to determine the majority of the album's blissfully haunting sound. The members began making extensive use of the many rooms and acoustics throughout the mansion. The natural reverberation of the vocals on "Exit Music" comes from the stone staircase on which it was recorded; "Let Down" was recorded at 3:00am in a ballroom. Approximately 80% of the album was recorded live, to the satisfaction of the band, as it felt more genuine and special than studio overdubbing.





Make no mistake, I'm not just out on some mission to bore you with the details. Truthfully, the outside-the-box recording and production techniques utilized here are a crucial part of what makes the record so important and influential.









"We hope that you choke."

Another of the many things that justify OK's classic status is the willingness of its creators to take risks. As Philip Selway put it:





"There was an awful lot of soul-searching [on The Bends]. To do that again on another album would be excruciatingly boring."





Right he is. True, they could have clung to the safety of their older work's more introspective nature and never let go, but if they had then I wouldn't be writing this article right now - and chances are it may have been years since you last heard their name spoken by any soul. Wild thought, isn't it?



Step away, for a moment, from present day - go back to 1997. At that time, a record like this one undoubtedly seemed to come from another planet; one where rock groups had evolved far beyond the norm and began to create music that was much more reflective of the real world. This is another trailblazing aspect of it. Name as many artists (even of other genres) as you can think of who have suddenly taken the risk of breaking formula, and being more honest and aware of society with their music since the release of OK Computer. Have you thought of any? Now think of how those records were received. More often than not, they tend to thrive and stand the test of time. People don't simply value albums, they value experiences.













"For a minute there, I lost myself."

It's an eerie feeling when someone else out there, some random stranger, says the exact words that cross your mind on the regular. But it's that very feeling that makes records such as OK Computer the long-lasting favorites that they are. We all want to know our thoughts and feelings are understood, that any individual other than us shares and relates to them on the same level - and sometimes music is just the right format for that.





"I'll take a quiet life / A handshake of carbon monoxide / No alarms and no surprises, please"...

"No Surprises" is among the first songs I ever heard that truly resonated with me in such a fashion; Yorke aches over the unpleasant surprises and curveballs of everyday life, wishing for his death ("A handshake of carbon monixide") to escape from the weight of such burdens once and for all, before realizing at the song's conclusion that everything gets better eventually, and the easy way out isn't nearly what it's cracked up to be. Yes, you may have "a job that slowly kills you", or "bruises that won't heal", but in the grand scheme of things, all of that is temporary. The message this song communicates is that life is, and always will be, worth living. It's one that many tens of thousands of people, including myself, needed to hear during dark, doubtful times - and probably still do every once in a while.









"Ambition makes you look pretty ugly." As you can see, there are plenty of solid reasons why OK Computer went on to become what it did; a musical tarot reading that will be remembered fondly throughout the ages. Its scarily accurate foresight, production, fearless risk-taking and overall relatability cement it as a must-hear for any alternative music fan, or iconic musician in the making. After an exhaustive touring cycle promoting the album, Yorke fell into a deep depression as the band took a much-needed break from life on the road. Surely, he thought that they had peaked. That they'd offered everything they had to give ... little did he know that their story was only beginning.







Don't forget to head to the main menu (3 horizontal lines in the top right corner of the home page) and click the blue "FOLLOW" button to receive Positive Chaos updates!





Be sure to also follow me on Instagram and Twitter!





@definitelynotxg



































