The writing is a message that all this capitalism has not led to survival of the fittest, but more led to emotional isolation and political illness. For the band I believe was truly ahead of their time, writing lyrics to music that showcased the eventual downward spiral of society, where social media essentially runs the planet. Technology and computers certainly played an important, dominant role in society in 1997, but nothing like it is today, in 2021. The album illustrates what it is like and what it will “be” like eventually to live in a world where Computers rule. On May 21st, 1997, a rock band with some reasonable commercial success out of the UK, Radiohead that is, released their third studio album, OK Computer. In fact, they were a few years away from blasting the cover off the baseball by releasing an album that would defy the “grunge” label and in many ways, create their own genre of music. It is important to recognize that at this point, besides my lack of desire for more grunge, the band Radiohead had really yet to shine.
I have a fond memory of hearing the opening riff, and then the opening verse and chorus and pointing the beat-up JVC remote control at the TV and changing the channel while saying out loud (in a room full of no one, mind you), “NO THANKS”!! I was very much into this scene but can remember by ’93 growing tired of a lot of the copycat bands that were appearing.Īs I turned on MTV, the VJ was introducing a video by a new band of out the UK called Radiohead. By ’93 the grunge scene had cemented its place as the most successful running rock genre for that time. Better known as Music Television for those of you born after the late 90s. On one day in late 1993, I can remember getting home from school, throwing my backpack into the coat closet, and I mean “throwing” it like I wanted it to disappear, running into the den and immediately going to channel 53, which on my cable network was MTV. Aside from the radio, the only other place I became turned on to new music, was to go to the record store and sift through hundreds of records, tapes and CD’s, usually making purchases based off the album’s cover art. It was the place I went, to find “any” music really. Besides the radio, it was the place I went, to “find” new music. I can remember watching MTV in the 1980s and early 90s.
Listen to a condensed audio version of this review by Greg