Membesar Bersama Radiohead: Ok Computer (Part 2 0f 6)

Ok Computer? Pity Kurt Cobain shoot himself in 94 cause in 1997 come a great album that I think he will liked.That’s what I trhink about this album that I listen everyday from 1997 until 1999. I believe it will stop people pulling the trigger so he can live longer to listen to a good album.

Aku menjumpai Ok Computer ketika aku lapar (tiru ayat pembukaan Life of Pi oleh Yan Martel)Masa itu aku masih heavy dengan The Bends dan My Iron Lung LP.Satu hari aku berjalan2 di Kompleks PKNS. Di kedai kaset yang aku singgah aku terpegang kaset baru Radiohead.

Terkejut juga aku bila Thom Yorke and co menghasilkan album baru? Bila pulak Radiohead buat album baru ni? ”Shit! I gotta buy this” kata aku dalam hati. And that ladies and gentleman, adalah pertama kali aku beli kaset tanpa berfikir panjang atau merujuk review dari kawan2 terlebih dahulu.harganya ketika itu tak mahal. rasa aku dalam RM15.00. Tapi sebab aku masih belajar dan selalu kebulur, jumlah itu sebenarnya boleh dikira banyak. tapi Radiohead punya pasal....Ketika balik dari Kompleks PKNS, hari hujan.

Aku sampai lewat kekolej. Lewat malam baru aku sampai kebilik 3610 itu.Sampai sahja dirumah aku terus pasang Ok Computer. Aku duduk termanggu didepan radio aku tu.Aku sebenarnya susah nak hadaam muzik kali pertama aku mendengarnya.Ianya memerlukan repaet listening untuk aku tahu the muzik is worth listening or not. tapi dengan Ok Computer aku rasa kelainannya.Thom Yorke tak banyak menjerit dalam album ini.Tapi iramanya begitu mendayu-dayu.Sebaik sahaja tamat dengar whole album aku terus repeat back to listen the whole .I know that im up to something good. This is probably the best music I ever put my ears into.

Ianya bukan seperti The bends atau My Iron Lung...tepai mungkin lebih depth, fikirku. Lebih control. A muzik thats been produce by half human and half machine.Mala itu aku tidur dengan senyuman yang lebih lebar dar jack nicholsdon dalam Btaman. If I want to put my whole life on one album, I know this would be it.

Bangun pagi keesokan harinya aku rasa aku jadi orang lain.Sebelum itu Oasis baru sahaja mengeluarkan the most anticipating album of the year Be Here Now. And its nowhere near Whats The Story Morning Glory. Begitu juga dengan Blur yang mula mendnapat influence dari band experimental seperti Sonic Youth.Harapan British kini tergantung kepada this new album by Radiohead. Didalam majalah Q, dalam reviewnya tentang Ok Computer mereka menyatakan “ and now Radiohead can definetely be ranked among the most important band in music”. Its about time, kataku dalam hati.

Keesokan harinya, aku dan kawan2 Brit Pop aku, Aldrain, Ayie, oi, Ujang mula mendapat tahu yang aku ada kaset baru Radiohead.Di kedai makcik gemuk kami melepak sambil bertukar2 dengar (ketika itu juga kami heavy on Suede’s Coming Up)Dengan sekali dengar semua agree..this album kick ass.
Mulai dari hari itu sehinggalah ke tahun 1999. aku mendengar Ok Computer setiap hari. The album grow on me more than a rice that I ate.
Ok Computer is not a rock album. If theres any words to describe the album , its beautiful. U don’t listen to OK Computer and expecet they rock like others, cuase theyre not. For some its boring too. But take your time it will grow on u.Every serius musician, or wants to be a musician ..i suggest they listen to this album. At least listen.
I wrote on Amazon review on this album. I said if Neil Amstrong made an album after he return from the moon, it will sounds like Ok Computer. I swear…in some part of Paranoid Android and No Surpirses u can feels the star blinking to u. And what a wonderful feeling it is.If u live in a modern world (which is of course you are), this should be the soundtract of your life.Gosh I cannot put much praise to this album.
From Airbag to The Tourist this is like a jouney to a beautiful landscape. In refererring to Ok Comp Michael Stipe said. “A good album should sounds like a soundtract of your life.” And he mean it with Ok Computer.Yes at first OK Comp sounds like a prog rock album where everything seems related to each other. And of course it only makes the comaprison with Pink Floyd seems high.
OK computer is not just a beautiful album. Its also full of sad songs. But I think it works because it share the same strategy like say,Highway 61 Revisited, Downward Spirals and even Nirvana's Nevermind….a different genre next to another.Up and low music. Simple idea of arraging next music to the other but it still works. and thats what u get from Ok Computer.If u get a slow tempo music with Exit Music, then the sound get back to its momentum with Let Down. If Fitter Happier sounds mellow, Electioneering rocks it back.
In Ok Computer Thom and co try to balance it with a sad, depressed song with the happy and exciting one. That’s old trick but u have to a good song to make it work.
It started with Airbag…the first 10 seconds should hook u. The sound blend with 360 degree . Its Radiohead that u never heard of.And then come the Paranoid Android..any songs that resemble Bohemian Rhapsody is a gem. And Paranoid Android fit the category . Thom Yorke sings high and low key here.And when hes down, he take u down with him.Thats Subterranean Homesick Alien with jazzy feeling. when u listen to it u know its master at works because the sound so perfect. U will never play any of this song correctly with just a 4 piece of band. U can have that with The Beatles or White Stripes but not with Radiohead. No sir.Exit Music is one of the depressed song that hold the time when u listen to it. A story refer to Romeo and Juliet. And when everything is going mellow, Let Down is kind of a song thast put everything back in order again. A kind of song that. Or what I should refer it to a more happy jingling song.Then came Karma Police my least fav song in the album but I know lots of people prefer this song than others. Karma police is the poppest song of the album. And that’s why its radio friendly and easy to grab u at first listening. But the weakness of it, people will refer to that song in this album but the truth is Ok Comp is more than that.Fitter Happier is the most misunderstood track. People don’t like it But I think this is the strongest song (if not mumbling) that captured the whole idea and concept of the album. But it works out cause it rhyme with the sad feelings of living in the modern world.Then came the most grunge song of ther album where Thom Yorke screams at the top of his lung atthend just like Kurt Cobain.
No Surpirse sump up the whole idea of depression in modern life . “ Not hard to embrace this song. "U look so tired and unhapppy. bring down the government. They dont speak for us"The Tourist is the perfect song to end thi album. I never get tired to listen to this song. “hey man slow downnnn” is like to reminds us all to think about is it really worth it with all the development, tallest building in the world?

Ok Computer is their highest achievement. ( Peole who deny this is a liar!) Means its better than the Bends or Kid A and definetely In Rainbows. And personally I don’t think they can make a better album than this. Don’t go buy a new album by Radiohead with hoping that it will be a good than OK Comp…cause it will not happen. Magic happens once a while and in the land of Thom Yorke and co, its already happening on the session of Ok Comp and it will not be repeated ever again. If u want a more exciting music by todays band go looking for a new album by Mars Volta, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, The Strokes, White Stripes,Kings of Leon,Grizzly Bear, Porcupine Tree and others..but don’t hope it will come out from Radioheads new album. They might gonna make a good decent album (like they did with In Rainbows) but nothing will be sublime like Ok Computer.Ok Comp is their highest achievement..its their magnus opus. I dont think its unfair to talk about 90s music without mention Ok Computer.
If u yet to listen to this album. And if u want to hear a good music, theres no other way. You wont waste 58 minutes of your already wasted life listening to an album. So try Ok Computer. Theres no other way but to try this one . Im not saying it will change your life . But if its does, it will be a hell of an experience. Cause this is no empty music. Either u don’t get it or it will stay with u.Forget about other music u been listens to. Try to be neutral. Like zero. Its better that if u never listen to any music before. The experience only makes it more sublime. Pick your best night where no one can disturb u. Turn off the light. Sit in your fav chair and relax. Take a deep breath. Focus. And put your headphone on. If u ready, push the on button.If u concentrate enough, u can see a stars blinking through out of the songs.Could u find other music that do that to you?

Adakah aku nampak terlalu mengagungkan album ni? ….

Im a die hard fan. This is what I do….

Sept 2009