As of now, this album is coming up to its 25th anniversary. This version is the all singing, all dancing version from 2017. This was the band’s third full length album, and is now considered one of the best albums in popular music. Even though the guitar is obvious throughout this record, this was a departure from the previous album (The Bends), which was totally guitar centric. The main theme that flows through the record is dealing with alienation brought on by consumerism.
There were four singles released from the album: the brilliant Paranoid Android, Karma Police, Lucky and No Surprises. I have this on CD also and I find it a hard listen, but the record is a lot better – I find 20 minute chunks a lot easier to absorb. This album has more in common with Prog than Pop, as the arrangements lean more in that direction, and old Pink Floyd comes to mind on a lot of the tracks. Tom Yorke’s vocals and delivery are the driving force of the band, and again, the music is quite basic – it’s how it’s layered together that makes it unique. The production and mix on this version is incredible, and if I were to recommend any version – it would be this. As I have already mentioned, it’s a tough album to get through in one sitting, but if you manage it it’s very rewarding.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
