Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead, recently reflected on Radiohead’s magnum opus 20 years after it originally hit shelves. The album “OK Computer” is seen as a masterpiece today because it blends electronic music, elements of Miles Davis’ psychedelic period, and the melancholic acoustic guitar strums that the band has always been known for.
A rare interview with the BBC reveals how the band got started and how the album came together. So, what’s prompting Thom Yorke to quietly reflect on an album that saw its release 20 years ago when Tony Blair and Bill Clinton were two dominant players on the political scene.
Radiohead is planning on reissuing “OK Computer” in a new album, of sorts, called, “OKNOTOK.” The upcoming reissue is slated to contain a number of b-sides and insights into the musings on Thom and the band at the time. Every reissue will come with selections from Thom’s notebooks and a behind-the-scenes look at the songwriting process that went into every song.
The new reissue will feature remastered cuts of all of the original songs plus three previously unheard tracks. Fans can expect eight b-sides when the digital version of the reissue drops at the end of the month (June 23rd).
The reissue, which will come to consumers in a black box, will feature over 100 pages of Thom’s notebook musings from the period of “OK Computer” as well as four dozen pages of artist and producer Stanley Donwood’s sketches. Artwork from the period has recently been uploaded to Radiohead’s core website for fans to check out.
Reflecting on the album in the BBC interview, Yorke recounts his inspirations at the time, which included glam rock band Queen, the improvisational jazz of Miles Davis, and a touch of heavy metal to sweeten the whole deal. The album originally featured over three dozen takes of the song’s bohemian rhapsody-like saga, Paranoid Android. Fans can expect the reissue to drop on June 23rd.