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The Bends
Radiohead
1995
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!I could crywank all night to this behemoth. Blisters on me fingers and on me dick. So much blood and so many tears. Like a recently widowed hedgehog trying to escape from a blender. Welp.
I've been secretly dreading the day we'd get a Radiohead album. Not because I think they're bad, but because I've put them off for so long. Well it's time to pay the piper. I'm enjoying this quite a bit. It's a lot less experimental than I was expecting, and I mean that in a good way. I assumed they would be pretentious artsy music but it's just good solid alt-rock. This album is on countless "best ever" lists, and I don't quite see that, but maybe if I heard it in the '90s when I was barely 2 years old I would see it. It's still great though, plenty to love. Favorite tracks: Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry, Bullet Proof, The Bends. Album art: I'd say it's iconic. One of those "have you dreamed this man" sort of ubiquitous images. Which mannequin is getting the best (radio)head? 4/5
Everything is broken, am I really sinking this low? I bet you think that's pretty clever, don't you boy? My fake plastic love, I don't want to be crippled and cracked. The sea would electrocute us all and that's what really hurts; a total waste of time. I wish that I was bulletproof, sometimes you sulk, sometimes you burn. Immerse yourself in love.
The whole album is great from start to finish. A true classic in that it has indefinite replay desire.
This incarnation of Radiohead is great songwriting before they started to branch out with more experimentation. The songwriting is rock solid and Street Spirit is one of my favourite tracks of theirs
there are some pretty cool moments on here but I think they kind of get lost in an overall muddled/aimless feeling album. it's quite mopey (which worked okay on some of the tracks) and the vocals didn't grab my attention. probably would be a 2.5 there's some good stuff but none of it was really compelling or interesting to me.
Sorry. I realize a 2 star rating will upset many people, but Radiohead has always been a snooze fest for me.
No, sorry, don't like Radiohead. Don't understand all the hype at all. Media darling, whiney college kids. Kid A and OK Computer are always in the 'best albums ever' lists but I hate them and think they're shit.
BABY'S GOT THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENDS alright, in all seriousness, The Bends is a very very very good album. as the album that kicks off Radiohead's inhuman 26-year streak of exceptionally good albums, it contains all the nascent elements that make them arguably the best group to ever do it. unfortunately for this album - that position means that it is constantly compared to the albums that followed it, especially its older brother and greatest album of all time (in my Opinion) OK Computer. this tends to be an unfavorable comparison because - while all the things that make Radiohead Radiohead are present in this album, it's still very much bogged down in *genre*. while all the records following itare unique enough in their construction that you basically have to throw in the towel and say something like 'experimental rock' if asked about their genre - for about half of The Bends' tracklist, Radiohead are basically just doing Alternative Rock. to be fair though, The Bends is Radiohead doing alt-rock very very well - the title track is an exemplary britpop tune, with sneering verses and a soaring, anthemic chorus, fake plastic trees still stands as one of the band's best ballads which is *really* saying something, and even less pivotal tracks like bones or black star are still pretty good on the virtue of the instrumentation and vocals alone. the best songs on here however are the ones where radiohead is beginning to do their own thing - the strange, airy atmospheres of planet telex or bulletproof, and the moments on both of these tracks where thom's falsetto really PROPELY comes out. the best song on this entire album though is the closer however, where Radiohead's greatest strength as a band first becomes apparent - the ability to rip a specific feeling out of your psyche and then blast it back at you with twice the strength. street spirit (fade out) embodies the eldritch, existential horror of death & death anxiety so well that it is harrowing and genuinely hard to listen to. i never listen to this album on its own because hearing the end of street spirit fade into complete silence still leaves a pit in my stomach even after god knows how many listens. i'd give this album a 9/10, its closer to a 10 than an 8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Their best album and the purists can go fuck themselves 🙃 It’s actually a brilliant guitar album and there’s a reason fans still clamour for these songs live - it was before Radiohead got lost up their own arse. It came perfectly after the grunge hangover and was an anecdote to the Brit Pop bullshit
It was fine? I didn't love it and it got a bit samey but the sounds were nice. I can't decide if it gets points or loses points for the terrifying album art
1995: Planet Telex, High And Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, My Iron Lung, Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was
Uma beleza, carrega comigo muito saudosismo. Baladas marcantes. produção impecável, como em todos discos deles.
An all time great. I'm always amazed that this is their second album. When many bands load up their first with songs they've been writing since they formed and the second suffers, this is the opposite. Where "Pablo Honey" had "Creep" and not much else, this is all great to classic songs. Is it their best album? Maybe not. But within the scope of what it sets out to accomplish, it's entirely successful. I know I listen to it much more than "OK Computer" and is in my pantheon of favourite albums.
Bueno... Un dels àlbums de la meva vida. Quantes vegades l'hauré escoltat? Des que un company de classe me'l va deixar un dia (crec que va ser Francesc Roca, a 2n de BUP), em va enamorar. Els Radiohead venien amb la càrrega de l'èxit del tema "Creep", i amb aquest segon disc demostraven que no eren flor d'un sol dia, i que tenien molt a dir. L'àlbum comença amb la potent Planet Telex i ja no et solta fins la darrera nota de Street Spirit. Té singles inoblidables com Fake Plastic Trees, The bends o Just, i temes que posen la pell de gallina, com Bullet proof o High and dry. No sobra ni una sola cançó, i encara van deixar temes brutals per a les cares b, com The trickster o Permanent daylight. Aquest disc també representa l'inici de les crucials col·laboracions amb el seu productor Nigel Godrich, i l'artista Stanley Donwood. D'alguna manera, aquí és quan realment Radiohead s'acaba de formar, i ja no pararan d'evolucionar plegats i publicar sense pietat àlbums i més àlbums arriscats i d'enorme qualitat. El so de les guitarres en tot aquest disc és brutal, el punt just de potència i distorsió, i de delicadesa quan es necessita. La producció realment és exquisita, cada cançó té la seva pròpia personalitat i alhora totes juntes formen un tot indisoluble. El seu primer àlbum per a la història, i els que en vindran...
Missed this album the first time around, a Radiohead album I can dance to! Bloody hell - I might start liking them!
Radiohead's first step beyond being "the Creep band". A stone cold classic. A stone cold classic made even better by having what looks like an Easter Island head in the final flings of ejaculation on the cover.
Thom Yorke's weird little talented face. Not as up its own ass as OK Computer and not as revered...but it's better, isn't it? Tweek my nipples.
Love it. The album where Radiohead showed truly how great they are. BT: The Bends, Just, Street Spirit.
One of my favorite albums from this band and from the 90s. Great melodies and beautiful arrangement and production.
I think I like this more than any other Radiohead album. This is actually really good.
Love Radiohead! Very good album start to finish, one of my favourites. Barely any downsides
Great album, nice vibes throughout - so many classic noticeable tunes and also several unheard new favourites.
one of my favorite albums of all time. although maybe not as influential as OK Computer or Kid A, the songwriting and melodies on this project are immaculate. fantastic project that i’ll continue to rotate until the day i die
I am a fan. First Radiohead I've listened to and liked. It makes me want to listen to their other stuff again. Maybe Kid A and OK Computer are actually good. Can't wait to check them out again. Great songs on this album start to finish.
Una obra de arte. De los mejores discos que he escuchado en mi vida. Lo tengo en mi colección desde hace más de 15 años y estoy totalmente de acuerdo que deba estar en este listado. La mezcla de potencia y melancolía y los cambios en los arreglos son sorprendentes. Definitivamente este disco fue crucial en la historia de la música.
A perfect straight ahead rock album for me. 3 guitars going at it for most of the songs
A perfect rock album and the one that introduced me properly to the genre. I know and love every song. Absolutely untouchable (well, apart from the other fantastic Radiohead albums).
I first heard a song from this album, Fake Plastic Trees, in the movie Clueless staring Paul Rudd and some other people. This movie, and the Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo and Juliet (starring Paul Rudd!) which also featured a Radiohead song (Talk Show Host), introduced me to Radiohead and led me to an album that has become one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time. The album starts with a woosh like something is blowing in, then hits you with the guitars, and honestly this might be my second favorite opening to an album (behind the base line for Seven Nation Army). I get excited every time I hear that woosh because I know what is coming next. The layers of sound! The guitars get loud like an arena rock show, then soft again, always layered in a way that is indicative of how experimental they are/will continue to be. At times you get flavors of U2, Oasis, REM, and yet they have a sound that is uniquely their own. The music is always vulnerable, eerie at times, angry at times, and broken in the most hauntingly amazing way. I am a lyric person but despite the fact that I can't tell what Thom Yorke is saying 80% of the time, the combination of his voice and the music transcend the often unintelligible lyrics. The snippets of what come through can be devastating. The rejection of the fame/attention, the futility of life, and the intense longing to belong. The optimism and positivity is cut with cynicism (Nice Dream) but you are quickly brought back up from the nihilism of Fake Plastic Trees by the reverb-y guitars of Bones. They achieve a balance in this album that I can't find in many other works. Case in point is the fade out of Street Spirit which is a perfect contrast to the way the album wooshed in with Planet Telex The Bends would be in my desert island 5-disc CD changer. It perfectly encapsulated my 90s angst while managing, like Paul Rudd himself, to never age.
It's kind of hard to put into words how amazing "The Bends" is. Radiohead, particularly the later stuff post-"OK Computer," can be pretty polarizing. Many are put off by Thom Yorke's wailing or the samples and computer blips or whatever. (I am not in this group.) But on "The Bends" what you get is peak Radiohead. A band that moved past a really solid but not groundbreaking debut to deliver a sophomore album that was a mature and unique example of a band finding their sound. (And then they continued to play with and tweak that sound relentlessly for the next decade. To subvert expectations? Who knows what's in the mind of these guys.) While Yorke's moaning and wailing are more exaggerated on later albums (while still working for me most of the time), on this album the vocals are a perfect instrument to complement the guitars (which do some wailing themselves, in a good way) and percussion. There are some songs where you can actually understand a bunch of the words(!), and Yorke writes some powerful lyrics. There are too many stellar songs to single them all out. It is a complete package, without a dud, from start to finish. I was curious for another perspective on the 1000 greatest albums one day when I was frustrated by another middling English band that never made it big across the pond, and found a list created by Colin Larkin in the late 90s, last updated in 2000. Unlike "1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die," Larkin's list allowed fan voting from around the world. The top 10 is heavy with Beatles, as expected, but #2 is "The Bends." That's how good and influential this album is. While "Pablo Honey" feels fairly 90s, "The Bends" feels timeless. I think I like it even more every time I listen.
Baby’s got the bends. You don’t have any real friends. This is TOTALLY how I feel as we try to re-enter somehow into the world. Our kids have to deal with very metaphorical decompression of going from lockdown or podding or significant isolation to freaking public school, crammed hallways, cramped school buses. But I like what the album conjures for me more. Another album that transports me to college. This one is glued to the membranes of my curious and trepidatious cells. It coaxed the leery adult from the grips of my apprehensive adolescence. It doesn’t hurt that I could figure out how to play most of these on the guitar—back when Radiohead’s simplicity matched my skill. I love the explosiveness of the Bends and Thom Yorke’s unbridled bellows. To playing on the upbeat in the chorus in Bones. “I used to fly like Peter Pan! All the children flew when I touched their hands.” (Nice Dream) sounds just like one to me. The melodic descent of the partial barre chords at the beginning contrasts with the whining riffs toward the end. Just has a cool rock-out start. I often quote this song (and not just nowadays): “You do it to yourself, you do, and that’s why it really hurts.” Ain’t it the truth. #maskupassholes #getthefuckingshot I love the cliffhanger chord that Black Star ends on. But I think my most favorite song is Sulk. I’m a sucker for slow builds. Simple single note motif on the guitar that leads to a more complex and interesting variation in the bass line that descends down the scale as he declares a holiday, falls asleep, drifts away. Radiohead and I kinda parted ways sometime around Kid A. We grew apart. Maybe my grown ass self should revisit the newer stuff and find something new about myself. We’ll see. Solid 5 from me.
I've been friends with lots of people with lazy eyes in my life. For example Steph and I spent a whole summer together being Floyds and watching MTV. The summer of '95 was right before I moved to LA. The 'Just' music video played at least twice every hour, but it seemed like more. That was a clever video, it was great. Fake Plastic Trees, notsomuch. In the FPT video, Thom (pronounced 'Tom') turns the drama up to 11 while imitating a baby in a shopping cart. It was disastrous and didn't do the band any favors. Anyone that watched that immediately hated them, him, Thom (Tom). The album Pablo Honey, was good and an easy listen. The Bends, followed PH and was a logical extension of the first with more angsty, artsy-fartsy undertones thrown in. I liked it. Revisiting this album, it's not groundbreaking, but it's held up okay. This is more like a warm wool sweater that smells like home and you put it on when the leaves turn brown at the end of summer. The Bends is one of the quintessential albums of the 90's, and by those terms it's relatively traditional. There's heavy guitar reverb, song builds, and self-consumed lyrics with a tinge of despair. It is also the last album before the band becomes Radiohead. Before Ok Computer. Perhaps all of that self-introspection is authentic, Thom (Tom) isn't as insufferable as we thought. Maybe he was somehow able to see a future with machine learning, crappy politics, overconsumption, etc. and identify change is coming. Ok Computer, the album after The Bends was truly groundbreaking and set the band off in a new direction with intricate arrangements, new instruments, computers, electronica, etc. It's incredible that this is the same band. All good things come to an end. This album The Bends, marks the closing of an era, the end of summer, the end of Floyd and for me at least, the end of the 90's. It is the closing door that goes unnoticed and time moves on. REFERENCES Floyds = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIA-5l4tRyY Just = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIFLtNYI3Ls Fake Plastic Trees = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5h0qHwNrHk
The album that got me into Radiohead. So many amazing songs, even deep into the album. I could listen to it every day.
Наверно, единственный альбом Радиобашки, где меня не задолбал ужасный вокал Йорка и где нет конченого IDM.
I don’t think I can honestly give this anything lower than a 5. It was an atmospheric, melodic experience that I got lost in and didn’t want to find my way out of.
What an album perhaps Radiohead's best collection of songs. Absolutely no filler. The 123 punch of The Bends, High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees is nonpareil. Maybe it lacks the experimentalism of OK Computer and Kid A, but the songs are so strong that I can forgive the fact that it fits neatly into into the alt-rock formula. Besides you can see the seeds of OK Cokmputer in the closing track. I LOVE THIS ALBUM! 5 🌟
Hard to believe this is 25 years old. It still sounds as fresh as it did back in 1995. It's something I've listened to regularly over that time.
With screeching guitars and poignant lyrics, sung beautifully by Thom Yorke, Radiohead improve on every single aspect of Pablo Honey. The Bends is an incredibly engaging record with a good variety of rock bangers and blisfully melancholic ballads, and it makes you feel like the world is caving in on you, just when you need it's structure most to support your desperate and delicate mind. It's a masterpiece, and easily worth a 5/5.
It's downright frustrating how this album gets no love in the shadow of Radiohead's later, more experimental work. This is an album which exemplifies guitar-driven brit-rock, full of incendiary licks and inward-looking lyrics. It's almost as though the sheer consistency of this album is held against it compared to the zigs and zags of the following albums, even the zigs and zags within the tracks of those albums.
Hef ekki hlustað á þessa lengi, en hún er flottur fulltrúi þess tíunda. Nostalgísk en líka afar góð.
I’m not sure I like Radiohead but I love The Bends. Their next best songs (Creep, No Surprises) just sounds like tracks that could be off this album. Everything else I find boring or stressful. But this album really his the mark for me, perfect mix of grunge/BritPop/electro.
I already love Radiohead, so I knew I'd give it a 5, but it really is well deserved. This was the beginning of their metamorphosis into what they are today. (Pablo Honey is ass xD)
Radioheads classic 2nd Album. great set of songs from Thom and the boys. I must admit I personally prefer "OK Computer" if I had to chose a favourite Radiohead album. This is great though and justifiably in this list. "High & Dry" "The Bends" "Fake Plastic Trees" and "My Iron Lung" are my favourites on this album. A good choice.
All tracks great. All tracks have inspired at least one inventive and interesting cover--that I know of. Shows that this all-time band was making excellent music even before they started going really weird. Now they’re making excellent music AND it’s really weird.
Absolute classic. Grabbed this recently on vinyl. May be still my favorite Radiohead album.
It's a great album. We all know what came next, and I'm not going to judge this on that. So it gets 5 from me on it's own merit.
19th January 2022 Listened throughout the day on my phone, went in to Brixton and got an iPhone. Terrified that I was going to lose all this data but managed to find out how to keep it! Such a good album, it's searing and tearing whilst being tender.
Great album that isn't fronted by big hits but rather convinces with a high quality throughout the whole album. Loved the sound
Mind-bending. I could spend some time writing more about this album, but I rather listen to it again instead. It's R.E.M., I mean, what else can I say?
Radiohead - The Bends (1995) Just Put a little pressure on a string down or up in a way to make that note go higher, that's a bend. Welcome to another place where you are the instrument and all of the notes will sound like bends across your whole body, each feeling better than the previous one highly and softly, when even the pain you can control by the gain you receive. But the release is the way back home, they just don't want you to know that so soon in your journey when we all know that the path is greater than the arrival at the finish line or the next station. Hitch the gear up, let the pedal loose and grip the gas out of your tank, racing with your fears, tearing up your ears, as in a radio station your head is way too much tall than you can hardly believe in your own eyes. A
Let' get this out of the way: I am an unabashed Radiohead fanboy. So it might not come as a surprise that I'm giving their first classic album a perfect score. But the truth is, how was I supposed to give it a lower score with songs like Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit?
I love a good excuse to listen to this album. A respite from the mediocre crap that plagues the rest of this list. Favourites: Planet Telex, High and Dry, Just, My Iron Lung, and, of course, Street Spirit.
Thom Yorke might talk a load of bollocks these days but this album is absolutely fucking fire. So many good tracks. Amazing. Enjoyed this one.
This is maybe the 4th or 5th best Radiohead album and it’s still perfect. That’s how great they are.
A nearly perfect album. One great song after another. The guitar playing throughout is amazing and that includes some of the best accoustic guitar strumming anywhere. This was my introduction to Radiohead and it remains my favorite. OK Computer and Kid A are more ambitious and perhaps greater accomplishments, but for me this is where Radiohead hit their sweet spot 5 🌟
About as straightforward as Radiohead ever got and it’s very good indeed- the boys sure can play and make excellent rock tracks. The production is extraordinarily good; the blend is great- the guitars sound almost like a Co vocalist alongside Yorker’s impulsive yelps and screams. There are hints throughout of the experimentation that was to follow. Here the building blocks.
One of the first alt-rock albums in a long time I’ve listened top to bottom. It’s great if you’re feeling a bit under the weather.
90/100 the bends is a killer song that inital chord sequence in high and dry is so wet n sticky, kinda ironic actually. (nice dream) is such a good name for a song just- you do it to yourselfffff i love this song cus i do do it to myself. my iron lung-were losing it, cant u tell? what a nice melodyyyy. This is a great album I love the rock chords it does this very well. 90s rock done perfectly,. But its also interesting how this is before you can hear that very specific radiohead style, but still a great album. Its catchy and moody and melodic and cohesive. just very pretty emo shit. I see myself listening to this while walking through a city by myself. I really do enjoy!
Do you have to British and of a certain age for this to really make sense? It's full of angst and relevance. Come on now kids of the 90's..."don't leave me high"
I have known, owned and loved this album since its release. I haven't listened to it in ages, it's still lovely, before Radiohead went past my threshold. It almost deserves the 5 rating for Street Spirit alone, what a tune that is.
Big surprise having never really listened to Radiohead before. Much catchier melodies than anticipated, as well as some songs that I already knew that I didn’t know were by them
Enjoyed it very much. It's just a great melodic Brit rock album. Highlights: High And Dry and Just.
never listened to this one before but radiohead is my usual style so ill probably like it plantet telex bouncy but vocals eh bends solo neat noizy high and dry mood 👌 fake plastic trees is that moment in the film when things went to shit and they're all sad also GHOST KEYBOARD bones beginning ✨✨✨✨ nice dream is nice, yorks voice sounds gr8 here and the noisy solo just is fun my iron lung yes whiny vocalss refrão yesss bullet proof great, hearted black star roadtrip song sulk that 4 motif is cool Street spirit I love when it gets whiny and its obviously an End overall I liked it, its cool 4.5
I prefer their later, weirder albums, but re-listening to The Bends and it's really solidly well done - lots of great tunes. Fave track - "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", although "Fake Plastic Trees" is a close second...
It's tempting to give all Radiohead albums a 5, but this one has to get a 4 since my connection to it isn't as strong as some others. But overall they make genius music.
I like it a lot. First half is a bit of a snooze fest even though I like the songs (don't leave me hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh). Once it gets to Just and the following higher-energy stuff, the album really picks up steam. This'll probably make it into my winter rotation of albums but isn't quite a 5 imo.
Cool, what can I say? I really want to love Radiohead but I'm incapable of listening more than 6 sons in a row :/
I'm not a fan of more recent Radiohead works, but this album has some type of rawness that really touches me. A great piece of art.
I mean I hate Radiohead as much as the next man. But this was done well before they disappeared up their own arses and its a class apart isn't it? The first five songs alone are one of the best run of 5 songs back to back on any album I can think of. (Nice Dream) is a bit of a nothing track which is a shame. Just is one of the best Radiohead songs. So is My iron Lung. Both stone cold classics. The rest of the album is flawless and Street Spirit is a wonderful closer. Fuck. I wanted to hate this! Do I forgive it one forgettable track and give it a 5 or is it a 4? Its a 4 isn't it.
Very relaxing music. Had several fav’s : Fake Plastic 🌴and High & Dry, My Iron Lung are great stand outs, Good lyrics, good music. The album cover is very creepy.
The Bends is a transitional record for Radiohead, still operating in the alt-rock mode of Pablo Honey but suggesting the more experimental work to follow with Ok Computer. It's quite a trajectory and while perhaps the Bends doesn't reach the heights of Ok Computer, I'm enjoying it's more straightforward arrangements and pop songwriting quite a bit. Maybe that's an unfair comparison. "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" are obvious highlights but the title track and "Street Spirit" are also really moving. Favourite tracks: The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Street Spirit
If Pablo Honey was the band warming up, The Bends is where they truly start to find their signature sound. Simple and straightforward alt. rock songwriting is at the forefront here, and there are some really effecting tracks here. Street Spirits is a new favourite, and leaves me with a pit in my stomach. The tracklisting is almost perfect for this genre, and Radiohead is very close to perfecting this genre for the 90s, which isn't surprising that they jumped into more experimental waters after it's release. Onto bigger and better things. Fav tracks: Street Spirits (Fade Out), High and Dry, Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was and Fake Plastic Trees
I've never been a radiohead fan, I feel they are pretty overrated. That said, this was ok.
Oh no. I can't bare Radiohead! Was what I first thought when I saw this was the album of the day. Where I can't deny, there are some really beautiful songs on this album - High and Dry an example. I just can't help wishing that someone else was singing them. It all stems from seeing them on TOTP, years ago and Thom Yorke just spitting everywhere whilst he sang. I just can't bare him! 😫
I have this one, but haven’t played it in a long time. Did not have time to listen yesterday, but will revisit today.
Absolute CLASSIC. Not a bad song on this album! Usual highlights but Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit are two of the greatest songs ever written! Absolutely love this album! ON THE VINYL LIST!!!!
really crazy trip down memory lane, honestly very much overlooked and underestimated this one
The Bends is an album I have heard of but never had the chance to listen to. After "Creep" it catapulted them into the stratosphere. Their sound has influenced so many Brit Pop/Rock bands that have come after them, and in listening to this it becomes evident where the influences are. Best: The Bends; High and Dry Worst: Bullet Proof... I wish I was
Have listened to Radiohead before and do like them, just don't listen to them or think they are gods like some do. Highlighted songs: High and Dry, Nice Dream
The Bends goza de estar entre el odiado Pablo Honey y el glorioso OK Computer, siendo un álbum de transición que si bien no es ni la mitad de importante que su sucesor aun así logra brillar con luz propio. Más de la mitad del álbum está compuesto por absolutos clásicos del canon de la banda donde abandonarían poco a poco las influencias britpop de su debut para cementar el germen sonoro de lo que vendría a ser un futuro brillante. No creo que sea la obra maestra que muchos opinan, pero ciertamente es un trabajo destacable y más que relevante dentro de la discografía de la banda. Para mí un sólido 8/10
The real Radiohead definitely starting to show up here though I think better is yet to come.
Categorizing this as "alternative" is a bit puzzling - this is a straight-up fantastic rock album that felt very fresh for the mid-90s. Incorporating modern elements/sounds into a layered guitar approach it was a great step above their meh debut album, and would only be a temporary stepping stone to their next string of albums which went off in then-unpredictable and amazing directions. I'm not entirely sure it's as revolutionary or amazing or alt-rock as was (is?) made out to be and if there's any negativity from me it's that at some point the songs do tend to blend in with one another somehow, despite the decent variety. If you've heard and disliked later-period Radiohead give this a try as it is a far more traditional rock format in terms of the instrumentation and song structure. Highlights are "The Bends" "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" 8/10 4 stars
Good album. Maybe great? Not sure. I'd have to listen many more times before making that distinction. I think it would really grow on me though. Would tots listen again.
Yeah, this is a really good album. With the exception of My Iron Lung and Bones, I liked pretty much every thing else on it. I'll listen to this again, and again.
this was fun. i've never really been into them, but not for any particular reason. i first heard high and dry as a cover by jamie cullum (which is amazing, btw), so it was cool to hear the original in context. also, hearing my iron lung made me desperately wish that they'd cover the killing moon by echo & the bunnymen. the intro is sooo similar, and it just screams to me that their cover would be incredible.
I've never understood all the fuss over Radiohead, but I'd also never heard this album through. Great stuff.
On par mit den besten Britpop-Zeitgenossen. Bei mir damals trotzdem nur am Rand der Wahrnehmung weil ich weiß auch nicht. Thom Yorkes Monstranz aus Artyfartyness wo ich doch nur dröhnen wollte? Egal, jetzt das, was sie dafür locker verdienen: 3,8.
Second Listen. Really loving this album. I want to give it a 5/5 but I'll stick with 4/5 for now.
Q: What's better, The Bends or OK Computer? A: Kid A Which isn't entirely fair...on OK Computer. But that's by the point What one often forgets is that Radiohead are a *brave* outfit. They're restless, adventurous, and have never been afraid to explore new territory. Which is saying something for a band of five guys who've been making music for 30 years. This is their last *explicitly* commercial album. Not in the sense that they aren't in the business of scoring and retaining a hold on a distinct fanbase (I think every musician wants this – its always a matter of scale, rather than intentions), but rather that they've worked from instinct rather critique ever since. I always think that the transition occurs somewhere between High and Dry and Street Spirit (Fade Out). The former is serviceable, but it's music making by supervision – where are the hit singles, etc. The latter isn't very far away from it, but it's much looser, less constrained, more ... real? It hasn't always been a smooth upwards trajectory ever since (Hail to the Thief and King of Limbs both have notable bad patches). But its been their own journey ever since The Bends
This is a nice palate cleanser after The Avalanches. God I hate that record. I've got too many memories connected to this album to be truly objective, but it's a great 90s rock record. I will always love Just, but some of the maudlin numbers aren't all that great - high and dry / fake plastic trees.
Oh I like High and Dry!! The second new song collected from this project so far (18 albums in) after The Boxer.
Ich höre dieses Album Heute zum ersten mal, während ich im Homeoffice Papierkram mache. Für mich eine gute Background music 👍🏻😀
Took me a long time to really get into radiohead, but now i find myself enjoying pretty much all of their stuff
Loved the entire sound of this album! I've only heard few of their songs, but listening to the entire album went by so quick, I enjoyed it!
90s era rock. I never got into Radiohead like all of my college friends did. An album that's easy to listen to with no real weaknesses ... unless you don't like grunge era guitar.
Flew by on my first listen many months ago but now it's one of my top albums of '95. It's a massive improvement over their grunge-heavy debut Pablo Honey. In a lot of ways, this album reminds me of the Smiths, between the jangly guitar and mentally unstable, often haunting, lyrics that match the whiny baroque vocals. You can hear a lot of their ideas that'll come to greater fruition by OK Computer. Those first few songs really set the atmosphere, great songs back to back. I know the fanbase doesn't really like "High and Dry" but honestly I find it to be a perfect introduction to Radiohead, it was the first Radiohead song (besides "Creep" obviously) I could sing along to, before I actually became a fan. Two masterpieces, "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit" represent exactly why the band is genius, even at this early stage, with other tracks close to that title. This is their most consistent effort, but it also comes with a weakness. The 2nd side is full of weaker tracks, with most of the positives to just be replicated from the better tracks. It doesn't mean they suck, but I don't like them for what they are, just what they're trying to be.
I see this as the gateway album into Radiohead. Their most accessible album and a great album on its own merit, but just doesn’t quiet match up to the genius of OK Computer and Kid A.
I've listened to this album many times before and it is still my favourite Radiohead album. Not as alienating as some of their later stuff, but still sounds unique enough stand out from the other alt rock of its time
I really enjoyed this album. I've never gotten too deep into Radiohead beyond the hit songs, but I probably should spend some more time with their catalog. Sublime. 4 stars.
I never cared for radiohead, but I have a much better appreciation now. The music really holds up. I listened to more Radiohead and Thom gets a little whiney.
It's not "Kid A", but I love a lot of tracks on here, especially the title track. And Radiohead always knows how to make a great closer!
This seems to be a lot of people's favourite Radiohead record which I understand - it's certainly their most direct alt-rock/almost britpop album and fits nicely with some other acclaimed British albums of the mid 90s. However it's only maybe my 4th favourite Radiohead album, which says more about the consistency of their catalogue than the quality of this record While I would ordinarily give this a 5, considering every album here is regarded as one of the best of all time I'm being a bit harsher with my ratings, as there shouldn't be too many absolute stinkers. Therefore 5s are going to be relatively sparse, and The Bends can make do with a comfortable 4
Second time listening to the album. It's slow and bittersweet at some parts. I absolutely love the last few tracks, especially "My Iron Lung".
Much more listenable than I remember, though Thom still had some shaky moments on the vocals. At some point, he has to stop getting away with hitting a note too low and then bending his voice. It's okay to do another take. Best track: Fake Plastic Trees
It's physcally impossible for me to put a 5 stars for this genre, but itt's a really really good indie album.
Radiohead is, in my case, the kind of band that needs to be tamed with time. I don't think The Bends is their masterpiece, but I had a good Time listening to it.
Really good album, some classics of course. Couple of tracks I didn't like as much. Hard to decide between a 4 and a 5, but want to reserve a 5 for albums I like (nearly) all songs.
Planet telex, the bends, high and dry, fake plastic trees, just, my iron lung and street spirit all quality tunes, the rest better than mere filler. I only knew high and dry, my iron lung and street spirit before hand and I'm more into this than I expected to be for someone who more enjoys a few radiohead tunes rather than being a big fan of them.
One of the few Radiohead albums that I don't have in my collection. No particular reason, just never ran across this one at the stores. It's a solid 90's alt-rock album. Some great songs, some not so great songs. Probably the most accessible Radiohead album. Solid 4 for me!
While it doesn't reach the heights of OK Computer, it's still a great indie rock record, and a clear sign of more greatness to come.
Probably my favourite Radiohead album. I always found it hard to buy into band's vision back in the day. The music papers tried to pigeon hole them in with Britpop. This clearly didn't fit, and so I didn't really understand what they were trying to achieve. I did buy The Bends, and played it constantly for a couple of months. It still stacks up - possibly more so now once the Britpop prism has long since been removed. The production on the drums sounds fantastic. Plenty of beef to compensate for the more bed wetter moments. I've given this 4. It could be a 5 tbh.
I hope this album got love for its guitar sound. Couple of tracks are dull. But otherwise, wow.
Landfill indie is a pejorative term used by music critics to describe the glut of rocking indie tracks that bloated the UK in the latter years of the noughties. Now, UK indie has always had a much greater supply than demand since the early 80s, and a deep old dive into the more obscure of UK indie from any period in the last 40 years will turn up the odd pearl, along with the occasional used syringe. But the late noughties seemed especially plagued with middle-class quartets sporting shaggy hair and warm cans of lager, delivering moshable riffs that were constrained so as not to be too insensitive. Think "music leading to the ad break of The Inbetweeners" and you're exactly where landfill indie attained its cultural apex. My contention is that the foundation stone of this particular style of landfill indie is Radiohead's The Bends. Yes, you can point to the guitar-centric arrogance of The Stone Roses and Oasis, or the off-kilter kitchen-sink observations of The Smiths and Blur, or the wasted refinement of Suede and Pulp, and they are all key building blocks. But the sonic template for what became noughties mainstream indie originated in The Bends. Consider these facts. The first riff every landfill indie band learnt was Street Spirit (God, I grew sick of hearing that dribble continuously for hours in mates' bedrooms). If you plonked Just in the 2008 charts, you'd think it was just (hah!) a standard, slightly harsh, slightly cynical bit of landfill indie that landfill indie bands would release just to dodge the monotony of songs about their desire to explore a trustafarian's internal plumbing. Radiohead had become the most critically feted rock band by the year 2000, thus becoming the icon for your ambitious indie bands; Oasis had blown it, Coldplay were too liked-by-your-parents, Damon Albarn decided to be much more interesting with Gorillaz, and much other indie of the time was, well, heading for the landfill. Almost by default, Radiohead were the indie band to emulate. However, Radiohead didn't want to be the most heralded indie band; they were pursuing their own experiments, occasionally to great results. So, the landfill indie of the noughties touched on Radiohead's most accessible album as inspiration: The Bends. So is The Bends diminished by lesser bands seizing its aesthetic? Well, is Nevermind diminished by Puddle of Mudd? Personally, I recognise Radiohead has done great stuff, but not as much as is claimed, and in any case I just (did it again!) don't love Radiohead. Too much intellectualisation, too much calculation. Not that the intellect is something to snub, and this is a fine 4-starrer, but it's just (thank you and goodnight!) a smidge hard to detect the heart beating underneath the cleverness. I'll leave you with a game. Listen to the opening guitars on any song, and imagine it's by the Stereophonics. It fits perfectly, n'est-ce pas?
This was really good. I've always wanted to like radiohead, but some of their other songs have "noise" that overtakes the value of the song. That didn't really happen here and I was happy to listen to all of it. I'll return to this album.
I think I just became a Radiohead fan? This album is full of musical highs and lows and is super comprehensive in the early 90s grunge alternative sound. Really great listen.
This was a great album. I liked it a lot more than the previous Radiohead we listened to.
I'm not much of a Radiohead fan (at least I don't think so- I haven't listened to much) but I really like this album pretty well, specifically the first four songs.
The album that made Radiohead what we came to know as critic darlings Radiohead. I am not supposed to like this one, and still I find it enjoyable. I am fearing OK Computer though.
Siempre le pasé de costado a Radiohead. Me gustó mucho escuchar por primera vez The Bends a esta edad, entendiendo más de qué se trata.
Let's face it RH went weird after OK-C and a lot of people didn't like it. Me included. I've grown up now and know the new stuff is better. In Rainbows is at least a 4.5. It's hard to go back. Here goes. Listens. Do I prefer the newer stuff? Yes. Is this a great album?. Hell yes. Also isn't Bullet Proof brilliant. I appreciate the ones that were more fillers. Street Spirit however is godlike.4.5
Not in my top 3 Radiohead albums but still fantastic. With relatively simple instrumentation compared to later works, Thom steals the show.
I think my rating for this is more like 4 and half stars. Soaring, moody, better than I remembered. I think this album suffers in comparison only to OK Computer, the later being a perfectly prescient concept record. The Bends feels more like a series of perfectly sad and compassionate singles from a band who's guitars screamed while Thom Yorke lullaby'd.
Yeah I mean it’s a p nice listen but I almost gave it a three cuz it’s my 4th fav radio head album
Me listening to the first third of this album: "I don't get it, these are some of my favorite Radiohead songs ever, why do people constantly dunk on this album?" Me listening to the rest of the album: "Oh."
Radiohead is one of those bands that comes with a lot of baggage, so I will try to give it a fair listen. I like singing along to High and Dry. I will say, Thom York as a vocalist is very good. The album at mid way has a good sense of dynamism, even if it feels restrained. Just strikes me as very weird. My Iron Lung is a good tune. This album would be worth a revisit but right now I am just so sick of this English alt rock sound.
This was one of the albums I had been waiting to listen to. This is an iconic album both in its cover and content. I thought the album was fine, good for some background music. I'm not a huge Radiohead fan and would categorize them with Smashing Pumpkins but I was glad to have listened. No songs really stuck out to me but I do enjoy the singers voice and some of the chords.
"My Iron Lung" Released: 26 September 1994 "High and Dry" / "Planet Telex" Released: 27 February 1995 "Fake Plastic Trees" Released: 15 May 1995 "Just" Released: 21 August 1995 "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" Released: 22 January 1996 "The Bends" Released: 1996
Radiohead is still kind of weird for me. Very listenable stuff, but wouldn’t seek it out. Like, not love.
Drie keer laten spelen, maar geen enkele keer echt 'gehoord'.Het was zeker niet slecht, maar misschien is er een vierde keer nodig.
Pretty impressive 90s rock that is just as effective whether it’s cranked up or toned down. My favorite track is the opener, “Planet Telex”. Love that guitar effect they have going on throughout it. I could see this getting a higher rating once I have more time to spend with it but for now it’s a solid 3.
Sadboy szn incoming, moody rock but very interesting motifs and overall a pleasant listen
This is one of the toughest ratings for me yet. It took me a while to sort this album out in my head. I’d be listening and really liking some parts and then other times I’d pay close attention and not really be wowed. I had to listen to Kid A to get my bearings on The Bends because I’m more familiar with that album. Needless to say I like Kid A better. More on Kid A later when it comes up. One side note worth a paragraph. Listening to The Bends and Kid A back to back, there is a stark change in style. For the band to master such different sounds (I recognize folks consider this a masterpiece) speaks to Radiohead’s talent and range as musicians. Very impressive. One consistent thing I think elevates this album throughout is when Thom Yorke goes falsetto. I love that. This is one where the automated tennis video replay system would have to super zoom on top of the zoomed in view. I resorted to a yay, nay, or ok rating for each song, which guided me home. In the end, this album just didn’t quite tickle my fancy enough for the next highest rating…by the slimmest of margins. YAY Planet Telex High and Dry My Iron Lung Street Spirit (Fade Out) NAY (Not as in don’t like but rather, meh) The Bends Bones Bullet Proof…I Wish I Was OK Fake Plastic Trees (Nice Dream) Just Black Star Sulk
Some undeniably good music there, but I fail to see a grand vision for an album (as opposed to, say, Ok Computer). Either that or I simply outgrew this album.
Ein zwiespältiges Album; zunächst der 90s Fat Rock Reason, warum spätere Erstlinge von Bands wie Muse immer in Richtung related artists gelabelt wurden (Wenn schon eine Band mit „M“ aus jener Zeit, dann lieber Medal mit dem Erst- und Einzling „Drop your Weapon“). Blockbuster Songs wie für die Titelseite des NME (inkl. Sonnenbrille und Lederjacke) und die Heavy Rotation bei MTV. Kann verstehen, warum sich einige abwandten, als Radiohead sich später von alten und vor allem über-maskulinen Klischees abwandten (klang Yorke je schnarrend-posiger als aufm Titelstück „The Bends“?). Und doch waren trotz allem „High and Dry“ & „Fake Plastic Trees“ das Versprechen, selbst mit der einfachsten Klampfe jemandem da draussen das juvenile Drinnen verständlich zu machen; die Ballade ist seit Bon Jovi & Guns‘n‘Roses der Gemeinplatz der Schüchternen. Doch inmitten all dessen, was erwartungsvoll nachm „Creep“ Hype auf diese junge Band losgelassen wurde, zeigen sie mit der Single „Just“ und „My Iron Lung“ etwas verstohlen Richtung „OK Computer“. Ihre Zeit kommt noch. Spätpubertäre 2.8
This came out the year I graduated high school. FPT still makes me feel something. It mean that Pablo Honey was a fluke and Radiohead were something. The slow songs are the best tracks, unfortunately.
My Iron Lung var dålig. Några låtar är irriterande att lyssna på. Thom Yorkes sångröst är lite skavande. Planet Telex var väldigt bra. Det kändes som att många av låtarna var exakt likadana (Iallafall för lik stil). Ändå trevligt att lyssna på. Lite partiskt för jag älskar Radiohead.
It's hard to review this album on its on merits. It's the stepping stone between the debut and the lofty heights they would hit going forward. There are some really good songs here but also some so-so ones. It's definitely worth listening to, even if pretty much everything they've done after is much grander and better. Black Star might be the most underrated song in their discography. An absolute gem of a deep cut. 7/10
Radiohead are an overrated band. Not a bad band, those don't mean the same thing, but an overrated band. Their morose forays into depression and alienation lacked the passion to give punch to their themes. Much like Sonic Youth's bored rich kid noodling, it largely makes me ask, if you're not excited about the music you're making, why should I be? The Bends is a good album. It's one of their albums that suffers from this problem the least. There is a greater sense of urgency than on OK Computer or Kid A, which are the only other two albums that I would consider worth any amount of attention. Outside of that, too much of Radiohead is mumbling over skittering electronic beats.
Great production and mixing, I enjoy the guitar work a lot. But I can’t get into any of the songs as they feel too similar and slow. The album does not provide me a reason to see how they are so successful and inspiring.
-"Bones" gets into a nice jam -"My Iron Lung" has some cool distortion -"Black Star" and "The Bends" got decently heavy -I know this album is mega popular but I just didn't really see it. Bits and pieces were cool, but in-between was just not crazy interesting. I liked the album more than "Kid A" by them, but this really didn't blow me away
Well, that's ... that's something. Definitely not as good as their later work. This one feels like a band still trying to figure out who the heck they are and what they should sound like. The result is an album that comes across rough and unfinished while still, somehow, being just SO pretentious.
My first introduction to Radiohead, and I have to say, it sadly didn't leave a lasting impression. Solid rock music, but nothing stand-out for me.
The Bends is the second album from the rock band Radiohead. The band tried to capitalize on the success of their first album - which included the hit single "Creep" - by moving away from grunge and towards Britpop. This change allowed Radiohead to elevate to one of the most recognized British bands, instead of only being a one-hit-wonder. As a result, this album has been certified platinum in the US and UK, and is regarded as one of the biggest influencers for post-Britpop bands. However, Radiohead members recall a crazy amount of pressure put on them by fans and producers to deliver something even better than "Creep" and their first album. The reception of this album was mixed at first, especially in the US, but over time it has become clear that Radiohead found their footing with this album and established themselves as a premier British rock band. The move from heavier, rocking, grunge music to more spacey and odd sounding ballads - with the same level of guitar playing - was what made this album and the band so successful. As said before, this album inspired many rock bands of the current century. For this reason, this album deserves a spot on this list.
Non male, ritrovo molti dei suoni tipici degli anni '90. Ah certo 'High & Dry', famosissima. Non avendoli mai ascoltati, mi aspettavo un sound più rock e sicuramente più grunge. Anche 'Just' molto interessante, in generale un ascolto piacevole.
Are Radiohead and overrated band? Absolutely. Is the Bends still a decent album? Definitely. I never got that into Radiohead in any large way. I have always found too aloof, too pretentious to form any real connection to the band. That said there are some fantastic songs on here, especially Just and Fake Plastic Trees. There are a few clunkers where the band just want to showcase whatever it is they try to showcase.
While it doesn't fall within my personal taste for music consumption, it was still a good listen and you can hear and appreciate the influence that Radiohead had over 90s and 2000s music. I especially enjoyed High and Dry, but the rest kind of blends together as too "mopey" for me but good music regardless
Best songs: High and Dry and The Bends in that order I try not to let my bias cloud my view of Radiohead, but I can't help but feel like there is a lame trying too hard dude vibe that hangs over everything Radiohead creates, and I don't think it is their fault as much as their fan base (but a little their fault). When I'm able to get past the feeling that a man who talks about coffee beans is showing me this album, I love Thom Yorke's voice and the first note in The Bends is my favorite way a song can start so 3/5
ok so I don't like radiohead much at all, but I can at least stomach the first two albums in that "I don't like it but at least time doesn't slow to a crawl while it plays" way. there's still a TINY bit of rockin edge to this and htey hadn't gone into full goes-nowhere-rock territory just yet. 2/5 - 1 point because that's the lowest mark, and 1 extra point just because it wasn't as mind-numbingly "fuuuuucking hell, is this over yet?!" boring as radiohead got later on.
The vocals are hard to understand. It honestly all sounds the same. But maybe I'm too smoothbrained to understand.
Some alright songs but a bit depressing like. Wouldn’t choose to listen to it again but wouldn’t change station if it came on the radio.
I hate to disappoint louis but i kinda didnt like this. It seemed pretty limp to me, like they were just being radiohead and nothing else, no tracks stood out and none stuck in my head, except for just but id heard that before. I dunno, i find all the other radiohead ive heard just a ton more interesting. Not offensive though so it gets a 2
4. The Bends - Radiohead. 12 Tracks Fake Plastic Trees is 1 of the most beautiful songs written by anyone, ever, but with the exception of that & High & Dry, the album is filled with melancholy overrated rubbish.
Ik luister er naar maar ik ben niet geprikkeld. Dit is voor mij 13 in een dozijn pop/rock muziek. Het is niet slecht, maar ook niet bijzonder. Beetje saai eigenlijk. **
Well, that was cringetastic. I‘m probably through with that thing. I used to really love the band, though. Ages ago…
This falls into the category of most Radiohead I've heard - a little whiney, a little uncanny--musically interesting but not in a way that pulls it up out of just 'meh' for me.
Every song sounded identical and I don't think I could remember a single bit about any song.
Thom sounds very sad here that Nirvana are no more. I didn’t realise at the time just how influenced early Radiohead were by the US Grunge wave. A style that passed me by at the time, and still leaves me cold now. I am not a fan of Thom’s whiny voice, and the heavy rock feel of a lot of this doesn’t do it for me. A couple of okay tunes, but they could have used a bit more subtlety in their execution.
Dreary, meat and potatoes rock music. Liked it but didn't love it as a 16/17 year old but as a man turning 30 in 6 weeks, I wanted to skip most songs. Dated britpop guitar tones, awful whiney vocals ripped off by the likes of Muse, Travis and Coldplay. Gets a 2/5 for not being terrible but I never want to listen to this again. Best songs: Street Spirit... The rest is pretty forgettable.
Met frisse tegenzin mijn grootste allergie aangegaan. Ok, ik heb niet de hele nummers beluisterd maar echt mijn best gedaan. Wat een zemelaars...
Don't even need to listen. One of the best albums of all time.
Love this one, heard it before
Mwah