Reviews (page 13 of 14)
Finally realize it's the vocals I don't care for
Liked: Planet Telex High and Dry Bones Also liked: Scratch guitar sound near the end of Just.
Ok
Good - just not something I'd listen to over and over. The songs with heavy guitars far better than the chill songs.
Better than expected after hearing their whiny and shitty later work. They should have kept this energy
Radiohead's sophomore effort, The Bends, is a clear sign of a band stepping out of the shadow of their debut. Where "Pablo Honey" might have been all "Creep" and angst, The Bends offers a wider palette of emotions and textures. Tracks like "Fake Plastic Trees" explore alienation with a haunting beauty, while "The Bends" itself thrums with a nervous energy that feels both relatable and unsettling (though, perhaps not as unsettling as Thom Yorke apparently finds awards shows). The album isn't without its stumbles. Some songs feel like they're searching for a direction, and there's a lack of the overall cohesion that would define Radiohead's later work. However, tracks like "High and Dry" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" showcase a band with a depth and maturity well beyond their years. The Bends may not be Radiohead at their absolute best, but it's a fascinating document of a band finding its voice. For that, it deserves a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. **Fun Fact:** Did you know that Radiohead drummer Phil Selway once played cricket for a local team? Maybe that explains all the drumming breaks... **Bonus North American Tree Frog Fact:** The Gray Tree Frog, found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada, can change its skin color from gray to green to brown depending on its environment! So next time you're out for a walk in the woods, keep an eye out – you never know what color you might see!
Been critical of this band for a long time. I can admit that I've judged them on their known hits and probably disregarded them based solely on their popularity. This one starts off great. the sort of weird psychedelic sound of Planet Telex was a very nice surprise. Definitely made me realize this wasn't a release I could totally disregard. I think they are at their best when they play slower, more melodic pieces meant to stir up your emotions. Unfortunately, I hate that shit. They do it well, and I can appreciate it from a musical standpoint, but I hate it. There are a few points where they sort of try to "rock" and it almost works, but just feels awkward somehow. First half of the album seemed to bounce some in tempo where the back half seemed to fall into a comfortable plodding pace that seemed a little too "samesy" to hold my interest. I assume it's some metaphor that went over my head. Closing track was depressing as a motherfucker and I can't believe any band would want to end that way. Sounds like the soundtrack for a slow suicide. All in all, I can respect the songwriting and talent here. I can understand why they are so loved, but it's just not what I reach for when I want to listen to music... ever.
Interesante pero no me pone en pie.
some nice songs
Not my favorite from Radiohead, but for the most part it has what it needs. A heavier tone and some unexpected chord changes keep things interesting even though most of the songs are pretty laid-back.
I studiously avoid Radiohead for reasons. I recognize that this is an important band but I’m not going to start listening to them. I’ll give a tip of the hat to High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees as I go.
im just not really a radio head fan i guess lol
I wish this generator would give multiple albums from the same band in chronological order so you can hear their development. From what I recall, this sounds like a precursor to "OK Computer". Some of the grungy songs are little dated, but overall pretty good. Again, I can't understand most of the lyrics but that suits his voice. It's good, but from what I can tell on the wiki, would have been better to discover it in '95. 3.8
Not really my style of music but I could certainly see the appeal. It was a good casual listen but don’t see myself playing it again.
Not a big Radiohead fan however musically they are interesting.
I like Radiohead - but a song at a time on the radio - not a whole album in one sitting
There's something inescapably adolescent about Radiohead and this album is the most undisguised about it. There's a few songs that are about as good as you can do for their thing, turning college rock into highly polished hits. Just about everything on High and Dry sounds great, the atmospheric guitar accents in the verse, the rumbly power chords underneath that come in. The ascending melody hook in the chorus is instantly memorable in the way of timeless classics. But there's something a little hollow about it, and it isn't gonna be a timeless classic - too structured? Whatever it is, it's not a "oh yeah, that one!", it's a "ok sure, but enough of it already" or a "yeah it's cringey but I love it". Conflicted about how to rate this. I think it's very good at being what it was, mass market music for moody teenagers. If you look at it only in the context of the mainstream where 90s rock was dominated by grunge and Britpop, it's refreshing. When you get more into the rest of what was going on in the 80s/90s it's kinda unremarkable. When you learn how to deal with your emotions in a way that's not moping you don't need this music so much anymore. I think there should be good music for moody teenagers going through an especially moody phase, but I feel weird about it being made by adults. If you still feel the mood of these songs throughout your 20s, you are stuck in a way that's concerning. but then also adults have to be the ones make this because teenagers don't know fuck all about making anything yet. a predicament. 5 stars minus one star for every 10 years you are past 16.
3rd Radiohead album I've gotten (after Kid A, and Amnesiac). This albums is earlier in their catalog, and I can tell it doesn't quite have the amount of experimentation as those other ones I've gotten. Still good though. I can hear they probably helped influence bands like Coldplay or even Muse.
There's just something about this guy's voice that wears on me after a few songs. I will say this album was much better than the the first one I saw on this list, but it still doesn't make it very good to the listener. There were a few songs I thought were decent, like Planet Telex, The Bends, High $ Dry and Bones. But or the most part, nothing that was exciting or made me want to relisten. Nothing terrible. Just not my taste. 3
Another great effort!
Probably my favourite from Radiohead, their least pretentious.
Not sure why Radiohead has so many albums on this list it was ok
Ik dacht altijd dat Radiohead vreselijk was. Dat valt dus ontzettend mee. Prettig album dat sterk start. Maar het blijft niet echt hangen.
Rehellistä pop-rockia ja omaan makuun liian taiteellinen virittely loistaa poissaolollaan, tykkäsin. Selkeästi päivän tunnelma vaikuttaa arvosanaan kun ensimmäisen kuuntelukerran fiilis oli niukka nelonen ja tätä arvostelua ennen kuuntelin vielä kerran, ja fiilis painu vahvaan kolmoseen. Joka tapauksessa hyvä levy.
Not a big Radiohead fan, but can appreciate the artistic quality of the album
Not super impressed by this album. I’m noticing a pattern with Radiohead, that is the lyric writing is generally pretty weak. Like there are some good moments, but mostly they’re mediocre. Nor is Thom York a particularly good singer. Definitely detracts from the listening experience. All that said, Radiohead is very good at getting the vibes. The layered instrumentals probably help with that. A solid 3
I have tried so very hard to enjoy listening to Radiohead and have failed yet again
Not weird enough yet.
Radiohead has always been a band who's existance I was aware of but I would never be able to name any of their songs. Listening to this album has not changed this. While I didn't hate any of the tracks I didn't love any of them either. The chance of me listening to any of the tracks on this album in the future is slim at best. Rated 3 stars as that is the midpoint between "hated it" and "loved it"
No matter how many times I try to get into Radiohead, I always fall asleep. I do recognize it's importance in music history so I don't want to insult it's legacy by giving it a low rating. Not for me, but I'm glad people enjoy this.
Black Star, Planet Telex, and High and Dry are good, I do not like the vocals/style of the rest
Wish I could give it 3.5. Uninspired
I feel l should like this album more than I do, all the songs are pretty good but just don't make me feel much.
Planet Telex // High and Dry // Fake Plastic Trees // 3.5/5
This album doesn't really stand out on its own, but it does lay the foundation for a lot of the 90s and 00s music that follows it (including some of the other Radiohead albums). It's definitely good, but without its influence, I'm not sure it deserves a spot in an unbiased top 1001. I do like the style a lot and enjoyed every track, though.
Da e greit, men litt kjedelig
Very good. Best songs: bends, black star, bones
Yeah
Knew of Radiohead, never really listened to their stuff 1 - Loving the intro song Planet Telex, nice way to start 2 - Liking the vibe 3 - slowed down but definitely listenable overall faded, but the few hits were nice
Fake plastic trees is still as good as I remember, overall easy to listen to in the background but didn't grab me
I love Radiohead, but this album contains too many 90s alt-rock-isms and has a weak track list. Revisiting this for the first time in a few years, I was struck by how bored I was for most of the runtime, and how mediocre most of the songs were. Street spirit is a great closer, but this is an average album propped up in acclaim by the rest of their incredible catalog.
It was honestly okay, my father seemed to really like it. Personally, it was enjoyable, but not to the point where I wold go out of my way to listen to it again or to add it to any of my playlists. For any future recollection of this site by me here what my stars rating system is: 1-Unlistenable 2-Not my style 3-Enjoyable but nothing more 4-Would see myself listening to it again 5-Adding it to my playlist as we speak
Heard it many times before. Not my favorite from Radiohead but there's lots to love here and hint at where they're going. 3/5
Un gran disco de Radiohead, bastante rockero. Aunque no el disco que me gustaría escuchar en este momento. Seguramente lo escuche otra vez para darle la atención necesaria, pero como tengo que seguir al disco que sigue por ahora le doy 3 estrellas.
Overshadowed, outdated and outgrown. An album for its time.
Great album 10/10 but will give it a 3 stars cause thom yorke is a zionist
Not the biggest fan of Radiohead's old stuff but damn that album is influential. Looking at you Muse and Modest Mouse.
I like it better than ok computer
Good album, a preview of what radioed would become. A little heavier and rock than my expectations.
Best song: Black Star Not a big Radiohead fan and this didn’t do a whole lot to change that. It’s objectively not a bad album at all and I can see why people like them, but it’s just not my scene.
Better than I expected considering not liking the other Radiohead I've listen to. Less whiny and more accessible.
Not bad - but not grabbing! Would need to listen more
I used to like this more but Radiohead just doesn't do it for me like they used to. Whiny Thom. It's a pretty good album still, 3.5/5 rounded down
Meh. Have never really been a fan of theirs. Just ok.
big 3
Please no more Radiohead. This album is alright though.
Some good tunes. Just find Thom a bit whiney
I quite liked this.
Pretty good
I think it's good, but not great. I am a radiohead fan and I found this to be a bit whiny at times. It does have some great technical moments!
Average.
A better album than OK Computer. Controversial? Quite possibly! Nearly got to 4*, but then got a bit moany and 'Radioheady'
Now I love Radiohead, they’re one of my favorite bands. This however is definitely not one of my favorite albums by them. It’s a fine 90s alt rock album but it’s really nothing more than that. Maybe I just don’t have the nostalgic factor to it, but I like this album. I just don’t love it.
Apart from Fake Plastic Trees, couple tracks enjoyable. but radiohead is definitely not a thing for me.
3.5
Radiohead’s most “90s” album, in my opinion. I prefer their later stuff.
Not really a radiohead fan, but this is an alright album. It definitely catches their distinctive sound
Great Tracks but not the best Radiohead. 3/5
I liked this better than i remembered.
I did not save a single song, but I get why people like Radiohead now
I’m not a fan of Radiohead, too melancholic and dreary but actually it wasn’t too bad so a solid 3*
Not bad.
Known before: Band/ some songs Standouts: 4. Fake Plastic Trees 8. My Iron Lung 12. Street Spirit 7.0
Radiohead - droning but has movement
Excellent. Better and more rocking than I recall. Great production value. Johnny's guitar work, especially the twinkly guitars (Nice Dream) are noteworthy. Tom Yorke has an exceptional voice but generally annunciates rather poorly imo. My favorite songs are also the quieter (less rocking) tunes: Planet Telex (study chord changes to chorus) High and Dry Fake Plastic Trees (Nice Dream)
generell nicht in mood für radiohead, noch nie so der radiohead fan 1. 2.7/10 2. 5.3/10 3. 7.2/10 4. 5.9 5. 5 6. 4,5 6.
Not ok computer.
Never liked Radiohead but I think I get it now. It’s ok.
I’ve listened to Radiohead before but never a full album all the way through. Enjoyed it but did feel like some of the songs were very similar. High and Dry was one of my favorite songs in high school so bonus points for that.
Maybe less edgy and annoying than Pablo Honey but very conventional and some bad lyrics for Radiohead. It’s kind of wild the progression they had to make OK Computer and Kid A after this. Just and My Iron Lung are the highlights.
not in the mood for radiohead
Didn’t love the whole album, but loved about half the songs. Very melancholy as usual for Radiohead, but great in its own right
I see it’s merit however it was not my fav
I wish this generator would give multiple albums from the same band in chronological order so you can hear their development. From what I recall, this sounds like a precursor to "OK Computer". Some of the grungy songs are little dated, but overall pretty good. Again, I can't understand most of the lyrics but that suits his voice. It's good, but from what I can tell on the wiki, would have been better to discover it in '95. 3.8
Better than I remembered, 2 memeroble songs, one sing along
its fine, not a huge radiohead guy i guess.
A lot familiar but plenty new to me.
i obviously just don’t like radiohead but i just don’t get it.
Droning , difficult to understand but backups up by some beautiful melodies
Better than Pablo Honey but definitely still sounds really rooted in the 90s to me, as compared to the timelessness of later Radiohead albums.
I had high expectations coming into The Bends, our second Radiohead album in two weeks. I don’t hate the album, but I do feel a little let down. “High and Dry” is one of the stronger songs on the album, but I do wonder how it has 350 million plays on Spotify. At best it’s a combination of other mid-nineties acoustic alternative, and at worst it’s some piss-drunk fella’s idea of a good karaoke song at Griff’s on dollar-PBR night. “Fake Plastic Trees” is not only a sobering reminder of our gilded consumerism, but an admission that we may even be too far gone. I find a couple of the songs (like “Bones” and “Just”) to be irritating, especially the vocals, but maybe Radiohead is more of an acquired taste than I’d thought. The album does finish strong with “Street Spirit” though. I’m not sure how justified this is or where it comes from, but it channels Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 for me. Diving deeper into Radiohead’s catalog, first with In Rainbows and now with The Bends, I’m just realizing that maybe I don’t like them all that much. There are some decent songs on this album, but there’s not enough here to be anything other than a three.
For the first time I had a reaction to a Radiohead album..which was “oh this is Brit Pop that grew up”
Starts strong, but too many forgettable droney songs in the second half.
Couple classic songs from radiohead. Generally I found the album a bit depressing.
Las primeras canciones no me han llamado demasiado la atención, pero llegando a High and Dry ya si ha empezado a interesarme más. Fake Plastic Trees preciosa, ha sido mi primer wow moment del disco. Me gustan mucho más las canciones así más rollo lentito que las tipo rockeras. Me gust, aunque no me ha cambiado la vida. 3'5/5
A main influence on English bands post-Britpop, this album brought Radiohead out of one hit wonder territory and led them further into their experimental territory. I really like the blend of influences from Pop, Grunge, and their own brand of esoteric oddness. Not my favorite album from them, but an interesting point in their and UK''s music development. Quite the sophomoric effort
This one really faded into the background for me. Nothing in particular stood out either positive or negative.
This is my second Radiohead album that I have gotten in this generator. This one is their second studio album. Upon first inspection, I didn't think I knew any of the songs on this album, but as soon as Just started playing I was hit with a wave of nostalgia that instantly transported me back to middle school. That song was included in a Much Music compilation album, Big Shiny Tunes. I loved those records, and I had completely forgotten about that song! Overall, better than the other Radiohead record I've reviewed (In Rainbows). This album was more firmly rooted in alternative rock, and just flowed better in my mind. Favourite songs: Just, Bones, High and Dry, The Bends, Black Star Least favourite songs: Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream), Street Spirit (Fade Out) 3/5
Goood vibes abit of too much noise for me.
I feel sad :(
Good album. Not my fave Radiohead choice.
James said this music wasnt made for me
Hey look it's Radiohead before they were the only band that exists! At least the discourse around The Bends is much less insufferable. I just refuse to see Radiohead as great innovators, just because a bunch of Pixies fans with no prog literacy whatsoever said so. Don't get me wrong, resolving the tension between punk and prog is no mean feat, but that's what Radiohead did on OKC and beyond, not tear open the mortal firmament to call down a holy sound never before imagined. There's just SO MUCH rhetorical baggage with Radiohead, but trying to take The Bends on its own merits... it's nice. Fits into a well established and pleasant tradition. A couple cute pop songs, that are only kinda samey. Some nice melodies, some fun fuzz. Street Spirit is absolutely the highlight. Perfectly acceptable.
Guitarrero y melódico a partes iguales. En ocasiones más gamberro, en otras, más relajado. Buena voz. Un tanto rock sucio
-Didn’t write a BL- AL: I thought this album was decent - good even, but I’m gonna have to say it - I still don’t quite get the Radiohead hype, so many people think it’s one of my worst musical takes - but to me they seem like any standard 90s alt-rock band - The Smashing Pumpkins have a much more compelling discography as far as I’m concerned. This album was pretty good, and “high and dry” still holds a lot of emotional weight to me having heard it at a specific time in my life which it struck a massive chord at the time. FT: “High and Dry”, “Fake Plastic Trees”, “Black Star” 3/5
listened to this in the perfect atmosphere: absolute chaos and sense of impending doom. still sounds quintessentially radiohead despite not being as far into their discography. best tracks: high and dry, nice dream, black star
Highlights: "Just," "Black Star," "My Iron Lung," "(Nice Dream)" Was surprised by the turn this takes in the second half. Thought this was chosen to represent a period of the band's more straightforward early work, but Greenwood's oscillating trail forays are even more pronounced on some of these tracks than on OK Computer, and Yorke gives much stronger and more impassioned performances here than he has for most of his career. They've never done anything much weirder or edgier than "My Iron Lung," but that's not really their strong suit. It doesn't linger on the creative, interesting choices that push this towards something more than an alt-rock record. It is still true that the album suffers from trying to have clear-cut and familiar song structures, and it doesn't have a cohesive arc as an album.
3.5/5 Out of the two Radiohead albums I have listened to, I knew less about this one. I didn't recognize any of the songs. It felt kinda sad and pessimistic. The musical quality was good. I just couldn't get into the lyrics or something. I'll have to revisit it
When I was younger I had this guy I knew that loved Radiohead. He was a trash person and had bad music taste. I want the instrumental version without the whiny vocalist.
Tre stjerner
Da e greit, men litt kjedelig
The sound they were looking for is coming into focus now and would, in my opinion be perfected on the next studio album (OK, Computer).
Radiohead's transitional album. It has a couple of great songs (high and dry, fake plastic trees and street spirit) but they haven't quite put it all together at this point.
I like the laid back instrumental and I feel mostly good about the sort of whispery delivery of the vocals. I can see how it succeeds Creep but I definitely don’t think any one track on this record steps to that level. My favorite track was High and Dry.
Needed to put on my "good" headphones for this. Hard to hear with decent, but older wired set. Strange. I'm a well known Radiohead hater. This album was pretty decent for the first half, then "(Nice Dream)" drove it off the side of a cliff. "Just" kept throwing me off because there's a riff that's very reminiscent of a Beatles riff that swings into 90's ___ rock. Not a bad song, just distracting. Still not a Radiohead fan. 3/5
Good album. Recognized a couple songs. Another band I should have more experience with, but just don't.
I knew "Fake Plastic Trees" prior and that was it. Sounded very 90s and was probably just a few years ahead of my time. I have a feeling it would get 1-2 more stars if I was fully a Gen X'r. Solid alternative music from my initial listen.
The whole album felt like really polished songs. I mean that in a good way.
This might be my physics teacher's favourite Radiohead album. That's irrelevant, but this is a cool album.
Thom Yorke är överskattad. Okej platta dock.
Better than I expected when I saw it was Radiohead. I am a bit biased, but they surprised me. Sounds were quite good, liked some songs, but still stayed a little dull and samesy.
This is like one of the classic/quintessential 90's rock albums. I've seen this album art everywhere. That being said I am finding that I am not a huge Radiohead fan. Something about the way their lead singer's voice/the way he sings really puts me off. The instrumental is pretty good in most of the songs, but it's nothing to particularly write home about for the most part. I can see the merit in what they are doing here, but I just don't really enjoy it all that much. Honestly, some of these songs sound like proto-Muse songs but without the interesting things that make Muse songs good. They are a band slightly older than Muse, so it seems they were at least somewhat of an influence on their sound/style. It's not a chore to have to listen to them, but I'm not particularly enjoying the experience (don't hate it either though) The music enjoyer in me is saying this should be at least a 3, but I really didn't enjoy this all that much and my heart says it should be a 2 Probably gonna settle on a low 3 because I can really see the merit in these songs, and have almost enjoyed them, but never really got there.
Nothing terrible. "Just" is a masterpiece.
The void between Pablo Honey and OK Computer. It has great moments, but overall it's a generic mess reminiscent of Pablo Honey.
I like Radiohead for their unsettling, uncomfortable electronic sound. Not for their average attemps at Rock. Good songs: High and Dry Great song: Street Spirit (Fade Out) Awful songs: The Bends, Black Star
3.5 I thought I didn’t really like Radiohead but I guess I just don’t like their big songs. Over all a little too drone-y ambient but not bad overall
I still hate radio head but I didn’t hate this. Idk why kid a and old computer are more popular than the bends, much prefer this one
I’m not a big Radiohead fan, but this record is… OK. This record has melody, and harmonies, and big rock sound and doesn’t feel pretentiously arty and experimental. Nor very special. Happy to have it on, but I’m not paying it a lot of attention to hike it’s playing.
This has been my favorite Radiohead album so far. But I still only sort of liked some of it. Some of it I really didn't like, too.
Great album but highly overrated. This was released before Radiohead had their style and because of this it falls under the category of "generic indie rock from the 90s". Nothing wrong with this album at all and in fact some very high highs but it just doesn't stand out among the rest of their amazing discography
I would like this give this album another listen, it was decent overall. I think it was just on the cusp of me really enjoying it. Still, not bad and I'm expecting other Radiohead albums for this list. I am looking forward to checking out the rest of their music.
The OG doomer rock
A classic. Moves nicely between hard rock and ballads, with the softer tracks hitting better. Made for a good train journey home. A few of the tracks seemed like Radiohead doing their best Nirvana impression, can't hate too much on that that though. 3.5/5
It was decent. Probably requires more listens to truly appreciate it
I love radiohead! But I don't go nutz over the bends. Very cool album though! Great stuff of course. Would recommend just not for me personally.
Genres: Alternative Rock Formed: Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985 The Bends is the groups second studio album. All the tracks have over 10M listens on Spotify, and two have over 200M listens. Although the album contains 12 tracks, the running time is less than 50 minutes. By 1995 CDs could hold 74 minutes of audio, so I don’t know why this album is so short? Being a tight Yorkshire man, I would have felt short changed! This album was touted by reviewers as being significantly better than the previous one. I loved the track “Creep” from the previous one, so I expected more from this. It is very different to what I listen to, so maybe it’ll grow on me. I enjoyed the track “Just”, I’m keeping an open mind on the rest.
Why did we all have so much angst in the 90s? I’m not super fond of this - all pretentious sadness. Also not fond of when bands mix the vocals in under the instrumentals to make you lean in. But at least it’s better than Coldplay.
Lastig. Het klinkt bekend, allemaal wel goed gemaakt, maar het blijft wat navelstaarderige muziek, en dan breekt het op dat ik helemaal niet naar de teksten luister omdat het in het Engels is. Geen idee waarover ze zich druk staan te maken.
Dit album verkregen uit een erfenis. Een paar keer opgezet om te proberen. Telkens na 2 a 3 nummers afgezet. Eén nummer is prima. Maar het is wat zeurderig en het wordt mij al snel veel te veel. Toch maar eens geript en toevallig dit weekend helemaal geluisterd. Wat en toeval. En tot mijn verrassing vind ik het meest zeurende nummer, het laatste, het leukst. Dat nummer doet mij wat aan UNKLE denken. 2.5 ster.
favorite - planet telex, high and dry, fake plastic trees, my iron lung, black star least favorite - (nice dream), bullet proof
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
Прослушано! Неплохой альбом, но не более. Вау эффект отсутствует.
Fanbases ruin music
3.5
Really love Fake Plastic Trees
Enjoyed
decent decent, least favorite radiohead
My 3-star review has nothing to do with the quality of the music. It's all great, well-crafted and -performed. I'm just not into it anymore. Twenty years ago, this was a 5-star album for me. These days, not so much. I think Thom's voice just wears me down. But they'll be OK without my support.
This one did a decent job at painting a picture of where the band was at when recording; Lost, listless, anxious and angsty. It does this by taking the common vibes of their genre peers and stretching the sound out, adding odd spacey distortion and a haunted, wailing affect. I'm hearing Nirvana in this, Smashing Pumpkins, even a little Alice in Chains- but tweaked enough to be unique. That is to say, it finds an unused sound amongst a well-read genre. If only I liked it. That unused sound they found is basically what happens when you take their influences, mix them all up, and turn the dials way down. I found myself saying "Oh this sounds like a toothless [X]," or the "budget [Y]". I even caught myself thinking that future acts like Muse came around, took this very sound, and made it so much more complete than what's on offer here. Bit of a shame. In the shadows of all of its contemporaries, and given the band's desire to portray their own internal homelessness at the time, I can't help but call this a pyrrhic victory. It sounds like it belongs within a familiar neighborhood, but fails to establish a distinct home for itself. Highlights: Just, My Iron Lung, Street Spirit Lowlights: Fake Plastic Tree, High and Dry, Nice Dream.
good rock music, but kind of boring for a Radiohead album.
The only song that really jumped out at me was the last track, Street Spirit (fade out), thought it was a decent album overall. Probably a solid 6/10.
Radiohead at their bandiest, the harder rock less noticeable. This is either generous or less than charitable.
3/5
too sad
Radiohead start to shake off the 90s grunge/alternative with this one. It's not bad, has a few duds, but for some bands, this might be a peak. For Radiohead, this is only the beginning. Favorite tracks: "High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just"
Very 90's. Some good vocals and guitar work
Not my favorite Radiohead album
doet me denken aan hoe ik dacht dat stubru in de jaren negentig was. Het is niet mijn ding.
Never quite sure about these. Depends on my mood.
Not bad, interesting mix; could be good background music
5/10 wouldn’t listen to again
Radiohead be like sad album
One of the reviewers said that the song, "High & Dry" was the basis for the Coldplay sound. Regretfully, once I read that I could hear Coldplay in that song as well as the other mega-played song, Plastic Trees. As for the rest of the album I like the guitars and the heavy/soft back-and-forth, which works well with Thom Yorke's voice (like in Just). Fade Out is a strong closing tune. Between 3 and 4 for me. My second favorite Radiohead album so far.
Fake Plastic Trees and High and Dry are excellent and the other songs rock out pretty good. However I prefer later Radiohead which is more experimental but this, their second album is still a strong effort that hints of greater things to come.
Good album but OK Computer and Kid A. are so brilliant that for Radiohead standard a 3
OK, OK, OK, look: some of their stuff is really great, some of it is unlistenable. This is a good mix of those two extremes.
I feel like the music is building a shell around me to protect me from a fake, broken world and all its fake, broken people. Except that I’m inside the shell, and I am also of the world, crippled and searching in vain for Neverland.
You could tell this was the start of their transition. There were some good songs and some ok songs.
same old soup
It was good but still not a big fan.
Was ok. Just was not feeling it today for this album
Vous vous rappelez sûrement très bien que mon camarade d'écoute et odieux personnage eltrapeze s'était attaqué à moi directement lors de sa critique de l'album The Bends. Je vais profiter de cet espace pour exercer mon droit de réponse. Contrairement à ce que cet ignoble singe a laissé entendre, je n'ai pas fait d'études littéraires. À bon entendeur.
As luck would have it, I've just listened to 4 hours of the 'What is Music...' podcast about The Bends. This has provided an interesting and amusing track-by-track review from three different musical perspectives and a deep dive into the themes and context of the album. That podcast scored The Bends as 27/30, making it their highest ranked record so far. Despite therefore being familiar with the album's acclaim and the reasons it is regarded by many as a masterpiece, it still leaves me cold. Whilst I can appreciate this as a technically excellent collection of very good songs, I just can't get into it or make it resonate with me at all. I guess I'm just not predisposed to feel like Thom York felt in 1994. That's probably a good thing. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Street Spirit (Fade Out) Date listened: 16/06/22
Perhaps I've been too hard on Radiohead in the past. This was pretty solid, if a little too slow for me overall. Solid 3.5
Sounds fine but a bit directionless.
3/3.5
Oh I don't know whether to give this a 3 or a 4. Its a solid 3.5 but there are too many on this that sound like U2 for me to give it a solid 4. I reckon a few years ago I would have rated higher but alas my tastes have changed. It is a bit depressing isn't it... but obviously some amazing songwriting in there.
De va helt aight!
Ce n'est pas l'album de Radiohead que j'ai le plus écouté et je crois que d'avoir d'abord écouté OK Computer fait en sorte de diminuer mon engouement et mon intérêt pour cet album. C'est un album de rock alternatif où on sent bien les influences de U2 et peut-être un peu des Pixies aussi pour la combinaison guitare acoustique et guitare électrique. Un peu comme U2, Thom Yorke a une personnalité très forte, donc je peux comprendre qu'on aime ou qu'on n'aime pas. Je trouve l'album inégal. Plusieurs pièces sont un rock générique pas si intéressant. En fait la comparaison entre Muse et Radiohead vient probablement en partie du fait que les débuts de Muse ressemblaient beaucoup à cet album, sans compter que Matt Bellamy a un peu le même registre et le même style que Thom Yorke. Les pièces plus intéressantes pour moi sont Just, My Iron Lung et Street Spirit (Fade Out). À écouter, mais je ne suis pas sûr que s'il y avait eu l'évolution que le groupe a pris avec OK Computer et les albums suivants, nous parlerions encore de cet album.
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
Kinda boring, nice chord progressions, good singing.
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
Radiohead escaped me at the time - there's some nice tunes on this though!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
-"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
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.
3.5
Only okay. Good background music and enjoyed the instrumental parts quite a lot.
Slower than I expected, no song really stood out. Still a pretty easy listen 3/5
s'aight
Pretty good. I prefer the later stuff.
Tracks 1 - 6 are excellent, but too much filler afterwards. 3/5
Good stuff
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
Ok
"Fake plastic trees" saved, rest was ok.
Está bueno.
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.
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.
Fine but I don't get all the fuss about Radiohead. Seems a bit overrated.
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
I liked it, but I'm not ready to give more than 3 stars
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.
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
Слишком грустно, хорошо, но радиохед, не моё.
Learned how to play album straight through on Spotify.
OK. Didn't feel like it was their best work.
i expected worse
Ehhhhh. Don't hate it. Can't love it.
incel rock nice
little too slow and “sad” for my liking, but still good and listenable
Sadboy szn incoming, moody rock but very interesting motifs and overall a pleasant listen
Pretty good
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.
Progressiv
An alright '90s rock album. 7.5/10
Drugi studijski album iz 1994. Nisam preslusao sve, okejish... Nisam vise za taj zvuk
a favorita é fake plastic trees
This is supposed to be brilliant, but it never did much for me.
Talented lead singer with a good guitar
IT was just ok. some notable songs, but 3/5.
Drie keer laten spelen, maar geen enkele keer echt 'gehoord'.Het was zeker niet slecht, maar misschien is er een vierde keer nodig.
Radiohead is still kind of weird for me. Very listenable stuff, but wouldn’t seek it out. Like, not love.
Pretty good listening, nothing really stood out to me.
"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
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.
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.
Will listen to again
Hit or miss for me
Enjoyable all around, very catchy album - highlight track - L'America
Egg ok
Pas mon delire quelques sons cools mais sans plus
some good songs but sometimes the inconsistent singing detracts from music quality
Ingen höjdarplatta med tanke på vad som kom efter. Men helt ok. Bäst: street spirit
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."
High and Dry and Just were good songs. Not a big fan of the 90s.
hmmm ill give this a 3 lang, i think this is not one of their best albums
Listened to this one last year, and I prefer Ok Computer. Although The Bends does have Just on it which is my favourite radiohead album. Aside from that though it's not an album I intend to come back to any time soon.
Boring and dreary. Another group moaning about life and trying to change the world. One or two interesting elements scattered about.
An improvement on Pablo Honey but not nearly as good as the next few albums. I liked a few tracks but not the album as a whole. But you could see what was about to happen.
I thought I'd be ok with this, but midway I started wishing for it to end sooner.
For me it’s not something that works. It always sounds like the soundtrack to a movie I don’t want to watch, kind of low budget John carpenter reinterprets Woody Allen without any jokes. I know many people love this but I find it entirely too satisfied with itself.
Eh. Overrated. Boring.
I know everyone loves it but I thought this was boring when it dropped and a relisten has not changed that opinion
High and Dry is pretty good. The rest isn’t doing it for me. I just really am not a Radiohead person
It influenced Coldplay and Muse and, well, that says it all.
Already listened
Not my favorite
shhhhh thhhhhom i can make it through bones, just, and iron lung. every other is a skipper bc of cringe, boring, or both. a shame too. some of the best, most exciting guitar playing i’ve heard on a bad record.
It's much better than OK Computer and some moments are even listenable, but, unfortunately, that doesn't means that this record is any good
I love the deep-fried album artwork. Overall, the album is alright, nothing too bad. It was decent having it in the background while I was doing other stuff.
Here we go, first encounter in this project with the most overrated band of my times. Bunch of pretentious private schoolboys who've made some decent music, but no exactly earth-shattering stuff. I do, though, have fond memories of this record. There are some solid songs (High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Black Star) though quite a few are so-so chuggers (Bones, Just, Bulletproof). A lot of the sounds are very enjoyable but Thom Yorke's voice is often annoying. Overall, both better and worse than I remember.
Disappointing album. None of the songs stood out for me. The musicianship was fine but the songs seemed to lack creativity. For example, the distorted guitar always seem to sound the same regsrdless of the song. It made them all sound too simikar for my taste.
4/10
Meh...
Deeply overrated band
I liked "Planet Telex", the rest is alright, but I don't like the voice of the singer when it gets too high-pitched and the pop-rock undertones. 2.75 / 5
Overrated band, overrated album. A couple good songs. Or maybe just Fake Plastic Trees.
Предыдущий прослушанный альбом "Kid A" был намного хуже. Тут хотя бы есть какая-то нормальная музыка. Но всё равно уныло и пискляво
is not much my mooooood, but I liked
I don't mind this album, but just not one I'd return too.
Not my style
Not the biggest fan of Radiohead. This album does nothing for me. I feel like lyrics are often very mumbled and the sounds I just forget what is happening with most songs. I kind of like high and dry but that could be just because I've heard it so many times before
J'ai bien aimé 1 ou 2 musiques mais ne suis pas fan du style sinon
Forgettable
Some good songs others dragged on.
Mid. Commercial rock but good.
not familiar with then and audio was low from multiple videos played instead of audio tracks
It’s ok but they go on a bit don’t they? Listened to a Wonderstuff 12” after this, back in the early 90’s there was cross over in their fanbases, they’d play the same SU Buildings. Wonderstuff has aged better and I don’t particularly like the Wonderstuff.
I don't get the appeal of Radiohead—sorry! ★★
I am not a Radiohead guy
really did not like this album. As I start this, I think that a key point here is do I want to listen to this again and if so would I want this album in my collection. For both of these points, I would have to answer no. While I'm not averse to atonal type of music, I just really did not like this.
I only enjoyed listening to Fake Plastic Trees and Bullet Proof…I Wish I Was. Too punky for me.
Meh, a lot of the same
already listenend to it in 2021 (emo phase)...goated album.
Felt like a waitress working in a dingy cafe, hates my job and life. Pack of cigarettes a day and a terrible diet
Love a 45 minute album. Have a feeling this whole thing is gonna be 1000 white boy albums but it had 1 or 2 songs I would go back to.
I wish I could like radiohead but this is the second album I just don't really care for.
I personally expected it to be better and more interesting, knowing how many people praise radiohead and their music i had pretty high expectations from their music. Well, it didn't pay out, although there are several great songs (the bends, just, sulk). I also hate Yorke's vocals, sounds high pitched(most of the time) and whiny. So overall I rate this album a solid 2/5
I've never been a fan of Radiohead and listening to this entire album did not change my mind. It's not for me.
2026.01.15.
I think middle school me may have appreciated this a bit more, it's moody like her lol
I really don't like Radiohead. There, I said it.
Thom, for the love of god. Shut up. 2/5
Not really my vibe. I like songs that emit a certain power and that resonate with me deep inside. Aside from the bends and “Fake plastic trees” that’s already very popular on TikTok, no song struck with me. I’m going to put Radiohead back in the shelf for a while.
Not a fan
2.4/5 A couple of good songs but I've never understood the fascination with Radiohead.
"Its good if you want to be depressed quote from momma its not really my thing too sad I want more energy added one song for momma because its her favorite one that is it the playlist does have some variety not my tea
The Coo of a Mourning Dove. Thom Yorke just can’t help but sound like he is slowly dying with his whiny lyrics. A precursor to future sad sap bands like Coldplay. It’s a formula for sure. Peak pretentious College Rock. Young minds inspired by mediocrity. To each their own. I’ll pass.
nahhhhhhh planet telex- 4 the bends- 3 high and dry- 4 fake plastic trees- 4 bones- 4 nice dream- 3 just- ...7 don't look at me. first time I heard this song was in a fight club edit lol my iron lung- 3 bulletproof I wish I was- 3 black star- 3 sulk- 3 street spirit- 3 idk what to do with this. i mostly just don't care
meh
Slightly less irritating than the Radiohead album I got, oh, four days ago.
Ei mitään sellaista, mitä haluaisin kuulla uudelleen. Kiitos moi.
Ughhhhh. Very overrated band and a very meh album.
Sorry to this man.
Bland