Reviews (page 3 of 14)
This album is in the top 5 Radiohead albums for me. I remember hearing it for the first time as a teenager and it is difficult to describe how the sounds seemed to just be a part of me instantly. A lot of Radiohead is like that. Clearly I'm biased, but yeah, it's basically a perfect album for its genre.
Favorite track: nice dream, I’m a sucker for anything in 3.
algumas músicas que já conhecia mas não fazia ideia de quem era
Absolute belter, if you like that kind of thing
Ohhhh hello my old friend! Listened to this in full quite recently and more than happy to do it again. Let’s see how high it scores! Opening track reminds me just how good it is, but also all the layers and new things I hear every time. Such solid songwriting, backing and structure. Very impressive. And every track is just SO solid and accomplished too. Think we might be heading for 5* Yeh, meets my criteria for every track being solid and no sniff of filler on the whole album. Seriously impressive and glad to be reminded of it ❤️
woowwwwwwwwwwwwwww
An all time favorite album
Obviously a 5, no question. I love this album.
This album was my pathway in to Radiohead. There is something about the guitar work that just grabs me. It is an a captivating mix of melancholy and bangers. My favourite track is Street Spirit.
Onneni näyttää kääntyneen. Keskinkertaisten levyjen sarja päättyi eilen Pixiesiin ja tänään on vuorossa Radiohead. Pidän bändistä, mutta nimenomaan nämä 90-luvun lopun rokkaavammat levyt uppoavat itselleni parhaiten. Yhtyeen kakkoslevyllä The Bendsillä säröiset kitaravetoiset biisit ja tunteelliset akustiset raidat ovat sulassa sovussa keskenään. Biisimateriaali on todella laadukasta ja yhtään heikkoa hetkeä ei ole mukana. Tämä on lempparini Radioheadin diskografiasta, mutta myös myöhemmät levytykset voivat nostaa arvoaan kunhan niihin ehdin uppoutua paremmin. Tältä 1001-listaltahan löytyy vielä ainakin neljä muuta Radioheadin albumia.
I love when I can pull out a record I haven’t played in a long time. Shout out Dan and Ashlee for the gift in college.
9/10
Not as incredible as "OK Computer" or "Kid A" but this album has some great songs: Planet Telex The Bends High and Dry Fake Plastic Trees Just Street Spirit (Fade Out)
I wouldn't call it "underrated" but I feel like The Bends is often overshadowed by OK Computer and Kid A (and probably even In Rainbows). While all those albums have different styles, I really enjoy the alt-rock, guitar-focused sound of this album (and the more experimental moments like on "My Iron Lung"). Lots of cool instrumentation and guitar work here (all very good to listen to)! Favorites: Planet Telex, The Bends, High and Dry, Bones, Just, My Iron Lung
I grew up with this record and the songs are embedded into my bones, so I can't pretend to be subjective about it. But fuck, it's fantastic. Still my favorite Radiohead, no skips, perfect album, etc. etc.
So many singles! Forgetting the track running would have you worried the second half will fade. The title track really sets the standard for the album and although I don't normally like a single being in position 1, I think this would have suited it (instead of 2).
90s britpop indie , but better. This album would still be big even if Radiohead never recorded another thing
The first of a remarkable run of albums, the most successful since the Beatles. They are all brilliant and show different aspects of their developing talent.
If Radiohead had never released another album, I believe this would be considered one of the very best albums of the 1990s. Similar to how The Strokes’ debut sits among the pantheon of 2000s indie music, The Bends is better than many of the most popular 90s group’s ‘best of’ compilations - it's absolutely packed out with singles and has an incredible flow. The title track does an excellent job of encapsulating most people’s main take away from the record. Those beautifully panned, panoramic opening guitar chords, making the most of stereo, with the chorus pedal turned up to max draws a clear line in the sand between the average 1990s rock group who gave us Pablo Honey and this new band who were of a totally different order. Bones pulls a similar trick when the guitars open out in the choruses and create a series of triumphant, euphoric uplifts. These grand moments are offset by creeping, anxious ones like the eerie verses of (nice dream) which make it impossible to write off The Bends as “Just” being for stadiums. The Bends has of course been eclipsed by the band on multiple occasions since. The multi-layered outro of My Iron Lung prefigures the even more multi-layered outro of Paranoid Android. The tender and gut wrenching Bullet Proof prefigures the even more tender and gut wrenching True Love Waits. But what The Bends does better than any of Radiohead’s other albums is prove that they could make a record for the masses. Something which cuts straight through equally to avid fans and the everyman. Radiohead fans like to think that it's OK Computer and In Rainbows that immortalised the group among the general public, but that’s not the case. There is no Radiohead album more pleasing to more people than The Bends. Not only is it one of Radiohead’s perfect albums, it is generally considered their best.
So I’ve been between a high 4 and low 5 on The Bends forever and today I’m going low 5, the second half really escalates it, there are loads of tunes and it just sounds damn good, even if the rock is a bit rocky for me
Expansive without feeling bloated, this album refines alternative rock into something both accessible and emotionally layered. The dynamics between quieter passages and louder climaxes are carefully controlled, giving the songs a strong internal momentum. It’s a record that feels complete and deliberate.
One of my favourote albums of all time. All killer no filler.
LOVE RADIOHEAD. Great guitar throughout the entire album Thom Yorkes voice speaks for it self Love the title meaning, says something about their self-concept at the time MY BABYS GOT THE BENDS!!!
Omg this is where High and Dry is from!! BRILLIANT ALBUM. I totally see why people are obsessed with Radiohead now lol. And it's super interesting to read about the influence of R.E.M. on their sound... i love R.E.M. and can totally hear it. Im loving almost every song on here tbh and the whole vibe of the album -- love it as much as Turnstile's Never Enough maybeeeee. Gosh. What a (late) find!!
Superb!
Fantastic album! One of my very favorites!
The Bends marca um momento importante de transição para o grupo Radiohead. É aqui que a banda verdadeiramente achou seu piso, deixou para trás as ambições mesquinhas de ser Nirvana 2.0, e foram pioneiros na sonoridade comum dos próximos anos no âmbito do Rock Melodramático, com bandas inteiras devendo todo seu repertório à este disco. Embora não seja o magnum opus do grupo, é possível ver as sementes que germinarão em trabalhos futuros. Enquanto as canções do LP predecessor da banda raramente mostravam uma profundidade temática ou sonora (com exceção da magnífica Blow Out), quase toda faixa em The Bends possui camadas mais desenvolvidas e texturas mais requintadas. I wanna live… breathe… I wanna be part of the human race. Quando a banda quer fazer barulho, ela têm imenso sucesso na tarefa. Canções como The Bends, Just, My Iron Lung e a ótima introdução Planet Telex são prova disso. Radiohead se fosse uma banda de Rock tradicional ainda assim seria fantástica. Mas eles vão além. Os cortes mais lentos do disco mostram um lado da banda que seria infinitamente copiado por outros atos que vieram depois, com canções melosas repletas de ternura e melifluidade como High and Dry e a arrepiante Street Spirit (Fade Out). Mas há uma coisa que devo admitir: A hiper-melação quase grudenta de canções como Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream) e Sulk nem sempre me satisfazem. Na verdade, às vezes essas faixas específicas me irritam, sendo econômico com a língua portuguesa. Nem sempre você está no estado mental correto para esse tipo de canção – o estado de coitadinho. Outras faixas como Black Star ou Bullet Proof conseguem tocar nas cordas do coração sem precisar martelar a melancolia insípida na sua cabeça. De todo modo, é um disco quase perfeito, que definiu os anos seguintes não só da banda mas de todo um nicho específico da música popular. Suas imperfeições vão além da pegajosidade dos hinos pomposos, mas também está em algumas faixas francamente redundantes (olhando diretamente pra Sulk). E também acho meio maluca a exclusão de alguns dos B-Sides brilhantes deste disco, como The Trickster, Talk Show Host, Punchdrunk Lovesick Singalong, e uma das minhas faixas favoritas da banda, India Rubber. Cogitei a nota 4.5 pra este magnânimo e histórico álbum… Mas percebi que isso era apenas eu refletindo o dia ruim que tive no inocente disco. Seus momentos mais chatos não deduzem a grandeza dos seus melhores momentos, como sua incrível introdução e fantástico final.
See Katy Perry? This is a better pick for making out. Ill always be marked by the fact she picked Kid A. Ill never be able to move on. Damn I forgot Street Spirit was on this album. I got flashbacks to Natalies death. WHY DID SHE HAVE TO GO WHY? FUCK U Yellowjackets writers and your love to pairing deaths with Radiohead songs. Nothing else of substance to add. Incredible album. I dont care what anyone else says we are all entitled to an opinion and mine is that this is one of the best albums of all time.
One of my favorite albums!
IT'S THE BENDS
A most beautiful double shot depresso.
Nostalgia+++ I've been returning to this regularly for 30 years and I don't see myself stopping.
Perfect, obviously.
Near perfect album and easily my favorite Radiohead (not sure why that opinion isn’t more widely held). The only misstep is Bulletproof but otherwise every track is awesome.
Their best album imo
A great album by an exceptional band. I had almost forgotten how much I loved this album. 5 stars. Fave track - fake plastic trees.
A classic album that, after a long time since i last played it, is even better than i would remember it The vocals sublime, each track has something new to offer
10/10 – Masterpiece
Masterpiece. Can't understand why it took me so long to listened to this. Glad I did.
From the Bends to Hail to the Thief is one of the best 5 album streaks ever. I'd rate the Bends probably at the bottom of them, but still a solid 5 stars (9/10)
Man they’re just a good band aren’t they? Probably my favorite band that I didn’t get into before the list, maybe Fugazi as well but Radiohead definitely has the deeper discography. Everything on here is good even though it’s pretty devoid of hits. There’s not a single track on here that I would be upset to have to hear. On top of that, songs like high and dry, iron lung, the bends, bulletproof, silk, fade out all getting added to the rotation. I can’t afford the complete Radiohead box set but I guess I should start saving up.
A really well paced cohesive album with no skips for me, solid songwriting throughout, great music and some all time great songs that I regularly play, again I feel this album has highs maybe not as high as ok computer which also has amazing songs on it, but I felt this album was more consistent and did not have a song I would actively skip while ok computer does
This has always been my favorite Radiohead album.
Great album! Many fantastic songs on this album, and it’s well rounded.
Great album
The best
Excellent would buy on vinyl definitely. And also way more upbeat than expected!
Actually a 6. One of the best albums of all time. A perfect album.
Maybe I need to relisten to Ok Computer but I found myself much more enticed by the melodies and soundscapes on this one. Particularly love Planet Talex, Just, Black Star and the title track.
I love it!
I mean… it’s fantastic. Just banger after banger. Fourth best Radiohead album for me.
This album just keeps on giving, wall to walk hits 5 - a near-perfect album
So beloved to me, and only gets better. I need a sixth star. I want to see them live - missed a 2025 tour!
The Radiohead album I know best. Flawless, lyricism, the nihilism and fragility. Songs sound so layered, contains so many ballads. Saved the uk from britpop
Best: Black Star God I love this album. As usual Radiohead have hit the nail on the head with this one, for me there isn’t a single track I would skip. This album is so thematically cohesive in terms of lyrics and emotion, conveying such a strong sense of malaise beautifully. One of my favourite albums of all time, probably my favourite RH album and what to me, truly captures their sound. Yorkes vocals are emotional and gritty throughout but the vocals on Planet Telex are just so good, the breathiness and the hazy delivery have such an attractive draw. The production as a whole was great, instruments played beautifully adding texture to every track.
Wonderful album, my favorite songs are Black Star, Bulletproof...I wish I was, and Fake Plastic Trees. Nice dream and High and Dry are HM
んほー
I often complain about music in which too little happens. So let me offer the opposite as an example, to make my point clear. Take one of the less immediately obvious tracks on this album: the title track, “The Bends.” Just listen to it. How many genuinely brilliant ideas are packed into this single song? No, it’s not a cluttered prog-rock mess where everything happens at once. Everything here is focused. Every element belongs. And then, just over three minutes in, the song suddenly shifts direction. The tempo goes up, the guitar gain goes up, and against that wall of sound comes a surprisingly melodic vocal line, almost functioning as counterpoint. Just when you’re about to start headbanging, the track collapses into a moment of calm — and ends with a cracked-voice farewell. This is music. Dear musicians: this is why we buy albums. And the kicker is that this isn’t even one of the best songs on the record. By now I’ve worked my way through 148 albums from the list, plus two additions of my own. And then the random generator throws up one of my all-time favourites. I can hum practically every note on this album — though any other enthusiastic attempts at sound production are strongly discouraged, for reasons I’ll come back to shortly. No need for five to eight careful listening sessions this time. I’ll admit I was slightly nervous. Over the past nine months I’ve learned a lot, changed the way I listen, opened myself up to music I’d long dismissed — sometimes to my own surprise. So the question was fair: how would an album that dominated my student years and early adulthood hold up? I don’t listen to it that often anymore, mostly just individual tracks. Would it still stand? Or would I suddenly discover weaknesses I’d previously ignored? It stands. Completely. There are no weak tracks here — only songs that are more or less spectacular. This isn’t just music, it’s Music. It’s outrageously good. Yes, that’s hyperbole. But so is the album. The exquisitely built “High and Dry.” The even more beautifully constructed “Fake Plastic Trees” — one of the greatest songs ever written. The ferociously propulsive “Sulk,” in which Thom Yorke increasingly starts squealing like a pig (and I mean that as a compliment). And so on, and so on. It’s a 48-minute journey through Valhalla. And it feels shorter than that, even though 48 minutes is already pushing the upper limit of ideal album length. Then, just when you think you’ve reached the end, there’s the closer: “Street Spirit (Fade Out).” Mon dieu. Mein Gott. Dear Lord. Dio mio. Goosebumps. Possibly tears. Or simply singing — shouting — screaming along with Yorke’s anguished wails. The poor (now deceased) neighbours of my parents were surely not the only victims of students in the second half of the 1990s who couldn’t resist singing along to this album at full volume — especially during the fortissimo passages. Or worse, the falsetto sections, like those in “High and Dry.” If you can listen to this music without feeling compelled to do that, then frankly this album isn’t for you. Then music isn’t for you. Unlike many critics, I find this album clearly superior to its successor, OK Computer. It’s rougher, less calculated, less overtly produced. Speaking of production: this album sounds absolutely phenomenal. Everything is perfectly placed. You hear every instrument, every detail. The balance between vocals and music is flawless. Special praise is due to the rhythm section. Drummer Philip Selway seems to have invented the concept of effectiveness, while bassist Colin Greenwood plays superb lines throughout. No one here is individually “brilliant” in the flashy sense. There are hardly any guitar solos. But the music is brilliant. It’s like a football team without a Cristiano Ronaldo — a side that excels through collective intelligence, flawless execution, and ninety minutes (or rather: 48) of perfectly applied tactics. Is there nothing to criticise? Yes. The album cover is hideous. Truly awful. And yes, I’ll once again weep openly over the fact that after OK Computer this band decided to make Commodore 64 game soundtracks instead of continuing to create the most brilliant alternative rock ever recorded. Or almost the most brilliant — I still have about 900 albums left to go, and at least one of them might yet surpass this. But that will come. For now, I’m going to sit here and enjoy the music, filling the room at an entirely irresponsible volume.
First 5/5 album of this listening experience. A truly perfect album. No misses
When I think back on Radiohead's discography, I never consider The Bends to be one of their very best. In my memory this record will always be outshined by the radical change in sound they brought to Kid A, or the infectious rhythms of The King Of Limbs (yes this is a top 5 Radiohead album IMHO), or the sheer perfection of In Rainbows. But anytime I return to actually listen to The Bends in full again I am forced to reconsider that opinion. Every song on this album is memorable on its own, with beautiful melodies and dense guitar parts over an understated rhythm section with underrated bass lines. The production is consistent between tracks and crystal clear, allowing the strength of the songwriting and performances to shine through. But the album as a whole also has a greater arch, slowly building to a peak just past the midway point, only to fall off a cliff, and then sort of coast to the finish line in a beautiful way. It is album storytelling at its best. The Bends is probably one of the greatest rock albums ever made.
This is the album that made me like Radiohead as a band. This fantastic, mellow, dour album features some breathtaking melodies and melancholy. I was between a four and five star but realized this album is great throughout with great in-between tracks. Top tracks: "(Nice Dream)," "My Iron Lung," "Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," "High and Dry"
It's become my favorite of theirs. Great guitar work. It rocks.
Radiohead is more mellow than I think they are. It's rock but soft rock. English rock. It's great. Songs I know but didn't know I knew.
Masterpiece
Hadn't actually listened to this start to finish, ohhhhhh man that gave me some room to be a sad boy in these sad times
There are people who don’t like Radiohead. And I suppose there are people who don’t like food or sex either. Excellent album.
Hits the sweet spot between "just another rockband" and "avante garde tosser" Full of experimental moments that don't overwhelm the basic listenability of the music. There is something genuinely magnificent about it.
Palabras mayores. Parachutes, pero bien hecho. 9/10
Immerse your soul in love.
I love this album so very much
Not my favourite by radiohead but still 10/10 album. Love everything about it. Songs like Street spirit Fade out, Fake plastic trees, Black star andJast are biggest standouts and absolute bangers.
Girl esto es muy diferente a amnesiac y me encanta THIS is what I’m talking about! Y estoy muy feliz de que escuche este álbum! Tuve el día más horrible de mi vida y este álbum me hizo sentir escuchada 👍 Es la perfecta combinación de música y letra! Creo que es uno de mis nuevos álbumes favoritos de toda la vida :D Gracias Radiohead
This is the album that made me fall in love with Radiohead. (I Guess the World fell too) They moved away from the grunge of their earlier album and moved into Britpop. Some flashes of the themes and sounds of later albums but not quite there. There's a couple songs at the end that kind of drag for me, but this is solid for most of it's runtime.
high and dry is my fav. iconic album
Overall: 10/10 Hey, so I'm so glad I got over my Radiohead hate a couple years ago. I never checked them out fully until after I started this project, but something clicked a while ago and I decided that they're alright. Now I'm fully on the hype train. I love the guitar work on this album, it's pretty stellar. I also, surprisingly, think Thom sounds incredible here. He's usually my least favourite element of any Radiohead song, so it's great that he doesn't ruin these songs in any way for me. This is my favourite of their albums so far, and I can't wait to hear even more. Fav Songs: Just OR Fake Plastic Trees, I can't decide
Wow, okay. This was fantastic. Just listened to In Rainbows and thought that was my favorite from Radiohead, but this made me think again. Highlights were Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream), Street Spirit (Fade Out), Sulk, Bulletproof... I wish I was. And the rest were all great listens as well. Another solid 5 from Radiohead for me!
The equal best Radiohead album along with OK Computer
It is easy to forget that this album was a bold move from a relatively unknown band at the time. It sounded like nothing else around at the time. This album swoops and soars, and leaves a vaguely haunting impression. One of my all time favourite albums.
One of my fave albums …..I know Radiohead are “depressing” but this album never fails to cheer me up and I enjoy to sing badly throughout….with high and dry being my fave Enjoyed 5 stars for me
This is a re-listen, it’s a classic
Listened while driving and cleaning the house. What a treat it was to revisit this one. I'm completely biased because Radiohead is my favourite band but I really enjoyed listening to their Brit rock roots again.
Wonderful, inventive, magnificent range, just amazingly talented and musical.
4.7
Their first perfect album with several more to come.
not gonna lie the album cover is lowkey terrifying but the music is okay ig
Great
Man, maybe I like Radiohead...
😭😭😭😭
The best Radiohead album. I will not be taking questions.
Beautiful album, full of classics.
god i loved this fucking album
Very hard to decide 4 or 5, but very nice winter album. Amazing first half, falls off
One of my all time favorite Radiohead albums
I’ve never heard this before because I assumed it was hipster music. This is a masterpiece of an album. Can’t wait to hear their other stuff.
Wow, has this album aged well. Pretty much every song is a banger in its own way, and the band is as tight as can be. Awesome!
This is still my favorite Radiohead album. Just is an all time favorite song and the whole thing is just a great listen. Bumping to 5 for nostalgia, maybe, but I think this is a just above 4.5 for me.
10/10 one of the best albums Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry, The Bends, and Just are perfect.
I love indie rock
My favorite radiohead album RAAAHHHHG
Moi aussi c'est l'album qui m'a fait découvrir Radiohead. Ça reste celui que j'écoute le plus souvent.
S'il y a un album qui est associé au teenage angst pour moi c'est bien celui-là ! L'album qui m'a fait adorer Radiohead. Je le connais par coeur. Ben oui je me prenais pour Thom Yorke, parce que sa voix cassait exactement à la même place que la mienne pis que ça l'air qu'on peut être une rockstar internationale avec une voix assez "mid". Quand je le réécoute avec une oreille un peu plus "critique", je suis vachement étonné de l'originalité des riffs de Greenwood, y'a même quelques accords de 9eme. Je vais dire comme jeanjean, on est dans un début d'année costaud (3 en 3)
Mon préféré de Radiohead à date? C’est peut être In Rainbows sinon. Mais c’est vraiment excellent
One of the best all time album
Good stuff!!!
One of those albums, at the time, I didn’t ‘get’ but definitely have over time!
This album is one that I already love, particularly High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Bullet Proof (Wish I Was), Black Star, and Street Spirit (Fade Out). I really like the whole album though. I would likely rate it 4.5 stars because it isn’t as good as In Rainbows or Ok Computer, but I think I’ll still give it a big five stars. I love the melancholy feel to this album and it’s good to listen to while feeling introspective.
First ever album served to me by the generator on the First Day of 2026, and… well… where do we go from here? A classic album from a classic year (1995) in which the UK was going crazy with Oasis (as in 2025) and other swaggering laddish Britpop, this album, Radiohead’s guitar album, was going in its own direction entirely. Full of angst, rage, and despair, this album feels immediate from the first shimmering notes through to its final guitar-picked outro, with not a single track letting it down. It feels amazing now to think this was a band struggling with the idea of being defined by Creep and possibly a one-hit wonder band. I say it feels immediate, but I remember in the heady days of discounted singles buying My Iron Lung and the High and Dry/Planet Telex singles and struggling to get into them before plumping for the album and subsequent singles. Like many, it took me a while to grow into this album. This might be, as I said, because 1995 was an exceptionally great albums year, but it wasn’t really until the end of ‘ 96 and beginning of ‘ 97 that I was playing this end to end and really appreciating the musicianship and creativity on the record. Then immediately came OK Computer and that Glastonbury performance I was lucky enough to be at. But that’s another story. Thom Yorke really found his voice on this record and has probably never sounded better. Ironically, in building this album to distance themselves from Creep, they created a kind of post-grunge rock sound that was taken up and amplified, IMHO, in a poor way by bands like Muse and from that another sound to distance themselves from (for a while anyway). A classic. Best songs - All of them. Sequenced brilliantly as well.
First time listening. Enjoyed it.
The whole album is great from start to finish. A true classic. Also for me the first Radiohead album I bought and listened to on repeat for forever. In many ways I like this more than later Radiohead where they got more electronic and experimental. 5⭐️
this is one of my all time favorite albums
Radiohead.
Perfect
Radiohead always gets 5 stars. It's not their best album but still has some of their best songs. Thoms voice is incredible in this. Bones is underrated.
I feel sorry for cunts that don't like Radiohead. The Bends is a belter of an album, 4.7
One of my favorite albums of all time. Perhaps my favorite. I love this record and know all the ins and outs about the recordings and the producer and the head space the band was in when they recorded this opus of a record. It was truly more rock than the subsequent OK Computer and the end of a time where you can say Radiohead was going through it's teenage or early college days. Really helped me through some tough times listening to this record. My favorites on the record are "The Bends" and "Black Star". These songs soar through the atmosphere and into space.
Попали… Началось
Fucking phenomenal -- love that unique emotional ghostly Thom Yorke singing, the wailing guitars. Love Radiohead, so glad I got to listen to this album
Solid album, it starts off so strong. I know they’re popular but this feels like very mediocre Brit pop rock. Maybe I need to give it more time but it didn’t hit for me.
This album has always been one of the tops for me, every song is above a 7/10 and contain some of my favourite songs of all time such as just and fake plastic trees
This could be your favorite Radiohead album… Not as experimental as later releases, just 90s rock at its finest. The guitar tone here is thick and beautiful. Also, the title track doesn’t get enough love. In a stack of great RH songs it’s somewhere in the Top 5. Plus you get High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Iron Lung, Street Spirit… This is an all timer.
Radiohead is pretty much 'S' Tier from this album and up.
3rd best radio album? 2nd best? 4th best? It's hard to say but its one of the peaks by them for sure.
I loved every song on this album. 10/10 Favorite songs: Fake Plastic Trees and Black Star
92
I was dreading listening to this record. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. This record somehow manages to be really interesting and experimental and also conveys a strong sense of emotion and melody. The production is clean and excellent. This record is by far the biggest gap between expectation and reality that I’ve had so far. 4.6/5
This is my favorite Radiohead album. Guitar based and so strong. Perfect for a day of painting.
Great album
One of the best alt rock albums ever, and for me one of the most beautifull albums in history. Absolute perfection!
The Bends was an album I came to appreciate quite late in my exploration of Radiohead and it took me a while to appreciate it's brilliance. I now think this was the first truly great album that the band produced. When you put it into it's context of 1995, it really stands a head and shoulders above every other guitar band at that time. It still has hint of grunginess and Brit-pop, but it marks the point that Radiohead start to reach further into the abstract and experimental to create something unique. The album still has the early, track by track, listening experience and songs like "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" offer enjoyers of singles some absolute gems. I am more of a concept album man, which is why I rank this slightly below their later albums. The Bends is a cohesive listening experience, though, and I love that you can hear hints of the band's later excellence. For transparency: I will be giving 5 stars to every Radiohead album on this list. Not only do I think they are technically brilliant and culturally significant, they are like a perfect distillation of my musical taste. I will jump at any chance I have to dive back into their music which continues to move me with every relisten.
This has been one of my favourite albums for a long time
Great album. Miles better than the majority of scutter in a bucket albums on this list. Great songs throughout.
🔥
9/10
masterpiece :)
I was pleasantly surprised by this Radiohead album - had a hard edge to it that had me bobbing my head and rocking out. I may have to pick up a copy for my CD collection.
Great pre-OK Computer Radiohead album. You really start to hear the musical experimentation that will blossom into their later work. Far better than Pablo Honey.
I pretty much lived inside this record for a couple of months when it came out. I remember every note and it's still wonderful to play it right through again. Radiohead's finest, imo. How were these guys so attuned to the weariness of middle age, 20 years ahead of time? Bleakly elegiac and remarkably mature, yet somehow still massively commercial and full of hooks. What an achievement. Gravity always wins.
heard it about 100 times of course it’s a 4.7/5 what else would it be
listened to it on my walk not my first time listening to the album but it is my first time actively listening. the standouts for me where high and dry iron lung and of course fake plastic trees
I do like this.
even better than i remembered
Pretty fantastic album. A lot of the others sink into dreary self indulgence.
Easy 5 stars. Some of the best guitar tracks of any bands of the 90s appear on this album. For almost all other bands this would be their masterpiece but Radiohead went one better with OK Computer 2 years later (probably the best album ever). This is still incredible though and has held up incredibly well while some other Britpop era albums haven’t. Essential.
Very good.
Excellent album
This is what it sounds like when a few guys are just starting to get with the idea that they're not just a rock band
I already knew this album quite well, this is the second Radiohead album I’ve reviewed so far, and also coincidentally being the second Radiohead album too! It has multiple hits that the world already knows, and probably one of the most iconic album covers of all time. I still didn't fully understand the album cover for a long while which always made the artwork even more intriguing to me, it refers to 'decompression sickness, a potentially fatal condition you can get from resurfacing too quickly during a scuba dive'. All of this makes it already of the greatest albums of all time. This is such a great 90s alternative rock record. Emotional, guitar-driven, and atmospheric in a way that still feels edgy but melodic. Thom Yorke’s vocals are packed with emotion, fragile at times, powerful at others. The band blends melancholy and energy so well, nearly perfect balance. That being said, I don’t think this would be my personal favourite Radiohead album, but it’s still right near the top and I can understand why it's a favourite for many and not for others. Radiohead, especially their work after OK Computer, can be pretty polarizing. Some people are put off by Thom Yorke’s vocal style or the electronic experimentation and glitchy “computer blips.” Overall, I really enjoy their first two albums. It shows that even early on, they were already really good, but of course their most celebrated albums are considered everything after this, starting with OK Computer. My favourite tracks are pretty much all of them: Planet Telex, The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Bones, (Nice Dream), Just, My Iron Lung, Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was, Black Star, Sulk, and Street Spirit (Fade Out).
This was my first Radiohead album that I had listened to, I felt very Intimidated by the band and the album, my opinion on the album on a first listen was mixed, It took a couple different listens but now I consider it a great album. This album is when Radiohead decided to not become another grunge-like band and started a bit of experimenting with unconventional sounds. The album features a couple different styles: There's the noisy anthemic songs such as the title track "Bones" and "Just." The acoustic rock songs like, "High and Dry," "Fake Plastic Trees," "(Nice Dream)." The more experimental-leaning songs featuring new sounds by the band like "Planet Telex" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)." Some lines that are on the album seem to resonate with me: "you've got to feel it in your bones" (Bones) "you do it to yourself, yeah you just do" (Just) "and we are grateful for our iron lung" (My Iron Lung) Some closing remarks from is that "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" are overrated, they're good songs but they are liked by some really loud fanatics. And "Sulk" is just awful. My conclusion is that this is definitely an album you must hear before you die. Highlight Song/s: Planet Telex, High and Dry, Bones, Just and My Iron Lung
Amazing
One of the best
the best band in history, and an awesome album that started taking radiohead to the next level as a legendary band, and away from their creep tube !!!!!!
10.0/10 One of my favourite albums.... first perfect score for me.
Other than an album from Ozomatli, I have really hit a nice streak of great albums. This is definitely a great one. 5 stars.
The reverb-soaked, echoey sound of a Memory Man pedal feeding back on itself is the sound that opens The Bends, and ushers in the first proper era of Radiohead. To me, Pablo Honey was more like of a collection of songs to supplement "Creep" than a proper Radiohead album. I always think of The Bends as their first real album. I remember when Radiohead played my hometown of Galway while touring The Bends. I was too young to go, but I could hear most of it drifting over from the venue into my back garden. Since then, I’ve seen them (properly) six more times across Ireland, along with the various side-projects (Jonny’s orchestral work, Junun and The Smile). And now, in less than a week, I’m off to see them for a seventh time in Copenhagen. This is the second Radiohead album 1001 has served me in the last week, so here’s hoping the next six days line up neatly with the remaining six. I've listened to this album so many times that I know it inside out. The underdog of Planet Telex with its echoey riff and Colin's distinct bass holding it together. Jonny's inventive guitar work adding texture to Bullet Proof. High and Dry's bright acoustic riff and solo. Seeing The Bends performed on Jools Holland gave me a whole new appreciation for the song. Jonny pulling the string off his guitar entirely to make the craziest noises, before the whole band comes together in a moment of pure energy towards the end of the song, as Thom sings: "I wanna be part of the human race". Street Spirit was the song that you learned on guitar as a teen to show off to your friends. A gorgeous piece of music. It also had nuns prancing about in slo-mo in the black and white video. Then there's the centerpiece of the album. (Nice Dream) > Just > My Iron Lung. A serious contender for the best consecutive three song run in any album. (Nice Dream) eases you in with some gorgeous verses and chorus before Thom's singing turns to a snarl, signalling in the nightmarish solo. Textured soundscapes build up in the background towards the end, making it feel very ethereal (hello Space Echo!) Then Just's acoustic guitar kicks in, and Johnny's guitar takes off. What can you say about Just except that it's a perfect song from start to finish. What an amazing chorus. Then Jonny's guitar seems to just keep climbing and climbing until all we're left with is that single high pitched note, sounding a bit alien thanks to the Whammy pitch-shifter. Before it all crashes down. A moment of peace before it that epic solo takes over, Thom screaming "You do it to yourself!". Literal goosebumps every single time. Plus, I can't hear that song without getting a visceral mental picture of a load of people lying perfectly still on the footpath. My Iron Lung became another reason to buy a Whammy pedal. Ed's textures in the background create atmosphere while Jonny's alien-sounding riff is distinctive enough to not need any lyrics for the chorus. Jazzy chords that have no business in rock music, make the verse sections complex and interesting. Thom snarls his way through sarcastic and sardonic lyrics. And of course that shift left, when the song takes off. This album reinvented guitar music, something Radiohead would do several times in their career. There really was nothing like it at the time. But it wasn't all music academia - they did it in a way that was a lot of fun to listen to. Radiohead announced themselves as the most interesting and innovative band on the go with this album, and suddenly became a hugely important part of many people's lives, myself included. In My Iron Lung, Thom sings "this is our new song / just like the last one / a total waste of time". You couldn't be more wrong, Thommy boy.
minha vida
As close to a perfect rock album as you could possibly want. Simply magnificent - brooding, reflective, catchy, varied and it flows spectacularly well. I need more Radiohead on vinyl and this is a glaring priority to address.
Superb
A classic.
Already was a favourite of mine
😘😘😘🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍😍
nenhuma música ruim. excepcional e brilhante
Excellent. Not quite as solid as later stuff but pretty flawless
amazing - it's radiohead.
Virkelig godt album selvfølgelig! Dejlig Radiohead/depressions energi som altid yay:)) fake plastic trees og (nice dream) !!!
Jaaa, godt album, 4.5
Next to the rest of the Radiohead discography, The Bends is not one of my first picks. However, next to the soundscape of the 1,001 albums I will listen to before dying, it is a welcome respite. I wrote Radiohead off after "Creep." On reflection, it was Thom Yorke's blonde hair that did it. So I did not dive into the Radiohead discography until 2003. However, had I bought The Bends in March of 1995, I know it would have been on heavy, heavy rotation.
good album, enjoyed every song. 5
Amazing album. One of my favourites from my teenage years. Bit weird, as i am in now way a Radiohead fan, and put almost all the blame for the demise of guitar music in the mainstream media squarely on their shoulders. Planet Telex, The Bends, Bones, and Fake Plastic Trees are all brilliant songs.
5 star album without shadow of a doubt and it's not even my favourite Radiohead record. Utterly superb from start to finish, no weak links in sight and a clear step up from Pablo Honey, defining what was to come for the band. To top it off, Street Spirit (Fade Out) has to be one of the best closing tracks of all time.
This is a pivotal record in the alternative 90s music scene. It definitely inspired many copycats for decades to come. It has aged really well. No skips - at all
LOVE LOVE LOVE... classic Radiohead
Amazing album Their best Bullet proof and black star are amazing
Back when I began getting into listening to music, I started by going through System of a Down's discography, which I quite enjoyed. Once I had sufficiently treaded through that, I had to decide where to go next. I ended up thinking to myself "Well, I've heard that Radiohead is pretty good, I'll listen to them" and started my Radiohead journey with The Bends. It took a few listens, but I eventually realized that this album was special. The first song that really stuck with me from this album was "High and Dry", which is a brilliantly simple song that is executed to perfection, really carried by Thom Yorke's vocals, which I think are at their absolute best on this album. He has this angelic quality that never really shows itself on Radiohead's later albums. The album itself is just rock perfection. The guitar riffs and melodies are jaw-dropping, and well-complemented by the drums/bass as well as those phenomenal vocals. One aspect that I really appreciate about this album is the balance; there's a great balance between more driving rock songs ("The Bends", "Bones", "Just") and more laid-back ones ("High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was"), as well as balance between more simple and more complex songs. It provides a wholistic rock experience that is executed at the highest level. it's not just Radiohead's best effort. It's the greatest album ever made.
Wow - I forgot how good this album is. Every song is a cracker and too many highlights to list. Colin Greenwood’s bass work is great throughout and what about the guitar on Just.
9/12 literally. banger
Awesome!
bangers
10/10 Woo Radiohead
alto album
Great
"Just" is AMAZING!!! Such a great song!!!! This was a great album. I'll give it a 5. Okay Radiohead, you did it! This is great. I love how in a lot of songs they have the guitar and vocals mirroring each other. This is fun. Liked Songs: "Planet Telex" , "The Bends" , "High and Dry" , "Fake Plastic Trees" , "Bones" , "Just" , "Black Star" , "Sulk"
Goated album, ‘Just’ is one of my favourite songs ever. So may good songs, not one bad song imo. Fake plastic trees a bit overrated but still great song.
One of the greatest British albums of the 90s that still sounds just as good today. Not a truly bad song on it. 5/5
It's a great album. Each song is different but also uniquely Radiohead. This being their first album (I think), you can see this album being a foreshadowing of things they flush out more completely on later albums. For me, this is a thoroughly enjoyable album, but perhaps 3rd or 4th in their catalog.
It's a 10/10 existential crises.
Perfect.
Look at the album cover. That's going to be you when you listen to this. Favourite Songs: High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out). Least Favourite Songs: Sulk.
Album No. 0047 on my list. Radiohead's second album "The Bends" is one of my favorite albums of all time, possibly the greatest album of all time to me and its high up on the list of albums I've listened to the most (No. 4 on my all time spotify stats). Kicked of with "Planet Telex" and followed by "The Bends" as the title track, it is already of to a good start. "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" follow, which are not my personal favorites of this album, but they are certainly its biggest hits. "Bones" is a hidden gem I think, one that deserves much more recognition hat it has gotten, whereas "(Nice Dream)" is a nice introspective song, before "Just" and "My Iron Lung" kick in, serving as the album's most aggressive, still grunge-influenced songs. "Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was" is another introspective song, followed by "Black Star" and "Sulk". Those are two hidden gems as well, and actually the ones that - in conjunction with the title track - capture the whole vibe of this album best. The album concludes with "Street Spirit (Fate Out), another Radiohead classic. "The Bends" is more than a collection of 12 incredible songs. It is a perfect mixture of guitar-driven brit rock and incredible, angsty, introspective lyrics. The influence of this album cannot be overstated - it preceded a lot of developments that should come at the turn of the 21st century in British rock. It may have been published at the height of Britpop, but it is much larger than that genre, and hat much more long-lasting impacts. Besides, it already foreshadows OK Computer, Radiohead's even larger, more important next album. Timeless classic, one of the greatest of all time - of course: 5/5 stars!
Alright, three out of my last four albums on here have been Radiohead, but man, THIS is what I was waiting for. There isn’t a single bad song on here, no overly eccentric tracks, but still a perfect encapsulation of how this band blends such melodic and somber tones with angst and distortion. Best Track: High and Dry
best album ever idgaf about ok computer. i couldn’t pick a favorite or least favorite off this one if you held me at gun point
No my favorite Radiohead album but still a great one
Chulada de álbum de principio a fin.
Za bend k ga poslušam čez 20 let, nekako do tega albuma nism prišla, razen tko, dveh komadov. Mi je pa naslovnica albuma in sam pomen "the bends" horrifying. "Planet Telex" odpre album in zveni k zgodnji Radiohead - k a rock band & ne še tok weird. So far, par komadov kasneje, je to še kar moje mišljenje. Zvenijo k oni, sj ne morjo drgač s tok prepoznavnim vokalom, ampak bl k a traditional rock band. "Fake Plastic Trees" je en teh, k jih od prej poznam, slišala ga pa nism pomoje od najstniških let. Še zmer čudovit komad. "Bones" mi je ful všeč in nepoznan. "Just" je mogu bit en moj bl predvajanih komadov v najstniških letih, tko da mi vzbuja nek nostalgičen gnev. (Ne vem kva je blo, a je blo to zarad torrentov takrat, ampak, če nism dejansko mela prav cdja od nekega albuma, sm sam poznala random komade od izvajalca iz cele diskografije. Šele na faksu me je nekdo navdihnil, da sm začela poslušat albume od začetka do konca, kakor je največkrat tudi mišljeno od samih izvajalcev.) Anyway, kul komad, še kr. "My Iron Lung" je zanimiv - preide iz nežnih v kar grating za ušesa, noisy dele in nazaj skoz cel komad. Naslednji, "Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was", je chill, lep. "Black Star" je žalosten, lep. In nekak v tem vajbu se zame zaključuje ta album. Čudoviti komadi, s haunting vokali od Thoma in rahlo žalostnimi besedili in melodijami.
I had to keep reminding myself to listen to this critically because I just found myself singing along to the whole thing. I mean, what an album. Not only is there not a bad track, there's SO many very strong ones. Just a few of these tracks on a single album would elevate it, but all on the same one? Phew. This is more 'jangly guitar' Radiohead, but still the production and musicality on this album is really interesting. Lots of layers of instruments and melodies and sounds going through the songs. I like the build up of instruments and atmosphere, and his singing is really on point. There's a real sense of feeling running through it. Some of the songs are just stunning. You wouldn't always expect to end an album on one of the best songs, but wow, what a way to sign this off. Street Spirit is such a beautiful song.
This is the first Radiohead album I've listened to. I really do not have any complaints at all. Fake Plastic Trees is probably my favorite on the album, but so many come close. There is not a single song that is bad here. I am excited to hear more from Radiohead.
A rock staple for good reason. Not all the songs are my type, but you can feel the emotion and intent in each.
This is my favorite Radiohead album (close to OK Computer) because it perfectly combines the weirdness of Radiohead with actual music that isn't just navel gazing. This is a perfect album in nearly every way and I wish Radiohead would revisit the sound they had here at least once in the next decade or so. Great album and this is a band before they discovered beeps and bloops could be created and fans would still think it's pure brilliance. Love this one and it is a must-hear for people who were bored with Brit-pop.
Peak Incredible Love this Amazing vocals Amazing sound Iconic songs
I usually joke on Radiohead reviews that "It feels like another Radiohead album I'm supposed to like... And I mostly do, but sometimes I'd rather listen to The Bends, you know?" FINALLY MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! This is a sweeping epic album, I'd like to say it a revelation amidst the samey Britpop dross that was being shat out by bands not names Oasis or Blur, but no, I was painfully wrong about this when it was released. I wrote it off as depressing music, and don't get me wrong, it bloody well is, but its layered like an onion, and then you peel back the emotions and tears and find something so beautiful and fragile and pure, orgasmic... Was this really that weird band who did "Creep"?? No skips on this album, one of the best guitar albums of the 90’s, they're all great songs in their own right but listening to "Fake Plastic Trees" still gives me chills.
Amazing! I've been listening to this album for 20+ years and it never gets old. Thom Yorke's voice is incredible and the band is so in tune with each other. Truly a classic album.
A classic that a full listen through made me a radio head fan.
There was a time when this was my favourite Radiohead album, but it's since been overtaken by In Rainbows, Kid A and OK Computer. It still has some great songs on it, even though I think High & Dry and Fake Plastic Trees were chronically overplayed, to the point where I don't even hear them anymore. Enjoyed listening to the deep cuts again though, like Black Star and Bulletproof. Street Spirit is probably one of my favourite songs of all time - still always gives me chills. Its not perfect, and a little dated, but I still love it. 9/10
I've been on a Brit-Pop kick lately and am pleasantly surprised to have The Bends come up as my 2nd album. This is an album I've been listening to on and off for 20 years. It's a true classic to me. Radiohead would have been an influential band even if their career ended here.
One of the best rock albums ever?
While listening I forgot how many great tracks were on this album (and not later albums like I originally thought). Its still not peak radiohead for me, but pretty damn close. Favorites for me are "Fake plastic trees", "High and Dry", "Street Spirit", and "Just". And all of these have amazing videos that I still remember to this day. Phenomenal!
lov. mg todas.
Instant classic
Certified fresh!
This is not an unbiased review. This was one of my first albums. This is always who Radiohead has been to me and probably had a disproportionate effect on my music tastes in general. I love this album. Every track.
My second favourite Radiohead after OK Computer. Still a guitar album but you can hear the strangeness creeping in at the margins. Say what you want about them but their first 5 or so albums show such a clear path of movement before things level out a bit after that. I meant to say about Kid A that I think I've tried enough and don't rate it massively. Finally made my peace with it. As for The Bends the usual suspects are great but Bones sounded great to me on this listen
I've just started listening but obviously it's a 5, You might argue it's better than OK Computer. YOU might I said. I didn't say it. Glorious, innovative, and sad in equal measure. And it has one of my favourite RH songs in High and Dry. Everything is also fun to play on guitar and bass. Planet Telex is a great morning song.
This is better than 5/5. Every track is incredible. It's so much more than a rock album, it's unpredictable, the tune choices are fascinating the instruments are incredible, the vocals are out of this world. Too good.
Un des meilleurs albums de Radiohead, encore plus que les récents.
Now we’re talking! Un album parfait
One of my favorite albums
Awesome. A lot more “straightforward” than their later stuff, but still a great piece of music.
That wasn't genius but, God, it definitely WAS awesome and beautiful work! Like this Radiohead's one, have a lot of songs from it in my playlist.
Planet Telex is a swirling opener of crushed digital guitar sounds. The Bends is oddly life-affirming with one cautious eye on the world. High and Dry is a 90s angst anthem with gentle acoustic verses and soaring, desperate choruses. Fake Plastic Trees is scared and vulnerable. Bones is existential dread locked in a broken body. Nice Dream is a cry for help screaming in to a pillow. Just condenses everything on this record and has a hissy fit then smashes the plates. My Iron Lung is claustrophobic and threatens to flip the switch. Bulletproof is a reminder you are anything but. Black Star is curled up in a fetal ball sucking it's thumb. Sulk kicks out at its parents and blames them for everything. Street Spirit is one of the bleakest album closers I can think of. I can understand why the world weary vocals and introspective tone of the record can be a turn-off. But that's it purpose, and it it does it very, very well. This is a record that is times stamped to a specific era but does the rare thing of being wholly listenable now. The bass and drums are unsung heroes on this album. The guitars already showing signs of expiremantal ideas beyond normal indie rock playing. It is a record that is threatening to do more. And then came OK computer...
Brit pop? Ha ha ha
Still amazing. Some peak radiohead songs here.
My favourite band, this is such an underrate album in their discography. It doesn’t have the super genre bending elements of future albums that are so revered, but damn if this isn’t some of the best rock of the 90s. Love it
Sublime. Perfect. Amazing.
Haunting melodies over jagged riffs and arpeggios. The first indications of the Radiohead to come. Sometimes clean and intimate. Other times loud distorted and chaotic. Reverb. Delay. Always that feeling - something between hope and dread. Nobody goes from fragile beauty to aggressive explosiveness quite like this band. Fake Plastic Trees is a masterpiece, Just is epic, Street Spirit is something else entirely. Overall an awesome album. Favourite track - Street Spirit or Fake Plastic Trees. 9/10
I remember being in college in the early 2000s and having a talk with my boomer dad about music. He was lamenting that they don't make albums like they used to, and that nothing coming out today would stand the test of time like so many of the classic acts from the 60s and 70s. I begged to disagree, to which he challenged me to "name one artist that people would still be listening to fifty years from now." I said Radiohead. As someone who has listened to Radiohead since Pablo Honey, I came in fully prepared to give this one 4 stars since it one that I don't return to as much of the others. I feel like OK Computer is the album that really got me into them, and it was also the one that completely changed their sound from what was a fairly straightforward 90s alt rock band to something more...electronic? Not to mention Kid A through In Rainbows are all easily 5 stars in my book, so I was a bit let down that this was my first Radiohead on this list. But what a fool I am! This may be Radiohead before they truly defined themselves, but it is 90s alt rock at its absolute peak. Literally every track is good. I can't believe I had kind of forgotten about The Bends over the years. Yes, Pablo Honey started it all, and as the Wikipedia entry for this points out, The Bends was not able to reproduce the commercial success that came from "Creep". But to me, this is where Radiohead truly begins to take off. They'll reinvent their sound with OK Computer and refine it with each album that follows, but The Bends is undeniably Radiohead to it's very core. In fact, it's probably the most accessible Radiohead album out there. Now, it's only been 25 years or so since that conversation with my dad, but with [spoiler: I looked it up] six albums on this list from them, I don't think I need to wait another 25 to be proven right. Maybe my dad should start with The Bends.
Wow my favorite Radiohead album on my wedding day. It’s just great top to bottom. This era probably has my favorite B-sides of theirs as well. Greenwood goes berserk on this one. They just drop a perfect alt-rock album and then move on to another world. 24th perfect album, 825 albums in. Rating: 5.0
Of course I like this & am familiar with it 😍
Amazing from start to finish. Unique and challenging. Radiohead always delivers.
5 STARS NO NOTES
One of their best albums! Strong writing from start to finish.
Give me all of that you got
A phenomenal album, no complaints. 'Just' hurts too much to listen to, I can't be bringing that energy into my life right now. All other songs are masterpieces.
10/10 i love radiohead
This is between the two greatest Radiohead albums, and in retrospect you can hear them bridging their identity from one to the other. This still has the 90s alt-rock snarl of Pablo Honey but they play with rhythms and instruaments that will ultimately get them to Ok Computer, one of my favorite, most innovate albums of all time. I truly love this album and reminds me of my early college year dorms.
For reasons known only to me I was a big early Radiohead fan in the Pablo Honey era then really went off them - even to the point where I was one of the few people at Glastonbury in 97 and 2003 not to see their seminal gigs. Have grown to appreciate them more in the years since - and whilst I prefer their later albums this is still packed with classics - that I think have aged well.
I don't think I can describe how much I love this album. It has been with me for 30 plus years and I never grow tired of listening to it all the way through.
Not quite at the level of OK Computer/Kid A/In Rainbows but still a 90s classic. And the songs straight-up Rock unlike some of their later albums. Fake Plastic Trees is a beautiful song and my other favorites include High and Dry, Bones, and Just.
The most straightforward, plain ol' rocking album that Thom and the boys put together. Excellent songs, musicianship, etc. If you're into alternative rock at all -- then this is an utter banger. The best entry point for introducing someone to Radiohead, in my opinion.
Great
Mais uma vez fui surpreendido com um disco do Radiohead, banda que eu não dei a mínima em grande parte da minha vida. Dessa vez eu não apenas gostei do disco, eu achei excelente! Roseselsa Quietsea II.
Heavenly masterpiece. Like honestly actually inspired work. What a wonderful opportunity to give this another spin today. I love this album.
This may be the perfect Radiohead album. It's got a perfect balance of heavy and soft. I think the dynamics of alternating between these intense, guitar driven rock epics and then subtle acoustic songs create the contrast that makes this album so great. I also think it's amazing that Radiohead can make an album like this,a 90's rock record, but also produce some of the most mesmerizing electronic influenced music only a couple years later. I tend to judge albums on a "cornyness factor" , I hate music that panders to a radio audience or uses overly simple hooks and lyrics. I think Radiohead is the opposite of that. There is so much depth and artistic integrity to everything that they do and The Bends is a perfect example of that. You could listen to this album 100 times and not get bored, hearing something a little different every time.
I've long considered the Bends as one of my least favourite Radiohead albums, but I honestly haven't spent a lot of time with it or Pablo Honey, so I'd be hard pressed to actually choose a least favourite between those two albums. That said, I think I may have been overlooking the Bends quite a bit because this is pretty damned good! I can totally see how some fans would prefer the earlier guitar driven songwriting over the sonic experimentation that came with the later albums. Their sound on the Bends almost sounds like a different band compared to what comes after Kid A. I definitely still prefer their later work (Kid A in particular is one of my all time favourite albums), but I have a much, much better appreciation for this album now.
More radiohead! Probably in my top 3 radiohead albums - up there with all the big ones. Another 5 likely
One of the greatest guitar rock albums of all time. Every song feels like a classic. The album is packed with catchy melodies and big hooks, which makes it a ton of fun to sing along to, or just jam out. But the music is layered too. These tracks are more complex than your average rock song. The band also absolutely rocks on this one. There are moments where their sound gets close to grunge. I love the mix of beautiful melodies and scuzzy feedback. Great album and a personal favorite. The emotions are so big! And the music is so easy to listen to.
Great album
One of my favourite albums of all time. Obvious 5 stars
Masterpiece. Formative record for me. I used to record high and dry off the radio in grade 7 I was obsessed with how it sounded so big and spacious…the chorus of black star - incredible. The video for Just! Key 90’s album that still hits for me.
MY BABYS GOT THE BENDSSSSS i fucking love this album SO much oh my god perfect for studying crying happy etc!!! this is so perf i’ve been on such a radiohead kick recently
Fucking bangs all songs 10/10
not my favorite Radiohead album but if anyone wants to claim it is their best I will not argue with them.
I love Radiohead. This is an absolutely fantastic album.
For me iconic 90’s era music for the alternative scene. Great album front to back. I re-learned this band, again… Didn’t listen to much of there other albums besides this one.
amazing album
The best
remove bones from the tracklist and it's 10/10.
Love the vocals, very somber tone to the songs, made me want to throw my arms up with my face towards the gray clouds above.
I don’t know that I am a Radiohead fan, but I liked this album. The choices in the singing, the sound of the guitar, the overall composition, it worked for me. I would consider giving this one another listen. The influence on future alternative music is really present in this and I want to give it the respect I think that deserves.
Amazing
I know this isn't objectively Radiohead's most monumental album, but it's my favourite. It's just really very good moderately experimental rock. I don't love the ballads as much as the heavier songs, but this whole album is still rock solid. I understand why they did the electronic stuff, and why it's good for MusicTM that they did, but I personally regret that they didn't stick with this sound for longer.
An amazing album that made you think Radiohead was the next U2 or a way Better Blur or Oasis … when, in fact, they were headed for a major sonic leap that no one saw coming. There is not a bad cut on this album.
Superb. Already one of my favourite albums so I am pretty biased ! Every track is brilliant. Fake plastic trees topping the lot. Great videos as well.
Not even their best album, but it just goes to show how consistent Radiohead's discography is
Loved this one from start to finish!
This is a top 5 album of all time for me. So many memories, good times, bad times - and I will never, ever tire of listening to this. In fact, I've probably listened to this 1001 times. High and Dry in particular never fails to illicit a big ol' lump in my throat.
So many great lyrics, and riffs, and bass lines, and beats, and songs! I love this album so much. If OK Computer is Radiohead’s Sgt Pepper, The Bends is their Revolver. Before they get really weird but after they’re done with being creeps. A masterpiece. Five stars for “Black Star” alone. Anyways. Immerse yourself in love. FIVE STARS
🗯 Not a Britpop album — but somehow still the best Britpop album. This was the Radiohead record I picked for my own record club, and it still feels like a leap from “that Creep band” into something with depth, ambition, and bruised beauty. It also, unfortunately, created Coldplay and Muse — proof that even brilliant things can leave messy legacies. But while their imitators turned into stadium schmaltz and prog cosplay, The Bends itself remains a wonder. The singles are bulletproof: High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, Street Spirit (Fade Out). Those songs alone could’ve carried most bands for a career. Instead, this record caught Radiohead on the up and out of the Britpop lane even as they accidentally perfected it. It’s the record where Nigel Godrich enters the story, the record that changed Thom Yorke’s vocal after seeing Jeff Buckley and finishing Fake Plastic Trees, Jonny Greenwood flexed and owned, and a generation of soft lads took notes and reinterpreted it badly. Verdict: Essential (it spawned Coldplay and Muse, but somehow stayed amazing while they didn’t) For fans of: Jeff Buckley, Britpop kids with bigger dreams, Coldplay before they discovered confetti cannons
This one is weird for me because I'm aware this is some of Radiohead's arguably weaker stuff (compared to OK Computer and In Rainbows, which usually have more acclaim) but at the same time it's got so many impeccable memorable phenomenal tracks. I'm almost hesitant to rate this a 5. But it's truly wonderful.
Only one of the greatest 90s alternative albums ever. Unlike Radiohead's later fare, this one isn't especially experimental or eclectic - it's just really, really solidly written and played the whole way through.
I have been putting off listening to Radiohead for way too long. This was awesome from back to front. Literally every song was really good, no skips. GREAT guitar throughout, especially on Just. Fake Plastic Trees is incredible. I could go on and on but you get it. By far one of the best albums on here.
This is an amazing album, but one of my favorite things about it is listening and realizing how many great albums we wouldnt have without it. There would be no Showbiz (and by extension, no Muse), no Rush of Blood to the Head etc. I don't think it is quite a 5, but it's enjoyable as hell to listen to and keeps me entertained. EDIT: After considering how much I've enjoyed this over the past few weeks, it's a 5.
I wish all their albums were like this
Love love love.
Great record.
no bad songs, all good songs, radiohead rock 👍 4.9/5 FTW It'll have to be a quick review today due to gig obligations, incredibly consistent album with not a bad track on there, definitely a once a week listen. 4/5 MTW It’s good and I’ve always liked the guy having a gasm on the front I think that’s art. 3.8/5 JF
Best Song: High and Dry I seem to see two camps when it comes to Radiohead, those that love them and those that think they are pretentious. I fall in the former camp. I am not sure if this is their best album when Ok Computer and In Rainbows are on the board, but it is definitely fantastic. 5/5.
You know a band is great when they can release such a quality album and still have it only be - at most - their 4th best album. They really nailed the 90s alt-rock sound, and while I'm glad they moved in different directions in the future, I'm also glad they gave us this. One of the best to do it.
220/1089 - I enjoyed it when I first listened to it, and my enjoyment has grown on every re-listen. Definitely one of my favorite albums. Very interesting song structures and counterpoint, the latter of which seems rare in guitar-based music.
transcendant. running to this at prospect park cured my funk. perfect mix of rock and experimental alt. albums like this are why i love music.
Favorite
Favorites: Street Spirit, Bulletproof, Black Star Least Favorites: Sulk, Just Radiohead at their best.
On its own terms a pretty flawless album, and such a giant leap forwards from the grunge-homage Pablo Honey. If only we could mark out of ten, it could be a 9 to leave room for OK Computer and In Rainbows.
I’ve listened to this a million times, but still listened again. It’s still incredible
Fucking fantastic
My first time hearing this, and it already sounds like a "soundtrack of my life" type album.
A stunningly good pop album that showed they could write hits as well as anyone. There is a hint of the weirdness that will lead to them becoming the adventurous oddballs who recorded Kid A, but this shows they could do straightforward rock better than most
this is already one of my favorite radio head albums so it was very nice to listen to it again. Phenomenal album one of my favorites love the 90s grunge radio head but also the dip into the weirder and moodier side of radio head. highlights all of them i have a couple least favorites like bones and bulletproof but there still good songs. the whole album is fire
I’m loving a lot of tracks on this. Lots of variety in every song, and “Fake Plastic Trees” is probably my favorite. “(Nice Dream)” and “Sulk” are other standout tracks. There’s elements in “(Nice Dream)” that sound like a preview of some later Kid A stuff, and everything here is exemplary of the kind of structure a Radiohead song has.
Incredible album
Perfecto
Great album. I was less familiar with the b sides on this album than any of their other albums after this, so it was a good opportunity to dive in. This feels kind of like the first “real” Radiohead album. Planet Telex, The Bends, High And Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees start the album off with a bang. Other notables have include Just, My Iron Lung, Black Star and Street Spirit(Fade Out). Every song is good and the album is a great straight through listen.
biased as it's radiohead, but man what a record
Their best album
High high 4, you can hear a lot of influences that came out of this
V good :-)
Classic album, with many good hits. A little emo.
No skips, all bangers
Does every Radiohead album need to be on here? I mean, I’m fine with this one being on here, because it’s my favorite, but seriously - every single one? Is it a hot take that this is the best Radiohead album? I think it might be. I know it’s less experimental, less electronic, but what it IS is pure 90s alt rock quality. Every song here is so good, so catchy. The sequence of “The Bends” - “High and Dry” - “Fake Plastic Trees” is one of the best three song sequences in ANY album encountered so far.
Countless listens prior No-skip album 3rd best in Radiohead's discography 5/5 stars
My second favorite Radiohead album after Kid A. While it may be less groundbreaking than a couple of their albums, it has some of their best songwriting in my eyes.