Reviews (page 4 of 14)
I never spent a lot of time with this full album and wow. Another epic production. This could be my favorite Radiohead album.
Best Radiohead album by miles.
And still only the second greatest Radiohead album.
The Bends marked a pivotal moment in Radiohead's evolution from alt-rock newcomers to one of the most influential bands of their generation. The album blends introspective lyrics with soaring guitar work and haunting melodies, showcasing Thom Yorke's emotive vocals and the band's growing sonic ambition. Standout tracks like "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" highlight the band's ability to balance vulnerability with grandeur. The production is crisp, the songwriting is mature, and the emotional depth is undeniable. A five-star classic, The Bends remains a cornerstone of 90s rock and a precursor to the experimental brilliance that would define Radiohead's later work.
Great one
Amazing album. I could listen to this (and OK Computer) on repeat forever. I enjoy 90s Radiohead so much more than their later work.
An exquisite accomplishment. This album somehow manages to feel both frail and soaring, vulnerable and powerful. While I do think there are too many Radiohead albums on this list, Bends most definitely deserves to be on here.
I just listened to this album like 2 weeks ago, but to keep it fair, I played it a whole time again. So now my opinion should be more certain, right? No. Radiohead music as a whole is a great thing to listen to when you have depression, but it definitely isn't a good cure for depression. The album starts kind of innocent, with drunken Planet Telex, bangerous The Bends and masterpieces of a song High and Dry & Fake Plastic Trees. But after that, the sound of the whole album starts to slowly change and by the and of it - lets say I'm glad it is the end. Every song on this album is great, but it just seems to me that the whole album is so well put togther, that it has a real strange effect on me. In the end, I think this is one of the best works from Radiohead discography. I wont be listening to The Bends as a whole thing for some time now, but only because I love it. Favourite songs - Fake Plastic Trees, Black Star, (Nice Dream), The Bends
El álbum me da una extraña sensación con algunas letras. El sonido no es tan novedoso siento yo pero se acoplan muy bien ambos
Easily one of the best albums of all time.
A Beautiful Mellow album
Legendary!!! One of the absolute best!!
One of the bands greatest albums. It's iconic, its solid, its not overly ambitious like much of Radiohead's later work. I really enjoy listening.
Their best for sure. Absolute banging classic, so many top tunes. 6/5... no? fine, 5 then.
It's a five
I love this album
Makes me wish I was 18 back at uni listening to this and all other music for the first time again. Top, maybe 20, album for me I think. Nostalgic yet still fresh.
Never listened to Radiohead before or heard of this album (even I know OK Computer is famous) Loved it, added to my favourites
I've already listened to this album like 5 times before it came up on the list. My favorite Radiohead album by far. I've always loved really mellow, relaxing alt-rock albums and this one is top tier in that regard. Nothing but beautifully written songs with a great atmosphere, perfect for an evening listen like when I usually do these albums.
Søtt og rolig
Perfect
I really liked every song this is somehow the first time I’ve listened to radiohead in my own time. I love 90s indie rock, I’m a british man band hater tho so only 4.7 stars
Loved it!
Surprisingly good all the way through
The goats. Sometimes think this could be their best.
Fine Wine
Radiohead
Best album ever. Bar none Magical
I miss this Radiohead.
5/5
PERFECT 6/5 album, no skip, all bangers, most underrated radiohead album
Listened to many times already but yeah
Glorious. Sounds just as good as it did when I was 17 and it was one of the five CDs I got from Britannia Music Club and listened to it to death. Love it as much as OK Computer
I prefer the later albums where they get double weird, but there's no denying this album slaps. There'd be no Rob Thomas without this album. Thats not like a huge thing, but it's interesting at least
I’ve only listened to Amnesiac and Kid A prior to this one. And those are cool and experimental and vibes, and I think I even gave them both 5 stars. But this is just so much better than those
Banger
9'5/10
One of those few bands that everyone is solid, no weak link. the bends was a great into to this group and great to see them grow (e.g. OK Computer). Their Basement show was great and a real highlight is Thom's Reckoner singing while playing guitar.
My favorite Radiohead record. And possibly one of my favorite records period. A no-skip for me. I enjoy every single song on this album. Yorke's vocals are beautiful and the power of the instrumentation makes it a masterpiece, in my eyes. 10/10 ! fav songs (hard to limit myself to just 2) : Just & My Iron Lung.
I forgot how much I like this album. It's sort of been hidden behind OK Computer, but there's some bits in here that are just incredible.
I love this album and unlike a lot of others in this list where it's better to listen to a few songs at a time, this one is best from beginning to end. "Immerse your soul in love"
My favorite Radiohead album and one of my favorite albums ever. Love the change of pace and mood from song to song, and Fake Plastic Trees is truly a work of art.
5/5
My second favourite Radiohead album. 5 stars
4.5/5
As classic and awesome as a Radiohead album can be. The Bends, High And Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, My Iron Lung and Street Spirit are six of the very greatest songs of the 90s and they’re all on here. It rawks hard, sears beautifully with its ballads and is refreshingly normal on the verge of Oasis and Cast-friendly Britpop with none of the later Radiohead glitch n bleep bloop. Bones boasts my favourite bassline on the album and is an epic lesser cut and even the weakest tracks like Black Star still chime along and hold up incredibly well. No bending it about, this is a stiff, iron clad 5.
I bet you think that's pretty clever Don't you boy?
An all-time classic.
Still holds up
This album resonated deeply with me; the emotion genuinely comes through in the music. Tracks like "High and Dry," "Fake Plastic Trees," and "(Nice Dream)" capture pure melancholy, while others such as "Just" deliver energetic, powerful rock. Truly incredible.
This record is in my personal top three Radiohead records, I think. It is hard to rank their work because I’m such a huge fan. However, The Bends shows such a fun period in the band’s development, from the grunge/alt sounds of Pablo Honey to the more electronic, elaborate, and thematic work that was to come on OK Computer and their subsequent work. The Bends is accessible AND ambitious, with tighter instrumentation overall and the trademark lyrics that somehow are deeply emotional while also being kind of cryptic and sci-fi (Fake Plastic Trees is a prime example of this). This album is just full of essential songs: High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, JUST!!!!, STREEET SPIRITTTT… Essential listening for any fan of indie rock
Love it
Haven't listened to this one in a long time. It's a little bit dated because man, Radiohead really did grow out of this, and like its successor, it's got a bit of seinfeld effect going on given that it's been bitten so much. But in addition to just being a good, it's also a neat transitional point for the band (Thom gets warblier, the fuzz starts to transform, new sounds come in) and a cohesive album. Not as fully realized as OK Computer, but c'mon, look at that bar. It was nice to revisit it. I'm not the teenage thoughtful sad boy anymore, so Radiohead's appeal has diminished outside of the loud-soft stuff I still love, but ya can't fault the classics anyway.
Love: Fake Plastic Trees, Just, Street Spirit, The Bends, High and Dry, Black Star
Great album, home to my fav Radiohead song (just) hadn't listened to it yet and it was great
‘The Bends’ is a straightforward rocker compared to the existential dread of ‘OK Computer’ and the glitchy paranoia and digital despair of ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’. There are hints of what was to come, but ‘The Bends’ is packed with guitars, raw emotion, and stadium-sized bangers. Melodically and thematically, it sounds like nothing else coming out of the mid-90s — rooted in classic rock but wrestling with themes of alienation, insecurity, and the search for meaning in a confusing world. It’s the perfect gateway for Radiohead newbies: familiar enough to hook you, but with the depth that points toward the band’s evolving sound.
Planet Telex: Slow, rough, atmospheric. As a singular song, I'd say it's not their best. But it works great as an album opener. The Bends: A lot of things happening in this one. Really interesting structure, clearly the most ambitious song of the album. Really nice build-up and release of tension, more relief in this one song than there is in many other albums. High And Dry: Very 1990s. Not the most complex composition, but perhaps the most catchy. Fake Plastic Trees: Good song, great lyrics. Melodically a slight bit too uneventful for my taste. Bones: Decent song, but pales a bit compared to other songs on the album. (Nice Dream): Very strong, standout song for me. The contrast between the acoustic and the grungier parts effectively underlines lyrics' meaning. Just: Of these twelve songs, probably the one with the most mainstream appeal. And also a really good, meaningful song. My Iron Lung: A rather hypnotic piece. Immersive, powerful. Immersively claustrophobic. Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was: Not my favourite, but a grower. A bit slow, but surprisingly refreshing in the chorus. Black Star: Strong, very authentic and straightforward. Sulk: Despite the guitar solo, the drums/percussion feel like the star of this track. Decent song overall. Street Spirit: The last song of the album noticeably breaks the flow of the other songs. A lighter, brighter melody. And lyrics that pick up on the themes so far, but ultimately offer a more peaceful and accepting perspective on them. All of the songs are introspective and share themes of a lament of personal stagnation, isolation and the felt futility of action. Compositionally, they flow into one another nicely, making for a very rewarding holistic listening experience. Each song proves perfectly enjoyable on its own (though some more than others), yet this album as a whole is certainly more than just the sum of its parts.
Excellent! Great to listen to.
Elite 4 song run to start
No skips. This album is beautiful.
This album is definitely one of Radiohead’s best. Their penultimate album before Ok Computer and before their style switch to a more electronic sound, this album has so much to offer for people who like the band’s rock material. Songs such the title track and Black Star are standout heavy rockers on the album. The album almost has more soft, reflective moments on it, such as High and Dry, (Nice Dream), Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was, and Street Spirit(Fade Out). Jonny Greenwood’s guitar playing in this album is superb as always, with his echoey guitar riffs filling songs such as Planet Telex. Thom Yorke’s lyrics and vocals are also great, with the lyrics, in typical Radiohead fashion, being cryptic as always. His voice can carry from the heavier sections of the album to the lighter sections, feeling at home in all of the songs. Ed O’Brien backs up his brother on guitar, adding his own riffs throughout the album, and Colin Grrenwood and Phillip Selway complete the band, creating rhythms that hold up the rest of the band. Overall, this album is a standout of 90s Alt. Rock, and one of Radiohead’s best albums.
Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, but I added nearly every song to my library. Excellent musicianship, emotional vocals, without any one song trying to be a pretentious, radio hit.
The first album I ever purchased on vinyl
Perfect.
Fake Plastic Trees is one of my favorite songs, and I can’t believe it took me this long to listen to the entire album.
Gran disco
Their second best album, but still a 5
So many good tracks on this album.
Such a bangin’ album, damn near perfect. This is the album that got me into Radiohead back in high school, so it’s a special one for me.
This is the 6th Radiohead album I have received on this, and I thought 5 seems incredibly excessive. This is the only Radiohead album I ever got in to and ever listened to with any regularity, and on top of it, it's been a really long time since I listened to this. It hit the nostalgia dopamine reservoirs pretty hard in a good way. Listened to this a few times today and loved it. Don't really care for this band much, but I will give this album props.
i like it
Ten/ten
Although I prefer the later era of Radio Head I still liked it. It was a journey.
One of the best albums of the 90’s
Amazing. One of my favorites by Radiohead
to be honest I love when Thom Yorke songs get a little misogynist
I put this album in a very small set of albums that may have absolutely no skippable songs on them. This album is iconic - a bridge between where rock was in 1995 and where it would go. "Fake Plastic Trees" is a perfect song. Honestly, this album and the two that follow are all unassailable.
What a fantastic album!
Love it
Bliss
Another masterpiece
Not their most innovative, but their most raw. Plus an incredible collection of rock songs. Their best album.
The Bends is just a really really good album. Most, if not all of the songs on the album are amazing. I haven’t listened to Pablo Honey, but it’s amazing that Radiohead was able to put out such a banger, and then beat it with their subsequent album. To conclude, I really like this album. The Bends, Just, High and Dry; all of these songs stand out, and are near perfect. I really really like this album, and I honestly believe that it belongs on this list of 1001 albums you should hear before you die. The Brits have another W I guess
This was my first Radiohead album and the one that got me into them back in the day so there's a real nostalgia factor here. I love this album. So many good songs. Everything comes together on this album and sounds really good. I think this is one of Radiohead's less "weird," more approachable albums. Thom's voice is great, the instruments are tight, the lyrics are interesting. Can't ask for much more. I'll go there and say I think this is Radiohead's best album. It's tight, right there with OK Computer, but I think The Bends edges it out in my book. Standouts: "Planet Telex," "The Bends," "Fake Plastic Trees," and "Sulk." This is one of those cases where most songs are standouts, with a couple being ok-ish but still really good. Another absolute banger and another 5 star album.
Great to listen through this album again--imho, the one that first revealed Radiohead's greatness.
Classic. Love the slow songs
Perfekt blanding af guitar-riffs og følsom vokal. Fyldt med episke bangers
• 5/5 • brilliant album - the launching point of the Radiohead sound and a bridge from grunge to the indie rock of the new century • a few outstanding singles (High and Dry, Just, Fake Plastic Trees), and no wasted tracks
Geht hinter den späteren Großtaten etwas unter, mag ich aber immer noch sehr. Viele der rockigen Songs haben wunderbare Krach Ausbrüche.
I tend to forget about this Radiohead album because of how much I enjoy the following 4 albums but it's fantastic from start to finish. Not a bad song on it
Love this album. Listened to this non stop in my early 20’s when I was devouring anything and everything by Radiohead.
Only album fron radiohead that I‘ll admit to loving
Really, really good. I had forgotten how much I liked this album.
Coming off the success of Creep and being a potential one-hit wonder, this album reinvented Radiohead (for the first time) and launched them into the stratosphere as legitimate stars! There is a reason why I’ve listened to this album so many times and it is still in my rotation to this day. It never gets old. Timeless alternative rock at its finest. So many great tracks, and not just the ones with radio time. It is so deep and powerful, but not over pretentious. A true 5 star album!
Love Radiohead! Fake plastic trees, and street spirit were probably my two favorites.
I love this album. It's been a while since I've listened to it in full but it just feels raw and emotional and interesting. Really enjoyed it all the way through.
Amazing album with unique sound. Immediately went to replay after finishing!
Great album
Easy 5.
Not as high tier as OK Comp, Kid A, or In Rainbows but the album you can kind of see where they were moving to. I have always liked Radiohead so I'm pretty biased and enjoyed this album.
5 stars Amazing sophomore album that set them on their way to become legendary. Some of their best songs and not a bad track.
Beautiful opening song but the Bends is the weakest song I feel. Just alright. High and Dry is a 10/10 and the rest of its stayed very strong. Had to have another listen. Very strong 9/10 but I may skip 1 or 2 songs in the future.
Radiohead doing what Radiohead does. This is a great album that is a good introduction piece for any new listener. The instrumental along with Thom Yorke’s singing brings out the emotions I want to feel on my commute to and from work. There’s not a single bad song on this album (nice dreams being the weakest but still holding up.) My Iron Lung has my favorite instrumental, with the guitar in the song giving the song such an edge. My favorite song vocally is Fake Plastic Trees. The lyrics discuss how both parties in a relationship want to be more than who they are, leaving each other discontent with themself. Song hits the feels and that beautiful singing voice feels soothing yet remorseful. Street Spirit is such a great way to end the album off, being an emotional masterpiece that makes feel like I’m floating away. I could give a reason why I like every song on this album but I want to go to bed. 100/10 And ok computer and In Rainbows are also fantastic. They need no comparison as they’re all great.
So much tension and emotion on this album like most Radiohead albums. The sound stays incredible varied The Bends is some of the best work from one of the best bands to ever do it
Clearly deserving of this list. An album that really has no equal and, despite some very 90s calling cards (the guitar tones on “Black Star”) I’m still enthused at the opportunity to play this album now, 30 years later.
Still holds up. Not a lot of the same sound of later Radiohead but the foundations are there and it’s just as good in its own way.
I hadn’t heard this album until after college when I picked up the CD at a used store. I had always liked Creep, but never explored much further. If I had would have my musical trajectory changed? Radiohead can easily defined as two bands (maybe even three): the Bends and before; the OK Computer and after; and maybe A Moon Shaped Pool forward. But his album was the height of the era and easily one of the best albums of the post-Grunge Alt movement. There are so many great songs in here: Planet Latex; The Bends; Fake Plastic Trees; Street Spirit; etc.The entire album is so cohesive. Listening in retrospect, there is an obvious movement into Radiohead 2.0, which makes me think it was either more planned or inevitable than previously known. This is definitely on my list of Must Listens.
Random thoughts: - this is definitely the 2nd best Radiohead album after Kid A. - this whole album has great tracks. Fake Plastic Trees is just ok in my opinion, still a good track, and that might be one of the weaker tracks on this album. That’s how loaded this album is - did anyone ever parody “the bends”? Would be perfect for “my baby ‘s got Depends”. Dad joke. :) - High and Dry and Just are my favorite cuts here - Radiohead is not happy and “fun” music. It’s kinda downer/anxiety music. But still somehow so good.
5/5 nothing else to be said
So good. Not my favourite by them. But still they are one of my favorite bands.
One of the most well sequenced albums in my opinion, weirdly structured, it always goes singly track, slightly weirder track, slower track. My favourite track is my iron lung, street spirit is an undeniable classic too. And I’ve always had a soft spot for blackstar. 5/5
Emily's Choice
classic
Radiohead is love. One of my favourite albums. Best songs: Bones, Just
Amazing album 10/10
The only track that loses me a bit is Bulletproof…I Wish I Was. An absolute monument to the existential dread lurking within all the progress and convenience of modern society. It’s an album to feel absolutely awful to.
This album was an escape for me.
One of my top ten albums of this entire list.
My favorite Radiohead album of them all. After their first album with the wonderful Creep + lots of fillers and before they went crazily electronic this album had not a dud song on it. Brilliant videos and amazing lyrics and tunes. Great album
Undeniably great album. At times it's too emotional for me—especially High and Dry and Fake Plastic Trees. At that same time, that emotionalism is sometimes exactly what I need. But the whole album is great and fairly diverse. The best Radiohead is still In Rainbows, but The Bends is considered great for a reason.
Maybe my favourite Radiohead record? Certainly hits the sweet spot between artistic merit and actual tunes.
What sophomore slump?
This is where Radiohead get out from under the long shadow of Creep and prove they’re than a grunge/shoegaze crossover band. They get their escape and more. It’s not that they’ve abandoned guitar focused rock entirely, just that they do so much more than that. Thom Yorker’s lyrics are truly inventive, by turns vulnerable and cynical. From now on this band is impossible to dismiss but a true force to be reckoned with.
Obsessed
Banger
The Best!
Depressing, melodic, memorable, simple and accessible yet with flashes of complexity that will shape their later work, this is a brilliant album that never gets boring. It’s five stars all the way for the memories it evokes, for the statement of intent it sounded, and it’s a memory untainted by what happened afterwards - no sell out, integrity intact, musical virtuosity and potential evident here was fulfilled. Excellent.
My favourite album from the band
One of their best
peak
10/10. The cover art is hilarious.
As far as a band’s catalogue goes, this is a “classic”. Whining and thrashing guitars, lyrics for days and composition that is a glimpse of projects to come, both within and outside the band itself. A solid listen that really never grows old.
3rd Radiohead album on this list and think this might be my favorite
GOAT alert 10/10
Guitars Gasping for Air.This is the sound of losing your innocence and gaining self-awareness in the most sonically gorgeous way possible.Every chord is a crisis. Every lyric is a subtle scream into a satin pillow of reverb.
Magic. If I've learned anything so far in this its that I should have been listening to Radiohead a long time ago.
A perfect record.
I'm not a Radiohead diehard but they're influential for a reason.
It’s not Radiohead’s most ambitious album, but it might have their best tunes.
The perfect vibes for a walking music playlist!
This is one of my favourite albums. I actually listened to it twice yesterday.
Molt xulu
Fantastic album. Definite throwback. My Iron Lung FIRE!
Already listened 🙏… loved it… amazing album
Incredible. Thanks
This was great. The music is atmospheric but is not meandering and the album feels epic yet approachable. The melodies are strong (especially "high and dry" which was stuck in my head afterwards) and the guitar parts rip. I think I'm starting to see why people love Radiohead so much. I will definitely be adding this one to my library. Favorite tracks: Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry, Nice Dreams
Classic, every song amazing.
I can’t be objective. I’m a Radiohead Stan. I will say that, Pablo Honey aside, this is probably their weakest of their albums through King of Limbs. It is pretty straightforward compared to later works, but I love it.
honestly just shuffle the album and vibe
Excellent and consistent album full of stunning alternative rock classics from the 90s. Not as iconic as Ok Computer but doesn't have to be. Not one sub par song on this album!
YOU DO IT TO YOURSELF YOU DO
I really regret that I didn't get more into Radiohead back then
I enjoyed this way more than I expected. It's angsty, sometimes chaotic, and most of the songs swing between melancholy and aggressive, all of which are things that I love. Highlights were Just, My Iron Lung and Fake Plastic Trees, but the whole album is very consistent.
One of my favourites
The Bends is where Radiohead truly found their voice. While Pablo Honey hinted at their potential, this follow-up throws off the post-grunge tag entirely and embraces something far more expansive and emotionally resonant. The album walks a perfect line between raw guitar-driven power and delicate introspection, with Thom Yorke’s voice shifting effortlessly between wounded vulnerability and explosive frustration. It’s packed with unforgettable moments—Fake Plastic Trees aches with fragile beauty, Street Spirit (Fade Out) closes the album with haunting grace, and High and Dry delivers one of the most perfect sad-pop melodies of the '90s. But it’s not all melancholy—Just is pure chaos bottled up in a four-minute track, with spiraling guitars and a frantic energy that still sounds electrifying. Bones, too, is a hidden gem: gritty, compact, and full of grit and anxiety, offering a jolt of urgency in the album’s midsection. Even the deeper cuts (Bullet Proof..., Black Star) are layered and thoughtful, never filler. There's a confidence running through every track that shows just how quickly the band was evolving, pushing themselves into deeper emotional and musical territory. The production is big and bold without being overbearing, and the songs are sequenced so well that the album flows effortlessly from start to finish. The Bends feels like the moment Radiohead fully stepped into their greatness, laying the groundwork for everything to come. It’s one of those rare albums where every track holds weight, and if 5 stars is the limit, this one’s pressing hard against it.
Love Radiohead. Very thoughtful sounding album
Arguably the greatest rock album of the 90s track for track.
wo war ich nur in den 90ern? habe radiohead als name gekannt, auch einige songs - aber dieses tolle album habe ich verpasst, schade! umso besser ist es bei 1001 dabei. gefälliger rock mit melodie und anleihen von grunge.
Me esperaba nada, porque Radiohead me da mucha pereza, pero está lleno de bangers.
1. Just 2. My Iron Lung 3. Fake Plastic Trees 4. Street Spirit (Fade Out) 5. Planet Telex 6. The Bends 7. Black Star 8. (Nice Dream) 9. Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was 10. High And Dry 11. Sulk 12. Bones
this is such a silly but amazing first album to get. listened to in rainbows all the way through the other night and have been listening to so much radiohead in general recently so this is really exciting (even though i’ve already listened to the bends all the way through multiple times)
10/10 no notes
This is one of the best albums ever released.
имба.
Pablo Honey, Radiohead’s freshman album was an OK album with a smash hit. The leap the band made to their sophomore album was unbelievable. What a masterpiece. This album solidified their place a band
Ummmmmm…..5?
Good timing. Radiohead have just created a new LLP so the rumour mill is rife that they're touring again this year or maybe even a new album? Also I went to see this covers band with a string quartet at the cathedral on Friday and they absolutely blew me away. Although I think they only played 1 song from The Bends, they closed with Fake Plastic Trees. More words written about this and 2 other Radiohead albums than contained within 100 libraries so I will just say I still love it, and it's all wrapped up with hearing at an impressionable age, so nostalgia decrees it be my favourite, this or In Rainbows, depending on the day of the week.
I had no idea I liked Radiohead this much. These songs are great. Big and bombastic but still personal. Arena rock that is simultaneously heady. Great great production.
Awesome album start to finish.
Radiohead is one of my favorite bands and I have listened to this album probably >100 times so I'm obviously biased but it's hard to not give this album 5/5. Part of it is nostalgia, as I remember listening to this dozens of times with friends in high school, and part of it is a genuine love of Radiohead. This is one of my all time top albums from one of my top bands.
fantastic album
I was not sold on the debut album Pablo Honey, thought that Creep was a cliched effort with overly crunchy guitars and angsty lyrics. The Bends dispelled my dim view of Radiohead and I've been on board ever since. This is a great album, and incredible to think this was just their second release. It's complex in an era where alternative music just wasn't this experimental. There's enough hits here for 3 albums crammed into one. Finishing with Street Spirit is icing on the cake.
In hindsight The Bends was clearly a sign of what was to come, Radiohead becoming the best band on the planet. The 3 guitar attack, mixed with soaring climaxes, soul crashing melodies lifted them above the rest of the alt-grunge music of the time. Fake Plastic Trees is one of the best ballads ever, Just is one of the best guitar songs ever, Street Spirit is one of the most beautiful melodies ever written… until their wrote their next album…. 9.3/10
Baby i get the bends
I bet you think that's pretty clever, don't you, boy?
the first hints of genius to come
The best
Been waiting for this one. :) Part of my regular rotation, one of my favorite Radiohead albums (sits just below OK Computer in my book).
0 skip album
The endless debate of The Bends or Kid A is long argued and I will not rehash it here, I will only say that The bends is one of the best albums of all time, which is more than I can say about some of the albums on this list
Listened: 10/03/2025 Album no: 32 % rating: 83% Fave song: Fake Plastic Trees I absolutely fucking love Radiohead. I have listened to this album so many times over the years and I’m sure I’ll listen to it more. Not my favourite by them, but still up there. Yep, no notes. Phenomenal. 👏👏👏👏
classic
One of the best album ever recorded.
One of the greatest sophomore albums of all time.
Another album I have on vinyl! To make an album this good and it only be your 3/4th best is insane
I grew up on this album
why only 5 stars? This album makes me want to go back through my history and downgrade everything else
This was easily a lot better than the previous Radiohead album. Or at least this felt more cohesive, direct, and had just plain good rock music. The thing I liked most about this album was the balance between the upbeat, heavy-guitar rock jams and the slower ballads. Throughout I thought the guitar instrumentals were top notch, especially on the songs Just, My Iron Lung and my favorite song from this album - the last one - Street Spirit. Street Spirit is such a banger: from the opening instrumental to the haunting vocals from Thom (If you want a laugh, listen to Ali in the Jungle by The Hours and tell me that it doesn't sound eerily similar in the beginning). The back-to-back between Just/Iron Lung was kickass and up my alley. In that same vein, Planet Telex was an awesome opening song. High and Dry was my favorite of the more subdue/slower songs. Fake Plastic Trees and (Nice Dream) grew on me after repeated listens. There was something about both songs that made me feel a mix of emotions while listening to them. Great album and one I'll be returning to again in the future. 5 stars
Among the Radiohead albums I've been exposed, this has probably the most straight-forward alt/indie-rock soul. It is interesting to view this in the context of its release on the heels of Pablo Honey and their mega-hit "Creep." While I haven't listened to PH much (for reasons...), this album is a marked change in sonic and artistic direction. Instead of trying to reproduce "Creep" and cash in on the radio momentum, they re-tooled and headed in a more overtly artistic direction. I'm a little surprised that radio didn't swoon around "High and Dry" to the same extent as "Creep," but I'm no expert of the record industry of that time. While this doesn't rank among my favorite in Radiohead's discography, it holds plenty of appeal. Planet Telex is a fantastic opener: love the echoed out keys and subtly distorted vocals that set the stage for all to come. High and Dry into Fake Plastic Trees is a one-two punch of stripped down pretty balladry. High and Dry is among my favorites here, but I do love the dynamics at play on Fake Plastic Trees (largely carried by Yorke's vocals). Speaking of one-two punches Just > My Iron Lung is equally effective and yet the exact antithesis tonally. Just is like slow-grunge with wonderful guitar work and My Iron Lung has Radiohead turning up to their highest levels of angst and distortion -- love it. Other standouts for me include Bones, which strays closer to Pixies territory with _punkish_ angst and bass. I've also got a soft spot for Black Star - just a pretty song and the chorus grabs me. Closing track Street Spirit is a fantastic way to end a record. The guitar work reminds me a bit of Metallica's Call of Ktulu and I find the whole thing to be spooky and beautiful. All said this is on the low side of 5 for me. Super enjoyable listen, every time, but within the Radiohead discog I don't find myself gravitating towards it as often.
The Bends is def the most Brit-Rock album and one that helped get me into Radiohead, but over the years have always skewed towards the weirder, electronic, and artsy stuff. Listening to this again is bringing me back though. Planet Telex is an excellent opener, and The Bends brings some heat. Honestly have never been able to get into High and Dry ever. It's not a bad song it's just never ever something I seek out when wanting to listen to Radiohead. Funny cuz I could probably say the same thing about Fake Plastic Trees but this song has so much damn heart. Incredible song. Nice Dream--> Just--> Iron Lung is an insane run of songs. All deserve to be in top tier of Radiohead songs. Honestly came into this one fully expecting to give it a 4 and yet again fell in love with it. Gotta respect every album just sounding different. Probably on my lower end of a 5 but I don't have a tattoo of them for nothin'.
Brilliant. So good
Came out of the gate with The Bends! Was already one of my favorite albums and another listen solidified that. Top 3: Just My Iron lung The Bends Song I appreciate more: Black Star 10/10
What can I say? This album is full of bangers. No skips necessary. Radiohead just know how to write songs. Thom Yorke's voice is just *Chefs Kiss* and the musical arrangements just hit the spot.
ALBUMAZO, not the best tho
not as good as what came next but the cover is what i look like during the runtime of the album. also wdym that this was released on my birthday 5/5
Probably a 4.5 to me because it isn’t as high in my list as other Radiohead albums but I’m gonna round it up because I still love it. A mix of mellow classics and some good ol’ rocks songs.
Nothing more really needs to be said about this record. Hard to review a perfect album
I do not have an objective opinion of this record. The Bends (and OK Computer) informed the majority of my musical taste in the mid/late 90's. Basically a flawless record that made you wonder where they could possibly go from here. But oh, just wait…. Highlight: Black Star & Street Sprit (Fade Out) Lowlight: Planet Telex
What an unreal album. Never been their biggest fan but this is a 10/10
Pioneering 90s album in reinventing brit pop with grunge and shoegaze. Classic.
It's always impressed me how quickly Radiohead improved after their rubbish debut, Pablo Honey. The Bends takes a far more introspective approach, and with songs that actually feel like they come from a genuine place.
Awesome album
A band's sophomore effort says a lot about their staying power. Pablo Honey was a promising start, but the jump from their debut to the bends is staggering. I have to rate this 5 stars even though the follow-up, OK Computer, is even better. I guess this is why a 5 star rating system is stupid huh?
I don't reach for this album as often as OK Computer or In Rainbows, but it is of the same caliber.
Oh guitar based Radiohead, how i miss you!! The bad first....Sulk...Bulletproof Everything else is pretty perfect. Bones, Black Star surely could have been singles as well as the rest. Exceptional lyrics 'I used to fly like Peter Pan' gets me every time, even when I was young. And obvs Jonny Greenwood's guitar. Probably 9.5/10 in reality
I always used to like this album but I came into this a little bit sceptical. As to whether it would’ve stood up over the course of time especially in light on the fan love for their later body of work. it did. The Bends is a very consistent album all the way through, relatively accessible, with some fabulous high points. It would be remiss if me if I weren’t to give it five stars
SPOILERS still my favorite radiohead album END SPOILERS
Great band and album. Fake plastic tree one of my favorite songs!
Always a bop. Black Star is still my favorite Radiohead song
Enjoyed every moment of it.
one of those bands I know very well but never properly got into despite trying to multiple times. The bends is standout their best album in my opinion. Mostly because it edges closer to the type of indie rock i prefer than say, Ok Computer. This album has a plethora of great songs. I own it digitally, but really should own it physically
11/10. Is currently by favorite of theirs, love the raw guitar energy.
A complete record by a complete band. These will never not amaze me at how consistently excellent and innovative they are. Superb from start to finish. Even if a decade and a half on I still felt a punch in my stomach hearing High and Dry - remember listening to this a lot after getting binned off
For me, the best Radiohead album we've had so far. I think a couple of tracks on ok computer are stronger than some of the tracks here, but as a whole this album is better. Fake plastic trees reminds me of a certain trip I had a long time ago! Highlights: Planet telex The bends High and dry Fake plastic trees Just Street spirit 4.5 Highlights:
In the conversation for one of my favourite albums ever. Power and beauty.
An exceptionally good record, not a bad song. I still think it is their best album, but only marginally better than 'OK Computer' though. Highlights are 'Just', 'High and Dry' and 'Fake Plastic Trees'. This has a special place in my heart, as it was a 'British' album which wasn't 'Pop'. It is my go to Radiohead album when I'm in that sort of cheery mood.
This one is one of my favorites of all time. I was late to the Radiohead party. I really only started listening to music in 2001, the year I graduated high school and started college. My first Radiohead experience was Kid A/Amnesiac… then I went back and listened to everything. The Bends became my favorite album at the time. Hail to the Thief was the first Radiohead CD I bought new.
Typisches Radiohead. Fands am Anfang kacke aber mit der Zeit immer besser und mittlerweile echt nice. Klingt etwas ruhig-flehend à la No Surprises aber als würde gleich jemand ausbrechen.
An all time classic
I think that this is the first Radiohead album that's really knocked it out of the park for me. I've sort of held off on listening to their albums since they weren't on Spotify for a while, but have been looking forward to them. This one is just amazing. Automatic 5. Love the vocal vibrato throughout the album; just doesn't get old.
Great album, I love how high he can sing
Have loved this album ever since I first listened to it as a moody 15 year old looking to branch out from the emo / screamo / hardcore bands I was listening to. Favourite Tracks: My Iron Lung, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream) Least Fav Track: ?? unsure I have one
midpoint between radiohead being a guitar rock band to avant-garde atmospheric stuff. perfection. Favorite track: just other picks: high and dry, fake plastic trees, black star
This is my 8th favorite Radiohead album and it's still a 5/5
I love this album, probably my favourite Radiohead album. Note a popular opinion I know, but I found some later stuff to just be so jittery.
AHHHH ONE OF MY FAVS
I have no listening notes; this album has an amazing sound and the more time you invest in it, the more rewarding it is. It really is a great album with amazing songs on it. 10/10 or 5/5 but I still need to go back and listen to it a couple more times.
I'm not a big fan of Radiohead, but this album is perfect. It's lush, melancholic, and gorgeous. It makes me yurn for the 90s when I was a 20-something college kid. Loved this.
Nice album it was better than the other ones I had, maybe it will change my idea about Radiohead and revisit their other albums
“The Bends” is a defining album of the ’90s, and for someone born in 1985, it hits a nostalgic sweet spot. Yes, I was 9 when it came out but found Radiohead in my teens, and with each new album fell in love with the band again and again for how new and innovative their sound was. Thom Yorke’s vocals on tracks like “Fake Plastic Trees” and “High and Dry” are spectacular and the rawness of “Just” has one slapping the ever-rock-fucking hell out of their steering wheel. Bend me, Mr. Yorke.
Revisiting this album today in the wake of their epic about-face into electronic music that is now their definitive sound, their first two records (and half of the third Ok Computer) leading up to Kid A feel like anomalies in their discography — almost functioning like demos and earlier incarnations for any other band. But Radiohead was an excellent alterntaive band, and their first three records produced their megahits and are to this day their most streamed albums by a shockingly wide margin. It’s clear and well known that their foray into electronic music turned off a huge swath of their original fanbase. They synthesized many aspects of the genres of the era and tinged it with their enjoyable pretentious stance. This is my favorite of their alt rock releases, and really demonstrates the musicianship and budding experimental and textural nature of their band members. I absolutely love Johnny Greenwood, and his dynamic with Thom reminds me of the dynamic between Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, a true creative partnership divided along the lyric/music divide that makes up songwriting. The brother dynamic between Johnny and Colin surely provided cohesion that, paired with Phil Selway’s precise unassuming drumming make for a band that moves as one. And of course their longtime producer Nigel Godrich is basically the band’s sixth member, a huge propelling force behind their dedication to experimentation. The bipolar nature of their output over their first decade of music making taken together lays-bare an incredible commitment to evolution as a core facet of their dna; Radiohead is a band that always sounds like they’re searching for a new identity with each and every song they create — a manic precocious teen in a dressing room never fully satisfied with what they see in the mirror but resoundingly self-assured in their identity. Kid A turned me into a Radiohead-head. In my eyes they can do no wrong, and they have crafted some of my favorite songs and albums that sit firmly in the catalog of music I continuously return to over and over again. I’ve invested so much emotional energy and life memories into their music and this album is no exception. They’ve soundtracked many tumultuous growth periods in my life, in no small part due to the fact that they are neurotic and melancholic and tragic to their core, especially with a fearless leader as nuanced and idiosyncratic as Thom. The future band they will become can be heard in these songs, but it’s buried under the stylistic forces that defined the era. And that’s not a bad thing. In hindsight it’s apparent that their most popular music on their first three albums, this one included, showcase an immensely talented band not quite sure who they want to be, all the while producing groundbreaking music with mass appeal that afforded them the time and space to explore uncharted territory, ultimately opening up new frontiers for countless bands in their wake to further explore.
Brilliant album. So many good tracks. It may not be as sophisticated as OK Computer or Kid A but if Radiohead hadn't released those this album would be held up higher as one of the great albums.
Easily one of the best records of all time. And it's like the third it forth best Radiohead record. The opener and the coser of this record are maybe in the top 1001 SONGS ever written. Many bands have a sophomore slump, The Bends is so much better than their first record that Radiohead reputation was sealed right here. This is one of the easiest 5 out of 5 records on this list.
Still a great album.
4.5/5 Cracker of an album. A massive departure from their first album, which lacks any hint of what the band would eventually become. Impossible not to be moved by Yorke's lyrics and delivery, especially on tracks High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees.
Easiest 5 stars so far! One of my all time favourite albums I just love it. Still sounds brilliant every time I put it on, which is quite often.
Amazeballs
It’s Radiohead.
The guitars are loud and emotional, but there’s softness in the way it all comes together. It feels like something Jeff Buckley would vibe with, but rougher around the edges. Every track sounds like it’s fighting to break free.
A classic album. You can hear them creating the sound that became their signature on albums like OK Computer or Kid A. First half feels very contemporary to the time it was made and the second half points to a new direction. This album has so much heart and soul. Great songwriters.
the later "a little too full of themselves" albums are good but this one hits the sweet spot for me
This album takes the more straight forward rock of Pablo Honey and greatly expands on it with better song writing and lusher instrumentals. I sometimes wish Radiohead would return to this style of music because there are some all time bangers on this album such as Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit. I also think Nice Dream may be the most underrated Radiohead song. Just is also a banger. For those who don't know My Iron Lung is about their song Creep and how people were calling them 1 hit wonders High 5
The thing about this exercise is that I’m always going to be more warmly disposed to albums I know well. Still love this as much as I did in the mid 90s.
Wow, 2 Radiohead albums in a row… wish I had more to help recover from shit like Pink Floyd
One of the greatest albums ever, can't not be a 5*
Top 20 albums of all time for me.
Great
Mind blowing and just fucking awesome
Outstanding, a band at the height of their powers.
Classic!!! First time listening in a while. So many incredible songs throughout the album!
Fabulous, baby's got the bends!!!
I love this album with all my depressive and rocker heart, ears and soul... Another masterpiece by Radiohead...
So, being a Radiohead fan I knew this was going to be good. I know from mostly OK Computer forward. I had never really gone to anything before OK Computer, but I did know a lot of these songs just from listening to Radiohead on Spotify and owning a greatest hits album. I’m mad now that I hadn’t gone to it earlier because damn, this is amazing. You can tell the effect this album in particular had on bands like Muse, and to a lesser extent Coldplay.
you can really tell that Radiohead had found their sound with this alblum as they moved away from the Grunge of Pablo Honey into what is now the quintessential Radiohead Sound which would provide the platform for their future albums to explore from
This album is so good. I really love OK Computer, but honestly The Bends might be my favorite Radiohead album. It starts off so strong with "Planet Telex," "The Bends," "High and Dry," and "Fake Plastic Trees," which are honestly the best songs on the album, but it doesn't let up after that. While it's one of their more accessible albums, that doesn't make it lesser by any means. Definitely one of the best albums of the 90s.
IMOH, their best. The sophomore effort that sounds like a raw debut. Perfection.
I've listened to a bunch of Radiohead albums, both in life and for this project, and I swear to god nearly everything they have released in the past 25 years is the emperor's new music. People rave about how deep and meaningful and boundary pushing and blah blah blah, but I just don't get it. The tunes are forgettable, the lyrics obtuse, the electronic beats don't move me, and the random washes of sound don't light me fire. Most of their albums are forgettable soundscapes. But The Bends is the real deal and one of the dual cornerstones of their career (along with OK Computer) that established their reputation. Radiohead were only momentarily a really great rock band; The Bends and OK Computer are (truth be told) their only two great albums. I thought Creep was a great song when it came out, but there was nothing else on Pablo Honey that even approached it in quality. Most of it was try-hard pretention that just didn't get where it needed to go. And then came this record. I actually think, pound for pound, it is a better album than OK Computer; a bit more direct, a bit less pretentious, and a more consistency rockin' and high-quality record. OK Computer suffers from Fitter Happier (which everyone agrees is filler rubbish) and Electioneering (which is OK, but is a little out of place on that record). I was surprised to read that this was recorded in a variety of locations and settings. It doesn't sound that disjointed. You can hear that the band have come off a few years of heavy touring; they are a tight, focused and powerful band at this point. They all know their jobs, and they get to it without too much extraneous mucking about. And the songs are great; good tunes, good arrangements, lyrics you can listen to without feeling stupid. Fake Plastic Trees is used as the literal example of what Cher Horowitz describes as "complaint rock" in Clueless. And I remember my mate Peter commenting at the time (in reference to Radiohead) that it hadn't taken grunge very long to turn into Pink Floyd. But they are a smart, powerful, guitar-based rock band, and they are really good at it. Sadly, they completely gave up on guitar rock after OK Computer, so The Bends is really only a momentary aberration in their catalogue. I love it and enjoyed listening to it again, and it has me wishing they would go back to producing this kind of music. I think a lot of their other fans also secretly wish they would, too. 4.5 stars.
Because of "Pablo Honey" I've avoided Radiohead for a long time. Only to discover years later that so much that came out after their debut is simply great. And so is "the bends" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I listened to The Bends a couple of days ago, weirdly enough, nice coincidence from the randomiser. I still listened to it again because it's a belter - Radiohead moved on a lot from the grungier Pablo Honey, with a mixture of anthemic indie rock and more tender ballads. Thom's Jeff Buckley-inspired falsetto marked his transition to the frontman of the world's greatest rock band, and Jonny Greenwood's guitar playing is awesome. Although it's not as chin-strokingly intriguing as Kid A / Amnesiac and some of their later work, it was still massively influential on the wave of UK 'sad indie' that followed the Britpop era, and sounds incredibly fresh to this day. Another plus point for The Bends is that every song is a belter - there's no skip here, which even some of Radiohead's other albums do have. I could listen to any random track of this album and love it every time. Although it's my 4th favourite Radiohead album after OK Computer, Kid A and In Rainbows, it's still basically perfect. Just goes to show how good they are, I guess.
This dates me big time, but I remember hearing this album while I was looking for something else at tower records and going up to the booth to ask what this was so I could buy the CD. 5/5
Classic. Everything is good.
Classic
This one really tests my ability to put nostalgia aside, and the basis I have been rating some albums on. Radiohead are my favorite band, and this album was my entry point to them as a 13 year old, so holds a special place in my music journey. For that reason it's really difficult to be objective about how good it is. I've also tried to limit my 5s to the best of the best, and there are some great albums I've given a 4 because they aren't the artist's best album. I've tried to leave myself room to differentiate only their very best works as a 5. The Bends is probably my 4th or 5th favorite Radiohead album (my exact ranking changes depending on my mood), but try as I might to take an objective and strict perspective it's still a 5 star album. There isn't a weak track. Thom Yorke's vocals are probably the best they've ever sounded, and Jonny Greenwood's trademark crunching guitar still does funny things to me all these years later.
Incredible
pas mal pour bosser 5/5
Second favorite Radiohead album, so good. Probably the best example of a band shaking one-hit-wonder status while simultaneously avoiding the sophomore slump.
The album that made me a radio head fan… No skips
Masterpiece! I like the music and the voice. One of my favorite albums.
Está banda es única para mí. Vocalmente es excepcional, y el estilo de la banda tiene su propia firma y es genial.
Opens with a lush scope and very distinctive style. Inspired Coldplay and many others. Beautiful songs. Tom Yorks voice is lovely. Floaty rock. Filled to the brim with good stuff.
I was prepared to hate this. Creep has always somewhat annoyed me. But this came out of nowhere and slapped me. Love love.
already heard, but I really like pretty much every song. much more 90s rock-focused that future releases, and therefore meant that the band were confined to the instruments they played (e.g. limited additional instruments, synths, etc.) no real downsides at all, besides some parts songs sounding like either nirvana clones or that they could be on Pablo Honey. Favorite songs: first 4 songs, just and black star overall around 9/10
The best Radiohead album
Day 3 and already my second Radiohead album. And what a departure it is compared to the latter released Kid A. The Bends is a much more straightforward dose of Brit-infused alternative rock. With that said, there are some true bangers on here. With The Bends, Radiohead takes the arena-sized riffs of U2, but sizes them down to a more intimate level using simple chord based rhythm guitar riffs underlying the Edge-inspired riffs. In hindsight, it’s hard to argue that The Bends isn’t Radiohead’s most influential album, with songs like High and Dry, Just, and Fake Plastic Trees making a lasting influence on British rock in the following decade.
a PERFECT album.. wish I could give it 10 stars
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.
You would think this album would leave you High and Dry with The Bends on Planet Telex, but you would be mistaken. This was Just a (Nice Dream) instead.
It's the best one. Although it's also the most Brexit Radiohead album, so I think I'm starting to get even more sharp a gauge on The Creator.
cool beans
Yayyy!
Cornerstone album for me. Right time, right place. The start of an incredible run which defined a generation of alternative music.
Fav song: Street Spirit (Fade Out) I feel like I should preface this by saying that Radiohead are my favourite band. The Bends isn't my favourite album by them but it is still one of the all times greats of the 90's and a fantastic example of a band that only gets better over time (I don't really like their first album at all). I really love how you can hear the development of the way they write their songs with songs like Street Spirit, Bullet Proof and all the slower tunes more sombre tunes and then going to listen to OK Computer, it feels like such a natural progression. I LOVE this band.
Bom, mas tem que estar no clima pra ouvir haha
always loved this one, another easy 5
Hoy vamos con la segunda recomendación de éste reto sobre Radiohead. La vez anterior fue con "Hail to the thief" y ahora, "The Bends". ¿Qué decir de esta banda para no ser repetitivo? Tal vez que la pregunta quede abierta dice mucho más, porque nos abre a un universo de interrogantes, de dudas, de querer develar el secreto. Hasta mañana
Another day another Radiohead project, eh? Whilst this and Pablo Honey are somewhat cut off from the rest of the band’s discography you can hear that they are no normal indie rock band on this record. What an opener Planet Telex is and what a wonderful album it is in general
I’ve never consciously listened to a Radiohead album (before this group). This really is quite a great album. I liked it a lot.
We've now had as many Radiohead albums as we have had albums by female solo/majority artists. And one more than albums by non-white artists. Still, it's The Bends.
Vlassic
Been quite a long time since I have listened to this album. Really great stuff.
The 2nd album is always the hardest right? Well, if that’s the case they worked their socks off to make this one of the finest pieces of music ever..proper day stopper for me listening to this album, obviously the singles released speak for themselves but after not hearing some of the album tracks for a while they are all combine to make a sublime collection of music that will always hold up well. It’s a FIVE from me.
At the time overlooked by critics, this is a fantastic album by Thom Yorke and his friends. A real evolution from Pablo Honey. I was going to give it 4 stars, but upon listening to it again and again, it's up to 4.5, so rounding up to a 5. I just really do not like Black Star, it sounds shrill to me.
Radiohead can be in my head on stressful days…
When this album came out, I was worried that Radiohead would fall into the infamous sophmore slump that many bands do on their second album. Their debut was excellent, so I went into this album a bit weary. Turns out, this is a great album, far better than Pablo Honey in my opinion and set that stage for their best album, OK Computer a couple years later. Highlight songs: (Nice Dream) My Iron Lung Fake Plastic Trees 5/5
Not me ugly sing-crying to Fake Plastic Trees in my car on the way to work.
No private Spotify session needed, listened to this album tons and its lying around here somewhere. Radiohead has a lot of great albums, sometimes I am convinced this is their best. This is when they were just rocking, not getting experimental and I love it.
This and OK Computer are the only two Radiohead albums I truly love. The little flute sound towards the end of the song The Bends is one of my favorite pieces of music ever.
Excellent all the way through, so many lasting hits. Intense, nostalgic, and throbbing like an open wound.
Full disclosure - I've already listened to Radiohead's entire discography before this journey. When I checked the list of Albums to Listen to Before You Die, I was not surprised that over half of their albums were included across all editions, starting with their second album. Building on the success of Pablo Honey, the band further collaborated and refined their alternative rock sound with a greater emphasis on songwriting. The result of those sessions was The Bends, an amazing album. The Bends eases in from the get-go with "Planet Telex" with the whoosh of the processed drum loop into the layered guitars, accented percussion, and Thom Yorke's expressive delivery. That sense of vivid experimentation carries throughout the rest of The Bends, where Ed O'Brien's various effects compliment Jonny Greenwood's lead guitarwork, and the rhythm section of Colin Greenwood and Philip Selway provide the necessary grounding and driving force. All the while, the words coming out of Thom's mouth tend to use striking imagery to illicit certain emotions, whether it's the dread of plastic products and what consumerism does to people on "Fake Plastic Trees", the angst of the remarks at someone else while doubting oneself on "Just", or the quiet worry of being left behind on "High and Dry." It may not be the most profound songwriting out there but it gets the job done and carries the mood through to the solemn closer that is "Street Spirit (Fade Out)". I genuinely enjoyed The Bends front to back and highly recommend it. I know that Radiohead will continue to experiment with OK Computer onward, but this album is where the band found their sound.
Amazing debut album. Creative guitar effects that help lend the album a feeling of angst and confusion. Spicier chords than similar albums of the time period. The interaction between the vocals and the band couldn’t be anymore perfect.