The Bends

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.

Great!

Fav: (Nice Dream) Least Fav: Bones This is one of those albums that’s pretty much perfect, a favourite of mine

Masterpiece Baby got the bends!!!!

arguably one of radiohead's best albums. compared to their more known and darker tracks, this album is easier to listen to. this sort of jangle actually makes this album sound even greater; while some people may be hesitant, despite the less grimy sound, it's still emotional and elegant to the point of me being obsessed. it's a great album.

I guess I like Radiohead in large doses too

Very easily a 5-star album. Interesting that the top played tracks are "High and Dry" and "Fake Plastic Trees" - those tracks are good but for me they are not the best, maybe because they were overplayed. I prefer so many others: Planet Telex, The Bends, Nice Dream, Just, My Iron Lung, Sulk, Street Spirit. I recall reading an article back in those days that called Radiohead "perennial winner of the Only Band That Matters award", which was kind of funny and kind of true.

90’s were the best. Only knew a few songs from this a loved the whole album. Don’t know why I never got into them. Couldn’t find a flaw or weak spot on the album

Well now. The sophomore album from Radiohead gets overshadowed by its more acclaimed siblings Ok Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows all of which appear on nearly every all time best of list out there. To me though The Bends might be the pinnacle of guitar based alt-rock. At times both gentle and explosive, vulnerable and angry. Layered and dynamic but still raw and not over-produced. Every single song on this album is a banger, just masterful songwriting and arranging. Planet Telex, Just, Street Spirit, Fake Plastic Trees, My Iron Lung, Nice Dream, etc are some of the best songs ever put to tape.

Idk Radiohead can do no wrong in my eyes. Why didn’t someone make me listen to them in high school? People always talk about Ok Computer but this album is awesome too.

One of the best albums I've heard. Thom Yorke was way ahead of his time.

Already a good fan of Radiohead and had yet to listen to this album so I’d say it was a great time to do it!

I liked this! My favourite of the generated albums recently. High and Dry used to be on my sleepytime playlist, so that probably helps bump this album up a bit. Thanks to an 8tracks user for making the playlist I used to fall asleep to for years, and thanks for including that track on it 4.5/5, rounding up because I feel generous

not as good as OK computer but still fire

Yea. This is it. Absolutely loved this. Maybe it’s cause this came out slightly before the generation of music I grew up on. I don’t know how to really explain it, but all of the memorable music I remember from my childhood sounds like this album. And there are only three songs I truly remember from this album. You can just hear the alternative influences this album had for generations. This is literally exactly the kind of music teenage Wade listened to, and it isn’t done much better front to back then this album is.

My kind of vibe

Radiohead is a rainy universe. Where even the pop songs hurt a little to keep you awake. A rainy universe where escape brings you closer to reality. Radiohead is addiction to the red pill.

What a great way to start off this challenge.

Really well made and a good mix of styles in the album too 10 of my personal albums

Recently listened to this album for the first time in a long time. With the other towering masterpieces in Radiohead’s discography, I think this one sometimes gets lost in the conversation. But this record packs an awesome punch of 90s rock with plenty of slower beautifully melodic tracks as well. Overall this album is mellower than I remembered. The band sounds impressively confident so early in their career.

so good coming back to this album, reminds me why white people love radiohead

For the most part, I tend to think of Radiohead as a bit overrated. I was never really much a fan of Kid A or In Rainbows (I’m not sure if I’ve listened to Ok Computer yet) but overall I tend to come out the other side thinking the music is nothing more that fine. However, The Bends really impressed me. Definitely more so than any other albums of their’s so far. I love the mix up of acoustic and rock. Other albums tend to lose me with the electronic sounds, but this was a really nice listen. I guess it says a lot about Radiohead if their different albums touch into so many genres.

It's a good album but damn I've heard some of these songs so much. Baby's got a 5. Oh no no.

Somber, reflective, and dark but not excessively so. This album always makes me feel a little sad every time I hear it, and in the best way. The songs are great at getting right to your emotions, and the lyrics are easy to empathize with. A very emotionally sophisticated album that also isn't afraid to rock out a little either. Top tracks: High And Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream), Spirit Street (Fade Out)

HOLY MOLY

Очень спокойная и миролюбивая музыка 8/10

Somewhat disowned by Radiohead but this still stands up really, most indie band from the 90s couldn't even touch this 5*

I can confidently say that this is my favorite Radiohead album. Maybe not as groundbreaking as their future work, but it’s forward-thinking, great rock music.

Incredible album from one of the best bands to exist.

Radiohead n'a jamais été pour moi le groupe culte et intouchable que les moins de trente ans adulent aujourd'hui. Non. Radiohead, c'était "Creep". Point barre. Et j'en avais bouffé, du "Creep", à la radio, sur MTV, en bande-son de la dépression de fin de soirée de n'importe quel pékin moyen. Une chanson parfaite, certes, mais qui sentait le "one-hit wonder" à plein nez. Un coup de bol, un riff piqué aux Hollies, un refrain qui explose juste comme il faut pour que les ados mal dans leur peau se sentent compris. Je les avais classés, rangés, étiquetés comme des Anglais qui allaient nous faire trois singles et puis s'en aller, laissant derrière eux une trace aussi durable qu'une tache de bière sur la moquette d'un pub. Et puis, "The Bends" est arrivé. Et là, la claque. Pas une claque violente et immédiate, non plutôt une sorte de stupéfaction lente, une incrédulité qui s'installe. Ce n'était pas "Creep Part II". Ce n'était même pas le même groupe. L'albatros qui leur collait au cou, ils ne s'étaient pas contentés de s'en défaire. Ils l'avaient attrapé, étranglé, dépecé et transformé en un putain d'aigle majestueux. "The Bends", c'est l'histoire d'une métamorphose, d'une mue spectaculaire. C'est l'album où un groupe décide sciemment de tuer son premier succès pour ne pas mourir avec lui. Dès "Planet Telex", on est ailleurs, le son est ample, texturé, presque menaçant. Et puis cette voix, la voix de Thom Yorke. Finie la complainte un peu geignarde de "Creep". Ici, elle vole, elle s'envole, elle tutoie les anges avant de retomber dans une fragilité à fleur de peau. C'est le chant d'un homme qui a trouvé sa véritable voix, pas celle qui lui a valu un chèque, mais celle qui exprime la fêlure existentielle qui le ronge. Ce qui est frappant, c'est la confiance qui émane de chaque sillon. Les mecs avaient enfin compris qu'ils pouvaient être un grand groupe de rock, un vrai. Pas juste des faiseurs de tubes. Les guitares de Jonny Greenwood, putain... On sentait déjà le génie en devenir. Ce n'était plus seulement des riffs, c'étaient des paysages sonores, des architectures complexes qui s'élevaient et s'effondraient. Le trio de guitares tisse une toile d'une richesse inouïe, passant de l'arpège cristallin à des murs de son cataclysmiques, souvent au sein du même morceau. Et les chansons, bordel, des hymnes. Mais des hymnes pour stades intelligents, des chansons qui avaient une âme. "Fake Plastic Trees", cette montée en puissance qui vous file des frissons même quand il fait 30 degrés dehors. "My Iron Lung", le doigt d'honneur ultime à "Creep", une chanson qui dit littéralement "cette chanson est notre poumon d'acier, elle nous maintient en vie mais nous emprisonne". Il fallait oser. Et puis "Just", avec son riff kamikaze et son clip qui a hanté toute une génération de lycéens. Surtout, "The Bends" est un disque profondément mélancolique, mais jamais plombant. C'est une tristesse lumineuse, une angoisse qui se sublime en beauté pure. L'album se clôt sur "Street Spirit (Fade Out)", et là, on sait qu'on n'a plus affaire à des débutants. On a affaire à un groupe qui vient de poser la première pierre d'un édifice qui allait marquer son époque. Pour moi, né en 1970, cet album a été un tournant. Il m'a réconcilié avec une certaine forme de rock anglais qui commençait à me gonfler sérieusement, englué dans la guéguerre stérile entre Oasis et Blur. Eux, ils s'en foutaient de tout ça, ils ne regardaient pas en arrière vers les Kinks ou les Beatles. Ils regardaient en eux, et vers l'avant. Ils étaient modernes, anxieux, et profondément humains. Avec le recul, "The Bends" est encore plus impressionnant. C'est l'album charnière, celui qui contient en germe toute la folie et l'expérimentation de ce qui allait devenir leur chef-d'oeuvre absolu, "OK Computer". Sans "The Bends", pas de paranoïa technologique, pas d'androïdes dépressifs. C'est là qu'ils ont appris à voler, à maîtriser leurs instruments et leurs émotions pour pouvoir, deux ans plus tard, construire leur vaisseau spatial et nous emmener sur une autre planète. C'est un disque qui a vieilli avec une grâce insolente. Il n'a pas pris une ride, car les émotions qu'il brasse – le doute, l'aliénation, l'espoir fragile, la beauté fulgurante – sont intemporelles. Il a prouvé au monde entier, et surtout à eux-mêmes, que Radiohead était bien plus qu'une simple chanson. C'était le début d'une des plus grandes aventures musicales de la fin du XXe siècle. Un 5 sur 5 qui ne souffre d'aucune discussion. Un putain de classique. Indispensable.

These guys make good stuff. I like the one about trees

My first Radiohead of the project! So many of their albums hold a special place in my heart, and The Bends helped me understand and get through some of my lowest lows. The Bends, High and Dry, and Fake Plastic Trees is an insane three track run, but every single song is good if not great.

I always loved it, still do. Every song.

There best album in my opinion although OK computer was great 2

5 - best one I’ve heard from them yet. Actually like a bunch of the songs and it’s so much better as a whole

In my opinion, it wasn't until later that Radiohead would go on to craft timeless genre-defining and genre-breaking masterpieces. Still, The Bends feels easily among the best albums of the 90s.

Wow what a week, had OK Computer on Monday and Thursday is The Bends! These are both in the top 3 Radiohead albums along with In Rainbows and Kid A...or is that 4? Anyway great album love it easy 5!

Well isn’t this a great start to my week. Planet Telex is shippable but not terrible. The Bends is where it’s at if you don’t like the “big” radio songs that came from this album. I really hated that they strayed away from this sound. This album and Ok Computer will always be their wheelhouse to me. This album teeters on the bed time music soundtrack. It’s not filled with overpowering guitar or non stop screaming, not that Radiohead is any of that really. It’s just really the heartbeat of the 2000’s, until Ok Computer staked it through the heart and put it out of its misery we didn’t think it had. This album could be played for any occasion and that’s what makes it so good. Sure there are a few weak tracks but the rest make up for any song writing slipping the band may have had. Choice cut: The Bends

Fantastic album from the only modern band of any note.

This has always been my favorite Radiohead album (I know I know, sue me) and makes my top 5 of all time list. This is one of those albums that is/was so ever-present that it’s sometimes met with more eye rolls than accolades. But if you can just put all that aside and approach it like it’s your first listen, I contend it’s damn near impossible *not* to dig this. The guitars, the vocals, the track list effortlessly bouncing between light and shade. It’s weird, ambitious, occasionally creepy, occasionally beautiful, occasionally rocking tf out. Perfect album, IMO. 5/5 Highlights: Fake Plastic Trees Bones (Nice Dream) My Iron Lung Bullet Proof…I Wish I Was Black Star Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Phenomenal album. Grunge isn't dead.

Really quite outstanding. Haunted. Maudlin. Melodic. Discordant. Shifting. Cohesive. Think this one is a keeper.

So… I have a confession. I’m one of those people whose Radiohead experience is only “Creep”. Yep, I’m one of those people. So I’m hoping this project will put an end to that and it appears that day has finally come. And came so soon too, as this is my 25th album, so lucky me. I wasn’t sure going into this how I’d react going into this past what looks like Woody from Toy Story having an orgasm. Truth be told, I was fearful that the album would be esoteric and highbrow and I would be indifferent to it. But fortunately, that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, I shocked at how much I loved this album. It’s surprisedly easy to get into, mainly just being top notch 90’s rock. Thom Yorke has incredible control of his vocals, and the album has a great mix of soft-ish rock, to studious arenas to even touches of grunge. I’m really kicking myself for not going past “Creep” with these guys, since all the songs here are great, specifically Fake Plastic Trees and High and Dry. That track really got to me. To be fair, I’m not sure how the Radiohead albums will go. This was the album after their debut Pablo Honey, so I don’t know how experimental this band got overtime. This could be as assessable as they get. And I don’t know when that will be, assuming the generator wants to stop giving constant 70’s crap. But this is how my Radiohead venture starts and I think it couldn’t have been more perfect. Favorite track: Fake Plastic Trees Other hits: High and Dry, The Bends, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Planet Telex, honestly the rest of the album while I’m at it.

I love u radiohead

this album is bad.

perfect

Overall great album and definitely underrated in terms of discography rankings for radiohead. Just is probably my favourite track off the album atm.

4th best Radiohead album. Still 5*. No skips, some absolute bangers and just overall fantastic

I was so obsessed with OK Computer when I was 17 I forgot about the Bends and now see it as a perfect prequel. Every moment is stellar.

A classic. No skips.

Despite being sort of a transitional album, the band is able to come up with amazing songs all throughout. These songs and the ones on their next album completely re-wrote the rules for rock songwriting a lot of their influence can still be heard in music being released today. Key tracks: Planet Telex High and Dry Fake Plastic Trees Just My Iron Lung Street Spirit (Fade Out)

I listened to this album twice over the weekend. Once while drinking on Friday night celebrating having next couple days off, and once on Sunday finally getting over a two-day hangover. This album was somehow perfect for both settings. My attention was held from beginning to end and the album flows together seamlessly. The 90s sound gets right to the nostalgia, even if I was only four when it came out. There are some great songs on here as well, not just the most popular tracks. Might be showing my bias towards the era, and I definitely understand the common complaint that Thom Yorke is whiny, but this is a five in my mind.

It's givin' me the Bends. But like, in a good way.

It's so well put together

Album is a vibe. It bleeds 90s heart and sound. 'High and Dry' seems like a fun song to warm up with in Karaoke and was y personal favorite off the album. 'Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was' seems like it'd be good for Karaoke warmups too. 'Planet Telex' is a standout and a nice opener. I enjoyed the album greatly and am looking forward to re-listening to it in the future.

Outstanding album. Shows a band maturing from Pablo, Honey, and moving towards their peak on OK Computer. But if OK Computer is Everest, this is K2.

If not the best Radiohead album, the one I reach for the most.

The beginning of something special. A true departure for a band coming into their craft and exploring the themes and sonic vibes that would set fans up for life.

Loved this album.

I've always dumped on this album because they only got better but after sitting down and listening to it start to finish, wow it's way better than I remember. And it's still not even a top five album by them for me.

Another game changer for the band classic sound

This was my go-to album during COVID lockdowns. I had never really paid much attention to this one. I was always more into 'Kid A'. But during 2020, I got heavily into this one.

THE LIME LIPS BENDS i love thsi alvum nice dreamis my fav song blakc star sounds like fall i lovethe melodies i love thom yorkes vocals im a radiohead fanboy i love this album blessup this is life beauty

Holy shit 10/10. Don’t even need to listen to it but I will. I fucking love Radiohead. 9/10 only because they have even better albums.

Один из лучших альбомов радиохэд

An alternative classic…

01) Planet Tele - 8,0 02) The Bends - 8,0 03) High and Dry - 10,0 04) Fake Plastic Trees - 10,0 05) Bones - 8,0 06) (Nice Dream) - 9,0 07) Just - 10,0 08) My Iron Lung - 10,0 09) Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was - 8,0 10) Black Star - 8,5 11) Sulk - 8,0 12) Street Spirit (Fade Out) - 10,0 TOTAL: 8,96 (90/100)

Absolutely classic 90s alt-rock album. Lyrical and musical skill abounds. The Bends may even be the best Radiohead album.

this is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite radiohead album.

Masterpiece

What an amazing album. No time wasted, straight to the point. Loved Kid A, and it’s cool to hear a more traditional rock album from Radiohead. I’ve been purposely avoiding listening to the rest of their discography since then so I can hear it for this. Masterful artistry here. Loved how layered the sound is between the vocals and guitar riffs. I want to include the entire album for the standouts, but I will refrain. Standouts: The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream), Just, My Iron Lung, and Black Star.

Exciting and engaging. It’s always exciting to find that point when a band really hits their stride. I don’t like this album nearly as much as Ok Computer or Kid A; it’s just not as joyful (yes, I am calling those records joyful) or a complete vision. I debated the possibility of four stars, but I just couldn’t. It’s absolutely brimming with classic material.

A classic.

Absolute 5* album

A classic.

Listen to this one often...one of my all time favorites. Love the variety and complexity, and every song is unique.

Only one minor hit yet this concept album is absolute fire. This is what an album should sound like. Every song has continuation and the flow is unprecedented. Thisbto my understanding is a mastepiece.

Wow...I truly didn't think they could make an album that would compete with OK Computer, but this is right alongside it for me. Radiohead's albums have the most unexplainable brilliance to me. Favorite track: Sulk

This is prime Radiohead for me. Before they got all “experimental”. Guitar driven, melodic and solid lyrics.

Beautiful Beautiful album , its got to be their most accessible album. loved the slight experimentation in almost every song. Fake Plastic Tears, Just , Blackstar, and Street Spirit favorites. Planet Telex was a great opening

-this album was fucking fantastic. I listened to it before, I felt like an 9,25/10, but now it's an 9,50/10. -songwriting, fantasic, performances, fantasic, production, great -this is the album that saved Radiohead from the "one-hit wonder shadow", it has so many fantastic songs -not my favorite album from them, but Oh my goodness! there is no bad track on this thing, now that I relistened to it -from here, Radiohead just gets better and better -favorite songs: Planet Telex, High And Dry (<3), Fake Plastic Trees (<3), Just (<3), My Iron Lung (<3), Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out) (<3) -least favorite song: Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was (if I really had to pick one)

Coldplay слизали свой звук именно с этого альбома. Инди рок in it's finest. Первый альбом радиоголовых который я услышал, и думаю не единственный здесь.

I’m not sure if it’s my favorite Radiohead album, but it’s up there

Love it — was and always will be a classic; five stars!

Goats are back

TWO CHIMPS IN A WICKER BASKET YOU THINK THATS PRETTY CLEVER DONT YOU BOY

Proper starter Radiohead album this and my favourite. Makes everything else make a bit more sense if you’ve listened to this first. Too notch. Simpson: probably

Great album, banging tracks. Just a joy whenever I listen to it

Not as great as Kid A, but excellent nonetheless. Radiohead when they were "merely" a really great indie rock band. Solid five-starrer.

10 out of 5

Up there for favorite Radiohead album for me.

Thoughts before listening: Radiohead back when they were still just a great alt-rock band, and before they invented their own sound with Kid A and beyond. I really like alt-rock Radiohead, especially this album which contains some of their best anthems. Glad to see this wasn't overlooked for the later records which get most of the praise. Review: This is another album that I own, and that I absolutely love. I make the same mistake that critics do in often discounting this album as lesser than the later work, but the reality is that its great. The band certainly has a knack for epic, anthemic songs that many of their contemporaries did not. This is the sound that would go on to influence much of the late 90s/early 00s Brit rock of bands like Coldplay and Keane. Radiohead rocked much harder than any of those bands though. My favorites on this include "The Bends", "High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just", and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)". These are generational anthems that sound as good today as they did 30 years ago when they were released. 5-stars

I mean...yeah, it's one of Radiohead's best albums. Great music, great lyrics. Captivating. Thoughtful. Engaging. Every track can stand alone, but as an album it's a complete package.

Great threefer opens the album! High and Dry is the best song, but all of ‘em are very good or better. This is a well put together album, I’m becoming a Radiohead fan and likely will listen to The Bends in its entirety again. (4.6*s)

Love!!!

Much better than I expected, much more accessible than OK Computer or other radiohead songs I've heard, and definitely worthy of a relisten! Probably a 4.5* rounded up to a tentative 5*, but I need to relisten to the album properly and tune into the lyrics

I wasn't around in the mid 1990s when 'The Bends' came out but ever since I first listened to it I absolutely loved this album and it is still among my favorites. It's alternative rock at its very best and one of the best albums ever made. It's extremely well written, played and produced (thanks to the great John Leckie). It begins with the spacey Planet Telex, continues with amazing songs like the title track, Fake Plastic Trees, Black Star and many others, and it ends perfectly in the gorgeous Street Spirit. This album is liquid gold from start to finish.

Babys got the benddddsssss. Ok computer was my first real exposure to Radiohead so this surprised me in how "simple" it is in comparison. Great album, some of the songs hit so hard. I don't think there's a single skip in there

Stökkið frá Pablo Honey í The Bends er svo gígantískt. Þarna heyrir maður loksins hluta af soundinu sem þeir eru svo þekktir fyrir og hafa masterað. Þetta er í fyrsta lagi frábær alt rock plata. Hugljúf og létt en samt með sturlað sound og flotta texta. Bends nær ekki hæðunum sem Ok computer, Kid A og In rainbows ná og heildar þemaið kemst ekki eins vel til skila. Þetta er töluvert hrárra stöff og ekki eins skipulagt execution. Það er samt hluti af sjarmanum við hana.

Þetta er platan sem negldi mig fastan á Radiohead vagninn, hlustaði á hana út í eitt. Áttu eftir að þróast mikið en hún mun alltaf vera í miklu uppáhaldi hjá mér. Lög eins og High and dry og Fake plastic tree sem mér finnst vera ein af allra bestu lögum þeirra. Skotheld fimma.

Planet Telex The Bends High and Dry Fake Plastic Trees Just My Iron Lung Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Really good - never listened fully before!

Currently unemployed so I had to get my ex to buy me a cool the bends shirt I seen 🕊️🕊️🕊️

Apart from the singles, I was not very familiar with this album, so it took a few listens to come to a verdict. In the end, I thought it was very strong throughout, really oozing that nineties alternative rock feeling. So, even though I probably still prefer the more adventurous releases after it, I think it just about deserves the full 5 stars for me.

great album loved every song

Oh look the best Radiohead album by FAR! Is it the most creative? No. Is it the most artsy or bold? No. Is it just an album with solid bangers throughout? Fuck yes.

When Pablo Honey came out I bought the album for Creep, like most people did at the time. I was slightly disappointed in the rest of the album but I still liked it. A couple years later when the video came out for Fake Plastic Trees started its rotation on MTV I was locked in, I went out and bought the cd immediately. Radiohead leveled up on all fronts from its debut and I couldn’t get enough of this collection of classics. Since then I have been excited every time this band puts anything out including side projects, solo projects and film scores, I love it all. But this album really was a musical perspective shift for me, it opened me up to a new lane of artists that I may not have given a chance if not for this band and this album in particular. This is Radiohead at their most accessible, before they started making every left turn they felt the wind direct them while keeping fans on their toes. Johnny’s guitar work is always inspiring and while he may not push the bounds on this album as much as he does on future albums he really was breaking new ground for the time this album was released. Tom’s emotional vocal delivery and lyrics through out this album still give me chills even after all these years, especially on Bulletproof and Street Spirit. The whole band sounds great here but the other guys start really shining on the next album OK Computer. This one’s an easy 5 for me.

Accessable Radiohead that I wouldn't be surprised to hear sung along to by a crowd in a pub. On its face, 90's alternative rock, but with some traces of Brit Pop as well as seeds of the experimentation that the band would further explore in their later work. I wore this album out in high school. I can't believe it's almost thirty years old. It still sounds good to me and I had fun revisiting it.

Wow, I'd forgotten just how awesome this album is. Back to back incredible songs, this might even pip OK Computer for best Radiohead album.

Ett av de albumene jeg hørte mest på da jeg bodde i Bergen! Fantastisk!

Radiohead come into there own on this album!

Ooh, this one was very good. Knew bits and bobs, but hadn't listened to the whole album. Was worried it might go a bit Coldplay at one point, but it soon recaptured my attention. Loved instantly, tbh.

Wonderful! Air guitar round the kitchen to Just reminds me of younger days dancing on the platform at Popstarz

Excellent album. I've always been a huge fan of The Bends since my first listen. It's the most straightforward and approachable of Radiohead's great albums with no truly weak tracks. *****

Radiohead’s music is beautiful to me. Fake Plastic Trees, Karma Police, Steet Spirit. I just want to close my eyes and lose myself, which is a good thing. Takes me back to those Jonathan Glazer videos and when MTV was an interesting. So many people hating on Radiohead. Isn’t it funny how tastes can differ so massively?

my favorite radiohead album out of the big trilogy. i love just about every track on here. if i were to nitpick, i dont like thoms vocal delivery on the chorus for bones. i also think sulk is good, but not great. other than that, most of them are hits and some of my all time favorites from radiohead even. 5 personal favs: planet talex, fake plastic trees, (nice dream), my iron lung

Radiohead🥹🥹 really good but ok computer and kid a are better imo

Amazing: Best radiohead record

Its Radiohead. If you need more than that I don't know what to tell you.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time and nearly every track is a 10/10. Radiohead did an amazing job on this album and it toes the line between harder “rockier” moments and soft tender moments with the amazing vulnerability that Yorke portrays with his voice. Amazing album, an easy 5/5.

Hands down the best Radiohead album. The band still rocks hard while also sounding brilliantly melodic and melancholy. "The Bends" doesn't lean too hard into electronica, depressiveness, or the near silence of some later albums. It is the perfect mix of all of Radiohead's strengths. Tracks 1-8 and 12 are great and include all of the singles. The remaining tracks (i.e., 9-11) are good, but not as memorable as the rest.

This is an amazing album. This is what alternative music should be. Every song is good and some are great. It's impossible to pick the best song so many of them are good, the singles are good (Planet Telex, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees) the album cuts are good (The Bends, Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out)). A great album by a legendary band.

Coming in I was between a 4 and a 5. This isn’t as inventive as their later stuff. But I think I’m going to immerse my soul in love and give it a 5. Also, I’m a sucker for the niche genre of “snotty song on the album after the big hit that comments on the massive rise to fame of a grunge band”: Nirvana’s “rape me,” Local H’s “all the kids are right,” and “my iron lung” are part of this illustrious tradition. “my iron lung” and “rape me” even musically sound like the big hits before them. Fun!

Radiohead is always up there on "best albums of all time lists" for OK Computer and Kid A, but this album is great too! Thom Yorke, for all his dreary lyrics and melancholy singing, is an indie rock icon. Loved this album for a while and glad to see it on this list. I'm sure we will see Kid A and OK Computer on here too.

Lovely.

9.5/10

I thought I disliked Radiohead based on other songs I heard. This album totally changed my mind. Genuinely great stuff, and you can clearly hear the influence this album had on bands like Muse and Coldplay.

Interesting, I’d listen to more

Every song is exceptional. Not the coolest radiohead album to give 5 to, but I'm not the coolest person. They went on to be something else, but they were exceptional at this

I am always a fan of them but this isn’t their best album however there are still great songs on it

Mg

Really chill with a few really good songs

Y'know, this used to be the only Radiohead album I understood the hype for. As someone who was always more of a Muse fan (still am a Muse fan, fight me) at the time of listening, I got this one pretty quickly because it was definitively alt-rock. No gimmicks, no weird electronic stuff, and feeling like death was around every corner is more "subtle" in this one, perhaps not lyrically, but tonally. I love all those things about Radiohead now, and I'm obviously simplifying what makes them great, but nevertheless I was curious if returning to this album after all this time would make it hit different, or if I still consider it one of their best. After doing so, I can still confirm for myself that this is one of their best works, in my opinion. Sure, it is very straightforward, but because of that it feels like a perfected statement. Sure, there are lesser tracks here, but everything is at least solid, and oddly I didn't notice it before, but you start to get more of that stereotypical Radiohead vibe the longer the album goes on. Things get more dreary, more exhausting (in a good way), and overall I think it really wraps the package up into something that perfectly defines this era of their career. Sure, Fake Plastic Trees is great, but the melancholia of tracks like (Nice Dream) is far more what I'm looking for with an album like this, and it nails it. Guitar work is fantastic, as is Thom's singing, which feels less like trying to chase the coattails of his contemporaries, unlike the prior album. I think if you like pure 90s rock you will find yourself enjoying this above the others, as I did at one point, and no matter what it is a great gateway into something more, and while I don't consider this their best anywhere (not enough emotions stir within me, y'know) this is still a fantastic record with plenty of amazing songs to make it well worth the listen.

Last listened to this 18 months ago for the What is Music podcast but had forgotten much of what I learned then apart from Black Star being about early morning sex with bad breath. Bones- a surprisingly good and overlooked song that rocks while seemingly being about ageing (as is much of the album- FPT anyone?) with major glam rock leanings. FPT still needs to earn my respect which begrudgingly comes 2/3 of the way through as things kick off. Before then it's too crisp, too just so and has the gauchenesss of sixth form poetry. Pressure and ageing are the big themes through the album alongside diconnectedness and loss, like all good Radiohead projects. My Iron Lung describes what you need to survive the pressure. A box to put yourself in at a remove from others. Possibly drug use as a coping mechanism ('a scratch '). MIL feels like a dress rehersal for the pressured parts of Paranoid Android as it builds and distorts. Just remains great, nice and sharp and angular. Bulletproof remains an absolute beauty- play it in the car on a hot day with the air con and feel the goosebumps rise, just like in summer 1998.

This is a great album. It’s chill. It has upbeat moments. I enjoy listening to it.

I know it’s not Radiohead at their most artsy but this is just a perfect alternative rock record. Just showcases their great sensibility for songwriting and musicianship. High and dry and fake plastic trees are beautiful. Nice dream and street spirit fade out are haunting. The bends, planet telex, my iron lung and black star rock so hard. Give it a listen

Favourite song- Bullet proof I wish

10/10 An incredible album. I really like pretty much every song on here.

Peak virgin music

I was a bit late to the Radiohead party, but so glad I came!

Another absolute classic from Radiohead. I don't enjoy it quite as much as OK Computer but every song is good. The moods change drastically and cover a wide range of emotions and sounds. I do find it weird that Street Spirit and High and Dry are among the most played songs off of this on Spotify as I think every other song is better. The intro to The Bends is one of my favorites, the vocal change in the chorus of Bullet proof is one of my favorites, the slow build of Fake Plastic Trees in its entirety is one of my favorites, etc, etc. Every song has a particular element that I really enjoy in addition to the song as whole. Just great.

A great rock album. Some of my favs songs in there too

Whether or not you like the sound that Radiohead adopted and pretty much stuck with after the mid-90s, their album The Bends from 1995 is a straight-forward collection of astoundingly well-written rock tracks--and dozens (dozens!) of other well-known groups have cited The Bends This album is a masterpiece of 90s alternative rock. There isn't a skippable track to be found here. Some of these melodies will get stuck in my head at random every few weeks without me having listened to them recently (particularly "Black Star," one of my favorite songs on The Bends). I don't listen to this in full often anymore, but when I do I'm always reminded of how insanely GOOD it all is. I'm not the biggest Radiohead fan (maybe that'll change by the end of this listening project) but The Bends has been--and will continue to be--a 5/5 listening experience for me. I really enjoyed reading about each of these songs on Wikipedia and SongFacts.com, so I may have gone a bit overboard with adding them to my below notes but oh well. Ha! 5 stars!: The album needs to be on the list, full stop. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia *The sessions saw Radiohead's first collaboration with their future producer, Nigel Godrich, who engineered the RAK sessions. When Leckie left the studio to attend a social engagement, Godrich and the band stayed to record B-sides. One song, "Black Star", was included on the album. *While Pablo Honey was mostly written by (Thom) Yorke, The Bends saw greater collaboration. Previously, all three guitarists had often played identical parts, creating a "dense, fuzzy wall". Their Bends roles were more divided, with Yorke generally playing rhythm, (Jonny) Greenwood lead and Ed O'Brien providing effects. *For The Bends, Yorke and (artist Stanley) Donwood hired a cassette camera and filmed objects including road signs, packaging, and street lights. They entered a hospital to film an iron lung, but, according to Donwood, found that iron lungs "are not very interesting to look at". Instead, they filmed a CPR mannequin, which Donwood described as having "a facial expression like that of an android discovering for the first time the sensations of ecstasy and agony, simultaneously". To create the cover image, the pair displayed the footage on a television set and photographed the screen. *In 2000, in a vote of more than 200,000 music fans and journalists, The Bends was named the second-greatest album of all time behind Revolver (1966) by the Beatles. *Pitchfork Magazine credited "High and Dry" and another Bends song, "Fake Plastic Trees", for influencing the "airbrushed" post-Britpop of Coldplay and Travis. The Irish Times said that "High and Dry" had "essentially invented Coldplay." Interesting Factoids from SongFacts.com: *[On album opener "Planet Telex"]: Lead singer Thom Yorke was drunk and improvising when he recorded the vocals. The band came to the studio after drinking a lot of wine, and Yorke lied on the floor and sang. He did only one take. *[On "High and Dry"]: According to Q magazine April 2008, this delicate acoustic track, which mocks macho vanity, was never intended for the album. Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke dismissed it as "not bad... it's very bad." Eventually it was included on The Bends because of its presumed commercial appeal. *[On "Fake Plastic Trees"]: In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Yorke said that this was the song where he found his lyrical voice. He cut the vocal, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, in one take, then the band filled in its parts around him. Yorke said the song began as "A very nice melody which I had no idea what to do with, then you wake up and find your head singing some words to it."...The band were finding it difficult to nail this song and decided to take a break and catch a Jeff Buckley gig at Highbury. When they returned to the studio mesmerized by Buckley's set, Yorke sang the song twice before breaking down into tears. *[On "My Iron Lung"]: An "Iron Lung" is a cumbersome medical device often used to help sick people breathe in the '50s. The lyrics reflect how restrictive the band felt when they became known simply for their hit "Creep." The song was written the day they had to drop out of the Reading Festival because of Thom Yorke's strained vocal cords. *[On "Black Star"]: Lead singer Thom Yorke: "This is about sex in the morning. It's the best time to have it. Especially if you have brushed your teeth before." *[On "Sulk"]: "Sulk" was the last track on The Bends to be completed. According to Q magazine April 2008 this was mainly because of Yorke's concern that the song's original lyric, which contained the line "just shoot your gun," might be taken as a crude cash-in on the suicide of Kurt Cobain. *[On "Street Spirit (Fade Out)"]: Yorke insisted that he didn't really write this, that it wrote itself. He claimed the band was merely its messengers, for something he called "our purest, saddest song." Standout Tracks: The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, My Iron Lung, Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out)

I know many like OK Computer more, but I think The Bends is Radiohead's best album. It's certainly my favourite. The album features Jonny Greenwood at his peak. How do you describe the perfect album? I'm not sure, but The Bends is pretty close. Liked songs added: - High and Dry - (Nice Dream) - Just - Black Star - Sulk

Fantastic album

9/10 Moody, sad, but also very pretty. Even without being as exciting as OK Computer still a near perfect collection of songs. Highlights: Street Spirit Fake Plastic Trees Just Sulk Nice Dream Planet Telex My Iron Lung The Bends

Layered highs and lows Pays homage and paves forward Mellow yet rocking

great album! i've heard some of these songs before. i ended up adding the entire album to my liked songs on spotify. i'm a big fan of Muse and one of their biggest influences is Radiohead, so i knew that i already enjoy this style. i've been meaning to listen to more Radiohead anyways. overall enjoyed, would listen again/add into my regular rotation of music.

#220. It's a perfect transitional album from their grungey radio rock sound of their first album moving into the truly weird that they become. Great songs start to finish. No misses here. 5/5: fantastic

Straight up top end guitar rock.

My favorite Radiohead album. Great as a whole and not a bad song on it

Brian Eno turned them down for this album, which is funny because it’s the most complete and rewarding one they ever made. It’s a rare front-to-back experience—alienation, grandeur, plastic surgery panic—and enjoyable to listen to all the way through.

Masterpiece.

Classic record.

10/10 album. more rock n roll side of radiohead. fake plastic trees and black star are my favorite songs.

One of the best albums ever made

THE ABSOLUTE BEST X

If this album doesn't get five stars, nothing on here does.

Planet Telex Mysterious intro. Very odd instrument, I love it. Very psychadelic, nice bass line and drums.8.5 /10 The Bends Nice transition, nice guitar. Don’t really feel like going too in-depth with my review today. 9/10 High and dry So far worst Radiohead album but it’s not bad, it’s just the other 2(ok computer and in rainbows) are insanely good. 9/10 Fake Plastic Trees Nice acoustic guitar. Nice all round. Can’t really be fucked writing a review today. 9.5/10 Bones What the bum is this intro and why is it so good. What was that transition, why was it so good. 9/10 Nice Dream Nice acoustic guitar. 9/10 Just Pretty good. (Why can even I see the loss of motivation to write a review throughout this review) 9.5/10 My iron lung Very good. 9.5/10 Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was 9.5/10 Black Star 9/10 Sulk 9/10 Street Spirit 9.5/10 Overall 9/10 Best song: street spirit (there is not bad song) Worst song: Planet Telex

Planet Telex - the guitar riffs with that echo sound otherworldly. the falling chord progression towards the chorus are nice. real tone setter for this album. the droning sounds at the end are similar to what they use on ok computer 8.8/10 The Bends - the titular track. guitar goes hard like usual. "the bends" refers to a sickness diver's get ad they rapidly arise, similar to the pressure Thom feels following up the success of creep 9/10 High and Dry - I wrote a lot for this but it didn't save 9.1/10 Fake Plastic Trees - talks about faking your emotions in life and particularly in relationships and how it isn't sustainable, comparing it to Styrofoam, an artificial material that when broken can't be fixed 9.3/10 Bones - nice transition. most punchy song so far. talks about the fear of aging. 8.8/10 (Nice Dream) - I really like the acoustic guitar and fret sliding to open this one. the grunge tone on the guitar is something they expand on in ok computer. the fact that the song title is in brackets implies that it's probably not real, and if we are to believe the narrative Thom puts forward that's probably true then that makes sense. lyrically this track is minimalist but it still paints a clear picture 9.5/10 Just - seems to be talking about a toxic influence, also self destructive behaviour talking about suicide. this is most likely the heaviest track on the record. 8.8/10 My Iron Lung - this could be my favourite track from the album which is ironic because it's about the immense pressure they feel due to creep. how they are grateful for it blowing up as it did, their 'Iron lung' but Wish to move elsewhere artistically. the don't want to be known as the creep band which is unfortunate. so they emulate a lot of creep stylistically here while trying to talk about their disdain for it, especially how at this point it is the only thing keeping them alive. an iron lung, while necessary for survival is very constraining to live in. much like how they feel about creep. (better than creep/10). Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was - I also really like this song. there isn't as much to say about the lyrics here, they aren't as cryptic. Thom wishes he was stronger emotionally. the harmonising vocals in the second chorus are a nice addition. they don't fully harmonise though which adds to the theme 9.4/10 Black Star - talks about dealing with someone who has depression. black Star is an intangible object, and the act of blaming it all on it reflects someone not taking accountability for their own actions. a scapegoat if you will. eventually the protagonist leaves this person but us unable to function himself and collapses into the same illness. the bass in this song is really cool, and Thom is always very passionate. this is another night time driving song, except you are on a train speeding through a subway. . 9.1/10 Sulk - another song about depression, we get the point Thom man you need therapy. apparently the lyrics refer to a mass shooting in England but some lines were removed to avoid relation to curt cobains suicide. 8.7/10 Street Spirit (Fade Out) - quote by Thom regarding this song. it hurts like hell every time I play it, looking out at thousands of people cheering and smiling, oblivious to the tragedy of its meaning, like when you’re going to have your dog put down and it’s wagging its tail on the way there. this is without a doubt radioheads darkest song, referring to the futility of life and the inevitability of death, however Thom offers one solution in the end... love. 9.35/10 Favourites: My Iron Lung, Fake Plastic Trees, bulletproof ... I Wish I was, (Nice Dream) Least Favourites: I genuinely don't think there is a bad song on this album but if I had to pick worst it's Sulk. 9.2/10

One of THE best albums of all time. No contest.

Not creepy at all

Nice blend of songs. I prefer their more guitar forward albums like this.

Incredible album, nearly every song is a stand alone beauty. It’s like the aftertaste of a good oolong tea. Just soothe and sweet down the throat (ears). So wavy.

Banger

in rainbows was it for me, now theres more YES!

slay!

Uno de los mejores álbumes que me han salido, 90s 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🖤🖤🖤🖤

i love radiohead

Superb.

Such a classic. Easy five stars.

one of my favourite albums of all time, perfect

Amazing album with some soft and hard rock

Probably my fav radiohead album, at least top 3! fking love it

I’ve heard the main Radiohead songs before but this was great! Loved sitting out back and listening to this.

Love this album. It’s great.

Gear: Grado Hemp Album-Art: surreal, creepy VHS-Vibes und gleichzeitig irgendwie befremdlich erleichtert für die Stimmung des Albums Mix: Thom's Vocals fantastisch eingefangen auf "High and Dry", einfach perfekter Gitarren-Sound - ob mit oder ohne Strom ("Fake Plastic Teens", "Just"), grandioser Basslauf auf "Just" Musik: Klassiker. Mein liebstes "Gitarren-und-Keyboards"-Album von Radiohead Wertung: 😄😄😄😄😄/5

love Thease guys!

Great album! One of their best.

Sigh. The first truly great Radiohead album. Many more to follow, but this captures the band at their rockinest, chunkiest best. Many people will tell you much later albums are better than this but they are wrong. Take a look at stone cold classic hit songs like “Fake Plastic Trees” and “High and Dry”. So much emotion, so sad, and yet thoroughly uplifting. “Just” is an exercise in cramming as many chords into a song as possible without it sounding even slightly off. “My Iron Lung” is a remake of “Creep”, and also a scathing commentary on the throwaway nature that the band felt that “Creep” was and the general public’s willingness to suck on whatever crap is thrown at them (even though Creep is in actuality a perfect, timeless song). It is also the beating, raging heart of this album. And if that wasn’t enough, they end the record with the terrifying “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”… a song that takes you on a guided tour of the horror of humanity, then ends it with the answer to ALL of it… “Immerse your soul in love”. It’s the only option to get through life without losing your fucking mind. Big BRAVO Radiohead. You’ve given me so so much in this life beginning with this album, and I thank you from the depths of my soul. PS. I spent a day in Ireland listening to this record while staring wistfully out at The Irish Sea. “(Nice Dream)” is now the permanent perfect soundtrack to that memory.

Ahh, this is more like it. Amnesiac was rough, but this is the Radiohead I know and love. It’s Radiohead, so it does still send me into a mild state of despair, but in the best way possible. It’s passionate and deep and hits me in my feels. Beautiful album from start to finish.

Simply one of my favorite albums of all time. The end of high school / beginning of college. The 1990s at high tide. Hearing Planet Telex start brings me right back to that hopeful time. I love where Radiohead came from and where they went, but The Bends and OK Computer will always be my favorite albums of theirs. Awesome rock music with something a little scary lurking underneath. "I wish it was the 60s / I wish we could be happy / I wish I wish I wish that something would happen."

摇滚该有的样子

Det her var det eneste Radiohead jeg havde da jeg var yngre, så det er måske nostalgi der får den over kanten til en 5'er for mig. Ingen dårlige numre

Virkelig god plade. Dejligt at høre nogle gode rock numre, før meget blev elektronisk. Det er virkelig en banger-parade uden stop.

'With "The Bends", Radiohead found their voice ... No other contemporary band has managed to mix such a cocktail of rage, sarcasm, self-pity, exquisite tunefulness and braininess.' Nick Hornby - Radiohead Gets Farther Out (The New Yorker, 22nd October 2000) Highlights: Planet Telex, My Iron Lung, Just, Bones. Before you listen to this album, play "Anybody Can Play Guitar" and "Stop Whispering" from Pablo Honey. Now start The Bends. Can you hear the difference? I can. This is a band's charted growth in action. It's a classic for a reason. Each time I listen to this album and OK Computer I debate which of the two are my favourite. Overall: 9/10

This one gets better and better

One of my favs

2024-03-22... this is a 5-star!

I LOOOOVOEEEE

I mean, yeah

Pretty okay Radiohead album, five stars

This is amazingly amazing. I mean, top notch.

Masterpiece, so good

So so good. Radiohead’s most perfectly balanced album between their angsty, teenage albums like Pablo Honey and their maturing ones like Ok Computer. Punky and weird, proggy and alt. Very good stuff.

😍

One of my favorite albums. I love every song and some are some of favorite songs. His album has so much energy, so much life and such a cry of anger and youth and rock and roll but in a new way (for the time). Love this album.

SON OF A BISCUIT. One of the best records ever made?? Oh inDEED. I could write an entire dissertation on this record. When I was a wee bairn I bought this record the day it came out. What can be said about this record that a million other reviews haven’t? Five stars out the gate.

I avoided Radiohead for the longest time, I think out of some contrarian streak to resist the hype, since I never really got why they were so beloved based off the singles I'd heard. I finally started listening to them over the last year, and I can admit I was wrong. I still have most of their discography left to explore, including some of their most famous stuff. But I really enjoy earlier Radiohead, and I think The Bends might be my favorite of their albums (or at least of what I've heard so far). There really isn't a bad song on this album. The melodies are great, and the sound is way more energetic than what I associated with them based off songs like Creep. Lyrically, this album is heavy, but it doesn't feel as heavy as it is because of the music (except for the last song). There's a lot about depression, loneliness, and trying to cope with the pressures of newfound fame. It's very personal but relatable at the same time. Mea culpa. This band is good. Really good. 5/5

hadn't really listened to this one much before. I started out not really liking it but it really grew on me.

I was going to do a hipster review about how I prefer later period weirder Radiohead, and this gets a 4 in comparison. But then I put Planet Telex on and remembered that this is perfect just like all their albums are. God what an unbelievable band.

Great listen. In my Radiohead top 5 albums.

Hlaut að koma að því ....

4.6 There's better Radiohead but still a very very solid Radiohead album Fave songs: High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Nice Dream, Black Star, Street Spirit

Man, Radiohead should've stuck with this sound. The heavier guitars and the beauty of the vulnerable tracks, this might be the band's peak. Because sometimes, experimentation isn't all it's cracked out to be. Without the self-indulgence of their later albums, you get an amazing alt-rock record that stands so well alongside grunge and Britpop. This is what '90s music was all about, baby! Standouts are Fake Plastic Trees, Bones, Just, and Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was.

It’s Radiohead. I normally do my best to do an in-depth review but I can’t see the screen through my tears so I guess this’ll do.

Superb album?

pov tu me croises dans le train en train d'écouter the bends (la pochette)

great album, #2 radiohead just behind rainbows IMO

Classic all around

Thom Yorke’s voice never sounded better and there’s a lot of classic tunes on this album. I see this album as their Rubber Soul. Starting to flirt with some experimentation but the amazing songwriting is still at the forefront.

Excellent sophomore album full of classics

Im a fan of Radiohead - particularly how an album comes together not just individual songs, I think they are one of the best in this regard. That been said - I was only 11 when this was releases and hadn’t experienced it as an album before just the hits for their earlier works. Didn’t let me down when I listened to this but will not be everyone’s cup of tea.

It's my perfect album. The album is sublime, with no fillers. Highlights are definitely Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit (Fade Out). This would be one of my Desert Island Discs (google it millennials). ❤️

Radiohead is my second favourite band of all time - I love them and I'm pretty much always in the mood for them! I was so excited to finally have an album from them pop up in this challenge - although this isn't my favourite album, its solid, atmospheric and immersive. I love Thom Yorke's vocals and feel like this album he had really started to develop his unique sound. Previously my fave track of this album was 'High and Dry' but in this listen through I was really captivated by 'Street Spirit (fade out)' and ended up listening to it on repeat for most of the day. So good.

Absolutely baffling that a band can put out this masterpiece of an album, and then put out trash like the other albums of theirs that I’ve been served thus far. It’s like at some point they forgot how to write melody, how to sing, how to write chord changes, it’s just insane. Every song here is excellent.

I love Radiohead and I love this album!

The first perfect album from a band primarily concerned with one-upping themselves by finding new ways to make a perfect album.

Awesome!

Ich will ja nicht wie ein Lehrer sein, der grundsätzliche keine 1 gibt, da eine Arbeit niemals perfekt sein kann. Gefällt mr sehr gut, das Album.

I know it's no longer the cool pick, but this is my favourite Radiohead album. It does the 90s alt rock so we'll that it makes the careers of bands like Coldplay and Elbow look totally irrelevant. The singles are great, the deeper cuts may even be better, and it's rare for me to have so many songs already liked on Spotify from just one album. If OK Computer reminds me of the depressing work commute in the city, then this is like driving home after being away for so long, a hint of melancholy in otherwise poppy, anthemic 90s rock. 12/02/24

Sublime.

Changed my life, this is the peak of 90s alternative rock.

I love this album, it's fantastic from beginning to end, and I was glad to see it pop up for this project. They give me this sense of specific melancholy I don't find often in other artists, it's a real mood.

I fear Thom Yorke (and his ability to take all my 5/5s). Fav Songs: Planet Telex, The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, (Nice Dream), Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was, … and I’m now realizing that I’m about to list the entire album, aren’t I? Least: …see above

I could listen to this all day long

Outstanding

Most introverted & depressive Britpop album. Fav Track: Black Star

I loved this a lot, I was familiar with some of the songs already but the rest were just as good.

5, no todo el disco, pero si tiene unas joyas

My personal favorite Radiohead album. Dynamic, expressive, and well-balanced in many ways

The leap from Pablo Honey to The Bends was incredible. This album is packed with gems and revisiting it was pure pleasure.

All tracks great. All tracks have inspired at least one inventive and interesting cover--that I know of. Shows that this all-time band was making excellent music even before they started going really weird. Now they’re making excellent music AND it’s really weird.