Reviews (page 9 of 15)
This might seem like blasphemy, but I'm not a huge fan of Radiohead. I don't really understand the universal praise they get and have always found their music a little... unsatisfying? I can't explain what exactly I don't like about their music. Not that it's bad, I just think that it could've been better. It's one step from great, it's a little unresolving, if that makes sense, and The Bends is no exception. I feels like it's 50% great, but the other 50% are just fine. Yeah, I don't know, just think some parts here a little boring. I might come around to enjoying Radiohead eventually, but the time is not now, it seems. 7/10
Even if it is not being the best Radiohead album, it is still a very good album
This is ok. I can see why Radiohead are a great band but geez they bore me. One thing that was interesting was how much The Drones and TFS were influenced by this album
Something happened on the day he died Spirit rose a metre, then stepped aside Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried: (I'm a blackstar, I'm a blackstar)
why only 5 stars? This album makes me want to go back through my history and downgrade everything else
Vgg
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.
Great album art. Okay album.
By far the most rock Radiohead album we have listened to, almost didn't sound like Radiohead compared to the others. I do like that they show some variation and not all albums sound the same though. I really like the guitar used in a lot of these songs. Doesn't seem overly complicated but just works really well. The standouts were (Nice Dream) and Street Spirit. Probably my least favorite of the Radiohead albums so far because I really like the trippy albums that have come before, but still really good in different ways.
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'.
Well-crafted unexciting alt-rock. No really memorable tracks even though it’s all fairly good.
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
I really enjoyed this album. I'm always shocked how much the radio had effected my musical upbringing. I recognized High and Dry, well enough I could sing along, but had never clocked it as Radiohead song.
I enjoyed my time with this album. This is a very tame version (on a scale of “weirdness”) of Radiohead which I enjoyed.
really why -- this does not need to be here at all.
Very boring and the singer had a whiny voice. Not enjoyable at all.
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.
My favorite album of Radiohead, probably because its an older album.
I don’t mind the album, and like a few songs, but the singer’s voice kind of drones for me.
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
Bisserl fad
it had a few good songs, might not revisit
What an unreal album. Never been their biggest fan but this is a 10/10
My first Radiohead vinyl
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.
Very comfy, even though I liked some of the later stuff better.
i was already familair with the first half of this album. 2nd half seemed light on hits. I liked early Radiohead but they kinda lost me later in their catalog. Maybe someday it'll click. Its great though.
Awesome album
My younger self really enjoyed this release and now years later I still enjoy it, perhaps mostly for nostalgia. Maybe I overplayed it in my youth and the songs lost their lustre, maybe I just realize they’re capable of more interesting music. It’s good and I still appreciate it, I don’t know. 3 stars
i really dont want to, but its really hard for me not to think of The Bends as a stepping stone, instead of an achievement in and of itself. Because, part of the undeniable merit of this album is the fact that it functions, at least from my perspective, as a sort of proof that RADIOHEAD are something different, if not here then in OK Computer. the audience doesnt really need to hear this; we'll either accept the band as they are or move on. i think its radiohead themselves who needed to give themselves a bit of credit, and really try to make something special in a world where their role was cut out for them after the commercial supernova that Creep was. after all, they really are more than a bunch of loud, self-pitying british rockers. they are a singular entity. and i think said entity would not start to take form until the recording of Fake Plastic Trees, one of the standout cuts on The Bends. i always see people throwing around quotes about how thom Yorke was inspired by seeing jeff Buckley live to overcome a hurdle he faced with this song, which is a bit funny to me cause i dont think thom had ever sounded this liberated as a vocalist. he glides and cries as gravity slowly crushes his bones, if not overcome by the possibility his dreams of love may turn to a plastic reality. but "you can force but it will not come", The Bends is still a period of growth and its accompanied by many painful advancements. Bones sucks ass, high and dry is the kind of plasticky nightmare that thom has in Fake Plastic Trees (and an actual self-pitying song), Sulk is subpar specially compared to Black Star and (Nice Dream), which blow it out of the water. some of their worst moments, honestly, but seeing them helped me realise how much the band improved at quality control. i mean, Maquiladora is better than like half the album and they didnt include it, and Talk Show Host is up there as well. they really would come to know their strengths, both as songwriters and as artists who really know how to sequence an album. but also, i talk a lot of shit about The Bends but damn, some stuff here really blows me away. Fake Plastic Trees, Street Spirit, Planet Telex, Just, they really pushed this more commercial 90s rock sound to the limit and did the best they could. as a complete album experience though? eh. i dont like it that much. and i fucking love radiohead, so that says something
cool
Bangers
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?
Best Radiohead album IMO. When they were still an alt rock band rather than delving more into the electronic and abstract. The production is excellent and there's a lot of great songs here. Street Spirit is probably my favorite Radiohead track, the deeper cuts like Fake Plastic Trees and My Iron Lung are wonderful as well. I don't really have a reason not to give it 5 stars except that I'm still a bit biased against Radiohead.
So, to everyone who ever tried to get me into Radiohead, you should've started here. This is the first album of theirs I've been able to sit through all of without any complaints. Matter of fact, I spun it twice. I then decided to check out Pablo Honey, which mostly bored me after "Creep". Unsure if that's my fault for pushing myself too far with them today, or if that's just not a very good album. Anyways, I'll stick with this one for now, and then see if it eventually helps me find my way into anything else.
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
Album I owned, but rarely played and even less so all the way through. Listening now though, it holds up pretty well. Took a belated deep dive into the 'Head after OKC was an earlier choice here. Following that, I find myself avoiding the whole Bends/OKC vs. KidA/Amnesia debate by zeroing in on what I consider the later, superior, In Rainbows/Moon Shaped Pool. This is good though - but I consider Talk Show Host the best of their 90s work which probably points heavily to their later stuff.
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
esse álbum é meu parça de academia
tem anos que eu tento gostar de verdade de radiohead, mas o santo nunca bateu. dito isso, esse aqui é o que eu mais gostei das vezes que ouvi. bem post-britpop, tem uma sonoridade boa, meio atmosférica e as guitarra sao top. é um album noventista bem sólido e barulhento! (((acho que a voz do thom yorke me irrita um pouco)))
SPOILERS still my favorite radiohead album END SPOILERS
ну радиохед уже не больше 3
I liked The Bends more than any other Radiohead album we've had, there's more music I like in it, there's more of a Britpop style sound in it, and while I never got into this lot but really liked Muse, there are parallels everywhere. Didn't like Fake Plastic Trees, liked most of the other stuff, easy 4/5.
I think my second favourite of the Radiohead albums that we've had, it's good throughout with a couple of real highs (High & Dry, Just) and not much in the way of filler. A big step forward from Pablo Honey, and it gets even better with OK Computer. 4/5.
Muy buen álbum, consistente. Tiene grandes canciones y tiene una duración perfecta.
not my fave radiohead album, still a good one
7.5/10 Favorite Tracks: Planet Telex, High and Dry, Black Star, Street Spirit
I really liked this album
Great album. These guys just write amazing songs
Great band and album. Fake plastic tree one of my favorite songs!
Always a bop. Black Star is still my favorite Radiohead song
I actually listened to this through twice as I must be one of the few that never really took to Radiohead. I found I didn't dislike this recording and feel it is, for the most part, pretty solid, I did not feel it was great. Still, I listened and rate it a 3...
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
Great album, just and street spirit are class. Think this album is a bit too straightforward to be on the same level as OK computer, they sound like a britpop muse here. Not a bad thing for the most part but there a couple of tracks which sound like other bands, which is definitely not the case for all the Radiohead after this. I will definitely listen to a lot of this again but not quite a 5.
There aren't half a lot of Radiohead albums on this list, and I've not really been a fan of any of them. This is slightly better than the average - Just and Street Spirit (Fade Out) are pretty good, and the rest are fine?
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:
Street spririt ( fade out ) has a little appeal to me, but the other songs has little appeal to me.
I <3 Radiohead. I like "Pablo Honey", but this is where Radiohead locked in. There are a lot of great tracks on here "Planet Telex", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just", "My Iron Lung", "Street Spirit", etc. I'm really burnt out of "High and Dry" from listening to it all the time in high school but it stills hits. Album cover is fantastic, probably my favorite Radiohead album cover. This album is tight. Close to a 4.5/5 but there is definitely some filler here so I'll just say its a 4. Favorite track: Street Spirit (Fade Out)
I'll admit, I only like Radiohead's first three albums but nothing afterwards. This is a good one and bridges the gap between Pablo Honey and OK Computer. It has some really solid songs on it.
I already listened to this album, more than once! I've listened to it enough to become familiar with this record, and I would consider it a really great Radiohead record and one of the best albums of the 90s. It had a perfect middle point between the sad, poignant musings and the grungy, rock sound that they still had from the previous record. The Bends is just still amazing, front to back, with a production that shoots far beyond dynamic heights or mellow lows, so that it either felt like soft cushions or hammers breaking walls when it came to the mix.
First listen. It was ok. Bigger fan of “In Rainbows”and “Kid A”.
Pretty Good. I enjoyed this quite a bit. I'm not the biggest fan of "OK Computer," so I kind of rolled my eyes when I saw this, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Solid 7/10 closer to an 8 than a 6, but still a solid 7.
There were a lot of bands like this about, I think it was in the early 90's, though it might just as well have been 10 years later. Anyway I find it difficult to tell the difference. They were all much of a muchness to me, and this album hasn't changed my mind. 2, as it is not something I actively hate, but can't say I appreciate it.
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.
Nice album. Enjoyable listen. Don't think it will be very memorable for me
i hate radiohead
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.
Great radiohead
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.
I had a friend who was huge on Radiohead and I've heard "The Bends" 10+ times. To be true to myself, the album is honestly quite unremarkable except for the last song, which is hauntingly beautiful.
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
more than 3 but less than 4. cant give .5s so 3 it is
Best Radiohead album. Period!
Radiohead's The Bends stands out as one of the band's most sonically accessible albums, offering a compelling blend of alternative rock with melodic hooks and emotional depth. In contrast to the more abstract and experimental nature of their later works, such as OK Computer and Kid A, The Bends captures a rawer, more relatable sentiment, allowing listeners to connect on a personal level through its introspective lyrics and lush instrumentation. This album serves as a beautiful bridge between mainstream appeal and the band's artistic evolution, making it a poignant experience that resonates with a wide audience.
The first time I heard "Fake Plastic Trees" was in the movie Clueless. "Yuck! The maudlin music of the university station. What is it about college and cry baby music?" This song made 10 year old me feel emo before I even knew what emo was. When I later heard Radiohead's more electronic music I was shocked, because this acoustic Thom Yorke is what I knew. That soundtrack is still my all time favorite, too. That being said, this was a really great listen. I think it's definitely overlooked when selecting a Radiohead album. I've overlooked it, and it might be one of their best. Thom's voice really hits me in these songs. I feel them deeply...or maybe that's just the 10 year old emo in me. Other favorites: "(Nice Dream)" "High And Dry"
A clear step up from Pablo Honey, but it's just nowhere near as good as almost anything that would come after.
3/5
This is the 14th album I’m rating. I haven’t listened to any Radiohead outside of Creep, I think. However, I hear Radiohead is pretty good so this better be one of my favorite albums ever. Planet Telex - Not Adding to my Playlist. On a different day I might like this. The Bends - Adding to my Playlist. This sounds pretty good. High and Dry - Adding to my Playlist. I think I heard this before. Maybe I’m thinking of that Rolling Stones song. Fake Plastic Trees - Adding to my Playlist. This is pretty boring but good. Bones - Not Adding to my Playlist. This sounds kinda basic but maybe its because it was really influential. (Nice Dream) - Not Adding to my Playlist. I feel like I’ve heard this song a bunch of times before. Just - Not Adding to my Playlist. A bit too long in my opinion. All of these songs feel pretty similar. My Iron Lung - Not Adding to my Playlist. So far it isn’t looking good for The Bends. Bullet Proof … I Wish I Was - Not Adding to my Playlist. This isn’t particularly memorable, interesting, or fun. Black Star - Not Adding to my Playlist. Maybe I’m not paying enough attention but this all feels identical. Sulk - Not adding to my Playlist. This is boring and annoying. Street Spirit (Fade Out) - This album is not that good. All in all I liked 3/12 songs. All of this was pretty similar and boring. It isn’t the worst thing in the world. However, it is pretty boring and the third worst album so far.
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
why are there so many god damn radiohead albums on this list please fucking stop. this one is better then some of the others and is less boring but this one made me realize i just don't like dudes voice that much
sick ass guitar riffs
Some songs I was familiar with but didn’t realize were Radiohead. I haven’t liked other Radiohead albums as much as this one.
Classic rock because it's classic and it rocks
This is my 8th favorite Radiohead album and it's still a 5/5
In my opinion a very mediocre rock album. The guitar work and most instrumentals, were nothing particularly special, but I did enjoy the synths when they were used, and the lyrics were sometimes a little idiosyncratic. For me the record was overall just nothing really special, as a whole, but I did enjoy certain tracks a lot, I could listen to certain tracks, but the bigger picture was missing for me. Favorite song: Sulk. Overall score 5/10
They’re really not my cup of tea
84/100.
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.
not as good as ok computer, but still a solid listen.
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.
Never could understand what all the fuss was about Radiohead. Still don't, really.
Not as offensive as the previous Radiohead album, but still not my jam
I get it but it's not for me. I prefer the watered down version (Coldplay).
Justice for half stars, this one is a 4.5 for me
Felt like I was living in an episode of smallville
I can see why people like it but at the end of the day Radiohead just isn’t for me
This is another 3.5 to me. Glad I re-listened, some great songs on here!
Nice album it was better than the other ones I had, maybe it will change my idea about Radiohead and revisit their other albums
Pretty much what I expect when I hear Radiohead
1/5
As someone who hasn’t listened to much Radiohead, this album was a delightful re-introduction. The first half of the album sonically aligned with me most during a morning commute down the peninsula — its namesake, The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Bones.
I like Radiohead. I think in my Last.fm days it was one of my most played artists. It's hard to rate this album fairly knowing what other albums are to come after and how influential they are. I'm definitely more fond of experimental electronic Radiohead and Kid A is still one of my favorite albums to this day. This is actually the first time I've listened to this album through and it's incredibly emotional. There are a couple OUTSTANDING tracks. Iron lung is insane. I personally feel like If you put this up against other alternative rock from the era it loses a little bit of its luster. There's so much great stuff out there. If I want to hear this style of music I'm much more likely to go for some Sonic Youth, Smashing pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr. Etc. Great album but I don't really see myself revisiting again soon
“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.
Radiohead is my favorite band. Ever. No contest. So this review is far from unbiased, but that's okay. I absolutely adore The Bends. It's not reinventing the wheel or anything like that, but it's such a solid guitar rock album. The song writing and guitar work are beyond amazing. Some of the best riffs land on this record. Being Radiohead's most accessible album (maybe besides In Rainbows), it does a great job at introducing who they are and what they're about. Playing well and intricately while delivering some kick ass songs. 5*, almost perfect. Standouts: The Bends, Fake Plastic Trees, My Iron Lung
whiny
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.
Great Album. I always forget about Radiohead because their later material is stuff that I couldn't care less about leaving alone. The Bends and OK Computer are total masterpieces. The guitars sound good, the songwriting is good, the vocals are good. It's got sad songs, it's got rockin' songs. It's got it all.
Still a great album.
3.5
This is probably worth another listen
The consensus is that their first album Pablo Honey is the outlier and everything from The Bends onwards is the true Radiohead. But I think that's the wrong way round. The middling indie rock with one big tune of Pablo Honey was the true essence of Radiohead but they weren't satisfied with being that. And ever since they've been trying to get away from themselves. Trying to hard to my ears. From Thom Yorke's strangled choir boy vocals to the 'is this cool?' guitars. This is the one that is the absolute midpoint between U2 and Coldplay.
I've really been trying to get into Radiohead, but I guess I just don't "get it." Maybe the cultural impact and the album rollouts add to the listening experience. I'll revisit it soon.
3.5
eerlijk, ik vond het echt mid. Er zat geen variatie in, elk lied leek op elkaar en, ja.
Well, I have something of a love-hate thing with Thom Yorke's vocals, particularly on OK Computer, but I really rather enjoyed this album, which I'll add to my streaming favourites. Probably not as important as OK Computer but pretty enjoyable.
bruh this was SOOOOOO boring stfu
Not a fan of radiohead but I feel like I have to at least admit that this is their best work and certainly deserving of a positive review.
Done
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.
¿Que hacer después de un debut con una canción para toda una generación? Pues hacer un disco aun mejor y mas influyente. Pasaron de ser alumnos aventajados de los Pixies a ser líderes a los que tratar de emular (que se lo digan Coldplay, Muse y tantos otros). Este The Bends fue un paso de gigante, y les abrió un camino por el que solo ellos transitaron (Ok Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows o The Smile...). Lejos de la euforia Brit-pop, supieron exponer la angustia de fin de siglo y la alienación electrónica como nadie. John Lekie y Nigel Godrich aportaron lo suyo. No es mi disco favorito (In Rainbows), ni el mejor (Ok Computer) pero es imprescindible. ¿Grandes? Inigualables. El legado de Jeff Buckley está a buen recaudo.
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
Radiohead gets a bad rap by musicheads but they’re actually pretty good. The type of rock they produce is unique and catchy. Their bad reputation SHOULD go to bands that actually deserve it like NINE INCH NAILS!!! Now those guys are the creepy ones.
A bleak album, and arguably, the true start of Radiohead. Great stuff.
i was cautiously optimistic after ok computer finally Did Something For Me recently but man i still rly rly dont get this tbh FHJFSHJFS. whatever combination of brain chemicals have to go off for me to find aching beauty in the guitar lines and weird winding melodies has not happened yet, i think im still just sitting here not understanding radiohead as a Guitar Rock band at all, i dont hate it but it just washes right over me in an entirely uninvolving way both sonically and emotionally. i thought thom yorke had clicked for me as a vocalist, for a chunk of this i genuinely thought he had somehow unclicked, but tbh maybe i just prefer his semi-inhuman ghost voice floating over those more adventurous, expressionist soundscapes...the physicality and grounding of a Real Band, even one playing in a haunted cavern as is the vibe here, just seems unflattering to me personally. street spirit is pretty undeniable, but other than that...its pretty flower-power
holy shit back to back Radiohead, it like you don't like me. Ok a few of these songs are what I remember Radiohead to be. But man what a difference this band is from one album to another
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.
first time listening to Radiohead and this is not what i expected them to sound like
Meh. Noise and whining. Might have been OK for one song, but I was trying hard to keep listening to the drivel by the fourth song. To quote Beavis and Butthead" This sucks! Change it!"
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
Classic 90s alt rock. Very strong opening, tapers off a bit in the second half. Highlights: "Planet Telex" (strong, propulsive opening), "The Bends" (melody is a bit Beatles-esque), "High and Dry" (Coldplay based their early career on this song), "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Just" (epic 90s angst)
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.
Hell yeah
Wow, 2 Radiohead albums in a row… wish I had more to help recover from shit like Pink Floyd
Много ми мрънкат, не мога
One of the greatest albums ever, can't not be a 5*
I enjoyed this one!
Não sou muito fã do Radiohead, além do O.K. Computer, mas esse álbum até que surpreendeu. Algumas músicas bem interessantes: High and Dry, Bones, (Nice Dream) e My Iron Lung. Acho que é um álbum sólido.
Super polished and fun listen , some of the track feelings can get repetitive over time but it’s def an album I see with s lot of replay value. There are few but enough skips for me to stop this from being a 5 in conjunction with the repetitive feeling at times it’s a low to mid 4/5
4 Stars (11/15)
Radiohead - The Bends As expected, this was going to sound great. This album is filled with bangers that'll make you vibe with it, there's also a lot of catchy hooks and great riffs that are shown there. If only the band knew for what they will later on create... Overall, this is great! 1.- Planet Telex = 8/10 2.- The Bends = 9/10 3.- High and Dry = 10/10 4.- Fake Plastic Trees = 10/10 5.- Bones = 8/10 6.- (Nice Dream) = 9/10 7.- Just = 10/10 8.- My Iron Lung = 10/10 9.- Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was = 7/10 10.- Black Star = 8/10 11.- Sulk = 8/10 12.- Street Spirit (Fade Out) = 10/10 FINAL SCORE: 8.9/10
Top 20 albums of all time for me.
I don't really like Radiohead. I just don't like the singer and some of the songs on this album made me feel almost a bit tense. No songs saved to listen to later.
I know that I'm supposed to like stuff, but I'm just not depressed enough to really get into it. Not saying that musicianship isn't top rate, because it is. It's just not my cup of tea.
Stand out tracks to me: High and Dry, Just, My Iron Lung, and Street Spirit
Great
Mind blowing and just fucking awesome
Classic Radiohead. I still like OK Computer and Kid A better, but this is also good.
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!!!
Shit like everything of theirs I've ever heard. How the hell they got so big amazes me.
I love this album with all my depressive and rocker heart, ears and soul... Another masterpiece by Radiohead...
Didn't know much of the album. Nothing surprising though. It's fine. 6/10
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.
This would be 3 stars but Street Spirit pushes it to 4
The first of a great run
We’ve got a couple of radioheads and a couple is enough. 2 stars on general principle. This is a good album and I think that radiohead are a very consistent band in their output. One or two albums is enough. To be fair this and OK Computer. But since I’ve already heard a couple of others - 2 stars.
A "1". I dont like Radiohead; a whole album=ick for me. Speaking into the void and hoping it doesnt speak back: - so many Radiohead (and Beetles and...) albums says a lot about the author(s) the list, and how 'experts' can get stuck in small recursive ponds, this material is weary, bleak and plaintive. I can do weepy melancholia is small doses, we all can, but this does it in a way that really grates for me. Does a fine job evoking/capturing abject shades of emotion, but other than providing soundtracks for breakup scenes/pathos/bathos, why oh why?
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.
Just OK, no better.
3-4
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
Enjoyable
Solid and dependable. They’ll never be an all time favorite, but I can’t deny how good it is. 4/5
Classic. Everything is good.
Classic
Album cover freaks me out
83% Best: The Bends; High and Dry; Bones; My Iron Lung; Black Star; Street Spirit (Fade Out) Must-Hear? Sure
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.
although nowadays this album has kind of been discounted by fans, critics, and the band themselves i’ve always really enjoyed it and considered it to be in my top 3 RH albums. it’s very of its time but i don’t think that’s a bad thing fav songs: my iron lung, just, planet telex
I will say, I’ve never actually gotten around to ever listening to more than 2-3 Radiohead songs due to the ones I heard not being my cup of tea. But this album was great and I can understand the hype now. Will listen more
Good
Incredible
Hot take is that this is the best album by this band, and the reasons are simple. Radiohead wanted to be something different, and there is nothing wrong with that. They wanted to escape the guitar band persona and escape they did. The disappointing thing is that there are a lot of fans of Radiohead as heavier, Thom Yorke more expressive, rather than conceptual, experimental, and seemingly... lazy. This album has emotion, it has expression that is a bit louder than the abstract varietals we will end up getting from later offerings. This is peak Radiohead, everything else afterwards is the price we pay for their popularity. In fairness, OK Computer was a great follow-up and stands on its own for where Radiohead wanted to be, and there is love for that album here. The love though is more of a gratitude for trying something different, but now it is time to come home.
pas mal pour bosser 5/5
Favorite tracks: Planet Telex, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Street Spirit. One of the weaker Radiohead albums overall, but still has really high highs across the album and is much better than their debut.
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
Clearly great written, excellent musicianship, outstanding production. This is objectively great, but I just cannot get into Radiohead.
Masterpiece! I like the music and the voice. One of my favorite albums.
Idk man ..... I just don't get it. It's boring and the vocals are annoying. I have tried over the years to see what it is I'm missing with this band and I still don't understand.
hef sagt þetta bestu plötu hausins til að fara í taugarnar á fólki. við þetta hlustun er ég nokkuð viss um að hún sé það ekki. hvort ég breyti um nálgun til að hætta að skaprauna fólki er ósennilegt. 4,5.
Está banda es única para mí. Vocalmente es excepcional, y el estilo de la banda tiene su propia firma y es genial.
It's a alternative rock album, has some good tunes but that's all. Street Spirits is maybe most interesting one, highly recommended on this.
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.
Radiohead isn’t my favorite, but the album wasn’t awful. Just not for me.
My second listen to a Radiohead album ever and I still am failing to understand why these guys are so universally acclaimed. The bloke can't fucking sing, and they need to chill with the delay pedals on the guitars. What is the appeal of this band? I did enjoy the rock elements of Bones, that was a pretty neat song. Just was also a good tune. The guitarwork on it was really good. Two good songs in a row; and then they immediately ruin it with My Iron Lung, a shitty garage rock imitation song that sounds like a Year 7 school band practice session. Overall, I didn't hate this album, but I also didn't 'enjoy' it that much. It's a bit of a plain jane album, with not much to offer outside of some nice guitar solos on a select few songs. I couldn't stand the parts of the album where it slowed down to acoustics and I had to listen to that dreary cunt Thom Yorke sing about how sad he was over some shit. This is unquestionably better than Kid A, though.
Yeah maybe it's not as experimental as Kid A but holy shit I'll take this any day of the week over that opening track that just makes me think I'm being moneyshot with mercury. Also one of the better songs on this is called 'Just' and I find that funny. Highlights: Fake Plastic Trees, Just, The Bends
I pull the same face as the dummy on the cover when I bust.
Dookie by Green Day was released 1994, the Bends was release 1995, welcome back dookie. 8/10 Fav tracks - Planet Telex, The Bends, High and Dry, My Iron Lung, Bulletin Proof... I wish I was, Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out) Least Fav - Fake Plastic Trees
Tied with OK Computer for my favourite Radiohead album, while it doesn’t have the same level of complexity as OK Computer, this album has a good balance of the meat and potatoes alt rock where the band started and a taste of where it would end up musically. A tad front loaded but an enjoyable listen and something I’m happy to return to after many years seeing as this was probably my most listened to album in my second year of uni. Highlights: The Bends, High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, Black Star, Street Spirit (Fade Out)
I like some the songs……but I do not get all of the love they get.
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
Reminded me of Jack White. Rock bass and not a lot of vocal.
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.
Been a huge Radiohead fan for decades but have not returned to this album in just as long. Sure hope there are other Radiohead albums on this list.. But will take this opportunity to revisit. It's just so 90s lol. Bones sounds like an REM song. And it all kinda sounds the same. I'm sure this was a banger when it came out, but I was 10 years late to the party. Street Spirit is still good, everything is listenable, but no reason for me to return to this one. 2.6/5
not for me.
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.
I know so many people who love it but not really for me.
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.
If only Radiohead made more records like this, rather than the twaddle they have come out with since.
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
Enjoyable listen with Fake Plastic Trees, High and Dry & Street Spirit stand outs. Their best album alongside OK Computer.
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
I nearly gave it 5 stars just for Street Spirit but remembering the fact I always find myself listening to the hits rather than the whole album took it down one.
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.
It was okay!
Radiohead's reinvention. While their smash hit Creep off the first album was a big success for the band, Radiohead aimed to show off their depth with the sophomore release. The Bends is an incredible showcase of how a rock band can wield the potential of rock music in whole new directions. Tonally, it's timeless while still borrowing the best from its grungy American neighbors. The songwriting shows innovation and interesting moments from Radiohead that most other bands wish they could capture in a single song. The Bends would go on to be eclipsed by numerous other fantastic Radiohead albums, but it's still worth listening to understand how the band evolved over time.
Radiohead can be in my head on stressful days…
How many Radiohead albums are on this damn list? I enjoyed this one more than the others that have come up, but it wasn't exactly a high bar to stumble over. This is a bit more abrasive and less whiny than later efforts, yet still polished. I was going to give this a 3, but on subsequent listens I'm bumping it to a 4.
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.
Lovely voice, unexpectedly. I find the music unmoving, unmusical, as if it’s being made up as it goes.
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.
Radiohead's last album as a proper "Rock" band. Soon, they would begin their quest to "disappear completely" and become one with their machines. It's a great album, but loses two half-stars because both "OK Computer" and "KId A" are even better.
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.
Honestly one of the most beautiful works of musical art I've ever experienced. I can't believe I'd never heard "Bullet Proof..." before today. Gorgeous.
2 stars
Favorite Track: Street Spirit
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!
Before in rainbows, this one was my fav. Holds up
Better, but Scott Tennorman must still die
There’s something beautiful and calm but deeply unsettling about this album. Maybe my favorite Radiohead I’ve heard so far?
favourite song- fake plastic trees favourite lyric- suck, suck your teenage thumb / toilet trained and dumb / when the power runs out, we'll just hum / this, this is our new song / just like the last one / a total waste of time, my iron lung cover - 7/10 album - 4/5
can't get over the whiny vocals, a couple of decent songs
Some good individual songs but not nearly as complete and timeless as In Rainbows or Kid A
Melancholy and poetic. A great listen and will def revisit. High and dry if perfect for a movie soundtrack. Title track is great too.
First repeat artist. I still can't understand a single thing Radiohead says. Not a fan. High and Dry was ok. The rest were just kinda eh. Nice Dream had him repeating "nice dream" over and over again, but I didn't even realize he was saying that, it sounded like "my string". The music is great, many songs have some nice guitar work. I just can't get into the singer's voice though. Ends on a good note though, Street Spirit is fairly nice. Best song: Street Spirit
I keep saying that I don’t like Radiohead, but I really didn’t enjoy this album. This is maybe less experimental than many of their albums and more accessible. I will listen to this one again and may find that I am a Radiohead fan after all.
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.
Already heard about half the album many times over the years, and I have done a run of this album before. Such a great melancholy feeling throughout this album. Many iconic riffs and chords. Some time soon I’ll focus on the lyrics.
3.5, good but not my thing
There's three things you can do if you have a decently selling but not well loved album (well, five, but breaking up generally isn't anyone's first choice, and being dropped is less of a decision and more of something that happens TO you.). You can refine the style you've already got, you can try something new, or you can try to do both at the same time. The last one is the riskiest, but also possibly the most rewarding, and I think that's what happened with The Bends. The album isn't a million miles from Pablo Honey in its construction, though everything is more polished and with more thought put in And yet the vibe is very different. Thom's clearly in a melancholy mood, and while the biting sarcasm is still there it's much more balanced. If Creep is bare-bones angst, this one has some meat to it. If you love guitar, then you'll have a buffet-load to consume (Just has a ridiculous riff, and I mean that as a compliment) and the rhythm section is on point. There's also clearly an effort to make the songs distinct. It's almost sad then that The Bends struggles to get out of the shadows of the band's later albums. It would be unfair to call it monotonous when they do it so well, but it's distinctly lacking in lyrical and emotional variety and arguably about 10 minutes longer than it needed to be. It is a good next step, and I'd listen to a lot of these songs in isolation but I'm not sure it'd make my 1001 list. Probably shouldn't play it while you're depressed either (unless you're the sort of person who it helps) Tangent: My Iron Lung would be a better version of a 'complain about how famous we are' song than The Byrds managed, if the chorus wasn't near unlistenable. Fave: Just Least Fave: My Iron Lung (good lyrics though) Strong Bad Demerit Score: 1
The album that launched the careers of Travis, Keane, and Coldplay. But let's not hold that against them... Angst meets pop. This album has tension in spades, bitter lyrics beautifully sung, punctuated by Johnny Greenwood threatening to break his guitar at any opportunity.
I guess I like Radiohead in large doses too
"Wot if me mate was a computer" - Thom Yorke
Some of it felt a bit dated and overplayed, but still really enjoyed it. Not quite in 5 star territory for me.
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.
Ran hot and cold on this. Several songs hint at what Radiohead would become in later albums, but just as many felt like more run-of-the-mill fuzzy rock songs.
I was one of those people who didn't listen to The Bends until *after* OK Computer came out, because I'd written off Radiohead as just another grungey one hit wonder (BWAHAHhahahHHAA in retrospect.) While I still enjoy the album a lot, it's hard to listen to the hits (High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees) with fresh ears - and the songs I probably return to most feel very much like the direction some of their future work would go in: a bit more ambient, dreamy, alienation-fests (Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was, (Nice Dream)).
just lying in the bar with my drip feed on talkin to my girlfriend waiting for something to happen BARS
The 4'est 3 I've heard. I really like a couple of songs on this record but Radiohead has better full-album concepts than this that land in the 4 category better.
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
3.5 ish. I liked it the more I listened.
First time listen. Loved it
Enjoyed it. More moody than I anticipated. Never sell out.
Not my favorite Radiohead album but pretty great nonetheless. Low 4.
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.
It was good, I shouldn’t have listened to ok computer first
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.
Their best album. Less poppy than their first.