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