Radiohead - The Bends
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Music CD Cover
Artist: RadioheadEdition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Import
CD Release Date: 1995-04-12
Music Label: Toshiba EMI Japan
Soundtracks:
- Planet Telex
- The Bends
- High and Dry
- Fake Plastic Trees
- Bones
- Nice Dream
- Just
- My Iron Lung
- Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was
- Black Star
- Sulk
- Street Spirit (Fade Out)
- How Can You Be Sure? [*]
- Killer Cars [*]
Free Music Notes for The Bends
Free Music Review: "My baby's got the Bends.... oh, now... we haven't got any real... FRIEEEENDS!"
Hit: 5 Stars
My previous review of this album was positive, but critical of a few songs. Still, I've listened to this quite a lot between when I wrote that and right now, and I've realized that it's a high point, not just for the group but for alternative rock in general. In fact, it's the second-best album of the late-'90s (a period I feel was rather artistically bankrupt with a few noteable exceptions) - the best is OK Computer, which may give you some sort of an idea of how good this band is.
This is also easily the best of Radiohead's "normal" albums, and I think it's amazing how the group managed to give this one an accessible sound and not compromise a bit of creativity or distinctiveness. Very few bands can do that, you know, and Radiohead is certainly among them. Contained on this disc are some of the group's heaviest rockers (Just, a deserved hit single; the title track, which I'll discuss in-depth shortly afterwards; the Creep/Heart Shaped Box - at least I think that guitar riff in the chorus was inspired by Heart Shaped Box - parody My Iron Lung; Sulk, the only bit of Pablo Honey-esque unironic faux-grunge, and even then it's got an awesome guitar solo) contrasted with some wonderful softer material (catchy but dark hit single High and Dry; Fake Plastic Trees, both depressing and gorgeous - I'll discuss that one more later, too - the haunting, eerie Street Spirit (Fade Out); Planet Telex, reminiscent of Pink Floyd; Bullet Proof.. I Wish I Was, which is ethereal). And even the weaker tracks have memorable moments, be it a well-placed guitar solo on Bones; interesting lyrics on Nice Dream; or solid vocals on Black Star. There's not a bad song on this album, in fact. And there are several underrated ones, including one I think is so good I'll give it an entire paragraph of discussion.
That song is the title track. You don't hear much about it, but it's my favorite song on this album, other than Fake Plastic Trees. For one, it has my favorite riff in Radiohead history - three guitars mean they rock three times harder than Led Zeppelin on full-on guitar-army mode, which makes sense because Radiohead is at LEAST three times the band Led Zeppelin was. The four-part arrangement gets me every time: you've got the loud, distorted riff part, the quiet introspective part, the full-on rock part, and (coolest of all) the percussion-and-vocals backdrop. The lyrics aren't much other than Alienation 101, but they're originally delivered and sung with conviction. Top-notched.
And Fake Plastic Trees is even better. That is a BEAUTIFUL song. Now contrasted against the dark anti-corporate lyrics, I'm sure the beauty was meant to be ironic. Even so, I gotta give them points for original use of irony. Most groups would have probably given it a happy bouncy arrangement, but Radiohead goes somewhere totally different with it. And while Radiohead mostly aim their music at the brain and not the heart, this song moves me deeply. Especially the part when the full band kicks in and Thom sings, "She looks like the real thing... she tastes like the rea-heal thing... my fake pla-HAAAA-stic love... But I can't help the feeling... I could burst through the cei-heiling if I just TURN and run", and then the band suddenly returns the song to its hushed, reverent atmosphere and Thom almost whispers "It wears me out..." Gives me the chills every time.
All told, the Bends isn't quite as good as the next release, OK Computer, but that's by no fault of its own: OK Computer is easily one of the ten best rock albums ever made. This is still wonderful, highly recommended music.
The Bends Poster
Radiohead Photos
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More from Radiohead
 OK Computer |  Amnesiac |  Kid A |
 Pablo Honey |  Hail To The Thief |  I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings |
While Radiohead saw its stock rising in 1994, it wasn't until 1995's The Bends that it really became a blue chip band. And for good reason. The quintet honed its talent for bombastic Brit Rock, yet still preserved an edge of unpredictability. Even singles like the title track didn't give in to the kind of swooning guitar clichés usually embraced by commercial radio. If the CD proved anything, it was that Radiohead could find solid ground between pop experimentation and the tradition of born-in-the-bone, balls-out rock. --Nick Heil
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