It makes the record compelling upon first listen, but it reveals new details with each listen, and soon it becomes apparent that with The Bends, Radiohead have reinvented anthemic rock.
An album that speaks less of destiny and more about a restless energy to create and explore.
'The Bends' should set an "unfashionable" band in a completely different light and catapult them to megastardom. The other word for this album, by the way, is classic.
The stylistic leaps make for schizoid listening – brutal rave-ups contrast sharply with the acoustic languor of other tracks – but give these boys credit for not standing still.
This was the last time that Radiohead were ever able to make an album without the weight of the expectation of millions weighing them down, and for that reason it's easily their most accessible, and, dare I say it, their most simply enjoyable album.
Radiohead's reach may fall short with The Bends, a sonically ambitious album that offers no easy hits.
Where their debut, Pablo Honey, seemed tentative, the sound of a band caught between their indie roots and desire for boarder acceptance, this is assured, immaculate, marrying the acquisitive pleasures of the pop single with a dark and raucous noise.
This is one of those follow-up albums that I always hope will sound like ten imitations of the one or two great hits of the band’s not-so-great previous commercial-breakthrough LP, but instead just proves the band is afraid to be pigeonholed into the only style it’s very good at.
AUGHHH… I know, I know, it’s such a basic bitch move of me to adore Radiohead so much and overrate the band, but holy shit this album is spectacular! I don’t care if they didn’t fully find their true sound yet on this album, because this album is still a masterpiece for what it is, and I’m always gonna stand by that. Now, it isn’t better than some of their other works like “OK Computer” or “Kid A”, but still it is able to have its own ... read more
This album is amazing. I always had a positive look on Radiohead, but I never really took the time to listen to their music, this album is so goddamn nostalgic for me, my mom loves Radiohead and She would put it on in the car whenever she could. Thom yorks beautiful voice is so good with the instrumentals, he has such emotion in his voice whenever he sings and it’s just so amazing. Some of these tracks are just so fucking nostalgic, Just, High and dry, (Nice Dream), jammin’ out as a ... read more
1 | Planet Telex 4:19 | 91 |
2 | The Bends 4:06 | 88 |
3 | High and Dry 4:17 | 91 |
4 | Fake Plastic Trees 4:50 | 95 |
5 | Bones 3:09 | 81 |
6 | (Nice Dream) 3:53 | 88 |
7 | Just 3:54 | 92 |
8 | My Iron Lung 4:36 | 91 |
9 | Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was 3:28 | 87 |
10 | Black Star 4:07 | 87 |
11 | Sulk 3:42 | 79 |
12 | Street Spirit (Fade Out) 4:13 | 95 |