Bends, The - Radiohead > Reviews

Advantages: Sublime Music
Disadvantages: Screams out to be listened to.

The first mega-successful album by Radiohead is the best for me. It will remain one of the best and most influential albums of the Nineties and rightly so. But one warning. You cannot take this album at face value! If you listen to it once and don’t like it, then do not write it off – you’ll miss out! After buying Pablo Honey, and loving it, at first this album didn’t live up to expectations. There were none of the lively ... Read review

Advantages: brilliant, varied
Disadvantages: none

[This is part II of my '90s Nostalgia series.] I read somewhere that 'The Bends,' Radiohead's second album, released in 1995, has sold fewer copies than their debut album, 'Pablo Honey.' I find this hard to believe since 'The Bends' is clearly is more innovative and of much higher quality. However, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint. While their first album had the hugely popular single 'Creep,' no songs from 'The Bends' were able to achieve ... Read review

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: Nothing

The Bends. As well as being a bloody awful thing that happens if you come up too fast from a dive, it is also one of the most genre-creating, important albums of the 90s. Along with Oasis' (Whats the Story?) album and Nevermind by Nirvana, this is going to be on the 90's most important albums lists, not Robbie Williams and Destiny's Child!! 1995's most important rock album. One of this century's most important rock albums! The Bends is Radiohead's ... Read review

Advantages: The most accessible album from the band of the moment, trul great
Disadvantages: None

In the period from the mid sixties to the late seventies rock music became plagued with lots of pretentious tosh trying to convince people that they were IMPORTANT and had something MEANINGFUL to say. This came to a head with bands like Yes , Emerson Lake & Palmer and to some extent Pink Floyd (Roger Waters anyone?). Lyrics were often impenetrable and banal, and the music often became so complicated it was almost impossible to play (in the case of ... Read review

Advantages: Its just so perfect!
Disadvantages: Nothing

The Bends, by Radiohead. One of the greatest albums of all time? Probably… it certainly is in my books. If you have not experienced Radiohead before, you are missing out. You might not think that they are the greatest band of all time, but I have only met a hand-full who like rock-ish type music who don’t like Radiohead- but even although they don’t, they can certainly see where the attraction comes from. This album was Radiohead’s ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent range of music, original submersive
Disadvantages: An acquired taste

...landmark in musical history. The Bends, without any doubt in my mind, is the greatest album ever made. Radiohead began in Oxford around ten years ago. Since then they have fast become one of the biggest bands on the alternative music scene, largely because of Thom Yorke's unusual vocal talent and style of music. After listening to Pablo Honey, their debut album, I fast became a big Radiohead fan. However, this album is even better. The order ... Read review

Advantages: musical themes, vocals, guitars, everything really.
Disadvantages: nowt.

...writing the tracks for The Bends, was at the forefront of their minds. After the success of Pablo Honey, the band had a gruelling touring schedule and used this to try and write new tracks for the upcoming album but found this just wasn't working for them. When they finished the tour, they hit the studio however had major problems with trying to emulate the feel and sound of 'Creep' because they in fact didn't like it all that much but wanted to ... Read review

Advantages: Fine gossomer touches allied to acute lyrics with firework explosions of guitar
Disadvantages: Unfairly overshadowed now maybe by later releases

After immersing myself in Kid A and Amnesiac for months I got this out and rediscovered the joys of listening to simpler, more accessible, almost singalong, good old fashioned adult rock. This for me is the best album they have so far produced. Add to the fact that they dedicated it to Bill Hicks just raises them in my eyes by another notch. This was actually the first Radiohead album I had bought, enticed in by the ethereal sounds of Street Spirit ... Read review

Advantages: A classic and groundbreaking rock album
Disadvantages: More conventional rock and commercial than 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A'

The second Radiohead album marked a massive leap forward from the sub-grunge sound of their debut ‘Pablo Honey’. It arrived in the year of Britpop, 1995, but unlike most albums from that period, it has stood the test of time and is generally regarded as a classic. But what makes ‘The Bends’ so good? Its qualities are in many ways indefinable, but judged in retrospect; it still has that special something, five years since I ... Read review

Advantages: see op.
Disadvantages: none...except I sometimes forget about it under the piles of other cd's.

Ahh another old favorite ...Radiohead 'The Bends' I been digging through my music lately, giving some old faves some play-time on my music machine. 'The Bends' is in my opinion the best of Radioheads efforts for the simple reason ALL the songs are good, it's the kind of album I'll put on and listen to it all without having to skip past any crap songs because I like them all, which is rare. I will say this though it's quite strange when you go digging ... Read review

Advantages: Every song is brilliant
Disadvantages: Very depressing

I don’t own this album but am currently borrowing it from a friend, and I really need to tell people how damn good it is! But no-doubt if you are anywhere near being sane then you will already know for yourself. The Album has a very mellow theme but with a few faster songs as well. <01>Planet Telex - “You can crush it but it’s always there”: Begins with a sound effect that sounds like something from Buck Rogers or Battle ... Read review

Advantages: Every track is superb
Disadvantages: None

This is a astonishing album that literally takes your breath away with its consistant magnificence. The raw power and energy of Pablo Honey, the forerunner to this album, was superb in itself, but hinted nothing to what was to come on this heartbreaking masterpiece. The mixture of Thom Yorke's brutally pained vocals and the torturous beauty of the guitars make for a majestic album. Every track is outstanding, but personal favourites include the mighty ... Read review