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Review Summary: Radiohead for rockers. After the death of the grunge scene, the U.S. needed to know who the next big band would be. Nobody expected Radiohead, written off by many critics as "one-hit wonders" and "Just another alternative band" due to their major hit "Creep". "The Bends" is Radiohead's answer to the people.
"The Bends" takes the guitar-focus from "Pablo Honey" and the meaningful lyrics that would later be on "OK Computer" and makes the best out of them. You can also notice that Thom Yorke's vocals have improved drastically, along with his ability to write songs. "Pablo Honey" lacked reason and meaning, making it rather uninteresting. Thom seemed to have noticed, because those characteristics are for sure present. Hell, the whole album seems like a tweaked-to-near-perfection version of "Pablo Honey". You can also notice hints of "The Bends" on the albums to come (like the sound of "Sulk" would later appear on "Kid A").
This is the most guitar-influenced record Radiohead has put out to date. There are a couple songs that would make excellent rock radio hits, such as "The Bends", "Just", and "Black Star". "My Iron Lung", a straight-forward hard rocker, has a great guitar solo and shows influence from bands such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains. This album is not without it's slow and sad songs, in fact no Radiohead album is. "High And Dry", "Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was", "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" are those songs. They all are pulled off with flying colors, never falling short.
The instrumentation for this album has got to be the best from Radiohead. The guitarist does more solos than he has ever gotten to do to, and most of them are goosebump-worthy. He also makes some great catchy riffs on songs such as "The Bends", while on others helping set the mood along with Yorke's vocal style, such as on "High and Dry". The drums are also excellent, nothing too fancy, no fills or solos to be found. He still does a solid job, and that's really all he needs to do. I loved the use of piano because it sets this album apart from other alt. rock albums.
This album is often considered the second worst Radiohead album, but on many levels, it is the best. Almost every single album put out after "The Bends" is inconsistent or has songs that fall short. "The Bends" is one of the most flowing albums I own, and barely falls short at all. Thom's vocals are at his best on this album, almost never resorting to the high-pitched singing and yearning you hear oh-so often on "OK Computer" and "Kid A". When he does, he doesn't let it become out of control. He actually uses his voice, with pleasing results.
The cons for this album are very minor ones, like in some songs they use too many effects. The biggest culprit is obviously "Planet Telex", but that is pulled off brilliantly. I am talking about in songs such as "Sulk", where it would have worked out fine without. Other than that, there really are no apparent flaws on this blissful album. This still remains my favorite Radiohead album.
TOP 5 TRACKS:
The Bends
High and Dry
Bones
Just
Black Star
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Album Rating: 4.0
This one was harder to review, had writers block about half-way in. Editing the little grammar errors
right now...
In my opinion no Radiohead album is a 5, but this one's pretty damn close.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Nice review, this is my favorite Radiohead album, personally
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Thanks man! And yeah, I thought they overdid the effects on their later records.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah, I get what you're saying. I have pretty much all of Radiohead's studio albums and this is still my favorite one of them all. I couldn't get into Ok Computer like most people on here, it's good, it's just not phenomenal for me.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I know, right! I actually don't know how you could even give it a 5... it is nowhere near perfect.
It's a great album, but a 5? That's just too high. It'll always be a 3.5 (maybe 4) to me. And I have
all their albums too, minus Hail To the Thief and Amnesiac.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
What is Electriceering?
*Electioneering.
Almost every single album put out after "The Bends" is terribly inconsistent and has filler and/or songs that fall short.
^disagree strongly^
In my opinion everyone who thinks this is Radiohead's best really hasn't "gotten into" Radiohead or they're trying too hard to be different.
Also, I felt like I was just reading the tracklisting in the second paragraph.
In addition, when did Thom "screech" on Kid A and OK Comp?
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
"In my opinion everyone who thinks this is Radiohead's best really hasn't "gotten into" Radiohead or they're trying too hard to be different."
It's my opinion, i'm not trying to be different at all, it's what I think.
"In addition, when did Thom "screech" on Kid A and OK Comp?"
I used the wrong word...
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Jeff Buckley had a philosophy that I think would fit this situation well.. He performed along the mantra of not thinking about the music, cause that's when you get caught up in playing the music versus experiencing the music. He allowed the music to influence him and his vocals/chords, which is part of the reason he is so famous, because it made him a remarkably genuine performer.
I think that Thom Yorke kind of takes that to mind when he does the vocals from The Bends on, making him a much more dynamic artist then making the music sound bad.
Also, if you aren't old enough I think it'd be hard for you to understand just how influential those two albums specifically were on music.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
And I have
all their albums too, minus Hail To the Thief and Amnesiac.
so you don't have all their albums then.
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thats all of them
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
not having two means he is missing more than a quarter their LPs
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um i don't you're getting this
5/7 = 100%
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
OH FUCK.
feel like an idiot now. dont tell anyone plz
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your secrets safe wit me.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
The drums are also excellent, nothing too fancy, no fills or solos to be found. He still does a solid job, and that's really all he needs to do.
I was also a bit disappointed to find that there were virtually no drum fills or solos whatsoever on this record.
Because we all know that consistency is a good thing, don't we class.
I have to agree that "OK Computer" is better than this. This is pretty much just a basic rock album, which is fine for when you're in the mood for that kind of stuff (which I often am). However, "OK Computer" goes beyond that in every way and is generally a better album.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
idk how you can like this more than ok computer tbh
| | | Album Rating: 1.0
urgh im trying to get over the bends. had mexican food about an hour ago..
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What the fuck!
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I thought it was a well written review. I just don't understand why you would do a review on an album that has been done 8 times before.
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Negged
The review isn't very well written and you're just wrong about lots of things
and lol at wanting lots of drum solos and fills and shit. It sounds like your idea of a good album is
for it to be full of guitar solos and instantly gratifying
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