The Bends
by Radiohead

I can barely hate a Radiohead album. This one is definitely in my top 3 alongside with OK Computer and In Rainbows

From szoze 12/22/2025 21:21 | #312260

Amazing album. 30 years later I still love it.

Their best by a landslide. In my opinion, all of the accolades later bestowed on OK Computer and Kid A were just overcompensations by the snobs who originally slept on the brilliance of The Bends back in '95. Gorgeous production, lovely arrangements, and some really fun hard rock moments.

My favourite Radiohead head album. Every song is a masterpiece. "My Iron Lung" is one of my all time favourite tunes...

My favourite Radiohead album at the moment, pure class.

This is not perfect, but clearly very important album not only in Radiohead discography but in music in general. Here Radiohead stays true to its alternative rock roots, but going beyond its boundaries at the same time, improving everything from songwriting and song structures to overall concepts of tracks. It starts with explosive Planet Telex - one of the greatest opeing tracks ever. It has also one of the best closing tracks - Street Spirit (Fade Out) is one of my absolute favorite songs by them it is almost foreshadowing OK Computer with its depressive vision of present and especially future world, piece of music that you just cannot be not moved by. Thom's vocals are fantastic on this album, they especially help on more dreamy, melancholic tracks like High And Dry, Fake Plastic Trees or (Nice Dream). I also love the vulnerabilith expressed here on Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was and Black Star, this is just the type of music I love the most. It is important step in band's moving from typical alternative 90s rock to more art rock sound that made them legendary.

This is the groups first very strong album as they begin to experiment with their sound more on this release. In result of this, we get an instrumentally diverse display that is also one of their most accessible and infectious listens. This leads to some irresistible tracks like Just, Fake Plastic Trees and High And Dry. All of these showcase the potential the group had to go on to do amazing things and this release is basically a precursor to the levels they would reach on Ok Computer. I also think that Thom Yorke gives a brilliant vocal display on here with his ability to create emotion in the listener being really impressive to me. The group then back his voice up very well creating an almost melancholic atmosphere that could easily draw in anyone who comes across it. However, I do find there to be weak moments on here which don't have the same significance or impact as the better tracks which is what holds it back in their discography ranking for me. Overall, this might not be my favourite Radiohead album or the one I think is the greatest but it still has its moments and I can't deny how much quality is present on here.

Every time I listen to this i tink it´s their best, but then for some reason, it´s always behind In Rainbows, Ok , and Kid a in my memory. Maybe the other three have somo sort of better aftertaste.

Great album

Radiohead's best album. Whilst it has a distinctive melancholy sound it avoids being self indulgent like later albums