Product Description

On only their second outing Oxford's Radiohead fulfilled their huge potential, fashioning an album whose relentlessly downbeat tone was offset by an ability to formulate consistently winning melodies. The title track and "Just" throw some customary rock poses, but for the most part the band displayed a far more expansive approach. Thom Yorke emerged from the woodwork with a new-found vocal confidence, revealing a striking falsetto on two of the album's strongest tracks, "Fake Plastic Trees" and "High & Dry." The last three songs build inexorably to the stunning emotional climax of "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" with a control and poise that showcased the band's new maturity.

Track Listing

1. Planet Telex
2. The Bends
3. High and Dry
4. Fake Plastic Trees
5. Bones
6. Nice Dream
7. Just
8. My Iron Lung
9. Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was
10. Black Star
11. Sulk
12. Street Spirit (Fade Out)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #636 in Music
• Released on: 1995-03-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the massive success of Pablo Honey--or, more specifically, the single "Creep"--had made them a household name, most had written Radiohead off as one-hit wonders. That they could return with an album as awesome and monumental as The Bends, therefore, must have been particularly unexpected. Not that Pablo Honey is a bad album, but rather, when compared to the epic grandeur of The Bends, it's obvious that the five Oxford-based boys had matured immensely since the release of their debut. "High And Dry", "Just", "Street Spirit", "Fake Plastic Trees": nary a pop song among them, yet it's testament to their greatness that they all were hit singles. And really, it's easy to see why: Thom Yorke's falsetto crying over a wall of acoustic and electric guitars, as lyrics and music blend to create a masterpiece of melancholy beauty. The Bends is one of the most essential albums of the 1990s, and a spectacular indicator of further greatness to come. --Robert Burrow

Customer Reviews

No comparisons.......Please!!
Many Radiohead reviews are pre occupied with comparing the band's albums. Personally I think this is meaningless. It's like trying to compare a bowl of semolina with a garden ornament. This is a different pre occupation to declaring a favourite. My favourite Radiohead album is 'Kid A' however, comparing it to 'The Bends'...Well I just wouldn't know where to start. 'The bends' is Radiohead's radio friendly era, 12 songs, 12 singles if they'd have wanted, and as with all radio friendly music the listener doesn't have to work too hard to enjoy it, the fix is instant.
' The Bends' is also about 5 equally talented musicians working together to make what is fundimentally a guitar,drums and bass masterpiece and it definately isn't about the 'Thom and Jonny show' which followed with OKC and continued with Kid A and Amnesiac. 'The Bends' is a one off. No point in ever repeating it in my opinion and Radiohead won't repeat it, that's why I love all their music. Nothing wrong with making the same album time after time if that's what you prefer. Oasis have done it 6 times and their fans seem quite happy. Keane and Snow Patrol will probably follow suit. Radiohead have left us with a ' never to be repeated' unique masterpiece and thankfully the only time we will ever hear anything like it again is when it's re released in remastered, SACD format to celebtate its 20th anniversary..........Can't wait.

Simply Brilliant
I would like to dispute the term 'overrated'. When an album sells millions of copies does it become overrated? When an album sets the musical standards that define the decade it was made in, does it become overrated? When it is clear that every song on this album is as exceptional and brilliant as the last, does it become overrated? No.

I beleive that this CD is a masterpiece in music which should be embraced and appriciated by everyone for its contribution to the musical community, whether one likes it or not, but I don't beleive that someone should simply dismiss this album due to musical differences. Arguably I believe that 'The Bends' is the best Radiohead album, but that is open to interpretation of course.

It would appear that an album of this callibre is rather like a good bottle of wine; it appreciates over time. After digging this CD up after many years of not listening to any Radiohead at all, I discovered once again the true spirit and drive that I hadn't picked up on in more recent music; the intuative use of various sounds coupled with articulate rhythms make this a must have for any collector!

You haven't heard this?
What an album.
I, after all these years, still come back to this so frequently.
In the same way as the Beatles wrote everlasting timeless tunes - this album will be with me to my deathbed.
I have trouble even imagining that anyone doesn't have this album.
Like Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, this album has some secret ingredient that allows it to stay current, and beautiful.
Buy this album. The cost of it should be ten times the price paid, if your looking at length of enjoyment.
Just buy it. No questions.