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The Bends is Radiohead’s second album, and sounds it - an evolutionary step squarely between the melodic rock of Pablo Honey and the moody, otherworldly masterpiece OK Computer. There’s conflict between standard rock and more experimental, nearly atonal sonic textures. Some songs are frustratingly safe, others gloriously so, and a few flirt with the cutting edge. In retrospect, Radiohead was on the edge of a creative leap, peeking into a canyon but not quite over the rift.

Radiohead could have easily made a career out of folk rock songs like High and Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, and Black Star, but thankfully took the more experimental route, drawing from Street Spirit, Nice Dream, Just, and Planet Telex to fuel their future. You can hear whispers of their subsequent work on The Bends.

Planet Telex

= 4 stars

The highly effected piano chords foreshadow Everything In Its Right Place. Better examples of spacious, epic songs come later - it’s a lesser version of Air Bag. I find the chorus chords starting with “Everything is…” a bit disappointing after the awesome intro and verse.

The Bends

= 4 stars

The lyrics document an air crash, suburban ennui, a bomb going off. Airplanes seem to be a favorite Radiohead metaphor, and I think of how we fragile humans have created a world where we’re dependent on machines for survival. I especially love the guitar lick surrounding the lonely question: “where do we go from here?”

High And Dry

= 5 stars

From the gently syncopated drums of the verse to the comfortable vocal melody, this song is perfection. I can’t think of a single thing amiss here, except the falsetto may not be to everyone’s taste, and this song and the next have basically provided a sound for Coldplay to spend their entire career exploring.

Fake Plastic Trees

= 5 stars

Another perfect song that builds decently - I appreciate its sincerity. There’s a simple organ lick also reminds me of Elvis Costello’s King of America.

Bones

= 3 stars

Not a big fan of this one, but I do like the skeletal first verse, where with minimal instruments the chord progression isn’t so obvious. The Planet Telex effect is reiterated.

Nice Dream

= 4 stars

Meet the chiming, bell-like guitar used to much better effect on No Surprises. There’s also a screaming guitar that could have gone somewhere other than it does. It’s a good song, but suffers slightly as its subject matter and mood are explored more fully on OK Computer.

Just

= 5 stars

This song is incredible. It’s equally varied and exciting as the crazy parts of Paranoid Android. Things are taken to a high level with a guitar lick that rises up to a shivering high note (capable of bursting through eardrums), followed by a second coda broadcast like a telegraph bursting into a phone-booth.

My Iron Lung

= 5 stars

I think this song was written in response to the unexpected chart success of Creep, which pushed the band into the spotlight, but led to the unflattering description of Radiohead as the “British Nirvana”. The “iron lung” of this song refers to a career-sustaining one hit wonder, while also fitting in nicely with Radiohead’s subject matter of life sustaining, dehumanizing technology. But I mention Nirvana as I assume it’s the reason for the brain-crushing middle section that I believe is meant as parody and homage simultaneously. That said, it still sounds cool, with some good contrast between sections.

Bullet Proof

= 3 stars

Not a fan of yet another journey into expertly crafted, ethereal falsetto, as the superior High and Dry and Nice Dream renders this song a bit irrelevant here.

Black Star

= 4 stars

There’s much I like about this song, and from any other artist I might grant five stars, but unfortunately despite a great ear-worm melody, it’s just a relationship song with nothing extra that pushes it to a higher level.

Sulk

= 3 stars

I’m not a big fan of the six-eight time employed here, but after listening to the rise and fall of the vocal melody, it’s pretty clear where Keane sprang from.

Street Spirit (Fade Out)

= 4 stars

This could be on Kid A or Amnesiac but without the cool computer noises. I think there are better examples of this sort of song on subsequent journeys.

Album rating = 49 / 12: 4.08 Stars

Wikipedia: Radiohead: The Bends

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