Well, everyone’s probably heard of Radiohead. They’re one of the better-known bands in the alternative genre. Most people know them from their masterpieces such as “In Rainbows”, “OK Computer”, and “Kid A” but what about their albums from before? Well this is where “The Bends” comes in.
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Coming fresh from their debut album “Pablo Honey”, the band wanted a fresh start. The band wanted to move past their affiliation with “Creep” the song that introduced them to the world as “the next Nirvana.” As you can tell, their first album throve on rock and grunge influences. If you turned on any rock radio station you’ll probably here the song maybe one or two times. The band almost broke up due to the pressure of trying to surpass the success of this song' tensions were high to release something equally as memorable.
That pressure and depression according to Thom Yorke, the band’s lead singer, birthed this album. The recording sessions for this album were strenuous, as their record label had told them to record their lead single first. They came up with four songs but weren’t satisfied when their guitarist Jonny Greenwood told Yorke to write and record some songs on his own with a guitar.
Eventually this album was finished, and what an album it is. As stated earlier, it has been alleged that Thom Yorke was battleling some form of depression at the time, so the lyrical content of this album is very diverse. While continuing with some themes from their debut album, this album saw a growth in songwriting from Yorke as he expanded his influences from literature, to songs by the band R.E.M. and global events such as massacres.
This change in songwriting gave birth to some of the bands best songs. While this album does deal with darker themes, there are some songs with a dream like aesthetic, more specifically on the song “(Nice Dream).” Other songs provide a very harsh but analytical view on lifestyle choices like plastic surgery in the beautiful but haunting piece “Fake Plastic Trees.”
While the album at first didn’t perform as well commercially, it later found success upon the release of their later albums. Many fans and listeners can agree now that “The Bends” is one of their greatest and one of the greatest albums of all time.
The darker themes on this album aren’t exclusive to the global state as Yorke often examined himself when writing these songs. The song “Just” touches on themes of depression, self-depreciation, and alienation from society, while the song “My Iron Lung” is Thom’s rant against the world over the glorification of their song “Creep.” While the song “My Iron Lung” is a cry for help that many people can relate to, it’s about wanting to be better and stronger emotionally.
Songs like these are what propelled Radiohead to the monster heights they now attain. These deep introspective lyrics have influenced a ton of bands and writers alike such as Coldplay. If this album didn’t happen, neither would’ve Coldplay’s amazing debut album “Parachutes.”
This album is regarded as one of the best for a reason. The change of sounds from the band showed what musicians could do with their music. It showed the world that brutal honesty can sell. More importantly, it showed why Radiohead is one of the best bands of all time.
FAVORITE TRACKS: While the album as a whole is phenomenal, there’s a few songs that have helped me get through several rough patches in my life. These songs are “(Nice Dream)”, “Fake Plastic Trees” and “Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was.”
RATING: 10/10. Seriously this album is phenomenal and always stays in constant rotation.
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