The Bends - Radiohead

Year Released: 1995

Label: Parlophone

Year Bought: 2000

Some records I'm going back to for the first time in a while. Others, like 'The Bends', are still in my regular rotation.

What to say about this album? The crashing piano chords of opening track 'Planet Telex' give an immediate indication that this is not the same band that made 'Pablo Honey'. The album is a quantum leap from that record, which – while it has its fans, including me – is by-and-large the sound of just another guitar band.

'The Bends' is different. From the slowing-down-time intro of the title track, to the how-high-can-you-go guitars on 'Just', the album constantly delights.

'Fake Plastic Trees' is a magisterial effort, while 'Black Star' contains one of the great opening lines:

"I get home from work and you're still standing in your dressing gown, well, what am I to do?"

The recording process for this record was inspired by seeing Jeff Buckley perform an intimate show in London, which made the band decide to start with vocals and guitar for many of the songs and build up from there.

As a result, there's some gorgeous layering on tracks like 'Fake Plastic Trees', 'Sulk' and '(Nice Dream)'.

The real delight is saved until the end with 'Street Spirit', which sounds like yet another leap from the band. It almost feels like a bridge to the next record.

It's not a perfect album though. 'Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was" feels a bit by numbers, both lyrically and musically. I've never really had much love for "High and Dry". In an album full of great lyrics, a chorus that just repeats "Don't leave me high, don't leave me dry" feels phoned in.

But it's a great album. It's the sound of Radiohead realising that they really do need to push themselves to avoid being just another band.

9/10

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