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The Bends |  | Artist: Radiohead
Label: Parlophone
Category: Music
List Price: £13.99
Buy Used: £1.10
as of 21/11/2009 20:05 GMT details
You Save: £12.89 (92%)
New (51) Used (48) Collectible (1) from £1.10
Seller: frankswildbooksnstuff
Rating:  133 reviews
Sales Rank: 2823
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 29626
UPC: 724382962625
EAN: 0724382962625
ASIN: B000002TQV
Release Date: March 1, 1995
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Planet Telex | | • | The Bends | | • | High and Dry | | • | Fake Plastic Trees | | • | Bones | | • | Nice Dream | | • | Just | | • | My Iron Lung | | • | Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was | | • | Black Star | | • | Sulk | | • | Street Spirit (Fade Out) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
After the massive success of iPablo Honey/i--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 iThe Bends/i, therefore, must have been particularly unexpected. Not that iPablo Honey/i is a bad album, but rather, when compared to the epic grandeur of iThe Bends/i, 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. iThe Bends/i is one of the most essential albums of the 1990s, and a spectacular indicator of further greatness to come. i--Robert Burrow/i
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 133
How to convey the brilliance? August 25, 2001
Adam Fong (London, UK)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
Still pretty much speechless about the magnificence of this record, even after the amount of time it has spent in my CD player. Quite literally no other piece of music in my not small collection has a guaranteed play at least once a week. In particularly emotional periods of my life that turns into constant play, with the album constantly swinging me through emotions of thoughtful melancholia to purest bliss (prime examples being the sweet crescendo building Fake Plastic Trees followed by Bones, the lovely understated Nice Dream followed by the quick fix and suprisingly deep Just, and then the divine Bullet Proof followed by the heartbreakingly wonderful Black Star). This truly is an album that can seemingly bring meaning back to anyone's life, that anything can be so awe ispiringly beautiful is reason enough to carry on living - even heaven can't offer this perfection. I could easily write a 1000 word review about any song on this album, and when I have the time I likely will, in the singles reviews. No other album can so accurately drill a whole into the psyche than the Bends. It feels as if Thom Yorke knows me, knows exactly how I'm feeling all the time. Black Star has become my anthem for life, despite my originally believing it to bew one of the weaker songs on the album. Each and every song is a work of art, and this album will never be supersceded, even Radiohead at their peak weren't this good, the album transcends them. It transcends all of us, and anyone without it has a hole in their life.
Its the best thing that you ever had April 5, 2006
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
This is the greatest radiohead album and the greatest album of the 90's. If you don't own this album you are missing out. The only other album which comes close is 'Ok Computer', however I think 'the bends' is better, only because it has a warmer feel to the cold mechanical,(but also brilliant) 'ok computer'. There isn't a weak song on the entire album. Thom Yorke's voice is at his best. At times the later albums, he can sound winey but it is stretched to perfection here. To thoughs who write off radiohead as 'depressing'. Are you emotionally dead? At times the songs can be sad, but they are always a joy to listen to. Songs are both about personal relationships and relationships between someone and the world. It expresses the the confusion of life in all its forms, that everyone must feel to some degree. However this album lifts you out of the choas and sweeps you across harmonies and melodies. The balance of songs on the album work really well, just as the album begins to flag, after the slow 'high and dry' and 'fake plasic trees', 'just' is thrashed out.'Just' is a stright out excellent rock song, nothing more nothing less. The best is saved to last, with 'street spirit (fade out)', about life, death and love. Thank god a band like this are still around.
WOW! A fantastic album. absolutely captivating August 10, 2004
sam bull
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I bought this album from the advice of a friend and was amazed that id ever missed it. how did i live without it? it is beyond words to be honest. not only is the music melodically amazing but on a cerebral level this album will also work wonders. pFirst off the album starts with the song 'Planet Telex.' This track starts off with a brilliant chord progression and then Thom Yorkes vocals kick in and the album is alive. the chorus and verse on the song just link so perfectly and the whole song is a masterpiece. not my favorite off the album but id give it a 9.5/10pThen the title track 'The Bends' comes up. a nice heavy starting song which still maintains a calm feeling with Thom Yorke's singing. lyrically this song is superb, however, although the melody grows on you, this is one of the songs i was less impressed with. still well worth the listen though. 8/10pI believe that the song 'High and Dry' is the begining of the album. from here on out there are no complaints just all genius music. i LOVE the guitars on this song because they all seem to be working independently and yet they work as a whole aswell. a wonderful song 9.5/10p'Fake Plastic Trees' is a track that at first i was not impressed with but after a few listens the song started to get to me. it is now one of my favorites off the album. good acoustic sounds to finish this beautiful song 9/10p'Bones' ..... just astounding. bass line: perfect, drums: spot on, vocals: seemlessley changes from the grungier verse into the falcetto chorus, guitars: all interesting and all very clever. 9.5/10p'Nice Dream' is actually my favorite song off the album i think. if you prefer mellower songs this is the song for you aswell. the second chorus has some of the cleverest harmonies ever created. not just a nice dream but a perfect one. 10/10p'Just' is again an amazing track, one of the more 'rocky' songs of the album. the verses almost having a jazzy feel with just a simple chord strum and a drum beat to die for.after the second chorus there is an instrumental middle eight which i have attempted to recreate because after listening to it, it wont leave your head. after the octave pedal is used for the guitar part that keeps getting higher a kickass jazz chord comes in. i believe its an 11th and it is so unexpected that it actually knocked me back a bit. another GREAT song 10/10p'My Iron Lung' a mouth watering riff thats simple but very effective. the song starts off being very melodic and then as it goes on distorted guitars are introduced and then the odd but somehow fitting section with uncomprehensible lyrics ( i believe he says :the head shrinkers, they want everything, my uncle bill, my belisha beacon) but i may be wrong. then the heavy guitars stop and this 'frighteningly' mellow part comes in. the boys from Oxford outdoing themselves in this song. this is a more experimental song 9.5/10p'Bullet Proof...I Wish i Was' is the more hauntingly melodic song. much more depressing. but the chorus reminds me somewhat of coldplay. i love the whole song but it is not to some peoples taste as ive discovered. 9/10p'Black Star' 'blame it on the black star' the start of one of the best chorus' on the album in my humble opinion. the verse is nothing special(bass is great) but because of the AMAZING chorus it gets a 9/10 p'Sulk' great starting riff on the guitar, great melody over the riff,great drum beat yet somehow the song doesnt seem to work for me. i was more dissapointed with this however after a couple of listens the sublteties are realised and i appreciate the song for its originality now. 8.5/10p'Street Spirit' if anyone dislikes this song they are insane. i love playing this song aswell. i have also attempted to sing it with the guitar but Thom Yorke's voice has so much character its impossible to recreate the sound. the majority of this song is minor which gives the more depressing feel but probly the best outro song to any album EVER. i believe that jonny greenwood plays the beautiful riff that carrys on throughout the song and all i can say about this song really is OMG i can't believe that any song can affect me on so many levels. the harmonies at the end almost want to make you fall to your knees. this is a song to die for and i would gladly kick the bucket to this melodic masterpiece. if anyone can find a song as beautifully crafted and executed as this please let me know. 15/10 ... nothing is even parralled to this song in my opinion.pThis album should not be missing from anyones collection. they are all fine musicians, they can write melodies that touch the soul, they have discovered a way to bring different styles of music together to create the perfect album for any music fan with any tastes. if you buy this album you will not be dissapointed as there is something for everyone.
Guitarist's Radiohead album February 25, 2005
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is my favourite Radiohead album, for the following reasons:p1)Personally as a guitar-player myself, this is the kind of quality I (in my (nice)dreams!) aspire to. Inspirational.p2)Track for track it is the most consistently brilliant, so many excellent songs, only average effort being the penultimate number, 'Sulk', good indie fare I suppose, if it was Coldplay would be one of their better efforts, but this being Radiohead, it kinda pales in comparison to the rest of the album.p3)Being of the inclination to rock-out every now and again, when this rocks, it rocks hardest of all RH albums...although Paranoid Android and Electioneering on OK Computer come pretty close.p4) The furious explosion from nowhere of Johnny Greenwood's telecaster on the otherwise mellow, acoustics-and-strings '(nice dream)' is inspired, few bands I can think of currently could pull off such a transition with such success, or frankly would attempt it.p5) Likewise, the deft switch between hysterical thrash and serenity on 'Just', both in the instrumentation and in Yorke's vocals, this song exhibits what is for me the best instrumental bridge in rock in the last decade....very brief, but achingly beautiful nonetheless.......how do they do it?pOn the negative side, which for the sake of balance I thought I might put in.p1) The non-inclusion of 'Talk Show Host', B-side and equal of the Single 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' Used to great effect in the modern-era set adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Such a shame, as it would have made great album even better.p2)This is a more tentative one, but personally, whilst I think Planet Telex is a wonderful, ambitious, sweeping song, for me, it is perhaps a bit whimsical and lacking in pace as an opening manifesto for the album....just a thought.pOther than that, sublime and superb, I particularly love the fact that though doubtless this band is composed entirely of virtuosi,on this album they are never dragged into meandering flashy playing for its own sake, it all leads somewhere and adds to the awesome sound.pBuy this and play it loud....maybe even indulge in a bit of crazed air-guitar once you have checked no-one else is watching ;-)
Quite possibly the greatest album of the 1990's if not ever! August 20, 2001
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Although having owned this album for 6 years I thought I should give it the praise it so desperatly deserves.pNo other album has the power to throw the listener through such a series of moods and emotions. It's highly evocative and inspirational and creates an ambience that only Radiohead could.pThe journey takes you through such beautiful and melodic songs as (Nice Dream), High and Dry, Bullet Proof...I Wish I Was, Street Spirit (Fade Out)and of course the wonderful Fake Plastic Trees. However, this album has other tricks up it's sleeve including heavier rock songs like Just, The Bends,My Iron Lung and Planet Telex to mention a few tunes that instantly enthuse the listener to the piont of nirvana (no musical pun intented). pMatched only with the possiblity of OK Computer (depending on your opinion), The Bends is an album which should be on every shelf and in every CD player in the entire English speaking world and beyond. If you do not own it; shame on you. You are missing out on the musical expierence of your life. This IS one of the greatest albums ever and it will influence you in ways you never thought music could!pBut don't take my word for it, buy it yourself; then turn down the lights, sit back, put your feet up, enjoy and listen to over and over again.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 133
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