#128: Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

Emily: I've heard nothing but good things about Radiohead. Magazines, websites, radio DJs, friends, random people talking about music - Radiohead comes out with a glowing recommendation. Not knowing much about the band beyond a few songs on the radio, I wanted to hear more to find out what all the fuss was about. This was my first opportunity of many to come on this list. Frankly, I was underwhelmed. I guess I expected more. The Bends is surely a pleasant, introspective listen , but it just didn't strike a chord with me. I enjoyed familiar songs like High and Dry and Just (Streetlight Manifesto does a fantastic version of the latter), but ones that were new to me seemed distant. I think I need to give this album another shot - I think it has potential to be deeper and more interesting than one listen can reveal.
Favorite Tracks: Just; High and Dry; The Bends

Zack: When I think of Radiohead, there’s only one thing I think of: my crazy ex-roommate Koz. He used to play acoustic Radiohead songs all the time. Really good covers to. Some of his best renditions are on here. Most notably Fake Plastic Trees. I can’t hear that song without getting all misty-eyed at the thought of all the crazy adventures we used to have in North Philly. So many near death experiences. Once, an acoustic rendition came on one of my Pandora stations and it sounded exactly like him. I lost my damn mind. This is my first real experience with Radiohead. I’ve heard the usual radio songs but I’ve never sat down and listened to a single one of their universally praised albums. As far as I know, The Bends is a good place to start. Pablo Honey is grungy and not really an accurate representation of the band. The Bends is where they first start to mature into themselves. It’s a really mesmerizing combination of rough and soothing guitars with Thom Yorke’s hypnotic falsetto voice. All of this comes together to make a sneaky good album. It won’t blow you away, but at the end, you can look at which songs you noted were really good and you realize that a majority of the songs ended up in that category. It catches you off guard if you’re not prepared to acknowledge that you loved the album. But it really is that good. I wasn’t blown away like I was hoping I’d be, but it was a really enjoyable album that requires multiple listens to really appreciate.

Favorite Tracks: High and Dry; Fake Plastic Trees; Street Spirit (Fade Out)