I read somewhere that The Bends, Radiohead's second album, released in 1995, has sold fewer copies than their debut album, Pablo Honey. I find this hard to believe since The Bends is clearly is more innovative and of much higher quality. However, it makes sense from a marketing standpoint. While their first album had the hugely popular single "Creep," no songs from The Bends were able to achieve as much airplay.

The Bends is a much more sophisticated and varied album than Pablo Honey. I can listen to it over and over again and it gets better every time. This album covers many of the same themes as OK Computer (Radiohead's critically acclaimed 1997 release) such as corporate greed, angst in the modern world, technology, etc, but The Bends is much more pleasant to listen to and less whiny.


Also, if you have heard Kid A or Hail to the Theif and find them too weird and electronic-based, check out The Bends. This album is very deep, but is also pleasant to listen to. And it actually has guitars!

The first track is "Planet Telex." It starts out with a strange electronic sound effect that sounds like wind whipping through the trees and then an electronic keyboard with a vibrate-y sounding melody comes in. According to rumours, Thom Yorke recorded the vocals when he was very drunk, and once you know this, it is easy to tell. The words slur together.

Everything is broken
Everyone is broken

Next is the title track, which is my favorite. I am a huge fan of guitar rock and "The Bends" features Radiohead's best guitar solo, on the bridge of this song. This song is about what happens when one acheives fame too quickly. The bends is a disease that scuba divers can get from coming up too fast. Fame does not mean happiness and Radiohead laments not having "any real friends."

I wish it was the sixties
I wish we could be happy
I wish I wish I wish that something would happen

Thom Yorke said that he wished he'd never put the 'I wish it was the '60s' line in the song since so many reporters asked him about it.

Another line I find poignant is:

I wanna live, breathe, I wanna be part of the human race

The third track is "High and Dry" another song about fame. It is a beautiful, melancholy, accoustic song. The lyrics reference Evil Knieval, the infamous motorcycle stunt man as an example of how people will do anything for fame, even die.

You'd kill yourself for recognition
Kill yourself to never ever stop

The fourth track, "Fake Plastic Trees" is probably the most famous track off this album. It was featured on the "Clueless" soundtrack, and is, of course, about the artificiality of the modern world. It is a beautiful, slow accoustic song that speeds up toward the end and then slows down as Thom laments, "If I could be who you wanted..." In addition to being about plastic surgery and the non-naturalistic modern world, this song can be read as a song about a superficial relationship.

She looks like the real thing
She tastes like the real thing
My fake plastic love

Next is "Bones" which references one of Radiohead's favorite depressing topics-- people's bodies falling apart and aging. It features the same type of wavy beginning as "Planet Telex" and sounds much heavier than the previous two songs.

Now I can't climb the stairs
Pieces missing everywhere

The sixth track is "(nice dream)" a song with a very catchy melody featuring major chords. The guitars and strings sound very happy, but Thom's melancholy voice and the lyrics give away that this song has a dark undertone. It is about how an idealistic life of love is all a dream. This song is not one of my favorites on the album, but I certainly don't skip it since it fits with the overall theme of "The Bends" and how nothing is perfect beneath the surface. Plus, the screaming guitar solo is excellent and breaks up the monotony of the accoustic portions of the song. It works up into a frenzy and then goes back to quiet.

"Just (you do it to yourself)" is the best guitar song on this album. It has the an excellent level of anger, the best guitar riff, and a wonderful solo. It is also probably the best song to sing along to.

You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts

"My Iron Lung" features hauntingly creepy electric guitar and cryptic lyrics. Apparently, it is about how Radiohead was annoyed that their post-"Creep" music was largely ignored. It has a great change of melody and tempo and is definitely the most angry song on the album. I love the line "Suck, suck your teenage thumb."


"Bullet Proof (I wish I was)" is another beautiful, introspective song. I'm not sure exactly what it's about specifically, but it has something to do with wishing that other people couldn't hurt you.

"Black Star" is unique in that the accoustic guitar fades IN at the beginning and out at the end. It is about a struggling relationship that does not seem destined to work out. It is beautiful and sad and ends with the line, "This is killing me. This is killing me."

"Sulk" is about a killing spree that took place in England in 1987. However, it does not sound particularly angry. Thom makes it seem as if anyone could snap and kill people if the person owned a gun. This is an important point that Americans who believe that people should be able to own assault rifles should think about.

The last song "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" is the most beautiful song on the album. The melody is incredibly gorgeous and sad and the lyrics are about death. Thom says that he has to separate himself emotionally from this song in order to sing it live. This song (and the entire album) ends with "Immerse your soul in love." Life is short and death is inevitable, so we ought to find love while we can.

Cracked eggs, dead birds
Scream as they fight for life
I can feel death, can see its beady eyes

That is the song order if you buy the album in the United States. I, however, have a copy of "The Bends" that includes two bonus tracks, "How Can You Be Sure" and "Killer Cars." Both are good, but I especially highly recommend "Killer Cars." It is one of my alltime favorite Radiohead songs. Get the Mp3 if you can. It is another song about death, but it has a very catchy melody. It is all about how we risk our lives everytime we drive. Thom had a near-fatal car accident in the late '80s. Just be careful of the karma (car-ma?) that this song might bring while driving. I often have to stop myself from singing it when I am in a vehicle. "Going out for a little drive and it could be the last time you see me alive."

BUY THIS ALBUM! Even if you THINK that you don't like Radiohead based on OK Computer or Kid A, check out The Bends.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving