November 7, 2024

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The Bends – Radiohead, Pure Influence

John Whalvin07 mins

The Bends was released ‘on this day’ March 15th 1995

I’ve seen a number of posts today about Radiohead’s album, some with the attached question, “What’s your favourite track on the album?” This was one of those albums you just bought straight away without hesitation, it was a must have but to be honest at the time I can’t remember why? apart from the fact it was just that good, there was no peer pressure, no keeping up with your friends as they were buying it, no outside influence? It was almost as if someone told Radiohead “If you make it they will buy it” in a “if you build it they will come way”.

I remember the song ‘Creep’ getting huge airplay, it seemed to be on repeat everywhere yet at the time I did not buy Pablo Honey? And bizarrely – First released in 1992, Creep was rarely given airplay as it was considered too depressing! The song also contains the f word which was not acceptable for the BBC. The band recorded an alternative, substituting the offending word with “very”. – Source

But then for me, there was ‘High and Dry’ and ‘Street Spirit (Fade Out)’. These were stand out, the latter on heavy MTV rotation, the black and white video in a trailer park full of silver airstreams and slow motion cuts. Bearing in mind ‘The Bends’ came out just after albums such as ‘Definately Maybe’ and ‘Parkline’, right in the centre of that Cool Britannia Britpop era which it certainly was not a part of but it still shone.

It’s an album that did not fit in my record collection at the time, a collection full of Oasis, Blur, The Lightning Seeds, New Order, EMF, Jesus Jones, The Wonder Stuff and a lot of Depeche Mode. It did not fit, but it did! It set its own place at the table, it was timeless music that still sounds as great now as it did then. These were songs that would not need to force their way into any playlist. I think by accident it was a major part of my music appreciation growing up? not that it had to to listen to it?

In September 1994, EMI released the My Iron Lung EP, comprising “My Iron Lung” plus Bends outtakes. “My Iron Lung” was also released as a single. American audiences were disappointed by the lack of a “Creep”-style song on The Bends. In response, Capitol chose “Fake Plastic Trees” as the first US single, to further distance Radiohead from “Creep”. It failed to enter the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. “Just”, released in the UK on August 21, reached number 19. It was not released as a single in the US. The next US single, the double A-side “High and Dry” and “Planet Telex”, reached number 78. “Street Spirit (Fade Out)”, released in January 1996, reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, surpassing “Creep” and demonstrating that Radiohead were not one-hit wonders. “The Bends” was released as a single in Ireland and reached number 26 on the Irish Singles Chart in August 1996. – Source

Below is a clip of Dave Grohl with Jools Holland talking about the Radiohead song ‘Paranoid Android‘ from the album ‘OK Computer’ which came out 2 years later in 1997. He says he believes that “OK Computer started a musical revolution”. I’m not one to argue with a musician such as Dave Grohl, but i’d argue that, that revolution, the seeds were planted by ‘Creep’. ‘The Bends’ was the Call to Arms, songs like ‘My Iron Lung’ and ‘Fake Plastic Trees’ were a battle cry of what was to come!

What’s my favourite track? Thom Yorke is a genius!

Album Tracklist

  • 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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