|
|
|
Radiohead - The Bends (Collector's Edition)
| Rollingstones |
|
Some bands are born into greatness, others grow into it. Radiohead fall into the second category, but as these rarity-filled collector's editions show, they grew fast. The grungy, glammy Brit pop of Pablo Honey (1993) was a worthy debut, with the heroically self-loathing "Creep" and Thom Yorke's slightly worrisome admission "I want to be Jim Morrison." You can hear hints of a different fate in the bonus tracks, though: Amid blustery post-punk ("Inside My Head") and a heavy-breathing acoustic "Creep" were dystopian fever dreams ("Coke Babies") and catchy Luddite paranoia ("Killer Cars"). With its wild sweep of sound colors and exploded emotional palette, The Bends (1995) was some next-level business; songs like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "High and Dry" were for the ages. The period's B sides were similarly adventurous: Alongside essential acoustic versions, there are the Indo-flavored gem "Lozenge of Love" and the spacey choirboy nightmare "Bishop's Robes."...full text |
|
|
| Pitchfork |
|
When Capitol released a few different shortcuts through Radiohead's career late last year, we were indifferent to its cause, citing a lack of need and poor selection. Most fervent Radiohead fans would have wasted their money buying these packages, and most people interested in the band would be best served by their actual albums. Well, Capitol has now begun to roll out those parent albums-- starting with the group's three 1990s releases (Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer)-- again, without the band's participation. This time, however, the label is doing it right, dressing the releases up with the right accoutrements: B-sides from the era (and since the era overlapped with two-part CD singles, there are plenty), radio sessions, and music videos. For an epochal, era-defining band, Radiohead had an unusual beginning, looking like they'd wind up one-hit wonders, chancers callously attaching themselves to a sound and moment yet with few ideas of their own. That first hit, "Creep", with its loud/soft dynamic and self-loathing lyric, fit snugly into the post-Nirvana alt-rock landscape-- no surprise: Radiohead copped as much from 80s indie rock as their Pac NW brethren did. Yet instead of being hamstrung by platinum success, Radiohead abandoned careerist moves for artistic ambitions, moving quickly to incorporate the record-collector's music of post-rock and Mo Wax, the post-dance, spiritually nurturing end of UK rock, and the pre-millennial tension of IDM and trip-hop....full text |
|
|
| Blogcritics |
|
After the self-loathing of 1993’s Pablo Honey, Oxford lads Radiohead moved beyond post-grunge and into coated, quasi-anthemic rock with 1995’s The Bends. The record has softer edges and features many elegant melodies, most of which are still disturbingly offset by Radiohead’s refusal to play by the rules. Notes bow and sparkle, reflecting both the band’s growth and apprehension. After the release of Pablo Honey, the band hit its first American tour. It was a miserable experience and the band felt trapped by the success of “Creep.” Seemingly destined for one-hit-wonder territory, Thom Yorke and Co. nearly shattered to pieces during the second year of the tour. The pressure of growth can be nerve-racking. Yorke never wanted to help sell to the MTV generation, yet here was his band at the tip of it all with this fucking popularity for this fucking song. Something had to give....full text |
|
|
Go to "Radiohead " lyrics