Radiohead: The Bends [XL RECORDINGS]

Why you'll love it

The Bends gave us "Fake Plastic Trees," "High and Dry," "Just" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)," the band's first U.K. top-five single. It's also where Radiohead first teamed up with Nigel Godrich and artist Stanley Donwood, who've been in the fold ever since.

This edition

• XL Recordings reissue (cat# XLLP780)
• Original Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke cover art

About the album

Pablo Honey was fine and all, but (the singular greatness of "Creep" notwithstanding) Radiohead's debut album didn't necessarily suggest that the young Oxfordshire quintet would come back quite as hard as they did in 1995 with The Bends.

Pressured by their label to come up with another "Creep," the band eventually went the other way, crafting a sophomore album heavy on nuance and mystery and indulging their "prog" tendencies to a much higher degree. Ironically, as outwardly challenging as it first seemed, The Bends proved to be something of a hit machine; suddenly "My Iron Lung," "Fake Plastic Trees," "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" and "High and Dry" and their accompanying videos were freakin' everywhere. And Radiohead was well on its way to becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet. It's hard to believe, in hindsight, that the group first promoted The Bends Stateside by touring as opening act for Alanis Morissette. And it's safe to say the likes of Coldplay, Travis and Keane would not be where they are today were it not for this record.

Also at Kops: more Radiohead on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On XL Recordings (cat# XLLP780), a reissue of the 1995 album.