tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post3880129227597725509..comments2024-03-02T07:40:22.786+03:00Comments on Only Solitaire blog: Radiohead: The BendsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-90694106983238504542019-07-22T05:24:18.414+03:002019-07-22T05:24:18.414+03:00Excellent, excellent, excellent review. You were r...Excellent, excellent, excellent review. You were right on point with The Bends. It is interesting how much you have changed your position on this album. On your old site, you didn't think much of it. I guess some albums just take time to assimilate, and Radiohead's sophomore album is certainly one of them! Huge fan of both your old blog and new blog, keep up the great work!MrMojoRisinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13108191596444612879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-6859606082812118882018-01-27T18:10:28.707+03:002018-01-27T18:10:28.707+03:00Sad to see the status of "High And Dry" ...Sad to see the status of "High And Dry" as a highlight of The Bends getting revoked. It's one of the simpler songs here, but that beautiful falsetto still gets me every time.<br /> (Fake Plastic Trees exploits the same trick to a more epic effect and I LOVE that as well, but something about the beauty, simplicity and efficiency of High And Dry's melodies make it one of my top favorites from the band.)<br /><br />Rest of album are loaded with really great highlights from the band's careers too: Planet Telex, Just, Street Spirit and the aforementioned Fake Plastic Trees are the ones I return to most (after High And Dry).Andrew Darwitanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13074677378436416197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-1644104972417105122018-01-23T16:55:33.869+03:002018-01-23T16:55:33.869+03:00As I understand, "the tragedy" sentence ...As I understand, "the tragedy" sentence is George looking from the eyes of other critics. Judging by the review, I would say he thinks this is their best album.Harknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-660808341284783109.post-55175257619191260132018-01-21T21:07:32.712+03:002018-01-21T21:07:32.712+03:00George,
I love your reviews, and have for years.....George,<br /><br />I love your reviews, and have for years...and knew quite well that we'd zoom off in different directions again once you revisited Radiohead. Different strokes, etc., and I'm not going to try to change your mind on the topic, but because I see what's coming down the pike, I would like to note one thing:<br /><br />You write that "the tragedy of The Bends is that it is a rock album," contrasting this with the band's supposed "greatest achievement" of "transcend[ing] the boundaries of a stale and uninspired musical genre." I get your point, and there's a certain area of critical consensus where it is espoused most unceasingly. <br /><br />Except, rather crucially, I've never met *anybody* outside of those deans of musical critical thought who actually thinks this way. Nobody I know regards The Bends as a "tragedy" because it's "just" a really awesome rock album. I've never heard someone say "I like The Bends, but compared to 'Like Spinning Plates,' it might as well be protoplasm." Everyone likes The Bends!<br /><br />So I dunno. I know this whole series of re-reviews is supposed to be about revisiting albums with a fresh-ish look, but the idea that "Kid A" is "real" music and this is considered to be something lesser...that's a rock dean thing. Kid A and The Bends can both exist and be good and fuck the narrative.<br /><br />That said: I love The Bends. Shock! Although I depart slightly on the B-sides from this period, which I think are glorious and could've easily shown up on the album proper. Ahh, The Tricker. Ahh, Permanent Daylight. <br /><br />Dave the Gnoreply@blogger.com