The Bends

: For the disease, see decompression sickness.

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The Bends is the second album by British rock band Radiohead, first released in spring 1995. Radiohead were already popular in the UK, and well on their way to stardom in the US thanks to the huge success of the single "Creep" from their first LP, Pablo Honey. Once The Bends was released, their role as the standard-bearer of 1990s indie Brit-rock was assured. Considered the band's most rock-oriented album, it brought the group a wider audience with radio-friendly hits such as "High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit". Radiohead also released highly acclaimed music video versions of these singles — including an award-winning one for "Just" — which extended the group's popularity worldwide. It was the first Radiohead album to include production assistance from Nigel Godrich. The main producer was John Leckie. In the liner notes, the album is dedicated to the late Bill Hicks.

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The Bends was written as a reaction to the commercial success of Creep and pop-music in general and was the start of Radiohead's path into alternative music. Indeed My Iron Lung is said to be written about creep, partially at least ("this, this is our new song, just like the last one, another waste of time, my Iron Lung").

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"For their second album, Radiohead chose an extremely symbollic title... Radiohead rose too soon (due to the success of 'Creep', which they were hardly prepared for) and had to suffer the unpleasant consequences (critical backlash, record company pressure, general confusion and dismay about how to continue meaningfully)" (From Mac Randall's "Exit Music: The Radiohead Story" - Omnibus Press, 2000).

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In 1997 The Bends was named the 4th greatest album of all time in a 'Music of the Millennium' poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 1998 Q magazine readers placed it at number 6. It is number 110 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album: Album may mean:...

British: The word British has several different uses. See the article on Britain for more details on the development and use of the word Britain....

Rock band: Rock group (or later rock band ) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. Deriving its name from the musical style which was its immediate progenitor, rock and roll, the type of music played by rock groups has its roots d...

The Bends related Images and Photos (experimental)

A Palm Tree Bends to the Caribbean Sea on a Key in the San Blas Islands San Blas Panama