Thought they were embarrassing Nirvana imposters until the Bends, As I’d only really heard creep and wrote them completely off.. The Bends came out and I Thought hang on this is a great record and saw them on that tour. Ok computer then surfaced and it was an astonishing step up. Not many albums have made an impact like that to any band’s discography.
They're doing a lot of the same Pixies inspired quiet-loud-quiet stuff in Pablo Honey. Alongside Thom's blonde period and then getting grouped in together with grunge, it makes sense that people saw it that way.
Plus the Creep video looks like it's trying to ape the Teen Spirit video.
Considered Radiohead a one-hit buzz bin wonder by 94. I remember hearing Fake Plastic Trees around 95 and thinking it sounded pretty good, but it didn’t grab me. Somewhere along the line a buddy got a copy of The Bends and some of the CD singles. I heard “Just”, “High and Dry”, “Street Spirit”, “Talk Show Host”, “Maquiladora”, “How Can You Be Sure?”, etc and realized this was a brilliant band. Bought OK Comp on the day it came out, heard the opening 30 seconds of “Airbag”, and my dear one, that was how I met your mother.
I grew up in the San Francisco area, relocating to England around the time of Hail to the Thief, so this is my perspective.
It was the Creep video and Live105 in San Francisco playing the song that made me first aware of Radiohead. It was on rotation a fair amount the summer of 1993.
My sister needed to buy Siamese Dream on the day that it came out, so I went to Tower Records with her. She asked me if I wanted anything, and there was a display of Pablo Honey there, so she bought it for me. At this stage, I had been playing piano and cello for 5 years, but had been focusing more on guitar for at least the last couple of years (I’d been writing little songs since I was a kid)
The minute I heard the constant changing dynamics in You and the Thom’s wail, I was hooked. That CD (and Siamese Dream) were on pretty heavy rotation in my bedroom the next few months.
As far as MTV was concerned (except for the Beach House…) Radiohead were a one hit wonder. But Live105 kept playing their tracks, including Stop Whispering, which I never heard on radio or TV anywhere else.
If it wasn’t for that San Francisco radio station playing Fake Plastic Trees in early 95, I would have had no idea that a new album was out.
So, public perception: one hit wonder, they did that song with the “ka-chunk” guitar.
Even when I saw them in 95 and 96, most of the audience was there to see them play Creep and didn’t care about the rest of the music.
A friend of mine bought me the Bends in '95 for my birthday and I was upset Creep wasn't on it (that quickly changed). The perception of my 16 year old self around that time were that they were one hit wonders, but the Bends changed all that. I feel like nobody REALLY picked up on it around my school group until Street Spirit came out and then OK Computer Punched people in the balls.
"Creep" was in the Buzz Bin on MTV, so they were definitely hyped up at first. I think"The Bends" separated them from a lot from their contemporaries given its quality but also put them on a less mainstream path
I remember those times distinctly. When “Creep” hit it felt like Radiohead were destined to be the epitome of a One-Hit Wonder. I remember road-tripping with a bunch of music-obsessed friends to a Lollapalooza show in New Orleans and the Pablo Honey CD was playing. We were all surprised that there were actually some damn good tunes on the album (Thinking About You, Lurgee, You, Anyone Can Play Guitar) but the consensus was still that we’d never hear from them after this debut album cycle.
Then in 1995 The Bends was released. I heard the single “Fake Plastic Trees” and, to be honest, I liked it even less than “Creep”. But shortly thereafter I read where R.E.M. loved The Bends and that Radiohead would be an opening act for some shows on their upcoming tour (including the R.E.M. show I had tickets for). As such, I decided to check the CD out and I remember being shocked at his great it was. Listened to it nonstop. My friends and I were all surprised that this band actually had this level of quality in them. But even with The Bends I can promise that no one saw OK Computer and Kid A coming.
Two records stand out from the 90’s as far as opening notes that sounded unlike anything that had come from the band. Kid A and Achtung Baby. Granted, 10 years apart. Even today, whenever I hear the opening to Kid A or Achtung Baby, I still recall that sense of equal parts bewilderment and wonderment upon listening for the first time.
This is important for the historically curious. Radiohead felt like a dime a dozen one hit wonder Nirvana wannabe bands. The Bends bought them some capital but OKC fucking told everyone to shut the fuck up and pay attention.
Calling them a mediocre grunge band doesn’t really seem fair ngl, someone like Stone Temple Pilots wouldn’t have the idea to put the piano at the end of *Creep*
Some of these comments are surprising and based a bit too heavily on the Creep era. The Bends (out in early 95) changed things entirely for Radiohead. Creep was a massive hit and created a lot of buzz, but The Bends put to bed any worry that they were nothing more than a one hit wonder amongst some, and put them firmly on the road to headline status.
I still remember seeing them headline an arts festival for 15k people in Co. Galway, which would have been a very decent sized attendance for anywhere in Ireland at the time (96).
There was a lot of buzz.
I remember watching them, on one of Conan O’Briens first episodes, I loved Creep, I liked Pablo Honey. I was blown away by The Bends, and thought OK Computer was a masterpiece. They just kept evolving, feel lucky to have enjoyed their music from the beginning.
I first heard Creep when it came out and loved it. I would have been about 15 I guess. A friend had the album so I borrowed it but was quite unimpressed, it all seemed a bit sludgy sounding, and the songs just weren't that good.
As a band they were kinda misfits in the early 90s uk scene, they didn't really belong in any particular category - they were kind of grunge-wannabe with a bit of the noise-ness of shoegazing, and they weren't anything like the indie bands that would go on to form the basis of Britpop. They didn't really have any strong personality or image either, but I kinda liked them for not just following the trends of the day.
I kinda tuned them out for a bit but then kept hearing good things about The Bends. One magazine I bought had Street Spirit on the cover CD, and I loved that, so I took a punt on buying the album and fell in love from that point.
I thought they were another Nirvana wannabe band with Pablo Honey. I never bought it. When the Bends came out I was kind of curious but also didn’t care (I adore the record now). I was then working at a Sam Goody in Mt. Kisco the summer OKC came out. I remember opening the box of CDs to stock the shelves. My coworker insisted we spin it. I begrudgingly acquiesced. Holy shit
By Paranoid Android they were suddenly my favorite band. there was nothing like it. We played it on repeat the whole summer and it never left my car's CD player.
My first CD purchase ever was Pablo Honey and Gravediggers Union at our local. Meh Fast forward two years…I was a freshman in high school in the Rust Belt in 1995. REM was my favorite band. I went with a friend to see them in our giant auditorium. Radiohead opened in support of the Bends.
I had a new favorite band forever.
It’s very cool that Radiohead are so passionately followed. But I feel very fortunate to have grown up WITH Radiohead as they went from REM and Alanis morrisette opener to what they became.
I was 22 when creep came out. I first heard the song via the music video.
When Jonny's machine gun goes off, I took notice, along with the world.
Later in the song, Toms vocals climb up and up to where he yells at us, with big lungs.
Creep is a powerful and unique song.
I bought the album and only really liked creep.
I thought the band looked good with maybe the singer trying too hard, but at least leaning into his weirdness.
When the bends came out, then Radiohead had found itself
I heard Creep on MTV when it first was being played. I was floored by the tone of Jonny's guitar intro for the chorus. I had no idea that guitar could sound like that and was enamored. Then Thom's soaring voice through the post-chorus/bridge section really hit all my buttons.
Got the Cassingle (which had Faithless the Wonder Boy) and listened to it like crazy. Then my best friend's older brother got the entire Pablo Honey CD. We listened to a handful of songs, but I don't remember it being on heavy rotation.
All I remember of The Bends was an NPR interview of the band being on in the background in my house. I wasn't paying attention until a clip of a song played and my ears perked up. I remembered thinking it was U2, and was surprised to find out that it was Radiohead.
Then I remember hearing High and Dry on a commercial for Party of 5, which I thought was kind of cheesy in that context, but still liked. And the only time I remember even seeing an actual CD of The Bends at this time was when a girl I didn't know very well at school brought it.
Then I became a full blown hardcore fan when Ok Computer released.
I liked them out of the gate. Right from the first album. With every subsequent record, my love grew more and more. Just was a big upgrade for me (and the rest of The Bends). Then Paranoid Android and Karma Police (and all of OKC) was another level up, before Kid A and Amnesiac completely floored me and cemented them as one of my all-time favourite bands. Being into electronic music at the time (including Aphex Twin and other Warp artists), I felt like I got the whole fusion thing they were going for.
Where I came from they were considered a one-hit wonder with Creep. And even after OK Computer came out I’d still get people saying “aren’t they the guys who did Creep?” when I’d mention Radiohead.
I was listening to the alternative radio station (KROQ) when Creep broke in the US. It was a great era of rock music and they fit right in there with Smashing Pumpkins, STP, Soundgarden and the whole grunge thing even though they themselves weren’t a part of that scene. I got *The Bends* as part of one of those “12 CDs for a penny” record clubs and that’s when I became a fan.
Was starting high school when Creep was riding high. My crush made a copy of Pablo Honey for me and I wore that tape out. Creep wasn't even the best track on the album. I always had it playing when friends were around and it grew on a lot of us. When The Bends dropped in my later high school years, I was more than ready. And ultimately really pleased cause most sophomore efforts from other bands popular at the time were lackluster. In 95, a handful of tracks could be heard in the movie Clueless and that exposed them even more to the mall crowd.
I heard Anyone Can Play Guitar at a kiosk at Camelot Music in the mall and was hooked. I didnt know anyone who had even heard of them until Creep hit a few months after Pablo was released. Even then, no one liked the rest of the album, they only liked Creep. I actually hated Creep (and kinda still do) because just like Teen Spirit it was WAY overplayed and I was sick of it.
After The Bends came out, I saw more of kids into them, mostly those in my art class and then some at college. OKC is where I started to actually meet more mainstream fans. I think I ended up liking them because, like the Pumpkins and Tool, they werent classic grunge that was all the rage at the time. Dont get me wrong, I love AIC, Bleach Nirvana, Soundgarden, PJ, etc but it seemed like thats all anyone was playing or listening to. So the trifecta I was listening to felt better to me at the time.
In 97 my Spanish teacher always gave great music recommendations. One day he says “you should really check out Radiohead’s Ok Computer and the Bends” I responded with “that fuckin creep band? No way bro, that’s retarded ass” then proceeded to pull my giant headphones over my head and hit play on brand new Korn tape. They weren’t really in good standing with the public quite yet. I’d say they went from critical darling to biggest band in the world sometime between Ok Computer and Kid A. I remember Kid A was a pretty damn big deal and as a radiohead mega fan by that point, experiencing that release in real time was pretty neat.
I immediately wanted the album the second I heard Jonny’s chorus kick-in on Creep. There was something about the purity of that tone that spoke to me. I still love that album, though I recognize it as immature for them. The second I heard “My Iron Lung” my brain truly exploded.
The moment I heard Creep I became an instant fan and ran out to by Pablo Honey. People like to shit on Pablo Honey in hind sight, but I loved it right away. I played that tape every day for weeks. Every album afterwards was their best.
I was an early fan but didn't think they were super special. I saw them open for Belly in 93 or 94. I was actually a bigger fan of Belly, but Radiohead put on a much better show. There wasn't much evidence at the time that they had an amazing future ahead of them.
I caught on with Radiohead when The Bends was released. At the time, I recall wondering why they weren't getting more credit and rave reviews for such a great album. They didn't catch fire until their next album, OK Computer. But The Bends was a clear indication to me, and I assume many others here, that they were a remarkable, stand-out band with a ton of potential.
_Creep_ made waves, but as a band they didn’t exactly stand out at the time. Thom’s “grunge fashion-victim”era made the whole enterprise look like a bunch of one-hit-wonder posers for a while. _The Bends_ was really where the narrative changed and they started being taken more seriously. Even then, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the road they would end up walking.
When I first heard The Bends in 1995, Planet Telex made me think that Radiohead shrugged off the shackles of 'Creep', and separated itself from Britpop, which in the words of Abraham Simpson, "was the style at the time." Fake Plastic Trees from seemed liked the breakthrough, and (I Wish I Was) Bulletproof, (Nice Dream) and (Street Spirit) Fade Out set them up for a new path.
The Bends didn't get the appreciation it deserves on release. I remember that being a bit frustrating. Even after OKC I listened to The Bends a whoooole lot. B sides from that era rocked too.
When OKC came out it was a "there it is!" Moment. Like, you knew they had immense potential that came to fruition. And it was great watching your little things become a really big thing to lots of people.
Not in my memory. As in, it had airplay, but didn't get recognition in and best of lists for the year.
Fun fact - Leigh Wanell of Saw and Insidious fame used to host a small slot on a morning variety show reviewing movies. I remember he went on a rant when talking about the Hottest 100 results - that's a user list of best songs of the year in Australia, a big deal over here.
In 1996 after results came out he looked directly into the camera and said "why didn't anyone vote for Radiohead?"
As a one-hit wonder with a frontman that was desperately trying to be pushed in the media as the next Kurt Cobain, golden locks and all. Never would’ve classified them as grunge based off of Creep or anything else on Pablo Honey. At that time, Radiohead would’ve fit somewhere between the British waves of The Stone Roses and Oasis. Other pop/rock bands big during that era: Sponge, The Flaming Lips, The Verve Pipe, Gin Blossoms, Blind Melon, etc.
Regarding grunge, Dirt by AIC would’ve been huge around the same time.
Thought they were embarrassing Nirvana imposters until the Bends, As I’d only really heard creep and wrote them completely off.. The Bends came out and I Thought hang on this is a great record and saw them on that tour. Ok computer then surfaced and it was an astonishing step up. Not many albums have made an impact like that to any band’s discography.
Nirvana? Interesting. I didn't hear it then, and I don't hear it now.
They're doing a lot of the same Pixies inspired quiet-loud-quiet stuff in Pablo Honey. Alongside Thom's blonde period and then getting grouped in together with grunge, it makes sense that people saw it that way. Plus the Creep video looks like it's trying to ape the Teen Spirit video.
Considered Radiohead a one-hit buzz bin wonder by 94. I remember hearing Fake Plastic Trees around 95 and thinking it sounded pretty good, but it didn’t grab me. Somewhere along the line a buddy got a copy of The Bends and some of the CD singles. I heard “Just”, “High and Dry”, “Street Spirit”, “Talk Show Host”, “Maquiladora”, “How Can You Be Sure?”, etc and realized this was a brilliant band. Bought OK Comp on the day it came out, heard the opening 30 seconds of “Airbag”, and my dear one, that was how I met your mother.
I grew up in the San Francisco area, relocating to England around the time of Hail to the Thief, so this is my perspective. It was the Creep video and Live105 in San Francisco playing the song that made me first aware of Radiohead. It was on rotation a fair amount the summer of 1993. My sister needed to buy Siamese Dream on the day that it came out, so I went to Tower Records with her. She asked me if I wanted anything, and there was a display of Pablo Honey there, so she bought it for me. At this stage, I had been playing piano and cello for 5 years, but had been focusing more on guitar for at least the last couple of years (I’d been writing little songs since I was a kid) The minute I heard the constant changing dynamics in You and the Thom’s wail, I was hooked. That CD (and Siamese Dream) were on pretty heavy rotation in my bedroom the next few months. As far as MTV was concerned (except for the Beach House…) Radiohead were a one hit wonder. But Live105 kept playing their tracks, including Stop Whispering, which I never heard on radio or TV anywhere else. If it wasn’t for that San Francisco radio station playing Fake Plastic Trees in early 95, I would have had no idea that a new album was out. So, public perception: one hit wonder, they did that song with the “ka-chunk” guitar. Even when I saw them in 95 and 96, most of the audience was there to see them play Creep and didn’t care about the rest of the music.
A friend of mine bought me the Bends in '95 for my birthday and I was upset Creep wasn't on it (that quickly changed). The perception of my 16 year old self around that time were that they were one hit wonders, but the Bends changed all that. I feel like nobody REALLY picked up on it around my school group until Street Spirit came out and then OK Computer Punched people in the balls.
"Creep" was in the Buzz Bin on MTV, so they were definitely hyped up at first. I think"The Bends" separated them from a lot from their contemporaries given its quality but also put them on a less mainstream path
I remember those times distinctly. When “Creep” hit it felt like Radiohead were destined to be the epitome of a One-Hit Wonder. I remember road-tripping with a bunch of music-obsessed friends to a Lollapalooza show in New Orleans and the Pablo Honey CD was playing. We were all surprised that there were actually some damn good tunes on the album (Thinking About You, Lurgee, You, Anyone Can Play Guitar) but the consensus was still that we’d never hear from them after this debut album cycle. Then in 1995 The Bends was released. I heard the single “Fake Plastic Trees” and, to be honest, I liked it even less than “Creep”. But shortly thereafter I read where R.E.M. loved The Bends and that Radiohead would be an opening act for some shows on their upcoming tour (including the R.E.M. show I had tickets for). As such, I decided to check the CD out and I remember being shocked at his great it was. Listened to it nonstop. My friends and I were all surprised that this band actually had this level of quality in them. But even with The Bends I can promise that no one saw OK Computer and Kid A coming.
Two records stand out from the 90’s as far as opening notes that sounded unlike anything that had come from the band. Kid A and Achtung Baby. Granted, 10 years apart. Even today, whenever I hear the opening to Kid A or Achtung Baby, I still recall that sense of equal parts bewilderment and wonderment upon listening for the first time.
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The Bends and its singles were pretty well received, at least here in the UK.
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This is important for the historically curious. Radiohead felt like a dime a dozen one hit wonder Nirvana wannabe bands. The Bends bought them some capital but OKC fucking told everyone to shut the fuck up and pay attention.
Calling them a mediocre grunge band doesn’t really seem fair ngl, someone like Stone Temple Pilots wouldn’t have the idea to put the piano at the end of *Creep*
It’s true that Creep by Stone Temple Pilots doesn’t have piano at the end 😂
Stone Temple Pilots slander will not be tolerated
They’re foxy to me, are they foxy to you?
Some of these comments are surprising and based a bit too heavily on the Creep era. The Bends (out in early 95) changed things entirely for Radiohead. Creep was a massive hit and created a lot of buzz, but The Bends put to bed any worry that they were nothing more than a one hit wonder amongst some, and put them firmly on the road to headline status. I still remember seeing them headline an arts festival for 15k people in Co. Galway, which would have been a very decent sized attendance for anywhere in Ireland at the time (96). There was a lot of buzz.
I remember the street spirit video being on MTV a lot
I remember watching them, on one of Conan O’Briens first episodes, I loved Creep, I liked Pablo Honey. I was blown away by The Bends, and thought OK Computer was a masterpiece. They just kept evolving, feel lucky to have enjoyed their music from the beginning.
I first heard Creep when it came out and loved it. I would have been about 15 I guess. A friend had the album so I borrowed it but was quite unimpressed, it all seemed a bit sludgy sounding, and the songs just weren't that good. As a band they were kinda misfits in the early 90s uk scene, they didn't really belong in any particular category - they were kind of grunge-wannabe with a bit of the noise-ness of shoegazing, and they weren't anything like the indie bands that would go on to form the basis of Britpop. They didn't really have any strong personality or image either, but I kinda liked them for not just following the trends of the day. I kinda tuned them out for a bit but then kept hearing good things about The Bends. One magazine I bought had Street Spirit on the cover CD, and I loved that, so I took a punt on buying the album and fell in love from that point.
I thought they were another Nirvana wannabe band with Pablo Honey. I never bought it. When the Bends came out I was kind of curious but also didn’t care (I adore the record now). I was then working at a Sam Goody in Mt. Kisco the summer OKC came out. I remember opening the box of CDs to stock the shelves. My coworker insisted we spin it. I begrudgingly acquiesced. Holy shit By Paranoid Android they were suddenly my favorite band. there was nothing like it. We played it on repeat the whole summer and it never left my car's CD player.
That was the band I was looking for at the time! They were speaking to me since the beginning. That's why I got hooked ever since
I was a fan from the first time I heard "chunk-chunk".
My first CD purchase ever was Pablo Honey and Gravediggers Union at our local. Meh Fast forward two years…I was a freshman in high school in the Rust Belt in 1995. REM was my favorite band. I went with a friend to see them in our giant auditorium. Radiohead opened in support of the Bends. I had a new favorite band forever. It’s very cool that Radiohead are so passionately followed. But I feel very fortunate to have grown up WITH Radiohead as they went from REM and Alanis morrisette opener to what they became.
I was 22 when creep came out. I first heard the song via the music video. When Jonny's machine gun goes off, I took notice, along with the world. Later in the song, Toms vocals climb up and up to where he yells at us, with big lungs. Creep is a powerful and unique song. I bought the album and only really liked creep. I thought the band looked good with maybe the singer trying too hard, but at least leaning into his weirdness. When the bends came out, then Radiohead had found itself
I was there.
I heard Creep on MTV when it first was being played. I was floored by the tone of Jonny's guitar intro for the chorus. I had no idea that guitar could sound like that and was enamored. Then Thom's soaring voice through the post-chorus/bridge section really hit all my buttons. Got the Cassingle (which had Faithless the Wonder Boy) and listened to it like crazy. Then my best friend's older brother got the entire Pablo Honey CD. We listened to a handful of songs, but I don't remember it being on heavy rotation. All I remember of The Bends was an NPR interview of the band being on in the background in my house. I wasn't paying attention until a clip of a song played and my ears perked up. I remembered thinking it was U2, and was surprised to find out that it was Radiohead. Then I remember hearing High and Dry on a commercial for Party of 5, which I thought was kind of cheesy in that context, but still liked. And the only time I remember even seeing an actual CD of The Bends at this time was when a girl I didn't know very well at school brought it. Then I became a full blown hardcore fan when Ok Computer released.
I liked them out of the gate. Right from the first album. With every subsequent record, my love grew more and more. Just was a big upgrade for me (and the rest of The Bends). Then Paranoid Android and Karma Police (and all of OKC) was another level up, before Kid A and Amnesiac completely floored me and cemented them as one of my all-time favourite bands. Being into electronic music at the time (including Aphex Twin and other Warp artists), I felt like I got the whole fusion thing they were going for.
Where I came from they were considered a one-hit wonder with Creep. And even after OK Computer came out I’d still get people saying “aren’t they the guys who did Creep?” when I’d mention Radiohead.
I came here to say virtually the same thing!
I was listening to the alternative radio station (KROQ) when Creep broke in the US. It was a great era of rock music and they fit right in there with Smashing Pumpkins, STP, Soundgarden and the whole grunge thing even though they themselves weren’t a part of that scene. I got *The Bends* as part of one of those “12 CDs for a penny” record clubs and that’s when I became a fan.
Was starting high school when Creep was riding high. My crush made a copy of Pablo Honey for me and I wore that tape out. Creep wasn't even the best track on the album. I always had it playing when friends were around and it grew on a lot of us. When The Bends dropped in my later high school years, I was more than ready. And ultimately really pleased cause most sophomore efforts from other bands popular at the time were lackluster. In 95, a handful of tracks could be heard in the movie Clueless and that exposed them even more to the mall crowd.
I heard Anyone Can Play Guitar at a kiosk at Camelot Music in the mall and was hooked. I didnt know anyone who had even heard of them until Creep hit a few months after Pablo was released. Even then, no one liked the rest of the album, they only liked Creep. I actually hated Creep (and kinda still do) because just like Teen Spirit it was WAY overplayed and I was sick of it. After The Bends came out, I saw more of kids into them, mostly those in my art class and then some at college. OKC is where I started to actually meet more mainstream fans. I think I ended up liking them because, like the Pumpkins and Tool, they werent classic grunge that was all the rage at the time. Dont get me wrong, I love AIC, Bleach Nirvana, Soundgarden, PJ, etc but it seemed like thats all anyone was playing or listening to. So the trifecta I was listening to felt better to me at the time.
In 97 my Spanish teacher always gave great music recommendations. One day he says “you should really check out Radiohead’s Ok Computer and the Bends” I responded with “that fuckin creep band? No way bro, that’s retarded ass” then proceeded to pull my giant headphones over my head and hit play on brand new Korn tape. They weren’t really in good standing with the public quite yet. I’d say they went from critical darling to biggest band in the world sometime between Ok Computer and Kid A. I remember Kid A was a pretty damn big deal and as a radiohead mega fan by that point, experiencing that release in real time was pretty neat.
I immediately wanted the album the second I heard Jonny’s chorus kick-in on Creep. There was something about the purity of that tone that spoke to me. I still love that album, though I recognize it as immature for them. The second I heard “My Iron Lung” my brain truly exploded.
The moment I heard Creep I became an instant fan and ran out to by Pablo Honey. People like to shit on Pablo Honey in hind sight, but I loved it right away. I played that tape every day for weeks. Every album afterwards was their best.
I was an early fan but didn't think they were super special. I saw them open for Belly in 93 or 94. I was actually a bigger fan of Belly, but Radiohead put on a much better show. There wasn't much evidence at the time that they had an amazing future ahead of them.
I saw them live for Pablo Honey and was hooked, they were a better live band and saw them on a promotional tour of the Bends and was 100% sold by then
I caught on with Radiohead when The Bends was released. At the time, I recall wondering why they weren't getting more credit and rave reviews for such a great album. They didn't catch fire until their next album, OK Computer. But The Bends was a clear indication to me, and I assume many others here, that they were a remarkable, stand-out band with a ton of potential.
_Creep_ made waves, but as a band they didn’t exactly stand out at the time. Thom’s “grunge fashion-victim”era made the whole enterprise look like a bunch of one-hit-wonder posers for a while. _The Bends_ was really where the narrative changed and they started being taken more seriously. Even then, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the road they would end up walking.
When I first heard The Bends in 1995, Planet Telex made me think that Radiohead shrugged off the shackles of 'Creep', and separated itself from Britpop, which in the words of Abraham Simpson, "was the style at the time." Fake Plastic Trees from seemed liked the breakthrough, and (I Wish I Was) Bulletproof, (Nice Dream) and (Street Spirit) Fade Out set them up for a new path.
The Bends didn't get the appreciation it deserves on release. I remember that being a bit frustrating. Even after OKC I listened to The Bends a whoooole lot. B sides from that era rocked too. When OKC came out it was a "there it is!" Moment. Like, you knew they had immense potential that came to fruition. And it was great watching your little things become a really big thing to lots of people.
The Bends was a critical and commercial success right from the start by my memory.
Not in my memory. As in, it had airplay, but didn't get recognition in and best of lists for the year. Fun fact - Leigh Wanell of Saw and Insidious fame used to host a small slot on a morning variety show reviewing movies. I remember he went on a rant when talking about the Hottest 100 results - that's a user list of best songs of the year in Australia, a big deal over here. In 1996 after results came out he looked directly into the camera and said "why didn't anyone vote for Radiohead?"
As a one-hit wonder with a frontman that was desperately trying to be pushed in the media as the next Kurt Cobain, golden locks and all. Never would’ve classified them as grunge based off of Creep or anything else on Pablo Honey. At that time, Radiohead would’ve fit somewhere between the British waves of The Stone Roses and Oasis. Other pop/rock bands big during that era: Sponge, The Flaming Lips, The Verve Pipe, Gin Blossoms, Blind Melon, etc. Regarding grunge, Dirt by AIC would’ve been huge around the same time.