Musical Thesis: Radiohead “The Bends”
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At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.
Rows of houses all bearing down on me
I can feel their blue hands touching me
All these things into position
All these things we’ll one day swallow whole
And fade out again and fade out
The year is 1995. I am obsessed with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and the Seattle scene. At 12-years-old, I am shaping my taste in music. I am also deeply influenced by my friends. Without a doubt, they serve as my greatest source of music discovery.
In our small town in southwest Oklahoma, Radiohead was not on anyone’s radar. We had no way of understanding that beneath our feet, the landscape of music was shifting from grunge toward a more introspective form of alternative rock. We did not know The Bends was in the process of changing everything. A moment in music history washed over us simply unnoticed.
After finishing college, I would get my first proper introduction to Radiohead. A friend of mine, whose musical taste I hold in high regard, made the introduction. That introduction was an invitation to dig deeper, explore lyrics that slowly reveal their meaning, and spend quality time with pulsing and soaring sounds that often feel like an out-of-body experience.
I explored with vigor. As I did, I discovered songs that often feel open to interpretation. To Radiohead, a song like Street Spirit might mean something specific. For you, it might mean something entirely different. In my hands, I am forced to wrestle with the consuming nature of suburbia. In my hands, I am forced to question my place in the world and how I want to be remembered. And this is just one example. We could do this with their entire catalog.
And this might be my favorite thing about art in all its forms. I love art that forces you to derive your own meaning. The angst of Radiohead is not something that reveals itself easily. The meanings behind their songs can reveal themselves slowly. If I think deeply about their entire catalog, that feeling remains constant. For this listener, that is so deeply appreciated.
Be good to each other,
Nathan
