#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.
No. 057
“The first half of Nineties rock was shaped by Nirvana, and the second half was dominated by Radiohead. Their second album married a majestic and somber guitar sound to Thom Yorke’s anguished-choirboy vocals, drawing on the epic grandeur of U2 and the melancholy of the Smiths.”
Artist: Radiohead
Album: The Bends
Released: 1995
Label: Capitol
Rolling Stones Ranking: 111
This was an interesting discovery for me. My first time through, it didn’t hit me as anything special. In fact, I would say that about all of the Radiohead albums I’ve listened to so far in my life (which is limited to this, and possibly Kid A). I listened to it twice a couple days back, and then decided I wanted to put it on after I finished up my audiobook on the drive home. I started enjoying it more that time through. Then, the next day, I found myself thinking about it, and wanting to listen through it again, which I did. That is when it really hit me that I simply enjoyed this album quite a bit. There isn’t any one song that I can point to and say I absolutely loved, but rather the entire album working so well as a whole that makes me want to come back to this.
Radiohead is often cited as one of the greatest bands of their generation, and I never quite understood why that was from my limited exposure. But I think that was the problem: I didn’t give them enough of a chance. Now that The Bends has clicked with me so much, I can’t wait to give the rest of their albums on this list a listen.
Cinefessions’ #315Albums Rating: 75%
Image and quote courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
