Thom's Hamlet- "Bending Hectic" song review

Another song another grower. Watch me try (and fail) to avoid terms that will get me hidden by daddy algo. ‪@thesmiletheband‬ ‪@thomyorke_‬ ‪@Radiohead‬
The Song: • The Smile - Bending He...
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[@cartersgoofsandgaffs]

The flaws of your videos (the baby, the dog, the flubs, the non-essential personal stories) make them inherently more interesting! Keep ‘em in Skye!

[@mrmogford8117]

Interesting that he is writing about car crashes 25 years or so after Airbag. Previously he used it to describe being physically jolted against your will out of the stress of daily life- and the euphoric feeling of being alive following that shock. Now years later he seems to describe the very choice of letting go of the wheel / the car crash as something euphoric- as he consciously want to let this beautiful moment implode while his logical brain says otherwise. Certainly something to be said about the change in mindsets of a younger / older person with the two songs- needing to be shocked into the value of existing vs almost wanting the perfection of this moment to be your last experience. The entire song is brilliant, it is almost like hearing in slow motion. Personally I don’t read the song as dark as you, instead I see it as Thom describing a moment of beauty in both existence and destruction- where you are experiencing life so thoroughly, either internally or with a loved one- you almost want to just let go of the wheel (There is a light that never goes out sentiment?). But great review as always. AVAA

[@hannaswiecicka4121]

great take!

[@_CoasterNinja]

Nice interpretation!

[@riahlexington]

I find that fascinating as well. I love Thom

[@phononanon]

I always felt this song is the moment of decision. That eternal millisecond where you visualize yourself going over (ideation/intrusive thought) and then, with horror strings, you have to CHOOSE! Despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, despite the ease with which he could end everything, he forces himself to turn. As someone who has struggled with depression all my life, the interpretation I take is that he decides to keep living, and it makes the heavy metal outro feel so much more powerful. It goes from being a delicate question to a powerful answer. Now it gives me so much motivation to continue when things are tough, and I love this song for that.

[@riahlexington]

I mean I think it’s great to interpret things how you want, im not sure how i interpret it yet, but no surprises is another one you can interpret either way

[@Mika-by4ts]

Totally agree with your interpretation this is exactly the thing what i feel in the first place. This song was really meant to me and after my surgery i came across this masterpiece and it gave the motivation to keep going and fighting with all shitty struggles.

[@mikemaccready3930]

Absolutely love this track. Watched some bootleg concert footage of them playing this and was looking forward to how it would be produced. The way the smooth silky groove builds into the string twanging crescendo and then fizzes out is genius. Boom.

[@catnipcanoodle]

This was a fun trip going back and listening to all the songs and the influential songs of Can and Portishead. I watched your analysis of Bending Hectic and I feel like that was really interesting also. Thanks!😻

[@connynini]

How can I not drop a comment? AVAA! The first time I listened to Bending Hectic, it literally gave me goosebumps. Put it on repeat the whole day. Interesting Hamlet insight Professor. Thanks for your contagious energy and humor.

[@RyleyAtk]

AVAA, love seeing you draw together your thoughts in real time. Always an inspiration for better articulating my own process with art.

[@samfindon03]

Always interesting insight on the channel professor, you are a gentleman and a scholar, thank you!

[@jacobdarnai]

Great Video! It would be very interesting to hear your thoughts on the new Swans album „The Beggar“.

[@jeffkent6886]

AVAA Prof! To me, that was not guitar "bending" but the sound when you are tuning a guitar string up by "turning" the peg and playing the string with a finger as you tune up (hence why its not a continual bend sound, but a second to access how close you are to getting the pitch correct). However, he is realllllly tuning the string a long way, to the point where it can and likely will completely snap. So I saw it as life driving him to the possible point of snapping, but you never know perhaps the pitch will tune up just right eventually.... Cheers :)

[@ghustavobendermutti3863]

AVAA. Watching you talk about something that i enjoy a lot and seeing that you share the same energie, makes me happy :)

[@frontseatastronaut]

I definitely started liking the song more once I learnt about the lyrics. Thanks Professor!

[@nortog269]

Nice one. This came up after watching video of this song in Jan 2024. Glad it’s still up. Thank you!!

[@NicholasSWilliams]

AVAA! Interesting that it took you several listens to get into this track. I was immediately mesmerized. I understand what you mean about having such high expectations, though. I've certainly been there with Radiohead (and adjacent).

[@dustinbowlin]

love the energy man. Something worth noting, this song is in the tuning that Jonny and Thom wrote Spinning Plates and I Will. As those two songs are inversions of each other melodically, this feels very much like a follow up.

[@dustinbowlin]

Also, I'm not sure it's so on the nail of to be or not to be. He implies that there is someone else in the car. It almost feels like it's a choice to be made, less about the "thing", and more about whether he lets his ego allow the emotional violence of interfacing in a combative way in a relationship? Perhaps he is deciding to TURN and not fight, which also means giving up the self, to move on, but also dying in a different way?? just spitballin' here.

[@Brian-sh5ne]

AVAA! Very insightful and the background noises were not distracting lol. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Swans' new album

[@jenniferhyman2203]

I enjoyed your review of one of my favorite songs... I've seen it performed live a few times now... But how am I ever going to get the vision of Thom as Toonces the Cat out of my head?!!

[@ash-uh-lee]

I love and agree with your take on this - I love this song so much and am constantly finding different meanings. I think instead of it being Thom/cat or one human in the roadster it's all of humanity. To be or not to be... will we "turn" and help save our planet/existence or will we "let go of the wheel"/do nothing and destroy all humankind? That is the question (and why it's not clear in the ending of the song). That's my take anyway. ☺️

[@darr915]

Great analysis!

[@malcolmpritchard4882]

Thanks for the review you really helped me understand the song and there’s nothing wrong with checking your comments l would if l had a KZbin page , keep up the good work mate 👍👍👍

[@mamba4817]

Awesome analysis

[@user-qm2nf1dx9t]

thank you. ❤️

[@griffingreer7293]

awesome video as always

[@user-lz4zi2qo3b]

The word ‘hectic’ in the song also comes from Hamlet - ‘like the hectic in the blood he rages’ (Claudius sending R&G to their death in England), Act 4 scene 3

[@rbutts35]

The baby did not spoil the video. Thank you for posting.

[@lukelarsson]

Baby sounds are awesome.

[@rossmar4609]

AVAA! All the distractions are more than fine! A concrete demonstration of the super relevant notion that, indeed, we don't need to be perfect

[@paolomasia91]

Not perfect, unedited AND also best youtube channel ever. I actually really loved this new Smile song. Johnny Greenwood does such an amazing job. I'm trying to cover it with my guitar and how the heck does he sound so clean and smooth?! Can't wait for their (either The Smile or Radiohead) new album!

[@jones1749]

If you aren’t using a compressor, use it, it makes clean tones wayyy better, and is probably a big part of why you’re missing

[@jeffkent6886]

Actually theres an amazing guy on KZbin with lessons on radiohead stuff, he covers every song an his voice is a dead ringer for thoms. Joe Edelmann is his name, and he has a run down of guitar sounds and stuff your after. I assume in the next few weeks he will cover Bending Hectic. Cheer :)

[@wardpaine8194]

Great vid

[@DuperSupreme]

AVAA. Finally purchased Ted Hughes Crow based on your recommendation. (well, purchased online...waiting for shipping.) Thank you!

[@3babylon3]

avaa, this track is massive. gives me a lot of anima/a moon shaped pool vibes. I'm in love with it

[@matthewbrown7572]

I don't know what to say.I know what to say. That's a gorgeous song !

[@holycowbb9291]

i love this guy - let the song sync in

[@pablo27562009]

Does and doesn’t. “Thom Yorkes’s Cat”

[@BelzertheRippler]

It’s a good song. Please review Youth Lagoon next!

[@WiloPolis03]

Absolute banger of a thumbnail 💀

[@rbutts35]

"just play the drums man" 😆

[@d0ubl3d]

One of my mutuals wanted to know how to submit music for your indie artist reactions, her artist name is amaii and she just released an ep called “in the eleventh hour”, would love to hear your thoughts on it!

[@alect9129]

AVAA. Always happy to be introduced to mesmerizing new music. Wanted to mention a new album by Christine and the Queens, "PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE." If you give it a listen, maybe you'll like it. Released June 9th. In the past, Christine and the Queens collaborated with Caroline Polachek, and Perfume Genius too. (Just to give you a sense of what the music is like.)

[@tereasia]

Babies are the best people! 💖

[@NickFernandez]

Toonces is the modern day self driving car #waroncars. Great song and review!

[@Shubdoblous]

Soundtrack to a (redacted)! Looking forward to Yeezus 10th Anniversary retrospect.

[@braelen9]

If I cared about the baby in the back I don’t think I’d be here. That’s the charm of your videos, you know?

[@gooodels]

RIP thom yorke, died sadly of a car crash :/

[@ChowdMusic]

Great video. I don't think the "bending" is a string bend - it bends too far - I think Johnny is TURNING the tuning machines up and down. The swells in the pitch feel like they match how much you can turn the pegs before changing hand position to turn again. Just a thought.

[@darthraiden8740]

Not sure if you know this, but “bending down” a string does not lower the pitch. The pitch increases whether or not you bend up or down because the string is getting more taut. I have no idea how they bend the guitar’s pitch down that smoothly, but I do know that it is not by bending down the string.

[@tereasia]

I really like the song; it stood out more than their others. The drummer sure is different!

[@edwardforbes3032]

yo professor, please please review Asake's - Work of art. Afrobeats/amapiano. The mandem are loving it. Love u.

[@alancaheny777]

The song could be a recollection of a dream Thom had, or the, "...letting go of the wheel" could also be a metaphorical representation of letting go of ones ego...

[@riahlexington]

That what I love about Yorke’s stuff, it’s very open to interpretation and it makes it relatable to the listener

[@moazhanif5221]

Wall of eyes review when

[@zupaztrupa0]

AVAA and a great thumbnail!

[@mamba4817]

I loved it first listen.

[@phutchinson750]

Interesting, some of the quoted lyrics are incorrectly quoted but the message is there, not sure on the description of bending up on the guitar for a note to increase in pitch and bending down to decrease in pitch, not my personal experience.

[@LCza0Ufonaut]

AVAA, Professor

[@manajment]

ploop

[@eliotburke1685]

i dont care about the baby, i love the distractions, i love long videos, avaa prof

[@memondayz]

AVAA 🫶 Edit: I don’t mind the background noises they build character

[@Smalljose6912]

AVAA!

[@reaganwiles_art]

Vega and Rev rule the night.

[@TinatheHen]

FWIW, James Bond drove Aston Martins.

[@torysciacca6907]

Every time I hear those guitar bends I instantly think of the hella song “been a long time cousin”. If anyone wants more weird rock music made by Zack Hill of death grips fame check it out! Avaa Professor

[@rabbitfishtv]

Is the guitar effect bending or actually turning the tuning peg? That’s what it sounds like to me. That’s why there is a tune down again on the verse so it can start again. EDIT: NOPE! I'M WRONG. I've been watching live videos and Jonny is indeed bending the string, not using the tuning peg.

[@synge9116]

avaa

[@LucasLow-Falstad-wl6io]

Yeah doesn’t bother me

[@eedoan]

Hey professor, I'm here to say that I don't care about the baby (respectfully). Thanks for the video!

[@thomas4368]

I care about the baby. on a personal level. but the crying doesn’t bother me

[@kelianregis]

I indeed do not care about DaBaby

[@joshk3939]

is your baby called Avaa? Actually I don't care...

[@ethanlammar5554]

Day 138 of Asking you to Review Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youth