High & Dry / Planet Telex (CD 1) - EP

Album Review

While there is nothing spread out on the two-part singles for three of the singles off The Bends ("Fake Plastic Trees," "Just," "High and Dry") that cries to have been placed on the album in place of, say, "Sulk," all six non-LP tracks would fit well as "extra tracks" on some future reissue. Apart from the six new songs, there are nine songs from the LP, three remixes of songs from the LP, a remix of a B-side, three acoustic versions of songs on the LP, and three live versions of songs on the LPs. Can you say "Blood from a stone?" "Maquiladora" from part one is more dynamic tension, with the The Bends' sonic dropouts still in force. That and the reggae mix of "Planet Telex" is OK (at least it's very different). "Killer Cars," on part two, isn't as good a song, but also enjoys some bass-string buzzing and other great playing from Jon Greenwood worthy of mention, and another great vocal from Thom Yorke. But skip the techno remix of "Planet Telex."