Blue Lines
Massive Attack
1991
by Roy Luckett
June 24th, 2008
It’s not everyday that a recording brings something truly unique to the musical landscape. Blue Lines is that type of recording, as it gave birth to a new slow-burning, heavily atmospheric strain of dance music termed “trip-hop.” This collective of multiple artists from Bristol, England, effectively fused classic soul, dub reggae, hip-hop, and even classical strings into something that was designed more for the head than the feet, thereby capturing the late 80s/early 90s urban experience of isolation and introspection. Do yourself a favor and listen to the majestic “Unfinished Sympathy,” with its soulful vocals over kinetic beats and a classical arrangement.
Posted in Electronic , Trip-Hop
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Mezzanine
Massive Attack
1998
by Roy Luckett
June 24th, 2008
Massive Attack’s third studio album is much darker than their debut, but as a whole, I find it better than the groundbreaking predecessor. It’s the Empire Strikes Back to Blue Lines’ Star Wars: while both were good, you know the second one was better. It includes “Teardrop,” a track familiar to people who watch the show House, whose theme song is an instrumental of this tune.
Posted in Electronic , Trip-Hop
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Dummy
Portishead
1994
by Roy Luckett
June 24th, 2008
Like fellow Bristol artists Massive Attack, Portishead also falls into the trip-hop category. However, they expanded the scope of this genre by incorporating the blues vocal stylings of Beth Gibbons with building hip-hop beats and a sound akin to a 60s spy thriller soundtrack. The best example of this is “Sour Times,” a masterwork that inevitably found its way into every hip coffee shop and trendy clothing store during the 90s. The similarity to Public Enemy lies in the same type of off-kilter unconventional creativity — with uncanny sounds coming out of nowhere — found in It Takes a Nation of Millions.
Posted in Electronic , Trip-Hop
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Portishead
Portishead
1997
by Roy Luckett
June 24th, 2008
The three-year wait for their follow-up resulted in an album that does not reinvent the wheel (though the band composed and played all the music and did not use samples). However, when the wheel is properly inflated, as is the case with Portishead, there is no need for a new one. While there is no track that matches the greatness of “Sour Times,” Portishead maintains the great interconnection of trip-hop and blues like its predecessor, with a darker and harsher sound. Check out “Humming” and “Only You,” among others.
Posted in Electronic , Trip-Hop
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Third
Portishead
2008
by Roy Luckett
June 24th, 2008
Okay, 11 years is a long break between albums. And when the artist is Portishead, the expectations are immense. It’s kind of like Indiana Jones — he was gone so long that we never thought there would ever be another sequel. While I have yet to see the new Indy sequel, I think Portishead’s approach to this album is very intelligent. It’s as if they totally abandoned their trip-hop ties to explore a different musical path. Sure, the dark atmospherics are still there, and maybe it’s me, but I think Beth Gibbons’ bluesy voice gets better and better. But it is a departure. Instead of a jazzy electronic album with hip hop elements, it is more like a psychedelic rock album with electronic undertones. They even throw in some folksy numbers for good measure. I know some Portishead fans are upset because it is very different from their last two albums. Initially, I was upset as well. But the more I listened to it and accepted the fact that it was not going to represent the past, the more I appreciated and loved it. Besides, there are so many gems here; “Silence” is a slow burn that is incredibly sleepy in this scope, yet it’s deceptively poignant. I love the electro elements in “The Rip,” and “We Carry On” has a wicked guitar riff that will grab your attention. At the end of the day, it’s an album that rewards those who embrace repeated listens. I am humbly grateful that they have returned; after 11 years, I didn’t think they would.
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