Massive Attack | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most innovative and influential groups of their generation, Massive Attacks hypnotic sound -- a darkly sensual and cinematic fusion of hip-hop rhythms, soulful melodies, dub grooves, and choice samples -- informed decades worth of acclaimed dance and rock artists including Portishead, Beth Orton, Radiohead, TV on the Radio, and Tricky, a Massive Attack alumnus. Their history dates back to 1983 and the formation of the Wild Bunch, one of the earliest and most successful sound system/DJ collectives to arrive on the U.K. music scene. Renowned for their seamless integration of a wide range of musical styles, from punk to reggae to R&B;, the groups parties quickly became cant-miss events for the Bristol club crowd, and at the peak of their popularity they drew crowds so enormous that the local live music scene essentially ground to a halt. When the Wild Bunch folded during the mid-80s, two of its members -- Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall -- teamed with local graffiti artist 3D (born Robert del Naja) to form Massive Attack in 1987. Another Wild Bunch alum, Nellee Hooper, split his time between the new group and his other project, Soul II Soul. The groups first single, "Daydreaming," appeared in 1990, featuring the sultry vocals of singer Shara Nelson and raps by Tricky, another one-time Wild Bunch collaborator. The classic "Unfinished Sympathy" followed, as did another compelling effort, "Safe from Harm." Finally, in 1991 Massive Attack issued their debut LP, Blue Lines. While by no means a huge commercial success, the record was met with major critical praise, and was dubbed an instant classic in many quarters. Nelson, featured on many of the albums most memorable tracks, exited for a solo career soon after, and the group then changed its name to simply "Massive" to avoid any implication of approval for the U.N.s policy toward Iraq. After a three-year layoff, Massive Attack -- their full name now properly reinstated -- resurfaced with Protection. Again working with Hooper and Tricky, they also brought into the fold vocalist Nicolette, as well as Everything But the Girls Tracey Thorn. Three singles -- "Karmacoma," "Sly," and the title track -- were released from the LP, which was also remixed in its entirety by Mad Professor and issued as No Protection. A lengthy tour followed, and over the next several years, Massive Attacks solo work was primarily confined to remixes for artists including Garbage. They also worked with Madonna on a track for a Marvin Gaye tribute album. Finally, to promote their appearance at the annual Glastonbury music festival, the group issued the EP Risingson during the summer of 1997. The third full-length Massive Attack effort, Mezzanine, appeared in mid-1998. In addition to reggae singer Horace Andy making his third consecutive LP appearance with the group, vocal chores were handled by the Cocteau Twins Elizabeth Fraser and newcomer Sara Jay. Mezzanine became a hit among critics, clubs, and the college crowds, spinning successful singles such as "Teardrop" and "Inertia Creeps." The album topped the U.K. chart and crossed into the Top 60 of the Billboard 200 in the U.S. A tour of America and Europe followed, but Vowles left the band after disagreeing with the artistic direction of Mezzanine. Del Naja and Marshall continued as a duo, later working with the likes of David Bowie and the Dandy Warhols, but Marshall later took a brief leave of absence to raise his family; producer Neil Davidge took up the slack. In February 2003, after a five-year wait, Massive Attack released their fourth album, 100th Window, including collaborations with mainstay Horace Andy as well as Sinéad OConnor. Danny the Dog, released in 2004, marked the groups entry into film score work and, perhaps unsurprisingly, often sounded much more like incidental background music than a typical Massive Attack release. From there, Del Naja and Davidge scored a handful of other films -- In Prison My Whole Life, Battle in Seattle, and Trouble the Water, for which they earned an Oscar nomination -- but their work was credited to their real names or the pseudonym 100 Suns rather than Massive Attack. The fifth Massive Attack album, Heligoland, released in 2010, featured collaborations with Horace Andy, TV on the Radios Tunde Adebimpe, Elbows Guy Garvey, and Martina Topley-Bird. Burial remixed the albums "Paradise Circus" and the unreleased "Four Walls" for a limited 12" release in 2011. The group returned in 2016 with a four-track EP, Ritual Spirit, on which they were joined by Tricky, Roots Manuva, and Young Fathers. Del Naja and Heligoland contributor Euan Dickinson were credited as co-producers. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Blue Lines Released: 1991-04-08 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:29:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Safe From Harm (05:19) 2 One Love (04:48) 3 Blue Lines (04:21) 4 Be Thankful for What You’ve Got (04:09) 5 Five Man Army (06:04) 1 Unfinished Sympathy (05:08) 2 Daydreaming (04:14) 3 Lately (04:26) 4 Hymn of the Big Wheel (06:22) 1 Safe From Harm (05:19) 2 One Love (04:48) 3 Blue Lines (04:21) 4 Be Thankful for What You’ve Got (04:09) 5 Five Man Army (06:04) 6 Unfinished Sympathy (05:08) 7 Daydreaming (04:14) 8 Lately (04:26) 9 Hymn of the Big Wheel (06:22) |
| Blue Lines : Allmusic album Review : The first masterpiece of what was only termed trip-hop much later, Blue Lines filtered American hip-hop through the lens of British club culture, a stylish, nocturnal sense of scene that encompassed music from rare groove to dub to dance. The album balances dark, diva-led club jams along the lines of Soul II Soul with some of the best British rap (vocals and production) heard up to that point, occasionally on the same track. The opener "Safe from Harm" is the best example, with diva vocalist Shara Nelson trading off lines with the groups own monotone (yet effective) rapping. Even more than hip-hop or dance, however, dub is the big touchstone on Blue Lines. Most of the productions arent quite as earthy as youd expect, but the influence is palpable in the atmospherics of the songs, like the faraway electric piano on "One Love" (with beautiful vocals from the near-legendary Horace Andy). One track, "Five Man Army," makes the dub inspiration explicit, with a clattering percussion line, moderate reverb on the guitar and drums, and Andys exquisite falsetto flitting over the chorus. Blue Lines isnt all darkness, either -- "Be Thankful for What Youve Got" is quite close to the smooth soul tune conjured by its title, and "Unfinished Sympathy" -- the groups first classic production -- is a tremendously moving fusion of up-tempo hip-hop and dancefloor jam with slow-moving, syrupy strings. Flaunting both their range and their tremendously evocative productions, Massive Attack recorded one of the best dance albums of all time. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: Protection Released: 1994-09-26 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Protection (07:53) 2 Karmacoma (05:18) 3 Three (03:50) 4 Weather Storm (05:01) 5 Spying Glass (05:22) 6 Better Things (04:20) 7 Eurochild (05:08) 8 Sly (05:26) 9 Heat Miser (03:41) 10 Light My Fire (live) (03:15) |
| Protection : Allmusic album Review : Massive Attacks sophomore effort could never be as stunning as Blue Lines, and a slight drop in production and songwriting quality made the comparisons easy. Still, from the first two songs Protection sounds worthy of their debut. The opening title track is pure excellence, with melancholy keyboards, throbbing acid lines, and fragmented beats perfectly complementing the transcendent vocals of Tracey Thorn (an inspired choice to replace the departed Shara Nelson as their muse). Tricky, another soon-to-be-solo performer, makes his breakout on this record, with blunted performances on "Karmacoma," another highlight, as well as "Eurochild." But even though the production is just as intriguing as on Blue Lines, theres a bit lacking here -- Massive Attack doesnt summon quite the emotional power they did previously. Guest Craig Armstrongs piano work on the aimless tracks "Weather Storm" and "Heat Miser" leans uncomfortably close to Muzak, and his arrangement and conducting for "Sly" isnt much better (vocals by Nicolette save the track somewhat). Though its still miles ahead of the growing raft of trip-hop making the rounds in the mid-90s, Protection is rather a disappointment. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: No Protection Released: 1995-02-20 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radiation Ruling the Nation (Protection) (08:35) 2 Karmacoma (Bumper Ball dub) (05:59) 3 Trinity Dub (Three) (04:22) 4 Cool Monsoon (Weather Storm) (07:10) 5 Eternal Feedback (Sly) (06:26) 6 Moving Dub (Better Things) (05:57) 7 I Spy (Spying Glass) (05:07) 8 Backward Sucking (Heat Miser) (06:17) |
| No Protection : Allmusic album Review : Protection was widely considered a disappointing follow-up to Massive Attacks groundbreaking debut, Blue Lines. Where their debut bent all of the conventional hip-hop, dub reggae, and soul rules, Protection essentially delivered more of the same. Perhaps thats the reason why Mad Professors remix of the album, No Protection, was welcomed with open arms by both Massive Attack fans and critics. Mad Professor has returned the group to their experimental, cut-and-paste dub reggae and hip-hop roots. He has gutted the songs -- twisting and reassembling the vocal tracks, giving the songs deeper, fuller grooves and an eerily seductive atmosphere. In other words, he has made Protection into a more daring and fulfilling album with his remixes. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: Mezzanine Released: 1998-04-17 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:03:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Angel (06:19) 2 Risingson (04:58) 3 Teardrop (05:30) 4 Inertia Creeps (05:56) 5 Exchange (04:11) 6 Dissolved Girl (06:06) 7 Man Next Door (05:56) 8 Black Milk (06:21) 9 Mezzanine (05:56) 10 Group Four (08:12) 11 (Exchange) (04:10) |
| Mezzanine : Allmusic album Review : Increasingly ignored amidst the exploding trip-hop scene, Massive Attack finally returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record immediately announcing not only that the group was back, but that theyd recorded a set of songs just as singular and revelatory as on their debut, almost a decade back. It all begins with a stunning one-two-three-four punch: "Angel," "Risingson," "Teardrop," and "Inertia Creeps." Augmenting their samples and keyboards with a studio band, Massive Attack open with "Angel," a stark production featuring pointed beats and a distorted bassline that frames the vocal (by group regular Horace Andy) and a two-minute flame-out with raging guitars. "Risingson" is a dense, dark feature for Massive Attack themselves (on production as well as vocals), with a kitchen sinks worth of dubby effects and reverb. "Teardrop" introduces another genius collaboration -- with Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins -- from a production unit with a knack for recruiting gifted performers. The blend of earthy with ethereal shouldnt work at all, but Massive Attack pull it off in fine fashion. "Inertia Creeps" could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen. Obviously, the rest of the album cant compete, but theres certainly no sign of the side-two slump heard on Protection, as both Andy and Fraser return for excellent, mid-tempo tracks ("Man Next Door" and "Black Milk," respectively). | ||
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: Royal Attack (live at the Royal Albert Hall 1998) Released: 1998-07-06 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:12:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Angel (06:08) 2 Risingson (05:03) 3 Man Next Door (05:54) 4 Daydreaming (05:21) 5 Teardrop (05:38) 6 Karmacoma (05:48) 7 Hymn of the Big Wheel (06:00) 8 Eurochild (04:44) 9 Spying Glass (06:41) 10 Mezzanine (05:52) 11 One Love (04:55) 12 Safe From Harm (07:13) 13 Heat Miser (02:52) |
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: Singles 90/98 Released: 1998-12-07 Tracks: 63 Duration: 5:59:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Daydreaming (04:14) 2 Daydreaming (Luv It mix) (05:27) 3 Daydreaming (Brixton Bass mix) (05:22) 4 Daydreaming (Luv It dub) (05:26) 5 Any Love (2) (04:16) 1 Unfinished Sympathy (05:16) 2 Unfinished Sympathy (Nellee Hooper 7" mix) (04:34) 3 Unfinished Sympathy (Nellee Hooper 12" mix) (05:51) 4 Unfinished Sympathy (Perfecto mix) (05:18) 5 Unfinished Sympathy (instrumental) (04:07) 1 Safe From Harm (05:18) 2 Safe From Harm (7" version) (04:28) 3 Safe From Harm (12" version) (06:57) 4 Safe From Harm (Perfecto mix) (08:14) 5 Safe From Harm (Just a Groove dub) (03:18) 6 Safe From Harm (Just a dub) (03:13) 1 Hymn of the Big Wheel (06:37) 2 Hymn of the Big Wheel (Nellee Hooper mix) (05:52) 3 Home of the Whale (04:08) 4 Be Thankful for What Youve Got (Perfecto mix) (06:17) 5 Any Love (Larry Heard mix) (04:28) 1 Sly (05:26) 2 Sly (7″ edit) (04:13) 3 Sly (7 Stones mix) (06:00) 4 Sly (Underdog mix) (05:20) 5 Sly (Underdog Double Bass & Accappella) (03:36) 6 Sly (Cosmic dub) (05:27) 7 Sly (Eternal Feedback dub) (06:24) 1 Protection (07:53) 2 Protection (7" edit) (04:55) 3 Protection (Underdog’s Angel Dust mix) (07:36) 4 Protection (Radiation for the Nation) (08:34) 5 Protection (The Eno mix) (09:11) 6 Protection (J Sw!ft mix) (07:12) 1 Karmacoma (05:18) 2 Karmacoma (Portishead Experience) (03:58) 3 Karmacoma (Napoli Trip) (06:05) 4 Karmacoma (U.N.K.L.E. Situation) (05:38) 5 Karmacoma (Bumper Ball dub) (05:59) 6 Karmacoma (Ventom Dub Special) (06:05) 7 Blacksmith / Daydreaming (05:23) 1 Risingson (04:58) 2 Superpredators (05:14) 3 Risingson (Underdog mix) (06:05) 4 Risingson (Otherside) (05:29) 5 Risingson (Underworld mix) (08:39) 1 Teardrop (05:30) 2 Teardrop (Scream Team remix) (06:45) 3 Teardrop (Mad Professor Mazaruni vocal mix) (06:08) 4 Teardrop (Mad Professor Mazaruni instrumental) (06:24) 5 Euro Zero Zero (04:23) 1 Angel (06:19) 2 Angel (radio edit) (05:24) 3 Angel (Blur remix) (06:22) 4 Angel (Mad Professor remix) (06:16) 5 Group Four (Mad Professor remix) (07:53) 1 Inertia Creeps (05:32) 2 Inertia Creeps (radio edit) (04:11) 3 Inertia Creeps (Manic Street Preachers version) (05:03) 4 Inertia Creeps (State of Bengal mix) (06:25) 5 Inertia Creeps (Alpha mix) (05:55) 6 Back / shecomes (06:08) 7 Reflection (04:52) |
| Singles 90/98 : Allmusic album Review : Although long since graduated to the status of full-blown pop stars (and ones known for constructing album-length works of sound art, with all of that formats accompanying tendency towards self-indulgence), Massive Attack have not forgotten their humble origins as a DJ collective. Accordingly, they retain a DJs fondness for the 12" single, and over the course of their career have released enough material on vinyl to constitute a second body of work, unknown to many of their fans. This singles collection bridges the gap between that sub-culture and the groups larger audience. In doing so, it gives a better idea of the groups range than any other album. Not only does it contain tracks from all three Massive Attack albums plus several dub versions from the NO PROTECTION project, but, celebrating the alternate universes opened up through remixing, reveals previously unexplored avenues of the Massive Attack sound. The forward-moving bassline on the Underdog remix of "Protection," for instance, somehow highlights the melancholy of the vocal even more than the slower-paced album version, while the State Of Bengal remix of "Inertia Creeps" combats inertia with excursions into drum-and-bass. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: 100th Window Released: 2003-02-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 1:13:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Future Proof (05:38) 2 What Your Soul Sings (06:38) 3 Everywhen (07:39) 4 Special Cases (05:09) 5 Butterfly Caught (07:34) 6 A Prayer for England (05:48) 7 Small Time Shot Away (07:59) 8 Name Taken (07:49) 9 Antistar / LP4 (19:38) |
| 100th Window : Allmusic album Review : A new album from Massive Attack is an event, even if only one-third of the original group is present for the festivities. Just the groups fourth album in more than a dozen years, 100th Window marked the departure of Mushroom (permanently, after artistic differences) and Daddy G (temporarily, to raise a family), leaving only one founding member, 3D (Robert del Naja), to muddle along with arranger/producer Neil Davidge (who made his Massive Attack debut on 1998s Mezzanine). Though Del Naja is mostly successful giving the people what they want -- a follow-up to Mezzanine, one of the most compulsive listens of 90s electronica -- it unfortunately comes as a sacrifice to the very thing that made Massive Attack so crucial to dance music: their never-ending progression to a radically different sound with each release. For better or worse, 100th Window has the same crushingly oppressive productions, dark, spiralling basslines, and pile-driving beats instantly familiar to fans of Mezzanine. Fortunately, it also has the same depth and point-perfect attention to detail, making for fascinating listening no matter whether the focus is the songs, the effects, or even the percussion lines. Jamaican crooner Horace Andy is back for a pair of tracks ("Everywhen," "Name Taken") that nearly equal his features on the last record, while Sinéad OConnor makes her debut with three vocal features. Unlike Liz Fraser or Tracey Thorn (two Massive Attack muses from the past), OConnors voice lacks resonance and doesnt reward the close inspection that a Massive Attack production demands. Still, her songwriting is far superior and the slight quaver in her voice adds a much-needed personality to these songs. "A Prayer for England" is a political protest that aligns itself perfectly with the group that coined its name as a satirical nod to military aggression. Another feature for OConnor, "What Your Soul Sings," is the only song here that compares to the best Massive Attack has to offer, beginning with a harsh, claustrophobic atmosphere, but soon blossoming like a flower into a beautiful song led by her tremulous voice. In comparison, the four songs for 3D are average at best, mere recyclings of the same ideas heard years earlier. Thats satisfaction enough for those who kept Mezzanine near their stereo for years on end, but a disappointment to those expecting another masterpiece. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: Protection - The Remixes Released: 2006-01-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:27:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Sly (7" Stones mix) (06:00) 2 Sly (Underdog mix) (05:20) 3 Sly (Underdog Double Bass & a cappella) (03:38) 4 Sly (Cosmic dub) (05:27) 5 Sly (Eternal Feedback dub) (06:24) 6 Protection (Underdog’s Angel Dust mix) (07:36) 7 Protection (Radiation for the Nation mix) (08:34) 8 Protection (The Eno mix) (09:11) 9 Protection (J Sw!ft mix) (07:12) 10 Karmacoma (Portishead Experience) (04:00) 11 Karmacoma (The Napoli Trip) (06:07) 12 Karmacoma (Unkle Situation) (05:38) 13 Karmacoma (Bumper Ball dub) (05:59) 14 Karmacoma (Ventom dub Special) (06:05) |
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: Mezzanine: The Remixes Released: 2006-01-30 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:17:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Risingson (Underdog mix) (06:05) 2 Risingson (Otherside) (05:29) 3 Risingson (Underworld remix) (08:39) 4 Teardrop (Scream Team remix) (06:46) 5 Teardrop (Mad Professor Mazaruni vocal mix) (06:08) 6 Teardrop (Mad Professor Mazaruni instrumental) (06:24) 7 Angel (remix) (06:23) 8 Angel (Mad Professor remix) (06:16) 9 Group Four (Mad Professor remix) (07:53) 10 Inertia Creeps (Manic Street Preachers mix) (05:04) 11 Inertia Creeps (State of Bengal mix) (06:25) 12 Inertia Creeps (Alpha mix) (05:55) |
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: Blue Lines - The Remixes Released: 2006-01-30 Tracks: 11 Duration: 58:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Daydreaming (Luv It mix) (05:27) 2 Daydreaming (Brixton Bass mix) (05:22) 3 Daydreaming (Luv It dub) (05:26) 4 Unfinished Sympathy (Nellee Hooper 12" mix) (05:51) 5 Unfinished Sympathy (Perfecto mix) (05:18) 6 Safe From Harm (Perfecto mix) (08:14) 7 Safe From Harm (Just a Groove dub) (03:18) 8 Safe From Harm (Just a dub) (03:13) 9 Hymn of the Big Wheel (Nellee Hooper mix) (05:52) 10 Be Thankful for What Youve Got (Perfecto mix) (06:17) 11 Any Love (Larry Heard mix) (04:28) |
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: Collected Released: 2006-03-23 Tracks: 24 Duration: 2:09:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Safe From Harm (05:19) 2 Karmacoma (05:14) 3 Angel (06:14) 4 Teardrop (05:28) 5 Inertia Creeps (05:56) 6 Protection (07:45) 7 Butterfly Caught (05:08) 8 Unfinished Sympathy (05:12) 9 Risingson (04:58) 10 What Your Soul Sings (06:37) 11 Future Proof (05:42) 12 Five Man Army (05:21) 13 Sly (04:56) 14 Live With Me (04:51) 1 False Flags (05:40) 2 Incantations (03:19) 3 Silent Spring (03:07) 4 Bullet Boy (04:04) 5 Black Melt (05:12) 6 Joy Luck Club (04:58) 7 Small Time Shoot em Up (06:44) 8 I Against I (05:42) 9 I Want You (06:21) 10 Danny the Dog (06:02) |
| Collected : Allmusic album Review : As expected but perhaps not hoped for, Virgin dishes fans this best of, Collected, as Massive Attack are buying time to complete Weather Underground, their next album to be released -- hopefully -- within the calendar year 2006. All collections of this type give punters the chance to look back at what was once futuristic and is now commonplace and how well an acts music has aged. The remainder of the Wild Bunch -- Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, and Robert "3D" del Naja -- who formed Massive Attack as evidenced by these 13 tracks, all have their place. The cuts are nearly equally divided between the albums Blue Lines, Protection, Mezzanine and 100th Window. None of the soundtrack works appears here, and neither do any 12" mixes. Hits like "Safer from Harm" and "Karmacoma" dont age so well, but others, such as "Inertia Creeps," the sublime "Teardrops," the sinister "Butterfly Caught," the spooky, mercurial love song "What Your Soul Sings," (with Sinéad OConnor on vocals), and even "Unfinished Sympathy," (with Shara Nelson singing her ass off), do. There is a an unreleased track, a new blues called "Live with Me" that begins with a string intro, a deadly slow rhythm track offered as mid-tempo creep, and the deep soul voice of Terry Callier hovering inside the darkness. He moves from the blues to soul and back again as M.A weave that sorrowful, noir-ish, sonic magic all around him, draping him in atmospheric shadows and snaky beats. Nope, it isnt so new, but music this fine doesnt need to be. This isnt music for kids, or perhaps even for clubs, but it may be for the masses if the masses were given the chance to climb on. This is a fine introduction if youve been sleeping these past 15 years, or have recently come to realize that indie rock is but one color on the spectrum. Massive Attack at their best -- and much of it is here -- were a force to be reckoned with, and "Live with Me," is a hint that they still may be. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: 100th Window: The Remixes Released: 2006-08-28 Tracks: 9 Duration: 57:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Special Cases (Luomos Casing) (07:58) 2 Special Cases (Akufen remix) (09:58) 3 Butterfly Caught (RJD2 remix) (04:27) 4 Butterfly Caught (RJD2 instrumental) (04:26) 5 Butterfly Caught (Jagz Kooner remix) (06:09) 6 Butterfly Caught (Version Point Five) (05:47) 7 Butterfly Caught (Paul Daley remix) (05:59) 8 Butterfly Caught (Paul Daley dub) (04:56) 9 Butterfly Caught (Octave One remix) (07:20) |
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: Heligoland Released: 2010-02-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 53:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pray for Rain (06:44) 2 Babel (05:19) 3 Splitting the Atom (05:16) 4 Girl I Love You (05:26) 5 Psyche (03:24) 6 Flat of the Blade (05:30) 7 Paradise Circus (04:57) 8 Rush Minute (04:50) 9 Saturday Come Slow (03:43) 10 Atlas Air (07:49) |
| Heligoland : Allmusic album Review : Until 2003s 100th Window, each Massive Attack album had been a discrete record, stylistically distinct and mostly unconnected to what had gone before it (even if it included the same vocalists). By sounding like an inferior copy of the 1998 landmark Mezzanine, 100th Window broke a string and led to negative reviews. Heligoland marks a return to departures. The sound of Massive Attack circa 2010 has some similarities to what the group has done in the past, but overall, this represents a radical shift in music-making. Granted, most of the Massive Attack hallmarks are still here: gripping music laden with tension and dread, a production that sounds fathoms deep, and an insular worldview represented by a cast of vocalists both new and old. (The new voices include Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Elbows Guy Garvey, and TV on the Radios Tunde Adebimpe.) Whats immediately apparent, however, from the opener "Pray for Rain" is the sparseness and understated air on display here. With Adebimpe on vocals, the track begins with a rattling of bones and a resigned air whose closest predecessor is "In a Lonely Place" by New Order (a group who practically defined the word understated with their music prior to 1982). This certainly isnt the Massive Attack that floated the smoothest British house of the early 90s, and more surprisingly, its also not the Massive Attack that created dense, immersive trip-hop during the 90s and early 2000s. At times, its clear that Robert Del Naja and Neil Davidges work on soundtracks during the 2000s has adversely affected their main project, resulting in music that skirts the background as often as not. Heligoland often sounds like a soundtrack, most likely the score to some dystopic thriller such as Children of Men or 28 Days Later. The album also isnt as experimental as the music Massive Attack made in the past. Unlike Portisheads Third, a classic comeback from their fellow Bristolians, it also lacks the balance of experimentation and emotion (the latter especially has often been a weakness in Massive Attacks output compared to their peers). True, Horace Andy and Hope Sandoval front some impressive productions, and Damon Albarns "Saturday Come Slow" is one of his best post-Blur features (including Gorillaz), but overall Heligoland lacks the majesty and might of classic Massive Attack. | ||