[dorio]

Submission courtesy of grandrebelmaster


Band: Massive Attack
Album: Mezzanine



Virgin, 1998

Robert Del Naga (3D) - vocals, keyboards, samples
Grant Marshall (Daddy G) - vocals, keyboards, samples
Andrew Vowles (Mushroom) - keyboards, samples
-featuring-
Horace Andy - vocals
Elizabeth Frasier - vocals
Sara Jay - vocals
Angelo Bruschini - guitars
John Harris - bass
Bob Locke - bass
Winston Blissett - bass
Andy Gangadeen - drums

1. Angel
2. Risingson
3. Teardrop
4. Inertia Creeps
5. Exchange
6. Dissolved Girl
7. Man Next Door
8. Black Milk (appears on some versions with a sample removed, and entitled "Black Melt" instead)
9. Mezzanine
10. Group Four
11. [Exchange]

This one might come as a bit of a surprise, as it is a trip-hop album, and most people probably wouldn't expect me to post something like this. But I decided that, while I was dropping the closed-mindedness toward modern music, that I would drop the bias toward anything resembling rap on three conditions: that they speak so I can understand them, that they use real instruments instead of just sampling other bands' music, and that they not just talk about how "badass" or how "gangsta" they are. Since Massive Attack meets all three of those on here, I decided to give it a try. And was pleasantly surprised, and I've been listening to this one a lot since I got it.

The drum beats represent hip-hop beats, but they are rather reserved, and the sound is washed with atmospheric keyboard tones and a funky bassline that is played unexpectedly slow. The main vocalists are usually rapping, but one of them (I think it's Daddy G) sings sometimes, and dream female vocals are rather prominent. The heavier sections feature dissonant, but not painful, rock guitars and several of the songs go into instrumental breaks that last a minute or more. As for the lyrics, many times they don't seem to make a lot of sense, but being a progressive rock fan, that doesn't really bother me too much.

So my verdict is, that if you're willing to not shut out an entire genre because its more popular examples are absolutely terrible, you might want to check this one out. These guys put on a very respectable performance. If the hip-hop genre as a whole was like this, you'd probably find me listening to quite a bit of it.

[igorski]

I concur, ace album.

Heard Teardrop a bit too much though... not necessarily because of the video, but well... I never understood why pick THAT as a single... would've worked for the Cocteau Twins better, I think.

[grandrebelmaster]

I concur, ace album.

Heard Teardrop a bit too much though... not necessarily because of the video, but well... I never understood why pick THAT as a single... would've worked for the Cocteau Twins better, I think.

I got into this group far too late to hear Teardrop on the radio or anything. But part of it is actually used for the theme song to the TV show "House."