Dummy

This album brings back a lot of memories. Hadn’t listened to it for many years before today but it’s just as good, if not better, than I remember. Such a cool sound. (Although almost undoubtedly too cool for me). There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s a true classic. There’s nothing else quite like it. But is it a 4 or a 5? So hard. Midway through the record I was thinking 4, but then the final track is so good that it tipped the balance. Life’s too short to be hypercritical. 5 stars!

Just an absolutely stunning album. Still sounds as fresh as the day it came out and totally unique. I’m not quite sure the sinister/beautiful mix will ever be beaten. Funnily enough I was listening to the Portishead back catalogue not that long ago. I never realised they did a live album before, if you haven’t heard it do check it out. Amazing obvs.

Could be described as stoner music by some but I am not stoned now and it's a belter. All killer, no filler and original to it's very core. A true classic.

I don't know what this is but I like it!

Conjuring a Magnificent atmosphere

The first time I heard this song in the 90s I was hooked, mesmerized by the beats and lilting vocals. Somehow, Portishead managed to make an album full of contradictions. The hip-hop rhythm, samples, and scratching mixed seemlessly with the jazz vibe and other worldly voice. It’s a chill vibe, but drives me forward. I feel melancholy and optimistic at the same time. This is one of my all time favorite albums. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it eventually ends. Unfortunately, with their next album, either the bottle was the wrong shape or there was no lighting to catch, because it just doesn’t hit the same way.

Very good sound. Couple of songs really grabbed me

# Playlist track - Sour Times # Notes - All around amazing. - I was lucky enough to get a hold of a pirate MP3 download of this one as a teenager. I always carried it on a pendrive whenever I went. - All the stars!

Nice.

Alright

Primeiro eu não gostei, a voz dela me irritou de certa forma, talvez porque meio arrastada como num suspiro que não sai. No entanto, a batida é realmente impressionante, o que me fez adicionar duas músicas como favoritas. Olhar a explicação depois de chegar na metade do álbum me fez mudar de perspectiva. Trip-hop é um estilo que eu não sabia que eu precisava conhecer, e explica muito bem o que é esse álbum. Tenho gostado, mesmo não sendo ainda um dos meus álbuns favoritos

I just don't get it....I tried and I don't get it.

Beautiful and haunting. Hadn’t listened to any other tunes than Roads in a very long time. Second trip hop album, nice!

gosh, that tori amos kate bush alanis sinead voice was huge in the early nineties. absolutely adore a couple of these songs, and therefore slightly disappointed with the album as a whole. still dope though

Pretty chill. Enjoyed it.

Nog nooit zoiets gehoord, heel vet en uniek, dichtbij een 5 maar toch net iets te repetitief

Wat een leip genre

Already loved it and still do. 4.5/5

Wow, that was an epic experience. This is my second time listening to "Dummy". It's better than the first time. Beth Gibbons' singing and sometimes cryptic lyrics help make the album great. Along with Massive Attack, Portishead are some of the heroes of trip-hop. 5 stars, no less.

On the one hand, if I get another electronic music recommendation, I'm gonna scream. On the other, goddamn this is good.

Was a bit feverish and this album made me feel like the feverdream continued while I was awake. Not the most pleasant experience, but great music so 3/5

An eerie but beautiful experience. Unsure if this was one of the first trip hop albums (next to massive attack, dj shadow and aspects of bjork etc). It never gets lost in walls of sound but lets the space of the instruments and focused grooves carry Beth Gibbons voice to transcendental heights. It really does at times sound like someone going through a bunch of old jazz, soul and classical records and revamping them for modern times. I also feel like without this band we wouldn't have acts like Burial or Actress. Favorite tracks are Roads, Glory Box, Mysterons, Wandering Star, Biscuit and Pedestal.

Eerie, dark, and exceptional. Only reason it's not 5 stars is because it can a bit repetitive.

Just an incredible piece of work. From start to finish, creates an atmosphere, smashes it up, takes you on a journey and it still feels as amazing 30 years later. It’s as good sat in the background, listened to in detail on headphones or blasted on the stereo. One of the all time greats.

im always a little surprised by this albums critical acclaim. its enjoyable but it sounds a bit too 90s to be amazing to me. slow dreary trip hop gets a bit dull after a bit but this is considered one of the best for a reason, it doesnt really get boring throughout. 7/10

uh its alright i guess 3/5

Good lofi with some interesting moments.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about this album but never actually listened. This is really good—moody, dark, mysterious.

ganz nett

I’ve seen Portishead around for a long time, but never gave them a chance because of the album artwork and name. If the band name album name and album artwork better reflected the music I would’ve bought this record along time ago!

the backbone of my ‘i’m a woman <3’ playlist. i love u dummy portishead ❤️

just grand, so many great songs!

Not my style of music

This is an album that requires you to be (whether temporarily or perennially) in a gloomy mood to fully appreciate. If you are, it's a 4. If you're not, it's a 2. I'll split the difference.

chill

I found that this record has a slow start, but once you get pass the first few tracks its true colors really start to show, especially once you start to appreciate the novel yet immaculate production of this record that combines hip-hop-like production, breakbeat, jazz, along with some wonderful string arrangements and the soulful singing of Beth Gibbons. The final three song stretch is particularly very strong in my book.

jag vill gilla detta och det börjar ganska bra, andra låten är faktiskt jättebra. men sen ser man igenom det och det blir bara sämre.

meh

By far my favourite discovery of recent is trip hop. There is just something so brilliant about this genre and Portishead really do master this sound. Especially this dark jazz type which I wish I could find more of. Not many albums stick with me so hard as this did especially with knowing very little about the artist (which makes me feel like I have been living under a rock) but something about this album made me feel like I was missing something. I have listened to so much of this now and it is up there with one of my favourites of all time

Amazing album

I mean, ok? It’s very 90s, that’s for sure. I hate breathy singing … and this was so hard for me to get through. The worst one I’ve listened so far. Yuck.

Love this album

The opening track "Mysterons" reminds me of Björk's "Hunter" (although the Björk song was 3 years later). Haunting, but slightly depressing, with the last track, "Glory Box", verging on almost being joyful.

Es klingt alles so ein bisschen gleich. Im Hintergrund in einer Bar wohl ganz okay.

Not really my style of music and songs drag a bit. A couple are interesting though.

4.5 - I work in Portishead, but they are from Clevedon

I’ve never really got into Portishead before, but being forced into it, I can definitely see it’s merits. The production is really clean and the mood of the album is great. Missing perhaps some highlights beyond Glory Box. Fave Tracks: Glory Box, other songs too but I didn’t see the track list whilst listening 4/5

Excellent. Probably underrated even still.

Gloomy, slow and somewhat repetitive. It builds an interesting atmosphere. Favorite track: Roads

The whole album is too less diversified and too much downbeat. Sounds more like lounge- or film-music to me. favourite: "Sour Times", "Wandering Stars", "Glory Box" 2,5

Wow. I was not expecting this. For some reason I thought Portishead was, like….industrial metal? But it’s just this incredible vibey electric trip-hop with angelic vocals and atmospheric lyrics?!? Absolutely one of my favorite discoveries so far!

Thoughts before listening: This album gets talked about A LOT, but this will be a first listen for me. I believe Portishead is considered trip hop with ethereal female vocals...this is typically the type of music I respect more than enjoy which is probably why I have never sought this album out despite the acclaim. Review: This is not the type of music I would usually listen to, but this is good. I definitely remember \"Sour Times\" being a big deal on the college and alternative radio stations I listened to in the 90s, so it is nice to hear a familiar song. These guys get a ton of style points and their sound is very interesting. Lots of cool sounds mixed into what amounts to moody, slow burn, jazzy music with emotive female vocals. My favorite song is \"Glory Box\". 4-stars

Really enjoyed Sour Times and Glory Box, but the rest of the album dragged for me. Not unenjoyable to listen to, but just didn’t catch me. With Glory Box it’s funny to see another older song being rehashed for modern pop with Alessia Cara. Had no idea the beat to her song was a sample.

Smokey ennui. Very enjoyable to listen to.

This is an all time classic for me. I was introduced to trip hop by a school friend when I was 16 or 17, but don't think Portishead really blocked with me until a few years later. I was too distracted by Massive Attack. But this album holds up just as well as Mezzanine, and is definitely one of the best of the 90s. I still marvel at how deep the bass sounds on here. One to listen to late at night, in a melancholy or meditative state.

Gloomy and moody, just what I like. 4/5

Very 1994 and a testament to what it meant to be cool then. But sounds falsely dramatic 30 years on. Many cool moods get set but then nothing else happens. Appropriate music for cocktail lounges and international flights (business class preferred) in the mid to late 90s, but generally not other places, times. One wonders if winning the Mercury Prize is actually a negative indicator of aging well. 3

First track is dope. Very trippy sound and the singers voice fits the sound perfectly. Through the halfway point of the album. Enjoy the sound. It’s very unique and mysterious. Some of the tracks feel like they’d do well in a James Bond movie. I would like a little more variety though. Some of the songs don’t vary enough to keep my attention. Will continue listening and change rating accordingly.

o k 4 / 5

Favourite song - Glory box

Dummy, by Portishead, is some nice ass stuff. It is classified as Electronica, but it really feels like psychedelic and moody, like a Hip-Hop sample. All of the songs are absolute class, completely perfecting the moody, mystic vibe that they were going for. Whenever the vocals would seep through every once in a while, it would get me so hype for the beat to slowly ride out into the next song. My favorites are Pedestal, Strangers, and Numb. I really wish someone rapped over this stuff. All in all, Dummy is a perfect album. Best Song: Pedestal Worst Song: Its A Fire

i love this album!! trip hop is so sexy and cool

An awesome, jazzy fusion. Really enjoyed it, roads is absolutely incredible

4/5 An album I've (mostly) listened to before. It's a great album. I've heard some people call it dated but on re-listen, I don't agree with that statement at all. Though it's not an album I'd necessarily put on and listen in one sitting reguarly, it's very sultry (if you don't pay attention to the lyrics anyway) and trance-like. My favourite songs are: Mysterons, It Could Be Sweet, It's A Fire, Glory Box, Road.

Really enjoyed, didn’t know how much they’ve influenced some of my favorite music

4. Some of the most attention-grabbing sequencing I've heard from an album. Voice reminiscent of Jeff Buckley - vibrato when pushing it Simple yet iconic cover art I'm stunned at the level of depth achieved in the mix of these songs with relatively little happening on an instrumental basis "Strangers" resampling itself was so fucking cool. I love the application of scene changes in this song; from completely jarring cut-outs, to vocal tone shifting from warm / saturated, to cold and sleek. Same goes for the sonic palette used for the drums throughout the album. Plenty of interesting contrast.

I liked this a lot more than I thought it would!

GREAT! Amazing atmosphere

I've heard of Portishead for 20 years now. Loved some songs, kept saying I will get around to listening to the entire album. Boy....was I missing out. Love it! The music is great, the lyrics are just my right kind of gloomy, the singer's voice soothes my soul. The vibe is cohesive, the songs flow into one another, each one different and unique, never changing tone. Great soundtrack for the angsty end of times. Aptly titled. Tight project, overall.

Really cool interesting sound, the vocalist has a wonderful voice. Some tracks really did sound like something out of a spy movie.

A wonderful union of old and new. Soulful yet haunting. I do think the 3rd album is even better but this was a step in a direction many seem to have tried to follow but Portishead feel like they transcend gimmicky genre aping.

I continue to enjoy the "triphop" genre, but have appreciated a few of the other albums a bit more than this one.

I enjoyed this but didn’t find it particularly memorable. Some solid songs and some less memorable tunes. I like but don’t love trip-hop.

3.6 sexy sexy album, bit samey sometimes but sexy nonetheless. fave songs: sour times, strangers, glory box

AAAAAHHHH loved it so much. its just so nice. the only one that i even slightly dont like is its a fire. but even then… i really like the kinda freaky spacey instruments put behind beth gibbons’ subdued vocals.

First few tracks were epic but then it could be sweet was fucking dog shit. After that I started to get into the weird moodiness of it even if it did feel a bit repetitive. Glory box was great obviously and ended the album well BUT HOLY SHIT THE FAKE RECORD CLICKS WERE SO FUCKING ANNOYING. Mixed bag overall.

Very awesome very cool

1994 triphop got me actin unwise. I love the samples used, they're not overwhelming but add a cool vibe to the songs.

I have been putting off listening to Portishead for the first time. I'm not sure why, but I think I wanted to be in the right frame of mind and not dismiss them. Fortunately, that's exactly where I was because godDAMN this is some good stuff. It's just oozing sultry and lounge singer, and yet putting it firmly into a more modern-esque (I say modern-esque because it is 30 years old) setting than the singers from the 20s and 30s. You wouldn't really think the two styled would cross over so well, but they do in every single song on this album. Kinda wish "Glory Box" didn't fade out, but that's being picky. Wow, so glad I took the time to sit down and listen to this. Really, really good stuff.

Now these guys did trip hop or the Bristol sound right. I've been pretty lukewarm on the rest of this genre, but this album feels markedly better. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe it's Beth Gibbons' vocals - her voice tugs at you. A perfect match for the spacey sounds. Maybe it's that they also used some of their own instrumentation and that mixed with the sampling gives it something extra. Listen to the end of Mysterious or the start of Sour Times - there's some extra percussion or rattling or something that really works. Some other particularly good songs include Wandering Star and Glory Box.

Joya. Nada suena como Portishead.

Listened to glory box a ton and listened to this album in the past. It’s solid and she has a beautiful voice.

I liked it more than I expected to but overall probably won’t listen again

Sultry spy movie sounding tones. This all reminded me of early 2000s movies and I enjoyed it

Really liked this. Chill, Dark, moody, cinematic, downtempo with cool hip hop beats. Singer has a unique voice. Some of the songs almost had a feel of a "less-soul, more-electronic Fugees". I had previously saved Sour Times and recognized Glory Box and now saved that too.

An absolute mood of an album. The other side of the triphop coin from the equally brilliant Massive Attack, every track on this project is sultry, smooth and sorrowful, perhaps mournful. Instrumentation is unique - listening is like enjoying burnt coffee on small platters in dingy French cafés on a diet of nothing but angst and unfiltered cigarettes. A treat for the ears and soul.

4-

First time hearing Portishead and they are so chill, I’m pretty sure I’ll be revisiting this album again in the near future.

Wow… This is basically everything I love together in one masterpiece of an album. Favorite song Biscuit and the end of Glory Box

Classic

sexy

Excellent album!

Alright

I listened to a little more than half of the album. I had heard good things about portishead in the past. I didn’t dislike like the album but I definitely expected to like it much more than I did. Might dive a little deeper into their discography. 3.3/5

I’ve just recently been put into Portishead. I really love music like this. Bands like Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation always hit different. Favorite song was Glory Box. Added to my Spotify playlist.

Really cool album. Moody but has a groove to it. The singer reminds me of Fiona Apple, which is awesome. Will probably have to revisit this down the line to gain more appreciation.

Portishead's biggest and most celebrated release feels like floating through shark infested waters, but like the sharks are on your side or sth...

Really enjoyed it

A real walk down memory lane. Stands up very well and is clearly timeless. The roots of Trip Hop are here. Really enjoyed this album.

Really enjoyed Sour Times and Mysterons. Cover artwork isn't appealing, but the music speaks for itself.

Fine.

Know nothing about this other than I think I’ve heard the band name before. I want to like this, and it’s not BAD just…boring. I could see this being okay driving around at night, or playing in the background of a Borders books circa 2002, but I don’t think I’d ever actively search this one out. 2/5

Really loved this. Never heard the whole thing. Bond Trip Hop, yes. Dark Alley UK vibes, yes. Great vocals and textures, yes.

It Could Be Sweet Wandering Star Numb Roads Pedestal Pretty great album I’d say. But definitely has its time and place. Productivity music for sure.

Really interesting/unique. Would listen again. It's like if Mazzy star was produced by Dr Dre in a weird way

Fantastic album.

I've apparently listened to this once before, but I have no recollection of it. It was a very cool vibe for a morning depressed in work though. Highly enjoyed.

Finally

Excellent music for a movie to use to indicate a character's declining mental health. As music for me to listen to, not really into it.

I like the chill vibe of the album, and it’s pleasant to the ear. However, it’s very monotonous, so by the end of the album I get rather bored. There can’t be too much of a difference in bpm throughout the album, surely? Roads, with it’s beautiful vocal melody and efficient use of strings, Glory Box, which is more adventurous and Wandering Star, with added bass to give the beat some more punch, break out of the average mold and secure the 3 stars. But man, it most be a boring band to watch live!

1994 was the peak of rap production in my opinion so I’m a sucker for the beats on this album, though I’d much rather hear the Pharcyde rap over them than this girl sing over them.

2.9 Overall good vibes, It gets a bit repetitive at times for me.

Sehr melancholisch. Habe die Platte offenbar in der richtigen Situation gehört, gefällt mir wider Erwarten doch recht gut! 4/5

Love this album. It is one of my favorites so funny it was my first 1001 album. Beth’s voice is like a soothing witch with a DJ. This introduced me to so much music. Love Portishead!

Soort duister album. Best wel vermakelijk, er gebeuren scratches en de zang van de zangeres klinkt er een soort van triestig overheen. Had hier geen verwachtingen van omdat ik er nog nooit van had gehoord maar ik vind het alles meevallen. Dit is een lekker weg luister album De vocals zijn heel sterk en met de Moody, duistere productie erbij is dit album echt een stuk beter dan ik had gedacht. Ik ben positief verrast! Het is soms ook een beetje jazz, bijvoorbeeld bij Pedestal. Ik ben echt onder de indruk van dit album. FAVO: Wandering Star, Numb, Pedestal

Some really good stuff but I didn't like your voice at times and the album was far too long. High highs and low lows

2.5

Really great vibe. There's better instrumental work than I would've expected with this sort of sound. They could've laid back more on the vocals to drive but some nice string work and synth blending. I liked this one. Cool listen. Could easily see a relisten.

Pleasant arrangements. The music seems a little simple or thin. Great voice. It's grown on me with each listen, but I still wish the production was a bit better. Maybe incorporate a real bass player.

Shit bangs, sour times, wandering star, glory box, extra bangs, 4.5

Lovely

Cracking album

I’d rate this 3.6 stars. The beats and sounds are great, just wished some of the lyrics and singing hit a little harder. I gave this a couple of listens and might check out other songs of theirs.

A big no thanks!

ok, some solid "chill hop" tunes here

Man I love this album. I bought this on CD in 1994 and have loved it ever since. I am giving this a five star rating knowing full well that I gave The White Album and Pet Sounds four stars and I don't care in the slightest. I am ranking these albums based on my personal feelings about them, not on some imaginary ultimate scale of quality that I am somehow able to tap into because I am so uniquely discerning. This is one of my favorite albums and I love it. It is hard to even pick a favorite song off this album because there are no tracks that I don't think are great. Five stars.

Actually Good

In my early days of sexual relations with the ladies, I’d always put slow burning songs on to make the mood right. This album would do it. It won’t make you stop mid thrust and say “Ooooo I like this song” but you’d still think it. Aside from Glory Box, that’s a stop thrusting track Choice Cut: Glory Box

FIrreeeee

Very good and like emotional

Not my cup of tea

Never gets out of first gear. Every song is slow. That annoying wack-a wack-a of the turntable LP being spun and the snare drum on beat two throughout (at least its timbre is changed once in awhile). The song “Numb” is numbing, as are a few others. Now….all that being said….there were some interesting lyrics sung by an interesting (often beautiful) voice. In fact, the voice saves this album and makes it listenable. Not great….but not terrible either.

Started skipping when I realized I had no idea if I was listening to a new track or not.

love this album. so moody and sultry… giving twin peaks.

Moody album, sets the atmosphere of bar late at night when everyone is drowsing and smoked out. Stand-out: Wandering Star, Glory Box

Bleh

Sexxy

I was in to this album in highschool because I worked at a record store and we played it in the store a lot. For nostalgia purposes it’s a 3.5.

could i write poetry to this? n

Great album. This one brought Trip-Hop to the mainstream. I liked the "Live at Roseland" album better, though.

This album has never clicked with me. It's not bad, there's just nothing that makes me want to come back for more.

I had a gut feeling that a familiar album would show up today…. This is one of my favorite albums of all time, end of story.

This album has been a go to for me since my college years, many many years ago. It's hard to believe this came out in '94. It still feels fresh today. Infusing Hip Hop production with beautiful endearing vocals, it's a match made in heaven. The sampling is top notch and the atmospheric vibes deliver and experience of driving down a highway at 3 am with the windows down and the breeze in your hair. Incredible start to finish. Standout Tracks: (These were really difficult to pick but if I had to choose..) Mysterons, Sour Times, Wandering Star, Roads, Glory Box

Dit album door de jaren heen een aantal keer geluisterd, maar kom er nooit echt echt in. Vind het wel oké, paar leuke nummers erop maar trekt mij niet.

Lofi 90s

👍🏻

Electronic ambient music? Nice, but not as great as everyone makes this out to be. 3.5/5

Great album!

Really cool

Favoritlåt från albumet var Glory Box Albumet får 3/5 stjärnor. Gillade att det var en tjej som sjöng och hela albumet hade en bra vibe

This was way different than what I was expecting, but it was so good. Her voice was perfect for the style, and the "triphop" was a jam the entire time. It does fall just short of a 10 for me, but it is darn close.

💕💕💕 One of my favourite albums

Beautiful mesmerising album. Beth Gibbons smooth sexy and slightly spooky voice is a highlight.

A classic. One of the best of the 90's. Defined a genre of music.

Groovy and moody, I like it as a background brain food type sound.

Boring

Angsty!

SUPER ENTRETENIDO. Los beats llenos de sonoridad, los vocals no se sienten forzados y las letras son sencillas pero a la vez te transmiten exactamente lo que tienen que decir. Una sorpresa que la canción del final fuera Glory box. Una canción bastante famosita por ser literalmente la canción sexo antes que existiera deftones. Brillante, divertido, bastante relajado y sexy. Muy buen album. 9/10.

exceptional

I like it

Absolute stone cold classic album. They created their own distinctive sound with this album that so many artists tried to copy. Berth Gibbons vocals are sublime.

I really don't like her voice.

Been a favorite for thirty years; still holds up. Easy 5 *

More electronics get skins of boring

With the clear bias that this is the music I grew up with a solid 5/5

So, apparently I like Trip hop. Interesting...

God, Trip-hop was good wasn’t it? The whole album breathes, like it’s a living thing. Numb is a prime example. Amazing.

Rating: 9.5/10 Amazing album, breathtakingly gorgeous from start to finish. The production is amazing, all of the instruments sound fantastic and the dynamics that were used created a beautiful atmosphere. The drums and samples sprinkled throughout were influenced by hip-hop but the other instruments and the production create a completely different vibe. The vocals are incredibly beautiful and really complement the instrumentation; Beth Gibbons always knows when to supplement the instrumentals with her voice and when to add a bit more volume and range to showcase her talents as well. There are some overlapping ideas between the songs so it can sound a bit same-y but it is so well done that this is not an issue for me; this is a classic of the trip-hop genre for a reason. Favorite songs: Pretty much all of them. Least favorite song: Strangers.

Beth gibbons' voice gives me gender envy.

Different. A couple catchy songs. Not my favorite

Eh.

6/10 not my vibe but I can tell the production and the heavy lyrics can be for many people. Gives off SAW vibes

Bob Christgau described this album as "Sade for Androids", as though the electric sheep dreams of Androids don't require a trip-hop masterpiece of alienation and misery. Humans need this, too, for the cold and rainy days, for weed, for booze, for pills, and for the sheer existential performance of pensively staring out of window, smoking cigarettes, and expressing utter ennui. This is the album for these sour times.

Good album.

Some incredibly dreamy/nostalgic/nightmarish soundscapes are created in this album. At times they feel perfect and you get wholly lost in them. At other times they feel muddy and discordant, leading to a jagged listening experience

My vote for most sublimely produced album ever. I feel extremely privileged that I got to experience having my eardrums stress tested by that bass live in 2011. I still use 'Roads' every time I set up a sound system, and it doesn't hurt that Beth Gibbons delivers one of the best vocal performances ever.

There are few better produced albums available worldwide. It’s purified beauty. “Pedestal” is in my list of songs I always use to test speaker systems. I could get lost in that bass all day.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could. Not perfect, but better than a 4.

Simply a game changer.

again not for me

7/10 Sour time and Glory box stand out as really good. The rest is relaxing trip-hop that I'm happy to listen to, but no chills or jaw drops. elevator music for a really cool elevator. 3-4-2024

Epitome of this sound and this era. Consistent if nothing else.

I revisited Portishead and Massive Attack a few months ago so its great to see this on here. Still great as it was.

Dark and atmospheric Trip Hop. Love this album so much because it's so easy to just lose yourself in. From the very beginning to the end it's a masterpiece of sensual songwriting. Hauntingly beautiful vocals and mellow beats makes this such an unnervingly comfortable listen. I've been listening to this album on and off for many years and won't be stopping anytime soon. Timeless classic. Already have and will continue to revisit.

Really liked it.

It didn't fetch me or I didn't get it. Maybe both. At first it felt a bit like old Evanescence stuff in a different way. They had many good ideas but didn't think them through. Felt like waiting for something that wouldn't happen. Like stopping every time you're about to orgasm.

Very interesting. It could be just a little bit more, in some places I missed a little something, but all in all I liked it. This eerie voice on top of something similar to hip-hop beats... I really kinda liked it

4/5

Soundtechnisch nicht mehr ganz auf der Höhe aktueller Produktionen, aber schon sehr stilprägend und ein Einfluss für jede Menge andere Musik.

Good

Classic - Sour times, wandering star, glory box soundtrack to youth - actually had this album on CD and played it constantly

I didn’t buy this album in 1994 and I never have been that into it. I understand why it’s important, but just not my jam.

listened to the album late at night for the first time in a long time (prob 10 years or more) and enjoyed so much i listened again immediately upon waking up. mix of eerie backing and brittle but smooth vocals and sound textures keeps it all interesting.

Entre légèreté aérienne de la voix et épaisseur des textures.

Excellent. This captures a certain mood that is hard to pin down but I love it. I see why it's so acclaimed.

Low-fi awesome!!

Now I finally know what they sound like, was not bad

Gorgeous. 4.5

Holy shit this takes me back. Everyone my age fucked to this album. And, if you had a CD changer, OK Computer was in the same rotation. I can’t say anything bad about this one. Listened to it a thousand times when it came out. There was a PBS/Unplugged concert around that time, that was even better. This definitely deserves a place on this list. It’s a classic, front to back.

#143. Portishead sounds like a type of venomous fish or something. Never heard of them before, I think. I do quite like this though, it'll probably end up in my regular rotation, for sure. I've heard the song Glory Box before, but I didn't remember from where, so I looked it up. Turns out it was in about 20 different movies, including one called B Monkey that was played on IFC every three and a half minutes or so when I was in high school and I've probably watched like 8 or 10 times, which is where I recognized it from. I'm pretty sure I thought it was a Spice Girls song or something at the time though. Whichever. I still dig it. 5/5: this probably realistically is not a 5 star album, but there's no adults here, so I can do what I want. *this is the fourteenth album I purchased from this list Song added to playlist: Glory Box I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

This was a pretty good album for non obtrusive background music. I didn't find the songs particularly compelling to listen to or something that gets my amped up, just something to have on when you want to concentrate on something and filter out other noise. I liked her voice and the music was pretty good.

This CD spent a lot of time in my player.

no se fumada psicotropica, canta una pava triste. Techno raro relajao bien? no se no es mi royo pero enjoyable

OG banger

This album has recalibrated my '3' rating. I regret not giving Imagine a 2. This album was perfectly fine, and I enjoyed listening to it but likely wouldn't revisit it. Glory Box and Sour head stood out but the other tracks felt same-y. This may be because I have never listened to trip-hop and wasn't quite able to get past the top layer of the songs.

Omg imagine opening your debut album with Mysterons? God tier move honestly. This was a remarkable debut album. Everything about this album gave me the shivers. Halfway through I knew I wanted to listen to it again. Highlights for me were Mysterons, Wandering Stars, Numb, and Glory Box. I am officially a Portishead stan even though they have a bad band name.

I'm sitting in a jazz club in 1966 with cigarette smoke filling the air and Beth Gibbons is making every person in the building fall in love with her. This album feels much more cohesive than 'Third" and really drew me in. "Roads" and "Glory Box" are incredibly smooth. I give it a 4/5.

Very sexy and sultry. I definitely liked it more than Third.

A bit one-note, but still very cool. 3.5/5

Please no.

The greatest downtempo/chill-hop album ever made. The blueprint, though it has never been able to be duplicated.

triphop er ikke for mig tror jeg :/ begyndte ret hurtigt at kede mig

Måske den nemmeste 5er på listen indtil videre. Jeg er proaktivt sur over Claus' rating

Fedt album! Tror at Massive Attack er misundelige på den her plade

L O V E Portishead. And from reading about them, so did a lot of others. I can only hope that they get it together and put out some more amazing music.

Had it been rainy when I listened, I'd give it five stars

Chill vibes, kind of dark. Jazzy but with a bit of hip hop beats 7,5

A very light 3 for me

Yeah, man. I still listen to this ALL THE TIME.

Great album. Very well balanced between underground trip hop, but also appealing to the mainstream. Album definitely stands the test of time.

kinda creepy vibes

Easy 5

Beth Gibbons is mother

GOOD

I don't know what I expected but this was not it. Overall very good for what it is. It's not my preferred style of music but I liked it. I probably won't seek this out again but I'm glad I listened to it.

I've loved this album for years, unique, gritty, genre-defining

Good not great for me. I really liked the overall sound of this album, but it got kinda boring by the end of it.

A rare 4 star All-timer? While I say that I love this album, it seems that I love the first several tracks. All of the tracks are good, but I rarely make it to the last few songs because I am ready to move on before I get there. Still, aces though.

V I B E

Love this album. Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere.

Masterpiece!

Heck yeah I know this one. Great sound, album that hasn't aged. Timeless. Definite 4

I loved this album when it came out but got sick of it as it seemed to get played out in every cafe in the world alongside sub par Cafe Del Mar compilations. Ok so that shouldn't diminish how amazing the album is and I wish I could time travel back to 1994 to hear it for the first time.

Worth another listen. But basically not my kind of thing.

From a pure musical point of view this is a great album but Beth Gibbon’s vocals elevate it to another level

It was alright

Interesting style, but rather dull.

OK but not a favourite

👍👍

Meh

Fun and familiar

Love it!

Never heard Portishead, and I was definitely surprised once I hit play. Positives: Great voice! Relaxing music, but also a bit melancholy. The mixing is great and the soundscapes used are very immersive. Negatives: Each song is a bit too similar. Especially with the drumbeats. I listened to about half the album then skimmed through the rest because I got extremely bored. I can't listen to this album as a whole, but the music itself is pretty good. Final score: 3 stars- Decent music, unfortunately not entertaining enough as a collective. Might listen to individual songs again.

Very good

Beautiful trip-hop

On paper I should really like this. Hip hop beats mixed with electronic and ambient. This should be my number one album from that description, but it's just not hitting. Maybe it's the vocals. Yeah, those are really bringing it down. And the dark and creepy edge the music has is unsettling, and not enjoyable.

Every song's a beauty.

very dark and mysterious

One of my favs- solid the whole way through

While I respect the astute production, it seems despite all the intricate production the songs aren't all that memorable as individuals tracks. The lyrics and vocal performance seem disjointed from the instrumentals completely, and perhaps that is the point artistically, but who knows? I am brought back to memories of brooding people in booths puffing away on clove cigarettes while high on Molly. Personally, of the Bristol sound, I am a bigger fan of Massive Attack's soundscape. Being an adult in 90s, when this album came out, every decade or so I have tried to get into Portishead and their album DUMMY, in particular, but never quite managed to feel anything from their album. If you have also come away with this feeling, I recommend instead, the far lesser known British band of the time, 12 Rounds "My Big Hero" which creates grooves that support the vocals rather than feeling like an endless come down room at a rave. They are also more fearless about exploring other genres. Atticus Ross, a founding member of 12 Rounds with his wife Claudia Sarne, would eventually become the second permanent member of Nine Inch Nails. Perhaps this would have been more interesting as an instrumental only album. I sometimes feel the intent of this album was meant for DJs and not for individuals to listen to as an album. Over the years people have told me they get Bond-esque vibes from this album, but I just don't hear it. This lacks the big bold vocal and instrumental arrangements of the best Bond tracks like "Goldfinger", "You Only Live Twice", "Nobody Does It Better", and "Goldeneye", all tracks released prior to this album. And quite frankly Gibbons doesn't feel like she has the pipes for that kind of performance. If you did not grow up in the 90s and wonder why there were so many rock/electronica albums in the 90s, it was because recording and mixing electronica became far more affordable, with advances of personal computers and the rise of the Internet in the 90s, than it had been prior to the boom in audio DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), such as Digidesign Pro Tools.

I vibe with it! Good beats, chill songs. Favorite track: "Wandering Star."

The second album I encountered here at 1001 ATHBYD. The first one being "Third" was good but I like this better. Intriguing songs ...

I loved it since I knew it. One of my favourites.

Yeah

Never heard before. think, I'm not missing a lot.

Meh. Quality is fine. Just not that interesting. Low 3

It was good, need to listen in doses. Her voice...

When in the mood, I can listen to this endlessly.

Kinda like if Cranberries and a Baz Luhrmann had a baby

Dummy indeed. Hard pass.

3/10

The album is a bit one note moodwise and the album art is probably the ugliest in the whole book. But Roads is one of my favourite tracks ever and the album still has a moody mysterious allure.

Nasowas. Die erste Scheibe bei meiner Reise durch die 1001 Alben, die bei mir zu Hause als CD im Schrank steht. Daher kenne ich sie natürlich und bin dadurch befangen. Ach Scheiss drauf, einfach ein cooles Debut.

fantastic record - brings me back to my high school years.

So smooth and gentle! A mood unto itself.

Fjortishövve.

Chill album, wonderful to sit back and close your eyes.

Absolutely phenomenal album. Puts me in a very specific head space which, when I want to be in it, hits the spot like nothing else.

Chilly electronics

NOBODY LOVES ME LIKE LIKE YOU DO

way too much cymbal/etc. in the drums for me

This is really, really good! I'm about 1/2 way through the album and just groovin' with it. and another one goes on my rotation!

No me gusta que las bases tengan un sonido uniforme durante toda la canción, pero me parece interesante que toda la melodía la aporte la voz (una buena voz, por cierto). Me resulta algo cansino el album, pero no me desagrada.

So fucking good. Especially the first and last song. I want to rate it better, but I just didn't connect as much to it as I thought I would. But it's so good.

listened to again effortlessly cool, darkly cinematic

Even though this came out several years before I went to college, I listened to this album in college, so it takes me back to those days.

Either a 2 or a 4. Never a 3.

natürlich Glory Box! Und der Rest klingt halt sehr ähnlich nur nicht ganz so gut.

One thing I've learnt thanks to this project, is my love for 90s trip hop and electronic music. I have such a nostalgia for this era, and the fantastic atmosphere these genres create in my head. You can heat the influence this album had on one of my favourite video game composers, Darren Kirby, especially his work on Transistor. Another reviewer compared this album to a city and it's a perfect comparison, a quiet loneliness floating over a busy and dirty foundation. For me it's a winter album, sad and cold, but sometimes thinking of spring. 28/01/24

Oh fuck this is good. Mysterions makes me feel like I’m underwater. I could see this being my favorite song. Album has a shoegaze feel to it. Mixed with early synth pop. I am always on my toes, not sure what will happen next. Vocals incredible. Roads is amazing, feels like the moment you walk out of a warm event hall into the cool rain outside with the echoes growing distant behind you. Glory box is beauty. Awesome album.

One of my favorite albums ever. Maybe a couple weak points, but completely forgivable by the rest

Another meh album. This sounded a bit like Fiona Apple, but not as good.

Stumbled on this the long way around. It quickly went to the top of my modern music ists.

An amazing album and one of the best triphop albums

Mysterons grabbed my attention immediately with the haunted beats and vocals, and I immediately recognized Sour Times and really enjoyed it. Their sound is different and works for extremely well when they’re at their best. I didn’t find Dummy to be consistent all the way thru, there were lulls, at some points was straight up annoying like on It Could be Sweet but overall it was an interesting listen with some really creative tracks with chill vibes. 3 stars

I love a good triphop album and this album is so good. The music and the vocals work so well together it gives the album an almost ethereal sound. Love it.

😂 Ich han fasch chli Angst das review z schriebe well ich weiss gwüss lüüt werded da Album richtig gern ha. Für mich isches okay aber lose würdis jetzt nid unbedingt. Viellicht isch de Songtext mega deep woni jetzt nid so ahgluegt han aber rein vo de Songs resonateds nid so mit mir. Am ehnste viellicht no Glory Box, Sour Times und evt Strangers aber alles andere isch mir irgendwie zu slow oder zu gentle? Glory Box isch würklich no recht nice aber de rest vom album digg ich jetzt nidso. Weiss nid. 3.5/5 für mich (Glaub ohni Glory Box hets es 3geh).

AHHHH 5 ich musses nedmal lose eif 5 fertig danke ade merci. Ich bi mit dem ufgwachse und es isch eif soo guet?? There‘s nothing like it 1A. Ahh sour times isch so guet the way she sings ‚ nobody loves me‘ gooosebuuuumps! It could be sweet isch definitiv mit Abstand de schwächscht track, cha gar nütt meh sege, aber de rest sind so bangers dasses eig chasch ignoriere. S cha halt niemer perfekt sii oder Roads- riese banger. Eif soooo schön??? Portishesd schaffts eifach soviel emotione id lieder z packe ich liebs Glory Box isch SO ES STRONGS LIED zum s Album demit eif abschlüsse isch INSANEE

mysterons. schono juan vibe das ganze, mega moody s drum sample isch huere cool. und theremin sehr uuuh mysteriuoous aber uf e gueti art. Sour times. ich lieb gitarre mit tremolo. seeehr coole song. hackbrett au geil, appezell time. Strangers. boh sie singt suuuper ha zerst denkt s seg es sample vode nina simone oder so. aber s het samples? sehr cool. It Could be Sweet. dasch jetz sehr sehr moody und orchestral hits findi selte mega cool. aber sie singt trotzdem sehr guet. wandering star. bass luut drums viel hall es isch alles sehr blau (trurig) und dunkel irgendwie. sie hend gitarre ufgnoh und denn uf vinyl presst zum denn chöne scratche. da goht schono hard. find zwor scratches selte cool. It's a Fire. orgle schön. het mi huere inezoche de song. geilo. roads. seehr schön kenni glaub? huere schön. Pedestal. findi chli sehr uuuh ich trurig uuuh moody aber immerno schöni melodie. guetzli. lieb s wurli/rhodes. ok de vocal choppng shit gfallt mer scho nöd meeega Glory Box. oh shit ich kenn das. WOHER. ou yes isch das geil. mega soul. ah isaac hayes sample. aber wo han ich das ghört? huuuere geile song.

fuck also das schwankt starch zwüscheme 4i und 5i. kei ahnig was trip hop isch aber die wunderschöni stimm, paart mite warme beats und sehr reduzierte gitarre, synthi oder sogar strings isch eifach nur insane. iwie isches sehr melancholischi, mengisch fast mysteriösi, aber au unglaublich schöni musig. ((ich wett am nick drake es 5i geh, es tutmer leid nick)) mysterons und roads hend für mich speziell ussegstoche FUCK S SOLO VO GLORY BOX I guess ich muss mal chli trip hop lose?

Not horrible but definitely not for me. Don't like electronics and don't care for the vocals.

Dummy is everything. The tremolo of the opening chords on Roads alone is enough to give me frisson, and when Beth's "Oh..." comes in, I just melt into a puddle of weepy nostalgia. It's perfect.

An odd mixture of cheesy movie soundtrack themes with James Bond-type vocals.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Portishead. Impressive, atmospheric, amazing vocals.

Yuck!

Very cool to listen to, relevant lyrics, nice and easy listening

Really cool and chill and funky

Just not really a Portishead fan, don't think I ever will be, whole album is just meh

I didn't think I was familiar with this band, but I did recognize Sour Times. Moody, female vocals, soft and spooky melodies.

I love Portishead though I feel the famous debut is the weakest of the 3 albums. Moody electronica with a torch singer.