Dummy

Amazing album. Everything is perfect, the singing, the production, the samples, the James Bond esque guitar. It sounds like a dark smokey dingy club in the best way possible. I will never get tired of this album.

This is a pretty solid album. Had not listened to it for awhile.

Ultimately not for me. It was a little like listening to enya w heavier drums/synth-y beats. I think they’re doing what they’re doing well! I would put this album on if I was trying to host a sexy vibe-y cocktail party, or something like that.

I felt like i was the coolest kid at y2k

If it was just music, it might be listenable. Don’t care for the lyrics, not my style.

Kinda weird and unique. Makes me think of a movie album.

I really liked the mood of this album. The singers voice really brought the melancholy feel and mood of this album to the forefront. While fairly simple and not too varying in style, the album was easy to listen to and culminated in Glory Box. I can see myself coming back to this album if I'm in the right mood.

Never heard of them before, and this album didn't disappoint. I listened to it twice in a row and the second time I enjoyed it even more. Might be my favorite new find from the list so far!

Real nice, for some reason I always imagined this is what Bjork should have sounded like.

Pretty boring. The songs are not very distinguishable from each other. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Definitely 90's club music

not a fan

Solid work and a good entry into trip hop type production

Ta guapo

J'aime bien Sour Time, sinon j'ai pas détesté mais j'ai pas accroché. La dernière chanson impossible de l'apprécier elle est trop teintée par la pub Nina ricci 2.5

Je connaissais que Glory Box. Je comprends pourquoi, c'est la seule bien...

Le mood qu'il faut pour cet album c'est un mood de soirée, donc comme j'ai écouté le matin... Mais j'ai quand même bien profité, ça faisait longtemps que je l'avais pas écouté. Glory Box ; talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it J'aime trop la chanson, et j'avais oublié que Olivia Colman l'avait chantée aussi ! Que demande le peuple ??

Viel los, auch mal überraschend. Musik und Gesang toll. Macht mit Kopfhörern echt Spaß.

This is why we do this. So good. 5

I’m sorry, but listening to the vocalist, Nadja from What We Do In the Shadows came to mind, and then I couldn’t get that out. I remember the release of Glory Box and their performance on TOTP was a massive thing (because they were from the sameish county as it from), but honestly I didn’t and still don’t get the hype. Trip-Hop? Dance act? I don’t even know what it is but I know it’s up its own arse.

Fantastic Album! Trip Hop Finest.

3,5

Oh man, this is great music. It's spooky and captivating to be considered art but it's also chilled enough to be lounge or dinner party music, like a James Bond theme or something. Every track is a bit different but they also have a collective consistency, which is quite an achievement. Beth Gibbons vocals are awesome, sounding sexy and vulnerable at the same time. And I love the occasional sound effects / samples. Magnificent.

This album changed everything for me, it let me undertstand that there was more to music than gutairs and sent me down the helter skelter of rave culture and electronic music. Ill never forget hearing it on the radio and thinking what the hell is this, never heard anything like it. It's aged well and sounds current, the whispery parnoid vocals and dystopic sounds make it so atmospheric.

Deservedly iconic, everything music should be - innovative and evocative and sounds great!

My teenage daughter has been hating on Portishead lately, but I just can't bring myself to dislike it, it has so many happy memories tied up with it. I love the melancholy, the mash up of old and new, the vocals and drum and bass playing together. Glorious!

Sexy music.

Discazo

Maybe I played it at the wrong time of day. Maybe I played it when I wasn't high. Maybe I should have played it when I wanted to go to sleep or be depressed. Jagged Pill was more upbeat.

Music brought my spirits down.

I feel like robots are trying to hypnotize me. Nice atmospherics...But do computer generated tones qualify music? Regardless, you have to be exceedingly generous to call these songs. Sophomoric tonal riffing in place of melodic structure; and lyrics that come across like High School poetry.

I've never listened to Portishead. From their name I thought they would be like Tool. However this album is very Massive Attacks and I absolutely loved it. I live the kind of ethereal sound. Because it felt like a complete album the individual songs didn't stand out as much on first pass but I really liked the album as a whole.

War OK

Boring and repetitive. Way too brooding and moody. That being said, it was ok and wasn't overly annoying.

8/10

Love this album, so moody!

Amazing album. Loved it.

Pretty Boring

My second listen (popped up on a friend’s list the other day and he was already a fan, so….)….not sure I’m getting all of it; I see the appeal, but it’s not what I’d reach for ordinarily…definitively British, and I like the melodies and approach, but for me something is missing and I don’t know what

I had forgotten how good this album is. It's something we used to listen to while getting mellow. It holds up even when not under the influence.

this is not usually the type of music that is in my wheelhouse. and also today I am road tripping, so I think this album did not land for me twice over. I don't think it was bad, but I found it to be a little dull, and it does not make for good road trip music. not my thing!

Great album. Hypnotic and different music that gave a new breath to the musical scene

Day5 - not my cup of tea. Sour Times and Glory Box are good but the rest no thanks

Never heard of this artist, but her music has an almost sound to Sade’s music. Loved it.

Didn’t care for the vocals, music was good. 2/5

Didn’t care for it. All the tracks sounded the same

in my wheelhouse.

I didn’t think I had ever heard of Portishead but the 2nd track was definitely familiar. I enjoyed the whole Album.

This is an absolute STUNNING album. Each song has some interesting layer to it and Beth Gibbons has such A haunting voice

Wowww. An amazing, experimental, and unique body of work by Portishead. The artistry of this band is very creative while still very much being listenable and vibey. Best track is Roads.

Wow! How did I miss this? I was already out of the retail music industry when this came out in 1994. I’ve got Glory Box on repeat now. Moody, beat driven tunes some more accessible than others. I’m glad it came up in my feed!

Very psychedelic

Low to Mid-tempo. Cool beats to sample. Sounds very 90s

Not the kind of music I would often listen to, but this album rewards a close and relaxed listen. Being tonally dark, 'Dummy' utilizes deep lyrics and cabaret vocal delivery and is full of jazzy samples, funky scratches and catchy melodic hooks. The highlight of the for me is Glory's Box, complete with cinematic strings and Hendrix-y guitar bends. A solid debut album and an interesting listen for electronica fans.

Very chill. Almost lounge-style music. For some reason I had always assumed they were metal. Pleasantly surprised.

Too dark for my preference

Finally an album I'm not familiar with. I've heard some Portished before including Roads from this one but the rest of the album was new to me. I liked it, certainly more than a lot of trip hop I've heard. Will probably be coming back to it in the future

Good background music

Dummy. the debut album from Portishead, changed the trip-hop landscape. It was more atmospheric than many of trip-hop albums of the time, setting a stage for evolution of the genre. The lead off track, Mysterons, is a prime example. Sci-fi sounds, mingle with Beth Gibbons' torch song vocal delivery to create something as akin to ambient as it is to trip-hop. The rest of the album is just as inventive.

had some good beats/scracthes

Good background music

Very lovely. If I still worked in an office and played music on a speaker, this would be added to the rotation. It was enjoyable but not so distracting that I couldn’t work while listening. I recognized Sour Times (probably because Joe has played it at home).

Quite a good album from the early days of trip-hop. Consistently good songs from start to finish.

I’ve heard this before but never enjoyed it as much as this time.

Not at all what I expected! Very moody, atmospheric sound with poetic lyrics and themes, driven by understated sound. Very enjoyable and would listen to again with more intent.

Worth a listen, definitely different vibe and really interesting possibly early sample based music. Stuck a very niche chord in my brain, but overall, a good experience.

Smoky and mysterious vibe since it came out. Always enjoyed.

Very nearly a 5!!

THE BEST

I loved this. Very cool and unique. It’s own universe. Dope.

It’s really great!!

Down tempo funky. Great vocals

Very Good

Not the genre of music that I gravitate toward, but it was listenable.

Not my preference but ight

Not for me. I have never really been able to get into Portishead, and this album does not change that. I can hear the atmosphere and the mood they are creating, and I understand why it was so influential, but as a listening experience it feels very samey to me. The production is dark and cinematic, and Beth Gibbons’ voice is distinctive and haunting, but the overall tone rarely shifts. After a few tracks it all blends together and I find my attention drifting. I can appreciate the craft and the impact it had in the mid nineties, but it simply is not an album I connect with. Favourite track: None that truly stood out for me Least favourite: The overall sound becomes repetitive Album artwork: A cool, moody cover that fits the music perfectly

Mer 2000-talspop än väntat.

Listened Before? Y Depending on your view, this may be one of the best albums of the 90s. It's really solid. For me, it drips with nostalgia as well. Love her voice and the style. This one will stay in my library. Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist: Sour Times, Glory Box

One of my all time favorites to have on. I love the contrast between the rhythmic soundscapes and the haunting vocals.

Cool sounding album Really liked the female vocalist Eerie, psychedelic vibe Only managed to listen to the A side but would defo like to finish

Some interesting soundscapes, a few really good grooves, and interesting hip-hop influence. Can tell this was influential on some later music, my mind went immediately to the song in the waiting line by Zero 7. Ultimately just didn’t enjoy that many tracks, way more misses than hits.

One of my all time favorites to have on. I love the contrast between the rhythmic soundscapes and the haunting vocals.

If the lazy silkworm-spun guitar melodies of Mysterons and Glory Box were alive in 1800s San Francisco, they'd lie repose on a chaise lounge in a seedy opium den on the Barbary Coast, eyes glazed over in a state of blissed-out euphoria. Portishead surely earns its moniker as progenitor of Air, Handsome Boy Modeling Club, and the litany of lesser-than downtempo darlings of the late 90s and early aughts.

Surprised at this one! Really enjoyed it. Cool female vocals over some grunge/smashing pumpkins esque sound.

I found it dragged a little bit but I liked the songs at the end more than the songs at the start

I liked, portishead coming in with the supreme vibes. Did not emotionally touch me much so it gets a 4.

Dark, mesmerizing, and hauntingly beautiful. I’ve heard bits and pieces of their music on trip hop playlists but was blown away by the quality of production and editing on this album.

Really curious vibe. Sour times. Strangers. Glory Box. Definitely worth a deeper delve, I dig it.

i already loved this one, its great what else to say, such good vibes

How is this so acclaimed? I find it really boring. Reminds me of Bjork.

Meh

Always liked this album.

trippin on that hop i have had this vinyl for so long

I didn’t even know trip-hop was a thing but I’m here for it

not my scene

Kind of boring.

Good album. Couple of outstanding tracks.

Helt klart en viktig skiva. Antagligen den främsta trip-hop skivan nånsin. Tycker dock genren blir lite för släpig till slut. En stark trea.

Jag är nog lite svag för 90-tals soundet. Det här kom som en överraskning. Tror aldrig jag hört talas om bandet. Jag känner förstås igen hiten, den sista låten. Men hade aldrig kunnat placera låten. Jag tycker det är bra för det mesta (lite daterat med scracth-ljuden).

Ganska tråkigt

Hade bara hört Glory box sedan tidigare och även om den är jäkligt bra så blev det här ändå en stor överraskning. Älskar viben/stämningen genom hela skivan. Hennes low key-röst komponerad av väldigt välproducerade beats och samplingar gifter sig verkligen och ger ett grymt och unikt (?) sound. Redan vid första genomlyssning är det bra från första låten och hela vägen in i mål, vilket inte händer särskilt ofta. Kul!

Turns out I'm a Portishead fan. I had no idea.

did not like

Damn good album.

Cant stop thinking about Bill Bailey and part troll...

An unexpected surprise. Definitely one of my favs now

Listened five times in a row.

Decent. Enjoyed that.

Talented but not my style.

very cool, i dig it a lot

Great album and it's been one I've listened to regularly for at least 25 years. I love the sounds, pace, Beth's voice. To me it still sounds timeless, where other trip hop albums from the same period very much take me back to the early 90s.

I haven't uncovered why this album has been heaped with so much praise and I'm left feeling empty. After listening several times, I experienced a continual disconnect like I'm missing a puzzle piece leading me each time with increased frustration. Part of the problem was my own faulty perception to hear something more driving and upbeat. But the other element I picked up on, though perhaps I'm being a bit jaded, save for Beth Gibbons, is how lifeless this feels in places or even forced. It seems as though Portishead is so reliant on samples and setting a mood that the elements of memorable song writing/craft suffer. This isn't bad. There are interesting things happening with the music, but I hoped and expected more and found myself feeling exhausted trying to enjoy it.

Goede instrumenten, trippy vibe (misschien goed op drugs), fuck niet echt met de zangeres tbh

Kende Glory Box al (vgm van Heineken reclame haha), echt een top nummer imo! Roads ook opgeslagen Verder leuk, beetje spooky vibe soms maar heeft niet echt een wow factor Daarom 3 sterren, zou 't album alsnog wel draaien misschien maar would not buy denk ik

Apart from knowing where Portishead is in the UK and a memory of being stuck on the M5 for 6 hours staring at the exit sign to there, the band is a mystery. Happily this interaction was more positive. Although a little samey the mix is strong and engaging. The vocals fit the style beautifully. Some of the frills seemed an unnecessary embellishment. Or maybe likened to things that distract ones attention from the monotony of being stationary in traffic,

I dug this!

Great beats, great vocals. This album has such a cool vibe, it’s chilled whilst being a little haunting. Really cool atmosphere.

Fantastic. 8/10. Loved Biscuit and Glory Box, obviously. Excellent voice, very different from what I've heard.

honestly really enjoyed this album despite it not totally being my style, just really nice vibes. top fave was ROADS !! also loved sour times 4/5 absolutely made me feel like i should be getting high on an old couch in a cloudy basement in 1995 lol. will def keep on the rotation for chill times

JJ said this is exactly like smoking week in someone's basement in 1994 and she was so right. People have been telling me to listen to Portishead forever so I was excited to listen, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped. Mellower than I expected and it was fine, just didn't really blow my socks off. Maybe me from the late 1900s would have loved it but we'll never know.

Enjoyed very much. Wouldn't download but would definitely listen to again if ever working on a painting/design/

Head go dummy

That shit was bangin

Nice, spheric and something special.

I've seen this one on a lot of best albums lists and had been holding off. Went in with high expectations and was let down. The guitar and industrial sounds were okay, but the droning singing didn't resonate with me. This feels more like a movie soundtrack with no real direction or cohesiveness.

Great

fantastic record

Ja klonk lekker trippy, coole beats

niet af kunnen luisteren, ik had het idee dat ik op een bezem door de lucht scheerde

Jaa idk man, Britten

This is the ultimate chiller hip-hop album. I don't consider myself a viber, but this was cool enough. A few instrumentals off this wouldn't be out of place on Deltron 3030.

Iha jees!

Pretty great

They're really nailing the atmosphere they're going for here. I wish I could say it was the kind of atmosphere I enjoy, but it's not. The whole vibe here is very dark and moody, which just kinda bums me out. I do love the theremin on the first track, sounds very spooky. It's a Fire has a pretty beautiful sound and melody. Absolutely can't stand the "jazzy gal" voice on Glory Box. Overall though, I have to give credit to how singular the vision is here, and how well the production and instrumentation is put together. It feels way ahead of its time.

Really cool music for when you want to set a specific Background Vibe. Not something I’d sit and listen to for its own sake but absolutely something I’d put on for studying, working, or hanging out.

The trip-hop genre isn't often my thing, but this album has grown on me quite a bit. It's great background music.

I know this album but haven't heard it in a long while. I put off listening to this one for a bit. I never felt I was in the mood and didn't want to blow it off. Tonight I gave it a shot and Mysterons pulled me right in. Amazing opening track. But then I drifted out of it for a while. Numb and Roads pulled me back in and I totally enjoyed the album from that point on. This is real good stuff. Not my favorite kind of stuff, but real good nonetheless.

Very cool. It sounded cool. I'd put this on if I owned a record shop and had to run inventory while opening the store and warming up the espresso machine. Enjoyable, but mainly for the vibes.

Good

Been a minute since I heard this album. I remember liking it, let's see if it holds up. Holds up. 5/5

Chill but has that annoying DJ record scratch sound throughout

Super chill and I will likely listen again

Portishead is dope.

Never liked Portishead or Trip Hop all that much but it so clearly belongs on this list for its artistic value that I'll still give it a 4, even more so since it's the only album on the list.

Not expected. Pretty mellow.

Love portishead

Geht so

This has objectively good songs with objectively better instrumentals

THIS ALBUM IS GREAT OMG AHHHHH 9.0/10

Honestly, a bit mopey. Not for me

i do not understand why this is rated so highly

Easy listening 👍🏼😎

Another one that I can hear is good but isn't for me. The waify female "can't you see" stuff... nah

One of the greatest triphop albums of all time. 5/5

as bran said, great cooking music. jazzy with a little bit of sauce on top

I like Portishead a lot. It’s not always my go to and some of the songs sort of disappear into the background, but when they hit, they hit. Glory box is always a favorite

72/100 but doesn't deserve 4*. Rating out of 5 is dumb.

Extremely good trip hop! nothing like a genre double feature to immediately clarify what the good stuff’s supposed to sound like

top tier record

All I can say is that "Dummy" is way better album than "Third" and that last song is straight out of James Bond movie.

Sounds like what I'd think NIN would sound like. Good atmosphere, but also kinda slow. 4.5/10 Good instrumentals

Lush trip-hop beats and a 90s Bond longer singer's voice. Another full soundscape of a time, the mid 90s in Britain.

Certeza que eu já ouvi pelo menos metade do instrumental das músicas desse álbum em jogos indie. Dito isso, bom álbum

I grew up with my mum playing this album to me so a bit biased. Some proper tunes on here. Love the processing on the drums, makes it sound like its not a real drummer. The muted tones and depressing lyrics hits hard

3.5 Enjoyable album, tracks melded together a bit but overall very enjoyable if you want something of a lower pace and bit of a melancholy vibe. Wandering Star the standout.

2/5 - not my cuppa

I enjoyed this album, quite a unique sounding artist, unfortunately the problem I have with portishead is the unique sound you hear on this album is the same one you hear on every one of their albums. Not to say it's bad, it's decent but I would have liked it more if they changed the music up a bit. High 2/low 3

Every second of this whole album, from start to finish, is absolutely excellent! :)

Great!

really enjoyed this; sweet and dreamy

I’ve listened to one Portishead album before (Third) which I was told was great, but I didn’t really like at all. That leaves me somewhat apprehensive about today’s album. I truly want to like every new album I hear, and try to go in as optimistic as I can. Let’s listen with fingers crossed! Songs I already knew: Sour Times, Glory Box Favourites: Sour Times, Numb, Glory Box Apparently this album is considered to be what pushed trip-hop onto a lot of people’s radars. I’m more sure exactly what that is, but I can say that I enjoyed this album a lot. It was very mellow but without ever getting boring. It felt like sitting in a smoky jazz room at times, but a little more contemporary. Perhaps that’s what trip hop is. I’ve no idea. This was good though, so listen to it.

Glory Box

First day of one album a day, I had no expectations for this album but I kind of like it. It's trippy and soft, easy to listen to and weird at the same time. Pretty enjoyable overall.

somewhat forgotten in recent years, but WOW - what a banger album. era-defining.

So fucking good. Like what logo hip hop instrumentals would’ve been in the 90s, except way more authentic sounding, and with super cool soft and serenade-y vocals

It's fine.

I have to say. This album was way better than I was expecting it to be. While I still haven't listened to a rap record for this project yet, this album does have hip-hop-esque production. That production, by the way, is really well done. And I mean that in the good way, not the steak way. This whole album just has immaculate vibes all throughout. The use of sampling suits the album very well. The singing is oddly fitting for an album with beats like this one. Speaking of beats, they're really good as well! This album's mood is perfectly executed, and there really isn't a bad song. This album gives me similar emotions to Violater by Depeche Mode, another album I've listened to for this project. Honestly, I should've given that one a 5 in retrospect, and I think this one deserves a 5/5 as well.

Certified classic. No skips. Especially when it’s sadboi season

Weirdly great vibe, especially for the cloudy day that I had today.

Their second album is better, but this is the one that seemed to haunt everywhere for a while in the mid-90's, and distinguished its aesthetic so strikingly that it felt almost its own cliché on arrival. These songs manage to be delicate and juggernaut at the same time. They knew what to do with this aesthetic: the songs are strong. The only song on the album that drops below the bar is It's A Fire. Analogue production, digital quality control! I am startled by how far Glory Box's popularity on Spotify outstrips the rest of the album. The guitar riff is stunning, channeling Cream-era Clapton after a few pints of brandy. I remember Tricky moaning about how Dummy was basically his song Aftermath, and that was it. I both hear what he's saying - Aftermath is stellar - and think he's very, very wrong. The aesthetics are different, and whereas Tricky went for linear, minimalist stretches which flaunted his digital lifts, Portishead were more obviously analogue, defacing their vinyls and using weirdo, UFO instrumentation, and had time for more formal song structures - robots versus cyborgs. Returning to this album, I rate it above Massive Attack's efforts, and think it might be the zenith of that Bristolian spree. Will wait for Maxinquaye to appear on the list, as I haven't heard that in decades.

Another favorite from my time as a music biz hanger-on in the early '90s. Go! Discs goes trendy; I attended the "world premiere" of the associated (and pointless) To Kill A Dead Man at the Prince Charles Cinema, oh so glamorous! One of the first of its kind, still sounds fresh and arresting, don't blame this for the subsequent trip-hop tedium. Made any spotty, nervous student oik feel instantly sophisticated. Great voice, clever samples including the first (?) use of the soon-to-be-ubiquitous Isaac Hayes motif on the fabulous Glory Box. Mysterons, Sour Times, Roads, not a dud here even if some tracks are less instantly memorable Nostalgic 5*

Still as sexy and haunting as when it was released. Ten stars.

Undeniably a vibe

Unique, original, excellent

This is from the 90’s…so not the vibe that much. Listening to it is uncomfy but I could give it a chance at a later time

That's my jam

I remember in the mid 90s, as a student, you were expected to like dirge like this but it just never appealed to me

Much better than the name and cover makes it out to be

Un magnifique album à la sonorité planante. Un mix d'électro-jazz frôlant la perfection. Un album qui peut aussi bien se mêler au décor que faire l'objet d'une écoute attentive.

It's a close one, but I enjoyed every song, and felt engaged by every song.

Music that makes you want to crawl up and die. Amazing

Dreamy...

Ok

Weirdly smooth gooey goodness with dreamy vocals that can make my day any day.

That's pretty dope!

I first tried listening to this on my morning walk to work and thought it was such a bummer I wasn’t as big of a fan as I thought I’d be. I tried again at home, windows open into the night, no distractions and holy shit it’s actually SO good?? Just needed the right vibes for the reverberant, trippy melancholy.

Les instru vont pas avec le chant c’est bizarre Il y a que la dernière qui est à peu près bien

Probably hugely influential for loads of artists I like. Also slightly unreal this was 1994. Glory Box is a classic. Wouldn’t listen again but appreciate it for what it is.

Chill maar hmm

All time classic !

cool cool

Aika tylsä kokonaisuus. Ei kyseinen musiikkityyli oikein uppoa.

Sad android music.

Really enjoyable and attractive music. Standout songs were It Could Be Sweet, Numb, and Glory Box

Familiar with the hits from my childhood. Pretty good.

Finally an album I would be happy to add to my library. Never heard of Portishead before, but it was a very plesant album. Very nice and crunchy beats, atmospheric instrumentals, hauting vocals. Gets a bit simple by the middle, but has a very strong finish. I am not certain as to the significance of the album, but it was exciting and interesting to me today, so must have been quite special in 1994. Significant albums 13/29. Albums I liked 6/29. Albums I have added to my library 1/29. Significant, liked, added. This one: significant, didnt like, didnt add.

Not my style at all

Pretty interesting experience, though the songs dont really stand out to me

Pleasant voice. Not much variation, but served fine as chill background music. Better than anticipated.

Quite fun and varied album. I still zooned out though when sitting in a plane on my way to London only listening to that... Hope you guys enjoyed work ;)

I want to give this a 4-4.25. I think the front half of the album was good but much better liked the latter half. The song Strangers starts off with Japanese traditional music which was cool. A lot of the record has interesting production and the overall ambiance is dark, overwhelming, moody, and sometimes even hurt emotions. Definitely an interesting jazzy, trip hop, moody album

Wow, instant Portishead fan. I learned today that I have been a fan of trip hop for a while, I just did not know that was what this style of music is called. I had not heard this record before and found all the tracks to be delightful.

If I had found this album when I was 20 it would have blown my MIND

It's an album of peaks and valleys, I think. Great start, meanders in the middle, and ends with the two best tracks on the album. I might be biased but that makes a solid 7/10 to me.

Excellent... subtle vibes.

Pretty relaxing and nice to work with it on

Surprisingly pleasant. I wouldn’t mind listening to this again, but wouldn’t actively put in on.

kickass, mellow and deep

Have never heard of this band before, but did actually like the album as a whole.

Not sure what this is, but it isn’t for me

I'm not sure how an album this lyrically dark can be so damn sexy. It defies physics somehow. Dummy feels simultaneously retro and ahead of its time. Beth Gibbon's voice is fragile and powerful at the same time. This album is full of contradictions that somehow work perfectly. What a classic. Faves: Wandering Star, Numb, Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, Roads

I've been listening to this record pretty consistently for almost 30 years and it still sounds so fucking cool. Spy soundtrack guitars, Isaac Hayes samples, Beth Gibbons' haunting vocals; everything about it is perfect. I wrote a screenplay years ago called Wandering Star, partly named after the biblical verse and partly because it's my favorite song on this album.

Oh, this is really cool. How have I never heard it before? I’ve heard of Portishead, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to them before this - I think I was assuming they were kind of a generic pop band. I’d like to hear more. Really feels like it fits in with the recent “lo-fi hiphop” trend. (I enjoyed the album as a whole, but didn’t note any highlights - at least on this first listen - because it did feel a bit homogenous.)

Love this, so moody and delicious. A few songs felt a bit repetitive as the style doesn't change a lot throughout the whole album but majority were standouts.

The progenitor of low-fi hip hop The steady beats and wide variety of percussive elements vibe well with the haunting alto

Feels like Battlestars "All along the watchtower" but with occasional disc scratching thrown in.

Solid background music

I didnt love this either. When I brought the album up on spotify, it also brought up Massive Attack, which I can only take so much of. I like some aspects to this album, but i probably wouldnt listen to this again

Enjoyed

Not bad , not my style

Every songs a bond anthem.

Not really my exact vibe but some of it really fucked Was enjoyable and pretty good background music, beats were funky but didn’t love the vocals

49 Based on this scale: 1 - 0 to 19 2 - 20 to 39 3 - 40 to 59 4 - 60 to 79 5 - 80 to 100 Interesting album. The vocals didn't really move me, but the compositions were pretty good.

An amazing album, one of the best of the 90s

One of the defining albums of trip hop. There's so much going on here. The vintage/film noir sound, the unconventional instruments and recording process, the incorporation of hip hop techniques seemlessly throughout. On top of that, Beth Gibbons' voice is gorgeous. She sounds like someone whose been crushed by the weight of the world and come back slightly jaded but stronger than ever. This is an easy 5 and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Not the usual type of music I listen to, but it was really good. I would totally put this on as calming background music. This reminds me of the Cibo Matto album Viva! La Woman 5/5

Atmospheric. Smooth. Sometimes a little bit haunting, other times somewhat peppier. An album that takes you on a journey. A slow burner with 5-star potential, but it's too chill to feel that connection after just a few listens. One to be listening to again.

I didn't know what to expect, but was surprisingly pleased at what I heard. TBH, the name of the group and the name of the album are such that I would never have bothered to listen. It's not "great", but certainly not bad.

Har ikke så mye å si. Det var bra, men ikke helt min greie. Tror ikke jeg ga dette albumet den oppmerksomheten jeg skulle ha gitt det. Skal uten tvil høre igjen, mulig det er bedre ved flere lyttinger.

Ville veldig gjerne like fette, men tror jeg må høre mer. Vibet ikke helt, av en eller annen grunn.

This album checks off a lot of my favorite music boxes: moody? yep. ethereal? oh yeah. haunting voice? for sure. steady but not overpowering backbeat? give me more! This album has mastered the art of the chill vibe. And yet. It's just not really my thing. I can appreciate it, I'm enjoying listening to it now, but I won't come back to it. A little of it goes a long way. For me it's kinda like Mazzy Star - someone would put it on, I'd think ooh I have to check that out at home, and then I would never follow up because it's just a little too precious.

Cool style

Trippy and a good vibe. I don't know if I'll revisit but I enjoyed the ride.

Good start, but got slow and depressing at the end

Different. Enjoyed it!

Spooky, soft rock, awsome voice👍

The unique thing about this album is the brilliant sonic construction of space. There's a glossy shimmering surface: pulsating synths and ephemeral keyboards, vibrating tremolo/wah guitar lines, squiggly turntables, and a high hat heavy drum part. The bass is often part of this, high up the neck and melodic, but then drops down low for a big hit in tandem with a bass drum, and all of sudden the depths below the surface reveal themselves - they do this over and over and it's exhilarating in a blissed out chill way. The vocals move across these layers, soaring high and dipping low, breathy and intimate then angsty and ethereal. The exemplary album of a weird shortlived fusion electrorock mini-genre - thoroughly of it's time and place but transcends them and still stands out 30 years later.

edge loves them so i tried....

Strangers е хубава. It Could Be Sweet също, Numb е много яка. Приятна музика, спокойна.

Love this album, though I think I like 3 even more

I really liked Roads, Mysterons. Nice and chill. Glory Box is fantastic.

Super chill. Not something i would normally listen to but really good. 3 stars.

This grew on me. I particularly liked It Could Be Sweet, Roads and Glory Box.

Very easy listening Indie Pop, where every track is a Standout.

A bit samey-same throughout, but it’s such a cool and unique sound.

Brilliant. How have I not listened to all the recommendations before! Sexy last song too

Funky chill hip hop. But also sounds like should be in a bond film

A nice album. Felt like an hour of relaxing spy movie soundtrack

One of my all time fave records

A melting pot of genres go into this classic trip-hop album

I liked it! Nice background music.

I dig the lo fi hip hop beats and the scratching. Her voice is also nice but I'm not sure if all of it put together fully jives with my white boy sensibilities

😴

There's some cool loops and beats on this but I found it a bit boring and the vocals were just okay.

Decent

ELECTRIC AND GROOVY 5/5

Incredible, innovative offering. Nothing like it before, or after. Brilliant.

This album cover looks like it was taken straight from The Poughkeepsie Tapes. On top of the synths and electronics of this one, it made for a creepy but cool listen. It felt a little repetitive as it went on, but I enjoyed it.

Is this really our first from Portishead? Maybe I'm getting them confused with Massive Attack. Honestly a lot to love on here, some songs I definitely recognize too. This one's in an interesting genre sweet spot, it's alternative/electronic with just a pinch of hip hop instrumentation or vibe to it. I dig it, very cool album. Favorite tracks: Glory Box, Sour Times, Strangers, Wandering Star. Album art: Blue. More specifically, blue frame flanking a lady in blue who appears to be on stage. Is she the singer? 4/5

spooky vibe :)

Bleh

Very good listen. Smooth, funky, and untraditional.

Sour Times is an undeniable banger. The album in general is stronger on the front half than the back half. The last track does make up for that some, though. Overall really good!

Electronic, ambient, trip hop, I'm not sure what to define this as, a mix of a few genres. It wasn't bad. The songs sounded similar, overall it was a decent album

Pretty cool. It was a lot slower and more chilled than most of the stuff I listen to which was nice. Maybe a little bit alternative though

Classic album, so moody and sensual

5 stars, no notes

"Dummy" is definitely an "album out of time." I feel it could have come out any time in the last 30 years and feel just as unique and fresh. I have a hard time saying with Portishead album is my favorite, but their first definitely has the impact from being the first to introduce their unique blend of elements. Gibbons voice is beautiful and haunting, and the music is a perfectly sparse landscape with a light touch of trip-hop.

stand out track - It's a Fire

I could describe this as the pinnacle of nocturnal records, it's very easy to imagine driving down the interstate at midnight with no other cars in sight. Very beautiful singing on all tracks, instrumentation comes together with it seamlessly most notably on Heads, very incredible which ties together a tight album that you won't even notice repeat with how well it flows.

Dummy by Portishead is and was a compelling listen with layers to the music and an overall mood and ambiance to the album.

Sounds futuristic in 2023

I like this one. Shivering and anxious but abundantly melodic. Slow in places but not unbearably so

This is one of my favorite albums of all time. It has been in my top five albums of all time since I first heard it in 1994. When they arrived, nothing was like them with their heavy beats, unpredictable sounds, and Beth Gibbons ethereal vocals.

Perfect.

Wandering Star slaps. It gives early 90s. It's a bit slow and creepy, but I can listen to it while I work. Fun record sounds.

First time hearing Trip Hop. I didn't even know such a genre existed. When I heard this genre I imagined it would be kinda like mgmt songs for some reason. I didn't t expect this at all and more that a trip it kinda felt like a spiritual journey for some reason. I loved it more than the previous album but not as much as other albums I heard. Nevertheless I have a feeling that this album will grow on me as I listen to it more and more.Soo I give it a moderate 3

Pretty solid. I was drawn in pretty early on and like it the whole way through. I don't think repeat listens would be quite as good, and there wasn't really any single worthy bops, for me.

I love itt. Totally a vibe

Very unique singing, enjoyable and intriguing but you have to be in the mood for something non conventional

The first song starts with a hip hop beat + a theramin.

Weer saaaie triphop, al teveel van geluisterd

Wel goed, niet super

Some really good tracks and some boring ones.

Masterpiece.

Great vibe for a rainy day, heard that one song a million times. 2.5/5

Amazing album! Havent heard it in years and am wondering why I ever stopped.

Better than the first. But still not my kind of music.

Incredible! Found a new band I love and I listened to all of their stuff over the weekend.

Early 90s Hole sound