Dummy

The album’s constant tension (minor-key melodies, unresolved loops, and scratchy, warped sounds) gives much of it an uneasy, almost-creepy feel. The bigger tracks ease up on the eerie atmosphere, and those are the ones I like most. As a whole, I don’t really love the album, but I respect it.

Kanon plade, dyster, hård, fed produktion dejlig stemme

Synes der har været et tema de seneste tre dage ?? denne gang endnu mere emo og melankolsk på en meget kold måde der kun gør mig depressed, og af den grund tror jeg desværre ik jeg vender tilbage. Men glory box er fed

It hasn’t been that long since I discovered trip hop, and that mistake is on my part. I already knew I would give this a five, but I still gave it a listen because why not. Maybe my taste has changed. Guess what? It is still an incredible album. I totally get that it is not for everyone, and there is nothing wrong with that. I would not listen to this album in the car, for example, but I love having it on in the background from start to finish. Cleaning, painting, reading, studying, less pure activities, it does not matter what. If you do not know how to fill the silence, just throw this album on. It is amazing. There is not much else I can add. Usually I give long reviews to albums I hate, but this? This is just too good.

I knew Glorybox, and I love its sound, so I was pretty excited about listening to this album. The whole album carries that sound and it is a great sound, however, as many already pointed out, it gets a bit repetitive. Also, I had a sleepy day and I don't think this album helped my energy levels lol.

solid vibes. got lost (in a good way) during the first half of the album

Did not expect this at all, but was a perfect start to the day. Massive Attack, Air… almost sounded like songs before Pretty Lights remixed and ruined them

Quite liked this. Have heard Roads before, song is 10/10. Overall album was haunting, melodic, atmospheric, very cool.

While this was interesting as background music, it was pretty boring as a forefront focus. This is my second Portishead album on here, and I have a similar opinion for both. They just don't really do enough for me to say they're any more than OK. It's probably more an issue of the genre for me. Trip hop seems to be more interested in subtlety in sampling and spinning, keeping it lo-fi instead of over the top, in-your-face production. The rest of the mix follows that lead, causing the vocals and music just kind of weave their way along while hoping you'll come along for the ride. I prefer something a little more aggressive, or at least for it to change up the tone a couple times as it goes. That never really happened here in the 49+ minute runtime. I did think there were some good tracks on the album. Sour Times and Glory Box were probably my favorites, as I found them more engaging than the rest of the songs. Unfortunately there was a lot of space between them that didn't really do much for me. I probably wouldn't listen to the whole album again just to hear those tracks. I can't really remember Third now, four months later. That doesn't speak well for it, and probably reinforces me saying it was just OK at the time I reviewed it. I feel similarly about Dummy here, though I do think I'll remember a couple of the tracks I mentioned. As a result I'll rank it slightly higher. It's still just OK, though. Overall: 2.4/5

Would listen to zonked

I listened to this independently a few days before it arrived on this list for me. Whilst it didn’t grip me in the way similar trip-hop records have (Mezzanine for example), I still found this a wonderfully rich listen. And the string arrangement on ‘Roads’ is truly wonderful. To hear that song again for the first time…

Magnificent

portishead and beth gibbons i wish i could kiss your forehead, you can do no wrong. praise this album forever.

Cinematic, atmospheric, almost haunting. Love when music makes feels like I'm walking through another world. Favorites: Glory Box, Sour Times, Roads, Wandering Star, It Could Be Sweet

Doesn't quite sustain itself for the whole album, but I do like their sound and vibe, and some songs powerfully evoke my freshman year of college when I was discovering a ton of new music and having my mind blown open.

*Top 15 All-Time Favorite* I must have picked this up within days of its 1994 release, and it's been in heavy rotation ever since. It wriggles its way into my soul like few other albums. It's sensual, mysterious, a little haunting, and demands you bob your head like this: [demonstrates proper head bobbing]. Beth Gibbons' disintegrating voice, that low, deep bass, and all those chill grooves create a masterclass in mood. When you toast me after my time on earth comes to an end, "Roads" ought to be on the playlist. A quick aside about a moment in 2011 that altered my relationship with music in some meaningful way: Dummy always felt like music the gods birthed, a gift to romantic alt-rock kids stuck in small county hubs far away from the cities where this music must live. It was a feast of imagination wandering the rain-soaked Bristol streets after midnight every time I pressed play on my well-loved CD. And at that point, after 17 years of obsessing over every nook and cranny of Dummy, I had Beth's voice memorized, and every beat and organ note was wrapped around my fingers. It was spiritual, and loomed large in my life. Portishead is a famously hermetic band, rarely touring and releasing only a small handful of albums over the course of their career, all monuments. In 2011, they announced a tour, and we stood in line for hours outside the venue to get a spot right up against the stage. At some point in the show, Beth looked me in the eyes and reached out and touched my hand. Suddenly, like some kind of reverse Daphne, this goddess transformed into a real, touchable person. In the months that followed, I found myself listening to Dummy with new ears, hearing not something ethereal, but earthly; stardust turned into dirt. It grounded my listening in a special way, and it's affected how I listen to all music ever since, turning all these minor gods into real people with lives, souls, families, emotions. It's had a profound effect on my relationship with music.

Meh 6/10 I like 2 songs after first listen

I saw the vision but JFC the vocals were bad

So much nostalgia with this one, but I'd actually started listening to it again a year or two ago and I still really love it.

A little slow/moody for me but I appreciated it.

man white people will listen to anything

OH HELL YES I LOVE THIS ALBUM Thanks for the reminder to listen to it front to back again.

liked it more than i anticipated

So-so

‘Cause nobody loves me, it’s true not like you do

another album that i wasnt expecting to like much. it wasnt bad. I like atlantic city i saved that song

Abysmal

You know, I had higher hopes, purely because I know Portishead by name. I expected a bit of a trip, but mix-wise this is just too disjoint to suck me in. Needs more vocal processing to leave behind the indie-pop aesthetic and really commit to something unique.

I'll say right away that this is a mood-based record, and now, with the black-and-white palette outside, is the perfect time to listen to it. It's hardly depressing, but melancholic, yes. Let's just say any of the songs would be suitable for the title theme of a James Bond film. The entire album has a consistent tempo, the structure of each song is very similar, and surprisingly, it manages not to get boring. Occasionally, the jazz samples are diluted with sudden, but not at all unnecessary, hip-hop (or nu-metal, depending on your preference) DJ ​​scratches. On the last song, these scratches are replaced by a lingering guitar riff. Beth Gibbons's voice, although not the strongest, is the icing on this melancholy cake.

Awesome and moody; surprised that it was good. Glory Box was a song I've heard of. I like the first track Mysterious, it really sets the tone of the whole album perfectly. The genre is trip hop but the blues and jazz used is phenomenal. A very good album that you can fall in love with. Portishead, from what I've read, are very critically acclaimed and highly praised. Their samples and singer, Beth Gibbons, is PERFECT for the mood of the album. Her voice is so Kill Bill. The more I read about the band the more I like them!!

"The Vice" was a cracking TV show, and Sour Times was the perfect theme song for it. But that's about all this album has for me.

ESTÁ MUY BUENO just not my vibe conocía un tema solo (glory box) q es la definición de sexo pero bueno el resto pasan sin pena ni gloria salvo algunas excepciones. me hace acordar a björk o a moby x momentos idk ambos igual son artistas que no calo mucho xd

Natürlich ein Klassiker mit dem Highlight als Abschluss. Das Album kriegt mich allerdings nicht durchgängig gefesselt und weitere ganz große Ausreißer nach oben fehlen ebenfalls, daher 4 Sterne.

Ähnlich wie RATM eines der besten Debütalben aller Zeiten und auch generell eines der besten Alben aller Zeiten. Traumhafte Kombination von Beths zarter Stimme und diesen fetten Trip-Hop-Beats. Größter Fehler meines Lebens, dass ich beim Southside 2013 stattdessen bei Rammstein war (obwohl die auch sehr gut waren).

Ich habe etwas gaaaanz anderes erwartet. Umso schöner, dass das auch sehr gut war.

Ich kann nicht unbedingt behaupten, dass das zu 100% meins ist. Allerdings muss ich mit dem Versuch des objektiven Blicks schon sagen, dass das alles innovativ, technisch gut gelungen und durchaus auch spannend war. Vielleicht höre ich doch nochmal wieder rein. Also ne 4 kann ich angesichts meiner tendenziell wohlmeinenden Bewertungen hier nicht rechtfertigen, deswegen: Schwache 5.

Ich glaube ich bin bei dem Album ein Opfer meiner hohen Erwartungen geworden. Ich dachte Portishead sei diese Überband und ich hab mich gefreut das zu erleben. Aber irgendwie hat es nicht richtig geklickt. Die Stimmung und der Vibe haben mich nicht ganz erreicht. Glory Box ist natürlich ein großartiger Song und das kann niemand schlecht reden aber ansonsten habe ich mich sehr viel gelangweilt. Ich denke allerdings auch, dass ich nochmal wieder kommen will um es erneut zu hören und eventuell packt es mich dann. Deshalb starke 2 Punkte die ich wohlwollend zu 3 aufrunde, allein weil ich es nochmal hören will.

znam poslednju pesmu, glory box, sa tiktoka hahah, ali stvarno je dobra! prijatno me je iznenadio žanr ovog albuma, nisam nikad čula ništa slično, kao da si pomešao cranberries i hip hop, veoma svež zvuk, za mene barem. produkcija, vokali, sve je super urađeno, prva pesma prosto odaje atmosferom početka nečega, a poslednja završetkom, ali taj završetak kao da opet označava početak nečeg novog. ako to ima smisla. jako sam uživala u ovom albumu!

I've loved this album for 20 years, which is simultaneously long enough and not long enough. "Sour Times" brought trip-hop to the masses, and this album cemented it more firmly. It's by no means perfect since it's a little one-dimensional at times, but still a good end-to-end listen.

Best - glorybox Worst - wandering stars

Cinematic hiphop & electric type beats with an indie singer…like if Alanis Morissette sang over RZA’s production, but not really. But seriously, I love the avant-garde, electronica, ambient and hiphop type music. The only knock for me is it’s a very dark album. Otherwise, magnificent work.

Zzzzzzzzz

Fantastic trip hop album. I’ve heard it before

not my vibe, did not know songs, but I get why people like it. From a sound standpoint this album is amazing though.

liked it

i've listened to this more times than i can count over the years. i consider it their best album by far (skipped rating for It's a Fire since it's not part of the original tracklist) Mysterons - 5/5 Sour Times - 5/5 Strangers - 5/5 It Could Be Sweet - 4/5 Wandering Star - 5/5 Numb - 5/5 Roads - 5/5 Pedestal - 4/5 Biscuit - 5/5 Glory Box - 5/5 Average score: 4.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The beats, the voice, the music, all perfection. '90s never had it so good

Too samey.

Definitely a great 90's futuristic/dystopian vibe. Nice.

Genre defining trip-hop album, the coolest spy movie soundtrack, and an update of space age bachelor pad music for the modern era. From the opening theremin in Mysterions to the Isaac Hayes sample in Glory Box this record does not stop. Downtempo beats, DJ scratching, spooky guitars all create the mood, but it’s Beth Gibbon’s voice that separates this from the pack. A breath of fresh air in 1994, does not sound dated in 2025. 5⭐️

I can definitely enjoy a well played bass line with my earbuds, but giving this a listen in the car so I could literally feel the bass on my body definitely elevated the experience. I think this effort shows the positive direction where layering samples with original work forms into a pretty unique experience, less cliché or harsh than a lot of earlier examples I've heard on this list. I hadn't heard this one in a while, I remember liking it more than I do now. Still, I'd keep a copy of this in the car. Really well produced. 4/5

I’ve been tip-toeing around Portishead for a little bit and I actually just read something about how good this album is and had planned to give it a listen tomorrow (today). How convenient that I’ll get to write about it too! So, I listened to this record all morning - probably 3-4 times though. It made for some very lovely background music but that’s about the best I can say. It’s beautiful but it mostly blends together through the middle of the album. “Glory Box” is the big hit and the album ender, so it was easy to pick out when the album was about to start over. Otherwise I might not have caught it a few of the times. I feel like I’d still buy this on vinyl but how much would I actually play it? Great question.

Moody beats and electronic music with soft vocals. Not as bad as I would've expected. Still not good.

Bad trip hop. I had high expectations going into this because Kanye said this was one of his favorite albums of all time, and the other albums that he liked were pretty good. This was pretty boring, and I'm not sure what you call that effect they put on her voice but it was awful.

Never really heard anything like this, but 100% would listen again

Love this one, very moody. Wish I heard this when I was an edgy teenager.

awesome and chill vibes. very consistent tone throughout, wandering star is personal fav

The third

excellent

Before: My first thought is it's a 5. I'm very familiar with the album already. I know there are a few 5 star tracks, and some 4's. I don't have a formal essential albums list yet, on paper, so to speak, but this one's definately in my mental list. Even if I don't absolutely love every track, this is without a doubt the best example of trip hop and is essential for that reason alone. During: So for this one, I've decided to rate each track: Mysterons - 5 Sour Times - 5 Strangers - 5 It Could Be Sweet - 3 Wandering Star - 4 It's A Fire - 3 Numb - 5 Roads - 4 Pedestal - 3 Biscuit - 4 Glory Box - 5 Avg = 4.5 After: Easily 5 stars.

Gave it several listens. Some of the tracks were very atmospheric and moody, really liked those. A few in the middle were not so interesting. 3.8, will definitely give it another listen.

portishead ist eh geil, beste

Really cool sound. Very British move to take American influences (hip hop, DJ scratching) and turn it into something moody and introspective. I don't always want to listen to this, but it's good to know it's out there.

Loved the vibes, especially the drums and samples

I was not familiar with the trip hop genre but if it's like this album, I'm a new fan. Take some mushrooms and put this on.

I haven't listened to Portishead in ages, but this album brings back memories. It's a very good album.

I have heard songs off this album before but very cohesive and stylistic trip hop that I love. Blessed album.

3/5 A ambientação e instrumentação são de bom gosto, os vocais são lindos, porém toda a parte rítmica soa artificial e granulada. Talvez esse seja o ponto e não entendi.

Enjoyed

no. Just no. Not a fan.

As Sam said, glory box is a fantastic song and I also really enjoyed mysterons but I found everything else in between a bit too similar, not that i disliked, there was just something

Glory box is a perfect song, but the rest don’t really come close bar roads

This album is a vibe! I love her voice and the mix of electronic music and jazz.

BEST SONGS: - Glory Box - Biscuit - Roads - Strangers - Sour Times

Girls I was attracted to in high school and university loved this album.

Great album

Pooled lood on siin super head. Ja olid juba mu Liked Songs nimekirjas. Selline kiiksuga muusika (ehk vist "trip hop"?) mulle meeldib. Mõni kahtlane lugu on siin küll, aga üldiselt on ta ikka tugev album.

Прикольно, опять же песня из тт а именно фанфиков)

Like this one sm, i had listened to most songs upon receiving this album, fav might be “Roads” but idk

Solid album just not really my style of music. Had a few songs I'd like to hear again in specific environments but not something I'd add to my daily playlist. Caught myself enjoying some songs and then wanting to skip others. Sometimes it felt a little bit spooky which I liked. Could be some good music soundtracks. Saved 0/11 songs.

Really cool album, felt sort of dark and dreamy. Not what I expected. “Glory Box” and “Mysterons” stood out to me. Would give a 7/10

Never heard this album. But I did own Portishead's first album (which is better than this one). That album is also on this list. Not bad experimental music but didn't resonate enough with me to pull me in. Not sure Portishead needs to be on this list at all, much less with 2 albums.

It was OK but too forgettable for me.

Really great. Establishes a mood with complex, layered sound that all fits together well and is lead by her voice with great instincts. Especially good listening for gray, rainy days.

This is what I want when I listen to Portishead. Very groovy. Vocals remind me of Cowboy Junkies on several tracks AND Billy Miles.

TIRA TUDO, MENOS O TRIP HOP!!!

Banger

This is a worldie. Talk about albums that evoke such unique moods, doing so in ways which would've felt groundbreaking at the time - Dummy is absolutely one of those. Atmospheric, smokey, sexual soundscapes, entwined with Beth Gibbons' heavenly vocals, a gentle low-end, wobbly bass that ebbs, flows and pulsates, and a sort of James Bond-vibe running through the album; Dummy sounds like it's from another dimension, yet it somehow retains more than a thread of relatability and humanity through Gibbons' soulful, but often anguished vocal expressions, with lyrical themes ranging from social isolation, navigating difficulties in relationships, separation/loss and the resulting insecurities that those issues bring. The whole album feels like an agonistic release and a cry for warmth, affection and and connection. Is this the ultimate "lazy day in bed" album to make love to? It's certainly up there.

Amazing, such a vibe, kinda mysterious

Three years after Massive Attack brought trip-hop to the masses, Portishead delivered the genre's next defining moment. I absolutely love that the obscure, scratchy '60s samples are actually the band's own arrangements—pressed to vinyl, literally skated on to weather them, and then resampled. Beth Gibbons' voice is simultaneously haunting and sexy, floating over lush strings that sound like the soundtrack to an obscure James Bond film only the coolest people have ever seen

Love it

I find it hard to review this record objectively, because for several weeks in 1994, it was my world and listening to it again now, I’m 21 again, making music with friends and exploring a whole new world of music that this album referenced. I was first aware of Portishead through James Lavelle’s Straight No Chaser columns, and their name (misspelled as “Portashed”) appeared on a Mo Wax advert in the same magazine. The beats scene that Lavelle, Gilles Peterson and others were leading was opening our minds up to other genres, shaping a UK sound that was informed by hip hop’s spirit but was relentlessly tracking down new sounds from anywhere we could find them. “Dummy” is probably one of the great expressions of that scene and era, along with DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing” and the relentless experimentation coming from Goldie’s Metalheadz label. So, why is it great and why should you care? For me, it’s one of the most gloriously realised albums of that period; they brought a fully-formed world with them. Beth Gibbons’ vocal delivery sweeps across such a range of personas and emotions without ever feeling like a novelty or that she’s showing off. The production is clearly informed by what was happening in NY hip hop at that time without ever being derivative, and the musical arrangements make gold from only very few elements. The tempos might be lower, but there’s no sense of this being a “mellow” (I hate that term) record; tracks like “Strangers" and "Wandering Star" move urgently forward, whilst “Pedestal” makes great use of pitched down beats and samples (an approach that was relentlessly copied by others) to create a disorienting, almost threatening mood. Although “Dummy" spawned a legion of dinner party trip-hop copycats who missed the original’s sense of grand drama, there are many more who took inspiration its cinematic vision; so whilst we might have to suffer Morcheeba, it’s tempered by Radiohead’s “Climbing up the Walls” and wonderful artists like Flying Lotus. In my opinion, it’s a wonderful record, one of the best of the 1990s, and certainly deserves to be considered amongst the greatest debut albums of any genre. I hope you love it too.

It is interesting but this just isn’t for me. A few moody songs here and there is ok but a whole album is too much for me.

This was a pleasant surprise . What a beautiful voice! Cool vibe.

Unenomaista meininkiä, hienoja oo-fi biittejä varmaan aikansa uusia soundeja

Excellent album. Alluring and mysterious vocals set to glacial beats. 5 stars for the theremin.

Meh

звучание альбома напомнило мне фильм «Вечное сияние чистого разума». Если бы у этого фильма был отдельный альбом с саундтреками, то это был бы именно он. В целом он очень в вайбе фильмов 90-х и 00х. Можно послушать этот альбом когда спокойное настроение.

This is an amazing album. Emily introduced me to Portishead at Rosso years ago and very 5 years or so after I hear it and think wow. This is chilling and it slowly engulfs me..

Some of this album is on my getting ready playlist :) so sensual and dramatic

An absolute masterpiece. I've listened to this album countless times over the years and it never gets old. It's bright and gloomy, sweet and bitter, comforting and unnerving at the same time, like a moody black sun radiating hope and melancholy. The instrumentation and samples are plainer and soberer than in most trip-hop productions of the same era ; it's a masterclass in efficiency, with simple yet haunting loops, hypnotic basslines and impressionist scratches. Beth Gibbons' otherwordly voice shines all through the album like a beacon in the mist, and there's not a single filler track, everything is right where it's supposed to be. Not only the best trip-hop album ever in my opinion, but also one of my favorite pieces of music from the 90s in general. 10/10

A long time favourite of mine with the Trip Hop likes of Morcheeba. The etherial voice of Beth Gibbons and... And now I feel this whole album lacks a bit of rhythm, some track with a quicker tempo.

j'ai été transporté sur les routes de Portishead par la poésie et de l'émotion qui se dégagent de leur musique electro-jazzy- blues.

When it came out, I’d already heard Massive Attack and I’d also gone through the even more claustrophobic Music for the Jilted Generation. So Dummy didn’t hit me as hard as it should. That poisseuse slowness became a classic, ultra popular, everywhere at the end of my high school, played to death, almost to the point of nausea. And yet, the album never really loses its beauty. Still, it’s huge. Dark, tired, gloomy in exactly the way it’s supposed to be. Not a shock for me, but a landmark all the same.

I enjoyed this more than I thought

Gives me a female fronted gorillaz vibe in some spots that I really liked and some of those beats sounds like something you’d hear from wu tang or Jedi mind tricks

This album felt very slow and plodding. I don’t mind slow, haunting songs…but if the entire album is like that it just feels like it drags on.

another british empire classic

yeah its dummy time

Triphop perfected.

This is a gorgeous slow morning/ slow day soundtrack. Especially enjoyed It Could Be Sweet, Pedestal, and Glory Box. Rating it 4 because this is going in my chill rotation.

Trip hop usually isn't my thing, but I actually fuck heavily w this. Something so calm and serene about it.

this was wacky and fun!

All sounds the same, very dreary

Excelente disco! Vocais doces e impactantes. Muito rico musicalmente. QoA Cloudscape.

This was a good background music vibe for making french toast this morning. But background music is inherently not great music. Great music demands attention.

I hit the number on Siamese Dream before I actually put in my review. That was dumb. So, of course, it was maybe the 5th time I've done it this week. Which makes me a giant dummy. Anyway, Siamese Dream is such a brilliant fucking album. There's not a single song on there that I can't listen to on repeat for hours which, I more or less did while painting a different room in my brother's new house. Gawd I love that album. And if I hadn't listened to Siamese Dream, which is maybe the one of the most 5 albums on this list (also, Gish better be on this list!), I would probably have ranked this album as a 5. But, I did. So, while I love Dummy and I love Beth Gibbons voice and I love the beats and sounds they generate on this album, it's still no Siamese Dream. So a 4 it gets.

The first two tracks give this a nice, noir opening. There were a few things beyond that I liked but a number I didn’t. I have trouble getting past the fact I don’t really like the vocals on most songs.

4/5 - Compared to Third, this is way more my speed. Dummy has a singular, classic vibe to it that has aged pretty well. Very much a “sum is greater than the parts” style of music for me.

I enjoyed this a lot more than expected based on the Wikipedia blurb. It’s a little dark, a little sexy, and a little jazzy. I like the genre blending and femme fatale vibes

I got sorta bored. I like the synth in It's A Fire

Me gustó la vibe, siento que lo debería escuchar con más detenimiento, pero me gustó mucho los sonidos inesperados que hay en cada canción del album dándole un tono celestial. Y esa última canción, todo hizo sentido cuando llegué ahí. 8.3

Incredible album, it’s so unique and has such a cool sound. Beth gibbons has such an ethereal voice. Sour times is one of my absolute faves.

💜💜

Chill electronic.

peak female experience

erg nice, om in te zinken, nieuwe muziek die in de afspeellijsten gaat!

Superb, atmospheric album with great vocals, sampling, drum beats and instrumentation. Sounds even better on vinyl.

I can’t say enough about this album. It’s genre-defining, so much so that if you heard “trip-hop” for the first time and then listened to this album you’d immediately know it was that genre. Yet, in my opinion, it also stands above all of the other members of the genre. There is a purity to the music, thanks to Beth’s stunning voice, that pierces through the thick, trippy veil of the beats. Incredible musical contrast that gives it that otherworldly feel, like an angels voice piercing through the depths of hell, or a sliver of hope seen in the darkest of times. 1 of 1 and one of the easiest 5 star reviews I’ll give on this list

This is my first time listening to Portishead. Everything about this album was great. Turns out I love trip-hop. I love the jazz-meets-hip-hop rhythm section and I love her voice. 5 stars.

Overall Rating - 2.73/5 (5.45/10). This being definitely out of my usual musical genera, I don't have a great concept of how to rate it, but it wasn't awful, though I'm unlikely to listen to it again.

Loved it. 10/10

wow! haunting and melancholy. 5/5

Glory Box

Det vokser på mig… størstedelen af sangene var lidt for flippede til min smag. Dog var der nogle ind imellem jeg synes var fede.

I liked this! Great chill ambient music but not in a way that fades into the background. Great walking music! I already really liked Glorybox and I enjoyed the rest of the songs as well I didn’t get bored of any of them.

It’s very good but damn is it depressing to listen to while trying to get work done

I think I'm more into UK trip hop now than I was when it came out, and this is a must-listen.

9.5/10 - A masterpiece that is definitely an album you should listen to before you die.

One of my favorite albums of all time. This is the trip hop album and nothing compares to it. Great beats and vocals, perfect. 10/10

Most enjoyable songs ------- ------- not my vibe You need to have a specific time in your life to enjoy this album.

Little too depressed techno funky for my tastes, but sounded good quality with some decent songs.

Interesting. I should try again some time

Just great. Interesting hearing some of bands trying to do similar things that are on this list. Very few get anywhere close to this.

Thought this was the coolest album ever when I first heard it. Must have listened 100 times more over the years and still feel the same way. If I ever open a smokey underground cocktail bar expect this to be on heavy rotation.

Definitely not my favorite - but nonetheless, I think it had a great production. I felt the bass, it seemed to be the heartbeat of every song off the album. Felt very ominous and often felt like I was waiting for something to drop, added to the suspense of the listening experience. My favorite song is definitely Glory Box, also seems to be the most popular. Glad to give it a listen though, something outside my typical genre for sure.

A very interesting album

Really enjoyed this album. I hadn't listened to it in full for a while and forgot how many good songs there were on it. The album flows well and I think its an amazing trip hop album

Not my music

Ending this ear fuck of an album on a song like Glory Box?? Insane

two inches to the left of something i would really enjoy but as it stands i probably wouldnt relisten

At first I was only into these for the instrumentals but now I'm dialed. You can feel the influence of previous bodies of work they're inspired by and you can tell these will (and probably are) being copied well into today. I've since listened to their other work and yeah it bangs.

Possibly the coolest sounding album ever

I play this when I get home too drunk and feeling dizzy

I have never heard of this band before so I am excited to get into listening to this album. Track 1 right off the bat has an interesting beat, seems to be a female-led band which can be really hit or miss in my opinion. I like the kind of eerie, mysterious vibe this song is giving off. So far, I am wondering if the song ever reaches a climactic point or if there is some kind of main verse/melody but it does not seem like there will be either of those things. I think its a cool sound at first, but it does not go anywhere so I hope the other songs are different. Track 2 is honestly boring. The songs seem to be just repetition of the same phrases/verse with little to no growth or depth. I am not impressed at this point in the album. Track 3 has a good beat, which is consistent with the two prior songs. With a brief look at the lyrics, I can already tell that this song will be like the others -- an interesting intro and repetitive verses. I think the music is just underwhelming. This song, however, has a little more to it with a muffled intro and "beat drop" after where the song really begins. The vocal performance is lacking in my opinion. Track 4 is also boring to me. I think I would consider this album kind of slow-core and I think I have drifted from that genre and into music with more going on both vocally and rhythmically. Track 5 is their most popular song as a band. I will say it is the best song I have heard so far, but by a very small margin. I have not listened to their other music, but they have a very Evanescence-like sound and I think they could honestly really pull off some music like theirs. Track 6 is a little more vocally interesting than the other songs, and I have noticed the lyrics getting less repetitive over songs. Track 7 is still boring to me, I am not really enjoying this album so far. I am half tempted to not even finish it because I am so bored. I have no notes for track 8, 9, or 10. Track 11 is by far the best one on the album.

I came to this album with a fundamentally positive bias, largely because of “Glory Box.” That track was played endlessly during my Studio Brussel years, and for good reason: it’s genuinely strong, and it explains perfectly why Portishead broke through with it. The band’s formula—languid electronic beats, sparse atmospheric guitar lines, and Beth Gibbons’ voice floating on top—works there exactly as intended. Call it trip-hop, call it post-club comedown music; either way, it makes sense, and as a hit it’s fully deserved. But that formula really only works once. My first and biggest problem with this album is Beth Gibbons. I simply cannot stand her singing. Partly because she spends far too much time in an absurdly high register, producing sounds that are physically unpleasant at higher volumes, and partly because she almost never seems to sing properly at all—mostly she mumbles into the microphone. Ironically, “Glory Box” works precisely because she finally sings with some force. I would genuinely be curious to hear this album with a different singer—someone with an actual alto voice, singing cleanly. The second problem is the production. Too often this album turns into a parade of “quirky” studio tricks and random noises. Scratching, sound effects, odd textures—it’s everywhere, and it almost never helps. In early hip-hop, scratching made sense; here it just sounds misplaced, sometimes bordering on self-parody. At its worst, it feels like the producers were throwing every strange noise they could think of into the mix, regardless of whether it served the song. Which is frustrating, because when the band chooses a more restrained palette, the music suddenly comes alive. “Sour Times” benefits enormously from its Morricone-style guitar line. “It’s a Fire” is lifted by a simple organ part. “Roads” has a beautiful electronic piano sound, though it’s again undermined by Gibbons’ glass-shattering vocals. Along with “Glory Box,” these form the album’s stronger core—four tracks where the potential is obvious. There are flashes of brilliance elsewhere, too. The muted trumpet in “Pedestal” is inspired—Miles Davis knew exactly why that sound works—but even there, the song is eventually sabotaged by unnecessary sonic clutter. “Wandering Star” is the low point: the gimmicks completely derail it. Interestingly, my appreciation increased significantly when listening on headphones. Over speakers, the album mostly irritated me; on headphones, its atmosphere and textural ambition come through more clearly. It also highlights what trip-hop does well in general: tension, mood, and the occasional use of heavily processed guitars as color rather than force. You can almost hear different strands of early-’90s British music colliding here—shoegaze textures, dance culture, and post-rave introspection. That’s what makes Dummy so frustrating. Somewhere in its DNA is a genuinely strong album. With a different singer and far stricter production choices, this could have been something remarkable. As it stands, it’s intermittently compelling, often irritating, and ultimately hard to digest.

Meanwhile, in the UK. One of the greatest all time debuts.

kind of cool music, didnt listen to it all

Hip hop indie me gustó

Zzzzzzzzz

Fav tracks: mysterons, it could be sweet, it’s a fire Jazzy smooth vocals, introspective emo lyrics, snazzy breakdown.. a damn good album!!

I think I only knew Glory Box from being overplayed on social media. This was okay though.

Generally a bit boring. Some great instrumentation, but a bit slow and samey for my liking.

Mysterons - I probably wont listen to this again Sour times - very repetitive again, likely won’t listen again Strangers - less repetitive, still not my vibe though It could be sweet - liking this a little more, sade vibes but still don’t see myself listening further Wandering star - just find myself a bit bored by it It’s a fire - I actually like this one Numb - bored again sorry Roads - I like this Pedestal - back to being bored Biscuit - still bored Glory box - obviously a banger

This wasn't my cup of tea, I can hear how this influenced other bands, but this just wasn't for me.

Glory Box is a masterpiece per se, but this genre is not my cup of tea on the overall scale, not something I would play and listen in my free time, that is, definitely not my #1 choice :)

The trippiest of trippetty hop. ❤️❤️❤️

Tripity-hoppity. Turns out pretty formative on my tastes

Great trip hop album

I went into this listen not expecting it to be a 5 star, but I find it hard to rationalize giving it anything lower. I can tell that this album, if I choose to let it, will live with me and grow alongside me. The process they took with this album was completely original; it speaks to me now, as someone trying to figure out her own creative process. Each member of the group could easily make an amazing solo record but together they made a true monolith. I'm excited to listen again with headphones or on a decent speaker; a lot of my listening nowadays is confined to my built-in iPhone 8 speakers. For albums like this I can really tell how it shallows the experience.

Classic

Peaceful great tunes that have replaced my usual jazz listening sessions, which I use as a cool down for the day. My favorites would probably be It Could Be Sweet and Wandering Star.

Need to listen closer but I enjoyed

THE trip hop album!

Gut

Standouts It Could Be Sweet Roads

Dreamy

very good landmark album that doesn't do that much for me personally

Overall rating by me: 7/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,Pedestal", ,,Biscuit", ,,Glory Box" Notes: Very classy, very rich but also insanely sensual. It's absolutely giving me the vibe of the music that plays at the dark-lit bar, in the nook of an alleyway. Also, ,,Glory Box" is the ultimate song I reach for when I want to feel powerful, therefore I'm glad I finally had a push to listen to the whole album.

pretty but a lil boring

funky, weird, electronic, moody. vocals match perfectly I LOVE!!

gostei, algumas músicas um pouco monocórdicas demais mas no geral foi bom

It was hauntingly sexy. This album sounds sensual, chill, and eerie at the same time. It was very enjoyable and solid.

Definitely liked parts, some were great, others a little meh.

Svelte and spacey - epic sounds! Favourite tracks: Sour Times, Wandering Star, Roads, Glory Box

i totally understand why glory box is the most popular off of this album, given it is the only song that sounds different from the other songs. that being said, the sound is good, an album doesnt always need to be that varied. im also being harsh, mysterons also is pretty good and unique

Very chill sounding, almost reminds me of Fiona Apple. Great for studying (currently listening to it rn while doing my homework lol).

give me a reasonnn to love you

I've been wanting to listen to this album for quite some time. My entry to Portishead was "Roads" which is on the Tank Girl soundtrack. I fell for the song but didn't explore the group because...reasons (kids, work, life). This album is definitely getting added in my rotation. I would have loved this had it been released ten years prior when I was in high school. It would have fit my mood perfectly. This is a high recommend and people should listen to it at least once in their life.

so sexy

7 był dała

A 90s Trip-Hop classic. Love the 007-vibe of ‘Sour Times’ and the groovy ‘Magic Mountain’ sample on ‘Wandering Star.’ The repetitive slow tempo can get tiresome.

The album cover looks like it's from a found-footage horror movie. I really liked the vibe of this album. It felt a little jazzy and sometimes the beats sounded like they could be for a rap song. It also like it was made in a cold basement. I've heard glory box before.

eu juro como tiveram umas 3 músicas que eu fiquei "ué, essa já não passou??".

Got good music, the instrumental is very inovative. I like the use of electro and synthe, which gives it it's unicity. I'm not a fan of the voice, to mellow for me, but I do like 2 songs : roads and glory box.

Still sounds fantastic, haunting. Almost certainly my Favourite of the soundtrack to a film that was never made genre.

Oh yes! This is delicate, haunting, timeless. The best thing is that it sounds as fresh today as it did upon release. Such an original sound with beautiful vocals underpinned by evocative instrumentation and sampling. An absolute triumph of an album.

Chill jazzy vibes

I need to get back to this as I never gave it a fair shake. I liked what I heard

King of trip hop, ;lounge music for artsy schizos Sour times Strangers

4 - BAD

very sexy and cool

10/10 wandering star 12/22/25

I really got into this album a few years ago, so there would be no need to re-listen to rate this a 5. However, it is fun to revisit albums with this list that I haven't listened in a while, and find how my perspective has changed over the years. Or simply enjoy it once again. Very creative, dark and elegant. Sour Times, Wandering Star and Glory Box are still the highlights for me; and this time I've also really liked Numb. But really, the whole album is perfect; and gloomy in a very cool way. Beth Gibbon's beautifully chilling vocals mix perfectly with the groovy electronic textures and samples; along with the additional instruments. Genious production and work in general from Geoff Barrow. Good thing to remember why love this. 5/5

Pre-listen thoughts: okok, have had this one saved in my library for nearly five years. Very familiar, just never one I've found as easy to return to as most people seem to think. Mysterons, Strangers, and Wandering Star are most memorable to me. I'm excited to really think on this listen. After listen: wow. a real masterclass in production, never heard anything like this. I'd say no skips though it's not quite 5 stars for me. It could work up to it potentially.

moody music time

Día 1 de one album a day. La electrónica en general no es mi estilo de música, pero me sorprendió gratamente. Muy chill, linda voz la de Beth Gibbons, hay algo interesante en el sonido. En líneas generales el tono del álbum es bastante plano, pero no me disgustó.

Great album, had a fun time listening. This album was pretty solid, i like the atmosphere and the vocals just adds to it's overall mood, just listened to it while staring at the ceiling. My favorite track is probably roads.

good vives

Love this album. It's haunting and ahead of it's time. I honestly hear their influence on a lot of recent pop like older Billie Eilish.

They exist at the intersection of every song sounding the same, and having a sound

I give this a two more just from listening to it. When I looked into the "why" behind why this album has acclaim I did not know much about trip hop. The album is very understated but when I understand the influence it does become more interesting. But still I don't really enjoy it, its more academic.

Kinda goated, kinda weird, very long songs, had a theme and stuck to it, but I got bored

Listenable.

Not a fan of the whiny ninety girl rock

Me encanta este disco. De los mejores discos de la historia o algo. Me encanta Portishead. Amo a Beth Gibbons. Es un disco que quemé muchísimo como hará 5 años, y me ha hecho mucha ilusión volver a escucharlo. Es uno de mis all-time favorites sin duda. El trip hop es uno de los mejores inventos de la humanidad. A veces lo único que uno necesita en la vida es a una intensa cantando bonito sobre un James Bond type beat.

Maybe it was too slow, too dreary, idk but I was excited to listen to this album but didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped. Roads, Biscuit, and Glory Box were the standout tracks for me

Beth Gibbons' vocals are still sublime to this day.

Still hits.

I previously knew one tune and thought I'd like this more. It wasn't so.

Not exactly my type of music but the production on it is great. A quality made album.

Ich bin eingeschlafen

Bra for bakgrunnsmusikk. Glory Box er legende

I can see how people like this, but not my cup of tea.

Nagyon tetszett ez a az album. Még sose hallgattam hasonlót, de nagyon élvezetem ezt hallgatni. Nagyon tetszett ez az álomszerű hip-hop. A kedvenc dalom a Roads volt.

Absolute classic. Light 5.

molt fugees

Świetny album, produkcja na wysokim poziomie, idealny na klimatyczny deszczowy wieczór. Nie wsłuchiwałem się w tekst za bardzo, ale totalnie mi to nie przeszkadza bo albumu się słucha płynnie. 4,5/5

Des del començament de la primera cançó que em van agradar molt les vibes d'aquest album. Si q potser prefereixo música amb més ritme però esta realment molt bé. És d'aquests que me'ls tornaré a escoltar i postser fins i tot busco més cançons d Portishead. La cantant té una veu q hi queda genial.

Spooky, dark, moody. A couple of songs really stuck out to me and the lead singer has a great voice. I liked Glory Box a lot!

він дуже легкий, але я втомлений його слухав і через це під нього додатково засипаєш

Too trippy but good rythm

Coldplay left me well, cold

It's honestly kind of amazing that this is a debut album. I really like triphop, so it's hard to be particularly objective about this one. So goddamn moody in a way that wasn't really matched by their peers, making Portishead really stand out. If I had any complaint, I guess you could maybe trim 20-30 seconds off a few songs without losing anything, but honestly I enjoy the vibe so much that I don't really care. Also, I gotta rep the album most local to me so far.

This is a very cool type of music, but nothing that really sticks to my mind. Admittedly I was pretty busy today and didn't really have time to dedicate to this album, so my feeling on it might be different if I had. But I'll file this under background music while I'm doing less important stuff. Definitely makes me want to check out more Portishead though, they remind me of some of DJ Shadow's stuff (which is unsurprising, they came up during the same wave of music).

Love the vibes. As an album it's kinda samey but that's more on the artist's sound than anything else. Best albums are something you know you want to get enveloped by for a brief period of time and Portishead does this very well.

Better than I thought it would be, the vocals get grating after awhile for me though

Music to wistfully gaze out of the window on a cold, rainy night to. Favourite tracks: Strangers, Roads, Biscuit

Hearing this album for the first time started a multi-year love affair with trip-hop. Formative albums like this are what I save my 5-star ratings for. 👍Wandering Star, It's A Fire, Numb, Roads, Glory Box

Dope as fuck!

bro its so fcking cool wth lowkey weird but i love it sm all the sounds BRO WHAAAAT when it started i was like😮😮😮 like bro that sounds so good i cant im so glad that girl from tiktok wasnt gatekeeping this app omg i know the last song i had no idea its on this album

It was an amazing album. The production value was topnotch and the psychedelic vibes was cherry on top. An amazing listening experience from start to finish. 5/5

Still fresh sounding and unblemished by its association with the turgid nonsense of trip hop.

mysterons- 5 sour times- 5 strangers- 5 or 6 it could be sweet- 5 wandering star- 5 it's a fire- 5 numb- 5 roads- 5 pedestal- 5 biscuit- 5 or 6 glory box- 5 or 6 I think the mixing is really cool but it's too slow for me

great album

Gran disco al que no suelo volver. En su día una sensación. Descubrimos a Beth Gibbons.

unusual

fav: Glory Box Will revisit, I loved the vibe so much, even though I walked away with only one fav, something was so eery about it and so melodic.

Brilliant atmospheric album.

electronic 'music'

This one was nice more my wheel house like the bits of disc scratch and smooth operator vibes

good album

Great from start to finish. Ahead of its time with the inclusion of hip hop elements.

This album just stays low energy and strong the whole way through, then Glory Box goes in for the haymaker to close out the round. I’ve heard the influence of this sound on grunge and it’s right at the confluence point of UK’s downtempo electronic beats at that genre. Beth’s voice is totally sending me. I really wish I had known about this band growing up, teenage me would have had this looping on her mp3 player.

#28 Music to sleep to 😪

This one has been hyped up quite a bit and I see why people like it. I don’t think it’s the best thing since sliced bread, but it’s good. Definitely liked this more than Third. The first three songs, especially Strangers are a great introduction to the style. Some of the bass work in the latter half especially on Pedestal are really good too. Favorite songs were Mysterons, Sour Times, Strangers, Wandering Star, and Glory Box.

Elegantly bleak. Like some of the songs on Victorialand only with a hip-hop beat.

My first album

An established favourite. Rich, complex, emotional, resonant, groundbreaking, flawless.

Electronic- singer has a nice voice. Knew the song Sour Times.

I wasn't really feeling it and then I caught the vibe on my second listen of the song "It Could Be Sweet".

Not necessarily the classic album it is often heralded as, but it does have some classic tracks. It loses it a bit in the middle but it is a highly impressive debut.

Really close to a 5 from me. It’s so evocative of a particular mood that is hard to get from many other albums. Gibbons’ voice is full of tenderness and fragility that I find it just draws you in. ‘Roads’ in particular has a vocal performance that is so understated whereas others might oversing it way too much. There are a few tracks later on that don’t have quite the same hook to them which I think is the only reason I can really give for not scoring it higher, just a slight lack of consistency throughout.

not my style but their voices are really good and comfortable

This was a nice surprise for me. She has an amazing voice. The instrumental accompaniment is sparse, but sophisticated. I can't describe it adequately, but it is powerful and moving. I'm anxious to listen to Beth Gibbons' contribution to Gorecki's Symphony No. 3.

This album feels like a trip-hop version of Lana Del Rey for people who are too sad to listen to Lana Del Rey. Favourite Songs: Mysterons, Sour Times, Roads, Biscuit, Glory Box. Least Favourite Songs: It Could Be Sweet.

I'd actually been listening to this one quite a bit lately. I tend to lean towards debut albums as I like the less refined feel and this album in particular has a really distinct sound. Doesn't really have a low point across its decent length.

I see the vision but it’s not for me

bra bra

I've listened to this before and it just doesn't leave a strong impression then or now

now this is a haunted dancehall

I really liked Sour Times and Glory Box

portis-jockey

As perfect as perfect gets. Great for nights. The perfect album for just trying to chill out. This is THE Trip Hop album!

had already listened to this but i liked listening to it again! but dont think it sounds that different from their other album. the haunting vocals and production are good but get repetitive over time. they clearly have their own distinctive sound but would have liked to see a bit more experimentation.

Could be a 3.5. Overall a bit too mellow

What a debut. They say that portishead is music to cut your wrists too and it’s not necessarily wrong and that’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Sonically it’s great. Dark, brooding yet still grooving. Beth’s voice overtop is fantastic. There are so many good tracks here: “sour times”, “strangers”, “it could be sweet”, “numb” “roads” and “glory box” are all worth repeated listening.

First Listen; 4; I really enjoyed this album and this is probably the first of the thirty or so in this project that I haven't heard before but will listen to again. The songs have a very lush sound and epitomize a chill, laid-back sound. The vocals are great and fit the music perfectly.

sexy album. an album for the baddies

yah

It's Dummy by Portishead. One can make a case for it as best Trip Hop album of all time. A favorite of mine from the first time I listened to it. So dreamy, so perfectly wonderful.

Stone cold classic. Mesmerising jazzy guitar, electro beeps and squeals, hypnotic rhythms and plaintive vocals. Not sure how it’s not better known

Incredible record. Beth Gibbons’ voice is outstanding.

Maybe you have to be in the mood for it, but I found it very draining and very repetitive

very good yes yes also i listened to the other albums and they were also very good yes

Love this album. Smooth dark and sexy.

Fantastisk!! Minder om min mor haha

jaaa

Amazing how much music I never heard of before. This was mellow and very nice.

I love Beth Gibbons so much.

I'm not sure this is standing up to the test of time. It sounds kinda dated to me now. I was a fan of Trip Hop, but if I'm being honest, Portishead didn't hit with me as much as something like Massive Attack. I listened to Sour Times a lot, but that was about it.

I've tried to get into portishead, I just can't.

I've used the term "cream of the crop" already but good god, now this is it. I've heard this album a couple of times and every time it's such an experience, sometimes like floating through space and other times touching an oily hand rail, it has an outrageous amount of character. I started listening to hip hop as a genre around 5 years ago and as a result it's transformed my taste, and if asked what were the 10 albums that most majorly opened my eyes this would be on that list, and definitely on my top 100 albums of all time. The production is stellar, the vocals are incredible and breath-taking, slow and suffocating and yet beautiful and ethereal. Trip-hop is a genre I know only a bit about (i.e only the most formative groups) but this definitely is my frontrunner of the genre. Best song: Roads, followed closely by Numb Worst song: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 1/7 Trying something new with the formatting, we'll see how it feels.

Makes me want to smoke cigarettes for some reason

++*: Sour Times, Glory Box ++: Strangers, It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, Numb, Roads, Pedestal, Biscuit +: Mysterons, It's a Fire 9,6/10

Extremely solid four, great stuff! I'd only known it for Roads so I was hoping it'd be a little more consistently on that level, but it's still full of good stuff. Ultimately it is just a bit subdued for my tastes.

Just a stunning album. I like my trip hop moody, and this delivers in spades. Beth Gibbons' haunting voice sings of loneliness and heartbreak over ethereal keyboards and lonely-sounding beats, and the overall package is of wandering some urban city late at night, with nobody else around, just taking in the loneliness. Fantastic stuff.

Ethereal female vocals backed by some cool ass chill beats? Sign me up!

I can't say anything really hooked me, though I recognize that the production is phenomenal. Great use of samples overall, notably 'Wandering Star' which I noticed flips the same War song De La Soul uses on 'Pass The Plugs'. Not much to say about Beth Gibbons' vocals -- I found them somewhat reminiscent of Björk's singing style, which I'd usually hate but weren't much of an issue here. Still not something I'd seek out myself however. Standouts: Sour Times • Wandering Star • Roads

Groundbreaking album that, for me, has been superseded by its successors. It always grips me at the beginning but I lose interest by the end because it feels like they ran out of tricks in the first half. Still monumental.