Dummy

HOT

Damn I don't know about this one. I do think it's some quality stuff, I just wasn't blown away by it. In terms of "quality" I would give it a 4... But I think I have to give it a 3 for now. Might come back and change my mind (bump)

Already know and love this album!

One of trip-hops finest. Beth has the voice of an angle

Groovy man!!

- I’m scared of this album tbh - Not impressed with the opener - Surprised that it’s a woman singing - it could be sweet actually has some satisfying vocals - i'm officially tapping out. only listened to half but it's just not for me.

God, but quite depressed.

Favorite track(s): Sour Times, Strangers, Roads, Pedestal

Almost perfect.

Crazy nothing like this has never come out since. Incredible and truly unique. Trip-Hop.

i've heard this in my dad's car a lot but this time i appreciated it more than ever. every single sound is so satisfying and feels perfectly placed in its spot. also it's fucking groovy 9/10 favorite: sour times

what an album. been a minute since i played it front to back but whew. textbook example of how to create atmosphere within an album. almost haunting, from the Beth Gibbons' voice to the sampling to the spins to the DRUMS oh my god the drums. Trip Hop or not, this album is nuts. I'm quite willing to say this album is perfect, I don't think there's much coming close to it anywhere. fav song: Glory Box

It's perfectly fine. What probably sounded fresh and edgy in the 90s doesn't play as well with today's ears. Dummy stays in one gear over 11 4:00-minute (average) tracks. I'm glad I listened to it, but doubt I'll ever revisit it.

more my kind of music, favorite songs were sour times and glory box

Very good, one I've always heard of, but never listened all the way through before.

Sublime. In my opinion sounds as fresh as the day I bought it all those yrs ago Strangers is in my top 20 all time favorite songs & it could be sweet is just gorgeous lovelovelove it

Had not heard of the term trip hop before, but that’s an apt description of this album. Successfully creates an atmospheric experience and when you zone in there are some very interesting and creative spatial effects going on. The problem is zoning in. This quickly becomes background music because there isn’t enough distinction from one song to the next, just nuanced changes. The tempo and vibe is the same for 44 minutes so it can get monotonous and the vocalist is pretty one dimensional. Still, for what it is, I like it. Just not an entire 11 track listen. A track here and there sprinkled into a chill playlist is where this lands for me.

This one reminds me of a long walk when fall has shifted to winter. Everything is a varying shade of white. The world has slowed down…and the rhythm is a slow melodic beat of time passing.

This album is so physical. It could only have come to be in the 90s but is unlike anything else of the time. It FEELS like love and longing and ecstasy and loss sometimes within the same song. There's just nothing that does quite what this album does. An experience. Visceral.

Very good, pretty out there for 94

Never something I would have listened to on my own. Really enjoyed the lo fiand the record scratching against the saxophone and the vocals. Will definitely listen to again.

Made it 1/2 way

This grew on me. Definitely a vibe.

Not bad, but also not for me. No takeaways and won't listen to this again

Oh, wonderful Beth! Adrian Utley's light jazz touches and flawless production are instrumental in this album being a gem and a high point of 90's trip-hop.

1 out of 5 So slow and sad

I've been aware of Portishead but have never listened to them. As I've gone through this list (today is #198) I've enjoyed other trip hop artists, so I assumed this record would be coming at some point. I was quite pleased when the generator brought it today. I was also pleased to see such positive overall ratings, figuring I was in for a treat. I loved this album. I think Beth Gibbons' vocals are fantastic, especially on the tracks where she can let loose some like It Could Be Sweet and It's A Fire. And even though some of the hip hop elements are dated, they really worked for me in these songs. The only song I didn't truly connect with is their most popular one on Spotify, Glory Box. It was good, but I didn't love it as a closing song as it just had a bit of a different vibe than the rest IMO. That quibble will not be enough to take away from this being a five star album.

Even considering the electronic aspects, it was surprisingly pleasant for the most part

3.5 liked this more than I expected to

I kind of remember these guys in the 90s, but never really listened to them much. It was before I started getting into electronic music. Starts off with an eery sounding track. I remember the second track. Didn't think much of it as a teenager, but now that I'm a little older I appreciate the eery sound of the singing, the James Bondish guitar riff. The guitar sample on the third track almost sounds like the riff from Curtis Mayfield's "Right on for the Darkness." I don't remember hearing Numb before but it's good. Roads I've definitely heard, and also a quiet groove. Glory Box a good one to finish off the album. Also definitely remember this one. 4/5

OK - this is the soundtrack on my university years. I loved it back then and I love it just as much now, this has not lost any appeal to me. The soundscapes are amazing, the music is calm and atmospheric but has this tension too. This is some of the best trip-hop.

"Dummy" is probably best described as depressed hip-hop. It has elements of electronica, and hip hop techniques such as the use of loops, but also regular instruments and organs. Such elements seem to fill in a sense of silence or darkness present in the background of each track. The mood of the album is generally quite sombre, not quite "monotone" but some of the songs do sounds quite similar. An interesting album, probably not quite my taste, but listenable.

Liking the dark weirdness of Mysterons so far. Loving the vocals and darkness on Sour Times. Almost like understated jazz vocals, but with a great trip-hop beat. Can't believe it's taken me this long to listen to Portishead!

This album is fantastic!

It's a very strong and coherent album. Way outside my usual taste but it stirs something. Glory Box is a perfect ending

For how sad and depressing it kinda seems the songs aint bad. She can sing well and this drummer goes off sometimes.

Certainly of a time. Lots to like but not necessarily one I'll listen to over and over.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It's very cinematic in sound, almost noir-ish. Mellow with a classic jazz edge. Highlights: "Wandering Star" and "Glory Box"

Um estilo diferente e não conhecia a banda, é interessante.

Oooof I love this - sultry, moody, atmospheric. Time to go listen to a bunch of trip hop

7.5/10 It's a mood Highlights: Roads Sour Times Wandering Star Glorybox It's a Fire

Loved every minute of it.

Vraiment pas convaincue…

Didn't love this one - it had some nice moments, but it just felt like they were cramming as much dark, angsty stuff as possible onto one album.

💯

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Lovely trippy James Bond type music. Glory Box is a great album closer.

I enjoyed it but kinda forgot I was listening to it. Faded into background music

This list has taught me that trip hop isn’t my thing. This wasn’t quite there but pretty close. Overall fine but didn’t do much for me.

Atmospheric and ethereal. Feels like the vocals are floating on top of the music. A more accessible version of Radiohead.

We’ve heard lots of albums of this type but this is the first I’ve seriously liked. There is a musicality and complexity here that I hadn’t noticed in the other trip hop albums we’ve heard. I hear Sade, indie rock, hip hop and other things too. The final track was the highlight for me.

What a coincidence — I had just watched a YouTube documentary about Dummy a few days ago. This album was definitely important in my youth. I even bought it back then — around 1997, when Portishead’s second (self-titled) album came out. The whole “trip hop” thing has sadly faded from today’s musical vocabulary — Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead — but what was it, really? Hip-hop beats with sorrowful soul vocals? My problem with the record has always been this: it’s unquestionably fascinating and brutally honest music — and at the time, it was extremely cool and influential — but there were almost no situations where you actually felt like listening to something this heavy, dark, and ghostly. A few facts I still remember: the singer is Beth Gibbons (I think), and the best-known song is probably “Glory Box.” And I recall they released another album around 2008 with that incredibly harsh track “Machine Gun.” I’m playing the album now — for the first time in maybe ten years — to see if it feels easier to listen to today. The opener, “Mysterons,” immediately sets the tone: ominous, eerie, thick with atmosphere. Was this ever played in clubs? What are you supposed to do with this music? Dance? Get high? Probably just listen to it alone at night with headphones. “Sour Times” follows, built on that vaguely ’60s spy-movie sounding sample — “Nobody loves me, it’s true.” Great song. And then comes the one I always forget about until it hits me again: “Roads.” The saddest track on the album — maybe the saddest one in my whole collection. Brilliant, devastating. That magical moment at around 1:40 when it opens into the second verse and somehow gets even sadder: “Stoned in the morning light / I feel no more can I say / Frozen to myself / I got nobody on my side / And surely that ain’t right.” No, I don’t have to revise anything — I feel exactly the same as I did back then. An excellent, five-star deluxe album that I rarely ever feel emotionally prepared to listen to.

Brilliant album.

One of the best trip hop albums ever

It's unusual but it doesn't really do anything. Could be just one song and you wouldn't know the difference

I love this album from start to finish. This is known for popularising trip-hop on a commercial level. All the samples, sound effects, and record scratching come together and create an amazing sound for the trip-hop era, it manages to take me on a satisfying sonic journey. I really enjoy the mellow, atmospheric, and ambient side of their sound, it’s laid back but still full of tension. The jazzy addition in their instrumentation, from the saxophone, drum beats and deep bass lines, attracts me even more. Beth Gibbons vocals are very vulnerable and emotional, she embodies the mood of the music, very haunting and fragile. From the artists I know, there’s not much else out there that sounds like Portishead. They created something quite dinstinct here. Another classic that I had the pleasure to listen to and review from front to back. The album cover perfectly encapsulates their sound, the haunting, gloomy dark blue toned room contrasting with the harsh bright light and the woman at the centre, looking lonely and drained. It’s dark and vulnerable just like the music. Of course I already knew Glory Box their biggest hit from this album, but I really enjoyed most of the rest, Mysterons, Sour Times, Strangers, It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, It's a Fire, Numb, Roads, Pedestal and Biscuit too.

smooth

Favorites: wandering star, sour times, biscuit

One of the coolest scenes music has ever had. And this is a seminal album from that very scene. It’s moody, atmospheric and extreeeemly chill. Topped off with one of kind vocals that ring true and stay with you. On the edge of haunting. 5.0/5.0 Best Song: Sour Times

It’s truly one of the best albums of the 90’s. I can’t imagine how good it felt to listen to this for the first time when it came out. Must have properly felt like a shift, like music was changing. It’s such a uniquely cool album. I remember the first time my brother showed me Dummy (it’s a very older brother album to show someone) it felt like the coolest music i had ever listened to and it still does tbf. Best song: hard to pick, but Sour Times for me

My third album, I originally gave a 4, but when I relistened, I feel like this belongs among my 5s instead. Interesting how taste can change in just a small fraction of time

If I could give this negative stars I would

Hell yeah

Interesting group. Lead singer Beth Gibbons has a great voice. Really liked Glorybox.

Near perfection....

Portishead is something that you want to come across whilst listening an eclectic mix of music, but an entire albums woth is just too much of the same thing.

Really solid album.

This album has an oppressive, suffocating beauty, but it is delicately sad. It’s so intense, it’s like wrapping yourself in a heavy invisibility cloak while you stalk through the dark night, to peer wistfully into some lost lighted haven. It’s gorgeous music for the witching hour, and it haunts you long after the closing sounds of Glory Box. I love this album.

This is a super vibey album - what was in the air in the UK in the 90s??? Obviously very similar to massive attack and a trip hop classic. I really like the use of scratches and samples and oh my god Beth Gibbons’ voice fits so perfectly within. Also the incredible bass lines Standouts: Mysterons, Roads (shout out Rick and Morty), Wandering star!!!!

First sound so good, last sound so bad. Shoulda stayed on film and in 2024. SOLD!

Rock oscuro, he reconocido algunas canciones muy conocidas. Me ha gustado mucho.

Solid album, hints of electronica, spy movie soundtracks, hip hop beats and more. Enjoyed listening to it.

Merge between old-school hip-hop and intentional jazz with record scratching and saxophone solos. Romanticized, isolated vocals nice beats. Gives off drive through New York City at 8 PM in September..

Opium

Ehhh not my tempo

hot

One of the finest

Literally became one of my favorite albums. Impeccable all the way through.

This one was a great discovery, one of my faves so far. Five stars

FUN VIBE

I get it but I just don’t love it

Innovative sound, mellow feel.

some really iconic songs and a really easy listening vibe, just a bit slow for me

Very 90s, not in a bad way but you can hear their influence on lots of things that came after. The vocals are sparse but that feels purposeful, can feel same-y after awhile but as a result is very cohesive.

This is a good sound. It feels like a perfect album, maybe not perfect for me, but just a perfect MOOD, you know? This is one I've listened to several times when I'm not sure what to put on, and it's always enjoyable. The first track and 'Wandering Star' are the standouts to me.

Vibessss. Makes me wanna be a cool 90s gal. Really enjoyed this.

Not vibing with this

Kinda nice. Smooth and relaxing music for a hip coffee shop in the 90s. Probably never going to listen to this again but was a nice change of pace.

Weird album. Strangers and Biscuit were my favorite jams. Loved the bass, groove and faded guitar sounds Controversial, I think the record scratch is actually cool here All that said, I think trip hop has come a LONG way since then. Id much rather put on Pretty Lights when im in the mood

Think this album is pretty incredible not really like anything else I hear

4/5

Mysterious and dreamlike. Enjoyed

Repetitive! Not what I thought - very mellow

Never listened to Portishead despite hearing about them through the 90's. Listening to this on Halloween and the first songs Mysterons and Sour Times feel perfect for today. This album helped pioneer the Trip Hop genre which I personally really like. I spent a lot of time listening to Glitch Hop and I really get the same vibes here. A lot of hip hop inspiration from looping, sampling and record scratches that are really cool. The deep bass and drum beats on the album are awesome. When coupled with the vocals of Beth Gibbons, it creates this almost ambient, haunting sound. Someone related to old spy movies, but I don't get that vibe at all. It's way too hip hop for that. It's like an avante-garde, blues hip hop album. Really unique.

I’ve written off Portishead, probably because of Glory Box. I can see perfectly why it’s such a well-loved song, it’s just that nasal vocal that makes me shudder. Anyway. The rest of the album is of course, seminal “trip hop”. When she’s singing properly, Beth Gibbons lends the necessary overtone to the wave of samples that the sound is built on. I’m glad I liked this a lot more than I thought I would, but I’m also left with a slight sense of... ‘is that it?’, given many people’s deep fondness for this album. Maybe I’ll like it more the second time around.

That was really good. It's probably to do with the fact that I was young and cool when it came out and for sure someone put the album on back then. I wasn't a big fan then, but, with time, it has grown on me. 4.5 out of 5, but I'll give it a four.

A classic that I always love when it’s on, but often forget about. It makes me want to cruise in the backseat to a car cruising through the city at night.

Unique style, warm and mysterious sound

ok, kinda just background music? wasn't the most interesting but there were some decent tracks

Very enjoyable album. Particular favourites were Its a Fire and Glory Box. Vocals were great and sounded like it could have been inspiration for Massive Attack

I got a 007 vibe from most of these songs. I’m super torn between 3 and 4 stars, and I’m feeling generous, so 4 stars it is.

Man, felt like a Pierce Brosnan 007 movie. Liked it.

Oh, Portishead. You wacky fucks. You can crash my party anytime. Hypnotic, sparse, heavy, plodding, and cool as hell. A little repetitive, but that's the nature of this genre. I'm sticking Dummy right up my Glory Box.

It's very the Marias; idk why, but I got that feeling. There are 11 songs; so far I'm on song 6. I wouldn't say there is a sole genre; if it were up to me, I would classify it as indie/alternative. Also, this page says it's electronic, and while I kind of agree, I would specify that it is downtempo, not fast tempo, which is why I find it similar to the Marias. Right now on song 11, AND I KNOW IT. Glory Box—I've honestly heard it multiple times in edits and stuff like that. I never knew who the artist was until now.

Joda. Helt greit. Litt i samme gata som gårsdagen, men på et litt lavere nivå.

Yawn. Actively painful. I mean yeah, you can really produce an album which is a _vibe_, it's just that that vibe is like nails on a chalkboard 85% of the time

The soundtrack to the 90s most boring movie scenes.

As soon as I saw "electronic," I cringed but this was such a cool album. Vocals are so smooth and sexy and mixed with the smokey dark vibe, it's perfect.

Still holds up super innovative experimental sexy creative. First 2 songs are so good that it doesnt matter anything after yet all are well constructed and have a common thread. Amazong album ground breaker

I wish I would have heard this when it came out in 1994. I first heard this album in 2000 or so. By that time other (lesser) bands had adopted this style and this was passe in a way. Despite my late arrival to Portishead I am a big fan of both albums on this list. This album is a 5 if you account for how influential it was/is. On its own merits it is a 4. The singing is excellent and the rest of the music fills in around her voice very admirably. The samples are very common for hip hop music at the time. That is not to say they are common samples i.e. James Brown or Apache, but rather how they are used is as you would expect. This is not a detriment as DJ Premier did the same on the first Jeru the Damaja album, he even used much more common samples to equal success.

Nice chill album for a monday. :)

Didn't care for it at first, but really got into it after a couple of tracks.

Glory Box is funky

not for me

Yeah it's brilliant.

The one I keep coming back to when thinking about what my personal favourite album might be. Don't think there's a song that drops below an 8.

Class

FIVE all day long. Dark, moody, atmospheric, haunting- trip hop at its finest. Beth’s voice just melts me every time. & my wife’s cousin’s best mate used to cut her hair!

Es hat schon was, wird auf Dauer aber etwas langweilig und eintönig.

Nah

Beautifully composed and produced album. Excellent vibe 5/5

Top 2 album of all time

Flyttar en verkligen tillbaka till 90talet, dom rökiga kaféerna och trånga förfestbarerna, närmast inredningsmusik till den miljön där och då. Med det sagt är jag väldigt splittrad kring den här. Jag har skivan och jag tycker den är bra även om jag tycker uppföljaren är strået bättre. Det borde vara fine så, end of review... Men jag fastnar också i tanken är en skiva bara det som låter eller krävs nåt mer, nåt annat? Det här är inte min triphop, om ens triphop alls. Visst alla grundläggande element finns ju där. Men det här är triphop för en vit medelklass att dricka afternoon tea till, den har mycket lite att göra med karibiskt färgad brittisk hiphop, med klubbkulturen, med gatan. Hos min triphop ska Tricky stå och rulla en feting på baksidan av en illegal klubb som närsomhelst är föremål för en polisrazzia. Portishead känns som kulturellappropriering, fast jag vet att det inte är så. Det handlar inte om att nåt ska vara "äkta" eller inte, det handlar mer om en kontextuell fråga. Triphop är i grunden klubbmusik med rötterna i soundsystemkulturen och tar man ur den all form av det, vad blir kvar då? Ett snyggt sound utan innehåll och förankring, ja kanske ...jag vet inte? Massive Attack släppte "Protection“ samma år som “Dummy", dom låter inte helt olika, ni kan själva lyssna och avgöra vad som är bra eller inte. Jag har inga svar, på något av allt detta bara ett vankelmod och tankar som inte lämnar mig ifred. Svag trea eller stark tvåa inte ens där kan jag bestämma mig

Triphop är kanske genren. Men samtidigt är Portishead i en genre helt för sig själv. Unika i hur de låter. Det här är en skiva som verkligen hållit över tid. Den är till och med bättre nu än när den släpptes för 31 år sedan. Eller är det jag som förändrats. Wandering star, Roads. Mysterons, Sour time, It’s a fire, Glory box… för att bara nämna några anledningar att dela ut full pott.

Ett sound som inte går att ta miste på. Oerhört snyggt även om en större variation i låtarna inte skadat. Å andra sidan blir det nu ett sammanhållet album. Glory box är lika fin idag som när det en gång begav sig.

Jag har inte lyssnat ordentligt på Dummy de senaste 20 åren. Jag tycker det har åldrats väldigt väl. Jag vill minnas en intervju i Musikbyrån där Portishead med bestämdhet tog avstånd från genren trip-hop eftersom de fanns så många usla band då som Portishead inte ville bli förknippande med. Flera starka låtar, ett sound som verkligen sticker ut. Beth Gibbons röst är perfekt för låtarna. Möjligen blir låtarna för lika varandra när man lyssnar på albumet i sin helhet från början till slut. Men överlag ett mycket bra album.

10/10 no comments. Incredible album I've never heard of.

I see why so many have called this the originator (or epitome) of trip-hop. But it's darker and slower than a lot of other trip-hop I've heard. For me, the vocals almost but don't quite work with the instrument sound. But this is groundbreaking and mesmerizing work, for sure.

Really cool 60s surf guitar combined with subtle hip hop beats to make the score to some unmade spy film that Austin Powers would have referenced. Beth Gibbons’s voice is gorgeous. Less hip hop influence than most trip hop though, making Portishead distinct from contemporaries like Massive Attack.

love a weird 90s album

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would

Not my vibe

Trip-hop like Portishead's other album on this list. I can't imagine why - other than this band being British Portishead has two albums on the list. This one definitely should be here. 4/5

Honestly, for my money, the best album on the entire list (although Dig Me Out by Sleater-Kinney comes painfully close). Absolutely adore the sexy, mysterious vibe of this music. Also channels classic spy music (particularly on songs like Sour Times). Beth Gibbons' voice is absolutely perfect with just the tiniest amount of husk to it, while also being pleading, sexy, light. Barrow and Utley's compositions are absolutely perfect on this record (and honestly everything they've done with Portishead). My personal standouts are Mysterons (with its very weird, halloween-season vibes), Wandering Star (its dark, pulsing, weird, and teasing basslines), Numb (the drum tone plus Gibbons' higher voice and eerie keyboards), Roads (just all around the best pop song on the record, Gibbons' sad, resigned pleading vocals here are amazing), and Glory Box (insanely sexy - and we know where Billie Eilish got the idea for the breakdown at the end of Bad Guy from); but the whole tracklist are 10/10 winners. Easily one of my favorite albums of all time (Isis' Oceanic is the only album that beats it for me), and THE trip-hop album to end all trip-hop albums. No albums vibe harder than this one.

Good album with good beats and the singer has a good voice. Would listen to again.

Reminds me of the time I worked at a bike shop as a teen. Played it on repeat in the shop. Now listening on a drizzly day in Oslo. Really strong album, completely different and confident in its sound. Not something I listen to much, but I respect portishead.

I really don't think this was bad at all, and I thought it ended on it's strongest track with Glory Box, which is an excellent song, but this just wasn't for me. I couldn't connect with it. 2 Stars.

A classic, a 5 star and one of the best albums of the 90's. Its so good i missed it as when i was a teenager and came back and fell in love with it later on. The merging of hiphop production with Beths vocals and a close, intense, filmic vibe makes this unique and something that stands the test of time. If you'd not heard this before then its exactly why we are here.

later

Glorybox is one of the sexiest songs ever.

Decent background music. Couple heavy hitters.

I dig Portishead and all their offshoots. This album in particular is tied to a specific era for me but I think it has aged well.

I’m feeling pressure to like this. I don’t.

I just absolutely love this album and everything it stands for. To call it a trip-hop essential doesn’t do it justice: it’s definitive of a style, the best of its form. The combination of styles, the inimitable vocals from Beth Gibbons, and the deceptive simplicity of construction. An absolute all timer for me.

Trippy and dreamlike. Would listen again.

Pole mulle veel see

Wahnsinnig gut! c

Yawn

Absolutely outstanding. Somehow I have never really listened to Portishead and this album was such a great introduction. Finding albums like this is precisely why I signed up for this.

****A good easy listening album

This album is vibes. Effortlessly cool. Listening to Dummy feels like smoking a cigarette in an underground Shoreditch party in 1994. I can't explain it but this is what Anthony Bourdain would be if he were an album. A great album to start the 1001 project. What a discovery. I’m a fan.

It’s great to every once in a while hear an album that I’m glad to have heard (many times) before not demise, and I’m happy for others to hear it before they become worm food. An album that really defines trip-hop and also steps outside enough to be appreciated outside of genre. I will always love punk and metal most, but I loved this album.

Amazing !

Better than I thought it would be, I was surprised by how many songs I was familiar with. I'm not sure I would intentionally listen to it again, but it wasn't a waste of time either.

They all kinda sound the same but I love the vibe so much.

Nice and chill album. classic.

Yummy

<3

Love this. Trip hop has been one of my favourite genres since I was a teenager and this album is part of where that love started.

A good groove, would definitely listen again

Synths didn’t really draw me in. Felt dark and depressing so I mostly skipped.

I usually listen to these albums in my car during my commute. When I did that, I didn’t like this one as much. It benefitted greatly from listening with headphones.

Not really my vibe.

literally one of my all time favorite albums, it feels like being in a haunted house. the rhythms are intoxicating, the sampling is bizarre and incredible, the guitar work is simple and perfect, and beth's vocals are transcendent. and there's a theremin??? fuck man. i'll never forget listening to this the first time. first three tracks are my favorite but especially mysterons

Really funky stuff. Definitely a must listen, but some parts were notably more mind blowing than others.

Pretty interesting

This blew my mind when I first heard it, and to this day I still get goose bumps when I hear some of these tracks. Maybe it doesn't always work if you're in the wrong mood, but it's absolutely brilliant for what it is. It could maybe lose one track (It's A Fire) to tighten it up a tiny bit, but otherwise I wouldn't change anything. It's really not far from a perfect album. Easy 5 stars.

Boring, but makes up for it by being cool. If I was in the right place, this is an easy 5; however, sitting in my office, this album doesn't cut it. It's not a "listen anywhere" type.

So amazeballs and classic. A original sound that cannot be reproduced.

Did not expect them to sound like this. Pretty good for what for what it was.

This has been the best album collectively I’ve reviewed since taking this challenge. Up to this point I only knew the song Sour Cherry from some movie soundtrack. This whole album was well produced. Great songwriting.

Cool

Forgot how good it was.

Great one

Pretty awesome and still stands up

This album was weird for me, because on paper I should have loved it - downtempo, reverb heavy, grungy, dramatic ballads with tons of excellent nighttime vibes. But for whatever reason, I just did not enjoy myself here. That said, the previous Portishead album I had on this list was one of the worst things I heard on here so far, so I'll take this over the previous any day

Classic early trip hop. There's not another voice out there like Beth Gibbons. An all-time favorite.

So so good I love Portishead (already knew this album)

LOVED, I only knew one song, the most famous one and I think I’m gonna listen to this album all together more now

8/10… trip hop/ melancholy

Yeeeeeah buddy

Dark and beautiful

another awful album. Tedious vocal. Was sick of it by the end.

Lose the vocal, hand me a joint, and it's a 5 all day long. I know it was the 90s and all, but the singing and music don't match up. That gets on my nerves after a while and spoilt it. It's why I'm always unsure if I like trip hop or not. In theory, I suppose. Decent enough to snooze to though.

Spooky

I could write a book on this album and how it effected and affected my life when it came out. It was a huge soundtrack for damn near two full years. I still put it on to listen to decades later. It is that damn good. It was always classified as trip-hop but we had people call it electric jazz or lounge. One guy I know called it, "Electric booty music " it's one of those albums that doesn't really fit a lot of labels. Her voice is almost haunting and fits with the music so well. You feel every lyric and note. You can assign various emotions to it depending on your mood. It is absolutely an amazing album.

I can see this being good background music while I'm working or in the garage repairing a car.

i liked this vibe but didn’t have time to finish. i’d go back and try this album again at some point

10/10

Many late nights spent with this as the soundtrack. Haunting, beautiful and still fresh sounding.

The beauty of this record never ceases to amaze me. Homemade samples, scratches and Beth Gibbons’ immaculate voice.

Still nobody that sounds like this.

A couple of albums on this list had got me thinking that trip-hop as a genre just hasn’t aged particularly well, but Dummy proved me wrong. It’s just so atmospheric and cinematic.

I like some of the songs. Would be good when you’re in a mood and chilling

2.5 - ok album. A little monotone. Reminds me of ps2

I had assumed this album would be similar to the Cocteau Twins I listened to previously, and in many ways it was, but I enjoyed this one much more. I feel like the songs here felt more intentional and while it also struggled to keep me fully engaged with its all-the-sameness, there were some songs I really enjoyed.

I didn't know what to expect going into this album. I like it more than I had anticipated and will check out their other stuff.

C'est sûrement des supers musiciens Rock psychédélique qui tente plein de trucs Rien de très memorable

Trip hop perfection on every level. Best group and album in genre IMO. I once told a girlfriend that I wanted to have a baby with Beth Gibbon's voice. Sexy, smokey, sultry, sophisticated, emotive, perfect. That didn't go over well. Impossible and dumb she said. I said you know what's impossible and dumb? This relationship. I never told my now wife about my vocal parental fantasy. Best to let weird dogs lie sometimes, and I would hate to have to die on that hill twice.

My only exposure to Portishead was being 12-years-old and seeing them on SNL. It was most definitely not in my wheelhouse at the time as I was firmly lodged in my Korn/Limp Bizkit/The Offspring fandom. Looks like I have been missing out on something amazing. Beth Gibbons' voice is so entrancing. Their samples are otherworldly and produce such a haunting effect. Not a weak track in the bunch. Highlights: It Could Be Sweet, Numb

I was looking for reasons to not give it a 4, so I'm being generous

Loved it

This album never achieves the haunting atmosphere it seems to be going for, instead settling for a kind of monotonous darkness. Every track follows a similar formula: take a drum beat, add one or two elements over it, and repeat until the end. A few of the tracks add new elements (the guitar during the chorus of "Glory Box" is the most effective example), the drums sound nice, and the occasionally jazzy elements are welcome. But it's not enough for the tracks to feel like they're progressing, and this becomes more obvious the longer the album goes on. The vocals also don't help - they feel detached and uninterested, rarely communicating the emotions of the lyrics. The chorus of "Sour Times" is one of the exceptions. This was definitely meant to be a drag, but I find it to be a drag for a different reason than intended.

6/10

9.5/10

Great Songs: Sour Times, Strangers, Wandering Star, It's A Fire, Numb Good Songs: Mysterons, It Could Be Sweet, Roads, Pedestal, Biscuit, Glory Box Mid Songs: Bad Songs:

Some of the boring music I’ve ever listened to.

Liked some, disliked others

Absolute banger! De Trip-Hop vibes zijn geweldig met hemelse vocalen. Ik ga hier echt heel lekker op.

I'm so sorry to my teen self that I didn't listen to this then. I mean, I still dig it, but *man*....

Dark and, at times, surreal. The echoey, far-away nature of the singer gives me a lonely feeling, which goes with the lyrics most times. It’s a cool sound and it reminds me of what vaporwave tends to go for. Fart tier album cover, unfortunately.

Did not like at all. Didn’t even finish the album.

I read "electronic music band" in the description and was prepared to hate this. It ended up being the opposite of what I was expecting. It was so calming. I liked all but one song. They do all sound very similar though

A very chill album. You put it on and then think about ... things ...

Bello, bello, bello

Premier 5 étoiles de mes écoutes et il le mérite.

This is an easy one to rate and one of my favorite ever. I can't think of many other albums that sound so cool and yet so beautiful at the same time. 23rd perfect album, 818 albums in. Rating: 5.0

This is a sexy album. I feel like everyone has been subjected to at least one song on this album - either during sex, or in a sultry film scene. And it fits. Dummy is moody, hypnotic, and drenched in trip-hop atmosphere. Beth Gibbons’ vocals float like smoke over beats that feel pulled from noir soundtracks and dusty jazz samples, creating something both intimate and cinematic. When it was released in 1994, it practically defined the sound of trip-hop and became the template for countless imitators. It’s dark, but it grooves, and it’s impossible not to sink into it.

Ooh, this was a really cool album. The hip-hop elements and sampling was really cool along with the singers voice which sounded really nice. VERY solid album by Portishead.

I am lucky to have been at just the right age to appreciate this when it came out. The trip hop sound with Portishead, massive attack, and tricky was really influential. So many great tracks on this but you can't go past Roads.

Awesome sounds. I knew I was liked this record but it's been a very long time and I never had a huge relationship with it. It's definitely a beautiful mooving thing. I can't quite keep focus with every step of it personally.

A bit mellow and sounds the same. But got better as the album went on

Legendary trip hop. This is the album so many others tried (unsuccessfully) to surpass.

One of my favourite albums. Such a fantastic album

First time I’ve been this surprised and really enjoyed it!

An exceptional album, not much else to say

It’s practically perfect, what do you want from me??

Lovely

Wow. I don't know what I expected when I saw that this was a more ambient album, but I was completely blindsided by what is one of my favourite albums to date. It's hauntingly beautiful, unsettling and intimate. One of my common criticisms of albums on here is that things sound boring or samey, but this has a simplicity that somehow defies that idea that simple or repetitive equals boring. It's so rich and full, even though a lot of the music involves just exploring one loop or idea. I cannot give this anything other than a 5, which it has earned completely.

Another no-skip, big trip-hop vibes

Am I missing something here, or is it considered edgy to hype this album? It sounds like the kind of music Radio 6 listeners force themselves to like. I just don’t get it. Someone reviewed this album and rated every song a 9 or a 10!! I wish I could say the same, but it all sounds so monotone and forgettable to me.

One of my top 100!

Really interesting listen. One of the few things that sounds like Radiohead before Radiohead (Bjork & NIN are others). Had a couple famous songs and very cool trip-hop vibes.

Dark trippy and unique

Great album. Listened to it more times than I can count as a teenager. Still slaps.

Glory Box natürlich n bekannter Song und war mir nicht klar das der von dieser Band ist. Ich fand das Album aber generell etwas "weinerlich", also klang so wie n dutzend Klagelieder :-/

Zwischen 2 und 4 sterne alles dabei, mal gut, mal lahm

je sais pas pourquoi je me disais que j’allais l’aimer, c’est de l’electronica :/ Glory Box est acceptable, mais c’est probablement juste parce que je l’ai déjà entendue

Impeccable. For a 90s metal kid this was mindblowing - dusty jazz samples, boom bap, and the most haunting, elegant voice. Sour Times and Glory Box are perfect, and there are no "bad" tracks. The only possible downside is that it deserves to be listened to properly, not as background music.

If this would allow 4.5 stars I'd give it, but even though this album is a standout of the era and is so original and impressive, it is VERY cold, which stops me playing it often and giving it top marks

Damn, invisible ninjas be chopping onions again... Before talking about the record, I want to give a bit of personal background. About three years ago, I decided to check out 'Mezzanine' by Massive Attack, as I was getting into the trip hop scene. Once I got familiar with that album, I moved on to 'Dummy', as they are both regarded as the primal examples of Trip Hop. Nevertheless, I felt quite dissappointed with this one. What I love about 'Mezzanine' is how insanely good the production is. Listening to that album is a similar feeling to touching the smoothest material of the world. Meanwhile, Dummy's sound is more stripped back and rough when it comes to the beats. This is the reason why I've never really got into the album... until not so long ago. About a year ago, I started to listen to some of the songs of the album again, and its sound started to grow on me little by little, but still haven't returned to listen to the full project. Now, this list gave me the opportunity to give this album another try that I was waiting for. Conclusion? Absolutely worth it. This record may be one of the darkest, saddest and more emotional albums ever. I don't think I've ever heard this level of pain and sorrow being portrayed in a human voice. Makes me consider Beth Gibbons as one of, if not the greatest singer of all time. But is not all about her. The beats are also a crucial element to creat the dark atmosphere of the record. They can sound a bit rough at times, but they always do a great job accompanying the voice and adding a lot of character. So yes, this album may not be perfect, but it is incredible. My favourite songs are 'Sour Times', 'Wandering Star' and 'Roads', but every song here shines in their own way.

If I did not know better, I might think Portishead's Dummy falls into the soundtrack-to-non-existent-movie genre. Regardless, I am a sucker for trip hop. Thus, I am here for it.

Classic

This was interesting... I like a few of the songs at the end "Pedestal" and "Glory Box"

ha... is het album al voorbij? sorry, ergens halverwege tweede nummer in slaap gesukkeld... wel goeie muziek daarvoor

One of my favourite albums of all time

Favorite Track: Sour Times

One of my favorite albums of all time.

Está chulo pero creo que no lo escucharé mucho más

Strong 3 Was originally skeptical upon the first minute or so, but got more into it in time. Didn’t leave much of an impression beyond being a chill 90s vibe that I was cool. Fun to come across “Glory Box”, which I’ve been aware of/heard for a long time.

very weird and i liked it

Zapomniałam o istnieniu tego zespołu! A szkoda, bo jest wybitny. Nie lubię trip hopu, ale ten klimat, ten leniwy wokal, ta senna, oniryczna atmosfera. Cudo! 8/10

Great album, have it on vinyl. Very cold and dark and super clear that it’s portishead. There’s really not much else like it. It’s great, but not all timer great.

Not for me. Cool background mood music for a movie, but nothing I would listen to on purpose again.

Dummy was an instant classic when it came out, and it still holds up 20 years later. I knew of this album, and Portishead, but had never really sat down and listened to it. It's great.

Not impressed. Emo band that does not have a vibe and is not in the same league as The Cure. Not impressed.

At first I thought I would like it, at least a little but... well. There are a pair of good songs, but the album loses its interest really quickly. I went from "well!" (in a good sense) to "meh..." so fast. And, I think it's the thing with this album. Most songs are just the same thing all the time. They feel repetitive, as if there wasn't any kind of differentiation between them. And, so, it ends up being really boring (not to talk about how plain some songs are).

Pretty good, I prefer the jazzy/soulful side of trip hop that this shows - but the scooby doo keyboards and scratching doesn't do it

upea

Had the UK version on CD and listened to loads. Love listening whilst working and chilling out on my own.

One of the best trip hop albums of all time. High 4 very enjoyable

This is a very smart, refined record with a restrained spy thriller quality to it. I'd love to see a Portishead themed James Bond movie. I quite like trip hop as it turns out, but I don't love it as much as others. All the singles on this record are top drawer, but the album tracks leave me feeling a little fidgety. Something about the combination of dramatic, slow moving vocals and crispy, clicky production works better in some moments than it does in others.

Has grown into a low 5 for me over the years

Moody atmospheric electro-indie. Some eastern influences on Sour Times. Hints of later trap and dream pop? Female vocals quite soulful. Scratching/samples in Wandering Star Really not a fan, but I can't fault it technically. Best track - Biscuit, Glory Box 3 stars

rædsom. 1

Not for me

Enjoyed this album. Went into it expecting it to be quite depressing, but wasn't really that vibe. I knew i enjoyed sour times and glory box going into this album so am glad i came out of the album with a few more tracks.

Awesome. No skip album.

Super groovy, super clean production, and just overall a really interesting listen. I wasn’t really hooked until i listened to Roads early in the morning at an empty office and felt some kind of something.

Sublime. Low key electronica/pop. Reminds me of zero7.

I love this album. It's interesting musically, moody, & sexy.

still good

*Appreciate the musicianship, but it felt that it sounded the same by the end. *Sounds like a James Bond soundtrack

First album i tested my new car subwoofer with; uses low frequencies so well, really making them one of the main musical elements rather than just an afterthought

It was good

Insane production. Beautiful vocals. It's a classic for a reason.

I didn't know what to expect, but I love it

a foundational album that everyone needs to listen to at some point in their lives.

Honestly, the covers I have heard of Portishead songs seem better than the original thing, but it is still a 4.

There are particular tracks that I really love on this, but its a great example of how to do an album.The entire sound and presence of it takes me in, and I'm never bored.

One of my favourite albums of all time. It's nice and chill and interesting, always a nice listen. I don't have all of the songs already but I'm still happy listening to even the ones I don't have liked on Spotify. It's a very nice trip-hop album. It's also one of my go-to jogging albums so I might be a little biased. I especially like Roads - it's definitely one of my favourite songs of all time. 5/5 stars.

Pas mon try

Haunting and lovely

Absolutely adore this one.

I like the feel of this, but it's definitely not my go to. I remember when the album came out and it didn't really excite me then either. I can appreciate the influence though.

93/100. Dummy by Portishead is not only one of the best trip-hop albums ever made, but truly one of the best albums of all time. The atmosphere and tone are absolutely spectacular, drenched in moody textures and haunting vocals. It flows with a hypnotic consistency, pulling you into its world from the very first track.

An moody and atmospheric trip hop masterpiece

хорошо, качественно, чувственно, уникально. звучание интересное. но не цепляет

Liked this album a lot, and a lot of the music I enjoy is downwind of this album influence-wise. Just wish there was a little more variety.

Very close to a 5 star album. Great use of samples and original music with some great melodies over the top.

Dummy might be my #1 album from this entire list. It's just so amazing. The mix of tortured vocals, strings, brass, interesting percussion, record scratching and other electronic stuff, bluesy guitar, everything. It really changed music for me when I first heard it, and it still holds up. Incredible album.

If this album doesn't remind you of the time you drew Santa named, from life, you are doing something wrong.

I think like the XX, I'm out on my own from the rest of the group on this one. It might be that I never listen to music in album form and this one altogether feels especially a bit much - hard to hear with fresh ears, hard to enjoy when I'm already hating the short days and cooler weather and am just not in the mood for music to slit my wrists to.

Confession: with that name I always envision screaming metal music. I was wrong. This was very good.

Terrific album, and innovative for its time.

I’m good with these speakeasy albums for a while.

My cousin has been trying to get me to like this band for 20 years and I still don’t really get it. It’s good fall asleep music though if you want to have a few bad dreams

Ehhh, not my favorite. It’s like if Fiona Apple got herself a synth and became even more depressed.

The quintessential trip-hop album? Goddamn these beats mixed with the vocals...this thing fucks.

Brings me back.. love the vibe of this

Best Trip Hop Album out there!