Dummy

Good n weird, raw n gritty. Production is all great, and lyrics take us on a fun journey. Gotta start being the dbag that won’t shut up about Portishead

Super chill and i can appreciate that

Vibey

One of my favourite records of all time. The fusion of hip hop style backing music with the atmospheric/gothic vocals of Beth Gibbons creates such an interesting dynamic to the music. Each time I listen to it, I get something new from it. One of those fully formed debut albums. Wonderful stuff.

Excellent album.

Five

I got this on a nice rainy summer day. I love [sad 90s women sounds]

I wish this album had Glory Box on it three times but other than that it's really good

SUCH a FANTASTIC album!!!!

My buddy has a project to buy all of their "Perfect Albums" on vinyl. This was one of their first purchases and I could not agree more. Trip hop is a genre I like more on paper than in practice. After a time I just need this to open up a little, but this album is a major exception. Easily listened to it 3 times yesterday and will likely give it a few more spins this week.

I knew and loved Glory Box before this and always meant to listen to more of the artists but never did. I am really glad I did now. I still think that Glory box is my favorite song of the album but the rest sound great as well. Just a really cool sound overall.

This came up and I audibly said "Yesssssss..." So sad, so sexy. Great album.

We played this one a BUNCH at Camelot Records in 1995-96. It was my senior year and of the music we were allowed to play in-store, that record was among our favorite. Customers and our Manager… not so much.

6/10

På sitt beste er stemningen og melodiene fem stjerner. Men det er for få virkelig sterke melodier til å forsvare en topp karakter.

Cool trip hop tracks, but I think this debut is not as good as their other two albums and suffers by comparison even if it was the one that helped pioneer this sound. Standouts: Sour Times, Glory Box

Fantastic album. It’s a vibe all on its own even after all these years.

Æ tror faktisk aldri æ har hørt hele albumet før, men det va fint, sjøl om det hørtes ut som æ tenkte at det kom til å høres ut.

Slightly better than Third which I did not like. But still not my cup of tea Repetitive and boring. Only good song was Glory Box which I never knew was sung by them 2 ⭐️

Neato!

Really interesting, a few familiar sounding songs (feels like drama/action movie soundtrack picks). Overall super cool sounds, chill working music. Feels slightly experimental. Not a fave, but glad to have experienced it and know who provides such a familiar movie genre

Portishead has to be one of the coolest bands of all time. And this record just oozes chill. It's truly amazing how it captures me.

Вообще не зацепило. Ожидал жесткого рока в стиле Нирваны, а по итогу какая-то баба поет. Кароче лучше пойду послушаю Тома Петти и Хертбрейкеров, хуй знает

Love Beth's voice and the overall sound.Intriuing lyrics

Two thumbs down. I do not understand the universal praise. I found it to be sleepy, repetitive, and borderline unlistenable. It was depressing and a struggle to get through.

I was excited based on overall reviews, but I couldn’t even finish it.

Glory box rocks, I've had that song on a playlist for a bit now. The rest is cool but it seems like something meant for small doses. It sounds like one long droning song. There's definitely a good amount of creativity and talent, but it just never came together for me.

Excellent chill ambient music.

Honestly a low-frequency banger for the ages. Thoroughly enjoyed this record. Vocals were exactly was these instrumentals needed. It's cool to see the roots of Trip-hop be drawn from this album. I love the crazy usages of samples used here especially for the 90s. Lyrics cut deep. Honestly Bordering 5/5 stars. I'm huge on every track with the exception of "Sour Times" and "Wandering Star" but that is more of preference thing. There's a lot to enjoy about this whole project. 2/4/26 - So I've ended up listening to this album a lot more and I have to say there are some moments that have genuinely become my favorite. Glory box is probably one of the greatest songs in this scene. Roads is a brilliant heartfelt performance. And honestly the production for this time is kind of unreal. After listening to a little bit more music in this general genre, I can say with certainty this is an album that I favor amongst a lot of others, so I will put it at five stars today because I think it is one of the best if not the best in this genre.

Some tracks were duds, but I'd like to listen to many again. I liked the vocals and some of the 'trip hop' instrumentals/music itched my brain in a good way.

Я искренне пытался полюбить Portished, несколько раз, но нет, не взяло.

Good but don’t quite understand the hype

it was okay, had some songs i might listen to again

I hate electronic music

Oh, un petit quelque chose d'exotique quand même dans Sour Times. J'ai bien aimé. C'était doux et ambiant.

Un autre album du lot d'écoute de China. Elle va m'étriper si je ne donne pas 5 étoiles... Bien mérité. Selon China c'est un des meilleurs albums des années 90.

Wandering Star est magnifique. La ligne de basse vient d'un autre monde. Début de it's a fire on dirait qu'on rentre dans un temple dans Zelda, c'est le fun. La ligne de basse est tunée quelques hertz au-dessus de la tonalité on dirait c'est cool. Glory Box très beau. Il y a une vibe langoureuse sur l'album ça me parle. C'est le genre d'album qui s'écoute bien avec un ressenti 46 degrés

Classique! Je l’avais déjà écouté des dizaines de fois alors c’était facile. L’album a vraiment une capacité à établir une ambiance et à la maintenir toute sa longueur. C’est chaud, sensuel parfois, la tension est vive. La voix de Beth se mêle si parfaitement aux arrangements de Geoff. Sour Things, Glory Box, It’s a fire. Juste des chansons qui résonnent encore 31 ans plus. « Nobody loves me, it’s true… not like you do »

GOATED trip hop classic. Probably my favourite Bristol Sound group.

classic

I’ve never listened to this one before today but down the years I’ve heard so many people rave about it. It was good, I enjoyed listening to it but at the same time it didn’t exactly blow me away. I think it’s a grower though so I will give it a few more goes. Top Track - Pedestal

Great classic album.

I've listened to this album many times. If you're in a work situation and you need some groovy and mellow music to help focus, this one is a banger. I enjoy the vocals being set in the music instead of out front. It's laid back and urgent at the same time. In my opinion it's an excellent album and has no skips. Put it on repeat and get on with your day.

Amazing!

Was pretty chill listening

10/10

Might be a "you had to be there" situation but this got a lot of airplay in my orbit back in the day. Using funky Isaac Hayes samples to get down wasn't new. What was new was using them to get down in the sense of getting depressed, not to get down as in dance your ass off.

A nice treat from the collection, as I've owned this album for a long time, and have always enjoyed listening to it. It's also impressive hearing the difference between this much earlier album and recently getting their later "Third" album from after their long hiatus; "Dummy" is definitely more what I think of Portishead sounding like, but now I can appreciate both albums better I think. It's hard to pick just a few favorites from the album, as I enjoy nearly every track (although I'm quite partial to "Roads" as the highlight, and "It could be sweet" and "It's a fire" are probably the relative duds on the album), and I also enjoyed seeing the three videos, the well-produced Bond-like "Sour times" (apparently taken from a 10-minute film they created, "To Kill a Dead Man"), the somewhat disturbing home-movie-esque "Numb", and the final track's noir-nightclub "Glory box". I also really appreciate the almost steampunk-like/film-noir-like vibe to the entire album, and I'm really impressed to read that they created their distinctive sound by recording various instruments and sounds on vinyl, introduced a bunch of static/noise by walking all over the discs (and playing through a broken amplifier), and then recorded the samples on a record deck (in addition to their samples from vintage albums). I'm a bit torn between whether this is four or five stars-worthy, but I think the fact that this was their debut album, it earned all five stars.

This is the Portishead I know and don't actively hate! When the album ended, it started up again and I didn't even notice. Well done, Portishead.

very mysterious trip hop music. it's like the music that echoes from a murky jazz club, hiding between all the other buildings with a neon light that's struggling to stay on. it's depressing, but it's a beautiful depressing, all wrapped in velvet. i like the atmosphere it sets for the listener. there's a few tracks here and there that really capture my interest, especially with some of the vocals paired with some really faint and eerie beats. there's a bit that lingers on here and there, but i mean... i think this one was pretty cool. if you're looking for something sensible and lo-fi, this one is a good pick.

Soo very chill. Has some massive attack vibes. Great song composition, appropriate vocals, great electronics

actually rather good! i enjoyed this album and have admittedly not listened to a lot of portishead in a while!

No me encanta

i really liked this album. ethereal and emotional and funky. verrrrry much enjoyed

Noise. I don't feel it.

Another previously-listened-to-er. Been getting a lot of these lately despite the sheer unlikelihood of it happening. I listened to Dummy a year or two ago after a brief stint of trying to get into trip-hop - I'm a fan of both Gorillaz' debut album and Cibo Matto. Through my explorations of the genre I concluded that while trip-hop is a difficult genre to get wrong, it's also a difficult genre to get right. There's a simple pleasure to this music. I'm a big fan of the Silent Hill games (of which Portishead had a big influence), so in some respects this album is right up my alley. "Sour" is a very good song - the chorus flashes through my mind on occasion. Among the best displays of songwriting on the album, with an instrumental that is resoundingly Silent Hill. "It's a Fire" is another song that I sometimes think about, though my opinions on it are more mild. It has a good chorus while the rest of the music kinda falters. The thundering atmosphere on "Strangers" is pretty good. I also like "Biscuit". The pensive atmosphere on that song is pretty solid. "Glory Box" is a great tune, though you didn't need me to tell ya that. It has the best vocal performance on the album with some gripping strings and nice guitar embellishments. While I appreciate this album for what it is, something about it just filters me. It's undeniably competent as far as the music and performances go, though I can't help but come away with a mild impression. It's probably due to the generally minimal compositions and repetitious song structure. The album also loses me quite a bit in the later stretch. I can't say I cared about "Roads" or "Pedestal". In any case, this album has a lot under it's belt as far as influence and success goes, so it's a solid pick for the list. Can't fault it.

Love this album

I often forgot just how incredible this record is. Beth Gibbons has a voice like no other, and nowhere is that better exemplified than here. Tracks like Roads, Biscuit, Glory Box, It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, Mysterons, yeah im just naming the whole fucking album. It is that good. A must hear for all.

Enjoyed the slow pace and background music. Did not care for her singing.

Sounds great. Beth Gibbon's voice embedded in electronic sounds.

altern. rock, 1994 -> 3

i heard this several months ago and fell asleep to it. let's see if it holds my attention this time... trip hop is a hit or miss genre for me. i adore massive attack's mezzanine and enjoy most of their 90s output, along with tricky's maxinquaye. but the appeal of dummy has always eluded me. i wonder if it's the textures. i appreciate it for its ambition more than actually enjoying it.

Interesting

Great album! Tight grooves, solid vocals, just an overall enjoyable listen.

Good listen 🎶

Classic album and genre defining. The soft smooth vocals, the wonderful sample usage and all the textures in the songs, ui juist can't really go wrong

Such a vibe. Really cool drums and sounds throughout. Love the western guitar on sour times Roads is cool, i like her singing, its fragile in a cool way.bass is cool on pedestal. Really dig the vibes and sounds, it does get a little repetitive though and maybe lacking a little depth or something. Not quite a 5

People always think I should like them and I only think they are ok. Good for this project

Meh I dont know what to think about this

Mye kult og interessant, men og mye av det samma

Great at the time. Think I've moved on as a person though. Dropping a star.

5/5 Already an all-time favourite of mine (Thanks Dad.) The best to come out of the Bristol trip-hop bands. It holds this haunting, grimy atmosphere through the beautiful, ethereal vocals floating over the top of the industrial sounding hip hop beats and creepy samples and synths. Top 3 Songs: Numb Glory Box Mysterons

A 90's album that isn't 20 minutes too long! Well done! Actually had no expectations that I would enjoy this one, but I liked it overall. Not going to be something I keep coming back to, but thought it was well done

Me gusto, muy experimental, pero para mi tiene skips

Totally forgot this existed but it pulls. Until it doesn't, and then just feels a bit monotonous.

How can you not give a genre-defining album five stars?

never was a big fan of portishead

This was an alright album. It was enjoyable to listen to but nothing really stood out, it may take another listen to really appreciate it. I liked the vibe but I would give this a 2.5 if half ratings were possible.

Oh yeah this is great. I'll listen to this again.

Pretty good. I can hear the glitch Hop origins. It got a bit strange for a bit there.

This album creates an atmosphere like no other piece of music I have heard. I find it hard to describe. Hypnotic, electronic, and hypnagogic.

…mimimi….mimi….mimimi…

4 5

Tää oli hyvä jumitus

Actually enjoyed this more than I thought. 2.46

Ended strong. I'm torn because some felt mediocre to my ears. Probably a 3.5

So creepy but also conforting

3 stars Inventive and interesting. I was able to listen to it all the way through a few times although it did put me to sleep.

Just nahh from me. 2/5.

From this trip hop movement i always liked Tricky or Massive attack more than Portishead. This record has quite cool jazzy vibe, but as an album it is bit monotonous.

Some albums feel to fly on their own heights and this is one of those.

The first few songs didn’t click — the vocals felt out of place with everything else. Eventually it started to flow better, but by the end, it faded too much into the background. 3 stars.

What an excellent album! By mid 90's my taste in music had accepted that electronic music had flavours and everything with a massive bassy beat was not "euro techno", so I went to town. Portishead was one of the bands that really made an impact and sold the idea that dark and gloomy music didn't have to be fast nor heavy, or rather that heavy started to mean various things when talking about sound. For some reason I find this a bit lenghty release, feel like switching around the last three tracks, but usually let it play through. Really beautiful music.

strong contender for the sexiest sounding album. gonna leave it at a 4 for now but im sure a few more listens and it will be up to a 5!

Theremin was done best by the Beach Boys on Pet Sounds. It's use should have pretty much started and stopped right there. Sour Times is not the biggest song on this album?!? I'm shocked. This was the working soundtrack for a Zach Braff movie. Yeah, Glory Box makes sense that it's the big hit...very popular.

Favorite Songs: It Could Be Sweet

Straight out the motherfuckin dungeons of trip-hop. Shout out Portis and shout out Head. Those whites were on to something. Also, go listen to Beth Gibbon's solo LP from last year. 9/10 Favorite Songs: It's a Fire/Roads/Glory Box

Mildly Spooky

not for me! a little slow and i’m not in love with any of the songs

Not my cup of tea!

👎🏻

Classic

Used to own this and lost the CD in a collection of CD's I lost. It was a very important album at the time and was part of a collection of artists that came out of the west of England with the same trip-hop genre. I will always listen to this album, and if i came across the CD again, I would buy it. Its A Fire is FIRE. I would want to own this album just for this song and Glory Box. my rating changed from a 4.5 to a 5 because of these 2 songs alone

Amazing late, late (late) night music.

Mysterons 3.4 Sour Times 3.6 Strangers 3.5 It Could Be Sweet 3 Wandering Star 3.6 It's a Fire 3 Numb 2.8 Roads 2.8 Pedestal 3 Biscuit 3.1 Glory Box 3.3 Score: 3.190909091

Need to listen a bit more but this could easily become a 4. Some real head bobbers

I am sad to report I did not make it through this album. This is fun music to play in the background during nocturnal adventures but I can't imagine just listening to this by itself so I was fucking floored to see two of their top ten songs on Spotify were live renditions of their songs. 2.5/5

Weird witchy vibes. Not irritating but not something I want to listen to either

49 minutes de génériques non retenus de James Bond

Plutôt bonne découverte, je kiffe la voix, l'album s'écoute tranquillou. Fun fact quand j'arrive enfin sur Glory Box et que je me dis "Aaaaaaaaaaaaah mais c'était eeeeuuuuuuuux ce morceau"

Is this … the absolute rompiche ?

C'est un peu comme le tour de france: je sais qu'il s'y passe des choses intéressantes mais je peux pas m'empêcher de dormir...

Zzzzzzzzzzzz

A mind-broadening approach to alternative. Quite reminicent of late-night 90’s and 2000’s

Fun album with super great production and vocals. The main thing that holds it back for me is how similar pretty much every track is

I listened to this thinking I would really be enjoying it as I remember loving it but I wasn’t as intrigued, mostly just bored.

Atmospheric, haunting and amazing.

Really good album. I like their later material better but this is still solid

Absolute banger to sleep to.

An exquisitely haunting masterpiece. Beth Gibbons voice soothes and mesmerizes through sinewy, sparse electronica. A must listen.

It might not be an exaggeration to say that literally everyone likes this band more than I do. Still better than Radiohead though.

Innovate and emotional

Very funky! Didn’t think I would like this at first but ended up really vibing with it

Ain’t no dummy here

Oh yeah wow. Another classic. This album is so good and so timeless and a perfect five. I’m so happy at the opportunity to listen to it again. What’s interesting about Dummy and Portishead in general is how singular it is. Usually when you have such a seminal album you get a wave of copy cats, some better some worse. This was never the case here. Trip hop was a limited scene and you didn’t really get a wave of Portishead copy cats. You can’t copy what makes this album special. It feels like the end of the night, the after of the after party. Like broken promises and shattered dreams and lost hope and it’s sooo beautiful. The production mixes hip hop, dance music, cinematic music and an old timey jazz feel. Gibbons’s vocals are beautiful but also beautifully flawed and cracked like they’ve been through all the pains of life. Wabi sabi in a way. Perfect five in any way possible.

Nice, haunting but relaxing somehow.

A morose record scratches in a rainy, black and white movie with cobwebs drifting in time with the quietly crooned ennui. Dummy is an immortal trip-hop record that combines James Bond soundtrack samples, live instrumentation and programmed beats. Beth Gibbons melancholic voice soars to a keen and sinks to a sensual register, the lyrics are best heard as a melodic articulation, not read as poetry. Every 1990s bohemian girl declared a sadly frustrated sexual autonomy to album closer, and soundtrack staple, Glory Box. But, every single track on Dummy still feels both vintage and futuristic.

A little too dreamy for me. Essences of Bjork rise over the beats. In its day, this would have been the antidote for BritPop rock. Led the trip-hop movement but this is not an album to be played during daylight. A true 2 AM record.

Went in with no expectations. Was not expecting trip-hop. At times it sounded like they were making music for a haunted house, at others I actually thought I was listening to a modern Bond film.

your demon stalks you in the night. it stares at you from every angle of this city, across from every derelict bus stop, in hallucinations formed between the specks in your eyes and the popcorn ceiling above your bed. in between moments of brief sexual release by yourself, you feel its hands, perverted and unkind, perched upon your shoulder. its drool is cold upon your neck. something haunts you, and it will not leave you alone, nor will it kill you. it will simply exist, taking up space wherever it sees fit, like some dispassionate feline. for some reason, there has been an understanding of Dummy as potentially sexy or swanky; i could not imagine fucking to this. this isn't lifeless music, for sure, but something is haunted and off-putting about it. the band made this record through taking their soon-to-be-abandoned vinyl samples and sliding down the banister on them, using them as skateboards. as a result, we have a scuffed future, something far from Massive Attack's sobering march into the future or Tricky's vampiric hip hop. it's soul music, emptied of its lust for life and filled with a bitter acceptance of a future that is equal parts uncertain and unfair. even the occasional acid jazz flourishes feel like flashes of light from a malfunctioning neon sign, accidentally switched on by a nightguard watching old rotting properties. the term i saw used in RJ Wheaton's book on Trip Hop for the 33 1/3 Genre series was "black-hearted soul". i disagree -- a "black heart" implies cruelty, evil. Portishead are not evil, they are drained. this is soul-sucked soul.

Not at all for me. Weird stuff.

This has gotta be one of the most innovative albums genre wise, as it seemingly invented it own genre, and still transcended everything that's categorised as 'trip-hop' imo. The vocals are amazing, and have such a range of styles, and fit the haunting yet beautiful mood perfectly. I feel like quite a lot of elements from the instrumentals feel like samples, and are emulating that dusty old sound, from the CD credits, which I think is an amazing sound. The drums especially have such a perfect timbre, with the slight vinyl noise and crunch, and also the unconventional drum parts, like the drum machine on it could be sweet and the seemingly the snare drum with the level off in numb, which works perfectly. Also the organ/Rhodes which make up a surprising amount of the backings are great, and not too in-your-face. Absolutley no downsides with this, I think the only problems with Portishead as a band started to show in the self titled album after this, but nothing here. Favourite songs: all, maybe the its a fire one slightly less but still. Overall around 10/10

As a big fan of the 90s I can say it's worth to listen. Not the biggest impression but some titles are worth it but I can't put this album as good as the Radiohead, Joy Division.

This is decent electronic, though most of the album has not been very memorable. The beats are pleasant, the vocals are nice, and there are some cool ideas in there. The better tracks are towards the end, so listening all the way through provides a nice journey. But while the album is cohesive and decent, I didn't find anything outstanding. It's worth a listen, just not repeating listens for me.

"Roads" is a fantastic song

Ah, nostalgic 90's trip hop. I LOVE IT! Sour Times is a classic, as is Wondering Star. Buscuit is the favorite for me. Such a dope album. 4.

I dig the Film Noir vibes this album conjures up for me. 3.5

Pretty good vibes,amazing simger,didnt pay-attentio to the lyrics as always,a bit to repetitive

Ultimate chill. Highlights: Sour Times, Wandering Star, Glory Box.

I have known and loved this album for a while now. It sets a very specific mood that you can't help but be transfixed by. However, I've always thought that there were some clear highlights and some clear... not highlights. We shall see if this notion holds up. Mysterons is really the perfect introduction here. Immediately you know what to expect. Perfect production, great vocals, and an odd setting. The drums here are perfectly repetitive, and the synth adds a lot to that air of mistery. Lyrically, not sure what it is about. But I sure love to sing along with Beth Gibbons. Great stuff. Sour Times seems to be about not lying to yourself and just... doing it. What you want to. Disregard traditional values and live. And that chorus man. This one is one the most emotional songs in an album filled with them. But really paying attention to the lyrics has made me love it even more. Damn Stranger is the first song that can be described as "unsettling" (something that can be said about a lot of their later material). The samples here are relentless, always drowning and present. It almost feels like a march, since there's always something happening. It is one of the songs that I didn't pay much attention to when revisiting this album, but this time I'm suddently liking it much more. It Could be Sweet has always been one of my favourites. So laid-back, the instrumentals are kept to a minimum, so all the focus is on the vocals, and damn is the delivery amazing. Lyrics wise, it reminds me of Sour Times a bit, especially the idea that you can't run away from your thoughts, or your wishes, and surrendering to them "could be sweet". This song is also an example of something that I feel about the whole album: it is not necessarily sad (although it can be interpreted in that way). To me, it's more beautiful than sad. In Wandering Star the sample is again a bit more unsettling. It also seems to be the outright saddest song in the album, about the state of depression and its feeling of inescapability. And besidesi talking a lot about feeling bad, it also dabbles in being deserving of it, things which often go hand-in-hand. It's a Fire has always been my least favourite track on the album. It seems to be about keeping on keeping on. And while at first it seems hopeful (even the instrumentals), there are clues that it is all a farse, the biggest example being the fact that the song ends with "so breathe on, little sister, like a fool". Numb, despite its title being the one that most aligns with the mood of the record, is the one that fits in the least. The vocal delivery reminds me a bit of something from their next album. Lyrically, it's sad. "This loneliness, it just won't leave me alone". The vocals, however, keep me from fully connecting to it, which is a rarety in Dummy. Roads is the most heartbreaking song here. However, its lyrics are also the most vague and hard to decipher. I think it's about loneliness in such a packed world. A feeling that we all feel and yet don't recognize. Her asking "how can it feel this wrong" though... yeah, great. Pedestal is another one I often forget about. I can't quite make sense of what it is about, but it sounds so cool and distant. The vocals are almost disconnected (non-derogatory). It's hard to miss out on a song that is between two giants (Roads and Glory Box), and sadly I think that may have happened to Biscuit. But damn is it good. That feeling of supposedly being full but still being hungry. Being a "slave of sensation". Yeah. And then we arrive at the big boss. Glory Box. It's the kind of song that, for fans, has become "too famous". But man, it's good. Very good. And so resonant. People seem to think that this is a bit of a feminist anthem, and while I do think that is in part true, I also think it is an admission of fault. All she wants to be is a woman. Despite recognizing that the standards set for what a woman is are ridiculous, she still wants to mett them. And that's true of everyone. We all admit that standards of gender (and plenty other things too) are useless and dumb, but we all still have that urge that forces us to fulfill them. At least that's what I get out of this. Yeah, this record is amazing. It is a defining achievement of any genre that uses samples, and is all but the founding text of the trip-hop genre. And it definitely holds up, as nothing quite like this album has been made since. I did gain a new appreciation for some tracks, and my love for the others only blossomed. It's a classic, and a damn good one at that. Bye

Unknown band for me. Good vocal. Reasonably good album for the genre.

Billie Eilish vibe

There are some obvious stand out tracks on this album like sour times and glory box but it just all feels a bit middling. Nothing grabs hold of you and demands you pay attention. Its not surprising that this has led to the music being s go to soundtrack to seedier crime drama like The Vice. Enjoyable background music

Beyond “Glory Box” I was largely unfamiliar with Portishead, and this album is much the same vibe as that - not a bad thing, just not really my thing, really. It’s atmospheric and I can see its appeal, but I doubt I’ll ever think about it or listen to it again.

Sour Times and Glory Box are perfect alternative pop songs and I'll not have a bad word said against them. Despite how much I love those songs, I'd never listened to Dummy before. I'm apparently not someone who is going to really love a full album of trip hop. It just becomes a bit samey over 50 minutes. Also I listened to this in the morning before work and it's definitely an evening album. So I think this makes it a: 3/5

Good album - I chose worse time to listen to it, on the way home for a holiday weekend- way too sorrowful 3/5

It's an album I've heard before, it's a bit difficult to evaluate an album I've already heard. It has good songs, and it's a very pleasant experience. But some of the songs I have the feeling are similar to the previous ones, and it gets boring after a while. But it's a cool album, the musicality is interesting.

I really shouldn't like this. Not 'my type' of music at all.. but that's why I am playing this game. I really enjoyed this. Brilliant vocals. Atmospheric. Made me actually listen. 4/5.

3.9 This blew my mind when I first got into this at 12-13. So futuristic for 1994, sounds fresh even now. However, I think it's slightly let down by the weaker tracks. A few tracks float by without contributing much, which is a shame when other like Roads and Glory Box hit deep. It's a fire wasn't on my CD version back in the day, so it's jarring hearing it plonked right in the middle here, sounding so out of place. An unnecessary inclusion.

dreamy, idyllic, weirdly sexy - yes yes and yes

Cool beats very dark, clean, unique sound, put-together

I've had another Portishead album on this generator before (Third). This is one of those bands that surprised the hell out of me. Never heard of them before this generator. They are a trip hop band (hip hop crossed with electronica). These guys are like ....doom trip hop? It's got this dark brooding feel to it, but it has a super catchy beat. I really don't mind it at all. Pretty solid! Favorite songs: Wandering Star, Strangers, Sour Times, Mysterons, Glory Box Least favorite songs: It Could Be Sweet 4/5

Debut album. Won the Mercury prize. Trip Hop. Strangers, I like this track. Nice lyrics and sound. Wandering Star is also a nice track with good lyrics. Glory Box is a lovely track. A mellow album with soft vocals throughout.

interesting

Great album

Solid

Last song is a masterpiece

There are moments of pure perfection in this album. You can tell every beat, note and grainy crackle has been thought about. Underneath it all are some great tunes, delivered into something which at the time was both familiar but fresh and new.

Tremendo, fantástico, me encanta. El sonido en general me parece estupendo

A true modern classic; still sounds as fresh as it did three decades ago, unlike many trip-hop projects of the time. Not a bad cut on this album. Timeless and oozing with cool.

Five fuckin stars. Perfect album. Sheesh.

I have NO idea what this is supposed to be. Lounge? Alternative coffee house? (before that was a thing?) I don't know. What I do know is that for some reason that I still to this day cannot fathom, I love love love this! It is so ... weird? Different? Again, I don't know? But it is just as profoundly effective as it was the day I bought the album when it came out. I think, I mean maybe, that it dares be so different, it challenges the listener to defy genre expectations, as if you can have them here. Portishead is like one of those secret fascinations I have. I don't know why I find this so compelling, I don't even honestly STILL know what I am exactly listening to? But there it is and here we are!

Likes it at first, but not as much on my second listen.

So sad! Not my vibe right now. So I’m biased but she had a nice voice.

Один из любимых альбомов, который сформировал отчасти мой музыкальный вкус. Тут все прекрасно

It's quite an achievement to have your first album be the gold standard for an entire genre. I think Massive Attack might have actually put out the first trip hop album but this is definitely the one that everyone knows. It's such a great record and still holds up today. My favorites off of this album are probably Glory Box, Roads, and Biscuit but all the songs are great, really. I'm not usually one for electronic music but there's something about this that just works so well - the vibe, the way the songs are structured, it's electronic but not annoyingly so. And the vocals are amazing. I have always loved this album and am very happy to see it included on this list. 5/5

Shining example of trip hop. Portishead is one of the great discoveries I have made doing this project.

Feels like molten sunshine. Or honey. Or heroin.

Got Third yesterday and now Dummy today. Decided to just go ahead and listen to the second one as well to complete the journey. Spoiler alert they’re all great

A wonderful application of sampling and turntablism. I remembered this as being a lot more one-dimensional spy-film trip hop. There's definitely a lot of that stuff but the sampling is much more diverse than I remember. Mysterons opens with some turntablism before Beth Gibbons comes in sounding like Grace Slick when she's being sultry. Eerie theremins and and subtly impossible drum fills anchor the piece. Sour Times is pure Lalo Schiffrin. Makes me wonder how much of an influence this album was on east England's Photek et al in the later 90s rather than the Bristol crowd. Strangers has anxious dial tones anchoring 1920s jazz guitar and milquetoast hollywood numbers. Wandering Star keeps the dial tone concept going, this time with an anxious baseline. Its a Fire could be a modern pop song before the hammond organ comes in. I do have to admit that by the time I got to Numb the album had faded into the background a bit. Its cinematic quality is great but it doesn't necessarily grab you by the collar and force you to pay attention. The exception of course being the last single and the last track on the album, Glory Box, which slays. I think most of the band had been tangentially involved in music for a decade before they formed Portishead and they were in their late 30s. It feels really mature compared to most electronic music from that era. Doesn't feel like its trying to get into the future, but also isn't just retromania, really sounds like accomplished musicians creating something new.

5 stars. No notes.

Too whispery

Dreamy, lowkey alt

It sounds like Seattle looked in the early 2000s, there’s a gritty texture to the weight of the music and the vocals kind of drift above the music, sometimes scraping and other times coasting. The arrangements are interesting a little emo, full and gothic.

Nice vibes and love to listen to it while working Fav song - Glory Box 4/5

Alternativ rock - heller ikke my cup of tea.

Lovely music. My high school age kids first got me into this music. Interesting stuff.

My first trip hop album? Kinda like! Moody.

Very good and very soulful

J'aime pas la voix sorry

This album had a cool vibe, like being seduced in a martini bar by women of nefarious intent. It’s an interesting blend of Madonna’s Ray of Light (which this album pre-dated by five years) and Garbage (which this album predated by two years). Key tracks for me were It’s Fire and Mysterons. If there was a complaint, it’s that the album gets tonally one-note after a while. It’s definitely listenable when in the right mood.

Random thoughts: * Sadly, I did not get into trip hop in the 90s. My tastes were not refined enough or I just wasn't cool enough for it. I'm bummed that I missed this when it was new. * I'm glad I found this music recently. I'm a big fan. I actually discovered this through the podcast 60 songs that explain the 90s. I guess my tastes are more refined now because clearly I'm still not cool. * Beth Gibbons voice over that ominous music is a great mixture. * I listened to this on a rainy morning commute which is pretty good atmosphere for this album. Daylight is not the time for this album. This is late night listening material.

Another strong nostalgia flashback - still great

Loved this then, now it sounds tinny and thin, weird

5 stars if you're having sex while listening.

Interesting

Yeah boring as batshit

Not bad, not didn't grab me enough to really warrant 4 stars. 3.5 maybe. Could be if I listened to it more but who knows, some low down funky grooves tho

Second half was far more well put together than the first, the first track was okay and then it was whatever for the next 4 or so, definitely would give it maybe even a 5 if it wasn’t so one flip floppy on a track being good or not

Good spooky dreamy album. Recognised Sour Times (it's good), but I think I've only heard a cover of it.

Lemppari: Glory Box Vähiten lemppari: It Could Be Sweet

Ciekawy album tworzący swój własny świat, ma bardzo melancholijny nastrój. Ton gitary jest świetny. Muszę przesłuchać jeszcze raz, bo trochę słabo pamiętam. Ulubiona piosenka: Glory box

Amazing album, trip hop OGs

Definitely preferred their eponymous one, but this shows the beginnings of their sound

03/05/2025 The album is okay, but a bit slow.

2/5 not interesting

Classic moody 90s at their best. What a year for music.

Alternative rock, I guess. Slow and meandering, started off pretty cool but kinda dragged a bit afterwards.

One of the most essential records of my formative years! And an amazing show to boot!

Siân would rate more highly than Deb

This did absolutely nothing for me, it's a nothing album that I played and I barely recognized that it was playing and I didn't realize when it ended. There was an occasional unpleasant scratchy dog barking like noise that would get my attention but then it would disappear again. I guess this is considered a great album but I don't get the appeal at all. I wish I had the 49 minutes this was on back so I could listen to something else.

Took me back to some junior year of high school MTV buzzbin memories. This has aged quite well. But not the most consistent throughout.

the atmosphere on this record is v easy to describe but my emotional response to it has always been a lot trickier. im sure theres Something...surely to the stinging swell i feel every time i reach Roads. which perhaps hits so hard because the rest of the album seems to come at u w/ such carefully hidden intentions. maybe the record is less about The Night and more about The Stranger u meet in the night, who could change ur whole life, tho to what end its hard to tell. both directions seem v compelling and supported by the aesthetic of the record in different vibrant ways. lil bit the coolest album ever

Great, love ‘em.

I can tell how it was revolutionary at the time by how it was recorded. It is really good, I liked it but as Wikipedia put it: this is the type of album you would put as background music in a cafeteria.

Запись хорошо, но был совсем не в настроении на музыку вчера.

Is this really about the book House of Leaves? Creepy but doesn’t resonate with me.

Soundtrack to my late teens. Still sounds as good today.

Can appreciate the craft, but that voice is fucking annoying four tracks in.

I enjoyed this alot, very immersive and well-realized. Incredibly, this sounds like it could have come out in the last five years, both in terms of production quality (it is beautiful with good headphones) and style. It's undoubtedly plundering the best of what was going on in hip hop around this time, but equally there are significant elements of Dummy's intricate soundscape that have had major moments in recent popular music: the atmospheric, almost gothic aesthetic is all over the Lana Del Rey-Lorde-Billie Eilish pop lineage, and the vibe-heavy, emo-on-benzos production had a moment with a particularly shitty kind of rap coming out in the late 2010s, and lofi hip hop more generally. Who knows much direct influence Dummy had on those artists but at the very least it speaks to how ahead of its time this blend of sound was. There may be contemporary Portishead analogs that I find more interesting (that are hopefully on this list) and the vocalist wears thin by the end, but this is a high 4 for me.

I liked this album a whole lot when I first heard it over a decade ago, but admittedly it hasn’t had much play time for me over the years. Dummy is equal parts haunting, mysterious, spooky, and disquieting. The music is effective, and retains a distinct identity in the trip-hop genre 30 years after release. However, Portishead offers little breathing room for the listener over Dummy’s runtime. The band’s sound can leave the listener searching for diversity amid the onslaught of record scratches and blips. Thankfully, Glory Box is there to blow the lid off the building tension on the album’s close. (And what a finale it is). Dummy’s themes have always gone a bit over my head, but I feel the album does such an efficient job of marrying Beth Gibbons’ vocals with the cold and oppressive soundscapes that you kind of get the idea anyway. By no means a genre I’m comfortable with, but Dummy scratches by with 4/5

Idk if I loved it, but I did not mind it. Kind of ethereal and interesting, but no tracks stood out. I think it was worth listening to as a whole

I love the captivating vocal performance here, even if I don’t always love the production or song-writing. At times vibey, cathartic, and unsettling. Standout tracks are: “Strangers” or “It’s a Fire”

I read how they recorded this by making a vinyl record and then distressing the record. Didn’t seem to help much, it was just an OK album.

Hate to hate but … (jk I love to hate)

Pleasant enough trip hop likely sounds a lot better at a club slow dancing with someone you fancy.

Great album. Very well balanced between underground trip hop and mainstream appeal. This album definitely stands the test of time.

Interesting vibes but still a bit boring. Better than the other Portishead album we got.

4/10 - I don’t like portishead. I think if I can imagine a camera zooming out from a destroyed city or a dead main character while the song is playing I will not like. Portishead has managed to nail that sound.

Such a unique sounding album. While I don't think the vibe works some of the time - I feel like there are songs where the vocals just don't really match the instrumental, which makes for a goofy sound - when it does work, it's one of the greatest songs ever. Sour Times, Roads, and Glory Box are all perfect songs for me. The lows on the album are pretty mediocre (but still interesting), but the highs are higher than almost anything else we've heard on this list so far

Lol

Big emphasis on percussion in this strange but inticing album. You can almost feel that these tracks were moreso meant to display their beat and be used for future sampling by the rap industry at large. Cutting the vocals out with the exception of the chorus' would likely result in exactly the same listening experience. Trippy and psychedelic in it's own regard, this album stands out as influential and incredibly unique.

Хоча Portishead і не вигадали трип-хоп як такий, але вони точно зробили його таким, яким ми його зараз знаємо: трохи тривожним, трохи сумним, ну і до біса атмосферним. Гурт виник на тлі сірої британської дійсності 90-х — Бет Гіббонс і Джефф Барроу буквально познайомились на програмі для безробітних, що «покривала» для Бет її виступи в барах. Це безумовно вплинуло на стиль гурту, та зробило Dummy буквально просякнутим «нуарним духом». Їхній звабливий, але в той самий час, трохи «зловісний» саунд поєднує у собі суміш ламаних бітів із блюзовими інтонаціями та елементами джазу, який ніби як, грають десь у прокуреному барі. Однак, головними героями, тут звісно ж виступають різноманітний вокал Бет, що ніби «вмирає» у кожному треку, та діджейська технічність Барроу. Але що мені також сподобалась - так це surf рокова гітара, що поєднується зі скретчами та звучить ніби крізь марення. Коли слухав цей альбом багато років тому, якось не звертав на це увагу - дуже стильно, навіть у наш час. Та і загалом, не дивлячись на доволі солідний вік цієї роботи - не на секунду не здається, що слухаєш щось з минулого століття. Такі шедевральні речі можна порахувати на пальцях - один із моїх найулюбленіших альбомів ever, хоч я і не часто до нього повертаюсь.

Very good vocals. Would listen again

Probably one my most 'local' albums of the 1001, beats that still bang and a voice that is still beautiful. More importantly a stylistic and genre defining piece.

Have heard of but never listened to Portishead. I liked the vibes

Enjoyable, with an unmistakable 90s sound. Very concepty, with a similar vibe throughout

Didn’t like it. Slower, more metallic sounding music.

Massive Attack meets Bjork

vibey

I love music that makes me feel like I'm waitin' at the bus stop late on a rainy night with a woman standing across the street under a flickering streetlight. Bitch, if you don't stop contortin’ your body like that

It definitely scratches a specific itch in my brain Half way between a 3 and 4

I don't mind the music, but I would not seek it out. The singer's voice is very grating to me, though. I would not listen to this again.

Enjoyed the listen. 7.5/10

I listened to this album and reviewed it but for some reason it never saved. I just noticed it while looking back through my reviews and it's been so long that the only thing I remember is liking it more than the other Portishead album I reviewed, which received a 2. So this one gets a three with a shrug.

Great dark moody vibes to this one. Need a trenchcoat in the rain, like a blade runner city or something. Gives mystery feelings

I'd forgotten quite how good this is. Bit nonplussed to see it on the list but listening back, it's a perfectly cut gem of a record. One of those rarities perhaps, where the reality is actually better than its status. Barely a flat spot on it, a coherent and unique sound, brilliant musicianship. It's fantastic

look. i love theremins. i fucking love theremins. and i love beth gibbons' vocals. and what can i say? i love the 90s. i'm a slut for millennial nostalgia. the creepiness of this album had me right away. it sounded x-files inspired, and i think they had at least one song featured on buffy, and i got into it immediately. and it keeps up the creepy experimentality to great success the whole time. the sampling, the synth fucking, all of it works together for a really fantastic and weird album. overall, the vibe is incredible and this is an album that will i absolutely be listening to again in the future. 5/5 90s goth kids are either parents to goth kids or still goth kids now

So good. So sampled on every rap record in the last 15 years. I love portishead, they will always get a 5. “We want to make spy music with hip hop beats” yeah you did it.

I liked this album. The production was really cool and tight. Favorite songs were Roads and Wandering Star. Many songs on here could’ve been James Bond songs. The vocals weren’t very interesting or impressive. Some of the aspects of this album reminded me of the Gorrillaz.

I'm gonna say it, on this one UK electronic album, I could use less vocals and I think I'd really be into it. To be fair though, this probably doesn't count as an electronic album. Feels like one though The instrumentals are really cool, definitely hasn't been helped by the deluge of chill lo-fi hip-hop beats to relax to, but this being the source of that is cool. I get why this is on the list, must've blown some minds when it came out. That being said will I return to this, probably not? But now I can say I've listened to Portishead and that's gotta make me 1% cooler than I was before. By far the best record of this ilk that we've gotten on this project. I'm lumping it in with Goldie and that Leftism album, but this one is way better. Can't wait for some nerd to tell me that's not a fair comparison but whatever 3/5

Incredibly strong sample work highlight an album that would be damn near perfect if they found a lead singer who didn't sound like she was hiding from her parents at 11pm with how goddamn quiet and flat she was most of the time and how often the producers focused on "chill beats" before anyone even invented that term. The first section of this albums incredible, I love Sour Times to death and I was certain it would be one of my favorite albums. Unfortunately, the interesting sampledelia gave way to a neutered Ute Lemper doing Lofi Beats to Study/Relax to. Started this album in love with it, ended almost mad at it. Still a 4 out of 5, the great songs reverberate through my childhood taste in music. There ain't a MS MR without this I bet.

Slow trippy

336/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Smooth, chill, sensual. This one is a constant fav.

Probably my favorite album start to finish of all time. Only other possible favorites would be Miles Davis kind of blue which we've already heard And I'm also quite fond of 311's music but I doubt it'll be on this list.

Good good.

A big ol 3. I thought I recognised half the songs without recognising them (adverts probably) until Glory Box at the end which I obviously did know. And maybe it's because everything sounded the same, slightly monotone but relaxing thing. I can see why people like it and in the right mood (and travelling as I was on trains) sure. But I don't think it lit much in me.

Another case of listening in the wrong mood and environment.

This was a good choice for an Easter Sunday listen. Great sounds, nice sparse production. There are some fascinating notes on how they created their own samples on the Wikipedia article too. She has a great distinctive voice too.

Have listened to this before and didn't like it. This time I really sunk in and enjoyed the unique sound!

Chill album. Overall solid, most songs are nothing crazy, but there are a few great songs, and every track on here is solid in its own right.

A superficial listen might make you think this is a cosy album. It is not. It is dark, it is unsettling, it is an album you put on and lay on the floor in darkness, wallowing in regret. That is part of Dummy's power, it lures you in under false pretenses and forces you to feel. For me it is a timeless album, never "of its time" because it envokes feelings that are universal and leaves gaps in its alluring grooves for the listener to fill in, wherever or whenever they may be.

I enjoyed the singer, I think she has a nice voice. Other than that i found this album pretty boring overall.

I don't like it man

Wonderfully weird, silky smooth John Barry / hip-hop influenced Lady In The Radiator songs full of killer hooks and BBC Drama.

Classic trip hop album.

Hello high school me!

Channel 4’s Lost promo iykyk

A classic

Unpopular opinion but this album lowkey put me in a bad mood and im not entirely sure why. I think this album feels like it blends together too much. Like yeah glory box is good but still.

Very good, very chill

My initial reaction to seeing this was another 90s electronic album was dismissal and dismay, but the first song is so far actually kinda cool. I wish it had a little more going on dynamically, but I like the sonic environment, it's mysterious, dangerous, and intriguing. So this turned into a cool vibing trip and I'm glad I was able to find it through this project.

3/5

nie posluchalem calego ale fajne bylo

Albumi #201, 15.04.2025 Portisheadin debyyttialbumi julkaistiin elokuussa 1994. Albumi on trip hopin kulmakivi.

This seems like the kind of thing that could grow on me, but it really just makes me want to listen to Massive Attack.

A really cool and atmospheric record

2.8 star that still gets 2 stars from me It's nice but overall I enjoyed it less than I didn't care for it. Also lightheaded headache music (this is not a negative thing)

Absolute stand-out classic. Beth Gibbons's haunting vocals will live with me forever. Sounds as fresh now as it did 1994.

An easy 5 stars, what an album

Nice enough album, wouldn't be against listening to it again

I can tell this is good but it's very much not for me.

Atmospheric, noir-ish soundscapes and tortured vocals accompanied by what became characterised as trip-hop beats. For me who loves music and sound design as textures this was a great album.

Idk if trip hop is really super my genre, but this was pretty enjoyable. I was vibin'

This music time warped me to my college days where my best friend was super into Bjork and this band. Nostalgia aside, they're still not for me.

Solid and I'm sure very influential, not really my cup of tea though.

kielen päällä on jotaiin mitä hittoa nyt on kielen päällä kattokaas jotain on... nyt niin kielen päällä mitäs hitsiä piti sanoa kntota... öö... tota... tota... oottakaa ny pikik hetki, anteeksi kaikki.. anteeksi kaikki otaetass otetaas pikku henkkari.. sis hengitystauko.. sis hngitäkkää .. AAA tää piti sanoa: Albumi sai kriitikoiden suosiota ja voitti vuoden 1995 Mercury Music Prize -palkinnon. Sitä pidetään usein trip hop -genren popularisoijana, ja se mainitaan usein 1990-luvun parhaiden albumien luetteloissa. tai jotain tuollaista emt. its a fire

With its revolutionary sound and timeless production, "Dummy" has been proclaimed "the best album of the 90s." While I think "Grace" by Jeff Buckley deserves that title, I will credit Portishead for popularizing the trip-hop genre. They has a distinctive, an eery, almost desolate sound: Whenever a Portishead song comes on Spotify, I always go "Aha! This is going to be a great listen." Although I prefer "Third"—which is more polished—"Dummy" is a fantastic debut in its own right.

So boring, didn’t seem unique or catchy at all. Consistent beat with some woman whisper-singing over it. 1.5

Tunnelmallista ja hämärää. Perus trip hoppia, mutta vokaaleilla. Odotin jotain vähän erikoisempaa. Roads on kyllä kova. No on tää averagea parempaa. Mut ei tämmöistä musaa voi kuunnella kuin yöllä. Parhaat: Strangers, Roads, Glory Box

Nice chill ambient sound. Nothing jaw dropping though but great background music.

nice album. het sochli mysteriösi vibes. paar lieder hani gar ned gfühlt aber anderi wederum sehr nice

Good instrumentation, good blending of rap beats. I really enjoyed listening to the album

Enjoyed this

bit buzzy, 3/5

I consider it to not be a regular album. The woman who sings is in a deep kind of pain, thoughts. Sometimes she's talking about the world problems, the human soul but also about relationships, probably inspired from her personal life. The melody of her songs are all monotone and slow which makes you feel more sad, we really have the impression it's not music but a sort of complaint, there's also many repeted words and expressions in many of album's songs to make the feelings reach deeper. In overall, it's not my genre at all, I'm more into Evanescence kind of stuff when it comes to society problems, and she really is fire, but other music also opens new point of views, which I consider important.

Quality album really liked it Some emotionally provoking moments and an overall nice sound feel. Keep triphop Alive 2025

Classic album

Sour Times Strangers Numb Roads Glory Box

it was an experience 8 out of 10

great album discovery, mellow but powerful listen

Another classic - but that I still listen to

Interesting musically, lots of genres mixed together. Not really my taste, but I see the appeal. Favorite song by far was "It's a Fire."

A morning walk album. A bit boring sometimes, but with some good tracks, I will definitely listen again.

Deeper instrumentals, interesting lyrics that provide a certain depth to the songs

Day 3: awesome and a potential five star for me. really really loved the production and Beth gibbons voice is immaculate. this album has been on my radar before — I’m glad 3 days into this challenge I’ve been exposed to it (4.5)

One of my favorites since I was a teenager. Such a sexy album, love the vibe.

Music for uncomfortable, sleepless nights.

Oh no... it's the misery chick again... Actually, this one wasn't as bad as the last one... hooks are much tighter, and the vocals (while still not very strong) aren't quite as washed out... If I were going to throw a pity party, this is the album I'd choose... but I hate parties... of any kind... Seriously - this was pretty decent, though.