Blue Lines

I heard of Massive Attack but never really gave them a look in but this album is excellent downtempo for feeling rhythm and chill.

Lovely album from an amazing band. Another album that I've been listening to for years, so how can I fail to give it 5 stars?

Este ya lo escuché. A mi Massive Attack me gusta. El Trip Hop también me gusta bastante, pero creo, que me termina de gustar más cuando es hecho por una banda. Massive Attack son dos djs y funcionan a base de colaboraciones. Me pondría a explayarme pero hoy no pq tengo paja. No sé. Me gusta, pero jamás será más que madafakin Portishead.

This is the beginning of a genre, but it was still too early for that genre to really get its legs. You can hear the origins of Mezzanine and Dummy here, but its still a little bare.

1991. Generally considered the first trip hop album.

I enjoyed this album. It's not something I would of organically listened to. There's nothing on here that I am rushing back to listen to, but equally I didn't dislike any of them. In an ideal world I would of ranked 3.5/5

ehh, not for me

At times good, at times not. The lead vocals on "One Love" are AWFUL.

i was so excited to like this but it ended up not really landing :-/ i want to explain it as i really like the bones of this album, but the finished songs left me a bit disappointed. my least favourite parts were usually the vocals. "blue lines" is an exception, great song.

10/10 no question. One of the best of ‘91 if not the 90’s. Sympathy one of the best pop tunes of all time.

They really struck gold with this release and never quite hit that spark again. Not all the tracks are classics, with some holding the album back slightly, but still some all timers that did a lot for electronic music going forward.

Honestly a great listen through I especially liked the closing track. 7/10

Я ТАК ЛЮБЛЮ МЕССИВ АТАК но это не лучший их альбом на первом треке я завайбилась после как-то не то

It waas okay i guess. Didn't exactly stand out.

The influence Massive Attack has had on English culture is immense, and most will never know.

Never heard trip-hop before. Not bad but not my thing.

I believe this is a 5. And it is. It has been in rotation since I was introduced sometime in the mid to late nineties. That’s a long time. There’s been long periods where I didn’t reach for it, but honestly, it was always close at hand. This exercise is making me think about WHY Massive Attack and Tricky affected me the way they did. I believe it’s the beats. The sound building experience. And this has aged well for me. I love it today as much, more for all the time it’s been played and played against the developments that were to come. So truly a great album. Along with Mezzanine. A fight for a place on my desert island. 5 Boolean: TRUE

Meh

Feel like this would be playing in a pretentious lounge in Seattle

Groundbreaking album introducing TripHop to the world. Also Shara Nelson amazing singer bought all her albums after this came out. Followed by the band absolute Master Piece Mezzanine.

Is trip hop the best hop? Certainly near the top of the hop heap.

Bit repetitive and the songs drag on for a little too long, but will probably start to enjoy more after a couple listens. Really like unfinished sympathy and hymn of the big wheel. The latter especially suprised me.

I was not familiar with the music of Massive Attack. I found this one pretty good (even if it's not my favourite style). I liked "Safe From Harm", "Be Thankful For What You've Got" or "Unfinished Sympathy" (probably my favourite). It's between 3 and 4 stars for me.

There's nothing truly bad about this, but nothing I personally enjoy either.

What a banger. Still good and fresh. Why was Mezzanine not on the 1000 Albums list we will never know, go listen to that album if you liked this one.

It's sexier than I thought. As far as electronica goes I guess it's good? The longer it went on the more bored I was with it.

Knallsterk debut. Ikke alt jeg liker like godt på plata, men det er for det meste småpirk.

Utrolig at denne kom ut i 91. En del ulike retninger men alle med en egenartet vibe. Deilig.

Helt ok triphop. Duse rytmer, men i grunn veldig kjedelig.

I liked teardrop

Thoroughly enjoyed this…definitely listen again. Having only ever heard Unfinished Symphony and Teardrop before, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the variety of the rest of the album.

Really wanted to connect to this but something was missing. Great tracks but didn’t hook like I expected.

This was nice.

I’m just not a big trip-hop guy. Unfinished Symphony is a superb song, but I can’t say I really care for anything else here.

Audio gold.

Revisiting this, it sounded a little more dated than I expected. But still a landmark album full of bangers that kickstarted a genre.

Ok this is a quite interesting album! I’m pretty happy with this one today, it’s a change from what I’ve been getting recently. Safe from harm had that lovely grooving bass in the background. I enjoyed the mix of the two vocalists with different styles. Definitely sounded very 90s. One love was quite different then the first track, and wasn’t one of my favourites on the album, but the almost reggae sounds were quite cool. I liked the title track, and the percussion on Unfinished symphony was quite good. The tracks are blending together to me slightly now though. I really like the ones with the female vocalist. Daydreaming was a bit of a bop. To end, Hymn of a big Wheel was pretty good. It was another eh album, good moments but nothing that overly stood out to me. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 161/1089

Trip hop is very hit or miss for me. I can kind of see the appeal of it. It is almost hypnotic. But it also can sometimes get a bit repetitive and not really stand out. Blue Lines falls into this latter camp. I like it but I won’t listen again

Trip hop...ugh, whatever. It's fine, I'm giving it a 3 because I'm glad I gave it a shot, thought it was pretty cool but I have no desire to listen to this again. I'd probably like this more if it were just the instrumentals and not the singing/rapping.

One of the first trip hop albums. I think Mezzanine is better but this is still bloody good, and if this album paved the way for Portishead’s Dummy then hats of to it.

I am liking this genre better as I listen to more of it.

Really good album to listen in the background. I enjoyed it. I will give it another listen, and thats kind of weird for me bc it rarely happens.

I didn't have a proper listen to this album, so I ll revisit it later.

I’ve heard a lot of recommendations for this band so I had high hopes. The album improved as it went on but man this was disappointing.

Really good album!

Peak chill music. This is an album that you can throw on in the background and forget about it. If you listen closer, you’re gifted with clever wordplay and fantastic beats.

It was alright. Honestly rather repetitive and not as musically interesting as I prefer so not something I have much interest in revisiting, but I haven’t ever been a Massive Attack fan.

Velmi dober🔥

This album is at parts interesting and enjoyable and also bit insipid. I've liked many aspects of it, as it feels like a work on blending different genres, making of this record a pretty original one, with some really nice moments. But it also lacks of being something else, as many songs tend to feel a bit bland or repetitive. But I've liked overall the ideas, not much at times the development, but sure it's a very decent album.

I listened to this album on my patrol walk in the summer heat, enjoying the feeling of being present in my body through the sweat and effort of a jogging workout. I knew going into this album that I had heard of Massive Attack, but I could not remember what genre of music I knew them for. My mind could not decide between thinking they were a rock band or an electronic band, and the opening song did not clarify the situation for me; with a steady infectious drum loop, gorgeous feminine vocals, occasional guitar riffs, and classic electronic vocal chops, I was treated to a melting pot of both countless different sounds and genres, a blend which I absolutely loved. This strange mix of hip-hop, soul, and electronic music constantly moved between sounds and styles, staying fresh and new at each turn. I always respect an artist or band willing to just do whatever the hell they want, even when execution is lacking, and Massive Attack's execution is certainly not lacking. Just when I thought I had a grip on Blue Lines' soundscape, they seamlessly integrate Caribbean vocal tones, rhythms, and percussion into these spacey, bluesy electronic atmospheres, a pairing which feels like it shouldn't work but sticks the landing. Partway into this album, my research finally revealed to me that this hard-to-define blend of genres is, in fact, trip hop, a term which I have heard before but never experienced. I discovered that Blue Lines is considered a defining album within that sound, and I understand why; one listen to this album has me longing for so much more. This is absolutely the kind of fully realized and bold artistic work which inspires the creation of an entirely new wave of music, looking to recapture that vibe and groove. I hope other albums managed that task, even if Blue Lines sets an incredibly high standard. Highlights: Safe From Harm, One Love, Blue Lines, Be Thankful For What You've Got, Five Man Army, Unfinished Sympathy, Daydreaming, Lately, Hymn Of The Big Wheel

Good, feels a bit too sparse in places though.

Not really my kind of musical style, but I can see the appeal.

Honestly, a little underwhelming on this listen. The beats sound a bit too polished, and the vocals are pretty uninspiring on the balance. There are some standout tracks, but overall this one hasn't aged well. Mezzanine was always better I think. 3/5

Didn't really care for it.

I bet this album went really hard if you were hitting on women at a night club in 1992

I'm not sure what genre this is but I don't like it

ABSOLUTE classic

This one tickled me

Fun trip! I'd be okay with more of this coming up on my shuffle occasionally.

exactly the sound massive attack has. slow and rhythmic, with a view more groovy tracks

6 - good groovy triphop

внезапно для само себя вообще не понравилось

This felt like it took a while to get going but when it did it was good. Closer to a 2 than 3 though.

Generational blend of so many essential music styles that yet cannot be reduced simply to an assimilation attempt. Incredible production, great vocal performances. Yeah this the one

Unfinished Sympathy. Closer to a 4 than a 6.

Friday, 5 June, 2026 They select two massive attack albums, and neither one is Mezzanine? This album is at best a 2/5.

Still really does it for me. Fav tracks: Unfinished Sympathy Saved a song: N RYM: N

I liked this.

Я люблю massive attack, але це не найулюбленіший мій альбом з їх творчості. Атмосферна музика, але не достатньо чаруюча для 5 зірок

I can see where Mezzanines came from and I prefer it infinitely to this.

So good. 5/5

This just isn’t for me, but it’s not bad

trip hop pioneers

Groundbreaking sound and the birth of trip hop. It's a big album which still sounds good today

4+

Very upbeat and electronic

Have it on vinal, absolute classic.

Really enjoyed!

I liked this album, but I didn't love it. I liked the Big Wheel song. I can see why this is significant to the genre that it's in, but it doesn't really fit what I enjoy listening to.

Big fan

Great stuff. Knew the one hit. Listen to other tracks and knew then too!

I was already familiar with this album, and my impression largely remains the same in that I am lukewarm about it. I hope we get "Mezzanine," later on, because I recall it being much better than this album, even not including "Teardrop," which is probably the best song they have recorded. This album grooved decently, but still sounds pretty adapted overall

Now it's my turn to have rating choice regret, since I might want to give this 3 stars, and yet I just gave an early, not great, Buzzcocks album 4 stars. On second thought, I'd probably go with 3, for the Buzzcocks. Anyway, was gonna say, after 1 listen, that 3 feels right for this one (but see below . . . ). When this came out, it was a certain kind of cutting edge - specifically, trip hop (Wikipedia says this was the first trip hop album). Now, it still sounds kinda cool, but also a little bit (as I guess it always was) like groovy background music -- wallpaper music, if you will. The best song, "Be Thankful," is actually a (very faithful) cover of a GREAT 1974 soul song. The other songs, if I'm honest, tended to fade into the background, albeit pleasantly. I'm glad (grateful) that this album exists, and that these musicians innovated, and genre-bended, in this way, and for the influence that it had on the development of popular music. So I guess I could bump it to 4 stars in part for its influence? But, no, I think I'm gonna stick with a high 3. Ok, but wait: late-breaking news: I listened again, and liked some of the songs better, especially in the middle (tracks 3 through 6), so am gonna bump it up to a low 4. Still does (mostly) sound pretty fresh and innovative.

some nice drums. I like the dub influences some of the lyrics are so corny. I do not dig the corniness of the 90s overall the arrangements are not that good. like a lot of early Electronica, this leans heavily on the technology and lacks music theory

Yes! Should do Mezzanine

Amazing

Eh

Great

Not their best. Just some meandering synth pads behind female vocals. (I say “female” because “women’s vocals” sounds worse) Their best is known. It’s Mezzanine. It was always Mezzanine. Mezzanine is a perfect listen. Shoutout Massive Attack’s 1998 album ‘Mezzanine’

This is the kind of experience I signed up for when I started the generator. This album is a beast. I couldn't wait to restart it after it ended.

Not really for me

Vid första anblick inte så märkvärdigt, men det har ju nåt

Chill sound som har något eget, även om de också har gjort ännu bättre saker.

Inte deras bästa album men ändå helt magnifikt bra!

Jodå, rätt nice.

It’s great, not quite Mezzanine though 😛

Oh, hey. It's Tricky again. I remember him from earlier. Always fun when a name I only know from this project pops up again unexpectedly out of nowhere. Hilariously enough, he's also my least favorite part of this album, just like he was in Maxinquaye. I still just don't really like the way he speaks. Nothing against him, it's just that he's the weak point of an otherwise very strange, but very good album. It won't surprise you then to know that my favorite songs on the album are ones where he isn't present. My favorite songs on this album, all good enough to add to the usual rotation, are "Unfinished Sympathy", "Lately", and my favorite, the opener, "Safe From Harm". The common denominator between all 3 of these songs is singer Shara Nelson, who has an incredible voice. Shara included, when you add the absolutely killer, ear-wormy background elements, heavy bass, and the other singer vocally aura farming, you've got just a really surprisingly killer opener that I wish set the standard for the entire album. This album skirts the line between a 3.9 and a 4.0 for me. While I find Tricky barely passable to listen to, and I actually can't stand the closing song, "Hymn Of The Big Wheel", the elements of this album I do like may be worth giving it a 4. Adding 3 songs from an artist I've never heard of before is a pretty good accomplishment, and I've already established that I love this kind of unholy mix of genres that blend a little bit of everything. So, you know what?? It's obviously not a 5, but I would 100% return to it, Tricky songs included. That sounds like a 4 to me. This one was incredibly unique and different. Flaws included, I think that should be celebrated. One thing I can say about this album for sure is that even in the weaker moments, it was never boring, so yeah, gonna be an immensely low 4, and I should probably give it a 3, but I think the background elements elevate this one higher. The vibe album of all vibe albums. Looking forward to the other one on here, and I'll likely check out even more from Massive Attack. Nice job on this one, low key kinda loved it.

Nothing wrong with this, just not my cup of tea.

Awesome listen with this one. Somehow both chill and engaging tunes throughout. I felt at peace listening while still being enthralled with the instrumentals. Every vocalist just glides across these beats and adds to the beautiful atmosphere the production builds.

i find it hard to define this album and what makes trip-hop and Massive Attack so special. Maybe is the moody night vibes that carry the specific combination of hip-hop rhythms, psychedelic sounds and female voices. But I think that there are limitations with that definition, as it doesn't encompass some other trip-hop albums. So I think, is more of a general definition that achieves to classify a lot of musical works influenced in a specific period of time and place (Bristol in the 90s). And a sound, that usually has this and that, but due to its experimental approach, can be quite varied. That said, i don't think this is the best album from them. I don't even think is a stellar or exceptional album of trip-hop. But i think is pretty good in perspective, and sets the bases of the more interesting and important sonical explorations that came after.

okay i hope this isnt public gulpppp. anyway safe from harm. pretty neat i feel pretty neutral abt it, not necessarily in a bad way but yknow, yeah. love the female singer. oh wait lowk on further listening its lowk a banger. love one love, makes me feel like im creepin around in the city, doing smth dubious. titular track, blue lines. i alr knew this one and its pretty neat. once again be thankful for what you've got is cute but like idk its just pretty neat. idk why im finding this album mid, bc i rlly want to like it haha. okay i like five man army, that one is pretty groovy. okay and then one of the besttt songs finally appears, unfinished symphony. omg i love this song sooooo much. Quite like daydreaming too. okay im lowk vibing with lately rnnn. oh wait this is totally a vibe i like it. last song was cool but for somewhat reason underwhelming. guys pls dont shoot me for this. 7-8/10

es tipo un bizarrap JAJAJAJA telones igual

Pretty good. Not what I expected

Niet echt goed geluisterd maar volgens mij niet helemaal mij genre

Zoo divers???

Strong opening with “Safe from Harm.” Shara Nelson’s voice works wonderfully with the music. I really enjoyed this album. It doesn’t sound dated at all.

strong, trippy start to weaker finish. cant wait to listen to mezzanine

90s electronic, trip hop. Debut. Considered first trip hop album and one of the absolute greats. Cool album but not as great as its biggest hit.

Not bad. ★★★

unfinished symphony being the highlight but this is solid - very defining album of the genre/era imo! they have better albums but this is very solid

Can't be bothered

First trip-hop album ever, and my expectations were completely exceeded. The record kicks off with an infectious bass groove that skews throughout the whole track. For the time this album is actually insane, at least a decade before it should've been. Every vocal part is incredibly enticing. The talent of every singer on here is incredibly chosen. The tracks are on the borderline of being too repetitive, but manage to mostly keep it different and engaging just before parts go stale. Each instrumental is so brain-tingling to me; the keyboard sounds Massive Attack achieves is just something else. The strings are emotional, the drums are tight, every song just flows and immerses you in a sensory chamber. If I had another critique it'd be the album cover. This rarely happens where my visual interpretation of music doesn't match the cover art, so it's a shame that it doesn't fit. The closing track is also beautifully chosen and written. Cool record miles ahead of its time.

What can I say? English band.

es como estar escuchando música con tus amigos en un sótano con luces neón y mucha comida basura a la madrugada

FIRE ALBUM!! i like it a lot, especially „safe from harm” which was just fantastic, it reminded me a bit of esthero’s music which makes sense given that she was inspired by massive attack. „blue lines” is a staple for trip-hop in the 90s and made me realise that the enterity of this genre is something i can resonate with!

Nope

Fye

First time listening to a trip-hop album. Not something I'd listen to normally. Songs to get high to.

So fucking weird that mezzanine isnt on the book originaly. This album is very good. Not for everyone cause its trip-hop yk. Cool reggae influence. 1991 was a hell of a year for music godamn. Nevermind, loveless, Laughing stock, spiderland... and this ofc.

Review - already listened to their second album for this list - can confirm the debut is far better. Score - 7.5/10 Need to listen? YES

Æ hørte på det her og tenkte mest av alt at æ egentlig kunne tenke mæ å høre mer på Tricky? Det va en ganske uventa observasjon, men sånn e livet.

This is very much of its time, and I think was pretty influential at the time. Nothing like as good as "21st best album of all time" as quoted in the Wikipedia album. I'd have said Mezzanine was better. Anyway this is a fine album and probably a grower.

Unfinished sympaphy is one of the best Massive Attack songs. Some other good songs on this album. Nice chill album to listen to.

It's good, it's Massive Attack.

I'm conflicted on whether to give this 4 or 5 stars. It's defo not Massive Attacks best album and the songs on there are probs a 3.5, with the exception of Safe from harm and Unfinished Sympathy which are obviously 5. I also feel like on the whole a lot of massive attacks songs drag on a bit for me. Saying that, I am a big fan of massive attack and love how each of their albums has a different vibe to it. Blue lines is one of the few albums of theirs I havent listened to all the way through and I have rlly enjoyed the groovy feel to it So yh, the album is probs a 4.3 for me, but I'm gonna give it 5 star just cos I want to

Some songs can be a bit repetitive but I like how goofy they all are. And unfinished sympathy is one of the best songs ever made

que almbum tan chimba, de buena que le pondría 5 pero como que a la misma vez no lo guardaría entonces queda en 4, 4.5

Ondero, hip hop para estar enojado/misterioso. Buenas batas.

Proposition extrêmement originale, et qui passe très bien, tout est amené correctement et l'aspect feat de partout donne à l'album une certaine identité sans partir dans tous les sens Je n'ai pas accroché sur une partie de l'album cependant

god damn more hoes worked on this project than a studio 54 sex party

Alec will like this one and have a raunchy story to share

This wasn't the sound I was expecting from Massive Attack, but I really enjoyed it. Felt like a really cool trip back to the 90s

Not for everyone but I love it. A classic record and fantastic debut

I really liked tracks 1, 2 & 6. The rest were pretty much what I expected.

Kinda Invented Trip hop , very nice

big fan of the mix of iconic samples and groovy sounds

A fantastic album by a fantastic group.. Very trippy and inventive. This can be played at any volume in many situations.

The seminal trip-hop album - merging R&B, pop, jazz and hip-hop into a compelling stew. Massive Attack would go on to produce arguably better records, but the classics here ("Unfinished Symphony", "Safe From Harm") are truly all-time peaks of this short-lived genre. Great album.

This album has a really nice vibe to it, and I can appreciate how unique it must’ve sounded when it was released. Even so, nothing here really stood out to me in a major way. I enjoyed the listen overall, but I wouldn’t call it great.

This was decent. I like Massive Attack. Kind of timeless music, listening to it, I wouldn't have pegged it as early 90's. I wasn't really familiar with much, only peripherally Unfinished Sympathy; the rest of the songs were good, but a lot of it didn't stand out to me. Safe From Harm & Hymn of the Big Wheel were good. Another 3.5 star album... (4)

For me at least it is a mediocre electronic album 3/5

Good debut album, but not the music of theirs I'd put on this list.

Very catchy ! But maybe a little too repetitive

I wasnt a fan :( No favorite song

It grew on me the more I listened but the bar started extremely low. I can appreciate the artistry but it wasn't for me. Favorite track was Blue Lines because it reminds me of the pretentious music that would always be playing in record stores when I was still buying vinyl.

One of the best of all time

Kind of repetitive and same feeling throughout the record. Some good tracks though

Some decent stuff in here. Also some pretty meh stuff as well. Can definitely see how this paved the way for their later releases.

A lot of fun. The bassline at the top pulls you right in.

sensual and groovy. lots of other music like this from the 90s that sounds dated now, but this has held up just fine. the variety of vocalists helps. so many good bass lines and drum tracks to enjoy.

Groovy enough to overcome my prejudice against British people rapping.

maybe requires a second listen as its my paernts fave album but...

It started good so I am giving a 4 already. Because I am getting ahead

it was pretty good, it wasn’t what i was expecting based on the album cover and name of the band, but it was still a good listen, would have to pop it on again to really get some substance from the lyrics because i was working while listening, but it was a vibe.

Сара 2,5 Марко 2,5

One of my earliest experiences with trip hop is still potentially my favorite. I know Mezzanine is the big classic for a reason, but this album came out in 1991 and saw an entire landscape that would be filled out progressively throughout the rest of the decade. One of the most forward-thinking albums I've ever heard, and the title track is still my favorite Massive Attack song.

I understand a lot of people really like this band. Huh.

dik

Not a fan

The last track was ok. Couldn’t stand the rest.

This seems to emphasize the hip-hop aspect of trip-hop more than their later output does. Still quite enjoyable.

Well, now I know Massive Attack more than before. Quite surprised Mezzanine isn't on the original list, but 2 other albums are. Happens.

Big 4* literally sounds like nothing before it

Some definite iconic high points, but if you take away the ground being broken, there's not much substance left. I feel this should be somewhere between three and four stars, but trip-hop opened the door to (in my opinion) more trash than good, so I'm going down to three.

First song was good. Rest of this album has been pretty mid. Not my style/type. Five man army is good but British people rapping is always a lil weird lol. Throughout the whole album I was just waiting for it to end.

Best song was a Curtis mayfield cover

Unfinished Sympathy is sick af. Massive Attack in general is sick af. Trip-hop is such a great genre. Hymn of the Big Wheel is also chill.

What is it about Massive Attack that their sound just screams '90's angst and grime? Their sound pervades so many different types of media from the era. I would even hazard to say that their influence is way understated as they never made it super mainstream in the US, but so many front line influential artists of the time were listening to them.

don't know how to feel

Excellent recording. Very good band from the 90's

7/10. I get why this album is important, and it definitely has a cool, dark, slow-burn vibe. Some moments really pull me in, but others don’t fully stick with me.

nosoy fand el album completo pero me encantan las voces femeninas de este album

Fun and funky most of the time. An interesting listen. Liked Safe from Harm best.

Kriminalno što na listi nije Mezzanine jer bi mi on vjerovatno bio petica. Ovaj ima sve od moje najdraže do moje najmrže pjesme od njih ali srećom ostalih 7 je više nalik na Safe From Harm nego Unfinished Sympathy.

The first album by this great band is one of their best. It is not just the trippy trip hop bit people always attribute to Massive Attack. Their use of great singers like Horace Andy gives a very different blend of genres that is atmospheric beyond ends.

Fucking wonderful

It's ok - not more

Pretty funky. They have a cool sound. I've never heard of trip hop before and I'm interested in listening to more of it!

the first album I knew no songs from going forward!! as a massive fan of instrumental hip hop and trip-hop adjacent stuff like J Dilla, DJ Shadow, and Sneaker Pimps, it is super cool to see where the subgenre got its start. the whole album is verrryyyy chill and downtempo, mostly featuring clicky drums, gentle synths + keys, string samples, hushed rapping, and 80’s-esque pop singing, layered in fairly effective, soothing ways. not crazy interesting, but i can see myself putting this on to study to. also its STUPID influential and directly inspired much of my all-time favorites so it would be a crime not to give it props

Massive album.

The relationship between Daydreaming (1992, Massive Attack) and Jizz in my Pants (2009, Lonely Island) is a straight line. 3 stars

Interesting sound, if r&b was elevator music.

A pretty solid 3 here. Unfinished Symphony is such a classic - the rest of it was ok but not really giving me the 'hook' the I would need to come back to it.

Biittejä. Outoa musiikkia mutta tykkään siitä.

It’s not Mezzanine, and it’s not Portishead, but it’s better than Protection.

Love Massive Attack, can tell the influence they have on the genre. Plus Bansky

Dinámico original gran momento para disfrutar

al igual que el de orbital, me abrió bastante la cabeza. no es música que suelo escuchar

nice

Berätta inte för farsan hur man knullar.

Njaa. Når väl inte riktigt upp till en trea, men nästan.

Ett album som jag tycker blivit bättre för varje gång jag lyssnat på det och som jag ofta återbesöker. Speciellt låtarna med Tricky har jag svårt att inte tycka är asballa. 5/5!

Har klagat mycket på triphop under det här projektet, men här har vi genrens bästa argument. Man kommer inte runt den lite tråkigt förutsägbara slutsatsen att ”unfinished sympathy” är ohotad höjdpunkt, satan vilken låt. Men finns också annat mysigt som ”One Love” och ”lately”. Svag för ”hymn of the big wheel” också. Där hör man tydligt hur inflytelserik den här skivan blev. Väldigt före sin tid. Det är ju pissnygga beats rakt igenom, men finns verkligen en hel del bjäring transportsträckor också. Svårt, antingen stark 3a eller svag 4a.

Nej men det kan inte vara sant. Total ångest när man öppnar upp webben. Två albums av Massive Attack - noll från världens bästa Pat Metheny haha sorry lovers men hur är det möjligt?! Det får bli en snabb och hård lyssning och sen unnar jag mig Still Life (Talking) istället.

Toleransen för den här skiten är ju inte hög efter senaste plattan precis. Vet inte varför jag blir så provocerad av det här. Men den här är ju faktiskt mycket bättre än Protection, här finns ju faktiskt lite, lite energi.

This quickly turned into some weird background noise, because I do just not vibe with this music. And then we got to the last song "Hymn of the Big Wheel" which I did actually quite enjoy. Not enough to really change my opinion of the whole album though

Me aburrió

meeehh

This is described as trip-hop. Never heard of this group but I really enjoyed the album. Probably not enough to buy it, but enough to listen to it again

Sexy.

Escuchar este álbum con auriculares es algo que nadie se tiene que perder, experiencia única.

Blue Lines feels oddly displaced in 1991. Put it beside much of the surrounding product and it sounds three or four years ahead of schedule. Not because it is futuristic in the obvious sense, but because it seems to have bypassed the period’s main argument. While a lot of early-90s music was still negotiating its escape from the 1980s, this sounds as if it has quietly moved on and built a new working model. The record’s achievement is structural. It draws from dub, soul, hip-hop, sound-system culture and post-punk collectivism, but it never feels like a collage. It feels like shelves full of records have become a method. The samples, voices and grooves are not displayed as clever references; they are absorbed into a system. What is most striking is the lack of ego. Nobody tries to dominate the room. Voices enter, occupy a space, then step back. Bass carries authority without bluster. Space does as much work as sound. The album understands that restraint is not absence - it is organisation. That is why it feels so different from more obvious 1991 crossover records. Those often bolt dance, samples or noise onto a band-shaped object. Blue Lines does something more radical: it removes the assumption that the band is the natural centre. The track becomes a room, a field, a negotiated space. There is a lineage here that goes back through dub and sound systems, but also through the rambling collective logic of post-punk and Bristol squat culture. The Pop Group, early Thompson Twins, Soul II Soul (Not Bristol; granted), Wild Bunch - not because they all sound alike, but because they share a belief that music can be a social system rather than a vehicle for one front person. The sequencing is superb. The album moves without seeming to push. It can ramble and not ramble at the same time. The title track into Be Thankful for What You’ve Got is a masterclass in loose structure that is actually tightly governed. Five Man Army makes the sound-system roots explicit, then Unfinished Sympathy gives the whole system propulsion without rupturing it. Even the monster track does not stand outside the album like a novelty hit. It blooms from within it. By the end, Hymn of the Big Wheel feels like the collective writing QED after showing its working for forty minutes. Dub, soul and austere electronics line up, and the album simply demonstrates that the system holds. Its influence is hard to overstate because it is not merely a style record. It changes what later records can be: voice inside environment, beats that breathe, albums as inhabited spaces, collective authorship without chaos. Without Blue Lines, a great deal of 90s and post-90s music becomes harder to imagine. A masterpiece, but not a showy one. More like a lodestone: looking back to 1977 and earlier, pointing forward to much of what came next.

Super

I appreciate how varied this album is

The beats were mediocre enough, but the vocals on each track just dragged this down further.

its like rock but not really, lots of rap. could be workout music, but very chill and lowkey. liked blue lines

Pretty cool, I knew the hits and liked them, and they were the highlights here. The rest of the record is a pleasant listen, I guess.

на ровненьком. понравилось: • unfinished symphony • hymn of the big wheel • safe from harm • five man army

Супер скучный, нудный и длинный альбом. Каждый трек по 5 минут, половину слушал и перелистывал. Любимый трек - Оценка других пользователей - 3.4

First time I listened to this. Didn't enjoy it as much as Mezzanine, but still thought it was fantastic. The only song I started off disliking (Hymn of the Big Wheel) I loved by the time it finished. This is a 9/10 for me and I'm gonna drag that up to a 5.

Massive Attack is a name that commands respect, but until now it's been for a few tracks that I knew as monuments in a landscape of 90's trip-hop. Safe From Harm the opening track brings to mind the sound of the iconic soundtrack to GoldenEye on the N64. Soundtrack to the youth of every British boy born in the early 90's. The other way I'd describe it would be `not out of place in a triple X movie`. And that isn't a slam, it's a vibe. Some of the choices made in this record are really interesting, I mean One Love is an insanely slow jam with a very weird atmosphere, I think if I'd have made it, I'd have left it on the drawing board, because I'd have been wondering in what situation someone would want to listen to it, and I don't know if I could have pictured one. But the sluggish, hazy hotbox of a texture actually makes sense when I scan back to the teenagers i knew as a kid in the 90's. Rooms seemingly with no sunlight, walls painted black, plastered with posters, a million VHS cassettes, magazines, a games console and if they were real legends, ashtray and cigarettes. I won't try and tie up that tangent of the imagined audience to this record. It's got enormous longevity and breadth. Be Thankful For What You've Got is an incredible jam that floats along with an incredible sample for the 1972 DeVaughn original granting it what so far looks like immortality. The other standout of course is Unfinished Sympathy, again bringing that kind of GoldenEye texture. Cinematic, full of tension, trip hop royalty - a forerunner to tracks like the This Bitter Earth - Dinah Washington & Max Richter collaboration. This track screams 5 star album, but I have to remind myself that there are records out there where every track is this good. So, after all these years, Blue Lines is getting a respectable 4 stars from me.

I thought I'd find this better. It's fine. I don't know if this was changing the game when it came out but it sounds pretty bland nowadays. Looking at some other reviews maybe I'm missing something. Could be. Didn't get me too much but sure, have it on the list.

I think this might be great for what it is. It just doesn't do much for me, which makes it hard to rate. The music seems so simple. I thought it would hit harder. Kraft makes the best plastic wrapped processed cheese, but on the grand scale of cheese it's at the bottom. It still does the job on a burger or as a grilled cheese sandwich. *not a paid advertisement* (yet) I'm going to go with a 3 because nothing stuck out for me to complain about really.

One of the most important albums of its genre from one of the most important groups. Simply perfect.

Veldig langsomt. Veldig repetitivt.

That hazy, aimless ambient stuff was not easy to listen to. Unfinished sympathies was pretty good. Daydreaming re indes me of the background music of a b movie that takes place in a Club before the slasher arrives. For a band called massive attack, it’s pretty tame.

This record is pretty good. Every track is good. Favourite Track(s): Safe From Harm, Blue Lines, Lately Least Favourite Track(s): One Love, Unfinished Symphony, Daydreaming

very unique album, few tracks i would return to as a solo but AMAZING as a project. felt star wars cantina vibes at some points lol

Thoroughly enjoyed this

Couldn't finish, lyrics were juvenile/sophomoric. Reminded me of early 90s local/regional R&B albums. Surprised this was international

Top quality trip hop

Hot take #1 This is the best British take on hip hop. It’s influences in American music are evident, but the rhymes are so British with Tricky bringing one of the most interesting rapping styles in hip hop- but the influences are also very Bristol with reggae bubbling through. Just a seamless mix Hot Take #2 it’s not as good as Protection

neat

Any album that toys with genre awakens me and draws me in!

are u kidding dis shit exquisite

Massive Attack is one of my top 5 artists. While this is not my favorite of their albums, I still love it.

Cool. Perfect for chilling out.

Lowkey seminal.

I enjoyed this a lot, a fun collection of songs that had a nice groove to them.

not my thing, but good

Good álbum

Improved sufficiently to justify more than just “Fine”, but not enough for a 4.

It's OK.

Penumbral

Better than their last one but still didn't really grab me

This is on my shelves; it's on most people's shelves time be fair. Certainly a departure at the time for this metal head, but the influence and importance of this album, and the trip-hop Bristol scene of the early 90s cannot be ignored. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Iconic ★★★★☆ (7/10) Total reviewed : 294 Already owned : 68 Purchased : 15 To buy : 3 Nope : 208

Catch Up #11 October 19 2026 Massive Attack’s debut, the album is pretty good, but uneven. The first track, “Safe From Harm” is really good but it flips between filler and lesser songs for much of the runtime. 2.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listened in the car. Another British electronic album from the 90s. It's fine, didn't love it but I prefer a bit more bombast. Really liked Unfinished Sympathy.

"Mezzanine" is generally the Massive Attack album I'm most likely to gravitate towards (and represents one of several absolutely criminal omissions from the list). However, this is still a scarily good debut and more than deserving of its place. Widely regarded as the first "true" trip hop album, for me its qualities and the soundscapes it conjures up truly come alive at night. A trawl through suburban streets, a late drive or something to decompress to after a long day - this has you covered through its sensual, thumping, reverberating bass-heavy sound entwined with otherworldly, poignant soul and dub elements. It's an enthralling experience from front to back, which can function superbly either as central or background listening. Massive Attack have long been on my live bucket list - hopefully I'll get the opportunity some time.

Listened to Massive Attack several times now from the challenge and just going back cause I liked it. I'd listened to this after the first one we heard. Awesome album and super influential for all trip hop music to come. One of the major influences of Radiohead and the rest of the 90's.

not my style of music, but it is not a bad album, would listen more to like 2 songs out of all 9, though.

Not much to get excited about on this album.

I returned to the previous massive attack album we've been assigned and totally underrated it. But this one really was sort of boring

The danger of trip hop like this is just how extremely easy it is to get lost in the background of everything else going around you. This album has that happening in spades. When you can focus in on it though, it's quite good. 2.5 stars rounding up to 3.

One great song.

amazing chill, incredible chill

Some tracks are good (Unfinished sympathy, Five man army) but others just gives me a meh feeling. Be thankful for what you've got is annoyingly anonymous . Sounds like some generic funk soul elevator muzak;(

nice

I’m gonna need more time with it. It grew on me as the album went on.

3.5

Rap, not into the voice

Unreal album. Live they are even better

I'm not normally a fan of this kind of stuff but it was kind of a vibe tbh.

I like Massive Attack but some of this album is so fucking stupid.

90s trip-hop blending elements of electronica/house, reggae, dub/soul, and R&B. Perhaps not my exact cup of tea (it definitely feels like a child of the 90s) but still super groovy and easy to get lost in, and undoubtedly massively influential on many artists/releases that would come later.

Flight of the concords and Indy coffee shops in 2010

I'd only listened to Mezzanine before. I like the music but don't really like the singer(s). Obviously important as the "first trip hop album" but thank god for Portishead.

Liked: Blue Lines; Be Thankful [...]; Five Man Army; Unfinished Sympathy; Daydreaming. Didn't like SFH; One Love, Lately or HotBW

Bão mas esquecível

Just one of the coolest bands of all time. Not as good as Mezzanine but still a flawless album. Unfinished Sympathy lives rent free in my head and I hope it never leaves. 5.0/5.0 Best Song: Unfnished Sympathy

It's just so cool, and so atmospheric, there isn't another album that sounds like this or that encapsulates a vibe as well as this. This sort of changed everything, i think so much is inpsired by this. Best Track: Unfinished Sympathy obviously

it grew on me 3.5

This one’s good. Favourite track: “Safe from harm”.

So what do you get if you cross Music for Airports with I Feel Love. Apparently this, eventually. Takes all the EDM tricks and ticks, then slows them down and turns them in on themselves to have a good, hard meditation. Safe from Harm: A bass line that goes for miles with great vocals and rapping over a drum sample that drives it forward. One Love A track so minimal it threatens to disappear, then the horn sample appears so it can hook you in. Blue Lines Starts like the coolest jazz track then Tricky appears so he can rap about whatever his stream of consciousness throws up. Be thankful for what you've got A surprisingly faithful cover of William DeVaughan's 1974 hit. Massive Attack even sample the organ from the original hit. The message against consumerism is still relevant. Five Man Army Probably the closest the album comes to traditional rap. The members of Massive Attack take turns to boast and dis. All against the coolest nightclub soundtrack. Unfinished Sympathy The absolute masterpiece on the album. Shara Nelson's voice soars above a dense cloud of strings, voices, drum loops and keyboards. "Are you ready" they chant and Shara really is. The Orchestra (not samples, but live) cost so much that the band had to sell their car to pay for it. Daydreaming. Again a minimalist backing track while Tricky raps over the top, Fiddler on the Roof and Beatles references and all. Lately Another Shara Nelson's soaring vocal over a giant bass line. Superb. Hymn of the Big Wheel Droning synths give support ro Horace Andy's song about the Big Wheel. The environment, social inequality, greed all get a mention. It's a big song with a big melody, stuffed full of ideas. This is a magical album there are people who prefer Mezzanine, but we're lucky to have both that we can choose.

Massive Attack are known for their ambient sounds and electronic experimentation. This album is a further contribution to their discography, blending some English rap, jazz-vocals, and a lot of ambiance. To be honest, it’s a solid listen but I can’t say that I was overwhelmed in any direction. Shara Nelson’s vocals were the key element that stood out for me on the entire album. For key songs I would go Hymn of the Big Wheel, simply because I enjoyed the gospel-like element mixed with the techno backbeats. It’s a good listen but I don’t know if it’s a headphones and silent introspection kind of album.

Random thoughts: * This sounds like early MAssive Attack where they have more of that late 80s/early 90s hip hop mixed in to the sound. It got so much cooler with the full on trip hop on later albums. * I listened to this a few times but nothing really grabbed me but it was a pleasant listen. Not a lot to say here.

Mezzanine is the better album and I wish it was also included along with this one. Great album though - very atmospheric. I especially appreciate Unfinished Symphony as using strings in that sense was quite groundbreaking at the time.

this walked so that DJ shadow could run with Endtroducing

Pioneers in what later became known as Trip Hop, if you like funky bass lines and deep base with some pretty chill lyrics, some sung, some rapped, then this album is for you!

unquestionably changed it all but still sounds too much like the primordial soup it emerged from

I think this deserves its place for its towering trip hop influence but sounds dated compared to what came after - a more muscular Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky’s debut. Lyrics and delivery are a bit trite and earnest. Some great songs though and enjoyed hearing a young, less paranoid Tricky

I quite liked this album. My favourite song was Unfinished Sympathy

Booooooring

Most of the things I hate about 90s music all wrapped up in one place.

This album is amazing

Muy buen vocalista

How did this get sorted into the wrong list? It's 1991, none of this is unique or a debut of a huge global band ive ever heard of. Glimmer of hope with song Blue Lines. You get a star and you get a- no that's it. One star

Not bad trip hop stuff. Weirdly I don't think trip hop holds up that well, it seems to have really been a product of it's time. Although truthfully for 1991 this seems to be quite a bit ahead of it's time. It's not bad, it's just a bit soft jazz for my taste.

Interesting grooves that oscillate between catchy & obsessively experimental.

Boring ass music. Altough I did like Be Thankful For What You've Got, because of Tony Bryans voice.

I enjoyed listening to this record. It's not in my wheelhouse and wouldn't make it into my regular rotation, but it was a pleasant surprise and I can see why it is critically acclaimed.

This was mildly interesting but pretty pedestrian.

ehhhh. movie sound music

Good!!

Chill, but kind of not great electronic chill. I'm kinda surprised it's not better.

Like rain falling on the already heavy blanket of narcolepsy, this album seemed to conspire with my narcolepsy to make it harder for me to stay awake as I read.

Goed album, maar wel erg gedateerd

Mezzanine is one of my favorite Triphop albums. The fact that Blue lines is pretty universally considered their best is wild. This album is ok.

I really liked this album. Great production end-to-end Fav Tracks: Be Thankful For What You've Got, Unfinished Sympathy 7/10

Ugh, if only it didn’t have that annoying rap in it… It would’ve been a 5 stars

trip hop genre is slowly growing on me favs: Be Thankful, Unfinished Sympathy

This is in my wheel house. Surprised I had not listened to this before.

Cool album, I think it's got merit for many listeners. 3/5.

Always a pleasure to listen to this

Best album of the year so far

Wonderful album, great opportunity to revisit

The ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s just keep on coming, great stuff RGP. Tom.

Bit rough around the edges but the foundations of something good Fave track: Unfinished Symphony

Solid outing here from Massive Attack (possibly the greatest artist name of all time), just hoping Mezzanine is included at this point. 4/5

7/10