Blue Lines

Really enjoyed this. I’ve heard tracks here and there but never listened to a whole album of theirs. Guess I’ve been missing out.

Awesome album. The freshest thing I have heard all year and it's 35 years old. the samples are incredible; reggae guitar, baselines, vocals, everything. I want more and more and more. That last track just set the fucking tone for the rest of the day too. Easily will come back to this album. The drums are incredible too. Stand out Tracks: Safe from Heaven, One love, Unfinished Sympathy, Hymn of the Big Wheel

very very awesome. one of the albums i knew about prior to starting this project, and i didnt know what to expect. i always heard it talked about as an indie head record. so trip hop wasnt exactly what i was ready for, but every track had something special. also fantastic album art

Two thoughts: I had to chuckle when “Five Man Army” shouted out the line “But gettin’ a Visa card nowadays isn’t hard”. Prescient for 1991, and how easy credit in some ways helped create some of the market chaos that’s happened since, including the 2008 crash. My second thought is less ominous: this is my next vinyl purchase. I was surprised I didn’t have it already, honestly. Lots of memories of just being right out of college but still going to nightclubs and this was everywhere, you couldn’t escape it. Rightly so too; it’s a stone cold classic. Literally every damn track is a banger. It’s now considered an early classic of what became dub, but what blows me away is how fresh it all still sounds over 30 years (30 years!! 😱) later.

One of my favourite albums ever.

Albumi #5, 01.08.2024 Massive Attackin debyyttialbumi lienee maailman ensimmäinen trip hop -albumi. Musiikillinen kulma albumilla oli ajassaan innovatiivinen ja erityinen. Albumi myös oli alkusysäys Bristolin 90-luvun musiikkiskenelle. Hittikappale Unfinished Sympathy muistuu etenkin yhdellä otolla kuvatun videonsa kautta, joka ilmestyttyään pyöri jatkuvalla syötöllä television musiikkikanavilla. Albumille luonteenomaista on matalatempoinen melankoolisuus, vaikutteita otetaan muun muassa hip hopista ja soulista. Blue Lines on kokonaisuutena uraa uurtava merkkiteos, jossa ei ole huonoa hetkeä.

One of my music discoveries of the past 3 years or so is “trip-hop”. It’s heyday was a little before I was tuned into music, and I didn’t really give it a solid focused listen until my mid 30’s. It’s a deep, groovy genre with several masterpieces, this being one of them and one of the first. Blue Lines is definitely an album that demands being listened to from beginning to end. There are only a few songs that I think are songs that are good for playlist listening or for listening to one song: from the beginning Safe From Harm leads you into a unique listening experience with its foreboding, dark, groovy groove. It’s a journey from there, and it’s dark at times, a party at times (though a party with a hint of danger), and it finally gets existential with the closer Hymn of the Big Wheel. It’s probably one of the best albums of the 90’s, and even if Massive Attack bested it (in my opinion) with Mezzanine, it’s still a perfect album that everyone should be familiar with.

Best album in the world. Ever.

# Playlist track - Hymn Of The Big Wheel # Notes - An genre-defining album. - Love the ebb and flow of the rhythm as the listening goes on. It never gets boring or repetitive and ends in an awesome note. - Must-listen. And a great starting point to digging more into massive attack and trip-hop in general.

Another album that I just love to pieces. Certainly Safe From Harm and Unfinished Sympathy are standout tracks but the whole album is just sublime.

A nostalgia 5, for sure, but probably a 5 if I was hearing it for the first time too. Lot of affection for this album - one of the first non-metal albums I got into as I left my mid teens. Sets a fantastic tone and blends a bunch of separate elements into something cohesive and smoky and dark. Fave tracks - "Safe From Harm" has that throbbing bassline. "Unfinished Sympathy" is magnificent. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" is an epic closer.

This is in my top 3 childhood albums. I have listened to this album hundreds of times and it holds a special place in my heart. Nearly a perfect album in my eyes except that I have always skipped “One Love” as I feel it interrupts the vibe the rest of the album lays out. It just fuckin slaps. The beats, the raps, the singing is just phenomenal. I still to this day say “Massive” when I wanna describe something that’s awesome. I wish more people knew about Massive and I know they have had success and a following but they are definitely overshadowed in how great some of these earlier albums were. Nostalgia rating 10/10 , nonstalgia rating 9/10

I’ve heard of massive attack… why? Is it sexist that I’m surprised I’m hearing a woman? Probably. Oh there’s the guy (I’m listening to “Safe From Harm”). These folks are English??? Nevermind “Blue Lines” is so British. I like this. A lot! Especially “Daydreaming.”

love Massive Attack, their music is catchy and fun and also introduced me to Tricky

Crabs and football: that's what Maryland does. Banksy and Trip hop: that's what Bristol does.

Frankly, just brilliant. Seems to encapsulate that whole Bristol early nineties vibe in a single album. From the urgency of 'Safe from Harm' to the majexsty of Unfinished Sympathy its just cutting edge and timeless.

How can this album be over 30 years old?? Every song is better than the last. A magnificent album.

Fantastic!!

I loved this album. I loved the rhythm and feel good feeling from the album. Unexpected twist of electronic inputs mixed with soul and new wave style singing. A great discovery

The birth of trip hop music. Absolutely fantastic album. Easy 5 stars

Genius record

Forgot how good this was

I had only really known later Massive Attack. This is fun. More of a varied sound, with more reggae influences.

Reggae but not. MADSIVE

Love it!

Holy shit I like this and didn’t think I would. Very interesting!

Great album. Not as good as mezzanine but that's a very high bar

Stone cold classic

Really surprised that this and Protection are on this list but Mezzanine is not. I think most people would pick Mezzanine over this. Not that this isn't excellent - it's still an easy five stars (as will be Protection when it comes around).

The creation of a new genre. You can really hear their punk and reggae influences on this album.

sexy hip hop, a whole range of voices and really interesting songwriting. a surprise five for me

Obra fundamental de finales de siglo. Llevaron la música a rincones donde no se sabía que podía llegar fusionando Hip-Hop- Soul, Dub , Reggae... lo que se les ponga por delante, con la colaboración de Shara Nelson, Tricky, Neneh Cherry, Horace Andy... su asimilación de ritmos pasados e integración en un disco electrónico pero a su vez orgánico supuso todo un estallido en los tímpanos de los 90. Abre con Safe from Harm, que incopora elementos de Stratus de Billy Cobham, Good Old Music de Funkadelic Chameleon de Herbie Hancock. También coros de Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Looking Back). One love mete el archiconocido riff de Ike's Mood de Isaac Hayes, fusionándolo con You Know You Know de la Mahavishnu Orchestra. Blue lines con los breaks de Sneakin' in the Back de Tom Scott and The L.A. Express el riff de Rock Creek Park de los The Blackbyrds. Be Thankful for What You Got es un versión del clásico de William DeVaughn, aquí actualizado pero respetando la estrutura original. Una delicia. Five man army usa percusiones de I'm Glad You're Mine de Al Green así como Cuss Cuss de Lloyd Robinson y Skylarking y Money y The Root of All Evil del propio Horace Andy. Todo ello con soberbia maestría y resultado. Unifinished symphaty es una obra maestra con breaks de Parade Strut (Instrumental) de J. J. Johnson y de Planetary Citizen de la Mahavishnu Orchestra and John McLaughlin. Su video en en Los Ágeles también. Daydreaming es una epopeya Trip-Hop a partir del Mambo de Wally Badarou (Level 42). Incluye también partes del Here comes the sun y The end de The Beatles. Lately, con partes del Mellow Mellow Right On de Lowrell y percusiones de Joy a cargo de Isaac Hayes. Hymm of the big wheel es otra joya con partes del Three Whale Trip de Frank Watlington. Un final inmejorable para un disco único.

Very nice album with some cool vibes.

PRetty awesome early electronic music. love the general vibes and listenability. great for when doing work. predates The XX by about 20-25 years but very similar in sound and style

Va dura

Consistently good throughout. All killer no filler. Great vocals and good baselines. Interesting percussion as well.

I really enjoyed the vibe of this one.

Cool and atmospheric. Not as good as mezzanine, but a hell of a lot better than some other albums in this list

Highlight: Unfinished Sympathy

Didn’t know it and loved it.

The kind of album that makes you wish it was longer

An album that both feels like something to sit lazily in a chair watching the sun rise with a brew listening to, and as something to get up and MOVE to. A near-perfect sonic experience that reminds me of the hip-hop of the time (mostly the Native Tongues collective, but insert your fave alternative here) while still defining something different in being the foundational record of trip-hop. Powerful, meaningful, and with an impact I don't think we'll ever truly see the end of. Timeless.

Classic album

Великий альбом. Великая компания. Выпущенный в 91-ом, он до сих пор, имо, звучит более чем достойно и современно. Если бы такой альбом вышел прямо вот сейчас, все эти хип-хоп люди съели бы заживо за эти биты. И это даже не лучший альбом группы. Лучшая песня - Safe From Harm.

La découverte du titre Unfinished Sympathy sur une compile a marqué le début d'une grande histoire d'amour avec Massive Attack et le trip hop en général quand j'étais adolescente. Ça a fait "boum" dans mes oreilles. Blue Lines propose quelque chose qui déborde de tant d'influences qu'il me semble impossible de s'en lasser. Happée doucement dès la première chanson, je réalise toujours avec étonnement 45 minutes plus tard que j'étais pleinement installée dans ma bulle, portée par ces voix calmes. L'atmosphère à la fois urbaine et rétro a quelque chose de délicieusement mystérieux. Je n'ai d'ailleurs jamais vraiment envie de sortir de cette torpeur à la fin de l'album, comme une sorte de médiation qui prendrait fin trop tôt. Intemporel, classique, indémodable.

Trip hop!!! 🖤🖤🖤

Love it!!! Love the rhythm, the bass... The lyrics tell great stories and I feel 'there'.

This is easy. "Unfinished Sympathy" was the first track I've heard from Massive Attack and I was fascinated by it. So, naturally, I bought the album. The style, later dubbed Trip-Hop, was my thing. I still love this record.

I really liked this album. Great beats, bars and vocals. Towards the end the songs dip a bit, but they are still great songs to listen to.

É uma mistura de Tribe Called Quest com vocais de Soul e R&B. Os samples de bateria e baixo que se repetem em loop ao longo das vão ganhando complexidade com sintetizadores, teclado, backing volcas etc. e te carregando cada vez mais pra dentro do som. Recomendo ouvir o álbum de cabo a rabo e se possível com um fone bom. Apesar da última música ser a que menos gosto do álbum, tenho que concordar que ela é a que ela é perfeita para encerra-lo. Ela tem mais cara de créditos de filme, tem um tom vitorioso, que afirma a certeza de que acabaram de finalizar um puta álbum. E o encerrando dela, em que o vocal para abruptamente e os instrumentos seguem por mais 1 minuto, lentamente se desligando dão impressão de um show em que os artistas vão saindo de cena um por um. Talvez seja a que menos goste porque me tira da atmosfera que estava antes e me lembra que o álbum já esta acabando.

Absolutely adore the absolute hell out of this album

Top marks. Timeless.

A timeless masterpiece of an album. If "Unfinished Sympathy" isn't the high water mark of human accomplishment, I don't know what is

I think it isn't surprising that I really really adore this album. Massive attack has been my top 3 band for two years and even though my all time favorite album is definitely Mezannine, Blue Lines is absolutely amazing. Easy easy 5 stars.

exquisite

Safe From Harm Blue Lines Be Thankful for What You've Got Unfinished Symphony Daydreaming

The first album I heard by Massive Attack that I was enthusiastic about was Mezzanine. When I heard Blue Lines, I was pretty disappointed. I was expecting something completely different. When a friend told me that he had been the other way around, I gave the album another chance. I'm glad I did, because it's great.

Staple

This is completely new to me. I loved it.

Still one of the best albums - and groups - that I’ve encountered.

Really loved this album, my only experience to trip hop prior to this was a few Portishead songs, definitely plan on digging deeper into the genre.

British trip hop pioneers with a debut that blends genres and your mind.

Great vocals

Bam! My first 5 Stars! Much going on! Great dynamic vocals, big harmonies, nice blend of R&B and electronica. Every song is worth a listen, a few home runs, all unique. Easily in my regular rotation.

The best trip hop album

Blue Lines This album is 33 years old. 33 years before it was released the South Pacific soundtrack was the best selling album of 1958 and Elvis had only been around for 2 years. I can’t have listened to this in about 15 years, but fuck it’s a great album. I’ve heard it so many times but I really concentrated on listening to Unfinished Sympathy today. Obviously it’s a classic but it really is an absolutely fantastic bit of music. The melody and strings are genuinely affecting and moving, while the restless percussion and rhythm contrast beautifully with that tenderness. Safe From Harm, Five Man Army, Lately are also excellent tracks and I absolutely adore Hymn of the Big Wheel. Sometimes the ‘englishness’ of the rapping vocals can jar a bit and sound a bit Lonely Island - I guess this must have been a bit of an influence for them I still listen to Mezzanine pretty frequently and that is probably my fav MA album, but this really is superb. Also when I first got it in the mid 90s it sounded so different to anything else I’d ever heard before. I’m finding it surprisingly hard to rate, it’s between a 4 and 5 for me. Mezzanine would definitely be a 5 and I think this sits a little below that. However it is excellent in it own right, and factoring in its originality and groundbreaking’ness’ I think I have to give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was good, had no idea about these guys.

Wow, absolute stunner of an album

That is my style

This still sounds fresh 33 years later. Chill trip hop with soul. Massive Attack is one of my go to's for background work music & my ears always perk up when I hear Unfinished Sympathy. This album definitely deserves to be on this list. 4.5 stars.

Excellent

So much early hip hop instrumentals from here

This album, is what i call a masterpiece. Great blend of electronic sounds&vocals. This is for me the beginning of electronic music. Can listen to this all day. Love Massive Attack.

My favorite Massive Attack album is "Mezzanine," which is essentially a perfect album to me. However, "Blue Lines" is still 5 stars. It is beautiful, haunting, smooth, and heavy.

Absolute classic album. Truly deserves to be on this list

Never heard of Massive Attack and was shocked at how much I loved this album. My style of music, trance like melodies with soul vocals and hip hop mixed in.

So good! The birth of trip hop. Innovative, mysterious, haunting but oh so cool. Just superb. And yet, not their best. Mezzanine is even better but sadly, not in the book. Still, Blue Lines is a classic in its own right.

What a wonderful album this is. The birth of trip-hop in a tight little 44 minutes. The whole album just whispers "vibes." Basically set the stage for what could be done with beats. Just cover to cover quality, although I think "Hymn of the Big Wheel" kinda bobbles the finish. But by the time you get to that track, whatever substances you may have ingested are fully kicked in, so you can just lay back, take a deep breath, and let the waves crash over you.

This is my vibe!! Love this album, so deep in the heart with the beats, vocals, soul...

Very funky album! I h ave heard of this band before but never listened to them. I enjoyed the whole album

Epitome of late 90s groove + synth sounds. I also can't hear it without hearing Flight of the Conchords or thinking about the Matrix for some reason.

Have listened to Massive Attack sparingly throughout the years and glad I have found this. What an album.

Soft 5

Excellent album - YouTube Music glitched and I listened five times.

Album #4! First album in this series for me you couldn't remotely describe as "blues-rock/hard-rock", a welcome reprieve. I LOVE Mezzanine, been one of my favorite records for years, but I think I remember trying to listen to this one years ago and not getting it all. So, very excited to jump back into this and see if I can get the hype this time around. From the jump, I'm remembering why it wasn't as immediately appealing to me, it's a bit less accessible, more hip-hoppy, more minimal in some ways? But I think I'm starting to get it a bit more this time around. The "Be Thankful for What You've Got" cover/remix is pretty dang stellar. "Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean ooooooooo". I think also starting to dip my toes in dub is making me appreciate the dubbier tracks better. "Five Man Army" sounds so good on headphones. "Unfinished Sympathy," just wow. Listening to this song first on my earbuds on a run I enjoyed it but it didn't stand out, then my second time through the album with nice headphones my jaw dropped with those layers of strings. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" is so damn good, very different from the rest of the album, feels like watching the sunrise after a night clubbing in London. And of course the deadhead in me can't help but think of "Big wheel turn by the grace of god..." (doing a little research, apparently both are references to the buddhist "bhava-cakra", very cool). Overall, my favorite new listen of this experiment so far (only 4 in though). So happy this project pushed me to go back and check out an album I had written off as "not for me" before. I think this is going to be my first 5 so far.

All around great sound!

Blue Lines, like the mysterious haze that oozes from this seminal album. Like the waves of pleasures one can feel roaming this nocturnal, urban maze--soul, dub and hip hop all merging to create all those lush sound-system-inspired skylines. Listen to "Five Man Army", and you'll see those evocative nightly shapes in front of your very eyes. You might even smell the scent of burnt engines. Younger listeners may not understand how groundbreaking this record was at the time of its release--and how it still informs many genres today, far beyond the "trip hop" moniker that was ascribed to it at the time (more on that in the conclusion of this review). Truth be told, this sort of "fusion" had never been encountered before. Even if, in a way, said fusion hearkened back to the spirit that had for instance guided musicians of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, here sampled at least twice during the course of this LP, or the ones of Love, whose "Be Thankful (For What You've Got)" is wonderfully covered during the proceedings. Add the singular vocal performances of soul singer Sara Nelson and reggae legend Horace Andy, and what you have as a result is a jewel. From the ominous, obsessive "Safe From Harm" to the wide-eyed, almost naive "Hymn Of The Big Wheel"--from the heartbreak of "Unfinished Sympathy"'s tense strings to the sensual groove of "Daydreaming"--each and every track of this masterpiece is a gem. *Blue Lines* was not a simple debut, you see. It was already a crowning achievement. So it doesn't matter if the "groundbreaking elements" of this LP get lost in the mix today. There's still enough urban poetry in this album to make up for how supposedly "dated" it sounds in 2023. A couple of records later, for *Mezzanine*, 3D, Daddy G, and Mushroom would incorporate post-punk in their formula to further their ambitions and make everything sound more (in)tense. Yet what we get here is equally precious. It's a *smoother* version of the Massive Attack project, and this mix of juvenile seduction and more menacing undertones is an asset the collective would never *fully* profit from ever after. Some say that *Blue Lines* is one of the best debuts of all time, and they're damn right about that. Others say this record is the birth of trip hop, its whole starting point, and they're right as well. Yet this album is far more important that trip hop--which was just an ephemeral phase during the history of modern music, a transition within the great mix of the times. This album is a tone poem, first and foremost--and it's one of the most impressive tone poem ever put to tape. No other record will ever sound like it again, as influential as it was from 1991 onwards. Massive caught lightning in a bottle that year. "Inflammable" indeed. Number of albums left to review: 356 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 291 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 154 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 206

Amazing album. Up and down, left and right.

I feel like I was transported back to the 90s with this album. Favorite song: Be Thankful for What You’ve Got

Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac Diamond in the back, sunroof top Diggin' the scene With a gangsta lean Gangsta whitewalls TV antennas in the back You may not have a car at all But remember brothers and sisters You can still stand tall Just be thankful for what you've got I love this album, it really stands up as a great album. Takes me back to my CD changer and how long this CD was in the rotation (it outlasted many other albums.) 5/5

Maschine: Grado Hemp Mische (2012 Mix/Master): insb. Bass-Referenz, besonders tolle Dynamik im (Re)Master Musik: zeitloser Trip-Hop Meilenstein Meinung: 5/5

Yes yes yeees!

< mezzanine, bet tāpat 🤯❤️

Pure perfection.

- Heard some of the tracks before and listened to Mezzanine but first full listen - Really, really good, somehow sounds ahead of its time and of the era at the same time - Fav songs: Unfinished Sympathy, Safe From Harm, Blue Lines

Great vibes, good working music. 10/10

Loved it

Fun one, never heard before. Almost like spoken word over classic hip hop beats Wouldn't go back, but very much enjoyed

Groovy baby. Immaculate vibes

I had never heard this before, and I can see why it's considered a masterpiece. What an incredible album.

Every song is great and transitions nicely. Mellow.

Beautiful 🥲 I can listen to this on repeat for days

Yep, this is still great.

I finally read where all these albums come from. So, now it makes sense why there are so many great albums. Massive Attack is one of my favorite groups. I have listened to this album many times and will keep it in my regular rotation. 5/5.

Chill

Funny how many songs on this album I've already heard and love. Big Wheel is the perfect closer and Horace Andy's best performance with Massive

I had the joy of living in Bristol when it all came together and the Wild Bunch settled down to make some fine music. Trip hop came from a time in England and, frankly, in Bristol. The dreadful mess of the 70s and 80s was beginning to get better, cities like Bristol were calming down and bursting with creativity. Massive Attack produced the absolute seminal Trip Hop album here. A genre that was brilliant but very much of a moment but an album that is absolutely timeless.

"Blue Lines" is the debut album by English electronic band Massive Attack. The genres listed are trip hop and British hip hop and it is actually considered the first trip hop album incorporating and blending elements of of hip hop with dub, soul, reggae and electronic music. At this point, the band members are Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles. Singing contributions were also made by Shara Nelson and Horace Andy. The album had widespread critical acclaim and commercially reached #13 in the UK. Wind and a downbeat temo open "Safe from Harm." Soulful vocals from Shara Nelson. A guitar break and rapping comes in. Nice sampling of Billy Cobham's "Stratus." "Be Thankful for What You've Got" gets a groove going. More soul and scratching. Based on a1974 song by William DeVaughan of the same name. "Unfinished Symphany" is downbeat. There's bells and this is more dance. A synth beat. "Daydreaming" has soft synth melodies and us dreamy. I got to think this is about drugs. The album ends with "Hymn of the Big Wheel"." There's wind sounds just like the album started. Dual vocals. Strings in the background. This is very optimistic sounding but it appears to be about being inevitably stuck in the wheel of fate. (This reminds me, I need to watch the latest episode of "Wheel of Time.") This album is nice and chill. It's not a busy album which sometimes hip hop can be. I defintely see its influences in the 1990's trip hop albums. It's a really nice album to listen to and would be perfect in the background while reading, working or doing just about anything.

Absolute banger.

Perfect

I loved this album! I was surprised to hear a lot of familiar sounds. I can see that this music has paved the way for a lot of future genres of music. Very nostalgic 90’s vibes as well. Trail blazers

Massive Attack really has become this group that I wasn't familiar with before starting with 1001 albums, but now love. Had their 'Protection' album here before, which was really good. I think this is stronger though. I am probably a bit biased in my honeymoon phase with this band, but they are just really good at creating extremely cool grooves with nice mellow chord progressions that works very well for me. It definitely feels 90s to me, but also manages to stand out and be very unique compared to much other music. The singers on the album have very different vocal ranges, which it makes it very interesting. It sounds quite similar to Moby, of which I am a big fan. He also manages to capture a similar feeling, especially in the 'Play' and '18' and albums. Some of my favourite tracks from the album are 'Blue Lines', 'Daydreaming', and 'Lately'. But like I said, all tracks keeps a very high bar.

This is a classic album front to back. This whole album is a "shots fired" situation that ignited a new genre and I'm so thankful for it.

Incredible, vocals were amazing

I'm just a little bit too old to have really gotten the whole trip-hop thing. I knew about it but never got into it and haven't bothered listening since. So, this was new and I really enjoyed it. A fine mix of laid back rhythms and hip-hop vocal that was easy to listen to. And I'm sure there's a Bristol twang when whoever it is sings "lover" at one point... Obviously important as well, but that doesn't always equate to being enjoyable to listen to. This does both: solid 4.5 stars, so it can have 5 for being different

Super album

Nice! It is cool to hear the birth of trip hop.

Very much enjoyed the various voices and the smooth trippy groove.

I had thought I had an idea of what Massive Attack sounded like but I was wrong. This was a fantastic listen! I love the atmosphere and vibe. It sounded a lot more contemporary than 1991 - seems like this was establishing the path for a lot of later music. Super cool!

Groundbreaking.

Great album. Love trip hop / chillhop.

One of the greats

Beautiful album. Masterpiece.

This album was really cool. I had never heard of this group before, but I dig their style. I use bass, drums, and keys in a very tasteful way. This album is groovy and chill and was perfect for listening while sitting at my desk at work. The rap style kinda sounds like Flight of the Conchords which makes it kinda funny to me. Favorite Track: Safe From Harm/Blue Lines Least favorite: Hymn of the Big Wheel

60’s, 70’s,80’s guy here, gotta say I really enjoyed this album.Always open to new music and this fit the bill, listened twice and was intrigued..so listened to more ,quite good

Possibly one of the greatest starting points of a genre, that genre being Trip-hop. As a result of combining electronic, soul, maybe even some psychedelia & reggae, this provided an all around great experience. For my favorite tracks, the opener, "Safe from Harm" (aka. My favorite), "Five Man Army", and "Unfinished Symphony" all round up for a solid top 3 from this album. This album is absolutely essential, and something you should look into if you want to get into trip-hop.

Still magnificent

The first trip hop album features beats that are slower than typical dance music influenced by funk, jazz, soul, hip hop etc. This album is so influential that it consistently ranks highly on decade and all time lists. I am familiar with later trip hop artists to the point where this album doesn't sound groundbreaking to me. However, when listened to in historical context, it is clear just how important this album is. It's easy to listen to, atmospheric, and wears its influences on its sleeves making it accessible to any listener.

Can’t believe this album has more than 30 years now. Just as good as the day it came out.

First real suggestion

Superb!

A classic!!

Really excited for this one. I don't know why I never really got into Massive Attack even though I was always obsessed with Faithless and they are often referred to as similar groups/music. The first track is pretty dope so far. Vocals sound a bit like Maxi Jazz RIP. I really liked that album! There was a song that had the same bass line as one of the Faithless songs. Five Man Army was the MA song, and Dirty ol Man was the faithless song.

Album so good it spawned a genre overnight. Love every single track on this. Fantastic. Masterpiece.

this was pretty solid. I liked a lot of the songs especially the title track. one of the best so far.

Hearing massive attack from time to time, finally a chance to listen to the album in a different way.

Great

A top of the tree all-time favourite list album. Contains some of my favourite songs, and in my humble opinion, the best album opening track ever.

7/9/25 loved this album so much!!! listened to it and then listened to it again two more times. so many cool sounds, no skips, still sounds so fresh - "the first trip hop album" - wish i could have heard it when it dropped favorite songs were one love, blue lines, hymn of the big wheel

One of the greatest trip-hop albums. ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ is simply stunning, and, while the rest of the album isn’t quite as good, it still sets a mood with smooth songs that are a joy to hear.

Never heard of this band!

Smooth

Massive... massive... When the Wild Bunch of Bristol began to infiltrate the music world, little did anyone know what would come from the abundant talents of Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Grantly "Daddy G" Marshall and Adrian "Mushroom" Vowles. In the creation of what would be known as the dreaded moniker "trip-hop", Blue Lines is not just one of the pillars of the chilled out hip-hop subgenre; it is one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. Across nine tracks, Blue Lines indulges in some dub-infused lovers rock, reworked stylings of obscure 70s soul and atmospheric swaggering rap in ways only these innovative Bristolians could wrap their minds around. A hell of a start to one of, amongst many, the best three album runs across any genres. Boom... boom chick-a chick, boom chick-a chick...

Awesome album. Not my favourite from them (I mean: Mezzanine, enough said), but amazing nevertheless.

Hard to believe this is 32 years old. The impact that this made is muted by the fact that a tremendous amount of music copied portions of what is contained here. The number of genres they incorporate in the sonic palette is both refreshing and astounding (in that they were able to make it work). And, they arguably created trip-hop.

Not sure if TripHop made it across the pond but this had a big influence in the UK. I like Mezzanine better (darker) but loved Tricky's influence here. Simply infection, moody, and dark. Every track holds it's own- great variety in styles and sounds.

Erinomainen levy! Suosikkini koko bändiltä. Pyörinyt lautasella ihan megapaljon. 5/5

9/10 really fun album, I loved the diversity

LP

I'm aware that I probably wouldn't have given this album 5 stars if I wasn't already familiar with it. I can remember things like the original vocals taking me a while to get into, but it is an album that has a lot of depth you uncover as you listen to more and more.

Absolutely great Album

Amazing!

Een favoriet hier in huis, staat dan ook geregeld op.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

This album holds up years on, and bits and pieces still show up as influences in modern music and pop culture. The stunning production, stream-of-consciousness yet poetic lyrics, and consistent end-to-end identity of this album make it something I come back to year after year.

A trip hop classic, still not my favorite Massive Attack

As one of the pioneers of trip-hop, it deserves its recognition with over half the album constituting of masterpieces to show what the genre could do, with their most accessible songs in the first half. Emerging from rave culture, electronic music fills the room with open ambiance and a tight groove. The synths are subtle and ensure there's a lot to focus on. The reggae-infused "Five Man Army" is one of the best examples: with two distinct rapping styles back and forth, but the background is full of creative jazz samples, weird synth effects, and hidden scats to ensure there's always something new to pick up on. The use of hip-hop may sound normal today, but it was completely innovative at the time when you consider their more forward and punchy contemporaries. It meshes well with the R&B and reggae styles singing of Shara Nelson, Horace Andy, and other singers. Despite having several vocalists, they all sound great and add to the diverse styles of these tracks, as if to show the genius is within the production itself, with the vocalists rather serving an instrumental role. I was once assigned Tricky's solo album a year ago, and I found it repetitive, but I much prefer his vocal contributions here, but maybe that's because it's more spread out and not the center of attention, even in his own songs like "Blue Lines." Still, the lyrics in songs like "Be Thankful" and "Unfinished Sympathy" are infectious, with inviting hooks to pull in all sorts of audiences. Even the tracks I didn't care for much became favorites given enough time. Nothing felt like filler, and the last few tracks gave a satisfying ending.

What an album! Super chilled, really enjoyed from start to end, strong beat in the background keeping it going the whole way and just zoned out into it, defo listening again

Classic, loved this.

The best album of one of my favorite bands. Massive Attack created an album full of ideas, great sounds and innovation.

Stone cold classic

Solid, I liked the style a lot. It was consistent and I am a fan.

For this genre, it's one of the best examples. For music, it's one of the best examples

One of the best - I listen to it all of the time.

This album changed my life. I don’t think I can actually say more than that.

C'est exactement comme ça qu'on imagine la vie

vendu

9/10. Excellent, was obviously a huge influence to Moby, Groove Armada, etc. Highlight was Unfinished Symphony.

Yes all around.

Wawow mag net een vijf krijgen van mij (omdat ik het zo makkelijker ga vinden haha). Heel mooie liedjes vooral: blue lines, unfinished sympathy en hymn of the big wheel . Ik duik nog wat in hun discografie

This is SOOO my type of music

Very good! Loved it!

4.5

Another perfect album

Unsurpassable greatness

Classic. It's not my favourite of their albums, but it is a timeless wonder.

Flawless. The singing alone on Hymn of the Big Wheel...

very cool

Just fabulous. And magical. Adore this album.

Fantastic. Thought I would find it middling. Instead I loved it all.

Inspired. Trip hop at its smoothest, freshest and funkiest, full of brooding emotion.

Perfection!

Prior to this, Teardrop was the only song of theirs I knew. I enjoyed the whole album!

Every time it ended I hit play again, and I just kept turning up the volume. (:

Truly an innovative direction in music and the start of triphop as a genre.

The big wheel keeps on turning…

Massive 🔥

Amazing

Love leve. Love

An absolutely gargantuan album of early trip hop. A definitive album of the genre. And you get Unfinished Sympathy to boot. 5 stars all the way.

I enjoyed it

Awesome, I would have never found this on my own.

4.5/5. Can definitely hear the influence on Radiohead and NIN, and how it expanded use of samples. British rap tho 😬

That was nice.

Very bassy and chill Awesome for 'high' setting

From the opening burbling bass of Safe From Harm, I was hooked. What a song. What an album. Genre defining. I love Mezzanine which is a more consistent album but the high points of Blue Lines are enough to carry the album to a 5 🌟rating

A veritable banger, already with many plays by me. I think I'll always prefer Mezzanine and Heligoland, but this is so impressive for a debut. Fav new track: N/A, but fav old track is prob still Safe From Harm. Memories of drilling the iwaslookingbackatyou section back in the day...

Nice!

6 of 1,001. Already own. Brilliant.

Great album from start to finish

*classic alert* I have this one on cd from years ago.. My second favourite massive attack album I reckon, just behind mezannine

Дебютник моих любимок в мире трип-хопа. Не лучший их альбом, но все равно хороший 9/10

Awesome rock album, some parts I didn't care for but some 5 star songs

A true classic. And if 3D Del Naja is Banksy, then even better.

Massive Attack haben mich geflashed, als ich sie das erste Mal entdeckt hab und tun es immer wieder. Düster, mystisch, fett, melodisch und überraschend. Das ist für sein Genre zeitlos.

Superb.

great album, mezzanine my fave though

👌🏻💕

Sin ser el que más me gusta sí es el que más me sorprende, lo tiene todo para ser una obra maestra: mezcla de géneros para hacer uno nuevo, flow y rollo a rabiar, magnetismo a tope. Musicalmente es una locura y, en su momento, rompedor y totalmente novedoso.

Really liked this, listened several times.

Brilliant album!

Mummy! Mummy! The cat pissed all over my hair again. Please help.

great album

Trip Hop Favorite Songs: Safe From Harm, Be Thankful for What You’ve Got, Unfinished Sympathy, Hymn of the Big Wheel Least Favorite Track: One Love Admittedly, there’s a way better Massive Attack album that I personally loved more, that being Mezzanine, but this doesn’t mean that I didn’t dislike this album. Heck, I think it’s a great album (although not Apple’s Best 100 great). I think my overall issues is how it feels a little basic in terms of instrumentation, but the features in the tracklist were what mostly helped the album out for me. Definitely a keeper, but…eh? Feels more like a low end of a great album. 8/10

An insanely good debut. This group cooked out three albums in the 90s and definitely defined that era. This is usually considered the second best and is definitely a fun first time listen.

Like it

Increible. Disco que conoci hace un años e hizo que me empiece a gustar el trip hop

This is a nice listen both vocalists have ez listening voices. The music is smooth and relaxing. I enjoyed listening to this one.

Decent, a bit of a change for me but I liked it

What is perhaps the defining album of trip-hop (second to mezzanine the goated beetle album at least imo), is a very sludgy, creeping album that makes incredible use of the genres (r&b, rap, electronic) it takes inspiration from. There are not many artists with a sound quite like Massive Attack, and I was surprised at just how seamless everything is. There is such a distinct aesthetic to the sound captured on this album. Some of the best rap/hip-hop/trip-hop to come out of the UK for sure.

Muy bien, An shoegaze classic

A good listen, the music was interesting and well put together. There was more reggae on this album then I expected with a name like Massive Attack. I'm glad to have listened to it.

mwah.

A slow paced, groovy trip hop album. Great atmosphere and mood, good for chilling at night or day. Also has a lot of dub and soul influences.

Be Thankful For What you've Got

4/5

i like. added a couple to my playlist

Really funky in a good way.

Love the nice chill vibe of this music, but it's not boring and sleep inducing. I'm surprised I hadn't heard any of this before.

This is one of those cool albums that was the true beginning and debut of a genre, in this case, trip hop. The beats are smooth and hypnotic and serve as a sweet backdrop for the soulful performances. I certainly don’t love everything but I can get behind most of the ideas. This is catchy and classy. 1 listen Favorite Track: Safe From Harm

# Album Name: Blue Lines # Artist: Massive Attack # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Very good debut album. Enjoyed it way more than i thought i would. # Top Tunes: safe from harm / one love / be thankful / unfinished sympathy / daydreaming / hymn of the big wheel # Would I listen to it again? Yes

A great introductory Trip Hop album

This record is a vibe, and it's a vibe I'm very much in favor of. Favorite track: Five Man Army

I do like me some trip-hop.

4.2/5

Enjoyable listen, really cool vibe and solid throughout.

Blue Lines was a great listen. I like the laid back feel, and it never outstays its welcome. It still sounds fresh more than 30 years later. Unfinished Sympathy is one of the best dance songs ever made, and the rest of the album more than holds its own. Four stars from me

some hits some misses. really just depends on the singer

Picture it: Ultra martini bar. White floor floors, white wall walls, white bar top. The Vaca collection consists of Grey Goose and Ciroc. Every woman there is wearing coach or Versace except for the ones who are wearing LV and they're being judged. This album is playing in the background. And honestly, it's the best thing about the place

Не совсем мое всю жизнь, но unfinished sympathy бенгер.

Shara Nelson: hell yes; Horace Andy: hell naw.

My kind of musical experimentation. Blue Lines foreshadowed all of the UK electronic music that exploded in the mid-90s and then drove the music scene of the 2000s.

First exposure to Massive Attack outside teardrop, cool to listen to the debut and slightly different style here. Really solid trip hop that uses the electronic instruments to great effect. The more Reggae coded songs lose some of the momentum but it keeps a consistent groove energy from beginning to end. I can see this becoming one of my favorite bands of this style easily

At the dawn of a new genre, paving the way for trip hop overlords such as Portishead and Beth Orton but w a much groovier vibe. This one really surprised me, for the better.

I still have a visceral reaction to British people rapping - that's our thing after all - but a lot better than I expected.

2026.07.22.

I enjoyed this. I knew of massive attack from teardrop. It is good to listen to but I might not actively pick it.

A fun and different album. A lot of talent is involved in this.

Much groove and much chill. I like

I was NOT expecting a band called Massive Attack to be so smooth! Lovely stuff. I started this project knowing nothing about trip-hop, and am going to enjoy doing a deep dive into the genre.

while not their masterpiece, it is a stunning debut album, one i will happily listen to again

It’s hit and miss for me (but a lot more hit that miss), some tracks I love like Unfinished Sympathy & Hymn Of The Big Wheel but there’s a few I don’t care for much. I’m not a huge fan of rapping so those tracks didn’t land for me as much even though I did like all the instumentals, all in all though a pretty good listen and I can say that I did enjoy. FT: Unfinished Sympathy Rating: 4/5

Mezzanine's better, but this is still a foundational trip hop album that holds up very well today (even if "contagerous" kills me every time)

Vibe boinha

laid back, trippy, n fun! probably needs more relistening 2 understand n enjoy it more. 80/100

Time flew by listening, and I really got into a flow state with this. Absolutely loved "One Love".

Super, c’est sexy, posé, chill, sensuel, mais ça rebondit bien quand même. super découverte.

Really high expectations and only partially redeemed. Majority of songs were familiar but I haven’t listened this album through ever. Now I have it and most likely will listen again. Close to be really good but no cigar. Strong 4 but for missing hooks to get 5.

#434 / 1089 Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ I've listened to Blue Lines a lot, about as much as Mezzanine, latter may be my most listened to MA album. Right behind are Protection and Heligoland, but Tricky's Maxinquaye is also up there. Their stuff was new and exciting in the 90's, when I despised most dance music and most mainstream electronic music was insuffrable shite. Massive Attacks dark moods, unique vocalists and sounds in general made me want to come back again and again. Strong 4/5

7/10 Best songs: Safe from Harm Super interesting album that kind of foreshadows the triphop genre and the path electronica would take as the 90s progressed. Synths, soul, rap, atmospheric sounds and music - the album has it all. It doesn't quite hit the mark for me, but I do generally enjoy it.

Pioneers of lofi/trip hop. Features by TRICKY, Shara Nelson, Horace Andy, et al. fill out this album beautifully. Inspired to do a 90's trip hop deep dive.

Fajne na 4. Taki dziwny spokojny hip hop może.

This shit’s cool as fuck.

Doesn't really feel like a cohesive album. Really wide variety of styles. I looked some songs quite a bit and others weren't necessarily to my taste but not actively disliking. Could make for a good addition to a upbeat mix.

I liked it. I could see myself very easily running this album in the background while I'm doing something else. Kind of drags by the end and doesn't have any real captivating quality, however that's kind of the point.

Kyllä Massive Atakki on aina kutitellu jotain musahermoa ja tykänny. Mukavia uusia tuttavuuksia tällä levyllä ja pari isoa lekaa

A nice album with a relaxed vibe and many different fascinating musical elements. Some cool melodies and beats. Especially liked the back half of the album. I'm thankful for what I got. Four Stars!

It's not Meazzanine - but it shouldn't be, and should he proud for what it is. Unfinished Sympathy is a beaut of a track.

Effortlessly cool.

As I write, we're in the midst of yet another heatwave here in the UK that we're simply not equipped for. It could well be that I'm delirious, but this really is a pretty wonderful record, sounding all the more perfect in the hot sunshine. I'm familiar with Unfinished Sympathy as it's surely one of the most blissfully perfect singles of the last thirty-odd years - a real masterpiece - and it sounds all the more magnificent in the context of the album. Some tracks fall a bit flat in my opinion (Daydreaming, for example) but for the most part, yes, this is a fine record indeed.

This album, and others like it, is ONE of the reasons I am enjoying this 1001 albums list - it is making me re-listen and re-evaluate albums and artists I have heard and very likely dismissed. Sometimes I have been proved right sometimes, like with this, I am pleased I have returned to it, Apart from the odd track I haven't really got on with Massive Attack. I have enjoyed this album all the way through, in spite of the dancey elements (which I am generally not a fan of) but I must be getting mellower in my old age.

Excellent album, "Mezzanine" is better but this is a very high 4* 4/5

Instant bass to face !!! Idrk what I was expecting but it wasn't these groovy tunes.

i love shara nelson’s voice mixed with the sick production

I found this album to be much more consistent and enjoyable than their album Protection. 3.75 / 5

Wonderful album. Won't lie, at the beginning of it I was thinking "oh I'm gonna fucking hate this I know it" but I proved me wrong. I had a very nice time with this. Crept up on me forreal. If I still drank wine, this record would be drunkenly danced to 10 times a day.

I love trip-hop, it’s so rhythm-forward and yet stripped-down and chill at the same time, with all that good stuff from dub and reggae throughout. So of course I think this is a great record.

01) Safe from Harm - 10,0 02) One Love - 9,0 03) Blue Lines - 9,0 04) Be Thankful for What You've Got - 8,5 05) Five Man Army - 8,5 06) Unfinished Sympathy - 10,0 07) Daydreaming - 8,5 08) Lately - 8,0 09) Hymn of the Big Wheel - 9,0 TOTAL: 8,94 (89/100) Current ranking: 97/962

Groundbreaking mix of trip hop, dub and electronics. It's cool and laid back and still quite intense and layered.

-yay Massive Attack finally! this is a really great album, one of my fav 90s and British hip-hop albums for sure. you can really see the early development of the later trip-hop style the band would embrace taking shape here -it’s not perfect and sounds a little dated now but i still love it. never forgetting my Massive Attack phase from 2023 -Favorites: Safe From Harm, Five Man Army

Great but not something I listen to

Felt way shorter than it actually was, surprisingly pleasant mix of things. Couldn't think what they could’ve mean by trip hop, with electrónica and rock, now I know. Good album

A bit of Reggae a bit of ambient, a bit of hip hop finalized with some house. All of it packed with crispy beats and cutting vocals. Real journey with a clear common theme leading through the album.

Had no idea who or what this was. Surprisingly really epic

Who are these people and why is this good. The album starts off slow, but after blue lines and be thankful for what you got, I was really invested. The drums are crisp and clean, and the base lines are really punchy. There were so many times in this album that I picked up on chops where I thought, “this would be an amazing sample “. Will definitely be listening to this album a lot moving forward. So unique.

The trip hop blueprint. The best albums of the genre (including Massive Attack’s best) were still to come, but the groundwork is all right here. Delivered to you straight from the backstreets of Bristol.

9 songs I was familiar with some songs from their other albums, and while I'd say that those are an improvement, this wasn't a bad debut album at all. Unfinished Sympathy is the highlight of the album, but all the other songs are pretty good as well!

Absolute classic record! Unfinished sympathy is an all time classic. The whole record has an awesome vibe. Iconic

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.