Reviews (page 4 of 14)
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.
Velmi dober🔥
This one tickled me
Fun trip! I'd be okay with more of this coming up on my shuffle occasionally.
Я люблю massive attack, але це не найулюбленіший мій альбом з їх творчості. Атмосферна музика, але не достатньо чаруюча для 5 зірок
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
Really enjoyed!
Big fan
Great stuff. Knew the one hit. Listen to other tracks and knew then too!
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.
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.
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.
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
Pretty good. Not what I expected
strong, trippy start to weaker finish. cant wait to listen to mezzanine
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
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!
Fye
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.
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.
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
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
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
Kinda Invented Trip hop , very nice
big fan of the mix of iconic samples and groovy sounds
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)
Very catchy ! But maybe a little too repetitive
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.
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.
dik
This seems to emphasize the hip-hop aspect of trip-hop more than their later output does. Still quite enjoyable.
Big 4* literally sounds like nothing before it
Excellent recording. Very good band from the 90's
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.
Fucking wonderful
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!
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
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.
I appreciate how varied this album is
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.
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
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
Any album that toys with genre awakens me and draws me in!
I enjoyed this a lot, a fun collection of songs that had a nice groove to them.
Good álbum
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
amazing chill, incredible chill
I'm not normally a fan of this kind of stuff but it was kind of a vibe tbh.
This one’s good. Favourite track: “Safe from harm”.
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.
I quite liked this album. My favourite song was Unfinished Sympathy
This album is amazing
Good!!
This is in my wheel house. Surprised I had not listened to this before.
Always a pleasure to listen to this
The ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s just keep on coming, great stuff RGP. Tom.
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
This is all good. Some nice tunes. But then “Unfinished Sympathy” just towers above the rest. It’s no Mezzanine but it’s one I’d put on again.
Thank you Bristol. 👍🏻
This was cool. I like how many different artists are included. It gives each track a different flavour. I think I enjoyed this a similar amount to the other Massive Attack album on the list, though I don't super remember it (but I see that I rated it 4 stars too). I really like Be Thankful For What You've Got and Hymn Of The Big Wheel.
I am now a certified Massive Attack fan, I don't know what makes me certified, other than that I am certain that I am a fan. I personally think Protection ranks above Blue Lines, and Mezzanine also sits above Blue Lines for me. However seeing how this was their debut, it still ranks high for its inventiveness and authenticity. These guys helped carve out a new genre, and I gotta give em props for doing so. 8.5/10
Chill album Standout songs: Blue Lines Daydreaming
Mi mejor descripción para el sonido de este álbum seria collage sonoro, y la verdad que es muy acertado ya que el género que nació a partir de acá es el Trip Hop, un género que fusiona un montón de sonidos de la electrónica con influencias del hip hop, el funk, el jazz y sobre todo el downtempo. Si bien es acá dónde se empieza a cocinar la cosa, más adelante se vería el punto más alto al que puede llegar este sonido (ej. Bocanada), así que es muy buen detonador, la canción que más destaca es Unfinished Sympathy, que nos da un adelanto de lo grandilocuente que puede llegar a ser.
favs: safe from harm, blue lines, five man army, unfinished sympathy
I feel like my memories of listening to massive attack (pretty much just mezzanine) are a bit more experimental and less straightforward chill trip hop rapping. My memory might be letting me down a bit, but this is less interesting than I expected. I still quite like it. The sounds are nice, the atmosphere they create is very laid back and the vocals suit it well. I feel like unfinished symphony is much more the sound I expected which seems obvious, but there you go. Though it does have a weird messy percussion part across it all which I've never noticed before. Yeah, the next tracks goes straight back to the other style. Symphony really stands out here. I like it, not quite what I expected in terms of sound, but similar in terms of feel. I suspect if I listen to mezzanine again I'd prefer it to this, but it's nice.
it's 3.75
I felt it was a mixed bag but then the highs were very high. A really unique sound that made me feel lots of differnt things.
I love trip hop and the Bristol scene as a whole. It inspired a wave of really interesting music that blends genres in an intelligent way, creating a cinematic and dark sound that can truly shake you. I associate Massive Attack with the word “layers,” and here you can hear the beginnings of all the elements that would later cement the band’s legacy. There’s the dark electronic atmosphere, moody basslines, hip-hop drums and scratches, minimalistic guitars, and even a sprinkle of reggae. My favorite songs are "Safe from Harm", "One Love", and "Unfinished Sympathy".
Classic, love this genre and this is in the top 5 from it along with Tricky and Portishead
Got already
Nice, this is very enjoyable. Always heard of this group, never got around to checking them out. Maybe Mezzanine once or something. But this debut is just a smooth listen, it’s almost like a playlist with the way it shuffles styles and vocalists, but it maintains this vibe throughout and that’s what ties it all together. I’ll definitely revisit this. Must-listen #318.
Interestingggg
Really good
Classic. A lot of good stuff here.
GENRE DEFINING
One of the most interesting Trip Hop albums I have heard. You have random hip hop songs, soul songs, dub songs and more but it all has that underlying trippy atmosphere and rhythms that are so characteristic for the genre. The best part is easily the drums which are so thick and crispy, sounds very satisfying. The vibe is immaculate, the whole record sounds like you're walking around an abandoned UK city in the middle of the night.
Had forgotten how influential this was, and how much Tricky was all over this album before he struck out more on his own. Trip hop before it was called that, with a couple of massive singles in 'Unfinished Sympathy' and 'Safe From Harm', and the rest holds up pretty well now, even 35 years later.
This album was actually pretty good.
I’m like it, especially the songs with Horace Andy and Tricky. I especially liked the last song, but probably won’t listen to the album again 4
top
Triphoppia tietenkin, mutta vähän ehkä iloisempaa sellaista. Siisti tunnelma kuitenkin. Räppiä aika paljon. Parhaat: Safe From Harm, Unfinished Sympathy
Pretty good, though I think Mezzanine is a better album from these guys
I like the bass-led song writing. Safe From Harm & Hymn of the Big Wheel Stood Out. The faithful cover of Be Thankful For What You've Got was fine but did not really add anything to that song. The original is an all time great song and perfect for the summer.
4/5 - I wasn't cool enough for this in 91, and I'm not cool enough for it now. I need to listen to more Massive Attack.
8/10
This is good. I can see where a lot of music I listen to gets its influence from now. I’d agree with most and say the mezzanine is better.
Personally I think Mezzanine was their best album but they could and probably should have had 3 on this list. Listening to this in full again I can see why it is so revered, it hangs together very well as a whole and has some stand out tracks, hard to believe it’s 35 years old, holds up really well and has clearly been a massive influence in the years following. 4.2
Very enjoyable. I liked the mix of different vocalists and the changes of pace. Relaxing and hypnotic.
I’ve never embraced its reputation as an influential, classic LP, but still a very strong album with some excellent, atmospheric, close to perfect songs. But it’s a little too R&B for me in spots and has at least two songs that are unlistenable. Would be a terrific like 7 song EP.
never listened to trip hop so listening to the beginings of its genre is truly awesome
Good album and new to me
Cooler Trip-hop
Great beats and grooves. I like the updated version of the classic Be Thankful For What You've Got. Liked Songs Added: Be Thankful For What You've Got Five Man Army
Classic of course
nice album, relaxing
Got a nice drive!! Moodbooster
Really liked this album. Very versatile, lots of interesting songs with different styles.
Great album. Very energetic and creative. I've not heard of this group before but I'm a fan now!
Blandar och ger, när Shara Nelson sjunger är det fantastiskt. Några låtar är klassiker annat är utfyllnad. Men en fyra måste det blir.
First album in 2 weeks that didn’t totally suck dick. 4 stars
I loved this album. I'm bummed I missed it the first time. Will definitely listen again
The first song sounds so cool and is a real highlight, but I think there's interesting stuff with listening to across the whole album. I can hear in this album stuff that I know from later that could've been influenced by this. I would definitely listen again.
MORE JAMAICA pls
Hey that was a cool vibe!
First listen I was not a fan but after 2-3 times thru I was really digging the lyrics and enjoying the beat. 6 out of 10
Surprisingly good, liked a few songs on here
Great way to spend a Friday afternoon. Its no Mezzanine but its still quality
Not their best one but still a good album
My earliest experience with trip hop and it was phenomenal!
Another blind spot I’m very much enjoying exploring-excellent. Diverse in sound. Great grooves. Loved it.
What a great time. Wonderful grooves.
So 90s it deserves to be in a time capsule. The different voices and styles throughout the album were fun
Me gusto el inicio, es algo diferente a lo que suelo escuchar. Me hubiera gustado empezar con un álbum del grupo que no tuviera ft, los instrumentales son muy interesantes. One love va a mí playlist Blue lines va a mi playlist Five man army va a mi playlist A medida que avanza el álbum se siente más familiar y relacionado con las cosas que me gustan.
fav songs: safe from harm blue lines five man army daydreaming hymn of the big wheel nocturnal, immersive, bass 75/100
Cool, prefer less hip hop MA albums
Solid 4 out of 5. Great background music
such a great album until the end. i wasnt feeling it. but maybe it will grow on me
great album a couple skips would listen to again though
A very good listen, I will need to go back to this one!
Great early EDM. A very nice mix of beats with a bit a fun lyrics.
Prior to listening to this I have 8 songs liked by Massive Attack - most are on Mezzanine - but none from this album. So I'm excited to dive into this. This is all pretty good. I generally like the songs with Shara Nelson singing the most. Was cool to see a little more melding in of rap and reggae on this album - as compared to the later Mezzanine album. After listening to this 3 times I ended up liking 7 of the songs. Was cool to read that this is considered the first "trip hop" album - though the band members don't really accept that label. Liked songs on Spotify: 7/9 Rating: 4/5
Best Track - "Unfinished Sympathy"
Unfinished Sympathy is timeless. I like some of the other tracks (safe from harm and big wheel) but it doesn’t maintain the quality through the whole album. It is still an important and high quality album.
It’s a classic of the genre and holds up well but doesn’t have the same consistent quality of ‘mezzanine’ for me. ‘Unfinished sympathy’ is by far and away the standout track and still sounds unique. I do like the bass forward nature of many of the songs (‘safe from harm’, ‘be thankful for what you’ve got’), drawing from 70s funk and soul in its own way. Very vibey, but sympathy aside doesn’t quite reach the pinnacle.
Had never listened to this album before even though I knew of Massive Attack for a long time. This was a great listen, easy four stars.
Музыка хорошая, атмосфера тоже передается. Но одно и тоже, нету каки-хто переходов. Вокал тоже отличный. Впервые познакомиоась с жанром трип-хоп, он импонирует мне. Однако альбом прям в душу не западает. Твердая 4 из 5
Top album
Sacré classique, mais comment ça Mezzanine est pas sur la liste ?
Safe from Harm One Love Blue Lines Five Man Army Daydreaming Hymn of the Big Wheel 4.5/5 - Great album - very easy to get lost in the production. Sonically pleasing and will be added to my rotation of albums I will be revisiting.
Another really solid album from the Attackers. Maybe not quite as enjoyable as their previous album, but I'm sure there is some bias because now I am expecting them to be good. Hymn of the Big Wheel was great. I think this one lands in the low 4 category because I am interested in relistening one day.
Pretty vibey cool electronic, i remember liking their other album a good amount too. Glad they were able to include some hilarious wanker singing which always cracks me up. This is a lower 4 but definitely couldn't be a 3
Ooh really liked this - true triphop vibes, as is only listened to mezzanine and some other albums that are maybe more trip less hop.
Top 3: 1. Safe From Harm 2. Unfinished Symphony 3. Be Thankful For What You've Got Least Favourite: Blue Lines
not what i expected at all but quite fun!
‘Safe from Harm’ is a great album opener. The track with Tricky, ‘Blue Lines’ is a groovy snapshot of 90’s u.k. hip hop and black british culture. An essential trip hop album- 4/5(10.02.2026)
Its alright, alwats wanted to listen to it, expected more, had some great moments, respectful samples and innovitive for those times
Not my favorite massive attack album, but still good. Less ethereal than I like.
Good production and interesting melodies made this one of the better albums on this list so far. Definitely deserves a slot here.
The O.G trip hop album, still sounds fresh. Album opens with a banger, has a slight lull, then from Five-Man Army onwards, every track is brilliant.
Planned to listen Massive Attack for a very long time and was very pleased with this first impression. A hip-hop soul reggae electronic mixture comes at you like a huge wave. Great music for a heist movie.
cool in so many ways
not my favorite release from these guys BUT a great album nonetheless!!!!
Coldplay left me well, cold
It laid the groundwork for better albums to come along (Portishead's Dummy springs to mind) but still good
I already really enjoy Massive Attack, so this was an easy listen. I have never listened to this album from start to finish however and it works so well - feels like a journey in an alternative timeline where you're apart of an underground rebellion against a tyranical system. loved it!
Liked!! Super chill and very interesting. I'll be checking out more Massive Attack.
Top notch trip-hop. Sexy, spooky, and engaging for every minute of its runtime. A genre staple.
I can't imagine this not being a genre-defining record. The opening baseline hooked me, and I was fully onboard with my intro to trip hop from there. That being said, there's no doubt this genre isn't for everybody. It is distinctly 90's and distinctly British, in a way that might turn off some listeners. Sharon Nelson and Tricky especially shine here, merging two genres effortlessly. It's a tight and innovative genre piece from a decade that was full of experimentation, and it absolutely deserves a place on this list. That being said, there are a few too many tracks, especially in the second half, that didn't stand out among the rest. 4.5 Highlights: Safe From Harm Blue Lines Daydreaming
Awesome
Pínu lame rapp en fær samt prik fyrir að vera brautryðjandi. Hljómurinn er feitur og unfinished sympathy er auðvitað meistarastykki.
Alltaf jafn svalt.
Another great album discovered. Didn’t know this is what Trip hop is. The amount of little micro samples really brought an extra layer to the production of the record. Will definitely be return to this and maybe even pitching my brothers vinyl
I know nothing about Massive Attack other than that they were referenced in a top 5 list in High Fidelity. When I saw that movie in the theater I felt like a bit of an ignoramus for not knowing who that was. 25 years later I've hung there in my ignorance. TIL NOW. It was pretty good. But British people rapping is always something I have a hard time taking seriously. It's called implicit bias and I take ownership of it.
Listened previously. Expectations: High - Verdict: Near Perfect - The bassline straight from the start: wow! Massive Attack craft such great sounding albums and are probably my favourite electronic act ever.
I love Massive Attack
pretty good
Not bad!
This album had a good overall vibe to it. Considered one of the first true trip hop albums, this had some good tracks on it that were smooth and easy to listen to. Unfinished Sympathy was probably the best track. While I'm not sure that it being declared on several of the greatest albums of the 90s/ever is fully warranted, it certainly is good and I am glad to have listened to it.
Wasn't really my type of music but was really enjoyable
Damn...this record is a vibe! Widely regarded as the very first trip hop album (a blend of hip hop and dub), Massive Attack's debut record, 'Blue Lines', possesses plenty of restraint, but offers plenty of tasteful character to keep you enthralled from start to finish. The strength is in the arrangements. The rap parts are hushed yet glistening with groove. the bass plays a critical support role in ensuring the songs never lose their swagger, and keyboards interlock with DJ trickery to add plenty of colour and atmosphere to the tunes. There's also plenty of impressive vocal performances here, not only through regular Massive Attack vocalists 3D, Tricky and Daddy G, but especially guest vocalists Shara Nelson, Horace Andy and Tony Bryan. With a near-perfect blend of singing and rapping, 'Blue Lines' never really loses its flow. The clear highlight on this record is 'Unfinished Sympathy', a record that is not only packed with atmosphere through a moving strings arrangement, but incorporates plenty of trippy effects to ensure it fits with the rest of the album, not to mention Nelson's vocals are incredible here. I also dig 'Daydreaming', 'Safe From Harm' and 'Be Thankful for What You've Got',all of which are groundbreaking examples of the trip hop genre, a genre as synonymous with the 90s as grunge or rave. 'Blue Lines' is quite outstanding for a debut record, and it would ensure Massive Attack stuck around as a prominent musical force throughout the 1990s. A later song of theirs, 'Teardrop', would eventually become the theme for the popular medical drama 'House', so the strength of their debut was only the beginning for them. Best songs: Safe From Harm, Be Thankful for What You've Got, Unfinished Sympathy, Daydreaming
beautiful
I like this one, very nice Will I listen to again: 94%
great
Sounds a little sandy, but I do like it better than the last album.
Fantastic listen. I read that they wanted to make "dance music for the head, rather than the body", and I think that just means it's for people who can't dance but want to know how it feels. Which is me. Not sure how often I'll revisit it, but thats due to personal taste rather than quality
Never heard a full album, but wow, was very good
easy listening. i like massive attack so this was a good one
Chill and some good tracks, if not my favourite of them.
still crazy that we got 2 massive attack but no mezzanine
Hard to give an album with Unfinished Sympathy on it anything less than a 5, but there are a couple of duffers.
Excellent walking in Mexico City album.
Done
Heard some of the hit songs from this album but never the whole thing. I enjoyed it but don't think I'll come back to it often.
Powerful album, a soundtrack to my youth 4 - great even among this list
More like a 3/5 personally, but I recognize the musical talent on display here and it does make for great easy listening.
pretty good stuff!
Heat
Yesssss. Love this. Revolutionary, chill, cool. Just great to listen to.
Goede sfeermuziek
Had never heard of this and went in with low expectations, but boy did this one surprise me. Such smooth and enjoyable listening, I really enjoyed this one. I'd never delved too deep into trip hop, but after hearing this I'll have to give it more of a listen.
Chill soul with touches of rap. Vocals, particularly the rap ones) seem somewhat down in the mix whereas the music seems to take the top. Quite listenable. 4.
Pretty easy listen. Quite enjoyed it.
I really only know Mezzanine, so I was looking forward to this one. Trip hop isn’t my favorite, but I am gaining appreciation for it. This is the first trip hop album, so it definitely belongs here, but how the fuck did they leave Mezzanine off the list altogether?
Legend of an album
idk why I thought Massive Attack was a punk band? I keep saying this about different artists and I need to stop doing this to myself. this was a good album though. trip hop at its best
Good background vibes - honestly enjoyed way more than I thought I would
This is fucking groovy. I have been overlooking this band for way too long and am now a fan
Had never heard of this and went in with low expectations, but boy did this one surprise me. Such smooth and enjoyable listening, I really enjoyed this one. I'd never delved too deep into trip hop, but after hearing this I'll have to give it more of a listen.
You know, it's one thing for a band or artist to have one album on the list and have it be "the wrong one" for the list. System of a Down, Gorillaz, Queens of the Stone Age, Daft Punk, this is nothing new. But for a band to have two albums on this list and neither of them are the masterpiece? That's insane. So... Massive Attack, am I right? This is my second album of theirs that I've generated for the album project after getting Protection last May, but it's actually the third album of theirs that I've heard! Yes, in the time between me listening to Protection and now, I did, in fact, listen to Massive Attack's 1998 magnum opus, Mezzanine, and it was absolutely worth the hype. That album is so freakin' good! It would easily be a 5 if it was on this list, but it's not. I guess I'll save that 5 for if someone puts it on the user list eventually. For now, we get to talk about their 1991 debut, Blues Lines. Obviously, it's not quite as good as Mezzanine, but it's still pretty great. I'd go as far as to call it better than Protection! But yeah, for being a debut album, Blue Lines is a pretty strong showing. The trip-hop vibes are still as refined as ever, which is remarkable for this being what is widely considered to be the first album in the whole genre. I did notice a slightly stronger dub/reggae influence here than on later albums, which I'm not against. Of course, an album like this only works if it has good songs. Fortunately, Blue Lines has some great songs. All of them are good, but the highlights for me are easily "Safe From Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy." The former is a captivating opener with a sick bass groove, and the latter is super chill and a little jazzy and I love it. The others are all quite good though. The album is pretty consistent in that regard. The vocals are varied but always good as well. For being the first trip-hop album, Blue Lines is an impressive blueprint for later albums to follow. While I feel that the genre would be improved upon in later albums like the aforementioned Mezzanine as well as Portishead's Dummy, Blue Lines is still great to go back to. It hasn't aged poorly in the slightest. Strong 4/5.
Less explicit rap/hip-hop , easy listen. Like mf doom X Tyler X Stevie wonder X Alicia keys.
Woah okay. I was definitely not expecting this sound from the cover and title. This is so vibey. I wanna listen to this while staring at the ceiling at 4 am. This is so deep. I'm swaying. That was so good I actually wanna play that around people so they're embarrassed their music taste isn't as good as mine. Favourite: Blue Lines/Be Thankful For What You've Got Least favourite: Unfinished Symphony
Really liked this album. Didn’t realize l knew Massive Attack until “Unfinished Sympathy”. Definitely added to playlist.
This album is nothing I usually listen to but it is cool and a great vibe. I don’t see myself listening to it a ton but I might put some songs on a playlist.
So it turns out- I really enjoy trip hop. Makes me feel like I’m in a dark murder-show set in London in the late 90s/early 2000s. FOUR STARS
One of my favorite bands
En vrai très stylé !
- This is a modern British classic. So many iconic, beautifully poised moments, from the bouncing opening bassline of Safe From Harm to the bright Gospel of the Hymn Of The Big Wheel, via lurching sampled horns of One Love, Tricky's delicate rapping on Blue Lines and Shara Nelson's frosty vocals on Lately. - I personally never clicked with Unfinished Sympathy but it IS an incredible and momentous track. - For me, it's a fantastic record that established the Massive Attack blueprint, balancing bold, defiant simplicity with glorious attention to detail. The best was yet to come, though; their masterpiece would be Mezzanine, seven years later.
I’m not as into trip hop as I used to be but this was cool
Highlights Safe from harm Unfinished Symphony- both superb Blue lines (I love tricky also) Five man army Day dreaming Only a 4 as I know they have released better still
Such a banger. A couple light misses but this was so close to a 5 other than that. This album exudes swag. Trench coat industrial punk detective. Favorite Track: Five Man Army
8/10
I really liked this album. Each song was so different from the next and it kept me guessing on the genre. I've never listened to anything like this before.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I’m not usually a big fan of hiphop and electronic music but I really enjoyed Blue Lines especially Shara Nelson’s vocals.
Massive Attack fucks, the sonic palette is like the soundtrack to Guy Ritchie and David Fincher’s collaborative porno
alright, alright
Not my exact taste, I enjoyed some of the songs more than others.
Wow, j’ai bien aimé mon expérience! Messemble leurs autre album était mid, faudrait que je revisite, parce que celui-là m’a bien fait groover
Vibe imaculada.
Massive attack has been one of my favourite artists for a few years now. So I’ve listened and re-listened to a lot of their discography, this album being no exception. It’s probably my second favourite by them beaten only by Mezzanine which to me is a near perfect album. So it’s not too surprising that this gets a rating of 4
- "One Love": Some interesting stuff with the instrumental at times that I really like - "Blue Lines": Liking the flow here. This one is keeping me more engaged than the other tracks I've heard so far. Fave contender + added to playlist. - "Five Man Army": Another one where I like the flow, also the reggae (i think?) sound. Added to playlist. - "Unfinished Sympathy": Ooh, very interesting instrumental. Also love the vocals and the overall energy of the song (especially compared to the rest of the album which has been pretty down low so far). Def adding to a playlist and fave considerations. - "Daydreaming": Pretty interesting. The "If I was a rich man" bit got a chuckle out of me. - "Hymn of the big wheel": Feels very disjointed from the rest of the album, way too different. Also, not my vibe at all, low point of the album. - Okay, so I was somehow under the impression that Massive Attack leaned more into heavier stuff (I had heard only a couple songs beforehand), so I was in for a huge surprise with this album. At first, I also felt like I was gonna be pretty bored by this, but I got into the groove of it as it went on (maybe I had to first get over the whiplash caused by my preconceptions) - Coming up with a rating for this is difficult, because I felt like it had higher highs and lower lows compared to the other albums I've listened to so far. While I wasn't vibing with all of it, the songs that I liked, I *really* liked and can see them becoming stables in my rotation.
You can drive a truck through that leading (line spacing) on the cover and right into the flammable background of this Massive Attack debut. And, while the lyrical theme or through line can be a bit wobbly, the groove is undeniable. Head nodding all around.
Loved it. Some absolute classics, especially as I am in Bristol.
8/10 - Somehow reminds me of Portishead meets Tribe. Cool sound with some great songs. Feels like it was ahead of its time or at the beginning of the chill hop/Lo Fi scene.
This album is consistently really good with a handful of songs that are really great. I love the vibes on this album, it feels dark but uplifting at the same time. Strong 8/10
Day 4 of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die with @marmeu. I was expecting more. I don't know why, but I actually was expecting quite a bit from this album even though I had never heard anything close to it ever before, and I knew that going in— But it slightly disappointed me. This was still, a very weird album, which I'm pretty sure is what its trying to achieve. Overall, this did a solid job at doing that though. It's still a good project. 80/100
Birth year. Top 20 probably.
Was expecting “Angel” and “Teardrop”. This was very different in a good way.
3.5 out of 5. Unpopular opinion, but this is not my favorite Massive Attack album. That goes to Mezzanine. However, still a great album with some really good standout tracks.
The raps and rhymes feel dated but the music is still top notch. Over very good album I really like.
Oikein chilliä!
Meni od prva tri najlošiji ali i dalje pun klasika
So much love for Unfinished Sympathy...
Better than Coldplay
Songs I Liked - One Love - Unfinished Sympathy - Daydreaming* - Hymn Of The Big Wheel
Enjoyable, dub / grunginess. Nothing spectacularly memorable.
w album, although i did not give it my best best attention, it was a great background soundtrack. blue lines (the track) is comparable to something by a tribe called quest. besides the mellow vocals and chill instrumentals make it a whole vibe
I mean, it's no 'Mezzanine', but Massive Attack does their specific flavor of trip-hop far too well for me to even bother drawing the unnecessary comparison. Mostly listened to this during a long drive home today, and it really chilled me the fuck out during that frustrating experience, something that I was already expecting before throwing this on. 'Five Man Army' was an early highlight. I really loved the back and forth between the two emcees here; it also made me realize that I've never really appreciated UK rap from the early '90s before. The bass sound on the song is paramount, but I'd almost say that's the case for most of the other songs here. All my comments about this song could just as easily apply to 'Daydreaming', which sounds like some lost UK-ATCQ track. 'Unfinished Sympathy' is maybe the grandest-sounding thing here, with the sweeping string section elevating these already emotive vocals to even greater heights. My ultimate favorite track had to be 'Hymn Of The Big Wheel' though, just an all-around motivational high-point on the album, and an immaculate closer. I wasn't familiar with Horace Andy, but the way his vocals hover over this droning instrumental on the verses before it all brightens up on the chorus nearly brought me to tears. As expected with these guys, it's a bit all-over-the-place, but I'd say that's pretty ahead of its time for '91 specifically. It really feels like the shape of hip-hop to come with all its interesting fusions.
Snoop and Wiz Khalifa definitely ripped the opening of "Blue Lines" for "Young, Wild & Free." This album was certainly groundbreaking, but I don't know if I love the direction that it took hip-hop.
Idk they trying to be cool and somehow they definitely succeed.
Massive Attacks so sick man. Should have put a bug on the cover tho.
Not a huge Massive Attack fan (so far), but damn, this was a great album. Not all tracks are my favourites, but it's definitely a 4+. Too many songs which I would skip in subsequent sessions to rate it as a 5, though.
Good trip hop
I can dig it
Not my thing but interesting experience none the less. Cool album, I had a good time
Blue Lines is not only slick but it's smart, this debut from Massive Attack really packs a punch for a new and interesting song no one had played with before. This album truly kickstarted the godly streak that was TripHop music from 1994 to 1998. This is very much a more traditional TripHop release that follows a textbook definition of the genre: A psychedelic mix of HipHop and Electronica. As much as I love Massive Attack I do want to point out one flaw with this project, it's extremely front loaded and the back half is a bore. I don't mean that to be harsh but I want to be honest, people really overlook the second half because of how good the first half of this album is. I think this is a solid start for the group but nowhere near their potential for this time.
Massive Attack is special! I enjoyed this album. It is a great combination of hip hop and soul!
While somewhat dated, this clearly led the way for a lot of music. I liked the sampling, the features, and the production. I am happy I finally listened to this.