Blue Lines

Awesome

прекрасно. Но не понятно почему в 1001 альбом именно Blue Line, а не Mezzanine. Видимо потому что первый. Must listen

not bad, might be okay in the background, but generally not for me

Pínu lame rapp en fær samt prik fyrir að vera brautryðjandi. Hljómurinn er feitur og unfinished sympathy er auðvitað meistarastykki.

Alltaf jafn svalt.

I read about this album before listening and I think it was built up a little too much. When it came out I am sure it was revolutionary but maybe didn't hold up that well. I found a few moments of brilliance but after a couple of listens just didn't get that engaged. 3.5

I really love this album. These grooves are just exactly what I like.

not something i'd typically listen to, but it's not a bad album. if you like alternative hip-hop 90s music, then i'd recommend it to you

То, что мне всегда нравилось

I knew this band - just didn’t know it (Teardrop is the other song I know by them). I think this would be an album I’d be comfortable working out to. I maybe did’t have a lot of “favorite” songs, but they all sounded decent enough. Favorite: One Love - Love the beat in this piece, some interesting usage of musical instruments. Lately - This has such a great disco-like beat to it.

I was expecting to like this album a little bit more. It's fine, quite listenable, but nothing I'm amazed about. It's possible that the nature of listening to an album a day may take away from the time needed to appreciate this more. It might be a 4 in the future, but it's a 3 for now.

Not for me, but good

I’m sure it changed lives at the time

great 90s record

Very interesting electronic/pop album. has gorillas vibes if they were from 90's

#839. I know a lot of people really like Massive Attack, but two albums in now I'm not sure I'd consider myself one of those people. 3/5: its okay

Jesus this has dated. Must listen? No. There’s better. examples of the sound of 1991.

Are they of this world? There is something a little "other worldy" about Massive, yet they lure me everytime. Hypnotic by nature they in effect created a sub genre. Hardly a month goes by I don't play Unfinished Sympathy, Blue Lines, Safe From Harm, Daydreaming are all highlight on this dreamy slightly surreal record. Very nice listening.

As a teenager I had consumed all of the hip-hop I could lay my hands on (which, living in Australia, wasn't always a lot). But the rise of gangsta rap left me cold; too violent too misogynistic. There were a few things I could hold on to (De La Soul, Public Enemy, etc), but Blue Lines was revelatory. It was chilled, sophisticated (but not over-polished) and smooth. it mashed up a bunch of genres that I really dug -- hip-hop, soul, reggae, dub -- into a coherent and smoky fusion. Neneh Cherry needs acknowledgment as the impetus for this album. Musically, her Raw Like Sushi album showed the way with that genre blending from a hip-hop base. She gave the Wild Bunch crew their first production credits, and the album was essentially recorded in her spare room. I can't blame Massive Attack for the thousands of pale imitations that followed this, reducing trip-hop to a cliche of bland dinner party music. This album was really great and fresh and you can hear why the imitators followed in its path. The inclusion of terrific singers in Shara Nelson and Horace Andy works side by side with the hushed and stoned flow of the rappers. I have played this record a lot since 1991, and it was a pleasure to spin it again today. Still sounds great.

hot garbage

Tricky carries this album. Trip Hop is a weird genre that I don't think I like. Nothing bad here, just nothing that I love.

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

The beginnings of a great band are here, but as it is I find it very terrible to listen to. The beats are alright, if lacking in variation. The vocals though, for the most part, are truly miserable. Long, droning, far too repetitive. Most songs amounting to five minutes of male sex moans with a backdrop of a very basic and unchanging beat. Which I personally can do without.

the best parts of the album were the parts borrowed from elsewhere, like the cover of be thankful for what you got. i got bored.

i was rooting for you and then it all started to sound the same and i was over it LMAO

Favorite tracks: Blue Lines, Safe From Harm, Unfinished Symphony yes. Yes. YES! This album is everything I could have ever asked for. Seamless genre blending and just enough guest experiences to pique my attention again

Really enjoyed this one. Some great tunes and an interesting look at some of the earliest trip hop to get noticed.

Classic Coldplay.

Good early 90s vibe

Super chill record with lots of soul influences mixed in with low-key hip hop. I've listened to Mezzanine a few times and recognised a few tracks from this album, but it's the first time i've really given Massive Attack time. Very solid album which could be enjoyed as background music or by its own merit. 8/10

Actually loved this. The beats were craaaazy plus lyrics that didn’t always necessarily sound like they fit the vibe MADE the vibe. Very unique and going in my rotation.

Al principio me ha sonado bastante guay pero tenia las expectativas muy altas y cuanto mas avanzaba el disco mas parecia una noche en la que no paras de despertarte y soñar lo mismo cada vez que te vuelves a dormir (me ha pasado hoy, me iba de viaje a Paris y Romero se escapaba e iba en el autobus connmigo y luego andabamos por Talavera y el iba sentadito en mi hombro)

A genre I haven't really listened to much. Ok-ish. 2/5

This is another album that was undoubtedly a bigger deal in the UK than it was Stateside, though I remember Massive Attack bubbling up among the hipster anglophiles. While the cover design drives me nuts, the music is fine. You get the gist quickly. Opener "Safe From Harm"—which the book says was "the song of the decade" ("for thousands" of people)—is the high point. It settles into a vibe and sound and stays there, which is fine if repetitive. Also, Tricky aside, some of the rapping on here sounds like Flight of the Conchords, but they aren't trying to be funny.

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.

I did like this album overall, and can see how in 1991 it might have been pretty groundbreaking, but it did wash over me somewhat after a while (several tracks seemed unnecessarily dragged out). There were some exceptions: ‘Safe from Harm’ was a great opener, ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’ I liked a lot, and ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ is clearly the stand-out track. Funnily enough, the title track was probably my least favourite, along with ‘Five Man Army’ and ‘Daydreaming’. Basically, I didn’t enjoy Tricky’s rapping, and much preferred the Shara Nelson tracks. A textbook 3 star album for me.

Falling a bit behind on these so going to keep my reviews briefer! This 1991 effort is a bit of a pioneer, eventually leading to a trip-hop movement that became popular in the UK. Elements of this have certainly influenced lots of bands and artists to this day. It's electronic music but with a lot of reggae/dub vibes ('Five Man Army') but also some rapping and slower grooves such as 'Lately'. Nice closer 'Hymn of the Big Wheel' and of course everybody knows Unfinished Sympathy which is a classic. Not necessarily my bag and I may actually prefer their later work, but it does work very well.

What a different time

This took me back in time. A couple of classics that I like - Unfinished Sympathy is one. I always think Massive Attack vibes are good background music for a night in.

The instrumentals in this album is a vibe to say the least. The bass line are good, but I'm not a big fan of how they sing some songs. The melody of them singing sounds unique. It's not the worse though. For the lyrics, they had some clever ones, then they have some that I think was a bit nonsense like it was a part of a "cool" rapping scene in some cartoon. I also appreciate on this album is how eccentric they deliver their vocal with such intent and swerve. I also found out they had a lot of members in this band. So, with this, I think I actually preferred hearing Shara, Marshall, and Willie Wee. Liked songs: Safe From Home Five Man Army Be Thankful for What You've Got -> a cover Honourable mention/s: Lately -> the vocals were great, the bass and synth (?) were also decent, but it just felt like something was missing or maybe it was a little repetitive Jan 21, 2026 - 9:00 PM

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

Some of this was pretty cool - best track was five man army followed by safe from harm. Otherwise kind of a good background noise album, I like that it sounded like one long jam. Most of these I will not relisten to but I’d check out other stuff.

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.

Ah, Massive Attack. The artist that I found out about when I went through my high school "House, M.D." phase. Yeah. If you ever get the chance to dive into an artist's full discography, do it. Sometimes it's a hit or miss situation, but Massive Attack is genuinely stunning. Almostttt five to me.

Dated but classic

knew one song, which I liked. The rest was too slow for me.

I love Massive Attack, but I don’t love all of their tracks. Blue Lines carries a few classic tracks (Safe From Harm, Unfinished Sympathy) and all of the hallmarks of early Trip Hop. Hard to believe they were so fully formed on their debut, but I would recommend later MA albums over this one.

There were some okay songs, but most of it was a style I wasn’t crazy about.

track 4

hymn of the big wheel

I've not heard a single track before, but I'm enjoying it. Mostly a good combination of easy listening but still had a lot of meat to get into. Some real stinkers bring it down.

I was ready to give this album 3-stars, but after listening to it again in full, it doesn't hold up as well as I thought, and most of the tracks miss the mark for me. "Mezzanine" is leaps & bounds better, and the fact that album of theirs ISN'T EVEN ON THE LIST is insane. Thankfully Mezzanine is at least a user-submitted album, since the authors couldn't get it right.

Like the band but this record is meh. Very repetetive and boring. no song stood out. Nice on the background tho.

Wasn't really my type of music but was really enjoyable

Mellow album, it almost just turned into background music?

too out there for me (esp the second song)

Some big tunes, some was a bit out there for me

A couple of cool tracks but most have very cheesy vocals.

Liked the style of the album and I think it's well done! Enjoyed the flow of the tracks and it lifted my mood! Nice find!

I think I might prefer this to Mezzanine, it's kinda cheesy in a way that really speaks to me

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

Two songs I liked: Unfinished Sympathy and Hymn of the Big Wheel.

Sounds a little sandy, but I do like it better than the last album.

Meh. Points for the line used by Jez in Peep Show.

It blows my mind seeing 1991 as the release date. It’s the blueprint for all of trip hop and it came out three years before the movement really took off. This one is great the whole way. Some tracks I’m not totally in love with but still a classic. Rating: 4.6

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

A regular spinner back in the 90s for me but haven't listened in at least a decade. Still holds up as a rich, dark, emotive, cauldron of dub paranoia. Paved the way for a lot of inconsequential background music, but Blue Lines itself is a heavy listen. Remains a classic.

Never heard a full album, but wow, was very good

Enjoyable, but brought down by the fact that it doesn't sound very unique anymore. I've heard lots like this since it came out Favorite Songs: Blue Line

6/10 It's all a bit minor key for me - the tracks merge into one. But I like it more than I used to though

Amazing start to finish.

easy listening. i like massive attack so this was a good one

I haven't listened to enough trip-hop to have a definitive opinion on it, but what I've heard generally hasn't been my thing. This is supposedly the first album and one of it's exemplars, but it doesn't move the needle for me. The beats are of the chill variety. There is no boom bap here, your speakers will not get rattled so much as gently massaged, and the BPMs stay at a respectable level. Since the rap can't overwhelm said beats, the energy is drained out and they're half-whispered like the rappers are trying not to wake a baby. Singer Shara Nelson sounds nice, but she's only on four of the nine tracks. Favorite songs from here are "Safe From Harm" (although it cries for some real drums and like every other song on here, I can do without the rapping) and "Unfinished Symphony", where Nelson's vocal contributions are strongest. Both songs create a sonic environment that's worth exploring. I can't say the same for the rest of the album.

Chill and some good tracks, if not my favourite of them.

still crazy that we got 2 massive attack but no mezzanine

Interesting for sure, just not quite a 4

It was good, a very interesting listen. I liked that there was a similar sound, but every song was a little different.

Pretty chill but fell off since like first two songs

Did not like this at all!!!

A developmental album moving towards eventual seminal works, but not there yet. Massive Attack are one of the greatest Trip-Hop acts. This album you can hear the beginnings of what they turn into, but they're not there yet. They are still trying to be hip-hop, reminiscent of acts like Tribe Called Quest. But they're just... okay... at that. You can hear the beginnings of their eventual sound and style, but it's still evolving. They haven't fully found or embraced the genre they will go on to define.

This was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what trip hop was. And now that I do, I’m impressed. This just some amazing, soulful music!

When Safe From Harm started I thought I would love this album. However it devolved into the most familiar hiphop/jazz/electronic/lounge background music I could imagine. It felt like I was out somewhere wearing my nicest plaid shirt and feeling out of place yet again. OK, I just read that this is considered to be the first trip-hop album. For the sake of Portishead I respect this but I didn't really enjoy listening to it that much.

я була здивована почути там репчік, але мені сподобалось. сподобалось більше за все інше лол

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.

I would describe this as Lukewarm hip hop, but it was still enjoyable.

Trip hop you say? Wasn't sure what to expect, and hardly my thing, but pleasantly surprised by the smooth beatiness (or something).

Funky, but made me feel nothing.

Done

This album had great vibes other then the vocals on majority of the songs to be honest, I really loved two of the songs - Safe from Harm and Unfinished Sympathy (which I've definitely heard somewhere before). I would give this album a 5/5 if not for the terrible vocals on over half the songs.

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.

Not mindblowingly good, but makes great background music, groovy.

This one has everything I love: energy and edge, jazz melody and hip hop rhythm. An all time fave.

pretty good stuff!

Heat

Yesssss. Love this. Revolutionary, chill, cool. Just great to listen to.

Wasn't but, just not really my thing.

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.

Não é muito a minha vibe Parece que as primeiras musicas musica tem uma frase repetida em loop e so mexem um pouco no panorama sonoro e ta Blue lines ate foi interessante foi uma vibe dif Daydreaming do nada “if i was a rich man dudududududud” “here comes the sun" Sometime again you’ll turn green and the sea turns red?!?

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.

It's not often you get to listen to an album and hear an entirely new genre forming in real-time. But you do here—this is the exact moment trip-hop wa

Didn’t like barely listened

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?

blue lines la mejor canción

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

Not for me.

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.

its good but not really special 3.25

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

only listened to a couple songs oops - will have to come back

Bra!!

Really liked this album. Didn’t realize l knew Massive Attack until “Unfinished Sympathy”. Definitely added to playlist.

Zit wat tussen, zit ook niks tussen. Ik weet dat im dit een geprezen album is maar doorstaat niet de tand des tijds

Ahead of its time and probably a defining trip-hop record. Mixed beautifully; feels cool to listen to. Sometimes lowkey to a fault. I’m not chomping at the bit to hear it again, but I could see myself revisiting.

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.

Safe From Harm: 4/5 One Love: 2/5 Blue Lines: 3/5 Be Thankful for What You’ve Got: 2/5 Five Man Army: 3/5 Unfinished Sympathy: 3/5 —> The instrumental carries this one icl Daydreaming: 2/5 Lately: 2/5 Hymn Of The Big Wheel: 2/5 It’s a good album but I do prefer Massive Attack’s later albums as they lean further into the trip-hop genre (not that this isn’t trip-hop it’s just not as exaggerated!!). I just found it a little boring at times. I can’t comment on lyrics as i’m not a very lyric focused person so my ratings based off the sound alone

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

Fairly dull for me again. Not terrible, very listenable, but other than a couple of singles, nothing really groundbreaking.

Not bad, but following albums are better.

A little heartbroken bc I Love massive attack usually but I just did not connect w this!!! Hopefully Mezzanine is on this list and I can redeem myself bc I feel a weird amount of shame not liking this Lol .

They just sample good songs. Not impressed

It’s pretty good but just not my type of music

I kinda liked most of this album, with the exception of the last track. This was fine, some interesting beats, not in a hurry to listen to it again.

GOOD SHIT

One of my favorite bands

En vrai très stylé !

Seemingly overrated and not my favorite form of trip hop. I found the vocals irritating but the instrumentals were nice and the bass was exactly as it should be. Maybe it's because this was the first of a new genre and later trip hop bands were able to develop on the foundation created by this album, but I seem to like other trip hop more.

Exceptional in some places, very dated in others. Sonicaly interesting though, and too short too be boring

The original "trip hop" album. Not bad; I can understand the appeal. What spoke to me the most were the very British raps ("Blue Lines," for example).

meh

The main theme was repetition, always building on the same melody, switching the lyrics. Favourite track: Lately

Spoko, podobało mi się ale bez większego szału.

Not super into this one. I liked the music/beats a lot better than the vocals.

Ungewöhnlich, aber haut mich nicht vom hocker. Ist entspannt aber nichts wo ich groß bick drauf hab es nochmal zu hören gerade

Not really a fan of the genre, so this didn't do much for me.

Moody, innovative, cool

I wasn’t feeling this one.

Some good tunes here (Safe & Unfinished), but I have always found this too polished to really standout as a classic. Some of the rhythms also seem a bit clunky now (Lately feels very ploddy, for instance). Good, but not great.

Blue Lines still sounds fresh as fuck. I listen to it at least once a month. It makes me think that I am a character caught up in a film plot, walking around, as each scene and relationship changes. There's so much in here - not just with the music, but the mental images that are created. Horace Andy steals the show, although any one of the nine tracks are worthy of being the best song on the album. My only disappointment was that it was over so soon. Outstanding.

- 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 mildly got into Massive Attack earlier this year after a client recommended them to me, so I was pretty stoked to have an excuse to finally check out their debut album! Blue Lines certainly wasn’t terrible and I appreciate that it’s here for its influence on trip hop (a genre I do tend to enjoy), but it honestly doesn’t hold up. Some of the vocal performances are genuinely awful and I spent most of my listen wishing I was listening to Mezzanine instead. I can’t help but wonder what these editors were thinking with some of these picks. Again, I do get the logic in including an album that serves as a genre’s genesis, but why bother doing that when the same artist’s best-selling (and basically faultless) LP is omitted? Highlights: Blue Lines, Five Man Army, Unfinished Sympathy, Lately

Best prima wel.

Wel oké, heb niet veel met hiphop

It was average sounding the entire way through nothing crazy. 2

I often find trip-hop to be a hit-and-miss genre. That said, Massive Attack’s "Blue Lines" begins with promise. "Safe from Harm" is a sonically moody opener anchored by a throbbing bassline, and Shara Nelson’s vocals. Unfortunately, the momentum falters quickly. "One Love" feels sparse and dull, hampered by a sluggish tempo that fails to engage. This lethargy carries into the title track, where a repetitive backbeat and vocals from Tricky result in a listening experience that is more "languid" than "atmospheric." Technically, the album is well-produced and executed with precision, yet it lacks a certain spark. By the fourth track, the repetitive nature of the arrangements began to grate. "Five Man Army" offers a brief reprieve; its solid bassline provides a better canvas for Tricky, whose delivery aligns with the track’s mood. Even the iconic "Unfinished Sympathy", unquestionably the standout, is a track I admire more for invoking memories of that time than as a personal favourite. The album concludes in a familiar vein: "Daydreaming" and "Lately" return to sparse, repetitive structures. On "Daydreaming," Tricky’s performance is the sole element saving the track from mediocrity. Ultimately, Blue Lines is a fragmented and inconsistent journey. It earns a three-star rating, but only just! 1 "Safe from Harm" (3/5) 2 "One Love" (2/5) 3 "Blue Lines" (2/5) 4 "Be Thankful for What You've Got" (2/5) 5 "Five Man Army" (3/5) 6 "Unfinished Sympathy" (4/5) 7 "Daydreaming" (3/5) 8 "Lately" (2/5) 9 "Hymn of the Big Wheel" (2/5) Total - 23 Average - 2.56 197/1001 110/197 albums reviewed were new to me.

I’m not as into trip hop as I used to be but this was cool

This was everything I don’t like about music. Boring, repetitive, slow, and soft. Many albums on this list have been one or all those and still been good. This one not so much

Banger upon banger

Not offensive, but not for me. 2 Stars.

The most overrated album since Houmous & Vhutneys purposefully overrated album ‘Don’t Underestimate My Overration’ - it was a come back from Len Houmous following a spat with his 18th wife. Imagine being skilled enough to create an album solely to be considered overrated on purpose! Unbelievable! 1.9 9/10 Hymn of the Big Wheel

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

Seemingly overrated and not my favorite form of trip hop. I found the vocals irritating but the instrumentals were nice and the bass was exactly as it should be. Maybe it's because this was the first of a new genre and later trip hop bands were able to develop on the foundation created by this album, but I seem to like other trip hop more.

Another record on this list that I'm sure was groundbreaking in its time, but now, at first listen, is lost in the sea of the genre it created. This is for sure a decent listen, even though I don't naturally gravitate to this type of music. This record for sure shaped movie soundtracks of the 90's and early 2000's. Perfect background music for a day in the office.

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

It was decent. Great for background, but I probably wouldn’t repeat listen.

Not my thing. Too Bri’ish innit.

Jotain ajatusta jossain kohtaa

Ei ollu meikän juttu

Trip Hop seems like my kinda thing on paper, but this album was underwhelming. Maybe I’m too conditioned by bands like Dirty Art Club or The Jazzual Suspects who have a much more dynamic take on this style of music (with less vocals). Consensus opinion is that Massive Attack created the genre, so this record feels pretty important from that perspective, but things just get better from here!

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

Interesting and fun.

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

i like massive attack their stuff is very atmospheric

- "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.

I’ve never heard of Massive Attack before this. I don’t feel any particular way about them or the music.

sometimes cool, sometimes relaxing, sometimes too relaxing

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.

New listen 1. Safe from harm- goes hard 2. One love- goes hard in parts 3. Blue lines- a different vibe and alright 4. Be thankful for what you've got- unbelievably hard, love this one 5. Five man army- groovy vibes 6. Unfinished sympathy- my fave on the album 7. Daydreaming- another unbelievably hard one 8. Lately- groovy baby 9. Hymn of the big wheel- played things out nicely Overall rating 3/3.5 stars

Loved it. Some absolute classics, especially as I am in Bristol.

Docela Vibe - safe from harm

A 5! It's been literal months 😭 Never been a fan of the Horace Andy parts as I'm not sold on his voice, but everything else I love. What I prefer on this album compared to Mezzanine is that the highs, are well and truly high. Safe From Harm, Blue Lines, Unfinished Sympathy, and Lately reach a whole different level. The beats are cozy and intimate yet funky and evocative, all boosted by Robert's and Tricky's rapping and Shara's angelic voice. One of my favourite trip hop albums, a staple of the genre.

very good album, very british and bristol, 3/5

Love this

Top songs: Safe from Harm, Unfinished Sympathy. 7/10

Like the music but not a fan of Shara Nelson and Horace Andy's vocals. Highlights: Blue Lines, Five Man Army, Unfinished Sympathy, Hymn of The Big Wheel.

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

I am not the target audience here...

Schnazzy sounds of trip hop with sweet lyrics.

Not really my jam, I can hear how influential it is and I like the cover of "Be Thankful for What You've Got"

C'était original mais pas au top top top

Mezzanine is probably my favorite Massive Attack album, but I really think of tricky as being an essential part of this group. Their first couple of albums were so incredibly good and so incredibly important. Never mind listening to this one.

This should probably be ranked higher, but this was my first listen.

Pretty good, will listen again sometime. First and last tracks were great. Prob like a 3.5/5

Love Massive Attack and this album is great.

The debut album of the original trip hop group. It get's points for that, but it does sound quite dated. Not terrible by any stretch, trip hop just isn't my thing. This is a clear 3.5.

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.

Not my vibe at all. It's not terrible but not my cup of tea. It's isn't horrible to listen to but I personally just wouldn't listen to it.

The raps and rhymes feel dated but the music is still top notch. Over very good album I really like.

Electronic isn’t my go to genre. Again, I can appreciate it for what it is, but probably won’t revisit.

I wasn’t a big Bowie fan 40 years ago. When he died and all his music was being played on the radio, it made me think that there was more to Bowie than I had thought. I didn’t like this album much though. Jean jeanie is a classic, but even that is a bit dirgie. So, not a great album for me.

Litt opp og ned, men noen gode i blant

It’s legendary but not great

"Safe From Harm" is pretty haunting. Strange album! Interesting, but strange.

After giving a seemingly appealing album a poor rating yesterday after listening to it, I was in a bad mood when I read the Wikipedia article on Massive Attack and “Blue Lines” (I was on the train and didn't have my headphones with me). Fortunately, the opening track on this album, “Safe From Harm,” surprised me in a positive way. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else worth listening to after that, except for a few nice basslines here and there—but of course, those are always much cooler when they're played by a good, real musician and varied accordingly—and then three more songs with Shara Nelson's voice further back in the album. Of course, guests on an album are there for the highlights, and the host artists naturally try to offer the best tracks for collaborations, but in this case, there are four songs that are quite nice and easy listening (with Shara Nelson), while all the others fall short. Is that necessary?

Oikein chilliä!

Meni od prva tri najlošiji ali i dalje pun klasika

Excellent love this

So much love for Unfinished Sympathy...

i really like massive attack usually, their music is clever and interesting, but this one is pretty week compared to other albums of them.

Better than Coldplay

Very chill, something that might be nice in the background while partaking in many activities...sleeping, napping, resting, recovering from a hangover, taking a sauna/steam or during a massage. Reminiscent of early 90s Me Phi Me but more mellow overall.

It's crazy that every song in this goes hard in a different way. I love trip-hop :)

Songs I Liked - One Love - Unfinished Sympathy - Daydreaming* - Hymn Of The Big Wheel

Enjoyable, dub / grunginess. Nothing spectacularly memorable.

Decent, chill beats. Not bad, but didn't really grab me.

It’s the type of album you can’t not bop your head to.

not a fan per se

Hard to get into. Feels like incomplete production

Some groups would just call it a day after releasing a debut this confident and contained (not counting their earlier Wild Bunch stuff). In some respects it wasn’t until Mezzanine that their sound successfully evolved and that was basically the end of the group, despite occasional attempts at continuing. Remarkable stuff.

This is not at all what I expected. It was nice.

Just ok

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

2 stars I know it isn’t necessarily bad music, but I couldn’t grasp onto any of it. It was background music in the foreground. The loops and breathless flow failed to hook me and I found myself wondering why I’ve heard so much good stuff about Massive Attack. I don’t see myself ever returning to this.

Meh

Love the music but sometimes the vocals are cheesy af.

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.

Great album

Fine I guess, just rather boring and samey for most of the tracks

Mostly unmemorable and definitely not my genre, though the female singer has a great voice.

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.

Oh great! More English Electronica. /s. But the 1st song had a nice groove to it. A Portishead feel, with engaging vocals. A good start. There were a couple of other tunes that I liked. Enough to reach a 3 instead of the 2s most in the genre get from me, but short of the 4 I had hoped was possible.

Top 5 albums oat, had already listened

Not my favorite Massive Attack, a little too trip-hoppy for me. But still a good listen.

Idk they trying to be cool and somehow they definitely succeed.

not bad

Interesting, really eclectic

Not as good as I was hoping. I have some Massive Attack tracks in rotation but most these didn't hit.

Good for what it is, but I’m not thrilled about any of it.

I feel like Trip-Hop is trying to do something but doesn't know what it wants to do. That's this album, a little bit of motion that goes nowhere.

Short n sweet. Chill as heck, can’t imagine I’ll ever listen to it again but it was enjoyable

Starts off alright but becomes too repetitive, pretty dreary too.

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.

Unique collection of tracks with consistent laid-back sound.

I had the wrong idea about this going into it. For some reason I had this group pegged as white guy indie alternative type music. So when it started off with some loops and hip hip stylings I was massively thrown off. Took a few tracks to get into this new mindset. But then I was really digging it. Then I started to come back to earth. When I got some more instrumental tracks. Maybe even fell below baseline. Overall this was kind of a Rollercoaster for me. Up and down and loop de loop. But generally I had a decent time. N9thing earth shattering or anything of the sort. Just relatively enjoyable. Though I will say I had a good laugh when the record ends with the exact thing I was so mistaken about. White guy music closer.

Good trip hop

Not terrible

I can dig it

Classic. Given the Bristol connection this was on heavy repeat when I was a teenager. I have continued to listen over the years and it still sounds great.

I was looking back to see if you were looking back at me, to see me looking back at you. 50s country lyrics wrapped into dark beats about possession and paranoia, in a genre of its own. One of the best albums of my teenage years, from one of the darkest, influential and genre-defining groups.

Not my thing but interesting experience none the less. Cool album, I had a good time

Masterpiece

No words. ❤️

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.

At first I was like we have st.peppers lonely hearts club band at home but a few stand outs were ballon burning and o suppose death off the title alone but it wasn’t at ghoulish as you would believe but overall it wasn’t like bad…like a 7.5

no ts not tuff

Downtempo, soulful, sexy, chill, eclectic, bassy, quirky. The genre that Massive and the Bristol scene created deserves a much better name than trip-hop. One of the few albums where the second side is much more cohesive than the first. If you loved this, go listen to Mezzanine - their best album and a notable omission from the books.

Massive Attack is special! I enjoyed this album. It is a great combination of hip hop and soul!

Nice & relaxing grooves

Beats are great - but man those lyrics and vocals are rough. As others said here…is it house, hip hop…maybe both but neither really well. The reggae vibes and sampling for the time is excellent though. Unfinished Symphony earns its stripes though

Love Massive Attack, but Mezzanine is more my vibe. This album trends toward soul/hip hop. Will add the two singles to my rotation though.

The production sounds a little dated now, but it is a cool mix of a bunch of different things, dub hip-hop, soul, reggae, etc. I like tricky the best and I think the tricky album Maxinquay and pre-millennium tension do the stuff on this better but this is still good

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.

Original trip-hop can be pretty great. I find it's at its best when it's electronic in production but draws from real sounds. 'Safe From Harm' has the cleanest bass sound and nicest drums you could want. 'Hymn other Big Wheel' keeps out of the way of a really excellent vocal performance (Neneh Cherry). The rest is largely good but those two tracks stand out for me. The closer ('Big Wheel') is the high point for me, but my experiences with Massive Attack are all coloured by first hearing 'Tear Drop' (from Mezzanine, six years hence), which is a song of such staggering beauty as to throw my whole sense of the group off-kilter. It's a tare error in scientific parlance. This album is often credited as founding a genre. You should listen to it. The rapping isn't very good but the rest is. The best of Massive Attack will put you into a pleasant trance and some of this record will do that. Remember the context of 1991 when you listen to this: communication was still one-to-one, unless you published a zine or owned a platform. Raves were a secret. The Berlin Wall had just fallen. Thatcher and Regan/Bush had overseen ages of austerity but the economies were recovering and young and working people didn't know that that would mean, but there was both hope and cynicism. And there was also Massive Attack, blending R&B and band-based dance music with the electric stuff that had developed over the previous two decades. It was very novel and very effective, especially as the group coalesced in 80's Bristol. Anyway, 4/5. Hopefully Mezzanine comes up later - I think that might be a 5.

of its time but US is a timeless classic

I really liked most of this. Looking forward to digging deeper into them.

Amazing, one of my favorite albums of the project so far and listened to all their other stuff too. I'm a huge fan!

Really good beats for 1991. The rap wasn’t so great but was really impressed with the background music. Glad I got to get exposed to this British rap

Chilled, trippy.

I was slow to get to Massive Attack in the early 90s, but when I finally got there, the mash up of genres and collaborations wowed me. In many ways, a groundbreaking album, and arguably not their best.

Had not heard before. Surprised as thought it wouldn't be for me. Really liked it. Each track was something new/different and will def re visit.

A couple of bangers but some mediocrity as well

A classic. Amazing songs.

I don’t listen to this album as much as mezzanine. But it really is great. 1991 as well, compared to what else was going on in music at that time this album must have felt wild.

Second Massive Attack album in 5 days. If Protection for 4 stars this has to get 5.

Well this is certainly vibey and cool. I don't know if it's groundbreaking or incredibly special, but I definitely enjoyed it. Great cocktail bar vibes or for a rainy day. Listened to most of it while walking the dog on a lovely fall afternoon and it was awesome. Side note - when this album finishes, Spotify will autoplay some really chill, groovy tracks. Great music for working or just staring out the window.

Unfortunately not as good as I was expecting. Still decent.

Not a big fan of this genre, but was a good listen. I'll definitely go back for another round.

Fun album! Introduced me to trip hop

Classic album, Unfinished Sympathy and Hymn of the Big Wheel my favourites but not a weak track on here. Still, for me not quite as good as Mezzanine so only 4/5.

Very 1991. I appreciate what it did musically, but I'm not going to be returning to this any time soon.

i would say this album is a 4 more than it’s a 3

Strong concept, very ambitious genre-wise to mix soul, reggae, electronic synths and a mellow almost whispered rapping (alongside delightful singing feature players). This is a seed of trip hop, but much like a lot of other long-standing bands, I tend to like when they’ve mutated a bit for it to resonate with me. Think the Beatles, Wilco, or Radiohead; like those bands, Massive Attack benefitted from going deeper over time and mutating the forms they were playing with to find what they needed. They got better and more focused without Tricky; in fact, Tricky also benefitted from taking up more space on his own.

not found