Blue Lines

This doesn’t sound like electronica and hip hop had a child. Rather, it sounds like they thought about having a child, but were too tired so they just went to bed. Despite how painfully boring this is, it gets +1 star for the Fiddler On The Roof Episode eference. Favorite Track: Daydreaming

I did not enjoy the beginning of this album very much. It felt flat and empty. As the album went on, some of the tracks started to spark my interest, namely Be Thankful For What You’ve Got and Unfinished Symphony. Hymn of the Big Wheel was a great closer. But at the end of the day I’m not a huge fan of hip hop from England, and it hurt the overall score.

I think I'm a Massive Attack 'Greatest Hits' kinda guy. The stuff of theirs I love, I really love, but there is also a lot of meh.

Interesting to decide what genre this album fits into. Fine.

3.5

Pretty cool, but if I’m being honest I’d probably prefer the instrumental version of this album, even if not by much.

Bristol, Regne Unit, 1991. Fa una dècada que l'escena underground bristolenca està en auge. La manca de clubs que difonguin música mainstream hip-hop ha fet que, des de finals del anys 80, una escena cultural pròpia emergeixi a la ciutat per a suplir-ne la mancança. El breakbeat, l'acid house, la cultura del graffittii del clubing, el dub i el reggae impregnen els carrers de la ciutat. Blue Lines és de Massive Attack és una sintesi d'aquest fenòmen. El que m'ha agradat d'aquest disc és arribar, a través d'ell, a músics que he trobat interessants i captivadors. D'aquí les tres estrelles.

This new-to-me band gives me mixed feelings. It’s a blend of electronic, ska and hip hop, which produces a cool sound. Some tracks, like the closer Big Wheel, are great. Some just miss. And some are a little tiring. But overall I kind of liked it.

I'd describe this as a "cool" sound, especially considering that it came out in 1991. It is neither overly complex nor too pop-ishly simple, but covers a lot of the ground between those types of production. It has some funk elements and unique technique, but also has the hooks and stylings of songs that would play on the radio today. Overall, a fun listen, though I don't know that I'd say I love it or that it was my favorite. Overall: 3.5/5

Not going to lie, I was expecting punk rock but instead had my first brush with trip hop. There were a few songs I really liked, some were okay, and others I never want to hear again.

Super Album zum Aftern!

Not bad. Okay.

The right kind of moody.

safe from harm- 5 one love- 5 blue lines- be thankful for what you got- 5 five man army- 5 unfinished sympathy- 5 daydreaming- 5 lately- 5 hymn of the big wheel- 5

I liked this better than I thought I would. It is electronica but with funky undertones that make it a moderately fun listen.

Based on the name, I thought this would be a blistering punk band. This wasn’t bad at all. 1001 album worthy: Yes - 57/106

the integration of reggae sounds keeps this more interesting than a lot of its ilk and i am on the record as a fan of Mezzanine but overall it's kind of in one ear, out the other for me. not bad, but a little droney and, perhaps only to my untrained ear, a little monotonous. side note just because it made me realize but: why does the book have two massive attack albums to this day, but gorillaz only had their self titled album make it in, and even that eventually got removed?

i just find it so funny when british people rap

Pleasant, but not a fave. The openers are both standouts: „Unfinished Sympathy“ is key track on side 2, „Safe from Harm“ also good, opening side 1, while some of the other stuff is instantly forgettable. Massive Attack produce a unique sound, but there's too much MCing going on. I prefer singing. „Mezzanine“ is a much better album.

Starts great, ends weird.

honestly this album was a bit too boring for me. cool soul and funk samples though. from the opening bass line, i kept waiting for safe from harm to finally do the da-dum guitar riff from the verses of war pigs, but it never came (unless you count the little part around 1:34). tragic. i didn't know this was considered the first trip hop album but nice, historical significance! too bad i don't really care for the trip hop that came after it. also, this might just be a me problem, but whenever i imagine a musical group called Massive Attack, i assume from their name that they're going to be hardcore or some flavor of metal. not so, it turns out. favorites: safe from harm, unfinished sympathy, hymn of the big wheel

Solid album, one of the pioneers of the genre. There are some great beats and sounds on here, everything is nicely produced. The album is an easy listen, you can put it on it the background and chill. Having said that, there's nothing too special or stand-out for me on this.

This one had me Daydreaming.

I'm not really a fan of one particular member's voice (the main vocalist on "One Love"), but I do like the other members' vocals and the instrumentals here.

Track listing : 1 - Safe From Harm 9/10 2 - One Love 6/10 3 - Blue Lines 4/10 4 - Be Thankful For What You’ve Got 7/10 5 - Five Man Army 3/10 6 - Unfinished Sympathy 8/10 7 - Daydreaming 6/10 8 - Lately 7/10 9 - Hymn Of The Big Wheel 8/10

Not what I was expecting but still a decent listen. Unfinished symphony is an absolute classic 3.5*

I can’t seem to find how Trip Hop can be anything better than ‘nice to listen to’. What turns me off a lot of Massive Attack and Portishead songs is the vocals, whether it’s Tricky’s slimy in-your-ear talking or Beth Gibbons’ strange intonations. I can certainly appreciate the instrumentation, those low undertones providing a great base (and indeed bass) for layering sounds. Whether it’s demonstrated to such an effect that I’d come back to this for a second listen (which seems to have been enjoyable for those who have, as per my browsing of discussions related to this), I don’t know. I don’t find myself wanting to put on a Massive Attack album, as much as I’d like to think I would. This formula only really works on the obvious standout, Unfinished Sympathy. That subtly layered combination of strings, drums and cowbells (?) makes it take off in a way that no other songs on the album seem to match. Great, but not exceptional. Which seems to be a theme in this list.

not bad, not great. not really my cup of tea, but I will say for an early 90's electronic album, its chillin. I know a lot of the stuff that came out around that time was super heavy, industrial sounding. this wasn't quite that, and it was a fine listen.

Really nice to have on in the background while you're doing something else. Chill beats, cool vibes, and super British rappers. Would definitely come back to a couple songs, and might even keep it in reserve for music to play while hanging around the house.

Ok but not really my thing, a bit backgroundy

Whoa so good! I knew of Massive Attack before mostly from their 1998 album, Mezzanine, especially the track Teardrop.Although I had never sat down to listen to a whole album, nor their earlier work.

3/5

Massive Attack is one of those artists I've wanted to get deeper into their discography, I already love Mezzanine and every other song I've heard from their albums has always been really enjoyable, yet I never got myself to check their music out more. I had known beforehand that Blue Lines was quite different from Mezzanine in being, I guess the day to Mezzanine's night, it doesn't feel nearly as mechanical or like a city in the dead of night but instead like walking in a downtown area at 4 pm. It's interesting too to see how this really is their hip hop album in a way that makes me understand why one of the members of this eventually left the band once they shifted sound, it's just got a warmer, more approachable sound if you enjoy more hip hop or dub and I think that gives it a very unique feel to it. I don't love it but I do think I'll keep coming back to Safe From Harm, Daydreaming, Lately and obviously Unfinished Sympathy.

3.5 good to know where they came from but don't have much desire to come back to it. latter half is actually more interesting than the first! favorite track was Daydreaming

freumi! us irgeme grund han ich immer s gfühl gha, sie mached iwelche industrial sound? ich han glaub immernanif nahgluegt, was trip hop genau uusmacht, aber ich liebs jedes mal! ahhh s erste trip hop album ja das macht sich nöd schlecht im CV safe from harm hani super gfunde vo one love bini nanig ganz überzügt ich tuns natürlich ih mim chopf mit dummy vergliche - und das album isch blue lines scho um einiges voruus, was atmosphäre ahbelangt five man army isch jz nöd soo mis, aber d drums findi sehr cool ui unfinished sympathy isch wie wartemusig amene corporate event🫣 jaa also big wheel isch na cool I guess? aber leider isch das album ähnlich wie de ahgeblich suizid vom epstein: hetmi wenig überzügt. ich glaub es gäbt es 2 aber das album het trilwiis dezue biitreit, dass es dummy git, drum 3 blue lines schlenderte, so dummy could run

Like it. Bit different to what i was expecting

Alright

This is not really my genre, but I hummed along the whole time and generally had a pretty decent time. The melodies were nice and the production quality was excellent. Three stars.

I think I like other Massive Attack albums better

It's just fine I should probably be really impressed by the production esp. given the time I wouldn't change the station But nothing is moving me

Not for me, but definitely for other people and probably relevant.

It's good, but it's not Mezzanine-good

I hadn't heard this before and admittedly it didn't move me as much as Mezzanine, which I love, but I feel like it will grow on me over time. I liked it a lot but it didn't totally stick - but I like that early trip hop sound with some seriously soulful vocals... I can tell it's influential!!

Cool blend of different sounds and genres!

i really dont know much about these guys nor do i care ... but i guess they're banksy ? lol

Pretty good

well, i can dance to this but its still mid 3/5

I had some difficulty grasping what's going in with this Trip Hop album. There's R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Electronica and even Reggae. Overall IT feels very weird and ambient while quietly seeping in when you are going about it.

Music was solid, didn’t love the singing

Some catchy jams. Made me want to revisit them. 3 star.

Electronic -> drone but with nice lyrical singer sometimes

Some great tracks, but hasn't aged well in my opnion.

Was pretty surprised by this, it was enjoyable with some nice beats and samples. Favourite tracks: Safe From Harm, One Love & Unfinished Symphony. Would listen again. 3/5

Strange, like Stevie wonder

I have read this is a pioneering album… the first trip hop album. The lack of a varied Musical landscape makes me lose interested quickly in each song. All sounds nice but no need to hear it again

Eh

Some cool stuff here

Prefer Mezzanine to be honest

I thought I'd love this album but I thought it was a bit meh. I appreciate that it was probably a pretty revolutionary sound for the period but it was a bit meh for me. I found 'daydreaming' cringe.

Really cool groovy and heady. Still same with the other massive attack album, everything that it influenced became better than it. Idk.

Beter dan verwacht. Massive Attack is wel oké, maar ik heb er niet per se iets mee. 3.4

Not for me

Pretty good trip-hop album. I wouldn't put it close to the top 100 albums of the 90s like some people do but it was enjoyable to listen to. Seems we're on a bit of a hot steak!

eh, like 2 good ones, rest are not my thing

This album teeters on the line between being able to date it, i.e. know its era, and sounding dated. A few elements are too stereotypically 90s for four stars. It must have sounded hyper modern when it came out.

Vibey, good beats. Unfinished Symphony of course a tune but not sure I'd listen to this album in its entirety again.

Loved the fusion of all the genres, jazz electronic music, reggae, soul, masterfully done. Sometimes music like this can get a bit repetitive which this was at point but not enough to be boring.

not the most memorable Massive Attack album but definitely worth to listen

Das Album hat das Genre Trip-Hop maßgeblich geprägt. Das Album bietet eine seinerzeit neuartige Mischung aus Hip-Hop, Soul, Reggae und elektronischen Elementen, die eine einzigartige, atmosphärische. Es hat mit "Blue Lines" einen neuen Sound kreiert, der viele Künstler inspiriert hat. Tracks wie "Unfinished Sympathy" und "Safe from Harm" sind Paradebeispiele für die gelungene Fusion verschiedener Musikstile. Es ist geprägt durch seine melancholische und zugleich optimistische Stimmung. Die tiefen Bässe und die sanften Melodien erzeugen eine hypnotische Atmosphäre, die den Hörer in ihren Bann zieht. Es wirkt aber stellenweise weniger ausgereift. Einige Tracks könnten von einer moderneren Abmischung profitieren. Die Gesangsdarbietungen sind nicht immer auf dem gleichen Niveau. Während einige Vocals kraftvoll und emotional sind, wirken andere weniger überzeugend und sind zu sehr R&B lastig.

Ok fusion techno rap album

This is groovy and chill. There's nothing I dislike about it but it doesn't especially grab me either.

Not bad, not very provoking either.

Not sure I ever listened to them before. Certainly not a whole album. Not bad, but I wouldn't seek them out.

It’s good, but I prefer Mezzanine. Fav: Unfinished Sympathy

Not bad at all

Very early Massive Attack record and it shows. There's always been a hip hop influence to their music since that's the origins of this kind of electronica anyway, and this one has a pretty heavy hip hop influence. An excellent showing of where they were and how far they've come.

Another classic 2 banger album. Their later stuff was better, when they actually had more songs

Overall: Mezzanine is much better... track 2 - vocals are a little whiny but not in an endearing way track 3 - title track nice beat track 4 - would be a nice sample but a little too lofi track 5 - good intro track 6 - really nice I liked this one

Just not my vibes

Massive Attack are such a 60% band. Some of "Blue Lines" is amazing, and "Unfinished Sympathy" is an incredible demonstration of how epic and soaring dance music can be. But some of this just sounds like a bunch of drunk mates messing around with synths and samples.

Unfinished Sympathy is amazing but there’s a lot here that isn’t standing the test of time quite as well

I think Protection is a better album but this still had some nice tones throughout it. Nice.

With nods to 70s soul deep cuts and a melange of styles and genres, Massive Attack made this masterpiece for the ages. Absorbing, flowing, emotional - electronic music was rarely this introspective.

6/10. Fine. Nothing that excited me.

Did vibe for most of this. But probably not something I’d return except for a couple of songs. 3.5/5

3.5

First track was great, same with the cover of Be Thankful for What You’ve Got. Last track good as well. The gym was probably not the best environment for this. Lot of mellow meandering

Wow that’s a lotta reverb

Interesting but not my favorite.

From my group chat: I think I may have to check other albums from them because I liked a song that they did with Mos Def but cant say I liked the album overall

A band I've always heard a ton about, but never actually listened to. Pretty interesting. Definitely some hit and miss moments for me. I like the straight forward hip-hop parts. The addition of '70s style R&B vocals throughout is really the highlight that makes this stand out. Another album where the closing track straight-up stinks though. What's up with so many artists ending albums that way? Not sure this is something I'd ever replay.

Not my kind of music

Alright

3 stars

A pioneering album - must have sounded revolutionary at the time. But as with many other pioneers; the formula hasn't been perfected yet and will be improved on later albums,

Back to some trip hop with Massive Attack. This is their debut album (and allegedly the first trip hop album), coming three years before Protection, which I got about 115 albums ago on here. This genre doesn't really do a ton for me, but this one at least has a few songs there were enjoyable. The hip hop part really has a strong '80s hip hop sound (which makes sense of course). Beyond that you get a mixed bag of a bunch of different music styles. This one generally has a super chill vibe, which I did enjoy. "Unfinished Sympathy" and "Safe From Harm" stood out as clearly the best two songs on here, but there were a few others that had a chill vibe that I enjoyed. I don't think this is ever going to do a whole lot for me, but it was enjoyable enough with a few songs that I won't hate hearing again. A fine Sunday night listen. Favorite song: Unfinished Sympathy Other: Safe From Harm, Be Thankful For What You've Got, Lately, Hymn Of The Big Wheel 11/10/24

very weird and ambient when i was expecting rap for some reason, but i still liked it

Much like Portishead - which absolutely holds up to this day - I remember this as an outstanding album. Listening to it now, though, it's still very well produced, but not nearly as moving, swallowing you whole, as I remembered it to be.

Mezzanine is in my top 10 favorite albums of all time, so obviously a huge Massive Attack fan. With that said, this album was a hit or miss for me. However, all bands need to start somewhere and this is a great start. Technically, would give this 3 1/2 stars if I could.

I can see why this is on here. Mezzanine is better. :)

Blue Lines and Be Thankful are Great. The rest is pretty meh. Fiddler on the Roof “sample” sparks joy though.

After a bad run of electronica, I was not looking forward to this. However, it surprised. I suppose the genre is not always so awful...this one was catchy.

It was a mixed bag for me.

I liked the vocals a lot more than I liked the instrumentals but it was good overall

I liked the beginning but it seemed to fall off for me the further into it I got.

I mean, it's fine. I get why it would be waaay up some people's alley, but it's not really doing it for me. The whole thing has the feel that it's supposed to be background music.

I love massive attack, though have never thought Blue Lines is even close to being their best album. Some songs are masterful, but then you have horrible duds like One Love. Net positive of an album, but give me a Mezzanine or Heilgoland any day. 3.4/5 -> 3/5

That was pretty decent.

nice listen, didn’t sound very original or special though.

Solid background music. Quietly seeps in while you are going about it.

Interesting mix of songs

Fun poppy / hip hip

Having heard Mezzanine, this felt a bit underwhelming but still a fire record. There's R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop and even Reggae.The opening song is just so badass. Loved the rimshot beat of Five Man Army. Unfinished Symphony was really unsettling. The track Lately was strangely beautiful. Others were just okay. Maybe a 3.5.

5/10

I’ve never been able to get big into Massive Attack. Not for lack of trying. I liked Unfinished Sympathy and Karmacova, didn’t really connect with the rest

Not bad. 6/10

No consistency, blue lines as a song was awful, kinda bopped to the rest of it

Decent album by massive attack. Prefer the later stuff.

Decent. Gets repetitive at times. Not unenjoyable though

Never heard any of this before. Really enjoyed it, especially the final song. A little too inconsistent for a 4 rating, but close.

One phenomenal tune, the rest in memorable. Great production.

Early Trip hop music was good to drive to

Very mellow jams - all of the songs sound kind of the same though, so it's a little boring.

Sounded good and quiet, not wild things 3

Blue Lines is decent. The songs here are mostly a mixture of hip hop and electronica which is a style that i have liked for quite a few of these albums but here it doesn't really sound worse or better than a lot of the other trip hop albums that i have heard through this project. The beats here could have their funky moments but aren't exactly the most memorable. I do like that there are a lot of different vocalists on a lot of these tracks which does make some of them more unique. This album isn't anything that's gonna light the world on fire but for what it is, its pretty good. Best Song: Five Man Army Worst Song: One Love

It's cool. I only know a few trip-hop projects, and some of the others I've heard I prefer. That being said, I will definitely be giving this more listens to digest fully, so my rating is likely to go up over time.

Quite a sexy album...maybe TOO sexy. The variety of sound is something to behold. Though the album is cohesive, no two songs are really the same.

They have some good things going. I like the drums and synths. I'm not really a fan of the rap, but it could have been a lot worse. I prefer this album over Mezzanine. Unfinished Sympathy is an incredible song.

Massive shrug. 2.5

I enjoyed it, but I think I prefer my memories of when it was in heavy rotation.

Not yet the sound that made them famous. Enjoyed it less than their more popular stuff.

Track 1: sounds like it belongs on The Matrix (or similar movie) soundtrack or in the closing credis. That's not a bad thing though Track 2: could absolutely do without the vocals from the guy with weird voice Overall, not bad. For a minute there, I was going to complain about the overly simplistic rhyme schemes / poor cadence / old white man flow of the rapping, but then I remembered this came out in 1991. And now that I'm writing this, I'm remembering other rap of the time did not suffer from this, so I still can't let them off the hook for it. I tried. That said, nothing else sounded like this on 1991 that I can remember, so kudos to Massive Attack for creating something new. The echoes of this style can still be heard in some of my favorite new music, so I appreciate what they have done here. My rating system is based on my own personal enjoyment, not as a criticism of the music. I'm not a music critic or a musician, so I don't feel like I'm qualified to rate this stuff any other way

gostei

mid. elevator-music energy.

mid

Yeah, you know, very much of its time. And I wasn't really into this type of music. For me it lacks a bit of dynamics. But I recognise it's definitely ground breaking for 1991!

Adorei o álbum, um som eletrônico diferente e com vocais muito bons. Ouvi enquanto treinava e foi bem legal a experiência.

decidedly not their best

When it comes to trip-hop, I lean way more Portishead than Massive Attack. There’s something about Portishead’s vibe that pulls me in, while Blue Lines just kind of... floats by. It’s not bad by any means, but it didn’t grab me. The beats are solid, the production is smooth, and I can see why it gets so much love. But for me, it felt more like background music than something I’d seek out again. Good enough to hold my attention, just not enough to keep it.

Wasn't a huge fan of this but it wasn't terrible

Slightly diversified, chilling electronic record. best known: "Unfinished Sympathy" worst: "One Love" just because of the vocals

Not bad. A pretty relaxing listen with good melody.

OK

pretty cool, 1991 didnt know what hit em

Legal

Love the instrumentation and then when the vocals come on…😑

Super cool, liked some of the songs. Not entirely my jam.

i think it's really cool but some of the songs were a little to monotonous for too long and i would have wished for a little beat switch here and there that's why i liked one love the most i think

56/100

Highs are very high, but the deep cuts aren't at consistent. Mezzanine is much better. 3.5/5

Cool but that's it. Some beats are really good. You must be in the same wave to really appreciate it

It was fine. Mostly good vibes, a couple songs that I didn't like the sound of.

First time listening to this artist. First song, Safe from Harm kills, so good and I was looking forward to the rest of the album, however it never reached that level again for me.

Good sound, 3.5

Inner city life Inner city pressure The concrete jungle Is out to get ya

...(. Definitely not their best

Some nice ambiance. I was too young to realize how important these guys were.

Majestic Ealy trip hop though their peak (Mezzanine) is strangly absent from here. Cool funky and dark

3.0 Didnt particularly care for the vocal stylings but the overall mood/feel was pretty cool. Had a sense of place

Vibey. I think they did the House theme

Every Massive Attack album on this list has just made me think "This is pretty good, but I could be listening to Mezzanine right now". This one sounds a bit dated. "Mezzanine" sounds like it shouldn't have even been released yet.

Not really my style

Technically great I guess but it did nothing for me. 2.5 stars.

A journey

vibei mais com umas faixas do que com outras

Some of the rapping/whisper-y spoken word type stuff I disliked, but the beats 👍. Think the first massive attack song I remember listening to was from Blade 2 (i against i with mos def): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fkUccUFShs&t=1s And also the unofficial NWS music video for [Paradise Circus (zeds dead remix)]

Was hoping for more from them. An OK electronic album

It’s extremely instrumentally interesting, drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences. It’s a cool bridge between 80s/90s hip hop, and I can hear stuff here that artists are still doing now. Lyrics are vapid af tho. 73/100

Ok. Didn’t care for the vocalists.

Prior to this album I am certain I have never queued up Massive Attack. And I can’t recall having ever heard of them. Def not the style of music that I listen to. But I did find it quite solid and enjoyable.

I thought it was a different album going in, and I think I prefer other trip-hop. But I appreciate the legacy—this is where the genre got invented, slow and smoky like the Bristol air it came from.

punchy 90s brit hiphop/soul fusion with reggae hints, not overdone and tasteful

Some of it I really liked, but most of it was uninteresting.

Me esperaba más.

Perfect 3.4 stars album

Not as good as Protection. It was still pretty good, but the vocals were a step down in quality for me. I would've preferred just instrumentals and ~vibes.~

Pretty good. Not really my cuppa but I didn’t hate it

Another solid but kinda boring album with one or two super memorable songs.

not the massive attack album i would have picked but sure. 2.5

I was really looking forward to this but reggae just isn't my vibe. This was good for reggae, but it's not what I associate Massive Attack with.

liked it from time to time but in the end didn't catch me

Honestly not sure what to think. Definitely different than what I am used to. But some good songs for sure. Might have to give this one another listen down the road.

really good

השיר הראשון מצוין כל השאר.. בסדר

Important because it was the first "Trip Hop" album. I wouldn't call it essential, though. Massive Attack's next two albums after this one were way better. For a real kick, check out the dub remix album, "No Protection" from Massive Attack Vs. Mad Professor. I want to give it four stars, but think it should only be a three. Gotta leave room for "Mezzanine" and "Protection."

I know this is classic Trip Hop but it just doesn’t do much for me. Appreciate the production. The vocals throw me off though.

There are only a few songs on this album that are familiar to me (Unfinished Sympathy, of course) but maybe what's more familiar is the sound. Massive Attack invented something that was to be the echo of the 90s. When music wasn't being mopey grunge or hyped-up techno, this sound was the complex but chill soundtrack of those idle moments

2.5 Don’t hate it but wouldn’t listen again.

3.5 More excellent music to get stuff done to. So easy to get into the groove and stay there all day. I was expecting something different/less enjoyable for me from a band named Massive Attack. Pleasant surprise. Saving Safe From Harm, One Love, and Unfinished Sympathy, but likely going to add the whole thing to my work playlist.

Is OK.

Was aware of the band but not the history they made. It's OK but not something I would listen to frequently. I did add 5 Man Army to my main playlist for it's Reggae sound. 3.5/5

Not as good as the following album imo

Cornerstone of trip hop with strong basslines, electronic beats, soulful vocals (the female vocalist is better than the male), and early 90s styled raps (the only piece that sounds dated). Highlights: "Safe from Harm" (strong opener that establishes the sound of the album), "Be Thankful for What You've Got" (vocals have a 70s soul vibe to them that works with the mellow music), "Unfinished Sympathy" (string swells and piano riffs give the song flavor), "Hymn of the Big Wheel" (not a fan of the nasally vocals but the song itself has an interesting Graceland-era sound to it)

Surprised by the fact I actually kind of enjoyed this a bit. It's not my usual kind of thing, and I wouldn't actively choose to listen to it, but I appreciate what they tried to do. It feels different.

Not terrible, but didn’t do anything for me

Pleasant to work to in the background. Not sure I’m going to listen again though. Simpson: Nah (although teardrop has been used)

It was alright, nice chilled background music but nothing special.

Really enjoyed the beginning and end of the album. The middle dipped a bit for me though. Almost a 4 but not quite

3.3/5 listened 3x

Meh

Not bad

105/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

I'm happy to say that this isn't for me and I'm okay with that. I understand it's important, but there's a lack of emotional connection for me. It flies completely under the radar.

7/10

A rap album with a much thicker sound than I'm used to hearing. It was a pleasant surprise!

Some decent tunes on there. Reminded me of Sopranos for some reason, had that nineties vibes throughout.

Enjoyed it! Brought back some memories from back when it was a ‘new’ album

Somewhat enjoyable and completely original. But wasn't my cup of tea. Lyrics were okay, but the instrumentals and beat was wonderful.

When I drive now it is no longer a pleasant experience. It's a stressful exercise in accepting the fact that you can't control other people, judging only hurts yourself, and anger management all while navigating an increasingly dangerous and out of control world. Putting this on helped soothe the pain as I drove to the store and back. Trip hop is cool, I listen to it a lot, especially instrumental stuff. This is great. Almost broke my earbuds, there's SO MUCH BASS. (A compliment, not a complaint). Not the best but there are some choice cuts - I could live with Five Man Army for a long long time. Owes a lot to some post-punk R & D guys like Adrian Sherwood and Jah Wobble.

This album bounces between a 3 and 4 throughout the entire play time. Solid grooves, but some of the vocals and "almost rap" parts feel a little dated or slightly corny. Some tracks are incredible, some underwhelm me. It's a solid 3.5 for me, but I'm not sure if I can raise it to all the way to a 4 by the time I'm ready to give its final rating.

Some is okay. Some not as much.

Safe From Harm is a great introduction with its catchy, groovy bass line and eclectic vocals. I really liked Blue Lines - this is hip hop I can potentially get behind. Is this even hip hop, though? I'm to sure what genre this constitutes. Altogether pretty decent.

Had never heard of the artist or the album. Interesting...liked it.

Ihan ok, täältä ei oikee mikään noussut yli muiden yhel kuuntelulle mut voisin laittaa jatkossa töissä soimaan :D

A lot of good music and a few great tracks - "Safe from Harm" and "Hymn of the Big Wheel" are my favorites - but consistently bad vocals and lyrics. Not something I'm likely to return to too much. 3/5

I could get down with this. Definitely worth another listen. Favorite song was Be Thankful for what you've got. Should also listen to other Massive Attack albums.

More vibe than I expected

Safe from Harm on 5 tähden biisi, mutta tää levy on sen asettamiin odotuksiin nähden suuri pettymys (joka kuuntelukerralla). Yllättävän imelä ja jopa vähän camp. Tekee tiukkaa jaksaa kuunnella ihan loppuun.. mutta äänimaailma viehättää mua kovin kuitenkin.

I do like what little I have heard from Massive Attack (Mezzanine), so this will be fun to listen to their debut. Some of the tracks are a bit repetitive and bloated, but there is still some good, interesting stuff here. Not one I'm likely to revisit a ton but does make me want to listen to more of their stuff. 3/5

Never heard any of this before. Really enjoyed it, especially the final song. A little too inconsistent for a 4 rating, but close.

Love Massive Attack, but I'm glad I heard Mezzanine before listening to this.

Gotta give props to them being innovators and popularizing trip-hop, but this really isn’t my tempo. I pretty much only know them through their song, Teardrop, that was used as the House theme (and I suspect I am not alone). Most of this sounds pretty generic to me. Something you may hear in a hipster salon. Not bad, but in my mind also not worthy of the praise it receives. 2.75/5

Good EDM. Not my general thing, but it was good for 2 listens. 3/5

This wa as fine album. Pretty unique. Not exactly my thing but it was good. 3

B- Safe From Harm 3 One Love 3 Blue Lines 3 Be Thankful For What You've Got 3 Five Man Army 3 Unfinished Sympathy 4 Daydreaming 3 Lately 3 Hymn Of The Big Wheel 3 Pretty good, eh?

I was nice listening...not my music, but would work in an elevator

It's a good album for road trips.

This was okay, inconsistent.

Wow that was a fun listen. Great mix of spoken word and electronic. I knew about mezzanine but never heard this one. 3 stars

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Hymn of the big wheel

First time all the way through. 2x.

I liked some of the instrumentals and cutting and scratching, but s few of their voices irked me. They get 3.5 stars.

Interesting album I did enjoy it but it’s not for me

This album had some really high notes and I did like the overall vibe, but it felt a little inconsistent in parts. Not in a bad way, just an unexpected way.

Chill n stuff V nice

Alright, so damn unique. I hear some of the Madchester sound here. It feels so out of time and place. I had no idea what to expect. What a strange, strange, singular record.

3.5

Expected to enjoy this, sounded very dated and unexciting. Have to revisit.

Not the Album or songs I know from Massive Attack. Easy to listen to.

Groovy

Some songs had a pretty good vibe

I appreciate Massive Attack's unique sound, but trip hop tends to put me to sleep.

A deserved classic

Meh

ganz chillig

3.5

Had some good beats.

Liked it a bit. Not a go to. Thought there would be more with the name

I’ve come across this album before. Safe From Harm is such a groovy song. I like the song Five Man Army but other than that idk…it gets a bit cheesy for me. I always enjoyed the conspiracy that Bansky is the singer from Massive Attack

Inoffensive background music. It's OK.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jfKfPfyJRdk Fits this niche

Pretty unique especially relative to the rest of the albums to date. Considering giving it another run through but only for that reason.

I like the chill trip hop beats and sounds especially for background music. cool to see the lineage to the Madonna album we listened to (ray of light), the matrix, gorillas, and Born to Die by Lana del Rey, etc.

Good in places, with one great song

One awesome track mixed in with a bunch of ok ones. I think modern trip hop has more interesting sounds to offer, though the album is worth a listen from time to time

Maybe it's the hangover from Led Zeppelin IV but this Massive Attack album sounded amazing to me. Very chill vibes that can be actively listened to or great background music for so many situations. Not a ton of chills-inducing moments, just a cool listen

Not bad, pleasantly surprised. My prior exposure to massive attack was limited to Angel on the "Snatch" soundtrack.

Some combination of electronic and hip-hop, it didn't excel at either but it didn't totally miss either. It had a pretty low-key vibe and made my mind wander a bit, but I wouldn't be terribly excited to listen again.

My first listen of this album had be like, “boo, dogshit, 1 star.” But then I listened to it the next day, and I was like, “what crack was I smoking yesterday?? Is this even the same album.” The music is very groovy and listenable. Some of the vocal performances (particularly the female performances) are not my favorite. But it’s certainly not a bad album.

trance. trippy

first time i've heard the term "trip hop"...but I kind of dig the genre. thought this one was pretty good.

Interesting. Enjoyable listening. Mood setting music.

Album started off nice and I thought I would love it, but it quickly became nothing more than background music and didn’t hold my attention. I enjoyed ‘Unfinished Symphony’. Overall middle of the road- enjoyed but wouldn’t seek it out, 3/5

7 but a lower 7 so ill round it down to 3 stars. i love mezzanine so much more than this one its insane lol

Yeah this was ok. Unfinished Sympathy is great. The rest of the album is good as background music, but overall feels a bit more unfinished than the sympathy!

Better than I thought it was going to be but not totally my kind of music.

I can dig it but mostly bored :/

Mezzanine is a go to album. This one less so, but the range and expression of this music is on the edge of art.

Decent, but definitely dated. Early 90’s Brit rap.

Ich schwanke zwsichen 2 und 3

5/10 nice but forgettable 2-29-2024

Massive Attack? Trip-hop? Never heard of ‘em, but liked it a lot. The group’s name and album cover led us to think it was gonna be heavy metal. One of the best things (so far) about the 1001 list is exposure to new music, and this time it worked! Songs with female vocals were the best, but all good, no fillers. Enjoyed this album enough to listen to it again, so (3.2*s)

Very good, modern, unique songs. Would listen again. Not anything crazy special, but very good.

This album is a snapshot in time. I find myself putting myself in the shoes of a young adult in the early 90s UK/Europe and this vibe expresses the dark and hypnotic grittiness of the urban environment in a progressive and inventive way. The narrative is riddled by realistic violence and heartache and yet an honorable sense of love and dignified hope shines through. I can't help but feel as though all is wrapped in the greater scheme of socioeconomic disparity. Musically it has a nice groove. It combines hip hop beats with soulful vocals and dark dreamy scenic textures that are very characteristic of both the 80s/90s. I can see how it pioneered a new sound that spearheaded a genre and contemporaries that followed were able to excel above and beyond due to its influence. Acts like Thievery Corporation come to mind. Some noteworthy tracks to me are: Blue Lines, Unfinished Sympathy, Day Dreaming, and Hymn Of The Big Wheel. I give it only a 3 out of 5 because even though this work was a pioneer in some regards, subjectively I found it to be a bit bland and forgettable. The beats seem novel for a moment and are great background music but lyrically it's not that strong and musically it just doesn't hold up to the plethora of other inspiring material out there.

An interesting album. I loved how much variety there was with the vocals. The beats are nice and weighty, and the instrumentation is unique from song to song. However, it just feels kinda boring overall. Like, the songs are good while they are on, but they don’t stick very well after listening. I’ll probably throw some of the songs (“Unfinished Symphony,” “Safe From Harm,” “Be Thankful for What You’ve Got,” & “Five Man Army”) on my giant playlist for variety and call it a day.

Thought I'd like it more because I've listened to quite a few MA songs. I like much of it, but dated and lags in places.

I really enjoyed the first couple tracks on this. Groovy baselines over trance synths at time - but it got old kind of fast.

I recognize the artistry in this album, but I am very ambivalent.

Was good

I can 100% see why this was revolutionary at the time and I enjoyed it for the most part, but if I had to pick a Massive Attack album to be on this list it would’ve been Mezzanine (an instant classic). Blue Lines has bits that feel too dated, especially the vocals. Can’t give less than ⭐️⭐️⭐️ to the first Trip Hop album, but I don’t think it’s gonna go on my rotation.

I was into this one, but not quite as much as Protection. Still had some incredible tracks though.

Interesting early (first?) trip-hop album. Was surprised to hear the title track, which was sampled for another song on David Lynch's "Lost Highway" soundtrack. Still prefer Portishead, though.

This wasn't as edgy as I remember it.

Not totally my thing, although I - and everyone else in the world - love Unfinished Sympathy. One Love and Blue Lines threatened to change my mind, but then it pretty much fulfilled my expectations. In the context of when it came out, I can see why this was influential.

This is the reason I’m trudging through this project. This was a solid album that I’ve never heard of from an artist that I’ve never heard of. It’s a little dated, and some tracks are definitely stronger than others, but overall enjoyable!

Not their best but the rhyme's were good.

2 von 9 gibt 3

A little too all over the place but fun sounds

Just okay

An ok album

Well, definitely British and 90s… Maybe too British and 90s for my taste. Solidly okay.

I enjoyed this, will go find other albums

The songs with singing are great. The rapping didn't age very well, like most older rap music. Favorite song: hymn of the big wheel

Maybe I didn't give this the proper amount of attention, but nothing stood out on this album. That said, it's still good trip-hop.

Was really hyped when I got the album but let me a bit down

Much like the other Massive Attack record this was inoffensive.

Ground breaking.

This album is easy to vibe on and hard to dislike. That being said, nothing about it really stood out either. Despite how broad the range of vocalists was, the result when mixed with the good use of sampling and chill beats made for a mild experience. I dunno, this was like a vanilla milkshake where it might be perfect sometimes, I'm usually looking for more, but I'm never upset with it.

This album felt hugely varied from start to finish. Drifted into shades of rasta and hip hop, and felt like the kind of music you would enjoy in a big crowd. No one track blew me away, but no track was lacking.

Argh I doooon’t get it. I really want to. I hate that I don’t. But I did just get bored. I’ll come back to it some day and try again.