Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Un disco que tuvo enorme éxito de crítica entonces y que tuvo continuidad con otro segundo álbum igualmente bueno, pero luego su estrella se fue apagando hasta alguna entrega olvidable como ... Blowback. El trío Massive Attack , Tricky y su novia Martina Topley-Bird eran, por aquella época, imbatibles. Overcome, Ponderosa, Hell Is Around the Corner, Pumpkin... se te vienen a la cabeza cosas como Burial, Blade Runner, Humo negro, Black Steel es duran su modo. Suffocated love es una gema que reluce igual que entonces. Con su bajo navegando por el tema y su duelo de voces por encima de efectos de sonido que atrapan.
This was most definitely not an album I needed to hear. Next please.
It's good and chill, Martina's vocals > Tricky's, but it's not like anything really stuck with me from it.
This felt moodier when comparing to the Massive Attack albums on this list. Maybe a tad stranger too. The vocalist was pretty good in setting the mood and adding another dimension to things, though.
Strangely hypnotic and weird. Would listen too again
Pretty interesting. Reminded me of Portishead. Not something I'd come back to, but it was pretty enjoyable.
Another album that came out the year I was born, so I’m always going to be a bit biased when it comes to that. I’ve never heard of Tricky before, but he’s fine at best. I greatly enjoyed listening to Martina Topley-Bird over him though, and that’s a fact. She does the whole breathy thing where after every couple of words you can hear her exhale. For a ton of singers I’ve heard so far, it never really sounds great. But, and I don’t know why, I think it’s actually pretty cool when she does it here. Nothing to add to the daily playlist here, but by far my favorite song on this one was “Black Steel”. Cool steel drums, great singing, killer hook, and a few sections where the song breaks off into actual Rock. This album is listed as experimental, and that’s for sure an apt depiction. The way they blend Hip Hop with Electronica is pretty interesting, and there’s some added Rock/Pop aspects that work for the most part. Some of the reviews are comparing this to the Gorillaz, and I actually disagree with that. Gorillaz is substantially more oriented on the Hip Hop aspect. While this has that as well, it’s not really the focus. Unfortunately, I think that’s for good reason. While I love Martina and could listen to her all day, Tricky is my least favorite part of his own album. He’s fine, but not exactly my cup of tea. I just don’t like his voice at all. Would give this a 2 if it wasn’t for Martina. Luckily, she’s the lead singer on a good bit of these songs, making the nearly hour long album much more bearable. Coincidentally, the big hit on this one, “Hell Is Round The Corner”, is my least favorite song on the album and it’s not even close. Tricky leads the singing on that one, doesn’t sound great, uses a filter to make himself sound fuzzy, and edits in a series of intentional crackling noises that last the entire duration of the song that I actually hate. I’m sure that song is his most popular for a reason, I just can’t figure out why though. This is another album that just kind of fades into the background for better and for worse. It works best when I’m not really paying attention to it. That’s both a positive and a negative. Songs like “You Don’t” are great when I’m trying to work and I can just vibe. On pure vibes alone this album is a 5. In general though, it’s on the lower end of 3.
Mellow beats, dreamy vocals
Yeah, it was an interesting album. Sounds more modern than you would expect, but still very 90's and very British. The production was a bit same-y at times, but it was interesting enough to listen to the whole thing. It did feel a bit edgelord-y. Maybe it wasnt received that way at the time.
Never quite sure what I'm going to run across when it comes to trip hop. In this case, this was a very enjoyable experience with some interesting beats (including one basically used by Portishead a year earlier), some laid back rapping and some not too overdone singing. There's a few cringe moments from being of its time, but overall, I really dug this.
trip hop might be the greatest genre of all time and it upsets me so bad that people cant seem to understand it.
1 is probably too harsh, so I’m giving it a 2. Barely. And I like hip hop. Learning that this is from a member of Massive Attack, it makes more sense that I don’t like it.
it started really strong and kind of fell off for me at the end
not my thing
Massive Attack was yesterday so that's a lot of trip hop but this interesting and good.
Sexy, seductive and intoxicating, the beats on Tricky's debut make it an incredibly easy record to get lost in. I found this especially to be true on the longer cuts like 'Aftermath' and 'Strugglin''. It feels wrong to referring to a solo album as guest vocalist Martina Topley-Bird adds so much to the moody atmosphere. Her voice has a Bjork-like quality at times to it. Whilst its a mostly chilled-out record, we get some rock instrumentation on tracks like' Black Steel' and Tricky shows some aggro on 'Brand New You're Retro'. Since leaving Massive Attack in an attempt break out on his own, Tricky further develops the sound that can be found on those albums with his own unique flair. A very morish listen, I wasn't expecting myself to like this as much as I did.
Рука автоматично тягнеться, щоб порівняти альбом з Massive Attack чи Portishead. І на мій смак Трікі зовсім трохи, але все ж таки програє в порівнянні. Музично все дуже цікаво, стильно, атмосферно. Поєднання двох вокалів тут створює хорошу динаміку. Чудово, але було краще.
Тут ізі 4.5, але поставлю навіть 5, бо цей альбом я в певний момент свого життя слухав дуже багато, оцінити його об'єктивно майже неможливо.
Electronic album, interesting. Again low expectations but as we saw that doesn’t neccasarily matter. Songwriting is pretty good, not really a fan of the beat to be honest. Very slow for an electronic song. Ponderosa is a much cooler beat. The sound mixing feels just a little off, beat is too loud. Black steel isn’t electronic at all, this is just a rock song. Pretty good. Cool sound on bell is round the corner. I like that soft piano a lot. Simple but affective bass. Don’t like the vocals very much. Pumpkin is another one that feels way too slow to be electronic. More of a metal song. Pretty cool but not amazing. Beat on aftermath is really cool. Lyrics are very repetitive. Not a fan of abbaon, weirdly vulgar. I like the guitar a lot on retro. Again more of a rock song but it’s good. You don’t is more of the same. Good not great. Very poppy. Pretty cool beat. Strugglin is a little choppy but it kind of works. Quiet vocals again. Disappointing last song. Feed me isn’t it. Beat doesn’t work. Vocals are Meh. Overall it’s just a fine album. Nothing special at all. 2.4 stars.
Toughhhh listen
If purgatory was an album, honestly was kind of a drag to get through
Very 90s Fav songs: Black Steel, Hell is Round the Corner
Aaah! This weekend I was thinking, “hmmm, I bet Tricky is here at least a few times; wonder when he’ll pop up.” And here we are.
wasn't too bad in the first half but all that talk singing just got annoying as hell
I had forgotten this one. Not my everyday vibe, but certainly a good listen at the right time.
A departure from the Massive Attack sound, Tricky makes a personal record with an eerie feeling. A few songs are heavier than others, but everything feels true and raw. Cool album.
Oh, Maxinquaye has quite the different sound. I really enjoyed the spoopy, mysterious vibes, and I like when an album has a consistent sound without being repetitive or boring. This kind of trip hop is hard to put in a box because of the samples used from a variety of sources. The album was so different that I couldn't predict where it would go musically. Anyway, the artist's name has me singing "It's Tricky" by Run D.M.C. all day.
This is the kind of trip hop that I can get behind! This album definitely has some alt rock/pop tendencies, which I think help keep it from being as stale as other trip hop albums of the 90s sometimes feel.
Overcome Ponderosa Black Steel Hell Is Round the Corner Aftermath
I'd listen to it again
Really enjoyed it all. Happy to listen again. Dirty, in a good way.
Not for me. Monotonous at best.
Sick
This is surprisingly good. Surprising perhaps because I'd never heard of them before. Otherwise, their production sound is pretty complex and perhaps masterful. I'll definitely listen again.
The blending of genres like techno, sub-bass, rap, and soul here was enjoyable enough. I wasn't really captivated by anything, however, and it sort of just washed over me.
1. Black steel 2. Overcome quite different from my music taste but still a good listen
I liked this more than I expected to. I’ve always dipped into trip‑hop here and there — a bit of Massive Attack, a bit of Portishead — but somehow never got around to Tricky. Maxinquaye feels like the grittier, sleep‑deprived cousin to those acts: darker, smokier, and way more claustrophobic in a good way. What surprised me most was how textured everything is. Even listening in the car and then on my desktop at work, I kept catching odd little sounds and whispered vocals that felt like they were half‑buried on purpose. It’s got that woozy, late‑night vibe that rewards proper attention, not just casual background listening. I definitely want to revisit it with headphones. It feels like the sort of album where all the detail lives in the corners, and I’m sure I missed loads with road noise and office distractions. But first impression: really intriguing, very atmospheric, and a lot more accessible than I thought Tricky might be.
Este disco refuerza mi teoría de que el universo del trip hop lo conforman como 20 músicos
Gritty, gloomy, dark, and awesome
This was okay. It had some really interesting beats going on, and a chill vibe. I didn't love the rap, but did like the vocals.
I didn't really delve into this style of music back in the 90s but I'm glad I am now. It's a brilliant find that feels fresh and complex! 5 stars.
Not bad, I mostly enjoyed the album. Good vocalists throughout. Good beats. Probably not something I would revisit, but it was ok to have in it the background.
This is a weird one, and I have to keep reminding myself that it's from 1994, and the reason it sounds so much like a lot of things from the mid-200s is that it clearly inspired and influenced it. All in all, I think I'm here for it? It's just a bit too engaging and out there to be truly background coffee shop noise, but it's not really listenable or "easy" enough to be truly enjoyable. I think it just truly lives in that trip-hop, trance, chill electronica space that it was clearly designed for. I do also really appreciate the variety of flavors going on here, all the way from jazz flute to reggae to noir film score. A few tracks were giving me strong Dune and 300 vibes.
Weird, but interesting.
Moody. Visceral. Dark. Edgy. Really puts you in a weird funk, but that's clearly the intention. Perhaps it overstayed its welcome by just a bit, but overall a really interesting and unique hip-hop addition to this list. I'll even bump it from 3 to 4 stars for the simple fact that it's a 90s hip-hop album that doesn't feel the need to include a single (poorly-aged) skit!
Meh
Honestly, I could just listen to Black Steel twelve times in a row.
While not the best album, I do think that Maxinquaye does something unique in its usage of music. It is very atmospheric, yet sadly borders on boredom in a couple of places. I understand that songs like Black Steel and Strugglin' purposefully repeat the same lines of text but that doesn't alleviate my problems with their style. Overall, I see the vision but it wasn't my thing. Best songs are Overcome and Brand New You're Retro. 6/10, a bit more variety wouldn't hurt.
Nice vibe, s few good tracks.
This album is cool and inventive, I enjoyed the mix of hip hop and electronic elements. I would write more but I am, like, a week behind on albums right now. Favorite track(s): "Hell is Round the Corner"
#58/1001 🇬🇧 1995 was an incredible time for new music and i remember being hooked on this right after hearing it in my final year of college. It became the soundtrack of summer - a time without worries or cares. The album shares its closest DNA with Massive Attack - Tricky Kid was a long term collaborator. It's built up on layers of samples, slowed down bass lines and gritty textured beats. Tricky's gravelly spoken lyrics are overlaid with Martina Topley-Birds more seductive vocals, sometimes simply repeating back to him and sometimes providing the melodies. Alison Goldfrapp also lends vocals to Pumpkin. The first side of the record is practically perfect and the thrashy cover of Black Steel shouldn't sit right with the other more laid back tracks here, but it just serves to blow off some tension at just the right time. Best Tracks: Overcome, Black Steel, Hell Is Round The Corner, Aftermath.
That was awful. Background music.
Very different, but that doesn’t necessarily mean good. not for me
Low tempo, lo-fi trip hop. The sound is certainly a little dated, but still novel and interesting. No stand-out tracks for me as it all sounds very similar, but a good listen nonetheless.
#289/1001. I Strongly recommend not listening in a car with low volume. 2nd listen with headphones revealed much more whispers, crittefs crawling, dust flowing in the air, snap, cracle and pop of sampled vinyl. Intricate, erotic and dark, cornerstone of trip hop. Oh, and named after his mother.
In the genre I’d rather have Massive Attack or Portishead.
Its fine but yeah that a no from me dawg
overcome sent me to another dimension and fun to hear hell is around the corner since it samples the same song as glory box (which is originally by isaac hayes whose album i got on this one day!! #fullcircle) … went down a reddit rabbit hole into the drama. love it
eh, bezveze. ženski vokal mi je bio dobar i lijep, muški i sve ostalo skroz bezveze, na trenutke naporno
j'ai adoré, vraiment quali
If I still did homework I might be grateful for this album. Instead, I don’t do homework.
Not my cup of tea. Pushed me further away from the genre as a whole if anything.
I do love her voice, and there's some interesting stuff here, but a lot of it made me think of Portishead or PJ Harvey in a "this makes me want to listen to Portishead or PJ Harvey" kind of way rather than wanting to stay with it.
I've lived with this one since 1995, and every year my appreciation for it deepens. One mood, perfectly sustained, every crevice of its potential explored.
primera vez con tricky y entré sin saber qué esperar. oscuro, medio incómodo, pero me atrapó. quiero más.
After listening to this album, it just left a messy aftertaste, chaotic, somewhat melodic, can agree that it is a "trip-hop" album, but didn't feel like listening to anything great or good, actually.
Some songs of this are annoying to listen to and some remind me of Guy Ritchie movies. It's different to most other rap albums I've heard, have to give it that.
sexy and scary and hell is round the corner
Thriller by Michael Jackson Deja Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones I am on an unbelievable run of 5 star albums and no, I'm not one of those people who gives just about everything a 5. Now, to add out of nowhere to that impressive run an album I've never heard of by an artist I don't know in a genre I typically don't like. Maxinquaye by Tricky My fifth 5/5 rating in a row. This album is incredible. There is something so precise in the way it's been written and produced, and yet every moment is so visceral and full of feeling. It's dark, brooding, grimy and poignant, all cut through by Martina Topley-Bird in a way that just works beautifully. I'm floored by this, and my eyes and ears have been opened to new music I need to give more attention to. Absolutely insane. Albums like these are the reason I'm here.
Really really did not like this album. Very disjointed vocals
I'm pretty consistently impressed by just how consistent the 90's trip-hop scene seemed. I don't think I've heard something out of it that I thought was less than good honestly. And I'm sure that some of it is that the best stuff has inevitably floated to the top over time, and I also don't think the genre ever became *particularly* saturated. But regardless, the scene had a *lot* of good stuff. Maxinquaye is an album that I have managed to largely avoid until now. I did give it one listen in the background of a social setting, and I wasn't particularly impressed. But, giving it my complete attention, this is pretty great. This captures the nocturnal, skeletal, moody vibes of the genre's best. And it has it's own personality. This has a more organic sound than Massive Attack. And it's a little more stark than Portishead. The aesthetic here is tied together by great melodies and really emotive singing perfomances, and the full package is a fantastic listen that really puts you into a place and a mood. I do also like the sensuality here, but there are a couple of moments that almost read comically. Regardless of some minor complaints here, this comes together really well. The atmosphere is cool, the songs are cool, and the performances are cool. I'm probably gonna revisit this at some point, great stuff.
Even though I like trip hop, this album didn't really do it for me. It was too slow, too eerie.
An album I've played so many times - usually while engaging in various endeavors of the flesh or journeys of the altered mind - that it's forever burnt into my brain. One of the fundamental pillars of trip hop with Mezzanine and Dummy, it manages to be bleak and luminous, abrasive and sensual, groovy and laid-back at the same time. Hell Is Round The Corner and Pumpkin belong to the most beautiful trip hop songs ever composed, with perfect beats and haunting vocals. However, there's a marked drop in quality on the B-side with some less memorable tracks, and the album doesn't hit as hard as when I first discovered it. Maybe it hasn’t aged well, or maybe it’s just me – but this time around I found it a bit dragged out, and I realized I didn’t really vibe with it anymore. One could also debate if this is truly Tricky's best album - his later stuff is pretty good too, especially Angels With Dirty Faces. Maxinquaye is still an instant classic though, and its relatively low global rating is both surprising and undeserved. 8/10
highly enjoyable
I really wish I loved this more, but out of all his records, only Juxtapose with the great Muggs truly clicked with me. As much as I respect Tricky as a creative force and innovator, I still gravitate way more toward Massive Attack’s albums. I’m not dismissing Maxinquaye but it feels almost too murky and sticky for my taste, and I keep wishing there were more moments like Overcome or Pumpkin. It’s a tough listen for me, yet somehow still fascinating. But reusing Isaac Hayes / Glory Box sample doesn’t really do him any credit.
Liked it
At first I thought this was fully a nightmare, but the back to back of Abboan Fat Tracks and Brand New You're Retro hit like a truck.
HAHAHAHAHA!!! Yes, YES!!!!
Trip-hopping to the top
a really enjoyable listen. my trip hop phase cannot come soon enough
rules. sounds so scifi. halfway between fiona apple and bjork.
Дуже цікаво і містеріоус
Remember this album back in the day and fond memories of it.
Cool, loungy, sexy trip-hop. One of those albums that casts a specific vibe and lingers in it for the whole album. The vocals from Martina Topley-Bird are very nice too. Nice choice to collaborate with one singer across the entire album.
Cool vibey album. I loved the third song, "Black Steel" where it broke out. At this point of the record I was really really wanting some kind of increase in tone or some injection of energy and this definitely brought it. I'm just realizing that I may have been accidentally listening to this album on shuffle so I may have gotten a bunch of lower energy songs all at once.. It's a middling 3/5 for me. Didn't dislike it, didn't love it. I went on a bit of a thinkin' tangent while I listened to this album. 5 out of the last 10 albums on this list have been from the 90's, and my rotation is in the "beyond 1001 albums" extension now, so I wonder if they go through decades and add ones that they missed? It got me thinking about the 2020 decade, and how this list somehow only has 4 albums from. We're now technically in the back half of the decade already! I wonder what would get added? There's been some great ones.
Man …. I thought yesterday’s “English Rapper” album was bad … this was as bad, if not worse
> If unease were an art form, then Maxinquaye would be its Sistine Chapel. I don’t think unease should be an art form. Blegh. Unsubscribe.
Not at all memorable.
Really not sure what to make of this whole thing. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. Very moody, very grungy, gritty, and it’s grown on me. The atmosphere! I got sucked in when ‘Hell is Around the Corner’ kicked on, it samples a similar bit of music to Portishead. Which weirdly also is reminding me of Lupe Fiascos ‘Daydreamin’ which puts it in good company. The mix of Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird is really working on this album, it’s enthralling.
Mixed feelings. I am going four rather than three. There was a lot on this album that I quite liked, most of it Martina Topley-Bird's vocals. Black Steel and Hell is Round the Corner stood out to me. I was less keen on the parts where Tricky is performing his vocals but I quite liked the overall sound, which was experimental, atmospheric, chilled hip hop.
triphop... net een klein trapje hoger op mijn muzikale ladder dan hiphop... ideaal als achtergrond in een lounge café... toevallig het soort café waar ik niet graag vertoef
What was this actually
Well…..I guess I don’t mind this playing in the background. It’s ok but it is not something that really sticks out or that I would seek out. It often sounds like several songs playing at once.
Overraskende godt med undtagelse af nogle få numre.
Its aHolyyyy
This was excellent. I can’t believe I’ve never heard this or heard of this. Next time someone asks me what my favorite music genre is, trip hop’s the answer.
Ughhh 90s/00s trip hop/electronica will be the death of me. I cannot with its abundant representation on this list
I had no idea what the genre was when I started and really couldn’t figure it out Until much later when I read about it. Not an album that was even slightly interesting to me. Don’t need to ever listen to this boring album again.
Oh no, not more rap... Anyway, I kind of like the grime/dub music, not so keen on the vocals. And the version served up by Qobuz had 49 tracks which rendered the whole experience interminable.
Who knew that Finlay Quaye's nephew was that dude from Massive Attack? Loved Black Steel when I heard it on one of the NME Single of the week compilation CDs. There was a bit of biting that Isaac Hayes sample from Portishead though...
This list is trying my patience.
A confusing compilation of tracks. Every song seemed to be a mashup of more than one song playing at the same time. It wasn’t bad music, it just didn’t seem to fit together like a puzzle piece; but maybe that was the point. The vocals seemed to fit with the drums, but there was always a synthesized beat that seemed to go against the grain. The lyrics were a story in and of themselves that I don’t care to rabbit-hole down into. Overall a frustrated listen that left me with more questions than answers.
If Gorillaz went to Britain to record a new album but then got into a horrible car accident on their way to the studio in which they all got serious head injuries, were rushed to hospital, were heavily sedated, causing everything to move very slowly and, while they faded in and out of consciousness, they tried to record the album anyway, which worked but was punctuated by various snippets of randomly overheard conversations, nurses singing random catches of other songs in passing through room, a pair of lorderlies hooking up late at night in an adjacent empty bed and someone playing the Andre 3000 flute album in the background, it would sound something like this did. This is neither innovative nor revolutionary in its use of samples … it’s just bad muzak.
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than expected. Maybe it was my mood, but the chill beats and smooth delivery hit just right. The uptempo songs like Black Steel were legit good. Couple filler songs i could do without, but overall a solid album. Another happy discovery. Trip hop, who would have guessed.
Found this one pretty boring tbh. I quite liked the first song so I thought I’d enjoy it more than I did but it just felt pretty endless and was too whispery for me. Some other songs I liked but I wouldn’t listen to the album again. Fav song: Hell is Round The Corner Least fav: Ponderosa
I don't particularly like her voice which made this album quite difficult to listen to. I quite liked his vocals but the slowness of it meant after one song of that I was ready for it to be done. Favourite song: Hell Is Round The Corner Least: Feed Me
She could’ve been our Lily Allen but instead we got Lily Allen
Real nice groove up until “Strugglin’”, which I struggled to get through. You don’t get many “Revolution 9”s on albums, but here it is. Removing that track entirely would have bumped this to a 5 since the rest of it was pretty good.
Not my vibe in the slightest
I just can’t
There’s definitely something to the British darker, dirtier and more pessimistic take on hip hop. It’s an uncomfortable difficult listen but that’s the point I think. Think it was well worth a listen, not sure I would revisit quickly but glad heard it. 3 Star
Tricky and the rest of the Bristol trip-hop scene of that era is definitely my jam. Martina Topley-Bird's sensuous vocals and Tricky's hypnotic delivery accentuate and punctuate each other as they alternate the lead in the foreground or the background of the vocals. Tricky differs from other favourites like Massive Attack or Portishead with the slyly threatening gangster element he brings. The beats, hooks, and samples are an eclectic blend of somewhat unusual sounds that nonetheless still produce that signature chill vibe of the genre that I love. The flow of this album in the sequencing of the tracks is also superb.
Ville gerne væk fra massive attack og lave sit eget men det er naturligvis stadig triphop og virkelig god af slagsen.
Rating: 6/10
Some nice songs, but not my thing.
Trip hop is music that I feel like I should enjoy but never do. Whoever is singing here has a nice voice. Glad I listened to it, wouldn't want to listen to it again. Immediately forgettable.
Interesting album, don't love don't hate. 5.4/10
Fine, kinda different trip hop
Okay this is interesting. She's whispering in my ear. This feels evil. I feel like I'm being seduced to the dark side. I don't really know what to do with this. Lotta noises going on. I really just don't know how to react. I don't know if I like this. I feel threatened. This is cool. No I'm definitely into whatever this is tbh. Favourite: Hell Is Round The Corner Least favourite: Ponderosa
At least a bit unique in the beats and feel.
A killer album. I've long thought that Tricky (and the incomparable Martina Topley-Bird)'s interpretation of Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" is one of the best things ever. Tricky's masterful blend of countless styles, melodies, and rhythms make for a timeless classic.
This always felt like music to sit in a dark room and get stoned to. Never really got it back in the 90s, but I can appreciate it a lot more lyrically now
Artists take a gamble when they leave a successful group to try and go it alone. Surely this was the case when Tricky left Massive Attack shortly after their acclaimed debut established trip hop as a genre. But man did it pay off here. "Maxinquaye" injected a dark experimentalism into the genre. There's a brooding intensity to the sound. Tricky's raspy, sexualized depression melts perfectly with Martina Topley-Bird's sultry vocals. The samples are achingly slowed down to make you feel very heavy note. Tricky and Topley-Bird exchange male and female roles throughout the album and strikingly in the promotional materials. The result is progressive but depressed. Optimism drowned out by drug use and a disillusionment with adulthood in mid-90s Britain. This is unlike any other album I know and easily up there with Portishead's "Dummy" and Massive Attack's "Mezzanine" for one of the best trip hop albums ever made.
6/10
Tricky. Was that the rapper or the Brit-pop band? The rapper, which is a shame. I could have tolerated this more had there been less English accents and discordant noise.
Um bocado estranho este álbum, nem consigo perceber que género é. Mas, pelo menos, gostei de uma música: Black Steel. É um 2/5. Achei demasiado longo com algumas músicas demasiado extensas.
Not as dreamy as Portishead, and more jumpy than Massive Attack. This is dark and urgent trip hop, with the vaguest hint of menace.
Gorgeous album - 'Hell Is Round the Corner' is an awesome song
Nop
This is really interesting right off the bat. Listening to this, I can hear that he brought a lot to Massive Attack's music. It's interesting to hear his music without any of the other MA elements accompanying.
Love trickyand the tracks and collaborations on this record are very gritty and urban with underlining Melodie’s , very enjoyable
Shame he’s not as recognised as Portishead and Massive Attack
Being jumpscared by the same sample as Glory Box on this was a surprise. Some cool stuff on this, some of which definitely escapes the confines of the ‘trip hop’ label (Black Steel a personal fav). Falls off a bit in the 2nd half, and I don’t think some songs justify their length like other trip-hop albums I’ve heard.
I bought this album in 1995 just on the power of Tricky's role in Masive Attack and I wasn't disappointed. This was a powerful, alluring album that stood up to innumerable repeat listens. Thirty years later, it still does.
I listened to this back in the day when it came out. I'm not sure I was fully ready for it then. I like the chill of most of the album with some injections of spirit in there. Enjoyed the reimagining of Pumpkins and Public Enemy. I would revisit this.
2/5 - Sampling "Suffer" by the Pumpkins on a track called "Pumpkin" was a nice wink. I liked the "Black Steel" cover. On the whole, this was background music for me.
I've never heard of Tricky before, but I have heard the instrumental hook of "Hell Is Round The Corner" without knowing where it came from. The album was a nice mix of jazz and hip-hop with a laid back lounge feel to it. It was the kind of music I'd imagine hearing in a dimly lit cafe with a bunch of patrons smoking and snapping their fingers in agreement. "Black Steel" was the only other song that grabbed my attention.
Another album where I can see why it was included, but it’s just not for me unfortunately… I like the vibes, but some of the lyrics made me slightly uncomfortable too Perhaps a re-listen might make me appreciate it more, but this is my rating for now 5.5/10
trip-hop. dummy vibes. chill. pairs well w/ shrooms.
its a vibe for sure
bangers. i like trip hop
first time I wanted an album to end so bad
An album I know well, but not one I’ve listened to in a number of years. It still has the same bewitching power. Twitchy, paranoid, little bursts of melody breaking out of the claustrophobic noise. Martines voice brings a honeyed sweetness alongside Trickys raspy muttering. Not an easy listen but a a deeply rewarding one
They wish they were Portishead.
Wasn't minding it until halfway through it just got gross for he sake of it it.
Never heard of this before but I thought it was enjoyable
Sounds too jazzy for me... Like Massive Attack. Not really my thing
massive attack
First Listen; 3; This just didn't really grab me. Not sure why, and it's one that I'd hoped to like, but I didn't find it catchy or immersive enough. Favorite Track: Aftermath
so good and experimental that it still sounds modern, somebody PLEASE give martina topley-bird her flowers
i knew one (1) song. anyway i think i'm not experimental enough for this LMFAO BUT some i didn't hate. hated the anal song tho that felt assaulty. deserves a 1.5 but let me be nice
Though there's some cool songs on here, I feel this is an example of where less would have been more.
Solid trip hop, it was enjoyable overall. A bit long but it’s good stuff, hard to enjoy in one setting. 3 stars
There's a lot of things I like about the album, but a lot of things I don't like as well. It's experimental, it's industrial, it's probably most loved by the coolest person you know. I can see that this album was influential and certainly ground-breaking for it's time. My personal favorite is "Hell is Around the Corner."
Paranoic, dense, and cool. This is my favourite of the 90's Bristol Trip Hop, apart from Tricky's Pre-Millenial Tension. This was the UK's 65th best selling album of 1995 at the height of Britpop. After surviving the 80's, we so lucky during that time to have so much good music in the mainstream at once.
A combination of my 2 least favourite genres, electronic and hip hop. An absolute chore to sit through. Standout Songs: Overcome Pumpkin
Cool Trip Hop Album, wasn’t very familiar, re listen value
disappointed, expected better lowkey
Spooky
8.0/10
Super experimental, interesting
Funky and vibey. Lots of guitar solo potential
LOVE THAT trip hop, portishead vibes amazing
listened to on june 24th, at first i wasnt digging it but as the album progressed i got more into the vibe and liked it better, definetly has a place in my permanent playlist
It's funny, when I listen to it, I think I really like it. It's right up my alley. But then after I'm done listening to it, I don't remember liking it and couldn't tell you what I like. Somehow, even though this should be a thing I really love, it just doesn't make an impression that stays with me after I'm done listening. I've listened to it twice and had the same experience both times. I'll have to try again and see if it keeps happening and if I can figure out why!
Well this was quite the pleasant surprise.
Martina ❤️ Alison Goldfrapp ❤️ Tricky ❤️ Trip hop ❤️
What a great find, kinda like portishead but still unique in its own way.
trip hop ist glaub auch nicht meins, und ich kann mir auch nicht vorstellen so was auf daily basis zuhören. Der vierte song war gut, im background war aber auch irgendwie die selbe Melodie zu hören, die auch portishead bei 'glory box' verwendet hat. der track war auch echt gut. die meisten tracks waren aber so mit random sounds/Instrumenten gefüllt, die nicht wirklich zusammen passen, daher fand ich die nicht so gut
really liked it.!! songs that actually sound different to each other. vibey af
Uh
I loved it back then and I was happy to find out I still do. I'm not a Hip Hop or Rap fan at all. But this one is pure genius. So many beautiful details.
Dumbass ambient album
Echo echo sigh sigh rap rap moaan Mooooaaaan Wait. What did the lyrics said? Oo
I didn't care about yhe vovals but the instrumental was quite nice
I'd consider this my first experience with Trip-Hop. I dig the underground sound it has, but it didn't really hit home for me. It was easy for me to fade in and out when listening. Probably just not my thing, but definitely not terrible.
This album was a complete unknown to me and I'm not usually seeking this sort of music out, but I thought it was pretty good. The production is really impressive throughout. Who says chaps from Bristol can't make trip hop? Not me....
Some of the stuff on here is really solid trip hop stuff. Great underground sound, dark & moody but pretty groovy. Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are great, very Portishead adjacent (hell, the beat from Dummy is lifted outright) but sometimes Tricky's cheesiness gets to be a bit much. Trip hop has to be pretty careful to maintain its tone and I don't think Maxinquaye is doing anything that Massive Attack or Portishead weren't doing better. Except maybe Black Steel which is doing some stuff that Goldfrapp would steal a decade later lol Favorite Tracks: Black Steel, Hell is Around the Corner, Aftermath, Brand New You're Retro
💩🗑
Franchement, je m'attendais à pire. Sais pas pourquoi. Pas pire du tout.
J'aime bien le trip-hop, ça groove et ça rock à la fois. Et ça s'écoute bien en background. Sauf qu'au travail j'ai dû skipper Abbaon Fat Tracks pour des raisons de décence.
Classique triphop que j’écoute pour la première fois, peux-tu croire. Ça me fait surtout penser que dans ma jeune vingtaine j’avais acheté son album Knowle West Boy (de souvenir excellent) sur la recommandation de mon disquaire de famille au hmv. Et ca m’a rendu nostalgique de la belle époque où j’allais au magasin de disque me faire conseiller. Bref si un albim évoque de la nostalgie, c’est toujours un 5. (Mais la musique est excellente aussi. Très atmosphérique et quelle magnifique fois féminine!)
I throughly enjoyed this debut album by Tricky! I’d never heard of this album or artist before but I was very much into the trip hop/experimental vibes of this album. Overall, I thought this was a great album and I will definitely check it out again in the future.
Starts stronger than it finishes, but not to the level of contemporary Massive Attack et al.
I just had this recommended to me last week.. I left a bit confused but it was cool
pretty strange stuff but also interesting and banksy adjacent
I don't personally feel like it's anything special, but it's cool and atmospheric.
For sure a vibey album. I would definitely be able to add this album to the rotation at my vinyl coffee shop!
Pretty cool album, definitely cooler than me. Might be a 3.5
No private session used for Spotify. I have heard "Black Steel" before, not just the original, but this version and knew of Tricky's lineage and the whole British hip hop/electronic thing. I could get into this.
Not awful but certainly not good.
2/5
Can't believe I missed this 1st time around, fantastic album.
Oh man, this is by far one of my all-time favourite albums! I remember seeing them at the first or second edition of the Lowlands festival in 1994, and I was absolutely stunned. I'd never seen or heard anything like this before. It was dark, gloomy, accompanied by the sensual and fragile voice of Martina Topley-Bird, hidden in a cloud of smoke. After they played "Black Steel" (notably a Public Enemy cover), I was sold. I bought their CD afterwards, and have listened to it ever since. This is still a great listen - even after thirty years and thousands of plays, I can't get bored of it. 5/5
First album of 2026. Something of a dreamy start to the album, and therefore the year. Hell Is Round The Corner stands out sonically, Abbaon Fat Tracks stands out for different reasons (glad I was wearing headphones). Another perfectly fine album, but doesn't blow me away.
Black Steel is a fantastic song, but it might be the only one on an album that does little wrong but rarely rises above interesting background music. When it ended it took me close to 10 minutes to realize that music was no longer playing lost in the neo trip hop sounds of my heater bravely fighting to keep my butt warm. Picture me playin' it again, I said, never.
Terrific album, with a great cover of PE’s Black Steel
Dark and brooding, amazing album!
Not my bag
Listened: in bed Fave song- aftermath
Actually thought this was pretty cool.
I enjoyed this. Cool sounds and quite interesting. Worth the listen for sure.
listens like a proto-thievery corporation, even though they are from the same era. enjoyable
I really enjoyed coming back to this album. It's been a few days since I listened, but I did get most of a 2nd listen in and there's a number of tracks on here that still resonate. Especially right after Fatboy Slim, this feels like it has staying power.
A stark contrast with Fatboy Slim. As much as You’ve Come A Long Way Baby sounds like formula electronica that made it big, Tricky sounds rich, dark and weird. I love the density of the beats, dripping with mood and feeling. Mainstream 90s electro is skying on e’s in a muddy field; Maxinquaye is a hallucinogenic walk through a haunted forest. I’ll take the forest please.
A darker, sluttier version of Morcheeba.
Blew my mind
Love
Deep trip-hop with hidden complexity and wonderful vocals.
sounds exactly like its cover
Nice timing, I've been on a big Massive Attack trip lately and this is very much from that family. This is smooth and sultry and sexy as fuck. You sort of know what you're going to get with Tricky and this gives exactly that. Lovely stuff.
Litt alternativ 90 tallsmusikk. Ja hvorfor ikke. Ikke helt min greier, men bedre enn mye annet fra 90!
Not by usual type of listen, but enjoyed - nice rhythms and beats - quite a calm relaxing listen really
..
Yep, it's good. I like a Black Steel, cover of Black Steel in The Hour Of Chaos by Public Enemy. It was unexpected to hear the same sample in Hell Is Round The Corner as in Glory Box by Portishead. Or a sample from Michael Jackson in Brand New You're Retro. Otherwise, the album is kinda plain, but I still like it, maybe I'll relisten to some tracks later because there's potential for my ears. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Black Steel — Hell Is Round The Corner
The first third of the album was listenable/tolerable, but the samey beats and lack of hooks made me feel slightly frustrated at the end of the album. I hated the second to last track
I was not expecting much from this, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. I always thought I like hip-hop but this project has shown that to not be true, I just like some hip-hop tracks. Give me some trip-hop, though, and I’ll enjoy it. Not massively, but enough for it to get a solid 3.
Fand ich gut. Mal was Neues aber nichts auf dauerschleife
Trip Hop is not my jam, but I can see why this (and earlier Massive Attack) is considered essential listening in this genre
Ponderosa could be the worst song I've ever heard, the vocals are absolutely irritating across this and it's a stylistic mess. Terrible. One of the easiest ones I've given
I went in ready to be mad at more 90s electronica, but was pleasantly surprised when I got to “Black Steel.” This album manages to use its production style to support some good songs, not just relying on technology to make a bad song sound interesting. I also really enjoyed the Isaac Hayes sample, making this feel like it is on the edges of genres, not comfortably sitting in familiar territory. There were certainly a lot of songs I didn’t enjoy on this album, but I’m rounding up to a 3 because it managed to pull me away from my preconceptions.
It had its moments…but they were few and far between.
It was ambient, Portishedish music. I played BYC with a friend a relatively enjoyed myself while listening. Possibly more because of the cricket, I didn't take away a lot from Tricky. 3 stars.
You and your friends are going to a newly opened cafe which has received rave reviews on Instagram from social influencer food critics who seem to be sponsored on every second post. The cafe is busy and the prices are high, but the barista is wearing a denim apron which is covering a black t-shirt which has rolled up sleeves, exposing the guy’s random assortment of tattoos. You can’t make out all the tatts, but you see a knife, a crucifix, Wartortle, a car that looks like a Chevy Impala, and an 80’s cartoon-style woman with no top on. The barista also has a high-folded beanie on, so you’re confident this coffee is gonna be bomb as fuck. It costs $8.15, and you end up waiting 55 minutes between ordering and receiving your drink. You’re pretty sure you heard a Nespresso machine at one point, but you’re not certain.
OK background music to some.backyard cricket. Wouldn't listen to it otherwise. May have social issue in there but didnt lock me in
Found it rather boring, but not bad.
God knows what this was. At least it was unique I guess. Doesn’t quite deserve 1 star but I won’t be back.
Viby, some interesting tunes to say the least, enjoyed some and not others as much
Heard this many times in my youth, a classic from the trip-hop era - my least favourite out of the big 3 though, too lethargic.
Very interesting style of music. I obviously love the beats as hip hop breakbeats are always incredible, especially when done like this. I love the fusion of soul stuff (like having singers) in quite a few places. I feel like this feels a lot like Blue Lines era Massive Attack, probably because he was in it and probably had a large sway over the sound of it. His slightly creepy unnerving singing/rapping is really unique, and the singer (who I'm not sure who is) one a good deal of the songs is great as well, and I feel like has a lot of duality with him. The weird lyrical themes and storytelling is great on here, they're just all-round immersive pieces of music. I feel like a complaint could be that its too long, some song sort of go on aimlessly just repeating, but if its a good repeat then I guess its fine. The song which uses the same sample as Glory Box Portishead is great as well, totally shows how the same piece of music can be approached and recontextualied in a different way. Some of these songs I think are quite haunting and creepy in the same way as Nick Cave or Tom Waits can be, like the strugglin' song. Favourite songs: overcome, black steel, hell is round the corner, aftermath, you don't, strugglin', feed me Overall around 7/10
Correcto
Classic
i liked the vibes but otherwise i didn’t finish this
nah
Ethereal and moody. Liked this more than I thought I would.
say what you want to say but i want you guys to relisten to Overcome and tell me it's not perfect </3 (i'm sure u guys know of his history with Massive Attack and i think this album is better than lots of their stuff)... i don't know. this album is much more memorable than that damn Red Snapper shish! some songs go on a little too long or are super monotonous (Aftermath, You Don't, Strugglin', etc.) and i also think Martina Topley-Bird and the other female vocalists make this album, without her it would be boring as hell. but with songs like Overcome, Ponderosa, and Suffocated Love, this album is AT LEAST a 3... this album's play with samples and major-minor switches is so entertaining to me... i'm not trying to glaze i swear. </3 and you all can't act like this album isn't sexy as hell... wtf... the first half is better than the second half but the second half makes up for it with sexiness and ASMR
The first two-thirds of the album had 90s vampire bad boy vibes, tracks 8-10 was the freak section, and I don't even know how to classify 11-12. Needless to say, I didn't care for this album.
I’m really strugglin’ with this one. Some songs on this album start off as if they could be neat but they just kind of devolve immediately. I don’t know what state of mind this album could be good to connect with. True 1 star.
this is part of the actual writeup for this album from apple music. no words have been added or removed to appeal to my sense of humor or otherwise impact the rhetorical goals of the author: "Thanks to its unhurried hush, the album is a make-out must, but it's the pervading sense of danger that makes it so sensually sinister." what the fuck?
*guy throwing headset off meme*
Absolutely dreadful to sludge through. It’s a shame that there were moments I enjoyed that lasted all too shortly or, sometimes, all too long. On par with the Massive Attack album for me. Please, sir, no more.
This list does not understand electronic music
I think at some point when I've got a day to kill, I need to sit down and listen to this again, along with all the other trip hop stuff we've had, because in a blind taste test, I cannot tell the difference between this album, the Massive Attack album we already got (which, fair), and the Red Snapper album we already got. Nor can I tell the difference between any individual track on any of these three albums. I know Portishead is coming and I won't be able to tell the difference there either. God help me.
ehh, a massive attack spin-off series that’s only ok.
Meh, I couldn’t went without hearing this.
Smooth but couldn’t catch a lot of the lyrics.
This fucking sucks
The first half was such a banger. I enjoyed the second half too however wasn't too much of a fan of the guy's style, felt too edgy. Nevertheless it was a great find and definitely a hidden gem. 4/5
Just not my favorite genre. I really could not get into this album but it’s not “bad” enough to give a 1.
there's a lot of cool beats on here but not much else to keep me interested
It was chill. I kind of liked it.
finally some good fucking food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love trip hop this is soooooooo good
Man I'm eating so good today what the fuck? Four 5/5 albums in a row. I love literally everything about this album - the genre blending, the genderbending in the promotional photos, how dark and slick and vulnerable it is, it's just perfect.
Fun surprise of a triphop album I wasn't expecting
I enjoyed it, but not enough to remember it a few days later
This just didn't do anything for me, and I normally dig the genre. The best track was Black Steel, but even that was just alright.
Cool album, very timely
One of the defining albums of the 90’s.
Kinda boring for me unfortunately. It just seems lazy, the way he moans across the beats, and the beats were nothing to write home about. This album made me want to listen to Portishead the whole time.
I like trip hop and I like Tricky in Massive Attack, but this is just kind of there. Probably one I'd have liked better if I'd heard it at the time. Did make me want to listen to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, though.
Love the samples of others famous work, amazing lyrics. Have to be in the right mood for it though.
Dark and minimalist. Feels like Burial years before Burial. Setting the blueprint for trip hop. You can feel the shadow of Massive Attack looming here too. The juxtaposition between Martina Topley-Bird's bright vocals and the dark, brooding and chaotic sounds and spoken word monologues that Tricky mixes in the background creates a unique sound. The hodgepodge of noises, percussion and melodies that Tricky is seemingly throwing together at random somehow come together to something that's completely out there, but also not a challenge to listen to at all. It's the sort of thing that you don't fully take in until a second or third listen. I still don't know why it works, but it really, really does work.
Good stuff. First time encounter.
Ethereal vibe and you can hear multiple genres. Solid
Cool music triphop
Hip hop with all the excitement removed. It isnt worthless but it doesn't help that the best track is blown away by by Glory Box
Great name. Vibe forgetable.
Good album! Enjoyed this one.
- mulla on heikko kohta trip hopille, ja pääsikin yllättämään että tää kaveri on mässyätäkin ukkoja (ainakin ollut) - soundi on erittäin ysäriä ja meitsi kyllä diggailee
Interesting almost tribal beats and female vocals that sound like someone I can't quite place. Ponderosa is good. Most songs have a mysterious vibe. Pumpkin is good. Abbaon Fat Tracks is quite something. Some of the songs are duet with Tricky mumbling alongside. I'm not sure how affective this is; good in some spots but kind of annoying. Brand New You're Retro sucks; annoying, repetitive, and doesn't match the album so far at all. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. It had a few highlights but the rest didn't hold up. 3 it is.
- It’s got great grooves, and the singer has a great voice. - Obviously has Massive Attack vibes, but its darker. - I knew Black Steel & Hell is Round the Corner - both are bangers. - The songs on the second half of the album all go on too long, even the short Brand New You're Retro feels long. I like Aftermath, but it's at least a few minutes too long. - Dislike the (never ending) song Strugglin'.
Fun record. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
weed deep
good record, had never listened to more than the singles. A lot of depth and chill work music
Possibly my favorite hip hop album. Smooth singing, soft grooves. Yeah, they finally did a modern soul album for me. 4.5/5
Love tricky but was a bit underwhelmed by this album - I must remember to give another listen
There were tracks I thought were pretty interesting and others I was ready to hit skip.
Not my bag
I don't know exactly what it was about this album, but I did not like it. I think the overall sound and the male performer's voice rubbed my the wrong way. I can't really explain it. The songs were alright for the most part though.
This ultimately left me feeling super disappointed. I usually love dark, moody electronica, but I was never able to get any sparks to ignite here despite a few playthroughs. Overall, this felt kinda boring & forgettable... and even mildly annoying at times - I'm lookin' at you, "Strugglin'". Sigh... not even Alison Goldfrapp could save this, but I'm required by law not to completely fail anything she had a hand in, no matter how small.
The album did a solid job transferring me into its world. I felt it was moody, dark, sensual at times. This was interesting enough that I will give it a few more times to be played through.
I prefer my Tricky in the Fifth Element.
Extremely dark and moody, thought this would be right up my alley, but it consistently fell short of being great for me personally.
Un sound elettro diverso dal solito, carino ma nulla di top
Started out interesting. Lost a lot of steam. Got weird when the guy got involved. Not a sound that I love. Kind of a mix of hip-hop and industrial, with a couple of poppy songs in there.
I didn’t mind this. Not my go-to genre but it was very chill & easy to listen to. I did enjoy this more than I enjoyed Massive Attack.
good trip pop
This one was a vibe! I had grew up hearing of Tricky and I may have heard a song here or there but I never revisited him as an adult and I feel like I missed out. Some of the production certainly dates this album to the 90’s but it doesn’t stop with the surprises, I never knew where it was going to take me but I was here for all of it. Great stuff ‘ 8/10 Favorite tracks- “Ponderosa” “Hell Is Round The Corner” “Aftermath”
7/10
This was fun. Definitely worth checking out at least once.
I dug the low-key vibe. Some Public Enemy, some Portishead. This was a pleasant surprise that I'll mix into one of my Pandora stations.
Man this sucked. It was super boring and I swear to god I tuned out half the record both times I listened to it. Ridiculously boring and made me very sad
Not my vibe but overall neat
Kind of cool
Tricky is the more "impressionistic" of the trip-hoppers. I like it, but I don't love it (as much as, say, Portishead or Massive Attack).
I forgot about the existence of daylight saving time so I panicked when the album isn’t refreshed at 11pm EST. also guess portishead is the peak of trip hop and i don't like this genre too much apart from portishead 3/5
i like the beats a lot but unfortunately i hated the vocalists’ voice and it made it rather hard to really get into…
I'm a sucker for trip-hop, but this didn't really impress me too much. Portishead's "Dummy" ate its lunch and fucked its wife and basically makes it completely obsolete. Not to say it isn't bad, it's actually decent, but it's below average for one of my favourite genres.
7/10
Some good stuff and some shite