Reviews (page 5 of 8)
That was definitely an album that happened. Can’t tell you much about it, because it was kind of boring. Had some nice female vocals, but overall just forgettable.
Not really sure what this is trying to be. Sounds like a spy movie soundtrack at times with generic lyrics.
I already knew of tricky and have a few albums. Never listened to this one before. Decent trip-hop (I think that's the genre). None of the songs stuck with me like some of his other stuff does but It was an enjoyable hour
Nope
I still don’t know if trip hop is for me. A song like Black Steel is up my lane but then Afternath bores me to sleep. Hit and miss.
8.5/10 Excellent. Not sure it is as pure trip hop as its reputation would have - it is electronic, hip hop, post rock too. excellent production, great samples Maybe a little too monotonal and dark to be perfect but this is excellent. Best: Black Steel
After hearing Portishead’s Third I thought hey maybe I like trip hop. Apparently I just like Portishead, because I didn’t like this at all. The Public Enemy cover was surprising and the only good song in the album. When your only good song is a cover that’s not a good sign.
★★★★½
Wonderful album.
this is so 90s in the best way. smooth as butter. love the way their voices work together
A long-time favourite. Martina & Tricky’s styles complement each other perfectly.
I know Tricky is one of the biggest trip-hop artists, but the only song I really knew was "Excess" from the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. I've always loved that song (and I just found out Alanis Morissette is on that track — what?!), so I had high hopes for this album. Unfortunately, while it starts out decent, it didn't really hold my interest after about the third song. I've never been a huge fan of groups like Massive Attack or Goldfrapp, and this album didn't change my mind. The music and beats start to become repetitive, and a lot of the lyrics seem like he's trying too hard to be edgy. Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are great throughout, and there are a few catchy songs, but it was overall meh for me. 2.5/5
Trip hop always feels like a fun little diversion from the rest of this journey because it sounds just so different from 95% of this list. This album is smooth and sometimes overly sexual (Abbaon Fat Tracks caught me off guard haha), but it's still a fun trip. I don't think it reached the highs of Massive Attack for me, but there is some cool stuff here. The Public Enemy cocer of Black Steel is really cool, as is the backing music in Hell is Round the Corner and Pumpkin. I also liked the reggae in You Don't.
I just like this genre and am probably up-rating slightly. Scrapes a 4 despite dragging along a bit.
Excellent, excellent album.
4/10
Meh
Why did someone decide to use this awesome album as a platform to talk about their nasty, unwashed, unhygienic ass?
7/10 I didn't immediately realise this was Tricky of Massive Attack fame, nor did I know that he'd ever done a solo album. Judging the album by the cover, I thought I was going into some 90s alt rock album that I wasn't particularly looking forward to, so to hear the familiar sounds of trip hop once I pressed play was actually a delight. The beats are fantastic, Martina's vocals evoke the usual trip-hop feel a la Portishead, and Tricky's vocal contributions distinguish this from the other albums in the genre, adding a slightly sinister but really cool, funky vibe. The second half of the album has a couple of weaker tracks - Brand New You're Retro and You Don't - but this is nonetheless a consistently enjoyable listen that I'll be revisiting. Listens: 1
Really sweet grooves, definitely a go to when yearning for some trip hop. Impressive first album in Tricky's solo career.
Top 10 trip hop album
Sounds like radio station background music. Like a mix of Massive Attack and Gorillaz. Very '90's London sounding. The smoother and mellower answer to '90's industrial music. I like Portishead better though. This is too slow and grimy.
Kind of depressing, moody electronic music that starts interesting and moving, but just turns mysterious and eccentric in an annoying and constant loop. The song "Strugglin" has this awful nails on the chalkboard sample or instrumental 1.5 rounded to 2
>The Beatles Good vibes
Pretty decent Easy to listen to Better than it's description Solid 3
Een trip-hop album! Ik vind de stem van Portishead een stuk sterker, maar ik vibe dit wel altijd. Het is zo lekker duister en trippy dat ik het bijna nooit een straf vind om een trip-hop album te luisteren. Nu dus ook niet! Ik kan er alleen weinig aan doen, maar met mijn beperkte triphop kennis ga ik dit toch continue vergelijken met Dummy van Portishead. En dat vind ik toch echt beter, en besef dat dat album ook nog eens ouder is he? Dit album daarentegen; prima. Je hebt veel call en response tussen de zangeres en Tricky zelf. Ontzettend veel beats die weg lijken te vallen of te lijken hangen op de plaat. Zoals ik zei; echt wel vet, maar niet vet genoeg voor 4 sterren. Dit is gewoon een prima album, best blij dat ik het eens heb gehoord maar niet veel meer. FAVO: Black Steel, Hell is around the corner, Aftermath
Consider turning up the vocals. Otherwise, a great trance-like experience like no other hip-hop album. Might be better with Genius open on a separate monitor.
The Aftermath of listening to this album was that I was Overcome.
Not really my thing.
Way better than massive attack. I really enjoyed it. Maybe because it’s dark and droney. But something here got me.
Objectively, this album was pretty dense and unique, with lots of original ideas and beats. Personally, I kind of hated it. We’ll split the difference.
One of the less exciting albums. I wouldn’t say it’s boring but it’s almost as boring as Houmous & Chutney’s infamously and purposefully boring album ‘This is Less Than Exciting (It’s Boring)’ 2.4
The past is present.
does nothing for me. I’d maybe listen to black steel again but overall it reminds me of the bobs burgers indie singer singing about oil spills as a metaphor for her vagina
Really into this, but I had never heard of this band until today. Great lyrics, great beats, no complaints. Ponderosa made me want to pick up a bad habit, but in a good way. I can only describe Black Steel by highlighting the opening lyrics: "I got a letter from the government the other day Opened it and read it, it said they were suckers They wanted me for their army or whatever Picture me givin' a damn, I said, never" Hell Is Round the Corner and Strugglin' were instantly added to my Halloween Playlist, Aftermath is a banger, Abbot Fat Tracks was juicy, and You Don't was funky yet delicious. Brand New You're Retro fucked my neighbor and made me listen. Suffocated Love doubled down on that. You ask why this is? Mind your business. I had fun.
This does absolutely nothing for me but I don't hate it. Wish we could give 2.5 for straight up middle of the road. Sounds like 8 other albums on this list.
ööööh ersti zwei songs chli weird aber mega en fixe stil no cool? vierte song: mer cha nöd afoch portishead sample und meine etz ischmer glich guet. oke ha etz es paar songs afoch glost ohni mega überlegge undfinds eaasy cozy aber s nimmt mich etz au nöd huere mit. oke gad usegfunde dass s portishead sample eigentli es isaac hayes sample isch. brand new youre retro isch chli meh aggro i like. oke fertig und ha selte so wenig z sege gha, aber es 3 gits trotzdem glaub? schwachs 3. oder starchs zwei.
uuuh sehr coole beat!! uiui de nervös bass BOUUUM es tickled gad min brain so richtig geil düster oke ponderosa fühli weniiger aber s klavier findi hammer jz wirds nachli rockig hä so kuul ahhh er isch bi massive attack gsi! bbbbbboa hell is round the corner so geil ahhh ebe glory box het das auscho gesamplet schon gedeicht ich kenns sample leider wirds jz chli seicht iwie? d martina doppel bird het für mich leider au nöd di ufregendst stimm retro hani recht arsch gfunde ok hans echt langwilig gfunde die erste 4 lieder cool, und vor allem overcome isch en unglauuuubliche banger doch es wird es 3
Masterpiece!!
Didn’t mind this
It was fine but trip hop doesn’t really do it for me.
This was dissapointing. Well not dissaponted like I expected something good. More on thought I liked the 90s. This was the same monotone sampling bullshit emotionless crap. I’m making the case for at least half stars again. This isn’t three stars but it’s certainly not 2 stars. I have to give three but this isn’t anything I would recommend to anyone at all.
I wasn't expecting much from this album, and man, I have never been so happy to be wrong. This was a good album.
Langweilig! Einfach nur langweilig! Langweilig! Einfach nur langweilig! Langweilig! Einfach nur langweilig! Langweilig! Einfach nur langweilig!
A little all over the place, but kind of in a good way. Felt like Gorillaz meets Massive Attack, with a little Prodigy thrown in from time to time. Needs a few listens but came away with a positive impression.
2.16
This album started off really promising, very Massive -Esque. Not then it just devolved into shitty, sexual lyrics with uninteresting backing music. Disappointing.
Trip hop milestone. Hybrid between electronic, hip hop and rock.
3-
Moody trip-hop is moody. Pretty decent record overall, would probably benefit from many many listens to really deep dive and connect with but I have no complaints.
First song was okay-ish. Not my genre. Very repetitive, so gets boring over time. Maybe as background music.
This is pretty good, actually. It's an extremely clean and well produced album that doesn't lack in ideas. Abbaon Fat Tracks has probably the single most horny rhyme scheme I've heard, and I love it. But it's too simple and repetitive for my taste, so I liked it but wasn't over the moon about it. 7/10
Super atmospheric but I doubt I'd ever revisit it. Possibly the closest I've come to missing listening to the full album, finishing at 23:52 Side note: I turned 30 today! Wild
I’m not loving this and yet another middle of the road album where I don’t hate it. I think, even though I hate them, that this would be better suited as an instrumental album. The music hits fairly hard. I think the vocals tone it down too much. Not enough intensity in her voice. Hell is Round the Corner stands out. I’m mean really stands out. This album could also have been better if Tricky took the lead more. The songs where his vocals dominated seem to be the best. Choice cut: Hell is Round the Corner
Favorite track: Hell is round the corner. Overall score: 4.2/10
My 3rd trip-hop album so far and I've enjoyed every single one. This one definitely doesn't rise to the heights of Dummy by Portishead but still a cool album. Favorites: You Don't
I liked the first half a decent bit. I love Alison Goldfrapp so cool to hear her. Need to listen to Massive Attack to have the full context needed for this. I still got a handful of new songs I liked. I like Portishead more but this one does operate in its own lane Rating: 3.6
I like Portishead and Massive attack more but this was enjoyable as well
I would listen to this again there’s a little Jim in there with the Isaac Hayes/Portishead sample. Hell is Round the corner.
I'm not usually a fan of rap or hip hop but this was great!
I know of this artist but really never heard much of their stuff. Fascinating stuff. Reminds me of Bjork. Cool stuff. 3-stars
Not usually a fan but this has a cool sound
Slower, more moody and melodic than the typical aggressive shouty hip-hop. Fewer racial slurs (I counted just 2 and that was in a cover). Overall not bad at all. Maybe the female vocalist should be bigged up a bit more. This was her album more than Tricky's.
Ok
This felt a lot longer than 57 minutes long. There were times when Tricky channels Massive Attack really well, and the more Martina Topley Bird we get, the better. Overall though, an album that was one to get through, appreciate the highs, and consign to the dustbin of time.
Maxinquaye ist das Debütalbum des britischen Musikers Tricky, das 1995 veröffentlicht wurde. Tricky, bürgerlich Adrian Thaws, wurde in Bristol geboren und ist eine zentrale Figur der sogenannten "Trip-Hop"-Bewegung, die in den 90er Jahren populär wurde. Das Album wurde hauptsächlich in den "The Bath Road Studios" in Bristol aufgenommen und reflektiert Trickys einzigartigen Stil, der Elemente aus Hip-Hop, Rock und elektronischer Musik miteinander kombiniert. Zu den herausragenden Tracks auf dem Album zählen "Overcome", "Hell Is Around the Corner" und "Black Steel". Besonders "Hell Is Around the Corner" sticht durch seine düstere Atmosphäre und die markante, teils gesungene, teils gesprochene Darbietung von Tricky hervor. Die Zusammenarbeit mit der Sängerin Martina Topley-Bird, die bei mehreren Tracks im Background singt, verleiht dem Album eine besondere Tiefe und trägt zu seiner charakteristischen Klangästhetik bei. Das Album selbst lässt sich am besten dem Genre des Trip-Hop zuordnen, aber es integriert auch Einflüsse aus Punk, Reggae und elektronischer Musik, was Tricky zu einem der wichtigsten Innovatoren dieses Genres machte. Maxinquaye wurde von Kritikern allgemein positiv aufgenommen und gilt als eines der einflussreicheren Alben der 90er Jahre, das den Trip-Hop weltweit populär machte. Maxinquaye ist ein prägendes Werk der 90er Jahre, das durch seine Mischung aus düsteren, atmosphärischen Klängen und cleveren, oft experimentellen Arrangements besticht. Tricky präsentiert sich auf diesem Album als innovativer Künstler, der mit der Zeit geht, ohne seine eigenen kreativen Grenzen zu überschreiten. Ein Album, das sowohl musikalisch als auch stilistisch Maßstäbe setzte und eine neue Ära des britischen Sounds einleitete.
Not my genre
I used to listen to Tricky as a teenager, a good communication between ambient and industrial.
all over the place for me. sometimes painful and annoying but then redemptive at other times. Decent background music if nothing else. Want to give it a 1-2 or a 4 at other times. I will average it out at a 3
Not something I’d listen to everyday ,I found it a great way to start the day . Nice relaxing album . Sort of album you would put on at a party as background music
Highlights: Aftermath, Abbanon Fat Tracks, Brand New You're Retro. In a nutshell: shapeshifting triphop. You can tell that Tricky was relishing the opportunity to go deeper into the hip hop/dub side of triphop. More than he would ordinarily could with Massive Attack. It's dark, occasionally sexy, moody. The album loses steam for me towards the end of the album though. Overall: 5/10
Fahrstuhlmusik
Best Song: Black Steel. The rock vibe was necessary to bring a bit of life to such an understated album. Worst Song: Pumpkin. The guy with the creaky vocal fry ruined an otherwise fine track. Overall: The vibes are nice and the female vocalist is great, but boy if that dude doesn't spoil the fun every time he hops on the mic. Otherwise, the lo-fi trip-hop starts to lose its lustre about halfway through.
Ehh, a 2.5 rounded up. Not the album experience I'm typically interested, but they were original, experimental, and, at times, funky and vibey. Not really worth a re-listen though.
Very cool beats with some smooth vocals.
I kept waiting for this record to take off but it hung around at square one. Very very interesting and unique. However, it teetered on the fence between snooze fest and captivating and well - I fell onto the snooze fest side.
An album of two halves? Didn"t notice how much it tailed off back in the day. Was probably ahead of its time then. Now it just seems like a load of stolen samples. 7 out of ten minus a point for Tricky's acting.
Still holds up really well, unlike many of my 90s favs at the.time. Love Topley-Bird's vocals throughout, the the beats and production are great. Good to get a Cheltenham/Bristol double header the last two days...
What an enjoyable trip back in time to when I was younger, cooler, and taking significantly more “health supplements” than I do nowadays. Black steel has to be my all time favourite cover version for how Tricky too a raw hip hop staple and turned it into something truly different. Solid throughput, innovative and an album which captured the essence of the trip hop scene in all its 90’s glory.
6/10
Took time for me to get into it. Really unique sounds, not what I was expecting
At first I was listening to this and thought it sounded pretty decent, but then as it kept going it just sounded kinda bad. Kinda. It wasn't flat out bad but it definitely was not a positive rating.
This album should be nowhere near this list.
Another CD from the collection! Big up the Bristol. Awesome album with not a weak song - standout for me is "Suffocated Love".
Maxinquaye I’m not sure why, but I’ve never listened to this, even though I’ve always thought I would like it, if I ever did listen to it, which I have now done, and I was right that I would like it, even before I ever listened to it, which I have now done. It is a great album in the Portishead-Massive Attack milieu, but with it’s own distinct variances, mainly due to Tricky’s rapping style, subject matter and his lyrics being sung by Martina Topley-Bird - I suppose her being a cypher for his thoughts and the thoughts of his mum add to the sense of dislocation and unsettledness of much of the music. The overall mood is pretty downbeat and hazy, as might be expected, but it sounds great, with a nice variety of instruments, samples and approaches, from scuzzy guitars to Public Enemy covers to Michael Jackson samples. I also like the Hell is Round the Corner story, that he apparently heard some early Portishead mixes and decided to use the same Isaac Hayes sample. Suffocated Love is excellent and probably the standout track, but there’s great stuff throughout; His version of Karmacoma, the creepy plinkiness of Ponderosa, the drone of Pumpkin, the bluesy Abbaon Fat Tracks, Strugglin’, they’re all great, but none of the tracks are poor, they all add to the whole. I’ve listened to this a lot over the last few days, there’s a lot of detail in the production and sampling that emerge on repeat listens, and I liked it more and more each time, I’ll give it a nice’n’hazy 5. 🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄 Playlist submission: Suffocated Love
There is such a range of cross-genre samples from Marvin Gaye to Smashing Pumpkins, Shakespeare's Sister to Public Enemy; that it sounds layered and varied without ever straying from the Tricky brand of ominous trip hop. He has created something quite foreboding and cavernous and interesting. Although I can appreciate the likes of 'Strugglin' and 'Feed Me', that is more admiration than active enjoyment. Elsewhere, like the pumping 'Your Retro's or the opening run of four or five songs it is positively great. I end at a high four.
Lousy and boring.
sorry, I like trip hop. this slaps. 4.5. no notes.
Cool trip-hop, love it.
love this one. grinding metallic trip hop. england isn't real but this album is.
Slow stuff, female vocals, I did not think I would enjoy this since this is so out of my usual listens. But lots of it was enjoyable.
Early hip hop, with next-to-no swearing - hardly a nigger or motherfucker to be heard. But heavy, semi-industrial beats are often too high in the mix, overwhelming whatever music might lie underneath. But it doesn't make much difference to me because I don't like this anyway. It's not terrible, just... meh.
Chiller
FEEEEDDDD MEEEEE
3/10 - idk I just don’t think I like the genre. Also I though the woman singing was the main artist until Lucas said it wasn’t
I usually feel pretty let down by trip hop albums because I go in expecting dummy and there isn't really anything that compares. It's pretty telling that probably the best song on this album is basically glory box. Still pretty good though
Eines der besseren R&B Alben insbesondere Dank der guten weiblichen Parts. Zum Ende verfällt es dann leider und die üblichen RAP Mechanismen und wurde fast noch schlecht.
Pretty good, but this really slaps if you play it at 1.25x speed on YT
Almost a masterpiece.
An interesting production journey.
I got pretty into trip hop a couple of years ago and did a deep dive into the genre. This is one of those albums that always ranks high in the best-of lists for trip hop, and for good reason. I favor Tricky’s collaborations with Massive Attack, but this is an excellent example of what this genre does best: create a good vibe.
Widely regarded as a classic, but I'm not sure it holds up that well as an album. The first half is great - Ponderosa, Black Steel, Hell is round the corner etc are incredible - but it does start to drift. If you listen on headphones while high you can get totally lost in the fog of it, but if not it can disappear into the background a little. Just about makes a 4 because when it's good, it's very, VERY good.
Great, added a few songs to my playlist
This heavy industrial sound kinda reminds me of Portishead's debut. Solid album
decent
OK background music. "Hell is around the corner" is decent, but not great! Not really melodic enough for me.
Solid, electronic/trip hop album
4+
Way better than I expected. Good vocals and interesting beats.
По мнению А: 3/5 По мнению С: 4/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 3/5 (28.01.2025)
This is the 20th album I’m rating. Like Teenager of the Year I know absolutely nothing going into this. However, I’m guessing punk rock. Overcome - Adding to my Playlist. I think I was wrong about this being punk rock. I also wasn’t expecting a woman. The production is really good. Ponderosa - Adding to my Playlist. This could be better than To Pimp a Butterfly. Black Steel - Adding to my Playlist. When is Tricky going to say something? Hell is Round the Corner - Adding to my Playlist. Pretty cool song. Pumpkin - Adding to my Playlist. Kinda boring but good. Aftermath - Adding to my Playlist. Great production on all the songs so far. Abbaon Fat Tracks - Adding to my Playlist. Same as the other songs. Brand New You’re Retro - Adding to my Playlist. Not really a fan of Tricky’s voice. Suffocated Love - Adding to my Playlist. Very cool, very nice. You Don’t - Adding to my Playlist. So Tricky was part of Massive Attack. Strugglin’ - Adding to my Playlist. Fantastic intro. Feed Me - Adding to my Playlist. This is fantastic it might be the best song on the album. All in all I liked 12/12 songs. This was fantastic and not like a lot of the stuff that I hear. It reminded me of Björk in a weird way. Although I’m unsure of whether to put this below or above To Pimp a Butterfly.
I loved this album. It is just so interesting to listen to. It is good for studying.
Gran grunge
breakbeats are so delicious. i can't understand how goood this album is, even if it's sounds like sex music. i should probably check out more trip-hop if this is what it sounds like. tbf the album starts a lil weak but it gets SO GOOD BY THE END. fav song: aftermath (beep)
Nah cause this album FUCKS! The instrumentals were so consistently good, and paired with the vocals and rapping they really scratched an inch in my brain. I can see why this album is called the Blueprint for Trip Hop, because everything about this felt so confident in its style. Fave Songs - Overcome, Black Steel, Hell Is Around The Corner, Brand New You're Retro, Strugglin'
An album that sounds very ahead of its time, Tricky does an excellent job at creating very groovy and chill music that is well articulated. Her soft voice makes a good impression on this fascinating album.
I love Massive Attack so maybe it's no surprise I ended up loving Tricky's work outside of the group too.
Not really my thing but good for what it is
Liked it at first, sort of gave me a Portishead vibe. But I wasn’t listening too closely for the first couple tracks, it was just background music. Once I was able to focus on it and started hearing lyrics I got tired of it really quick.
Ok sound.
This album has two kinds of songs: esoteric bordering on incomprehensible, or decent. A lot of the songs feel over-produced and reek of "how many effects can we overlay into each song?" The best tracks are more pared down and and actually have a vibe; which is unfortunately a minority of the total songs. Top tracks: Black Steel, Pumpkin, Feed Me
#468. So you're telling me there's weird obscure British shit on this list that is actually good and not just stupid and annoying? Interesting. 4/5: good Song added to playlist: Overcome I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Phenomenal production - and surprising turns throughout (Like "Black Steel"). Definitely deserves a revisit.
I kind of understand why this is on the list, but it became tedious quickly. Most of the songs were too long and repetitive to listen to on their own without becoming boring or overdone. Not the worst thing, but I didn’t care for this for the most part.
3 Stars (8/15)
Based off the title this is not what I thought I’d be listening to
hey what if we make a daft punk album but even shittier
Tricky - Maxinquaye I’m quite into trip hop but around half way through this album, I felt like it had fallen into the common trip hop trap of getting just a little repetitive and tiring. It’s alright but I can’t say I think people should hear it before they die!
I kind of half-heartedly tried to get into this album a few times in the past, but it never stuck beyond a few choice tracks. I was looking forward to the opportunity to re-appraise it through this project, and give it a proper run-out and fair go... and the results are good! One of the issues before might have been that it starts off quite slow and isn't immediately accessible. It feels murky, dark, off-beat and dangerous. But then it opens up a bit and you find yourself tuned into the energy of the album a bit more. What I really like about this album is that it doesn't really feel like anything else. It's its own beast. You're not quite sure what you're going to get from one track to the next, but at the least you know it's going to be interesting. There's good use of keys, synths, guitars, percussion, and it varies between slow and deliberate, and more upbeat. Overall I really like the production. I found that the longer it went on, the more I got into it. The samples are really interesting. You can tell that he's taken inspiration from lots of different areas across quite a broad spectrum. Big shout out to him sampling the Pumpkins and their track 'Suffer'. Some real standout tracks here. Black Steel, Hell is Round The Corner, Suffocated Love.. I like this, and I think I'll be revisiting it a reasonable amount. The whole thing is just such a mood. 4.5 rounded up.
Great listen. Very massive attack feeling but yet sometimes not. Talented artist.
More hip hop.
I am trying hard to have an open mind. But, damn this give me the sads.
Definitely an album that belongs on this list. There were quite a few songs I was into even if I didn’t love the singer’s voice.
I surprising liked this album in moments, Initially, I judged a book by its cover and thought it wouldn’t be my thing, but it was good. There is good variation in the album with a very unique sound throughout with a sense of familiarity like I had heard it before with tracks like Pumpkin and Hell is round the corner. Favourite song: Overcome and Black Steel Least favourite: Abbaon fat tracks. just horrible lyrics. Album artwork: Not for me.
I was very glad to hear Martina Topley-Bird's vocals so prominently. Quite good album.
Not for me.
Pleasantly surprised.
Kind of cool at first - chill trip-hop, reminiscent of Portishead - but it overstayed its welcome and started to drag. 2-3
Introduced to this album by an older girl in high school. I think it changed my taste in music. It definitely expanded my and refined my pallette. 5/5
Very listenable album
Tricky always seemed to be a supporting actor in the whole trip-hop scene. This is clearly his best album. Very immersive and oppressive atmosphere, great use of samplers and creative beats. I do wonder if using the same Isaac Hayes sample Portishead used the previous year was a coincidence or not. I also really enjoy Martina Topley-Bird's vocal contributions throughout the record, as well as the earliest(?) credit on record of Alison Goldfrapp. Key tracks: Overcome Ponderosa Black Steel Hell Is Round the Corner Pumpkin
Hämärää ja hidastempoista trip hoppia. Vähän tylsähköä, mutta ihan jees kummiskin. Parhaat: Overcome, Strugglin', Aftermath
Not bad, I'd give it a 3.5 but not sure I can bump it up to a 4.
I thought this might be the moment I got into Tricky. I liked a couple tracks before, but it never really clicked... and, well, it still didn't. It just doesn't have the same atmosphere that my favourite artists of this genre do. There's something too sly about that doesn't hit the same dark warmth of something like Portishead or DJ Shadow.
Smooth beats and a calming way of getting the message across. I like it.
Spooky good top half
I don't care for this sort of music much, but it was the least obnoxious hip-hop adjacent thing I've listened to (apart from linkin park, if that counts) this seemed to contain at least a bit of musicality. I didn't turn it off, and that's a win. First half of black steel was quite nice, but the limited amount of lyrics overstayed their welcome. Rest of the album was forgettable and vulgar.
I get it, but I also don't. Trip hop is such an interesting genre conceptually but It's very hard for me to get really into it past enjoying a couple songs here and there. The first half really had me vibing (though I have no clue what Black Steel is doing on this record), but the second half had me "Strugglin'" (which was my least favorite song on the album by a mile). Favorites were Hell is Round The Corner, Aftermath, and Brand New You're Retro
I appreciate this project for making me listen to so much trip-hop that I probably would not have listened to on my own. This one is very interesting. It creates a darker vibe when compared to the likes of Blue Lines. Some of these songs aren’t winners, but I liked listening. His rapping style combined with the vocals create an interesting dynamic. Favorites were Black Steel, Aftermath, and Brand New You’re Retro.
came in with relatively low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.
Album 627 of 1001 Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995) Rating : 2.25 / 5 Mostly more of the electronica I don't really care for but several tunes did have some melody to them and weren't too bad. One of the higher rated albums in the genre, for my taste.
Wow, this one went from slightly interesting to bland to properly annoying really quickly.
A few tracks on here I liked, the rest was okay.
Didn't like, didn't hate.
I don’t understand why Apple is restricting songs, but what I can hear is really good so far. I really like this record. I love the sounds and the production.
Some British trip hop from the early 90s. Not too many things I could be less interested in. This is fine, probably a "you had to be there" type thing. But man it feels pretty inessential.
this give me early 2000's skate game i think? nice semi ambient sounds to it but didnt really tickle me at any point...
Solid, not as good as the better Massive Attack albums though.
The first track was kind of spooky and there were some tracks that were intriguing. Didn't catch my fancy and can't say I connected with it.
Think I want less vocals.
This album is maybe the best example of one of those links between electronic, hip hop, and even rock music of the 90's. You can hear the influence that Massive Attack had on Tricky (obviously from being part of them) the most, but quite a few of the beats are pulled straight out of the UK's dub and hip hop scene of the time. His own rapping/singing is much more of a UK style than American one. Martina Topley-Bird's voice is a great foil and she's much more prevalent in this album than I remember. All of this combined makes for a really excellent and unique album that pushes further through genres than Massive Attack and other pioneers of the trip-hop sound really ever did. "Overcome" and "Aftermath" are the standouts for me. The first being a remix of "Karmacoma" kinda leads the way for how the album is going to sound and "Aftermath" is just an excellent slow burn trip-hop classic. The latter half of the album gets a bit sluggy, with some misses (Brand New You're Retro, You Don't) but overall it's still pretty great. I've been listening to this for decades and it holds up really well.
Will listen today
What the hell was this It started off alright - not my type of thing but the beats were decent and it was pleasant enough. Then after a few songs, the lyrics started getting weirder and weirder. And by the end of the album there were random bird noises and odd things Abbaon Fat Tracks was the song where I really thought wtf am I listening to here. "I fuck you in the ass, just for a laugh" ??? 2 ⭐️
A good album overall. Dark, cool, sensual. Interesting samples. Elements of electronic, rap, dub. Martina Topley-Bird, who sings on most tracks, has this kind of vulnerability in her voice that brings an element of danger. And there's a Public Enemy cover on here, which is just fascinating. I can recognize this as a good album, and it has a good vibe, but I do find that it's a bit too long. And while it there are elements here that are fresh, even for 2025, it probably was more so in 1995, and it's something I would probably only put on for background music. In short, solid, but I didn't gel with it as much as I thought I would. Fav tracks: Overcome, Ponderosa, Suffocated Love
I was excited when this came up but i wasnt after 2 runs through. Trip Hop was abd is great and i think Massive Attack and Portishead have aged beautifully, but this seemed all vibe and little substance. The dark and brooding beats are ok and the singing is good but it lacked substance. I swear he had s big hit single to hand the rest of the album off but couldnt find it.
Sonorous and cool
gloomy beats
Tricky - Maxinquaye I tried to enjoy listening to this album, but it's just that the sounds around are full of everywhere and there's a lack of direction on it. There are so many genres packed into one album, but it just ends up feeling dull and sometimes boring and repetitive. I get that Tricky tried to do something creative, and while I can't deny that this is good music, at the end it feels empty as most of these songs really don't have that much substance other than the lyrics which (for a lack of a better term) doesn't really go hand in hand with the instrumentals. Honestly, Martina (the female vocalist) kind of saved this album from sounding numb. Like I said before, I get the appeal but this sound isn't for me, this is good though. 1.- Overcome = 8/10 2.- Ponderosa = 8/10 3.- Black Steel = 7/10 4.- Hell Is Around the Corner = 7/10 5.- Pumpkin = 8/10 6.- Aftermath = 8/10 7.- Abbaon Fat Track = 7/10 8.- Brand New You're Retro = 6/10 9.- Suffocated Love = 8/10 10.- You Don't = 8/10 11.- Strugglin' = 6/10 12.- Feed Me = 7/10 FINAL SCORE: 7.3/10
It's a vibe! I only gave it three, mainly because it didn't have anything I'd want to hurry back to.
This album feels like both high and low rank at the same time. Kinda reminds me of Bowie's Low in that way. The first half of Maxinquaye is 5 stars, easy. It's great from so many angles. But by the time Struggling comes around it's just running on empty. The play count on Spotify backs me up here. But the net is very positive for me. I can't get myself to give 5 stars, but it's juuuust shy. In other news, this having only an 'electronica' genre tag is really strange and dumb.
This weird, spooky record was a constant for a good few months of my late teens, long enough for every sound to become lodger. Yet I don’t think I’ve listened to it more than a handful of times since its year of release, and I doubt I’ve heard it in the last two decades. It’s a really lowkey-unsettling record. I remember Tricky being a huge deal when this came out and promptly disappearing into a niche. Unlike his Bristol contemporaries, he barely nods to the comforts of pop or soul; he positioned his music as more akin to the Wu Tang Clan than to Massive Attack, and while this contains most of the markers of trip hop, it’s a continent away from the lounge muzak that term came to signify. Aggressive samples also call back to Public Enemy (the cover of “Black Steel” is outstanding) - it is not music to relax to. This deeply, unnervingly sexual record is named after his dead mother. Tricky complained loudly that Portishead’s “Dummy” was a straight extrapolation of “Aftermath”, which has some truth while a disservice to both: Tricky’s piece is more grotesque, less elegant; Portishead’s record is more ethereal, less bleak. There’s a gallows humour clear in the samples and circularity of “Aftermath”, it’s like watching your world fall apart from your armchair, glass in hand. I’d forgotten that trip hop once held promise, was not always synonymous with expensive hotel bar mating music, that there was an avenue exploring a doomier, slower, sludgier version of hip hop. This is a landmark that gives me funny feelings that I don’t care to spend much time with, like a film you watch only once that remains a reference for the rest of your life. Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird have had a hard last decade; I hope they have a much better one to follow.
Totally non-plussed by the hysterical plaudits afforded to this at the time. Sounds like a half-arsed mishmash of key elements already used by Massive Attack and Portishead, with some incongruous Public Enemy to make it sound "hard". Another favorite of student posers angling for street cred by proxy, like the (worse) Finley Quaye. Also responsible for the growth of modern "British hip-hop", perhaps the worst genre in music. Meh for the album and boo for its legacy
Albumi #124, 04.12.2024 Trickyn debyyttialbumi julkaistiin vuonna 1995. Takuuvarmaa alkuaikojen trip hopia.
Didn't do it for me, good in places but I got bored
It’s fine. Nothing really stood out to me, but it’s fine.
Nice
At first it sounded like one of the spice girls got drunk and wanted to venture off on her own and find herself as an artist. After that it wasn't too bad but there wasn't anything earth-shattering that told me to ever listen to it again. Another British breakthrough album that us Yankees just don't understand.
Is this supposed to be edgy? It’s a little dark but mostly dreadful. Baby talk isn’t sexy, neither is this embarrassing album.
One of my favorites
This was a surprise. A lot darker, and a lot slower than I expected, but very listenable.
Wasn’t into it. Some tracks I started to enjoy but just wasn’t feeling the energy.
Þetta var allt í lagi plata með þessum fyrrverandi Íslandskærasta en Hell is Round the Corner böggaði mig næstum allt albúmið og svo áttaði ég mig á að þetta var stef úr Glory Box með Portishead sem var einmitt á plötu á þessum lista. Það stef var svo úr Isaac Hayes lagi. Mér skilst að þarna hafi einhverjir orðið fúlir út í aðra. Óháð því. Fín plata sem ég mun samt líklegast ekki hlusta á aftur
It was pretty good.
Not for me
Perfect heist music
Oh fuck I know hell is round the corner it’s a good song! I felt it was an album that revolved around it hit though unfortunately the rest was very samey. 3/5
Trip hop not my thing.
This reminds me a lot of Portishead, and theoretically that would be a good thing because I love Portishead. However, this just feels like a really cheap copy of them and this album is far too long and repetitive.
eh
High 2. Decent productivity music.
Just not good at all. “I’ll fuck you in the ass just to get a laugh” what a line😂
3/5
I found this album to be mostly fine. The exception which immediately caught was Hell Is Around The Corner, with that slow captivating bass line immediately drawing me in. This album probably comes under the umbrella of trip-hop, but (aside from the aforementioned track) didn’t engross me as much as some others in this genre. It was certainly interesting throughout, and I especially enjoyed the female vocals. Overall though, I feel like a middle of the road kind of rating is fair here.
Me gustan un poco las canciones donde cana la mujer. Me dejó de gustar del todo cuando el disco se puso hiphopero. No me gustó la voz del cantante.
Да ну нафиг этот ваш трип-хоп.
favourite song - pumpkin favourite lyric - i think ahead of you, i think instead of you / will you spend your life with me / and stifle me? / i know why the caged bird sings, i know why cover - 3/10 album overall - 1/5, not a fan
Black Steel // 1.5/5
good vibe
This was good trip-hop. I’m not in a critical position to compare them to the Portishead and Massive Attack I was listening to around this time, but I enjoyed the album.
own
Good. Reminded me of Massive Attack and Portishead
It started ok then got annoying by the end.
Some great grooves & Tricky is a legend from an amazing city but I really struggled with this in parts. Sometimes the songs are not as good as the individual parts if that makes sense. Best track/s: Black Steel, Aftermath 5 / 10
Not great, not awful
Didn’t quite enjoy this
Of the classic trip-hop albums, I like this one best. It's a high 3, and since it's best of its genre, I'll round up to 4 stars. Trip-hop tends to lean heavily on minor-key melodies, unresolved loops, and scratchy, warped sounds, giving the whole genre a slightly eerie quality I don't care for. That's downplayed here, partly because the record has more tonal range track to track. Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird trade off lead vocals, and there's real variety: the mellow sound of a song like Aftermath sits right next to the outright aggression of Black Steel, Tricky's cover of the Public Enemy track. That range keeps the record from settling into one mood the way a lot of trip-hop albums do, a mood I don't love anyway: laid back yet eerie, so not really laid back at all.
Overcome 2.1 Ponderosa 2.2 Black Steel 2.2 Hell Is Round the Corner 2 Pumpkin 2 Aftermath 2.2 Abbaon Fat Tracks 2.4 Brand New You're Retro 2 Suffocated Love 2.1 You Don't 2 Strugglin' 1.8 Feed Me 2 Score: 2.083333333
No
October 23, 2024 HL: "Overcome", "Black Steel", "Suffocated Love", "Feed Me" Take #2 of listening to this, as yesterday my coffee wore off & I started to doze off towards the end of "Aftermath". I generally don't fall asleep to music, so I wouldn't take that as a sign I was bored- I certainly am not today. Perhaps the delirious, slow-moving nature of Maxinquaye is best suited to just before bed, as Apple Music suggests. (It's between one and 2pm now tho :0) The quietness of the vocals, often overpowered by the eclectic samples, forces me to be engaged with it more than some of the other downtempo albums I've experienced through this list. "Karmacoma", one of my highlights from Protection (1994), gets a fresh coat of paint right at the beginning with vocalist Topley-Bird, and I honestly prefer it here.
Silky smooth trip-hop. Overcome and Black Steel have always been popping up on my playlists for years but it's been a while since i went through the whole album. It's definitely a little front-loaded, but for an hour long album it doesn't really drag much at all. The vocals all over it are fantastic, and you gotta love those bassy beats.
I had a lot of trouble getting through this one. I'm not sure if it's really a 1, but boy did I struggle so here we go.
hm, interesting. this is certainly a unique album. it's refreshing to get something that's such a departure from the glut of brit pop/rock. i really liked the clean female vocals here and some of the more approachable songs. but i think it was ultimately just a little bit Out There for me. i was really strugglin' to get through strugglin' in particular. still, i think this is an interesting and worthy addition to the list and i'm glad i listened to it.
weird album but kinda neat. didn't know what to expect from this and it's kind of a dark and brooding 90s semi-industrial sort of romp. not my favorite but it's fine. favorites: overcome, black steel
Love the genre, but this album not really too impressive for me. Lacklustre
first half of this slaps. sadly tails off a bit in the second half
I enjoyed this!
It's great!!
This was a weird album but not unpleasant, just really outside of my musical preferences. Rap, R&B, techno and not typically what i pull towards, so I wouldn't listen again. That's not to say its bad, its actually works well together and is cohesive. The signers voice is beautiful and evokes deep emotion. The beats and music go very well with the vocals complementing it almost perfectly. There is a lot of depth here and as I listen I can imagine the person that loves this. I respect it for pushing the boundaries of music and making something that is beautiful and unique.
I like the super chill vibes of this, feels a lot like Portishead, and they even share one of the same samples. That being said, I don't have the same memories/nostalgia attached to this as I do to Portishead, and I did get a little bored with the pace of things. My favorites were the two faster songs, Black Street and Brand New You're Retro, because the tempo was more interesting to me. Suffocated Love was pretty good too, and overall I enjoyed the sexy coolness of the whole thing.
gott
Starts very strong but doesn’t end as interesting as I’d hope. The beats are at the same time sparse but layered with a lot of really cool ideas. 6/10
Never heard of this so let’s see 1. Overcome. Cool, creepy. Eerie. I digs. Sounds like a video game score 2. Ponderosa. Equally eerie. I digs but I can see myself getting tired of the vocals on this record 4. Hell Is Round The Corner. Did Alessia Cara sample this? Update: they both sampled another song from 1971. Cool find 6. Aftermath. Yeah, this album is basically the same vibe all the way through. Good songs, but the same thing all the way through. 9. Suffocated Love. This one’s different. But yeah, I’ve grown tired of the vocals (female vocals mainly) 10. You Don’t. I’m glad we’re getting some variety now in terms of sound 12. Feed Me. Might be my favorite All in all, quite Silent Hill-y. Would put it on as background music when playing a horror game but that’s probably it.
I really liked the beats and tracks but Tricky's vocals/rapping was weak. His lyrics were odd and were delivered in a sort of bored mumble. Would have been much better as an instrumental album.
Didn’t bother finishing the album
Good but no Massive Attack
Not sure how this is as boring as it is but here we are
fine but forgettable. Got better after the first song or two.
Not usually my sort of thing. Has its high points though, especially the cover of Black Steel
I know I've listened to this one before, but it has been a very long time. This gets lumped in alongside Massive Attack and Portishead as seminole entries in the trip-hop genre. Love the laid back, unrushed atmosphere on Overcome. Slow, shuffling drum beat with some sort of wind melody and some aural synths underpinning it all. Hell Is Round The Corner is a familiar jam born from the same sample that Lupe Fiasco applied to Daydream. Where Lupe's is upbeat and bright, this is drugged out and relaxed. This is an enjoyable listen. Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are pleasant and pair well with Tricky's atmospheric, trip-hop beats with shuffling drum beats, heaps of dust, and layered effects. Not something I would put on often, but I can see why its here. 4 / 5.
Ehhhhhhhh 2.5 stars
This started out like a whiny boring album, but Brand New Your Retro was a good change of pace. Then we went back to boring and whiny. Not for me.
Pretty cool lo-fi beats with Tricky and Martina bouncing lyrics off each other the whole album. Kind of weird at points but overall a cool album. I saw a tweet this morning that impersonated British rappers that made me laugh that said: She suck on my willy it's quite delightful if I catch you in West Gloucestershire you'll catch the rifle
This is getting me hyped for some Portishead that we should be getting eventually (hopefully). Right after I typed that Hell is Round the Corner used the same sample as Glory Box. Would've thought this was a remix of the song if I didn't know. Really loving this halfway through. Also have Goldfrapp on one of the songs who we listened to earlier. This was such an interesting album love the trip hop sounds.
A very dark, almost cursed feeling album.
A mix of Portishead, Bjork, and DJ Frane. This record is pretty decent and has some good quality beats. The vocals are nice, soothing and dreamy. Very reminiscent of the artists mentioned earlier, but it does have its own distinct sound, in a way. Solid.
It didn't blow me away but I didn't expect this sound from '95 and it makes sense to be on the list. Interesting content but not that exciting overall.
This was a bit tricky. There was quite a bit that I liked about this sonically. The vibe, the kind of spooky nature at times. It felt a little sloppy, with a bit more polish could be better. At the end nothing stayed with me.
Tricky is a great example of what made ‘90s electronic music so special and unique. Since the genre was still developing and finding itself, every artist had their own distinctive style, even within the same sub-genre. For example, it’s impossible to mix up Tricky with Massive Attack, because they each had their own sound. Back then, producers didn’t confine themselves to certain boundaries or borders of music depending on the style they were making. Anything and everything went.
1 just nothing to it. Please no more soulless electronica
I found a deluxe version of this album that was 2x longer, and noped back to the regular version. I like electronic, but this is like shitty Bjork, and I don't even like Bjork. Songs that are weirdly moany and sexual are a huge turn-off. 1*
This was a pleasant surprise - I quite liked the first couple of tracks, especially "Overcome", but less so the later tracks where the tempo picks up. Possibly trip hop is more to my taste than regular hip hop. Voted 2 but more a 2.5.
loved a few tracks: overcome and hell is round the corner
Great trip-hop record!! I love this genre, and I love the fact that Tricky did his own thing, he didn't copy entitely the Massive Attack formula. Amazing!
Wikipedia quoted someone suggesting that this album is the equivalent of the Sistine Chapel of electronica, and if so, let's put this genre to bed. While there is a nice vide going on, very little stands out as unique. If you left this album on repeat, you would quickly lose track of where you are. Bland.
Fun album with songs ranging from electronic covers of popular songs to make-out tracks. Favorite track: Black Steel other picks: hell os round the corner, aftermath, overcome, brand new
At times it grips me and I get it and at other points it loses me, over all not a hip-hop album that I favor.
sounds like 2002 in 1994. Mr. Zorg in Fifth Element. Bristol. femal vocals sound like björk at times then worked with her two years later.
I’d never heard of this album, and I still can’t tell if I want to return to it or not. I could instantly hear the Massive Attack connection. There was a lot of genre mixing going on, a lot of languid chillbeats, a lot of unexpected flute. In general, it was a bit boring. The most memorable was perhaps the danceable track “Brand New You’re Retro.” Most of the songs went on for far too long, but it was certainly an interesting listening experience, and not something I would have picked up on my own.
Pretty massive in 1995. An album from the Karmacoma guy, yeah ok, thought little me. I really liked Black Steel. Had no idea about the Public Enemy connection but enjoyed the guitars. Ponderosa decent too. I do not remember him using the same Isaac Hayes sample Portishead used. Unfortunately for Tricky I can only hear Glory Box throughout. Pumpkin is pretty ace with a sickly sweet uncertain vibe. Aftermath, oh yeah, this song was huge! It's going on the late night playlist for sure. Abbaon Fat Tracks - what the fuck are these lyrics haha, I can't believe my teenage friends didn't bring this to my attention, much childish humour could have been had. I liked it ok when it came out, never stuck with me like Massive Attack or Portishead did, and I feel the same now. Album goes on two tracks two long for sure.
Dark, dreamy
Hell is around the corner
Not for me
What can I say, I like trip hop
Weird
It wasn't the worst record I've ever heard; just not for me. 2.5 stars
I liked this! This was a wider range than traditional trip hop, but still had some of the sounds I was anticipating. It was an interesting and dynamic listen
atmosphärischer start - wow! danach eher schwächer, aber alles in allem gefällt mir das album gut.
Hatte sehr Mühe nur schon einen Track zu hören.
A long-time favorite. Very interesting sound, one of the standout albums of the 90s Bristol "trip-hop" era. Very creative but fits well together, with great vocals by Martina Topley-Bird. And the Public Enemy cover is a banger.
Nice beat
Great background music for focus purposes. 3/4
Fine, I guess, but I didn't really care for it.
gave it 3 songs but not my kind of music don't really think the music and the singing match together well
I could've lived my life happy without listening to this. So no, not something I need to hear.
I have a little bit of mixed feelings about this. The album starts off awesome. Overcome is one of my favorites on the whole album, but then it kind of falls off right after. There's a few other good songs, but, as new and experimental albums tend to go, there's also some duds. All-in-all, the album is pretty fine. There's some really good songs, and the style and artistic decisions definitely paved the way for a couple of albums that have already come up on this list. I'm not wholly impressed though. Favorite Song(s): Overcome, Hell is Round the Corner
The first track actually was a decent song. However it went downhill very quickly after that, becoming irritating after about the third track.
This is four and a half because I think one track is a miss, but I cannot bring it down to four.
You can actually tell the point at which Tricky gets bored - about 2 minutes into Brand New You're Retro. Yes, this is a joke. Album not recorded in sequence, at least as far as I know. But true that its incendiary opening piddles away into nowt a fair bit before the end. (As covers go, Black Steel is up there with the best.)
cool stuff - 4 stars
I love the beats and music, but the vocals/rapping kind of turn me off to it
Favorite Track: Black Steel
The opposite of William Orbit. It's dark and anarchic and frequently beautiful - he never achieved it again... But once is enough when it's this damn good.
Tricky is a great example of what made ‘90s electronic music so special and unique. Since the genre was still developing and finding itself, every artist had their own distinctive style, even within the same sub-genre. For example, it’s impossible to mix up Tricky with Massive Attack, because they each had their own sound. Back then, producers didn’t confine themselves to certain boundaries or borders of music depending on the style they were making. Anything and everything went.
Trip hop is cool but this was too repetitive for me
First time listening to Tricky. I enjoy trip hop as a genre in general. The woman singing is the highlight for me. Pretty mellow with a good beat.
Meh. Not the right kind of weird for my tastes. 2.0
Bonus star for the memories. I didn't care for this nearly as much as I did as a young pup. That is mainly because of the lyrics. Musically it a straight up masterclass of trip-hop.
Tricky isn't exactly my bag of tea, but this record is undeniably unique
Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.
Thought this was alright.
I somewhat enjoy this record but it really feels like it was a time and place type thing.
very trippy but its super chill definitely gonna be in my rotation
This album caught me off guard in the best way. The mix of trip-hop, soul, and dub creates a sound that’s dark and hypnotic but still catchy. Tricky’s production is creative without feeling overdone, and Martina Topley-Bird’s vocals add just the right touch of smoothness and edge. There’s a lot of atmosphere here, but the beats and melodies keep it grounded. Every track has its own mood, yet the whole album feels connected. It’s unique without trying too hard, and it still holds up after all these years. Definitely worth a listen if you want something a little different.
The production is the highlight on this album, and Martina Topley-Bird’s vocals are fantastic as well. Unfortunately Tricky’s vocals are so weak and unimpressive by comparison and he sounds so unconvincing, especially with some of the raunchier lyrics. There is some really chill and atmospheric trip-hop as well as more upbeat tracks like the techno-laced Public Enemy cover Black Steel, but the album does run out of ideas a bit towards the end
Tricky’s production on this album brings to mind Enter the Wu-Tang and DJ Shadow, dense and dark urban soundscapes. Martina Topley-Bird’s singing adds to the sense of unease, but also brings in the occasional softness to keep this a multi dimensional album. The cover of Public Enemy’s Black Steel also reminds me of Bring the Pain for some reason (or maybe Mindless Self Indulgence’s cover of that track). The found sounds in Tricky’s production and his spoken word that weaves in and out both create this eeriness throughout, like I’m walking through a dark subway tunnel. Favorites include: Black Steel, Aftermath, Suffocated Love, and Feed Me. This is also one of the rare albums where the second half is actually better than the first half. I feel myself coming back to this a lot as the weather turns colder and the days get shorter.
I loved the first song. There were a few decent in between as well.
Enjoyable trip-hop
Weird
A rare well-done 90's electronic chill-hop, charisma dripping, electronic safari. There are moments of excitement, but most of the album captivates with its' lack of energy. Great use of sampling and a model for a lot of EDM down the line.
Trip-hop suavecín, casi ambiental. Venga, un 4.
Trip hop,experimental,electronic,R&B,post-rock,British hip hop. Tiene una colaboración con Portishead.
Such a creative take on hip hop when it arrived, it’s lost little of its originality. A true gem
Quando descobri que Tricky é um do integrantes do Massive Attack fiquei bem animado, acho que o Blues lines foi um dos primeiros álbuns que dei 5 estrelas por aqui. Porém quando comecei a ouvir, achei devagar e repetitivo, além de ter um vocal bastante irritante às vezes. Ele tenta criar uma atmosfera sombria (e talvez meio sexual?) mas não chega lá. Tive que parar no meio pra terminar de ouvir depois. Quando voltei para terminar no dia seguinte achei um pouco melhor. Algumas ideias interessantes de samples e instrumentais, e a voz da cantora é muito bonita (mesmo ficando irritante pelo jeito de cantar). No geral achei cansativo e não voltaria à ouvir, com exceção de 2 ou 3 músicas.
30 second review: It's moody. Liked songs added: - Black Steel
2/5 dig some of the soundscapes, but ultimately not really might taste.
2/3
2/5
Played it at my desk working. Very chill. Barely noticed it was on....or when it was over. Better than Mariah tho!
Tick rock, it’s trip hop o’clock. Sounds like Don Cheadle in the Oceans films.
Good album. Definitely stays in the same tone the whole time. Easy to listen to, but not very dynamic in the end. 3/5 Might listen again