Reviews (page 6 of 8)
To me, it was pedestrian, uninteresting and nothing special. The redeeming factor was vocalist, Martina Topley-Bird who I thought elevated the listening experience and made it...a bit better. The music, beats and lyrics were okay, so I definitely didn't dislike the album, but I didn't particularly like it either...so it's kind of a tricky dilemma.
Super cool and impressive, not 100% my thing
Tbh skipped thru some of these songs. It’s cool but it’s not rly for me at the moment. I think this one is on the list cuz of a few hits, and I liked those, but otherwise much filler to be had.
Didn’t really do much for me, I guess it’s alright?
3.5
I really enjoyed it.
First time listening to the album. Loved the sound and Topley-Bird's voice. Solid album if a little longwinded in places.
Kelpo albumi, ei siinä sen kummempia.
The most mellow trip hop electronics I’ve heard to date and I like the sound. Good move by Tticky using a female vocalist, she makes the album! Great debut effort (3.4*s)
Tricky is better as part of Massive Attack and unfortunately the same goes for Topley-Bird. That makes this debut album just ok. I'm a big fan of Trip Hop and this just wasn't as memorable as the greats. The things that do stand out are not all positive. The song "Hell is Round the Corner" is a straight ripoff of Portishead's "Glory Box" which is far superior. I hated "Abbaon Fat Tracks" for the overly sexualized (and way too direct) lyrics, please be more TRICKY with that one boy. "Black Steel" was a bit better for its exploration of rock guitar over driven beats but it skips all over the place after that. I did not like the MJ samples and 90's noise on "Brand New You're Retro" and "Strugglin'" was just that, a struggle to listen to. Overall this falls short and just feels too grimy for me.
With Massive Attack's Blue Lines already on the list...is this one really a must? I did like it better but sounds very much the same. Some more slow trip-hop beats with a woman on vocals. A bit more sinister though with guns cocking and Tricky sounding all grimey like. Def some good background chill music for a hookah lounge or opium den...2.5.
A couple of OK tracks. Pretty groovy at times. I tended to prefer the songs with mixed vocals as opposed to the solo Martina tracks. I enjoyed a couple songs but overall relatively "meh". 2.31 stars
Mmm. No
This is another album where I'm unsure if my ambivalence towards it comes from the quality or it being outside of my wheelhouse. The beats are lush and enjoyable, but some of this leaves me feeling a little sleepy. "Abbaon Fat Tracks" snapped me out of it a bit; hearing "I fuck you in the ass" does that to a person. I will admit that "I ride the premenstrual cycle" is kind of funny. Then again, isn't this album named after his mom? I suppose I'm glad I've heard another 90s album I wouldn't have touched otherwise, and there is something wholly unique about 'Maxinquaye'. I do want to share quote from Tricky that I love: "Some artists use [unusual time signatures] to try and make their music weird. My music is weird because I don't know what I'm doing." Cheers. Highlights: Black Steel, Hell Is Round The Corner, Brand New You're Retro, Strugglin'
"Overcome" was really cool. "Ponderosa" was good. "Black Steel" is unexpected and sort of cheesy, kind of sounds like mid-2000's 3D Sonic the Hedgehog music, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Hell Is Round The Corner" samples Portishead and that feels weird to me. Maybe it's because both the sample and Tricky's song with the sample were released very close to each other and are both generally categorized as important trip hop albums. It's not like there are rules to sampling, but sampling trip hop in trip hop feels counter-intuitive. (I don't know, maybe) I'm crazy and nitpicking. "Pumpkin" and "Aftermath" – smoky bar music, nice atmosphere. So far the instrumentation lies on a little bed of cracks and crisps, which I really enjoy, Maxinquaye isn't lo-fi, but the artefacts, the cloudy texture adds great character to Maxinquaye. From "Abbaon Fat Tracks" to "You Don't" the record is nice trip hop music, but nothing to write home about. I find "Strugglin'" to be another noteworthy peak on the album. In my opinion there were a few songs too many in the second half of the album and could've have been cut from the whole. It's an okay record, but overall emotions are something between neutral and bored. 2/5.
1. banger, 2. bra, 3. meh/bra, 4. bra, 5. bra/banger, 6. banger, 7. meh, 8. dårlig, 9. dårlig, 10. bra, 11. meh, 12. bra Overall: 8/10
Surprisingly enjoyable
quite liked this lowkey slow trip-hop album.
Vocals remind me of Billie Eilish
That's not my taste in Musik.
Black Steel, Pumpkin, Brand New You’re Retro were favorites. Echoey, layered, mystical tracts with a clear, pleasing singing voice and Tricky’s spoken lyrics often trailing in the background. Brand new exposure, which is always appreciated. Variety/Spice and all of that.
Loved it more than I remember
Starts strong, but it's not enough for a full album. Samples sound random and unconnected. Favorite song: overcome.
A very specific vibe which, for me, does have a place. I love Martine Topley-Bird. I'm not as in love with much of the lyrical content. But it sure sounds great if you are in the right mood.
En verdad la primera canción me atrajo mucho a lo que estaba apunto de escuchar, pero lo encontré sufriendo el síndrome de misma canción looped pero a lil different. Very low 3.
Los disfrute buco, el tono de la guitarra me tenía sumamemente imnotizado. I love rock sm, 7/10.
I thought this was interesting, and had a particularly great selection of samples for some of the tracks.
Eher etwas für die Chillout-Longe. So nichts für mich.
Cool, more British triphop. Rounding up because it was marginally more interesting then the last couple.
Feels like a debut album - a collection of songs that don't meld together, each one it's own experiment, some working, some not. That's how great artists are made, but also how albums can feel rough and dated and fail to hold up to their peers. I think I'd always pick Portishead out Massive Attack over this. I should try out his other albums.
Not bad. Nice sound.
Posluša sam ovaj album stotine puta
Might need a couple more listens, seemed underwhelming
tricky fr a goat del triphop
dressing up in stussy
Pretty relaxing trip-hop vibes, but also a bit too generic sounding
It was okay
occasional bjork vibes
Okay this kind of blew my mind. Loved everything about this.
Liked parts, meh on others.
Super interesting and unique sounds. Come back to this one again for sure.
First time listen. Not bad, interesting.
J’ai plus aimé cet album que je m’y attendais, par son rythme plus lent, ses échantillons originaux et la voix de la chanteuse – malheureusement celle de Tricky lui-même me laissait de glace. Je réécouterais certainement
Forgettable. Better than what the description made it seem.
I'm a big fan of Portishead and Massive Attack when it comes to Trip-Hop, but I've never been able to get into this album. I find it meandering and uninteresting, even for background music. I don't find the music offensive to the ears or anything, but I do believe this album is overrated. 2/5.
I'm familiar with Tricky from my general interest in other so caller "trip hop" acts like Portishead and Massive Attack, but I've never listened a full album from him. I really liked this, some really slow sexy grooves like opener "Overcome" and energetic rockers like "Black Steel". I'll admit it is perhaps a bit too sexy for an album named after the artist's mother!
It’s a vibe, maybe just not my vibe. But pretty good
Not necessarily my thing but I respect it. Gives off a cool vibe and the vocals are great, if perhaps a tad too low in the mix.
What a cool sound. Kinda like edgy hip-hop meets acid beats/house music or something? I like it, and it all sounded really good and well-composed and -recorded. I'd never even heard of Tricky before, but I recognized him from The Fifth Element. Not really my genre, but I definitely appreciate it for what it is. Three stars.
Murky beats with rather anonymous female singing. As a longtime enjoyer of hip hop beats I can dig this. But it lacks the moodiness and beauty of better trip hop releases.
Woah, second day in a row for Bristolian trip hop royalty. This should probably be a 4 but its bleak, claustrophobic sprawl is actually not the easiest listen so, regretfully, it's getting a 3 today.
couldnt listen. not my kind of music. Interesting composition and the texts are ok, but simply no
Chill music, but lacks some edge to hook me to listen this again
Trip Hop staple. Not one that has been part of my steady rotation.
Massive Attack did it better. The highlight tracks are when the music leans toward MA's style.
Some music and words mixed with annoying random sounds
Different. Not your typical rap album. Good vocals.
Donkey Kong Country cave level music if it was evil and twisted. Goes on for about seven millennia too long, but it was pretty good background noise I suppose. Not on the same level as Mezzanine.
Another never heard of album / band. The Apple Music version seems to be missing a few tracks, no complaints here. Still, for a genre I’m not a fan of, this wasn’t a bad once in a lifetime listen.
I dug this. Sweet music and the vocal tones were spot on. I would check this out again
I've been trying to figure out my thoughts on this one for the better part of a day. Ultimately, I think I'm more interested in Martina Topley-Bird than Tricky. It's interesting to me that Apple Music describes this as "a make-out must, but it's the pervading sense of danger that makes is so sensually sinister." I'm not really looking for romantic entanglements that can be described with "danger" or "sinister" so maybe that's my holdup. Black Steel was my favorite track which makes sense since it's a Public Enemy cover. Actively disliked Strugglin', Suffocated Love, and Abbaon Fat Track. Basically, the ones that felt most violent.
I find ‘Maxinquaye’ to be a mixed bag. It’s layered, grimy and dense and probably not immediately accessible. You sort of surrender yourself to it and let it do its thing. Martine Topley-Bird is the album’s secret weapon, the Yin to Tricky’s Yang. ‘Ponderosa’, ‘Aftermath’, ‘Suffocated Love’, and ‘Feed Me’ are the key cuts here, and that’s when ‘Maxinquaye’ feels like it’s firing on all cylinders. I would like ‘Hell Around The Corner’ more if Tricky hadn’t used the same sample that Portishead did so soon after they used it on ‘Glory Box’. Elsewhere ‘Strugglin’, is just that, hazy and uneasy, a struggle to listen to, and finally, the Michael Jackson sample on ‘Brand New You’re Retro’ is just a bit too obvious for me. Still, regardless of my criticisms, ‘Maxinquaye’ is a must listen, and at its best it’s amazing, but from an overall perspective, for me, it just falls frustratingly short of greatness.
A lovely bit of TripHop on a sunny Sunday morning
Trip Hop, but not quite... Not quite Massive Attack, not quite Portishead, Not quite Sneaker Pimps, somewhere in between but not quite.
One of my favourite albums (although Nearly God is better). Played it a million times and it's never dull. Deeply raw and personal- the sounds and rhythms are so unique. I love cracking open a beer, dimming the lights and playing this from track one.
Holy shit I just do not care. For one I can barely hear anything anyone is saying on this album. For another it plays more like a sound collage or some kind of techno/dance album at times more than a rap album, which is what Wikipedia calls it. Personally I don’t know what this is and I really don’t care. It is, for the most part, boring as well. I don’t care how good the lyrics are (they actually didn’t seem bad from what I read on Spotify for some songs), but the delivery is too Lofi for its own good. I know Tricky was part of Massive Attack, and I know people fucking LOVE Massive Attack. But I just did not get this at all. Not for me. Top heavy album that fades toward the end. Another instance where I think an album made it on here because of its popularity in the UK, where the author is from, not because it’s an exceptional example of its genre. 2 stars. Boring. Oh and it’s weirdly sexual at times that really made me cringe. Please no more. You’re not as smart and edgy as you think you are. Standout tracks: Overcome, Black Steel, Hell is Round the Corner
Thought I wouldn't enjoy this much, but was pleasantly surprised by a rather abstract but still very enjoyable album. I have a feeling this is an album that I will grow to like even more with repeated listening.
Very good, but doesn't click emotionally with me which is a shame. It's cool, trippy, and chilled out but maybe a bit too horny for my tastes. I'd sooner go for Portishead or Massive Attack, but this is a great example of the 90s British sound that I love so much. 29/04/24
Not fir me
I don’t like electronica or Brit pop. But I liked this a lot!
First song chill and atmospheric. Almost a little industrial.
Interesting for not for me (3)
There are clear signs that part of this stuff was written by Tricky while he was part of Massive Attack. "Overcome" is his version of MA's "Karmacoma". In general, a much slower album than one might expect of this genre. This is a decent debut album and one might see the struggle of Tricky to cut the strings to Massive Attack. I think, that later releases by him were more distinct.
Trip Hop isn't really my thing but I respect it and in turn respect Tricky, he's definitely a character and music is all the better for him being around. This album has it's moments.
This took me ages (weeks) to get through because I kept stopping halfway through the first track. Was so sure this would be a polite 2 stars, but once I got to later tracks I really settled into the groove of it. Not sure I'll ever come back to it, but not bad overall! I can see why it was a hit
...zu den 1000 Alben zu gehören bedarf es einer besseren Auswahl, leider kein Daumen runter Vote möglich
From my understanding, Tricky started as a member of Massive Attack, a group considered one of the pioneers of the trip-hop genre. He left them in the mid-'90s to pursue a solo career alongside vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, with this album being their debut. With that little background out of the way, I can say this album was a trip. Elements of psychedelic rock, R&B, electronica, and hip-hop are blended and weaved into this dark little package. Martina's smooth delivery and Tricky's off-kilter spoken rap balance out each other, only broken up occasionally by appearances from Alison Goldfrapp and Ragga, who also do an excellent job. Aside from the covers of Massive Attack's "Karmacoma" and Public Enemy's "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos", this album lyrically taps into the psychological effects of recreational drugs and sexual paranoia. It's uneasy with purpose. With all that said, I don't expect everyone to enjoy this album. It's a slower and more ambient album than what someone would expect from a rapper. But if you're into that style, it's highly recommended. Update 4/21/2025: 200+ albums later, I went back to Maxinquaye after realizing I didn't really articulate any issues I had with this record outside of the general statement of not expecting everyone to enjoy this album. After all, music is subjective, and not everyone's going to have the same opinion. Upon relistening, I can better explain what stopped me from going head over heels for Tricky's debut. Let's start with Tricky himself, particularly his soft-spoken rap cadence throughout this record. Compared to Martina's well-sung delivery, Tricky comes off as vocally inferior on his own record, save for moments where he builds more strength in his flow, such as on tracks like "Brand New You're Retro" and "Suffocated Love". Add to that, as much as I commend the two of them for varying the styles and compositions employed in these tracks, the album does feel its length running at almost an hour. My engagement started to wane on the penultimate track "Strugglin'", which is probably an apt title given the stream-of-consciousness lyrics of a painful existence with the slow, spare percussive beat and the sample of a creaking door. Still, I do consider Maxinquaye to be a solid and innovative debut, as Tricky, with help from Martina and company, carved their own legacy in the trip-hop genre.
4.1 - OK, this is good shit. Grimy, dark beats, laid back vocal deliveries, subtle sonic textures. Most importantly, Tricky blends samples beautifully, digesting a broad array of influences like some voracious music gourmand. Standouts: "Pumpkin", "Black Steel", "Suffocated"...
Way too sleepy for me.
Exactly what I expected: boring, boring, boring
This record has been with me all my life - mysterious, sexy, smooth, profane, punchy, dark, funny, beautiful. Another perfect one.
Really amazingly produced sparse and spacious trip hop c
4.5
Off the beaten path in a positive way
Meh
Another one of this genre??? I liked it well enough
3/3 of the trip hop artists named in the Wikipedia summary for the genre is too many over the course of two to three weeks
Chill coolness. I actually do appreciate the atmosphere, but at times it wasn’t doing much for me. Maybe I’d enjoy more in a different mood. 3/2.5 I liked the woman’s voice but the guy’s was sometimes annoying, especially when he was doing his tryhard-sexy vocal fry voice
Well now. Here's an album that certainly deserves it's place on this list. This is a definitive one for those of you obsessed with genre labels. Tricky left Massive Attack to do more of his own thing and he really has, despite several of his Massive Attack lyrics being recycled here. It's trip-hop alright but moves away from the reggae re-makes and orchestral juggenauts of his previous band and move into a creepy and varied new sound world. The audacious Public Enemy cover of 'Black Steel' was very popular at the time and stands out like an enjoyable sore thumb amongst all the dense atmospheres and rumbling electronica of the rest of the album. Comparison is always drawn to Portishead for their shared use of the Isaac Hayes sample but to my ears the 2 songs 'Hell is around the corner' and 'Glory Box' couldn't sound more different and just show how a sample canused originally. There's no blues guitar and noir-film samples on this, nor does Martina Topley-Bird wring her heart out on every song like Beth Gibbons does. In fact Martina's detached composure is a signature of this album. So it's an original, far reaching, and unique album with personal themes explored in a way only Tricky would seem to. It's a class act. I just don't like it that much paersonally. A bit short on tunes, wanders on too long. I do find something about it a bit too creepy and claustrophobic. A landmark, worth visitng.
I’m going into this with very little info on the artist or even what the genre is. Starting out, I’m not sure how to feel. I definitely feel uneasy and confused. I suspect this is probably brilliantly giving the feelings and visuals that were intended. It clicked starting with Ponderosa and got deeper after that. I bet some of this would hit at a rave. As someone who plays the flute I really appreciate Aftermath. Loves: Black Steel Hell is Around the Corner Aftermath Abbaeon Fat Tracks Suffocated Love You Don’t
Really cool beats
An artist and album I’ve no interest in whatsoever. So cannot give an opinion. Did listen but the window cleaner came. It was more interesting watching him use the squeegee. 1/5 13/4/24
first listen such a vibe
i am basic and i will confess trip hop for me is portishead and massive attack
The contemporary praise for this is astounding, and made me anticipate one of the most jaw-dropping albums ever. Instead, I got Portishead Lite™️, with some bland rapping that draws from ‘80s American pop-rap. It’s serviceable, but not at all memorable, except when it moves away from trip-hop and/or is lyrically crass for…the sake of commentary, I think?? There’s a reason no one has heard of this unless they were alive and/or living in the UK in the mid ‘90s.
It's perfectly serviceable, but why do I find this album so bland and uninspired? It doesn't help that the Glory Box ripoff immediately made me wish I was listening to Dummy instead. Honestly the best part of the listen was the album ending, and Apple keeping the music going with a pretty great trip-hop mix featuring Massive Attack, UNKLE, Lovage, Bjork, Francesca Belmonte, & Martina Topley-Bird solo.
Stop giving me electronica!
Trippy and experimental. I vibed with the first half more, fell off a bit after the middle. Reminded me of portishead but I liked this more. Stand-out: Black Steel
This album isn't perfect but I really love the industrial backings with the smoother vocals from Martina Topley-Bird
Some excellent instrumentation and a great overall soundscape is tarnished by annoying vocals and some seriously horrible lyrics at points. I have no problem with an overlying theme of sex in an album, just look at Vespertine. But this? “I fuck you in the ass, just for a laugh”? No thanks. Keep that to yourself please. My main gripe however is around half of the vocals, being seriously unpleasant over-the-top Britishness. It’s such a shame, because the instrumentation is, as mentioned, excellent. Not a bad album by any means, just absolutely not for me.
A great album that really gives a sense of Tricky's character.
bleh. Better than I expected but still bleh. 48/100
One of those albums that I was just waiting for it to be over about half way through. The penultimate song is called Strugglin' and it's very appropriately named.
I didn't mind Martina's vocals too much, but Trippy rapping underneath it was incoherent and does not mesh well with her vocals. Overall, I found this to be very boring and further solidifies my dislike of trip hop.
This definitely an interesting and unique album. Very experimental sound. I'm not a huge fan of it's low energy. But I appreciate Tricky going outside the box here.
Few nice and groovy elements, but overall it did nothing to me. Too much downbeat. Favourite: "Black Steel"
Dunno
I expected to dislike this, but was pleasantly surprised.
My first Tricky album was "Angels with Dirty Faces" and I listened to it nonstop for weeks. My cooler friends said "Oh you need to listen to Maxinquaye", and they were right. The upside was that this album is tight; leveraging past achievements with Massive Attack while going in his own direction. The downside was that I wished I'd listened to Maxinquaye first, as I think it would have been more eye-opening as an introduction to Tricky. It has hard-hitting, gritty lyrics that ring with some authenticity. Really worthy inclusion on this list.
Been ages since I’ve listened to this one. I like it better now. There’s still some stuff that’s more sound than music, but this album is overall very good. 4
Good instrumentation Didn't vibe with it No outstanding tracks
What an album this is, one of the founding trilogy of trip-hop debuts alongside Portishead and Blue Lines. The first six tracks are as brilliant as anything on the other two, and like Blue Lines the contribution of a brilliant singer (here Martina Topley-Bird, there Shara Nelson) is perhaps underplayed. Still sounds fresh.
Damn this just got harder to listen to as it went on, losing stars all along the way. I swear I was so into this in the beginning but by the end I was waiting for it or me to die. STRUGGLIN INDEED.
I know there are some snooty reviewers out there who hate reviews that just say “meh.” But sometimes things are meh and meh is the only fitting word to describe them. This album is one such meh thing. Meh.
This is just long enough to be annoying and doesn’t stand out among the seemingly infinite hours of triphop that came out of the UK around this time. It even SAMPLES Massive Attack. Nothing to see here.
Cool album Standout songs: Black steel Aftermath Brand new your retro
Absolutely hated this album. Lyrics nonsensical and annoying
Nog een genre waar ik me eigenlijk veel eerder al dieper in had moeten storten.. Trip-hop. En ik moet zeggen, dit album was een hele fijne om er wat beter in te komen. Als ik denk aan Trip-hop denk ik aan Massive Attack. En wat blijkt, hier zit Tricky ook bij. Dat is alvast fijn om te weten, beginnend aan dit album. Black Steel is eigenlijk een nummer dat niet helemaal thuishoort op dit album. Het origineel van Public Enemy is bijna niet terug te horen, los van de lyrics. Wat een bizar lijpe cover. Het is het nummer dat mij het meest greep. De vocalen zijn echt top, wat heeft Martina Topley-Bird een geweldige stem. Gemaakt voor dit genre. Het nummer is punkachtig, hiphop, maar er zijn nog genoeg elementen om het als Trip-hop te beschouwen. Ik kan ook genieten van nummers als Aftermath en Strugglin' vanwege de ultieme laid-backness, fluitjes, eindeloze drumbeats en mompelende vocalen. Er zitten ook wat leuke sampletjes in, Michael Jacksons 'Bad' in Brand New You're Retro. Dit nummer heeft een geweldige transitie rond de 1e minuut. Een andere sample was natuurlijk Glorybox die Tricky schaamteloos gerecycled heeft in Hell is Round the Corner. Rating: 8/10 Highlights: Black Steel, Aftermath, Brand New You're Retro
Trip Hop, blijf het een wonderbaarlijk verhaal vinden hoe het neefje van het oer-Amerikaanse Hip Hop het levenslicht zag in het 'nietige' Bristol, in een uithoek van Engeland. Veel verder dan de founding fathers gaat m'n interesse in deze muziekstijl niet, met Massive Attack en Portishead kwam ik al wel aan m'n trekken. Ik kende de naam Tricky wel, en z'n bekendste nummer 'Hell Is Round the Corner', maar had even gemist dat hij ook echt in de triangel van Trip Hop pioniers hoorde. Het was aangenaam kennismaken moet ik zeggen. De productie op dit album vind ik minstens zo sterk als die op debuutalbums van de reedsgenoemde Trip Hop acts. Het is allemaal wat rauwer en grittier, het kraakt en het piept, en dat komt het genre echt ten goede. Trip Hop is een traag genre, maar het besluipt je wel echt, en Trippy zorgt ervoor dat je telkens achterom kijkt. Toch moet ik direct Martina Topley-Bird ook credits geven, want ik had louter fluisterende vocalen van Tricky zelf niet aangekund. Wat een goede stem heeft ze, die zorgt voor een prettige verlichting te midden de sinistere instrumentals. Het eerste nummer waar m'n hart sneller van ging kloppen is 'Ponderosa', dat klinkt als een Trip Hop versie van Clap Hands van Tom Waits. Wat een vreemd nummer; die krakende stem, de primitieve instrumenten, en dan opeens die piano waar je nekharen van overeind gaan staan. Love it. En dan back to back met een cover van wellicht m'n favoriete song van Public Enemy. Favoriete muziek dat gecovered wordt is vaak een recepy for disaster. Niet bij 'Black Steel'. Respectabele re-imagination, met een drum 'n bass sound die het thema van de song perfect past. En het ijzersterke trio (misschien wel het beste trio tot nog toe in de generator) wordt afgesloten met 'Hell Is Round The Corner', het duivelse broertje van het melancholische zusje 'Glory Box' (Portishead). Exploiteert dezelfde Isaac Hayes sample, wat gevaarlijk is gezien de populariteit van Glory Box, maar zet een volledig andere mood neer. Kille atmosfeer, maar echt een mokerchille beat. En het enige nummer waar ik me niet echt stoor aan de vocalen van Tricky. Het niveau van die drie tracks wordt bij lange na niet meer bereikt later op de plaat, en het lome karakter van Trip Hop breekt de drive op het album een beetje op. Sommige nummers missen een theelepel of drie aan spice. 'Brand New You're Retro' breekt die trend, en brengt wat meer power. Had een instrumental van Public Enemy kunnen zijn, en is meer Hip dan Trip. Dat het genre sowieso echt een vuilnisbakkenras is, met roots in onverwachte hoeken, hoor je ook weer op 'You Don't', die wat reggae uit de hoge hoed tovert. Het is een thema wat we intussen veel hebben besproken: de eclectische cocktail aan stijlen die het 90s muzieklandschap tekenen. Net als Public Enemy, Beastie Boys en Beck toont Tricky aan over een brede muziekkennis te beschikken. De samples zijn vaak wat onorthodoxer dan in andere Trip Hop die ik ken, en voelt als een inspiratiebron voor Alternatieve Hip Hop van vandaag de dag. Een hoop elementen hoor je terug in de muziek van acts als Young Fathers, Dean Blunt, Yves Tumor en Danny Brown. Bijzonder hoe een offspring van Hip Hop uiteindelijk toch weer aan het begin lijkt te staan van een nieuw rapgenre. Er zit ook echt wel wat filler-materiaal op, maar ben over het algemeen positief verrast. 7,5/10 Highlights: Ponderosa Black Steel Hell Is Round The Corner
Leerzaam plaatje om even onder te dompelen in de 90's triphop. Ik was niet bekend met het bestaan van de beste man. Ah, afkomstig van Massive Attack. Nou laat maar horen... Tricky heeft Massive Attack niet verlaten om compleet andere muziek te gaan maken. Het lijkt er bijzonder veel op en heeft ook veel gelijkenissen met artiesten uit diezelfde tijd. Ook al trip ik aardig lekker door het begin van het album heen, het is in alle facetten toch net iets minder dan zijn concullega's. Net iets minder trippy dan Gorillaz, minder mellow dan Portishead (wel zelfde geniale sample gebruikt als in Glory Box) en wat meer ingetogen dan Massive Attack. In z'n geheel wordt het daardoor wat meer moody, wat donkerder. Het gaat me eigenlijk ook wat te sloom. Vooral in de tweede helft. Veel herhaling, vooral in Strugglin' (loopt die plaat vast?). De interesse dooft helaas helemaal uit in dat deel. Highlights: Overcome Hell is Round the Corner Aftermath
Fínasta fínt og flottasta flott bara.
Mjög flott tónlist og mikil áhrif á triphoppið. Verður aðeins einhæft til lengdar.
From the description I didn't think I'd like this but enjoyed it more than I expected. It must have sounded pretty unique in the mid 90s - reminds me of some later electronic artists like DJ Shadow, Kid A Radiohead and Burial so doesn't surprise me that is was influential. Interesting
Great trip hop album, a nice departure from Massive attack for Tricky as it's deeper and darker.
We've had a fair few trip-hop albums come up, probably more than I would consider "essential" enough to make this list, but I think I enjoyed this one the most - it had more variety than the two Massive Attack albums and the Portishead record.
im sorry what were you saying? i fell asleep
This was better than I thought but most of it was still meh.
Tricky, more like Trippy, am I right? heh.
The second time this week a sample of Chris Hayes’ “Ike’s Rap II” appears; the first being the obvious one on Dummy. I can’t complain. Maxinquaye is a playful and fun album with some cool visions erupting from Tricky’s mind. I’m not all sold on the whole thing; but at times it’s almost excellent.
I thought it wasn't so bad, until I suddenly realized "holy shit, this is still playing?!" when the penultimate track started. I guess that says all you need to know
I did not expect to enjoy this, but what an amazing atmosphere this album brings. It is full of soulful vocals, tastefully utilised instrumentals and a dark, erotic mood. It is a bit long, but I wouldn't mind that if I was listening to a CD that I bought.
This was fine. Not what I was expecting, I think he got more drum + bass later. I’ve listened to one of his later albums (pretty much only because he was cool in The Fifth Element) and really didn’t like it at all.
I was thinking how much this sounded like Portishead then Hell Is Round the Corner came on witch has the same sample as Portishead used on Glory Box. Mad
I have heard several Portishead samples in this list. I haven’t bumped ahead to see if the real-deal made the cut. I actually like the electronic flow of several of the tunes. I’d listen again.
I was aware of this when it came out, but never gave it a chance at the time because I was only interested in heavy music This is great, really glad that it was suggested. I will listen again on the future. Great headphones album
Slinking and shuffling through with its smoke filled haze and demeanor, one of the most important and essential trip-hop albums makes its presence felt. The songs simmer, bolt, boils and becomes ingrained in the head and hardly ever leaves. Although Maxinquaye may have been Tricky's plant the flag moment, it is just as much of Martina Topley-Bird's breakthrough as his. Without her, it is doubtful that Maxinquaye would hit as hard and as well as it did when it was released. It's the kind of album that many try to imitate but never adequately duplicate. A timeless classic, it may never be bettered.
Really great, rather dark and very atmospheric British trip-hop album from the mid 1990s. I wasn't familiar with this album or artist, though I'd known other trip-hop bands like Portishead before, but this album is almost as great as Portishead's finest album 'Dummy', it's a bit more weird perhaps.. The first half if excellent, the second half lacks a bit of the same quality, but overall a solid album.
I was kind of digging this at first, but it just got weirder. The Public Enemy cover was bizarre
listening to a couple of songs is OK. Listening to the whole thing is too much.
The production is cool, I’m not super sold on the writing or performance though. The bored delivery is not my cup of tea, especially in contrast to the more lively tracks.
This was a pleasant surprise -- not sure about Apple Music's contention that it's make out music, but overall enjoyable and Black Steel was awesome
Never been a fan of British rap. I can see how some may like it but personally it’s not in line with what I like. It’s probably worth more than one star but it’s my review and I get to choose the rating!
Have heard this one before but haven't brought it out for a spin for a while. Great fun trip every time.
Honestly stopped listening after the 3rd song
What...is this? Not good. That's what it is. In fact it's bad. Answered my own question.
Boring
A great trip-hop album that predates DJ Shadow’s debut by a year or two. I had listened to Massive Attack and really enjoyed them but didn’t know Tricky split off for solo work. It seems there’s nothing he won’t sample and the end result is very atmospheric and cool. It’s the kind of album that your attention can come in and out of.
now this website is starting to piss me off was this bad? idk bc i turned it off after a couple songs
Wow. Couldn’t even get thru the first song. Not sure what that’s about. Excited to read Andy’s review to find out.
This album sucks
Nope lol. Knew one song the rest were just ok. I regret giving Faust a 2. Feels like this was better than that by a mile.
Pretty cool, chill vibe. Lyrics lean into shock value a little bit. Overall, not bad.
Not really my vibe, definitely some interesting ideas, but it didn't flow for me.
This was a bit of a struggle. Very 90s and very long.
Not much to be excited about. Goes for some grooves but I would rather hear portishead.
Not for me.
It was cool but prob needs a few listens to infiltrate.
Meh, I don't know I don't even know how to justify but I couldn't tune in. Sorry
Interesting! Odd mix. Unique introduction of flute and small guitar rifts, with electric keyboard mixed with lyrics like, “I fuck you in the ass just for a laugh.” Not my thing.
I felt like my keys should be placed in a bowl for this one -- and then that I couldn't get out of the club because there was one long track.
I don’t know. The grooves were cool. The singing and rapping? were just ok.
Not really my style but I found some songs to be pretty good. Toss up again between 2 and 3 stars. Can some tell the generator to pick some albums that I have to decide between 4 and 5 stars?
Intriguing album, some songs gave a UK night club vibe, while others sounded like they could be on the soundtrack of an HBO “after hours” movie.
Tricky's just not all that. And never really was. Massive Attack's output is holding much better and Goldfrapp's much better still. This is fine as far as it goes but feels oh so dated, especially the sound effects. There are a few decent cuts and the mood/vibe is interesting, but the emotional effect is pretty limited – ranging from credible chilly and clubby languor ("You Don't") to the outright annoying ("Strugglin'"). "Aftermath" was way overexposed and, while okay-cool, never merited its ubiquity, besides being way too long. "Feed Me" is kinda cool, too, but largely anodyne and neither impactful nor memorable. Does trip-hop really matter? And will it be seen as having mattered at some point, beyond the limits of faddishness? By what year will it be forgotten entirely, if it isn't already largely so today? If one never heard a trip-hop cut again, one's not sure one'd notice the difference.
I've never quite gelled with Tricky. One of those producers that critics seem to adore, spoken about in hushed tones of adulation. But I've never got it. It's all a bit sterile, too clean. Even when the lyrics are talking anal sex.
It wasn't that bad. I expected to absolutely despise it, but I found that it was actually easy to listen to. I didn't like the repetition of the beat.
3.3/5 Best Track: Black Steel
I don't like this. it's sounds too experimental and dark for me.
I got this CD in the summer of 95, I was a student at NYU, and played it daily. It was quite a trip revisiting this album. It doesn't have the same power to me as it did in a certain place at a certain time, but it really is a solid album all the way through. Martina is awesome.
I don’t really know what to think about this 2.4/5 Lot o sex
Better than expected - very listenable, and I can in the right atmosphere, this would be an excellent choice.
This has been on my list for a little while now, and I loved it. Generally a good genre, a good sonic palette for me. I especially loved the Black Steel cover, which ended the album with so much energy (and im a sucker for breakbeats). Is this the first song from 1001 albums that made me want to dance? Certainly no, but in that moment it really felt like it.
New pet peeve unlocked it’s a guy talking while a girl sings the same words
It was fine? I vibed during it, but I didn’t think it was particularly groundbreaking or incredible.
i guess i like trip hop. TIL
I think this might have been a 4 on a different day, I just didn't have a lot of attention for it today. I was intrigued to see the artist was in Massive Attack, who I generally enjoy.
This was... an album I have some mixed thoughts on. I think some tracks have some absolutely killer grooves, and Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are beautiful here, but there's some pretty big issues I had with this album. Number one: Tricky's vocals. Jesus Christ man, for your own album, you would've thought you would've mixed your vocals to a level audible over all those instrumentals, but alas, his voice is a mere whisper buried beneath the wall of sound. Perhaps I would've remembered his verses more. And when he *is* able to be heard, it's usually doing his lamest vocals, just sorta mumbling and stuttering and doing weird vocalizations. Number two: The length. Christ, the songs on here can get long. I'd say the average on here is 4 minutes, with one track clocking in at a little over 7.5 minutes. Now, this wouldn't be a huge issue, but so many tracks on here just consist of the instrumentals repeating as well as the vocals, which is fine in the shorter ones, but can just become a slog to get through in the tracks where the groove just isn't really there or appealing. I can't in good conscience put it above 2 stars, but it's spared from a one star thanks to the tracks I *did* gel with, and Topley-Bird's vocals. Favorite verse: I fuck you in the ass, just for a laugh With the quick speed I'll make your nose-bleed I ride the premenstrual cycle
I wasn't able to give this album a second listen before I had to rate it like I'd wanted to, but, frankly, I don't think any amount of listens would make this album any less boring to me.
Never listened to much trip hop before, but I get why people like this. Nice vocals, varied beats, and a general chill vibe make this album a good time.
This may be harsh, but... I really think it’s actually the worst album we’ve listened to so far, at least for my sensibilities. I think my main problem is that it’s just really boring. Like, with the other “bad” albums we’ve had, they keep a consistent theme, there’s at least an attempt at some energy, and there’s usually at least one song where I go, “you know what, that was kinda catchy,” but on this one… it’s just not there at all. The most important thing an album can do is make you feel something; the “bad” albums got me to feel, even if it was anger at repetition or never evolving a sound, but for this one, I felt quite literally no emotion whatsoever. I feel like I’ve just listened to a bootleg album composed entirely of raps and instruments from old 90s CD sample discs; you know, the ones filled with nonsensical verses or random lines that ended up in like, Marvel vs. Capcom soundtracks and stuff. The problem is, there’s no way to make any of these songs actually interesting to my ear. Every track here feels like it’s got absolutely no energy, whether it’s in the production, the tempo, or the vocals, and that just goes against a lot of my musical sensibilities. It’s the first 1 I’m going to give – it’s just that boring to me.
I didn't know that Tricky was a big piece of Massive Attack but it makes sense. Very airy for typical hip hop/r&b...it got a little monotonous for me in the middle tracks but a nice sound.
Really good. I had no idea what this was going to sound like (knew the name but not the music), but this was more than I was expecting. Music to chill by. Will definitely add it to my playlist.
i feel some tracks are rememberable but its a pretty dull listen all through
This didn't work for me. The production is innovative and there are some very cool tracks in here. Overcome and Black Steel both have very cool beats. Suffocated Love has that super cool chime effect too that I liked. But the whole album feels so humorless. It's just so bleak without feeling human. It reminds me of the grimdark fantasy that can be so much fun when done well, but quickly just becomes edgy and weird when done poorly. I'm interested in hearing other work from Tricky, but I think his spot as an almost placed is appropriate in the annuls of music history.
Gonna be honest, did not finish. I'm sure it has some value for a certain trip-hop vibe but it wasn't resonating for me
Sampler, Atari, ADAT und 1604... Nix für mich. 1S.
I love the chilled and dark mood. Standout tracks Aftermath, Overcome and the Portishead sampled Hell is around the corner. The album hangs together well although some tracks are quite weak
2/5 meh.
Sultry background music for a nightclub party, where everybody’s high
Definitely enjoyed some tracks here and I partially understand this album in the context of when it was released but it didn't really grab me.
Did Massive Attack produce this? I'm deep in moody 90s movies.
Trippy hoppy tippi toppy!!
Very strange sound. Some parts of this album were pretty repetitive. The vocals didn't do much for me. I thought the album was gonna be much better when I started hearing some distorted guitar, but then it just fell back to the same repetitive lo fi groove.
More lofi/trip hop, but there were a couple of songs that I actually liked in this one, specifically Black Steel and Pumpkin
Has all the hallmarks of a mid-late 90s club album. Great dance tunes "Brand New, You're Retro" lead right into make out mixes like "Suffocated Love". A better album than I expected. As was recommended on Apple Music, "play this late at night and loud". The next time you're looking for a background make out vibe album, give this a try
listened 2x - good but probably wont come back to this. 3/5
Pas du tout.
Haven't listened to tricky before...saw him interviewed and didn't think much of him. But need to hold my hand up here. Very good album. Can hear the massive vibes. Will defo be into his other releases
I've never heard of this album or artist before, but I reviewed a Massive Attack album a few months ago, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Overall, there really wasn't much that I liked about this album. The vocals and arrangements were fine, but I didn't feel like there was anything on this album to set it apart from all of the other trip-hop albums that were coming out at the time. "Hell Is Round The Corner" makes good use of sampling Portishead's "Glory Box," but no other songs really stood out to me. Just like Nitin Sawhney's Beyond Skin, this album would be okay to have on in the background, but there are so many other things I'd rather throw on.
Not my thing, explicit language only added to my low appreciation.
Takie wolne Gorillaz, słabsze Massive Attack. Nie podbało się 2/5
I am a pretty big Massive Attack fan, so I have been meaning to listen to this album for a while. The first half of this album is very good, and reminds me a lot of Lovage. The 2nd half drags
Not really my style but solid background music.
Bof bof. Le trip-hop peut vraiment être pénible. Je n'ai définitivement pas pris les bonnes drogues à la bonne époque. Ici tout est très lent, monotone, sans grand relief. "Hell is round the corner" est un sample assez paresseux de Portishead, et c'est à peu près le seul truc que je sauve de cette heure très longue, avec des morceaux de 6 minutes mais ressentis beaucoup plus. "Strugglin'" est à la fois une torture et un peu scotchant.
I really like the dreamy low tempo electronic music
This was not enjoyable. Felt like zero effort went into it. Vocals felt so drab, beats so simple and repetitive, and not in a good way. The "rapping" was cringy. Album felt like an eternity to get through
not for me but i get it
I’ve never spent time with Tricky. I think if I was younger it would have been too pulled back for me but I have a feeling I’m gonna be throwing this record on again and again. It’s probably more rewarding after several listens. Rich, layered, laid back, strong groove, love the lyrical content. Super happy I’ve been exposed to this — this is what I was hoping for from the 1001 albums experiment.
I really liked one song on here and the rest were not anything spectacular, I listened through once, but that was enough for my lifetime.
Some enjoyable hip hop. A few lines stuck out to me here and there, but never really any full songs.
Notes from the plane: Back for a second after some time off in Sydney, on the way to Cairns while I listen to this. Not really what I was expecting here. It's kind of got this lo-fi vibey rock thing going on. It's kind of dark and moody sounding. The pace is pretty slow throughout, there's this consistent crackle thing going on, and the vocals almost fade to the background at times. I can't really decide how I feel. I think it's reasonably fine, but more of a thing that I'd like put on in the background than choose to play. Very few songs stand out too, it's more of this overall atmospheric vibe that works ok collectively ("Atmosphere" captures the vibe pretty well, it's long though). It also got noticeably worse in the second half (or maybe I was just getting tired of it). Notes on a partial re-listen: I feel very justified on my initial impression. I picked out the three most popular songs as the three I added to my playlist, and the second half has much fewer plays on Spotify than the first half. I'm also learning that Tricky is the music guy, and the singer is Martina Toply-Bird. Makes sense why the vocals feel in the background frequently, she has a pretty nice voice though. I kind of feel like I'm being overly negative lately, but I just don't like this that much. The good stuff is fine, and the not good stuff is uninspiring. Favorite song: Overcome Other: Hell Is Round The Corner, Aftermath 1/19/24
Lots of the same sound in each song. I would have liked this back in the 90s.
Better than I thought it was going to be
Absolute trash
Vet plaatje, waarvan Black Steel er natuurlijk met kop en schouders bovenuit steekt.
Lastig album om de vinger op te leggen. Het krabbelde me wel iets teveel.
Black Steel is een fantastische track! En de rest van dit album kon ik ook best goed hebben.
Actually not bad!
Just not for me
excellent background music, but kinda empty
Gear: Hifiman Arya Mische: greifbare, analoge Qualität mit standesgemäßem Vinyl-Rauschen Mugge: Notwendig. Kein "Maxinquaye" = kein Trip Hop. Kein Tricky = kein Massive Attack. Wertung: 4/5
Not a bad album but I hope it's not the only thing on the list that is electronic music.
The dude who made this group is one of the members of Massive Attack apparently who broke off and did his own thing. This is like hip hop meets electronica.... So trip hop I guess. Not bad at all. I've been listening to Maxinquaye all day. Not because it's long, but because it's chill as fuck. Favourite songs: Black Steel, Overcome, Brand New You're Retro, Ponderosa, Abbaon Fat Tracks, Aftermath Least favourite songs: Hell Is Round The Corner, Pumpkin, Strugglin' 4/5
This album started out strong for me and then kind of waned as it went on. First three songs were super intriguing, then they kind of fell into a Portishead-sounding style for a few songs, then the rest was ok but not super interesting. 3.5/4.
The first half of this album is really good, and the second half is just ok. Overall, I'm not sure I'd revisit it, but it was pretty cool. 3.25/5
C-
Oh God please help me …
Fine.
This was just meh did not care for it.
Better and more interesting than most rap, but still not great. I just kept waiting for it to be over. 2/5
Almost a 3. So close. Enjoyed, but probably wouldn’t go to it again voluntarily.
If the mid-90s made an album. Was fine, nothing jumped out at me. 4/10.
There were a few songd that were alright, most were a bit slow.
Stop wastin' my motherfucking time with shit like this. I don't have any joints or else which I can use to make this listenable.
This is a very nice atmospheric album. Really nice production and smooth vocals. Flows well. Will listen to again.
The trip-hop instrumentals are very unique. Vocally, I was surprised to find the male vocalist, who feels pushed to the background, is the titular artist. These songs feel longer than they are, and even for a short record, I don't think it's anything I'm going to revisit. Favorite tracks: "Brand New You're Retro"
Good album. Has a good vibe but maybe a little too long as an album. I prefer the trip more than the hop in trip hop and on this album. Not up to par with Portishead or Massive Attack but still good when the mood strikes.
Incredible stuff. Like Portishead but slightly happier
1.5 - I'd really rather listen to Portishead or something if I want Trip Hop. The atmosphere of this just isn't one I like and it's pretty boring to listen to.
Nicht so wirklich mein Ding aber auch nicht komplett scheiße
Even after using hooks by Portishead and early Smashing Pumpkins, they still aren't as cool as the Sneaker Pimps. This just needs more hooks. There isn't enough here to be good. Nothing really happens on this record. And there is a lot of record
Been ages since I’ve listened to this one. I like it better now. There’s still some stuff that’s more sound than music, but this album is overall very good.
a few decent songs, many bad ones
This is one of the all time great albums. It actually makes it hard to listen to most other trip hop. It still sounds like the future three decades later. It’s a world of its own and mind blowing.
Dark and Brooding. The album kind of tails off after a strong start..
Creepy sex music
3.75
I would be confused if a friend ever recommended I listen to this.. not a fan
Guff.
This is a similar sort of vibe to Massive Attack (albeit a bit less Caribbean), but just not as good. Hadn't actually realised he was in/around Massive Attack until Googling it after writing that first sentence. There are a couple of good tracks - Black Steel is the one with the most energy, Hell Is Round The Corner straight afterwards is way more chilled but still good. Probably just about a 3.
It’s alright. Moody and well made, vocals are great. A bit too long maybe
It was ok, not my thing
Doesn’t have anything catchy or interesting to keep me listening.
Liked it quite a bit
Good quality sound.
Not bad but not my thing
Pretty good. Nice and mellow. Although nothing grabbed me enough to up the rating to a four.
Very nice, smooth and sexy. I only knew a little Tricky before, but this is pretty good
This guy is from Massive Attack and I really liked the Massive Attack album we listened to. And I really liked this! This came out when I was 15 and I would’ve loved to have gotten into it when I was that age. But I enjoyed this listen. Are the editors of this list British?
So 90s it hurts.
Not my cup of tea. Sounds like numerous other rap albums I've heard. Did enjoy Martina Topley-Bird's vocals, though.
Initial impressions are underwhelming. Sounds like the soundtrack that should have been behind the scenes in Baz Lurman’s Romeo and Juliet. Slow and edgy for the sake of being edgy. Ok background music, but I can’t find anything in it to appreciate. 2/5.
It's finely produced dub, but it's not a genre that speaks to me. Like, it sounds good. Some of this ilk can sound real thin, just a programmed beat that'll fool some suckers into handing over cash. This doesn't sound that cynical. But it ain't my bag.
As a listening experience this is more challenging or interesting than it is enjoyable. Much of it is wreathed in murk or occluded by sonic fog. Atmospheric, even a little chilling, but also a little stultifying. When the blood gets pumping a bit, such as on 'Black Steel' or 'Brand New You're Retro' I perk up. Another highlight are Martina Topley-Bird's spectral, barely-there vocal performances. She's eerie! A strange sound universe. I don't like it much, but I appreciate it.
Funny, I watched a video on YouTube over the weekend with this audiophile guy who was raving about this record. I started listening to it, but stopped and now here we are. The circle of life and all that. I should point out the guy in the video was British and as such is required by law to like this kind of music. (That's factually correct, right Alex?) Hell, he maybe is the author of this very list. I'll look into it. Anyway, I didn't find it earth shattering or as good as the Portishead record we just listened to. But I did like moments and overall it has a cool kind of temperature to it. "Pumpkin" was my favorite song. That's something I could listen to multiple times and I even looked up Alison Goldfrapp on Wikipedia because I liked her voice on that track. The opening tune stood out and I did notice that there's some solid cussin' going on here and there, but mostly it was just some good sounding background beats.
It's a new sound for me and it's fucking amazing
Well...gave it a go not expecting to enjoy it; however, the gentle beat was easy listening and mid way through I heard "how can I be sure, in a world that's constantly changing". It's David Cassidy, what a treat dragged me back to 1973 ish!
Started off decent but ended up being one of the most grating albums I've ever listened to. The female vocals were great but the male vocals were cringe.
I actually own this CD from when it came out. And I forgot all about it. The sonic texture is amazing and completely novel and unique when it came out. But except for her voice and his weird whispering, it's all robotics. And none of the songs ever grabbed me. The only thing I recognized on resisting was the Public Enemy cover. And I never thought that worked very well.
Good background music, nice vibes, nothing offensive. A bit experimental but nothing chaotic. Its aight.
not at all what i was expecting from the description. was pleasantly surprised i quite liked it
Yeah, no thanks
chillin
Don't like this at all, it's very pretentious with the lyrics that just don't work.
I was somewhat hopeful for this album before I listened to it. I mean, I liked the Massive Attack album pretty well, and Goldfrapp appearing on a few tracks was also a really good sign, but this felt very lacking. It felt like a Massive Attack album without any of the intrigue or smoothness for the most part. Sometimes the vocals that weren't Tricky were good, but then I question why this album is even credited to Tricky, or why he felt the need to split away from Massive Attack, as most of the time he is hardly in the song, being more of a hyper man, and his weird "Hamburger Lady"-esque vocal edits on his voice got annoying. I feel like the author only put this album here because he liked Massive Attack, but then again he left off Mezzanine, so I don't know what to think.
Had its moments but was maybe a bit long/meandering?
I can respect how different and innovative this album was when it was recorded, and Martina Topley-Bird has an amazing voice, but ultimately this one is just a little too samey for me over the course of the record.
It is an abstract painting of sound
It's a type of groovy ambient music. It's nice to play it in the background as I'm working. It would also work as good music for an acid trip.
C+ Overcome 3 Ponderosa 4 Black Steel 3 Hell Is Round the Corner 3 Pumpkin 3 Aftermath 3 Abbaon Fat Tracks 3 Brand New You're Retro 2 Suffocated Love 3 You Don't 2 Strugglin' 2 Feed Me 2 This was good, but it ended on a very meh note. Sorry Tricky, you're not that guy pal.
deceeeent
2/5 a couple of ok tunes but boring overall
Pretty neat!
Hell is Round the Corner is a remake of a Potroishead remake.
Was on repeat in the background a few times today. Can’t say I was entirely engaged. But a nice casual groove.
Great first couple songs but then it drags, hated the back end of the album immensely.
I can't say anything really besides this album is actually boring. I skipped almost every song before I got halfway through. 1/5
This one surprised me! I was under the impression Tricky was a rapper, and expected a rap album, and this is not that. Learning that Tricky was (and is again) a member of Massive Attack makes much more sense, as this has more in common with that type of dark down-tempo electronica than it does with Biggie or Pac. This, I am learning, is called trip-hop. Huh! Cool to learn new things. That said, while Martina Topley-Bird's vocals are lovely, and the music at times is quite chill, chill can easily become boring when stretched out to an hour. I recommend the track "Black Steel", but as a whole, this goes on a little long. Still better than the rap I expected, so I'm choosing to round up from 2.5 stars.
Tricky Some cool deep grooves. I like the dissonances in the samples. Martina Copley Birds vocals are cool. His vocals are more like whispery spoken word. Black steel was my favorite
Kinda cool, idk 2.5?
Her voice is cool. The sexual lyrics are weird. I feel like I'm in an HBO show.
Sort of a weaker pale version of Massive Attack's work. Not great IMO.
Weird, not fond of this
Trance should be a music you fall into and out of. Back and forth between passive and active listening. Like sitting on the porch of a cabin by a mountain stream — you aren’t always consciously aware of the stream, but it comes in and out of focus and each time you notice something new and beautiful. But in this case, I just found myself being irritated the stream was still going on. In short, pretty boring.
Iconic
First few songs were good... then it got boring
EL DISCO con mayúsculas del Trip-Hop al menos comercialmente y con el permiso de Portishead mucho mejores conceptualmente.
Very creative, cool vibe. Hard to see me seeking it out, though.
Actually kinda dig this. Really nice sound.
A bit interesting. Spacey, dark, broody, understated. The vocalizations/rap are a bit of a distraction (i don't think they improve the music as Portishead does a better job here). Still was cool to listen to, but it does kind of blend altogether.