Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Long and dull. I really don’t need to hear multiple songs about this little freaks sex life.
These trip-hop records don’t really grab me in any way. Massive Attack, Portishead, now Tricky…it feels like homework trying to appreciate these records rather than an enjoyable, engaging listening experience. Although, the spy movie music on this one is better than the others so far.
Tykkään tästä tosi paljon, mutta onkohan tää vähän liikaa jopa Massive Attack -henkinen? 4/5
Kuuntelin tämän viimeksi joskus 10v sitten ja tykkäsin nyt kyllä enemmän. Hieno ysäritunnelma. Ehkä jokin mauste uupuu, että nousisi neljään.
Rentoa ja coolia musaa, mutta ei herätä kauheesti tunteita myöskään. Kolmoseen jää.
Quirky departure from the typical trip-hop groove of the 90s, but aged quickly and is now largely forgotten. Miss.
Sub Portishead with a less capable chanteuse, nice beats though
A nice trip-hop album. It's a bit of a shame he left massive attack, I think a lot of his best work is as part of that whole group. Kinda funny that a lot of the lyrics here are taken from massive attack songs too
"Maxinquaye" is the debut album by English rapper and producer Tricky. Tricky had become frustrated with his limited role in Massive Attack, found main vocalist Martina Topley-Bird, convinced Mark Saunders to produce and recorded an album in his London house. The music is described as groove-oriented, downbeat, ambient and hazy with genres of trip hop , electronic, experimental and post rock. The lyrics have themes of cultural decline, dysfunctional sexual relationships, fears of intimacy and recreational drug use. Yeah, OK, I mostly heard the sex and drug parts. Commercially, the album hit #3 in the UK and is credited as a significant influence on electronica, underground hip hop and British hip hop. "Overcome" starts off with a haunting, ominous synth. Downbeat for sure. Random pounding noises. Martina comes in whispering. It's seductive in a hazy sort of way. Sex and violence. "Ponderosa" has a mechanical nose beat. A variety of noises. We finally hear Tricky in the background. Martina going on about drugs. Hey, a Public Enemy cover in "Black Steel." This is more rockin' with a guitar and breaks up the downbeat. Tricky takes the lead in "Hell is Round the Corner." He talks in a sinister way. This is chill and ambient. Dusty record sounds in the background...always a plus for me. His personal struggles with drugs. The first single "Aftermath " continues the chill. Synths - soft and loud. Good use of Marvin Faye and LLCool J samples. This sounds like the aftermath after sex. The album is ambient, downbeat and industrial. Of couse, trip hop. I thought the vocal style, mixing it with Martina and Tricky, was unique and interesting. They do a great job of effectively creating a haunting, eerie and paranoid atmosphere. I see the influences on ambient and trip hop. It kind of did get repetitive for me but overall a very good album.
If "gangsta rap" is a genre, then so is "beatnik rap" I guess. The arrangements are interesting and I don't mind the vocals, but both are super repetitive.
not sure the genre is for me, but has some cool parts
No
This album sucked
The dark and alluring flip of Massive Attack's sheeny-shiny take on trip hop. I love the lo-fi, minimalist looping of this album - simple and effective - and the male x female vocals work so well together. The production is not polished but it's perfect. 'Hell Is Round The Corner' is probably my favourite on this listen, but I love this all as an album. Well, save 'Black Steel' which I find awkward and not a patch on the original. This and that cover lose a star, sadly. I SOOOOO wish this album had a better cover.
A hugely important album - both on a personal and a wider macro level. Maxinquaye shouldn't work. Fucked up Bristol beats from an outsider who somehow caught the attention of the inkie indie kids. I bloody love it. Even the Public Enemy cover works. The beats seems to exist in a different dimension, such is the doped up delivery. Tricky has a twisted mind. You need this to record, and appreciate Maxinquaye. Essential listening.
Genuinely weird, but I can really see how important it is. Excited to relisten. 3/5
Background music at best, try to listen to it while doing something more interesting.
Som diferentqo, legalzinho até
I'm not such a fan of Massive Attack, so this effort feels a little wasted on me. It has some cool moments, and is generally a cool way to do a down tempo hip hop ambient record. It just didnt move me.
This is a sex album, and thats not a bad thing. 4/5
naislaiska ääni hyvä... harvoin onnistuu semmonen. Bro is gonna shit pant when creating a small opening with one's li drops naisääni too on the fact.. first song album dropping... huono puoli siinä että joku ukko rupee jotain vittu turpa kiinni anna eukolle tilaa hyi vittu sillä on paska ääni Pitää niaskeho semmone voi olla hiaseva välillä muta pitää sielläkin taphtua asioita make out musiikkia kun tämä on...Mieshurmuri.. ai hän on itse artisti joka tuotti tämän noh ei mahdollista vitonen vaikka haluaisi hyihyhihyihiyi Juna objectivisms... incredible.. Naishurmuri meikällä takana 2 albumia.. ei taida hehheh olla tämä parempi kuin heh naissooloalbumi..
solide album. moody
Fine background music
Seems like a watered down Massive Attack album. It’s Allright, some nice melodies and song building. But nothing too special. 6,5 out of 10
The gorillaz but worse in every way
Just not an interesting sound for me.
Trip hop combines a "can be okay or can be shit"-genre with a "most likely shit"-genre so that's just not a good combination to try to score points with me 🤷🏼♂️
Started off well but then songs got too repetitive
Not my cup of tea
I like the witty cover of Public Enemy and the Portishead adjacent “Hell is Round The Corner”. The rest is just too evocative of a sinister demi-monde for me. All credit to Tricky for diving into this psychosexual morass, but it's very disturbing. The fact that it’s also really boring to listen to doesn’t help.
Dance type music, but nothing that I found I really liked. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song:
not my jam
Enjoyed! Fun find not in my usual style.
Atrocious. Annoying.
Another artist I'd not given much of a chance to in the past but now regret - this is fantastic. Much rockier than I expected. I'm now finding that I think I misunderstood what "Trip hop" was, cos if this is it then I need to reevaluate a lot of stuff.
Trabalho seminal, que me indicou o impacto do trip hop e da música eletrônica experimental. A sensibilidade se evidencia ao criar uma atmosfera sombria e introspectiva em todo o álbum, que é repleto de samples de jazz e soul, bem como influências de dub e punk.
I know that sometimes less means more, but here less means less. Spotify says that Tricky was admired by David Bowie, so before listening to this album, I've had some expectations. But it didn't hit. Most of the tracks would fit as a intro for a 90's and 00's crime tv series, but on the other hand I cannot personally listen to a tv series intros for 57 minutes straight. "Brand New You're Retro" is an underappreciated track.
Нудятина...
Well centered on my trip hop taste. Interesting that he mixed himself down so low, letting the vocalists have the spotlight.
Hmm, jag vet inte...
Trippy
Æi, þetta er ekki fyrir mig. Trip-hop getur verið skemmtilegt, og hér eru einstaka loopur töff, en heilt yfir finnst mér þetta letilegt og lítið spennandi.
Отлично 👍
4/12
It’s interesting but not exactly a comfortable listen or something I’ll be rushing back to
A big record in the trip-hop scene, filled with dark, atmospheric soundscapes and raw lyrical content. Tricky's distinctive raspy voice, paired with the ethereal vocals of Martina Topley-Bird, creates the dynamic for the album. The combination of trip-hop beats, dub elements, and the occasional splash of rock and hip-hop samples results in a unique sonic palette, clearly influenced by trip-hop greats Portishead. The fusion of Topley-Bird’s vocals work well with the beats on the album but I wasn’t feeling Tricky’s evocative delivery, leaving me feeling quite unfufilled in the total vocal department of the record. Tricky instead shows his skill on the production side. He blends samples, live instrumentation, and electronic elements, creating an atmospheric backdrop that complements the album's lyrical themes. The use of negative space and sparse arrangements enhances the album's sense of tension and unease. The album doesn’t really serve as groundbreaking as the public reception hails it as though, as most of the musical aspects had already been explored in the trip-hop scene before this album. Lyrically, it's a record that confronts its audience with uncomfortable truths, presenting a stark and unfiltered depiction of contemporary society. However a lot of Tricky’s lyrics come off as quite bland when paired with his at times ackward vocal tone. Whilst Maxinquaye does hit on a lot of the right things, the overall flaws on many sides make me unable to justify the album as good or decent.
AJ: NOPE Cat: A little weird. Don’t hate it. Don’t love it.
This album was great. It's hot, fun, twisted, and great beats and rhythms. I've never heard of Maxinquaye or whoever makes up Tricky, but I'm an instant fan. Wild journeys through, sex, pain, loss, drugs and everything before, after and in-between give this album thematic depth. Tricky creates a dark and brooding atmosphere that captivates the listener from start to finish. The album is filled with layers of intricate production, incorporating samples from various genres, from hip-hop to reggae, and combining them with innovative beats and textures. The songs seamlessly flow into one another, creating a cohesive and immersive listening experience. Good stuff here!
-have never heard of this artist in my life -so far it sounds cool -the sounds and how they are used is very interesting -this persons voice in these songs is very pretty -i don’t know if i’m necessarily vibing with this tho? -its not bad. just not for me -favorites: hell is round the corner, brand new you’re retro -wait hold on hell is round the corner is so familiar!!!!!
I see alot of Portishead and massive Attack, this is my kinda jam The album above (Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room by Dwight Yoakam) was incorrectly reviewed as this when it should have been a 2
I only found Maxinquaye particularly likeable in small doses: The beginnings of the first two tracks were pleasure highlights. The rest of the record gets under your skin, though. It's a very unsettling evocation, and if Strugglin' overdoes its conceit the conceit is in service of every other track.
Don’t think I finished it. Not bad but not my cup of tea
I can appreciate this for what it is, but I didn't really connect with it
I do quite enjoy this type of music, the Portishead moody trip-hoppy kinda stuff. This was certainly a serviceable album that I largely enjoyed. Nothing special and it is outshined by similar albums like Dummy. It's just a solid, enjoyable listen. A few tracks kind washed over each other and lacked that bitta something. 3.5
Campy 90s hard-boiled action film BDSM club music. Often ridiculous and some beats are weaker than others, but I had a great fun time. Three and a half. Fave track: Hell Is Round the Corner
A good album - maybe expected to connect with it a bit more than I did this listen. Some of the tracks seem to blend a bit and didn't seem to shine above a lot of the other Bristol trip hop stuff I have heard (which to be fair, is not heaps). Still some banging tracks and one I think I'll return to and give another chance on another day. Three and a half. Fave track: Hell Is Round The Corner
Not quite as compelling as Massive Attack. But some cause for interest.
One of the darkest trip hop albums from the 90. It is raw, obscure, primitive. Its tribal percussion connects you with some kind of voodoo ritual. Similar to what Massive Attack had been doing at that point, the feminine voice adds some kind of mystique. Definitely a must if you enjoy trip hop, industrial, shoegaze, or IDM.
I love downtempo trip hop, this is great.
I only got about halfway through before the next album was released. Overall, I enjoyed the dark, melancholic vibe of this album and I am slating it for more listens down the line.
I'm already not a fan of this genre, whatever it's called. Throw in the terrible and sometimes crass lyrics, the creepy whispering and attempts at "sexy" singing, and I'm out. I probably would have rated this higher if it had no lyrics at all. The music is sometimes OK, but gets repetitive. Black Steel was probably the best track, but again, the lyrics ruined it for me.
Meh...just kind of droning....
Very Massive Attack-ish but that's expected when it's Tricky. Dreamy Trip-Hop that sometimes lack the punch that Massive Attack has.
Dark and moody, but a vibe. Favorite tracks: Black Steel; Hell Is Round the Corner; Aftermath; Brand New You’re Retro. 4/5.
Superbonito. Trip hop,experimental,electronic,R&B,post-rock,British hip hop. Tiene una colaboración con Portishead.
juomakulttuurivittuilu, sivaripetturihärnäily, huumehörhöilevä.... pois alta ne nopeasti... ihmisinä nämä artistit varmaan NIIN VITTUMAISIA!!! VITTU VARMAAN NIIN PERSEESTÄ LUULTAVASTI!!!!!! mutta vitun hyvää musiikkia... niin junamusiikkia... ei voinu huomiseen odotta!! piti tänää kuunnella stna.... naislaiska ääni hyvä... harvoin onnistuu semmonen. huono puoli siinä että joku ukko rupee jotain vittu turpa kiinni anna eukolle tilaa hyi vittu sillä on paska ääni ai hän on itse artisti joka tuotti tämän noh ei mahdollista vitonen vaikka haluaisi hyihyhihyihiyi aftermath
There are some really groovy and interesting moments on this, but for me they were a bit too few and far between. I was "Strugglin'" not to skip ahead a number of times.
The first track of the album had me excited that this was going to be another cool discovery. Unfortunately, it didn’t remain so engaging for me throughout.
I enjoyed the moody vocals and easy beats. Definitely liked the first half better than the finish.
I loved the moody, dark, sultry feel of this. Lots of styles blended in here from rock to electronica to jazz - Tricky has put a lot of treats in this! I really dig it!
Dark. Mysterious. Honest. The Singing of Martina. The lyrics. Public Enemy's Picture Me a damn I said never. Sung by a woman (Martina) Hell Is Round the Corner. As I grow I grow Collective. Struggling with the Insane. Saw him often live and he never disappoints. This one and Pre Millennium Tension and Nearly God and unfortunately the last 2 ones after his and martina's kid died are all 5 stars. Hero.
“Great another electronic album”, he said, sarcastically. Maliciously rating them all 1 star at this point.
Listened Before? N The first several tracks here were really good with the female singer. Once the other dude took over, though, it became not my favorite. It was okay, and the first part earned it another star. All in all not awful. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Aftermath
Some pretty decent dark and dreamy trip hop
This album is incredibly uninteresting. Snooze fest
So so album, liked the mid-section tracks best, especially the Portishead like Hell is Round the Corner. Otherwise, not much to hold my attention
Trip-hop, lavt tempo, sample-baseret, hiphop/rock/ambient, eksperimenterende
3.5/5
His cover of Black Steel is awesome. The rest of the album is pleasant background music.
It rocks and rhymes that’s right on time.
too trippy not tricky
3.5
Not bad, but I may not have given it the attention it deserves. It probably warrants another listen. What DID get my full attention was the track "Hell Is Round the Corner," which sent me down a rabbit hole. I immediately recognized the sample used as one Portishead had also used, and after a quick minute looking through my collection, I found the proper track, "Glory Box" (a great song, but I actually prefer the Mudflap Mix, which I encourage everyone to check out). A bit later I remembered that Alessia Cara's "Here" used the same sample, so I got me to the Wiki and discovered that "Ike's Rap II" by Isaac Hayes was the track they'd all sampled. I thought that was the end of it, but while I was (night) dreaming last night, I remembered another track with a similar sound. I couldn't quite remember the details, but thought it might be "Daydreaming" by I Monster, which got me to the lyrics: something about sleeping among the flowers or something. And that reminded me of Lupe Fiasco, who sampled THAT track. Some google-fu later, I came to the end of the rabbit hole: the song was 1969's "Daydream" by the Wallace Collection, which was then covered by the Gunter Kallman Choir, then sampled by I Monster in "Daydream in Blue" (I hadn't quite remembered the name right, probably because...), which was subsequently sampled by Lupe Fiasco in "Daydreamin," all of which was a separate branch of the "Daydream" genetic line from Isaac Hayes' track and all the songs that sampled his. Phew! Rabbit holes. Gotta love 'em.
I know this band was pretty popular at a point, but I never got into them & find them just moderately interesting. I'd rather listen to Portishead.
Interesting experience, not yet sure what to think about it 🤔
At the time, I liked this more than the Portishead debut album, even though that one is still 5 star too. In any case, Maxinquaye is still great in every aspect. Later albums, especially Nearly God and Pre-Millennium Tension, still had their moments but are not so good as Tricky's debut album.
I had high expectations of this album, but this was mostly based on a few really good songs that I kept playing. Listening again to the album as a whole, my impression is that the first 5 tracks and the final track are very good, but the rest of the songs feel less compelling. In short, a very good triphop album, but definitely not my favourite, for which Portishead and Massive Attack would have to battle it out.
Quite good triphop album with great use of samples. What a coincidence (or not?) that both Portishead and Tricky made a song based on Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II.
This album makes me feel like I’ve been smoking the kushiest herb. All CBD; no THC. That, and Goldfrapp doing her best Bjork (or is it Bjork who’s been doing Goldfrapp all along?) on Pumpkin makes me realise what the noise about this disc is all about.
Boooo.
Hadn't heard this before but absolutely loved it, obvious huge influence on UK music. Could have seen this would have been an album played again and again if I'd have gotten it at the time.
Tricky tries too hard to be sexy sometimes.
Hip-hop'ish with catchy rhythms and accompaniment. For the most part, this old white guy couldn't keep up with the lyrics, but I did enjoy the soundtrack.
Good but probably just not my thing so much
It's pleasant enough to listen to but not really my thing. Doesn't hold my attention.
Love the blends!
Repetitive and kind of boring. The instrumentals are cool, however.
Starts strong, fades a little in the middle and bounces back for a good finish. Cool and eerie.
Trip hop is such an interesting and important bit of music history. This, just behind Dummy, is right up there with the best of it
Complex, needs another listen. A lot going on and a lot to like. Even when it feels distracted, it keeps the dark/dreamy vibe. Initial impression was unsure but it really grew on me.
Album starts out with two really great songs. From there it slows down a little bit, but overall I enjoy listening to it. Would probably give it a 3.5 but I’ll round up to 4
Cool
This was giving me Fiona Apple vibes mixed with Massive Attack. I really liked it until the dude was muttering over the whole song.
This had some Fiona Apple vibes which I enjoyed but was too distracted to really take this album in. Plan to revisit.
I liked it more than i thought i would, definitely had a lot of surprising tracks
It’s pretty good but get me a bumper sticker that says “I’d Rather Be Listening to Portishead”
My first thought: this sounds like massive attack! And that’s because it’s one of the people from massive attack. I really enjoy trip hop, but this one is just a tier below my favorite albums of the genre.
Fell flat for me. One and done.
It was on ok
Hmm.. not sure what to think. Not a favourite
Bit of a weird album. doesn't sound quite finished, but some tracks compelling. Black Steel excellent, Hell is Round the Corner vg but then other tracks just don't really come together iyam - Suffocated Love for example. So mixed impressions overall, but an interesting listen.
Trip hop,experimental,electronic,R&B,post-rock,British hip hop. Tiene una colaboración con Portishead.
Not as good as Massive Attack, but still very solid 7/10
Two albums by Tricky within 10 days is not something that I was looking forward to. It is unfortunately not my genre.
Nog een albumpje in hetzelfde genre, het geluidsbeeld is wat minder strak maar dat mag de pret niet drukken. Ook dit luistert lekker weg, creatief gedaan allemaal, ik moet dit soort muziek toch wat vaker gaan luisteren.
Dit is gewoon een lekker album. Met een paar wegzakkers, maar vooral een paar flinke positieve uitschieters. Het lastige is dat je bij een groot deel van het album een artiest kent die het nog beter heeft gedaan, zelfs bij die uitschieters. Ik luister net iets liever naar Karmacoma van Massive Attack dan naar Overcome (Ik weet het, sorry Tricky). Ik luister net iets liever naar Glory Box van Portishead dan naar Hell is around the Corner. Als er zo duidelijk een niveau hoger is, moet het aantal sterren tot 4 beperkt worden. Lager kan trouwens niet als je Public Enemy zo vet neer kan zetten als in Black Steel. Heel anders, maar met net zo veel kracht.
Fijn genre, dat triphop. Maar ik blijf het gewoon ongelooflijk vinden dat mezzanine niet in de 1001-lijst staat. Nota bene het beste triphop album aller tijden, by far. Waanzin.
I must have said, "Wait, did they really say that?" about half a dozen times while listening. Not bad, nothing special. Best track: Black Steel
With only a couple examples under my belt by now, I think I like trip hop generally, while also finding it distractingly british sometimes
Hadn't heard of this guy before but I had already heard his work in a massive attack album I got almost 400 albums ago. Goldfrapp is on this album and he was a contemporary of Portishead whose music I love. I enjoyed this a ton. Chillout vibes and some good trip hop. Going to check out his other work.
Didn't hate this.
A lot of layers here. Hard to describe. Impressive even if I don't really understand it. Worth a listen. I can see why it got such high ratings upon its release.
Un disco demasiado texturizado y encapado que está falto de letras y una buena mezcla. Pero la experiencia sonora es muy buena, el ambiente que propone es visible y la variedad de generos tocados e incursionados en los beats es mayormente acertada 8/10
Kinda boring? But not annoying.
Really don't have many feelings about this album, one way or another.
Reminded me of massive attack so not a shock to find he was initially part of them! Slightly weird but good to work to with it in background
I didn’t finish listening to this one and I don’t really care if I ever do.
Hmmmm, nope
Very cool sound. Was not familiar with trip-hop.
Reminds me of Morcheeba, Emiliana Torrini, and other trippy, poppy stuff from the late 90s.
Inject the trip hop into my veins 💉
meh
Pretty neutral. It had an off-kilter, funky vibe, which at times I like, but I also like my music to be more engaging than this.
Couple good songs, lot of long, boring breaks in between, but interesting sound and worth the listen
Je suis assez terrifié par cet album. A chaque fois que je l'écoute je ne peux pas m'empêcher de me faire la même réflexion : "c'est vraiment un truc d'intello". J'ai vraiment du mal à voir l'intérêt, les grooves sont assez atypiques et intriguants mais sans plus. Tout est très répétitif. Les chansons sont souvent très longues et j'ai vraiment dû me faire du mal pour ne pas aller écouter autre chose après 3 morceaux de Maxinquaye. Malheureusement, je n'ai absolument aucune envie de réécouter cet album, ce n'est pas pour moi. En dernière note j'ajouterai quand même que "Hell Is Round The Corner" est vraiment chouette, mais c'est probablement le sample de Portishead qui me fait dire ça.
Ik kende het nog niet, blijkbaar noemen ze het 'Trip-hop', hoewel er behalve hip-hop heel veel anders in terugkomt, blues, rock, dance achtige dingen. Daardoor blijft het leuk en interessant, soms upbeat en soms chill, soms een beat en soms een gitaar. De lyrics heb ik weinig van meegekregen omdat de zang wat onduidelijk was, maar het klonk over het algemeen wel erg lekker. 4 sterren.
So it's certainly not as brilliant as it's made out to be, get's highly redundant as a album but there's a some interesting music on this. Aftermath, Blacksteel and Hell is Round the Corner are the highlights for me.
Not much going on here. Some of its listenable. Some of it wasn’t.
Seemed like the filler left over from better Trip Hop albums. I keep waiting for it to kick in but it never delivered.
This was terrible. Not only did the music not grab me even a little bit, but the mix was terrible. Call me wierd, but I think you should be able hear the vocals and not push them so far back in the mix that they're unlistenable.
It wasn't bad. But again, like with all Trip Hop, it just builds. There's no change from verse A to B, no chorus. It's just verse A verse A verse A over and over. If you get into the song you're good. If not, it gets a bit... boring. Songs I did like were: Black Steel, Hell is Round The Corner, Aftermath. But it's one of those things where you just... had to be there. Next.
I did like this album a lot more than other straight ahead trip hop or electronica. Probably because of the prominence of Martina Topley-Bird and her vocals. But Tricky's beats are more varied and less monotonous than other music in this genre. Still, it had its ups and downs. His lyrics are not great, juvenile at times ("F you in the ass, just for a laugh"). Favorite tracks were Overcome, Black Steel (great beats to open), Hell is Round the Corner (familiar beat - his or sampled?). Least favorite tracks (mostly because they were too repetitive) were Pumpkin (despite Goldfrapp appearance), Abbaon Fat Tracks, Suffocated Love. Pushing 3.5 but not quite there.
Definitely a nighttime album. I’d put this on with some wine and a dark room. 4/5 80/100
Meh
Ok but not aged as well as I’d hoped.
Couldn't get through the whole thing so it gets a 1
Ok! Algumas musicas sao inventivas mas no geral é parado
Was surprising, first half was awesome, thought it was a grunge album
I’m not edgy and/or pretentious enough to truly enjoy this album, but I do see the appeal.
Sometimes languid, sometimes up tempo, sometimes sensual. One of the best trip hop albums ever made
I did enjoy this not something I'd of listened to but fit the vibe of the day.
One never really got Tricky in real time, and still doesn't, largely. Massive Attack were better, and so too, the Saints (Etienne, Germain) from related sub-genres. It's relatively interesting, but trip-hop's pervasiveness and the industrialization of these beats and silly sound effects (poppy, staticky vinyl noise, anyone?) now seem the very last word in cliched. Martine elevates the few songs she's on. "Aftermath" just goes on too long. One prefers the stylish and more sophisticated end ("You Don't" and "Feed Me") of their (fairly limited) continuum to the bangier/more boisterous/rappier ("Brand New You're Retro"). It's worth asking just how important or innovative first-gen trip-hop has worked out to be. Seems destined for the dustbin, not because it's outright bad or unpleasant, but rather that it all seems so obvious now and it's been rather leapfrogged. This is best conceived as music to listen to while traversing a gritty urban setting or getting stoned therein, with a handful of cuts appropriate for gym or bedroom. What does that say about the identity of this slight, transitory genre?
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to. Quite varied whole still being true to style. But not something I would return to of my own volition.
Pretty average.
Spennende rap med nytenkende instrumentaler. Litt space den ene jævelen om å ta noen i 2eren og nokke greier. Ikke helt min greie, men noen fete bangers.
Love the sound of traditional percussion on “Ponderosa”, blends really well & glued everything together. Black Steel is one of my favorites from the album, with the breakdown halfway through the track. Brand New Retro laid the foundation to Ye’s sound as an artist.
Pretty good Trip-hop classic. The female singer Martina Topley-Bird is amazing throughout. While pretty dark and cool, I feel like this album was a bit too atmospheric for my taste and no songs really stood out to me that much. I found the sample from "Glory Box" by Portishead to be pretty lazy given the genre and that it was released only one year prior. 7,0/10
And I thought Massive Attack's "Protection" was wild lol. Basically pushing trip hop to its limits. Most of the time it's good and surprising. But I've got to admit to it sounds like a trip hop parody in some places. Perhaps he took himself seriously, after all he wanted to prove a point: that he has some nice ideas for Massive Attack's trip hop sound, even if he doesn't know how to properly sample.
Ik heb hier weinig op tegen, het is goed, leuk, knap, vernieuwend, etc. Maar dat dit album er wel in staat en Massive Attack - Mezzanine niet, is in mijn ogen een groot onrecht. 3 sterren voor dit album. Massive Attack - Mezzanine minimaal een hele dikke 5.
Not bad... But not good either.
90s trip hop. Aged, but still quality.
Easy listen.
It’s ok
PREFS : Black Steel, Pumpkin, Abbaon Fat Tracks, Brand New You're Retro, Suffocated Love, Strugglin', Feed Me MOINS PREF : You Don't
No good
Didn't know what to expect. Never heard of Tricky. I liked the vibe. Sexy, groovy, a bit dark.
An excellent album that sets a mood that is dark and sinister and moody and creepy. I do love the slow burn but I also wish there were more songs at the pace of the wonderful Black Steel. But it doesn't detract from an overall superb album.
favorite Abbaon Fat Tracks
genre is trip hop. originated in the UK in the 1990s. psychadelic fusion of hip hop and electronic, with many other elements. experimental. black steel was on a good start until Tricky decided to keep repeating the lyrics?? her voice is nice. not too demanding. yeah theres a lot going on with this style. 4 is rap, with mood around it. incomprehensible lyrics throughout the album. Abbaon Fat Tracks with insane sexual and drug lyrics. i can see why some people might be into 8. actually its good. very loud and overwhelming. all over you from start to finish from all angles. not a fan of the frogs. he goes overboard with his outside the box expressions. songs like 9 are really eerie. music and lyrics intertwined. 69 a thing back then. you can feel the drug influence in the album. but it’s disturbing. sure, if thats the point of the album i can see it. but at best case i can never see this album going over 5/10. for me it is lower than that. it just doesn’t consistently work and even when it does it is a short experience that you don’t wana go back to soon. ragga’s voice is really strong and nice. Strugglin is incredible in what it’s trying to do. for a minute you feel like you’re in a basement floating on the edge of consciousness with dark thoughts looming in the background. the laugh at the end of strugglin is haunting. what a song. obvious heroin vibes from velvet underground. given a 3 only because i can see how it can sometimes work and give you what you’re kinda looking for. strugglin is an experience worth reliving. highest rated song Strugglin’ 5/10.
Very good, unique from my experience, which I don't have much of in terms of music like this. I was completely off l unfamiliar with this album before now but I enjoyed it quite a bit and will listen to it more.
4.5
it's amazing how many versions of vapid lazy 90s beats and pointless droning vocals this album contains. the oddly crass lyrics are hilariously bad. the music of waiting for your mom to finish shopping in an overpriced boutique store
Interesting! Can definitely see how this is an early trip hop album. Not as blown away by it as the last 4 from this list but good nonetheless. Might change if I revisit it.
It's tricky to rock a rhyme. Well a beat and baseline at least. Kinda nostalgic.
It was nice to hear the Portishead/Tricky melange again. Some very mid-90s stuff going on here.
90’s trip hop. Good background noise but not for everyone. Disturbing in parts.
Good trio hop rap album 💿
Disco mezcla de pop con algo de rock y de toques vanguardistas y algo de industrial. No destaca especialmente y me esperaba otra cosa.
This ain't Pharcyde
It's good, but I don't seem to care very much for it. Still a "good to know" discovery.
Smooth vibe, ok to listen once in a life..
Very nice and smooth listen from start to finish. In the end, nothing remarkable, but everything was good. The 2 last tracks were completely not necessary and the album would have been better a little shorter.
Trip-hop/Alt-Rock
Mleh
This is something I can imagine myself listening to.
Not for me but the woman voice is amazing
I do like a bit of trip hop
quite interesting, nice vibe, surprised I've never heard it before
This is slightly edgy trip hop. The lyrics seem like they’re trying a bit too hard but the music is pretty ok. It’s nothing groundbreaking and not the best example of the genre, but it’s listenable and I enjoyed it.
Beh, di cosa stiamo parlando?
Meh
I liked it, some songs stood out a lot more than others but overall it was a good mix and a good album.
70/100: This was an interesting album, pretty different than most other, even experimental, rap album. I really liked the lead singer's voice and the beats on a lot of the songs. With that being said, I think the sound curated on this album is cool for a song or two, but eventually it kind of gets old, slow, and repetitive.
Feels like coffee shop background music, easy to have on in the background but not going to seek it out for another listen
Fuck me this was a grind. Got maybe half way through and quit
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
I guess the good thing about Apple Music not having the full album is I don't have to feel like I need to listen to an album that is most definitely not a must listen to album. 2.5/5.
Amazing album and probably my favourite of all the music labelled Trip Hop. I even rate this over Massive Attack.
Excellent stuff here, four stars at least.
I'm a bigger Massive Attack fan than Tricky, but this ends up being solid background music. Still feel it is slightly overrated though. 3/5
thought this would be harder, kinda like background music
Not my favorite Tricky but still pretty good.
Felt very ambient, I thought it was a movie soundtrack at first lol. A lot of the sexual stuff, to me, does not come off the way it’s supposed to and is just weird. Again, it was great at building atmosphere. Wouldn’t care to listen again though, not for me. Album Cover: This doesn’t tell you anything, does nothing really 1/5
Not my thing but not painful.
great
It’s all over the place and does not focus itself into anything entertaining or inspiring. Had potentially, but execution ended up being boring. 2/5
Hell is round the corner and aftermath are the stand out tracks for me.
favourite song: black steel least favourite song: aftermath honourable mentions to hell is a round the corner and suffocated love fantastic album kept my attention throughout and was really interesting
I feel like I have been neck deep in mediocre albums lately, with only a few exceptions. This was another such album. Granted, I didn’t mind this too much, but it was completely forgettable to me. Do I need to sacrifice an electric guitar or a server to the generator to turn this ship around?
I usually like trip hop a lot. Much of this was hit or miss. Some good stuff like you don't or abbaon fat tracks (good lyrics). Think I'll need to revisit this and have another crack at it. Some good choices with sampling though.
Surprised myself, I really lined this.
Delightfully eclectic and well produced. In the Massive Attack ballpark without coming across as just a vanity- or side-project. Probably more reminiscent of Recoil’s Bloodlines.
Good album, never heard it before, will not likely again.
Liked the Trip Hop beats right from the start. Standouts: Overcome (Karmacoma), Pumpkin, Others: Ponderosa, Black Steel, Aftermath, Abbaon Fat Tracks, Hell is Around the Corner, Feed Me Singles: --------------------------------------- Aftermath Ponderosa Overcome Black Steel The Hell E.P. (#12 UK) Pumpkin Rating: 3.5
Still trying to figure out what genre this belongs in
I'm going to give this one a second listen eventually, I think there is some potential amongst the oddity of this music.
Inconsistent. Many of the tunes were awesome and original but at times it dragged really hard, namely on that penultimate tune which has a really really irritating beat with little stops over six and a half minutes. But at least the mood and production of this record was fantastic. A decent record.
interesting trip hop
It was fairly good
It actually started out pretty well with Martina Topley-Bird carrying the album with her strong vocals. Fell off a cliff in the last 2/3’s with Tricky taking over with his loud whispering? I don’t know, it just annoyed me. By the time Strugglin’ came on I thought, yea this sucks. If it was a 4 song ep with the first 4 tracks it’d be great. Ponderosa and Black Steel best tracks by far. 2 stars
The Streets meets Zero 7 meets classic milky liqueur commercials, all set in the mid 90s. The album plays like a long commercial, quickly fading into the background. Like most commercials, I was left hoping we could get back to the show sooner than later.
Ça ressemble beaucoup à du Massive Attack. Du trip hop très straight forward. Pas mauvais, mais plus j'en écoute plus je réalise que ce n'est pas mon genre.
Cracking album, dark brooding trip-hop, full of 90s swagger.
Great REM album
Forgot how much I loved the tunes on this album - sending me back on a chilled 90’s vibe. Beautiful to remember the influence women had on this era of music - which has often been overshadowed. Effortless homage striking of the mid 90’s. Sexy chilled 90’s vibe thanks for the reminder.
Pretty good TBH
Enjoy this, very much in the realm of Portishead etc
Never heard of Tricky. Very moody. Recognize some of these beats from remixes and samples. Probably not something I would listen to except in like, a very specific vibe.
Too horny for me
Not my vibe
Très cool. Pas surprennant qu’il soit on/off dans Massive attack. Un peu plate de reprendre le sample de Portishead par contre. Je vais y revenir.
Première écoute de cet album. Agréablement surpris. La première chanson est fantastique. La majorité des grooves sont vraiment intéressantes, par contre l'utilisation du même sample qu'utiliser de façon principale comme Portishead l'a fait un an auparavant n'est pas une superbe idée. Ça manque d'originalité, surtout qu'il fonctionne tellement bien dans Glory Box. Je vais sûrement y revenir.
Know this one well
Portia head for being British
Good - similar to his work with Massive Attack.
I like PJ Harvey, Bjork, and Portishead, and these felt adjacent. The lyrics are a little deeper though.
Pretty interesting album but wasn’t super consistent. Makes me want to check out more trip hop/creative hip hop.
I just didn't like it
Unique, eclectic, and probably ahead of its time, but somehow entirely unmemorable as well
Not sure why this one didn't really click for me. It felt kind of sludgy and sad but not in a fun way.
sexy vocals - genre-defining. perhaps multiple genres. talented songwriter with a unique vision and lyrics that have something to say. does something absolutely post-modern before anyone was ready.
Started really strong and then got a bit bored by the end.
Rich ambiance and groovy drum samples makes this a shoe-in for great trip hop albums. While I'm definitely more of a Portishead or Massive Attack fan, I can see how Tricky made the list with this impressive debut album.
One of the best house albums
Some interesting bits, but couldn’t keep me entertained enough for the whole album.
Good background music, a little dated.
Definitely not what I was expecting when I saw Tricky was an English Rapper. I really enjoyed the sound and trip hop vibe of most of the album. Least favorite track: Brand New You're Retro.
Oddly appealing in a Portishead sort of way.
Reminded me of Portishead
3/5. Good background music. Not the best electronic album I’ve heard. Would rather listen to massive attack.
Not something I'm very into.
I can understand some people like it, but it's not for me. I feel like it is in the line of the Fugees and also Massive Attack, but than worse.
greatttt
Didn't like it.
It's like a funkier discount Mezzanine
Intrigante. Mi piace molto, magari non è un capolavoro, ma è molto interessante.
Reminds me of uni & tricky in massive attack. Already on my playlist
Awful
Hell Is Round The Corner is brilliant. I like this kind of music, just enough lyrics and structure to be interesting, but still able to have it on in the background and work. I completed much of my undergrad to Heligoland by Massive Attack, big fan of Martina Topley-Bird's contributions to both that album, and this one. However, some of this is as dull as dishwater.
Very mellow sounding, bit too much for me. Barely noticed the album was even playing sometimes.
Massive attack meets faithless meets skunk anice
Not for me. Should've stuck with massive attack
Oh I loves my Trip-Hop.
As a Massive Attack and Portishead fan, I once went on a quest of finding other bands playing with similar style, something to expand my thirst for trip hop songs. Logically, the path quickly has taken me to Tricky, one of co-founding members of Massive Attack. So in essence, this is the second attempt to listen to his discography. Maxinquaye has a specific tempo and an atmosphere to it. Songs sound very much alike first Massive Attack albums - one overpowering beat with plenty of variations, slightly melancholic, and a female vocal all over the beat. Recipe is 'easy', but works almost every time. Different addition on this album is a spoken word and rap from Tricky himself. The whole mix can be heard in its best on my favourite song of the album (unsurprisingly) 'Hell is round a corner'. Beat sounds like a child of Massive Attack and Portishead, Tricky is leading the way with soft rap, and Martina Topley-Bird adding yet another dimension with her singing and choruses. The only problem is that the level of that song can't be reached anymore throught the album. Other songs are catchy, and they have this specific style, but are rather forgettable. Very interesting album, but probably I won't try it for the third time.
This album is mysterious, rebellious, and ambiguous enough to be considered avant-garde/experimental rap. It sounds like something the goth kids from South Park would probably obsess over. I will always be open to revisiting Tricky's music in the future, but for the time being, I am not in the mood for British trip-hop.
Chill weird creepy in a good way
Didn’t find this album that enjoyable. Not much of an electronic album. Feels more like an indie alternative 90s style. It’s unique but overall not that special. 3.8/10
Great album. I have never heard any track beyond their hit. I really enjoyed it. Great for a road trip.
Great album!
Great album
Trip hop estándar a mi parecer, nada memorable. Disco largo y monótono que terminó por perder mi atención.
No esperaba nada de otro disco de Trip Hop, pero resulta que, dejando de lado la versión extendida del disco, resulta ser bastante interesante y un fondo agradable para trabajar. Le alcanza para 3.5 que baja a 3.
I had not previously been familiar with this artist but I did enjoy it in the way sometimes instead of experiencing music via emotions, you just allow the sounds to wash over you. Or am I just high? I thought abbaon fat had questionable lyrics, pumpkin was least favorite track. Favorites were black steel, hell is round, aftermath.
I'm not a big trip hop fan, but this was still decent, I guess. I read the bio for Tricky and learned he was a part of Massive Attack which made me just want to go listen to that instead. And then I got to "Hell is around the corner" and was furious he had the balls to rip off Portishead. But it turns out they both ripped off Isaac Hayes which just make me hate both sampled versions now for being so lazy. Now I'm listening to Isaac Hayes.
Nice vibes
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Overcome, Black steel, Hell is around the corner
Solid. Not too familiar with trip hop outside of portishead, but was pretty good
pretty dull
"Trip hop" album, pretty chill vibes overall but some songs were a little weird. Was relaxing for work focus. "Pumpkin" sounds almost like a James Bond song
Trip hop type stuff. Did not like
A solid vibey trip hop album nothing much to say.
3, definitely a time and place for this one
I’ll never get that time back. Thought this was the top 1001 albums
not much to the album
Top album
I was pleasantly surprised by this. The music and rhythms were an easy listen, and even the vocal style was okay. Would I put this on my playlist? No. Did I enjoy the listen? Yes.
Meh
Chill vibes, cool samples
I like beats and I like British voices ladies. Don't know if this will have a lasting impression on me, but I was not unhappy while it was on.
Dark stained music that I actually quite like for running in the background. However, it doesn't manage to grab enough of a hold on me to light the foreground fire.
this feels like something the edgy degrassi characters would like
Vaag hip hop album, kon het niet echt plaatsen
Kjøpte dette albumet da det kom ut til tross for litt skepsis. Litt krampaktig hipt.
I'm not totally sure how to describe him. He has some female vocals over rap-based beats. Aftermath is a good song. Almost as if you were to strip away raps and just have some sampled beats and put a soft female voice over it. 3.5-4 stars
Trip-hop suavecín, casi ambiental. Venga, un 4.
Compelling album - I like the dark atmospheres and subject matter contrasted with the lightness of Topley-Bird's vocals.
I'm a pretty big fan of downtempo grooves so this mostly works for me. Nice and moody, almost haunting, touches throughout. Very textured and atmospheric, but still sounds lean and uncluttered. He seems to largely work in the spaces between genres, which I always admire. I like that he chose to have a female singer to be his foil. Provides a nice contrast. Perhaps a bit too long though. Got kinda bored towards the end. I'm not sure how I feel about his hushed vocals either. Sometimes it works, and sometimes I find it kind of frustrating. "Aftermath" is the standout track to me.
Pretty iconic trip-hop. Intersesting to hear "Hell Is Round the Corner" which uses the same sample of Portishead's track Glory Box. According to quick googling Portishead played a rough demo to Tricky in a car and then he went and sampled Isaac Hayes' 'Ike's Rap II' as well. I would have thought there was more cohesion between them but it sounds sort of contentious, but I think we all know who came out ahead. Overall some nice grooves but I believe I prefer Massive Attack as a whole.
De va hårt
sOlid, a unique approach to trip-hop