Mezzanine is the third studio album by English electronic music group Massive Attack, released on 20 April 1998 by Circa and Virgin Records. For the album, the group began to explore a darker aesthetic, and focused on a more atmospheric style influenced by British post-punk, industrial music, hip hop and dub music. The album spawned four singles, "Risingson", "Teardrop", "Angel" and "Inertia Creeps". It was the group's first album not to feature rapper Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and the last to feature Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles. It also marked the first collaboration between Robert "3D" Del Naja and producer Neil Davidge. It also features guest vocals from recurring collaborator Horace Andy, as well as Elizabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins and Sarah Jay Hawley.
Mezzanine received significant critical acclaim, with many praising the group’s darker sound. It has been named by several publications as one of the best albums of the 1990s and of all time. It is the group's most commercially successful album, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. It has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Wait a minute this wasn’t on the original list? Now I’m surprised it’s taken so long to get added to the users list. Makes me think everyone like me assumed it was on the first list…
One of my go to albums for testing out sound systems this is an absolute classic. Up there with Portishead - Dummy as the two trio hop masterpieces.
On Mezzanine the band Massive Attack has move from a sould and trip hop style to something more. Blue Lines and Protection are also fantastic albums, but the collection of styles and soundscapes on Mezzanine is unbelievable. Their adaptation of Angel is mesmerizing and Teardrop is so full of beauty. Listening to this album gives me the goosebumps every time.
I always forget what this band is about. The name makes me think its some hardcore thing and then the music completely surprises me. Anyway I thought this was great. Trip Hop and its legion sub and side genres are not always my thing but this is a total package.
If you had told me this was on the official 1001 list I woulda believed you. Should it take the place of Kid Rock's "Devil Without a Cause" from the same year? Probably.
It's taken me a few runthroughs to 'get' Mezzanine, though I still feel I'm missing something given the massive critical acclaim. The atmospheric yet claustrophobic instrumentals are rapturous, yet I feel the world this album builds is just a bit too sparse and could be better populated. Add in some vocal focus a la Portishead and the LP would feel much more substantiated and impactful, though perhaps the minimalism is the point.
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