Listening Party #8 - Mezzanine by Massive Attack - start playing at 8pm on 11th May

markv

This is the thread for Listening Party #8 which will start at 8pm sharp on 11th of May, so cue up your CD or vinyl, rewind your tape or add to your Spotify playlist ready to go.

For an explanation / idea of what we are trying to do, please read the original thread

Please chip in with any positive comments or observations on each tune as they are being played in real time. There will be plenty of opportunity to expand on longer thoughts if you want to after the 'live' thread has finished, so keep them short and upbeat during the playback period. There will be a very short drinks interval about half way through.

The 8th record we are doing is Mezzanine by Massive Attack (1998).


Looking forward to listening with you all.

markv

Tagging previous participants:

 @Ally ;
 @BahHumbug ;
 @Devil#20 ;
 @digitalkettle ;
 @DiscoStu ;
 @EricTheWeary ;
 @ewal ;
 @Fuengi ;
 @Hattigol ;
 @JMS96 ;
 @Jonathangus ;
 @JonHosker ;
 @MagicPigDetective ;
 @merlin ;
 @mudslide73 ;
 @Philly_Q ;
 @Redlester ;
 @richardhomer ;
 @roberty ;
 @RocknRollDave ;
 @Springywheel ;
 @theimageofall ;
 @thermionic ;
 @tone1 ;
 @TTony ;
 @UnclePsychosis ;
 @victorludorum ;

digitalkettle

Cracking!

markv

Mezzanine was Massive Attack's third album, released in April 1998, and their most commercially successful album to date (according to Wikipedia).

I've really enjoyed the albums in this series so far but I wanted to choose something that wasn't a white man playing a guitar. Mezzanine has been a favourite of mine since it was released (omg 24 years ago): a densely atmospheric listen and a deliberate departure from their first two albums (which are also superb). 

Sporky

For a moment I was shocked that someone had suggested an album released this century - reassuring to see this is older than I initially thought.

digitalkettle

Sporky said:

For a moment I was shocked that someone had suggested an album released this century - reassuring to see this is older than I initially thought.

I'm working on it

markv

I was considering going the other way and choosing an album from the 50s - the first decade in which albums actually existed!

DiscoStu

Bloody love Massive Attack! Mezzanine is a bona fide classic but I haven't listened to it as a whole for a long time. I've missed the last few parties due to work but I'll try to make this one

TTony

markv said:

 but I wanted to choose something that wasn't a white man playing a guitar. 

Bloody anarchist.

KDS

stunning album, I bought this on re-issue vinyl awhile back...... need to listen

Philly_Q

I don't really know anything about Massive Attack.  The name is very familiar, I think they've been around a long time so I've probably heard something they've done, but I couldn't name anything.

Apparently they are trip hop... I don't know what trip hop is.  But I suspect it isn't boring, so I'm prepared to give it a go.

digitalkettle

They fit perfectly into a pigeon-hole labeled 'Massive Attack'*

* or just 'Massive' for a short while back in 1991

DesVegas

I listen to this album at least once a week at  work. Plenty of guitar on it. Especially track one.. See if you can spot the cure sampled in there too. Great choice Ted.

sweepy

Awesome album, with a decent HiFi the old intestines get a good wobble on

Springywheel

Great album that.... Very dark and atmospheric...One for the audiophiles for sure

Redlester

I listened to this solidly at the time and for months after… and curiously though I still have the copy, I haven’t ever listened to it since ‘’99 or so. 

I think this is a good choice for a listening party, because it enables newcomers and old fans alike to listen to it for what it was always meant to be, namely a properly sequenced album of songs.

I think what killed this record for me was overexposure essentially. Those of you saying you don't know it will find bits of it familiar I am sure. What must have happened is that when this went mainstream, it got co-opted by various BBC and media types who thought 'a-ha! soundtrack material!!!". 

Bits of this record have been used to death- it's the kind of thing you would have heard soundtracking documentaries about the Millennium Bug, or playing in the background on human interest documentaries about losing your luggage on Easy Jet flights. The opening bars of track one are still the kind of thing the editors at Newsnight might use for a piece about the Red Wall towns, as the camera tracks in slow motion down a High St that is half betting shops and half derelict...

I can't make this one, but have a good time everyone! 

Man Next Door remains my standout track, BTW.

Brad

Brilliant album, Angel is a masterpiece

DesVegas

Redlester said:

Man Next Door remains my standout track, BTW.

Andy Horace is the highlight for sure

markv

Redlester said:

Bits of this record have been used to death- it's the kind of thing you would have heard soundtracking documentaries about the Millennium Bug, or playing in the background on human interest documentaries about losing your luggage on Easy Jet flights. The opening bars of track one are still the kind of thing the editors at Newsnight might use for a piece about the Red Wall towns, as the camera tracks in slow motion down a High St that is half betting shops and half derelict...

Interesting, I didn't know this (I've never watched much TV) but it makes sense, it has a great atmosphere.

I'm pleased plenty of people like it as much as I do. Looking forward to Wednesday! We'll have a short break between "Dissolved Girl" and "Man Next Door" (tracks 6 and 7) - that's about half way by my reckoning.

Ally

I'm up for this one. Haven't managed the last few as I didn't have the music. Got this on vinyl though, so I'm up for this. Significant album and a different vibe from the first two. I think it was written with members pretty much isolated from each other maybe marking the end of the Wild Bunch era, particularly with Tricky not being involved and working on Maxinquaye. Love Tricky's music - his most recent album is stunning: brutal, but stunning. Haven't listened to Mezzanine for a while, so it'll be good. I like listening to folks opinions and views as they're usually much more thoughtful than mine. 

PolarityMan

Not sure I'll make it due to kids bedtime but I absolutely LOVE this album