Listening now to what may possibly be a raw mix, but I'm kind of hoping it's a finalized version. This is totally stream of consciousness stuff in the best way.
I'm sure people will complain about the lack of anything like "Roads" or "Sour Times", but those have already been made and made perfectly. Why try to recreate them over and over? Especially when you'd rather be doing (and I'd rather be hearing) things like "Hunter" with maybe the best guitar bit I'll hear all year and "Machine Gun" which closes out with some totally John Carpenter-esque synth dabbling.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 08:41 (5 years ago) Permalink
Listening now to what may possibly be a raw mix
plz explain? promo? leak? friend of the band/studio tech/label?
― StanM, Friday, 7 March 2008 08:47 (5 years ago) Permalink
Mickey?
― Noodle Vague, Friday, 7 March 2008 08:49 (5 years ago) Permalink
Leak, but the source is vague about details.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 08:52 (5 years ago) Permalink
Mmmm...this just continues to get better.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:05 (5 years ago) Permalink
I'm 3/4 of the way through my first listen...I have no idea what to make of this so far. Very different from the first albums, thankfully.
"Machine Gun" sounds massive.
― Simon H., Friday, 7 March 2008 19:18 (5 years ago) Permalink
fuck you all
― HI DERE, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
Stevie T told me this album didn't so much exceed his expectation as smash them into a million pieces.
VERY EXCITED.
― Matt DC, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:23 (5 years ago) Permalink
When is this officially released?
― HI DERE, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:25 (5 years ago) Permalink
4/28
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:29 (5 years ago) Permalink
SO FAR AWAY ARGH
― HI DERE, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:30 (5 years ago) Permalink
so I guess you're holding out then?
― Simon H., Friday, 7 March 2008 19:32 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, I'm definitely holding out; I don't really look for leaks.
― HI DERE, Friday, 7 March 2008 19:34 (5 years ago) Permalink
if Beth Gibbons didn't have such a nice voice, this album would never get played again at my house.
― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 7 March 2008 20:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
Jess's "first impression" piece is pretty much essential reading: http://idolator.com/365148/portishead-take-it-to-the-brink-but-hold-back
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 20:17 (5 years ago) Permalink
(Oh yeah, except for the part about the second record being slumpish...*shrug*)
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 7 March 2008 20:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
oboioboioboioboy!
― StanM, Friday, 7 March 2008 20:28 (5 years ago) Permalink
(that's called hyper.gif btw)
(and it's totally justified)
― StanM, Friday, 7 March 2008 21:08 (5 years ago) Permalink
I cant wait for the release. Where can i hear this?
― Herman G. Neuname, Friday, 7 March 2008 21:10 (5 years ago) Permalink
look alive, it's on pirate bay now. nice and fast :)
― blueski, Saturday, 8 March 2008 00:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Especially when you'd rather be doing (and I'd rather be hearing) things like "Hunter" with maybe the best guitar bit I'll hear all year"
Correct. I'm really digging this so far. Fans will be in spite of the lack of identifiable "stand out" tracks. However, I am still unsure whether it really is a step forward for them, perhaps it is a step side-ways.
― oscar, Saturday, 8 March 2008 01:24 (5 years ago) Permalink
listened to this twice today. this is v good. fucking dark as all hell.
― oscar, Saturday, 8 March 2008 03:45 (5 years ago) Permalink
o my god it's good almost every track is a standout so far did you guys hear 'we carry on'?? oh hell, they're all good
However, I am still unsure whether it really is a step forward for them, perhaps it is a step side-ways.
i'd say this is pretty indisputably not-at-all true! put this above or below their first two, but it is certainly not on the same plane
― sleepingbag, Saturday, 8 March 2008 09:36 (5 years ago) Permalink
Very understated and groovy so far. Interesting.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 8 March 2008 11:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
This. Times about a million. I'm not a big Portishead fan but I'm REALLY enjoying this.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 8 March 2008 11:33 (5 years ago) Permalink
This is excellent. SWOON @ 'Hunter' altho I guess that's one of their more 'predictable' tracks/closest to their older sound.
― blueski, Saturday, 8 March 2008 13:42 (5 years ago) Permalink
holy shit this is good. the rip is AMAZING. thank you 'i love music' folks for letting me know it had leaked.
― cryfok, Saturday, 8 March 2008 14:06 (5 years ago) Permalink
This thread made it on a big fan site:
http://pheadweb.com/p_news.html
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 8 March 2008 14:37 (5 years ago) Permalink
It's just so great when an album lives up to it's length in coming. The awesome 'Machine Gun' stands out as it's sound and approach is quite different to anything else on there.
― blueski, Saturday, 8 March 2008 14:54 (5 years ago) Permalink
All links posted by fans will be removed immediately unless they hook a bro up.
― stet, Saturday, 8 March 2008 15:20 (5 years ago) Permalink
ah pirate bay, gottit
― stet, Saturday, 8 March 2008 15:21 (5 years ago) Permalink
I presume 'Silence' is meant to stop abruptly like that?
― Matt DC, Saturday, 8 March 2008 15:54 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, I think the running length matches the one posted on the official site.
― Simon H., Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:04 (5 years ago) Permalink
"Silence" and "Machine Gun" are the one-listen standouts
― bakerstreetsaxsolo, Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:26 (5 years ago) Permalink
-- Matt DC, Saturday, March 8, 2008 3:54 PM (42 minutes ago) Bookmark Link
wouldn't bet on it.
generally want to hear this properly, uh, but i like it obv.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:36 (5 years ago) Permalink
I reckon it is. Hence the title.
― Scik Mouthy, Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
oh the irony
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:51 (5 years ago) Permalink
i guess it depends how much 'silence' actually follows it on the record. another way in which mp3 rips suck.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Saturday, 8 March 2008 16:52 (5 years ago) Permalink
Some of the "every instrument playing the same riff" parts reminded me of the end of The Stooges' Ann - like the end of Small, for instance. In a good way, though. :-)
― StanM, Saturday, 8 March 2008 17:40 (5 years ago) Permalink
he mp3s all have about 5 seconds of extra silence (see "Magic Doors" -> "Threads," which are supposed to run together)
― Simon H., Saturday, 8 March 2008 17:49 (5 years ago) Permalink
Fucking hell - Machine Gun! That's one of the most insistent, emotionless, mechanised drum loops I've ever heard.
Also, Small is STONER ROCK. I keep expecting the Kyuss-esque heavy guitars to pile in any minute.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 8 March 2008 19:48 (5 years ago) Permalink
I hope a vinyl version comes out on Invada
― Herman G. Neuname, Saturday, 8 March 2008 19:49 (5 years ago) Permalink
Pff, this stuff is so relentlessly bleak that I'm not sure how often I'll have the courage to put this on (says reformed pseudo-goth)
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 9 March 2008 18:28 (5 years ago) Permalink
i don't find this too bleak as compared to burial for example. i see it more as a cold-hot affair. like a glowing glacier. or rubbing your hands in snow. this feeling of warmness coming from the cold. the first four songs except the third which is a little bit boring are portishead grand cru. after that i am not too sure yet.
― alex in mainhattan, Sunday, 9 March 2008 18:41 (5 years ago) Permalink
ugh. i don't want to listen to much like this at ALL right now. i'll probably put it away until halloween ...
― moonship journey to baja, Sunday, 9 March 2008 19:11 (5 years ago) Permalink
"machine gun" is crazy though
― moonship journey to baja, Sunday, 9 March 2008 19:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
I like it! ...exceedingly strange melodic sense in many of these songs, esp. the first and last. The last track is a real stand-out for me.
― Dan S, Sunday, 9 March 2008 19:13 (5 years ago) Permalink
I'm loving "Small" right now. Above comment OTM re. weird melodic sense. Also I'm pretty impressed by how coherent the sound and atmosphere throughout this record, considering it's been 10 years in the making.
― baaderonixx, Sunday, 9 March 2008 19:27 (5 years ago) Permalink
Enjoying this so far. It's their rock album!
― chap, Sunday, 9 March 2008 20:01 (5 years ago) Permalink
Yeah, rly rly good. :D
― Just got offed, Friday, 11 July 2008 22:38 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://e.motion.ru/ds/beth/
Listen to L'Annulaire. It's apparently Beth's music for some upcoming French film. Lovely stuff.
― Turangalila, Saturday, 12 July 2008 12:04 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRVRp7hKrLI
― Turangalila, Saturday, 12 July 2008 12:16 (4 years ago) Permalink
This is old, not very upcoming or new. But it's still very pretty.
― Turangalila, Saturday, 12 July 2008 12:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
"Machine Gun" makes me want to watch THX 1138
― mujeres con dos, tres, quatro, cinco tetas (The Reverend), Friday, 24 October 2008 12:05 (4 years ago) Permalink
Several months later, "Small" is my favorite song on here.
― Obama seems to have the views of a 21-year-old Hispanic girl (HI DERE), Friday, 29 May 2009 20:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
If only I could seeReturn myself to meAnd recognize the poisonIn my heartThere is no other placeNo one else I'd faceThe remedy to agreeWith how I feel
― her performance (ie, her pubes) stood out for me (HI DERE), Tuesday, 7 July 2009 18:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
"small" remark otm
― matinee, Wednesday, 8 July 2009 18:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
in the spirit of reconciliation i would like to take back basically everything i said abt this record
'small' is still the best track tho, followed by 'threads'
― joekin' phoenix (country matters), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
hahaha I knew this would happen eventually
― a Barbie-like nub where he provates should be (HI DERE), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
:)
― joekin' phoenix (country matters), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:24 (3 years ago) Permalink
god help us if there's a war
― modescalator (blueski), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:26 (3 years ago) Permalink
i had a sort of slow revelation. at first it was after 'silence' came on my ipod shuffle and i was all 'omg pause'. then i listened to it at home. several times. each time kinda letting the album play as well. you know how it goes.
let's just say i wd be comfortable with this record placing very highly indeed in the final ilx reckoning
― joekin' phoenix (country matters), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
Tried rewatching Doctor Who recently Louis?
― I am flesh and blood. You are software and circuitry. (chap), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
am i gonna have to trawl through my back pages and recant everything
― joekin' phoenix (country matters), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:58 (3 years ago) Permalink
hahahahahaha (yes)
― a Barbie-like nub where he provates should be (HI DERE), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 18:04 (3 years ago) Permalink
if only we could reverse suggest bans
― mdskltr (blueski), Tuesday, 10 November 2009 18:11 (3 years ago) Permalink
new track and its slamming...
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11755
― oscar, Saturday, 12 December 2009 03:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
i could stand to listen to a whole album of stuff like this, its moroder-neu meets portishead, lovely stuff..
― oscar, Saturday, 12 December 2009 04:07 (3 years ago) Permalink
Some jibber jabber about it here: Portishead
― Johnny Fever, Saturday, 12 December 2009 04:12 (3 years ago) Permalink
OMG, that track is just sick.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Saturday, 12 December 2009 15:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
ya. love it. didn't really dig the last one.
― jaxon, Sunday, 13 December 2009 04:14 (3 years ago) Permalink
Love the video as well. This may be my favourite kind of video, where men and women in a recording studio assume very concentrated expressions while doing some multitasking to assure us that they actually make every sound on the recording as we hear it. (If it sounds like I'm mocking, I truly am not, New Order's Perfect Kiss was the best I'd ever seen when I saw it 20 years ago.)
― anatol_merklich, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 20:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
Listening to this for the first time since the end of 08.
It's a masterpiece, basically.
― Davek (davek_00), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 15:39 (3 years ago) Permalink
Totally right. I love this record.
― ksh, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 15:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
Has any other band made an album springing up out of absolutely fucking nowhere after a 10+ year hiatus that was also better than any of their previous albums?
― kingkongvsgodzilla, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 15:53 (3 years ago) Permalink
xpost Scott Walker
― Davek (davek_00), Tuesday, 9 March 2010 15:55 (3 years ago) Permalink
Flaming Lips didn't actually take a hiatus--but the impact of renewed artistic vigor for their 'Embryonic' is similarly unexpected. The two are my #1 albums for 2008/2009.
― Soundslike, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 18:28 (3 years ago) Permalink
both great, both surprisingly slept on
― akm, Tuesday, 9 March 2010 22:01 (3 years ago) Permalink
This album has grown on me so much.
― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:19 (2 years ago) Permalink
i'm always so unsure :-/
― ksh, Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:20 (2 years ago) Permalink
Heh, I'm actually listening to that specific song right now. :D
― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
far and away one of the best records of 2008 -- look for their Jools Holland set on YouTube if you want to see some awesome live performances
― ksh, Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:24 (2 years ago) Permalink
the way the record ends is perfect too, imo
I still think this album is godhead.
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:26 (2 years ago) Permalink
I love how 'Machine Gun' takes a turn for the Tangerine Dream towards the end.
― silence is a rhythm too (Turangalila), Sunday, 30 May 2010 23:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
look for their Jools Holland set on YouTube if you want to see some awesome live performances
^^^^^^^^^^ YES ^^^^^^^^^^^
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 31 May 2010 00:34 (2 years ago) Permalink
― ksh, Monday, 31 May 2010 00:35 (2 years ago) Permalink
― ksh, Monday, 31 May 2010 00:36 (2 years ago) Permalink
yeah those are all awesome, especially the first two
I've pretty much come full-circle on this album too - the only tracks I'm still dubious about are Plastic and Deep Water, the rest is fucking incredible
― some men enjoy the feeling of being owned (acoleuthic), Monday, 31 May 2010 07:48 (2 years ago) Permalink
Plastic is only one that doesn't do it for me. Deep Water is more an idea than a proper track, but it's perfectly sequenced.
― rhythm fixated member (chap), Monday, 31 May 2010 13:26 (2 years ago) Permalink
"Deep Water" makes perfect sense as an extended intro to "Machine Gun," otherwise it's kinda pointless. But boy does it work well in context!
― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 31 May 2010 17:29 (2 years ago) Permalink
ppl always ask me my opinion on this but, tbh, i'm aaaaaaallllwaaaayyyssss ssoooooooo uunnnnssuuuurreeee
― ksh, Monday, 31 May 2010 17:37 (2 years ago) Permalink
(really though, i love it)
― ksh, Monday, 31 May 2010 17:38 (2 years ago) Permalink
New Geoff Barrow joint I am very digging. Better than Beak> thing imo
― Hadrian VIII, Tuesday, 2 November 2010 22:56 (2 years ago) Permalink
im always so unsure :-/
― markers, Tuesday, 2 November 2010 22:57 (2 years ago) Permalink
I think it helps to have something (the voice) to hang all the contraptions on, esp. in this case something so monolithic and samey.
― Hadrian VIII, Tuesday, 2 November 2010 23:05 (2 years ago) Permalink
I mean the beak record was loaded with all these great accents but to me they seemed all sort of unmoored to anything. Anyway after two listens the album is pleasingly various...
― Hadrian VIII, Tuesday, 2 November 2010 23:08 (2 years ago) Permalink
Listened to this for the first time in about three years. Oh my, it is really, really good.
― Mule, Monday, 24 September 2012 22:59 (7 months ago) Permalink