PORTISHEAD: classic or dud?!

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I'm tempted to say that Portishead and Tricky are different enough that comparing their albums doesn't get you very far.

Josh, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Possibly true, but these Bristol trip-hoppers were compared a great deal, and if this is to be done, 'Maxinquaye' was easily the best thing to come out of all of that IMHO.

Johnathan, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Am I the only person who notices that while Portishead are getting a lauding here, they're getting a bit of a drubbing as an album no one can get into on another thread? It just struck me funny, that's all.

Ally, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

i think choosing the best triphop album is sort of like trying to choose the best krautrock album.

ethan, Monday, 7 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

Dummy sounded sooooo great back in '95, and its stood the test of time, despite countless ape-ings. The ST sounded like crap in '97 and still does. Tricky? hAHAHAHAHha...Tricky's music is about as exciting as Moby singing as he dangles by one ball off a cliff. .....actually...that'd be pretty exciting..

SleepTillItHurts, Thursday, 10 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

i think .kz is the extension for kyrgyzstan.

ethan, Thursday, 10 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-five years ago)

one month passes...
Dud; and one of the most overrated duds ever. I worked hard at that first LP, before realizing that its grimy reaches weren't for me. Then, years later, I worked hard at that second LP, before realizing that its grimy reaches weren't for me.

the pinefox, Saturday, 7 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Did you ever get the live album, Pinefox? If not, don't bother - its grimy reaches aren't for you.

Dr. C, Sunday, 8 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four months pass...
I think the basic concept behind Portishead was a good one. Slow dreamy, almost ambient take on hip hop. The main problem I think is the way the records were produced. Every element of the mix is too clean and upfront, designed that way I imagine to give a sort of intimacy to the experience. But from an emotional standpoint, the vocalist is a bit detatched from her own feelings, almost drugged out, and the mix of the music should have reflected that. More reverb on her vocals (a la All Mine) dirtier beats, the scratching should have sounded thinner and farther back in the mix.

That way, I think the basic concept of Portishead could have survived another album or two until the band developed some new ideas, and hence a new production style.

Always remember, it may not be the band you don't like, the way a record is produced has a massive effect on the way you percieve the music, and I think Portishead was harmed by a production style that didn't complement their ideas.

Love, Jeff

Jeff Guidry, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dummy was the one non-guitar-based album my ultra-conservative cousin liked (something I may have mentioned before). That comes very close to confirming dud status. I don't think I could listen to it now.

Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

five years pass...

HALF DAY CLOSING, people!

3rd album being mastered atm. Anyone hopeful?

Just got offed, Sunday, 4 November 2007 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030630/album/images/photo02.jpg

stephen, Sunday, 4 November 2007 21:57 (eighteen years ago)

i think choosing the best triphop album is sort of like trying to choose the best krautrock album.
-- ethan, Monday, May 7, 2001 1:00 AM (6 years ago) Bookmark Link

eh?

the first lp is so evocative of early 90s britain i couldn't not love it if i didn't love it already, which i do.

That one guy that hit it and quit it, Sunday, 4 November 2007 22:38 (eighteen years ago)

otm

admrl, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:10 (eighteen years ago)

Roads is beautiful

admrl, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:11 (eighteen years ago)

I'm going to listen to it now!

admrl, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:11 (eighteen years ago)

And the Black Crowes are good too! At least, the first two albums are!

admrl, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:14 (eighteen years ago)

"roads", yes.

jed_, Sunday, 4 November 2007 23:19 (eighteen years ago)

Nobody's mentioned the Roseland Ballroom set (PNYC) which is one of my favorite live releases from the last ten years. Also, the one-off that Gibbons did with Rustin is pretty good. I'd say they're near-classic, which is a pretty significant coup considering they've only released two proper albums. Unless they find some way to expand their genre the new album may be little more than filthy lucre - but it'll probably sound great regardless.

christoff, Monday, 5 November 2007 14:39 (eighteen years ago)

portishead>>>>>>>>>>dummy

LaMonte, Monday, 5 November 2007 14:41 (eighteen years ago)

dud for jacking the smif-n-wessun loop on that one remix

and what, Monday, 5 November 2007 14:48 (eighteen years ago)

i like the s/t one more than dummy too but I know people who just hated it, thought it was so over the top...insane people, admittedly, but people nonetheless.

the live record is great, and I'm really glad I got to see them live, even if I could barely see them because I was stuck behind tall assholes

akm, Monday, 5 November 2007 15:19 (eighteen years ago)

the embarrassingly-accepted band from the whole idiotic blunted groovez lounge hipster movement, complete with annoying false emotional rants in gibbon's horrible screechy voice and sub limp bizkit-level dj scratching (to a fanbase that's never heard anything better)? red hot chili peppers for lilith fair girls? or, you know, not?

"Roads" A+++++

The above opening post ^^^ is so not OTM it's hilarious

stephen, Monday, 5 November 2007 15:47 (eighteen years ago)

HALF DAY CLOSING, people!

"half day closing" was the point on portishead where i was like, "okay, yes, yes, more please." also helped that i had gotten really into the united states of america album between dummy and that one.

GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Monday, 5 November 2007 23:08 (eighteen years ago)

Thing is, it's such an arch, such an obviously dramatic song, that I can imagine it turning a few people away. It employs a wonderfully-managed build-and-release (that scream), a wickedly atonal bassline/backing vocal effect, some fucking ominous guitar, and a horror movie keyboard several semitones too high; all of this amounts to a piece of visceral dread that although superficially unsubtle in its execution, utilises a LOT of sonic ingenuity in order to achieve its full effect. I think it's an extremely intelligent piece of music, albeit one whose full-on emotional splattering might be too much for some listeners.

Just got offed, Monday, 5 November 2007 23:43 (eighteen years ago)

"Wandering Star" is beyond classic. It is the eppy tome of that which is and has even been classic to the classic power of classicity.

The Mad Puffin, Wednesday, 7 November 2007 02:11 (eighteen years ago)

two months pass...

We're pleased to announce that we'll be releasing our album, titled THIRD. on April 14th 2008.

The album has 11 tracks and is 49 minutes 13 seconds long.


http://www.portishead.co.uk/news.php

Leee, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:14 (eighteen years ago)

!!!!

Simon H., Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:18 (eighteen years ago)

Expected given the tour dates but at least we know when to expect it. (IE, a month earlier, when it leaks.)

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:19 (eighteen years ago)

Ten years, and Third is the album title they came up?

Leee, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:08 (eighteen years ago)

'Deep Down And Dirty' had already been taken

blueski, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 22:12 (eighteen years ago)

I have no idea whether this will be good or not. I really hope so.

chap, Thursday, 24 January 2008 00:59 (eighteen years ago)

fwiw I prefer the second album to the first - if they can equal it I'll be ecstatic.

Simon H., Thursday, 24 January 2008 01:02 (eighteen years ago)

As a title, I liked "Title Unconfirmed" which is the one I saw in lists.

Mark G, Thursday, 24 January 2008 08:27 (eighteen years ago)

(as it is, it's a Soft Machine reference)

Mark G, Thursday, 24 January 2008 08:28 (eighteen years ago)

Attention radio people, please pronounce this very carefully when you announce the title on air. ("Turd")

StanM, Thursday, 24 January 2008 09:32 (eighteen years ago)

Post of five minutes ago.

Mark G, Thursday, 24 January 2008 09:38 (eighteen years ago)

Post of five minutes ago.

-- Mark G, Thursday, January 24, 2008 10:38 AM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

???

StanM, Thursday, 24 January 2008 09:44 (eighteen years ago)

there was a fake title of 'Alien' floating around years ago - liked that.

blueski, Thursday, 24 January 2008 12:28 (eighteen years ago)

Really looking fwd to this. Loved the couple of tunes they premiered.

baaderonixx, Thursday, 24 January 2008 14:17 (eighteen years ago)

Where did you hear these? There's only a couple of experimental vocaless tracks on their myspace.

chap, Thursday, 24 January 2008 14:59 (eighteen years ago)

Live clips on PFork a few weeks ago

baaderonixx, Thursday, 24 January 2008 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

Found some clips on YouTube, but the sound quality's a bit too shitty to judge the tunes. One definately has a theremin in though, so business as usual.

chap, Thursday, 24 January 2008 15:27 (eighteen years ago)

Anyone try and get tickets this morning? Just had a frustrating experience with seetickets, in which I was taken as far as bank details, delivery address etc, only to be told they'd sold out. Gah.

Interstingly, seatwave were already selling tickets at 9.05 for twice the face value.

Not that I'm surprised at how crap the system is, but it is most annoying.

Daniel Giraffe, Friday, 25 January 2008 09:46 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

he sampled "moon in june" and "out-bloody-rageous" from third for the portishead remix of junkwaffel's "mud skipper"

any other soft machine sampling in the portishead catalog?

moonship journey to baja, Monday, 11 February 2008 03:11 (eighteen years ago)

front cover apparently goes like this:

http://angryape.com/images/news/portishead-15-02-08.jpg

Portishead Third Track Listing Unveiled — News — AngryApe

djmartian, Friday, 15 February 2008 16:25 (eighteen years ago)

omg want

HI DERE, Friday, 15 February 2008 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

Third Track Listing:

01. Silence
02. Hunter
03. Nylon Smile
04. The Rip
05. Plastic
06. We Carry On
07. Deep Water
08. Machine Gun
09. Small
10. Magic Doors
11. Threads

djmartian, Friday, 15 February 2008 16:26 (eighteen years ago)

typically classy cover!

Simon H., Friday, 15 February 2008 16:28 (eighteen years ago)

Quite like the cover.

xpost

chap, Friday, 15 February 2008 16:29 (eighteen years ago)

c'mon haters, glory box has to be one of the great torch songs

Dr X O'Skeleton, Monday, 19 October 2009 17:45 (sixteen years ago)

"airbus reconstruction" is done by an old grungy indie band from bristol called airbus, so not the same band, no.

matt h, Monday, 19 October 2009 19:18 (sixteen years ago)

No shit?

kingkongvsgodzilla, Monday, 19 October 2009 19:19 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

New Portishead album! Quote below is Geoff Barrow on Twitter...

http://thequietus.com/articles/05507-portishead-new-album-brace-yourselves

"There will be NO free downloads There will be NO bonus tracks There will be NO remixes There will be NO hidden footage" he commenced earlier this evening. And then: "There will be NO additional content There will be NO corporate partners There will be NO fashion lines There will be NO tabloid pictures" before continuing "There will be NO £25 unit cost There will be NO streetteam There will be NO myspace There will be NO celeb producer There will be NO twitter". We're so enthused by this approach that we don't mind one jot that "There will be NO press/blogger gig There will be NO acoustic session There will be NO meet and greet There will be NO edited version" and FINALLY (the last bit we especially like) "There will be NO iTunes only There will be NO press launch There will be NO asian version There will be NO radio friendly". ALL HAIL MR BARROW.

Neil S, Thursday, 6 January 2011 09:50 (fifteen years ago)

"There will be NO album, oh buggr"

Mark G, Thursday, 6 January 2011 09:53 (fifteen years ago)

There will be NO tabloid pictures

to be fair this is b/c the paparazzi aren't actually interested in you geoff

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:02 (fifteen years ago)

There will be NO celeb producer

YOU are the name producer! if geoff barrow produced another artists he'd definitely fit into the category of "celeb producer"

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:03 (fifteen years ago)

There will be NO asian version

racist

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:03 (fifteen years ago)

i <3 portishead but geoff barrow really is very silly, is he not

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:04 (fifteen years ago)

I think that Twitter's brilliant. Just sat at home with a brew and a smoke, getting all angry about music and shit. You don't want Portishead being all urbane and Wildean.

Cosby You! Black Emperor (Doran), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:13 (fifteen years ago)

what so there IS a twitter? contradicting "There will be NO twitter"? lol

lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:14 (fifteen years ago)

There will be NO tabloid pictures

to be fair this is b/c the paparazzi aren't actually interested in you geoff

― lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:02 (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

also this album will probably in fact be written about in a tabloid, at some point, accompanied by a photo of the band

Scilk Mahouthy (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:15 (fifteen years ago)

The NO TWITTER! rule was delivered by TWITTER!

Now that's trip hop.

Cosby You! Black Emperor (Doran), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:18 (fifteen years ago)

There will be NO asian version

racist

― lex diamonds (lex pretend), Thursday, January 6, 2011 5:03 AM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark

asians are entitled to the same slab of wax that everybody else gets.

won't be on this church plan ting (kkvgz), Thursday, 6 January 2011 10:31 (fifteen years ago)

geoff is funny. when we announced the portishead/atp event in london he replied to the facebook post about it saying "CAN MY BAND PLAY PLEASE"

reallysmoothmusic (Jamie_ATP), Thursday, 6 January 2011 11:30 (fifteen years ago)

Lex that Geoff Barrow quote is pretty obviously a joke - he's only one step away from going "There will be NO Simon Cowell".

Matt DC, Thursday, 6 January 2011 12:03 (fifteen years ago)

He did a good zing on FAT M the other week

idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 6 January 2011 14:32 (fifteen years ago)

looking fwd to this!

also, this quietus commenter is otm:

octophone
JAN 6, 2011 3:03PM
You do realise that somewhere, in a London office that's slightly smaller than it was 5 years ago, a man in braces is sitting saying "ah, genius - anti-marketing, great move".

ilxor this could be a standout thread for you imo (ilxor), Saturday, 8 January 2011 20:45 (fifteen years ago)

really makes u think

just sayin, Saturday, 8 January 2011 20:46 (fifteen years ago)

Never would've guessed at a successful revival, in particular one based on channeling top-shelf Krautrock, but glad it happened. Anyone heard anything about the actual sounds for this new LP?

Soundslike, Saturday, 8 January 2011 20:48 (fifteen years ago)

nine years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7R4bu6mExI

Podcast with a modular synth nerd

Greta Van Show Feets BB (milo z), Tuesday, 21 January 2020 06:02 (six years ago)

one year passes...

man, those b-sides from the first two albums are totally classic. "numbed in moscow" is like a mobb deep beat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcwPXUXw330

the beginning of the end of discourse. (Austin), Thursday, 18 November 2021 22:24 (four years ago)

two years pass...

Adrian has something new coming out

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8oWF_wtesT/?hl=en&img_index=1

papal hotwife (milo z), Tuesday, 25 June 2024 08:39 (one year ago)


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