You know, I'm positive I saw Tricky on the PMT tour, but I don't recall it being that visually impressive, let alone performed in near darkness. Vs., say, the Fever Ray tour that was performed in a dark, smoke-filled room with the group in bizarre costumes that you could barely make out in the murk. Now *that* was memorable. Here's a cool clip from what was probably the show I saw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoXPuNj_gGA
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 8 September 2020 13:59 (three years ago) link
Nearly God is a strange one for me, I think it’s the Tricky album I’ve heard the most. It’s probably his most consistent record and pretty much every song works for me, but at the same time it’s kind of a drab to listen to if you’re not in the mood for it. There’s a lot of 5/6+ minute songs and it’s more often than not like a an aural bad trip.
In low doses or if you’re in the mood for it, I think it contains some of his songs with the most replay value (poems in particular is imho a top 10 song of his) and it is interesting if only because it creates and explores what could have been a new sort of avant-garde path for trip-hop.
I don’t know if hearing it for the first time in 2020 changes the perception of it. Here’s that playing god tracklist I posted upthread: https://open.spotify.com/album/5NYiyNqu9Joe1qtgJN01w3?si=tv9uxJG0SdWx_XTC6cXs9g
Think of it a small sampler since it’s missing the Siouxsie cover and the Bjork tracks which are worth the listen. It’s under Nearly God not Tricky on spotify maybe that’s why you can’t find it in the US? The Ruff Guide / best of compilation has an edit of Poems, I Be The Prophet and Bubbles off of Nearly God.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 8 September 2020 15:34 (three years ago) link
love the trance rock of him live in the late 90s. The Shepherd's Bush performance which was broadcast on Channel 4 sometime back then is awesome. Tricky looking pretty much possessed at times.want some more of that stuff.
His trance rock verges on krauty stuff in places. I like it muchly.
― Stevolende, Tuesday, 8 September 2020 15:38 (three years ago) link
I like Nearly God a lot too.
I haven't really paid a lot of attention to Tricky post-PMT. I didn't like Angels With Dirty Faces much and I think I stopped after that. then Knowle West Boy got some good reviews and I checked that out at the time and liked it but apart from that I don't think I've heard anything.
― CP Radio Gorgeous (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 8 September 2020 16:03 (three years ago) link
(Hey CP I ilxmailed you so shout if that doesn’t work.).
― Tim, Wednesday, 9 September 2020 17:11 (three years ago) link
Filling in some gaps. Loving PMT (esp 2nd half). Onto Nearly God.
― xyzzzz__, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 20:09 (three years ago) link
Do report. I've been meaning to do the same.
― pomenitul, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 20:10 (three years ago) link
Everything up to and including PMT seemed unimpeachable then came Angels with dirty faces and the DMX album
― Boring, Maryland, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 00:01 (three years ago) link
Nearly God's oppressive whispering sound is fairly prescient of the whole ASMR/electronic pop sound used today.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 00:41 (three years ago) link
Not at all his best but Juxtapose has "For Real" and "Contradictive," which I'd include in any list of his best tracks.
― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 00:43 (three years ago) link
I did go back and listen to PMT again and it's much better than I remember. The second half is still a bit puzzling, but in a way that makes me want to listen more. First half is on the level of Maxinquaye
― Vinnie, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 02:11 (three years ago) link
I’m repeating myself but “Nearly God” has “Poems” which might just be the best track Tricky has ever made.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 04:17 (three years ago) link
Yeah that's really great. It is a particular mood as you seem to be saying Moka (I'm appreciating it as the days get darker earlier). There is almost no drop-off from Maxinquaye at all on these records and I'm struggling to think of a British artist who put out this much great-to-good music in such a short period. Maybe Aphex when he was churning them out.
― xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 09:41 (three years ago) link
*in the 90s anyway..
This was a good review of his recently released autobiog..
https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/10/so-this-is-the-aftermath
― xyzzzz__, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 09:44 (three years ago) link
I'm ready to dive back in his previous albums too, on the back of the new one, which is great in an understated kind of way.
Ty for that link alphie.
― Ilxor in the streets, Scampo in the sheets (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 09:45 (three years ago) link
Just found out about this sort of prose poem David Bowie wrote in 1995 for Q magazine about Tricky.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 10:14 (three years ago) link
http://www.moon-palace.de/tricky/q95.html
Nearly God his must fully realized project imo
― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 10:28 (three years ago) link
Apparently he has a full chapter of him and bowie in his book, I might need to buy it.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 10:46 (three years ago) link
Apparently he has a full chapter of him and bowie in his book, I might need to buy and read that one.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 10:48 (three years ago) link
have never once heard someone say "i'm loving PMT, especially the second half." haha. maybe i too should give it a relisten.
― andrew m., Wednesday, 14 October 2020 13:43 (three years ago) link
The first half of Angels With Dirty Faces is pretty good too, but boy, does that drop off. He really should've kept some of Maxinquaye back for the latter albums.
― fetter, Wednesday, 14 October 2020 14:25 (three years ago) link
Started reading the book, it’s a pretty interesting read so far. Tricky comes off as a very tragic figure, starting right off with his mother’s suicide.
He comes off as unnecessarily feisty in some situations and also a bit of a narcissist, but he’s also pretty self-aware about his music and knows his discography is filled with dead ends and experimental failures.
I’m only 1/5 in but would definitely recommend for fans of Tricky and the music industry in the 90s.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 14 October 2020 17:22 (three years ago) link
Yes!
But I always think both Nearly God and PMT feel *remarkably* current, like insanely so. I remember a day around 2019 where I played nothing but those and Yves Tumor and it all connected.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 15 August 2022 22:17 (one year ago) link
coke in your nose
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 August 2022 22:19 (one year ago) link
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, October 14, 2020 12:17 AM
otm
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 August 2022 22:20 (one year ago) link
Both of those songs were remarkably top 30 hits here. Purely fanbase-driven sales but still, what clout.
PMT would have been my answer for the poll. One of my 100 favourite albums ever by anyone I think
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 15 August 2022 23:35 (one year ago) link
Maxinquaye was kind of understated, but felt like an earthquake at the time, and Pre-Millennium Tension and Nearly God built on that sound. All of them are great albums
― Dan S, Monday, 15 August 2022 23:46 (one year ago) link