Portishead, A review

Posted almost 4 years ago

Artist:
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Portishead
Album:
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Dummy (Non UK Version)

I've been recommended Portishead a lot lately, so I decided to give them a listen.Portishead struck me at first listen as very similar to Massive Attack's Mezzanine. Except that Dummy was released in 1994, four years before Mezzanine. Now Mezzanine has a nice feel to it, smooth and relaxed. Dummy seemed to be the original Mezzanine with on exception, Beth Gibbons' voice takes the music to a whole other level. It perfectly counterbalances the drum and bass lines with Beth's plays on jazz phrasing, and her angelic air. The highlight of Dummy is Glory Box, which combines blues, and the electronica from the rest of the album into a soulful ballad the sounds of which I haven't heard since Janis Joplin.GloryPortishead's next album, the self-titled one, goes in a different direction. Whereas Dummy was light, or at least upbeat, Portishead is dark. Not to say it isn't good, it has it's highlights. The only problem is that the songs aren't as varied and a little too homogeneous.PNYC(or Roseland Live) is Portishead's third, and live album. It's the improvisations during the performance that make it feel live, and less like compilation. It is well executed, and the improvisations with guitar, a la Hendrix, raindrop keyboard, and string backing(throughout the album) are perfectly timed. The real standout on the album is "Sour Times," where Beth's improvisation towards the end gives me goosebumps every time. Glory Times is a decent remix album. It has a varied selection of remixes of "Glory Box" and "Sour Times." There are some interesting mixes, and it's a good and varied mix on two discs.Overall Portishead is a good band. They were innovative when they were around in the 90's, and I can't wait to hear their new album when it is released. I would definitely recommend at least a listen to them, "Glory Box" is really worth it.

Comments (4)

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Sturgell says I imagine the reason why you've been "recommended Portishead a lot lately" is because of the upcoming release of their album ??Third??. It's their third studio album and the first one in like, ten years I think. Pretty big deal.

Permalink posted 03/18/2008
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tjayfowler says The interesting thing is that the context of your discovery -- not trying to invalidate this in anyway -- is adding it's own patina. Imagine if you heard Dummy when it first came out in 1994 -- it was a jolting, dark direction in pop music. Now it seems to fit perfectly in music history -- even beyond the fact that it has yet to show any qualities of being 14 years old (try a lot of other electronica or trip-hop from 1994 and see if you can say the same). Mezzanine also had a BIG sound that was innovative and almost entirely unique to Massive Attack, but it really relied on Portishead to shape it (where MA really puled from dub and their influences pre-Mezzanine). I've heard Third, and it's a great picking up point -- not too derivative, and certainly not entertaining any of the trends in new music, still all their own. It'll be worth your while, I thik, to try it out when it arrives on shelves next month.

Permalink posted 03/18/2008
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Cody B says I've heard 'em all but Massive's Blue Lines is my fave of the bunch...The new Portishead seems to leave out Andy Smith..and I didn't like that part. but it's nice to see that they aren't repeating themselves. The new one will definitely take some time for me.

Permalink posted 03/18/2008
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allenblakecassady says dummy is indeed an awesome album but I wouldn't exactly call it light or exactly upbeat..its always been a downer for me, and in that down-ness there's depth in the phrasing and conditioning of the sorrow soul.

Permalink posted 03/18/2008