He says, "There were times when I thought - this is not going to happen. There were times there when I thought 'we're not going to be able to do it, or I'm going to die trying.'"

Were those times, perhaps, sour?

BooBoo23: Were those times, perhaps, sour?

Nice one.

I'm pretty excited about this, I love me some Portishead.

I will have "Dummy" in my head for the rest of the day

Groups like Portishead and Massive Attack had their time, and their time has passed.

I guess it took them that long to turn back, try a little harder. After all: you can't get something for nothing.

Portishead, along with Massive Attack, Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba and a few others made up the best study music when in college, for me.

Still love'em all...

New album is awesome.

I really don't understand why bands fall apart, or have hard times or whatever. STFU and dance monkey dance! Leave your ego at the door and earn some bank, or don't. I don't give a shiat about your "struggle as artists."

KISS MA GRITS!

napping is what happens on Fridays when there are no sex related links on FARK...

ElTaco: New album is awesome.

Have you heard it? Did you get your hands on a quality rip, maybe? I'm so tempted to check out one of the few torrents floating around. I am going to buy the album anyway, so I wouldn't really feel bad about a pre-check, but I really love Portishead and I'm a bit scared the album might suck.

I wish i could have submitted it with a "dummy" tag, oh well....

Good albums, never get tired of listening to them. For some strange reason the Live one in NY is my favorite.

HappyHarryHardOn 2008-03-14 05:16:28 PM
I wish i could have submitted it with a "dummy" tag, oh well....

Good albums, never get tired of listening to them. For some strange reason the Live one in NY is my favorite.

Thats because its AWESOME.

/Gonna DL some more music tonight.
//thats 2 days in a row now that i've been reminded of the music of my youth

TheNewJesus: I don't give a shiat about your "struggle as artists."

As someone who has self produced an album: fark the struggle as an artist.

They are so "Over".

/love that song
//not so much the other stuff

t3knomanser: As someone who has self produced an album: fark the struggle as an artist.

Exactly. No one gives two shiats about my struggles as a physicist. And I bet we're a lot rarer than musicians these days.

Will wait and see on this album.

question_dj
Groups like Portishead and Massive Attack had their time, and their time has passed.

And whose time is it now? If it's time for most of the crap i've heard lately, then I'd much rather go back to massive attack and Portishead

/Anticipates seeing Portishead at Coachella
//Massive Attack rocked the place in 2006

I'm going to agree with Infernal Wedgie -- there's not a lot of good stuff out there these days, and I miss the Massive Attack and Portishead attention to detail and moodiness.

The new album is pretty awful. It seems to be missing *something*, kind of the x-factor. It also sounds like you would need to smoke an awful lot of weed to get to the place they were when they made it.

/THAT is why it took 10 years to make a new album... happens so often with groups of this kind. They get "distracted" by other pursuits.

I will definitely check it out... from the library. Won't get burned again, like that one time I bought what I thought was a Portishead album, but turned out to be the Happy Clap-Along Fun Time album. Amazing how just a couple songs ruined my perception of the entire CD.

looking forward to it... but when the hell is the new Massive Attack coming out?

I was never a big Portishead fan, but I really dig the live album they have from Roseland.

/reminds me of my college days

I love Portishead, but I can't stand the new Bauhaus album. I think it SUCKS.

paulseta: The new album is pretty awful. It seems to be missing *something*, kind of the x-factor. It also sounds like you would need to smoke an awful lot of weed to get to the place they were when they made it.

/THAT is why it took 10 years to make a new album... happens so often with groups of this kind. They get "distracted" by other pursuits.

I've been hearing from a lot of people that it is a terrible album, but I haven't heard it myself, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to. Most of the "trip hop" set have destroyed themselves (Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, etc.) with horrible albums. I think I'd rather not listen to it and just remember the decade old stuff. Like the B-Side "A Tribute To Monk & Canatella" which I still listen to.

As for distractions, I imagine it's the distractions that you either smoke or inject. In the case of Beth I hear it's the stuff you inject. I guess they decided they need more cash for more drugs...

Yep, the album sucks. Hard. There are bits that sound like Kraftwerk. Unbelievable. The album doesn't contain a single good melody. The vocals are really annoying. I mean, Beth has never hidden her vulnerability and sensitivity, but she just sounds whiny on this album, extremely whiny to the point of inspiring feelings of anger in the listener because it's so annoying.

That's sad. I'm sad. So sad.

Bonanza Jellybean: /huge trip-hop fan

Would you mind compiling a short list of maybe 15, 20 of your favorite TripHop tracks? I really enjoy that genre, but I've yet to discover good tracks by artists other than Portishead or Tricky, and I really don't know where to start because there's so many of them.

paulseta: The new album is pretty awful. It seems to be missing *something*, kind of the x-factor. It also sounds like you would need to smoke an awful lot of weed to get to the place they were when they made it.

/THAT is why it took 10 years to make a new album... happens so often with groups of this kind. They get "distracted" by other pursuits.

Agreed. Stereo MCs had the same issue back in the day: hitting the spliff once too often thus delaying any REAL follow up to their last hit album in a timely fashion. As we all know, cheeba doesn't make one a go-getter.


That said, this new Portishead album needs to sound like Dummy or the should GTFO, STFU and GBTW.

Glitchwerks: Most of the "trip hop" set have destroyed themselves (Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, etc.) with horrible albums.

Massive Attack haven't had a bad album yet. Granted, 100 Windows was fairly disappointing considering how great Mezzanine was, but it wasn't that bad. Though I do skip over the Sinead tracks.

Fark U:

Also, music that is "expected" and "timely" often fails in the quality department. This ain't McDonald's, Kanye.

You misunderstand me - timely - as in like within 3 years -at least - of their last successful album. Otherwise they lose listeners and momentum very often. I'm not saying "Rush" an album, but keep the flow going. It took them, what...12 years or so?

All too often in the industry it's "Out of sight, out of mind"

I love their first two albums + the live album, but I'm really not impressed with most of the new album. I'll have to give it another listen, but it certainly wasn't worth the wait.

/too bad

Fark U: I wouldn't consider DJ Shadow to be "trip hop" but that's just me.

I don't like the term Trip Hop anyway, because it's a misused genre description.

I use the term loosely since when I talk music almost everyone I ever meet looks at me like I'm crazy. Try telling people about dubstep and see what happens.

Hetfield:
Would you mind compiling a short list of maybe 15, 20 of your favorite TripHop tracks? I really enjoy that genre, but I've yet to discover good tracks by artists other than Portishead or Tricky, and I really don't know where to start because there's so many of them.

I know you asked someone else, but I'll chime in...

Portishead, Tricky, Morcheeba, Hooverphonic, Massive Attack, Coldcut, Amon Tobin, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Cinematic Orchestra, Mr. Scruff, Wagon Christ (Luke Vibert)...

Um, someone help me out here, I don't want to open up iTunes. :P

You might also check out Pinch, Burial, Kode9 + Spaceape, etc. as dubstep is the new underground sound that's blowing up.

And one of the greatest groups ever, Rhythm & Sound.

FeedTheCollapse: looking forward to it... but when the hell is the new Massive Attack coming out?

Within the next few months.

viccellini: I love Portishead, but I can't stand the new Bauhaus album. I think it SUCKS.

Yes, it does.

Hetfield: Yep, the album sucks. Hard. There are bits that sound like Kraftwerk. Unbelievable.

Are you implying that Kraftwerk is bad?

As for Portishead, I liked Dummy as much as anyone, but after a while the thing really started to wear on me. The bass that was its signature started to annoy the crap out of me whenever I heard it. Still, it was a great album. I'm hoping this new one is something to get excited about.

Hetfield, Try these:

Earthling
_ 1st transmission
_ Nefisa
_ Planes Of The Apes (live)

Archive Londinium LP
_ Nothing Else
_ SkyScraper
_ Old Artist

Planet Of The Apes

It's good to see Beth Gibbons back in the swing of things.

Glitchwerks:

Thanks! Any specific songs you'd like to recommend?

swahnhennessy: Are you implying that Kraftwerk is bad?

Can't stand them.

LewDux:

Thanks, buddy! Checking out those links right now, and I like what I'm hearing! It's amazing to see how much great music is out there just waiting to be discovered. Thanks again!

paulseta: THAT is why it took 10 years to make a new album... happens so often with groups of this kind. They get "distracted" by other pursuits.

Like wandering stars, for whom it is reserved: the blackness and darkness forever.

Glitchwerks: Try telling people about dubstep and see what happens.

I do, every day :) It freaks people out the way jungle did 10-15 yrs ago.

Folks are starting to come around on it tho. It's gonna be a big year.

guy_smiley: I'm going to agree with Infernal Wedgie -- there's not a lot of good stuff out there these days, and I miss the Massive Attack and Portishead attention to detail and moodiness.

Try some Zero 7.

The singer has some psychological issues that might have exacerbated the situation.

Portishead are one of my three favourite bands. I felt all 11 of the years it took for this to exist. I too was dreading the album being terrible or at least not what I wanted it to be. More than anything, I was worried about it sounding like a throwback.

I finally sat down with the "advance copy" and listened to it. Like it was the only thing I was doing (haven't done that in years). It was not at all what I expected, and despite (or more likely because of) this it might be their best record.

It's very much akin to "Kid A" as a paradigm shift. |P| faithful, fear not "Third". It's absolutely brilliant.

Perhaps, but she did manage to put out a decent album not connected to Portishead in between...

I've listened to it again since my last post. It sounds like they aren't really trying and are kind of bored, none of the energy or urgency of the old stuff. I'm kinda hoping that since I'm listening to a leaked version, these are demos and the real thing will be better.

/wishful thinking

Perhaps, but she did manage to put out a decent album not connected to Portishead in between...


This comment was directed at apeiron242 but somebody beat me to adding a post...

lexingtondisoro - I love Kid A, but I really don't see that kind of innovation/evolution here. To each his own I guess.

Excited about the new Portishead.. christ, it took long enough.

theurge14: Try some Zero 7.

Was about to say the same thing, glad someone else did.

Some more great "mood" music in that vein.. check out Lemon Jelly, Air, Nightmares on Wax, and Flunk, especially the album For Sleepyheads Only. And Zero 7 goes without saying.

lexingtondisoro:

It's very much akin to "Kid A" as a paradigm shift. |P| faithful, fear not "Third". It's absolutely brilliant.

Ah, therein lies the tricky bit - some of us thought Kid A marked the point where Radiohead disappeared up their own collective a-holes.

I thought the first two Portishead albums were great, can't stand the new one for so many reasons... and it has little to do with expectation for me. I don't expect a band to put out what is "expected" of them; or be boring or anything.

I simply want music that has a certain richness to it that I respond well to as a listener. "Third" to me is the sound of people who have smoked way too much weed (and possibly done a fair bit of other things) and have lost interest in quality writing and production.

The album doesn't work for me (and clearly it does work for you, so once again YMMV and IMHO etc etc) at all - and I would wager that it will never be regarded as one of their "good" albums in the years to come. There's a lack of hooks, a lack of melody and harmony, the grooves are stale... and I have to say, the production sounds lazy and unfocused.

Maybe it's difficult third album syndrome, but I am utterly convinced that it is a colossal misfire by a once innovative and truly groundbreaking group, which makes it sad.

Maybe the fourth time will be the charm for me (yeah, I know about the NY album, but the band don't count it as a proper album, so...)

paulseta: Maybe the fourth time will be the charm for me

Oh ffs don't make me start waiting for that already! This one isn't even released yet! ;)

To me, the Kid A thing is more like a fundamental shift in the way a band is making music. This record sounds more sample-driven and far less organic than the prior records, and as absurd as is may seem to say about a gloomy minor-key act like |P| I think it's much darker, more haunted than haunting. I figure if "Dummy" is to "The Bends" as "Portishead" is to "OK Computer", then that's the logical conclusion, especially given the mixed extreme reactions that I've heard so far, very similar to Kid A's initial reception.

For what it's worth, I thought Kid A was Radiohead's last good record before decending into the derivative sleepy post-post-rock/laptop fusion mire in which they remain. Granted, after making "The Bends" and "OK Computer", what the fark else could they have done in rock?

Who?

Fark U: yeah, im sure it was hard for you to click that mouse and edit pre-made samples

I don't know if you googled me to find the crappy sample stuff I played with, but no- that's not the album I'm talking about. It was a live album, and the most computerized thing in the act was the transistorized amps. Oh, wait- no, we did have a synth player.

question_dj: Groups like Portishead and Massive Attack had their time, and their time has passed.

Yes, good music has an expiration date.. I keep forgetting.

Glitchwerks: I know you asked someone else, but I'll chime in...

Can't believe nobody's mentioned Thievery Corporation by now.

/loves the eslmusic.com guys
//will check out dubstep

It's a little known fact that modern music peaked with The Shaggs - Philosophy Of The World.

Find me something more impossibly good than "My Pal Foot Foot" and I'll blow you.