The Album Review Club - Christmas Break Until 8th January

[Coatigan]

Happens most weeks.
Folk that love and know the nomination put in their high score straight away.
The lower scores always come later on

Not always. Have seen it go the other way, where people get their insta-reaction out early, and the later ones come on more positive having taken a bit of time over it. And some say things as they go and as their thoughts develop. I myself have done all 3 at times, I imagine most would have at different points.

I left this one late purely because I felt I knew it (better than I thought I did) and wouldn't need as long with it, so didn't properly start till the weekend.

 

[journolud]

This is an album I've listened to loads over the years but not really with a critical ear. There are elements of it I shouldn't like, the scratchy stuff which with other artists and in full flow I've always seen as a bit pointless. It's never particularly distracted me on Dummy though.

I've tried to figure out exactly when do I decide to listen to it because it's very much a "mood" album to my ears and @threespires draws a great picture in his review. I can't say I have a particular mood to listen to it in and it does lack the overall consitency of something like the Blue Nile which was up recently or my ulitmate mood album (the under appreciated on this thread) Astral Weeks.

So, I've no emotional attachment to it, I don't think I bought it at the time it came out, but somehow I heard it sometime and then heard enough to stick with it.

Mysterons is a great opener but could also strangely be offputting, staying just the right side of gimmicky for me but any doubts about the direction the album might go in are dispeled by Sour Times. After which it settles into a groove, I'm not a one for picking out the production and the disparate elements that form the craft but for me, despite the odd bits of probably unnecessary crackle and scratch or whatever it all works.

I have listened ore closely that I would usually to it when playing this week and with particular attention to the vocals. There's an obvious fragility but also a little bit of shape shifting going on to suit the individual tracks. Not to the extent that someone like Aldous Harding (speaking of under appreciated albums on this thread!) does it but enough to keep it interesting. I'm not particularly familiar with Bjork so any comparison there will leave me behind.

There are three stand out tracks, being the first two and of course Roads. Beyond that I think it's an album that hangs together well and has stood the test of time. Nothing I've read this week or heard when listenting to it more closely has changed my view of it particularly. If anything I might have more appreciation than I did about the production and the fact that the elements I might have found offputting I didn't which means they didn't overdo it and it's all well placed. I know what I mean there even if the sentence isn't that well constructed.

I don't love this album but I like it a lot, as it has been for as many years as I've had it and is likely to remain one that gets more than the occasional listen. I've also taken the time to give their other two albums a go. There are bands where consciously or otherwise I've always felt one of their albums was enough and if you had only one Portishead album it would be Dummy but I've probably sold myself short there.

Anyway, for this it's an 8.

 

[Coatigan]

Yes, that is the pattern most weeks. I think there was one week where it was inverted but I can't for the life of me remember what the album was.

Idles, ironically.

 

[threespires]

I think the less is more rule applies here. Several people have mentioned it, me included, but what's with all of the little sounds and record scratches in between the music? And when did somebody, somewhere, decide that this enhanced music rather than detract from it? That's a question that needs answering in the wider context.

That said, there is a record scratch sound on the next album I plan to nominate, but it is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair.

I don't see those things as superfluous or quirky but as Integral and meticulously placed aspects of the overall sound in the same way that an oboe trill or a bit of timpany might embellish a piece of music.

Actually one.thing that didn't happen that I thought might was a bit of a wider discussion of Trip Hop but maybe that was a bit unrealistic.

On the subject of which, there's a really good book about Massive Attack that discuss the history of Bristol and the historical and cultural influences that brought about the sound(s). Might be a bit of a stretch if you have no interest in that kind of musical at all but otherwise a really good read, it was originally published in french I think but there's a UK version called Out of The Comfort Zone. But dry at times but overall a really good read.

 

[Coatigan]

I think the less is more rule applies here. Several people have mentioned it, me included, but what's with all of the little sounds and record scratches in between the music? And when did somebody, somewhere, decide that this enhanced music rather than detract from it? That's a question that needs answering in the wider context.

That said, there is a record scratch sound on the next album I plan to nominate, but it is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair.

It is an interesting topic in itself.

Imo, sometimes the process itself is worth the praise. Like in any type of art, really. Being adventurous and experimental in music has always been seen as a positive, particularly when it is followed through and done as well as they have done on this one. The end result may or may not resonate, but doesn't take anything away from daring to do something.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Portishead - Dummy

I was too swept up in Britpop, Indie Rock bands around this time that Portishead slipped the net for me, although i know 'Sour Times' and 'Glory Box' very well, both got plenty of air time on Radio ,appeared on various indie mix albums i had back in the day and even commercials I'm sure.

it's music that transcends different categories but has a constant jazzy/dark electric sound all the way through - Bjork definitely sprung to mind on first listen, especially for 'Biscuit' & 'Numb' - both unfortunately pretty poor songs that don't go anywhere, a few others i felt the same.

However, opener 'Mysterons' is good, sets the tone of what is to come.
'Roads' & 'Its A Fire' are both lovely, subtle organ chord changes that make the difference and use of strings.

the two big hits 'Sour Times' and 'Glory Box' are just superb, amazing tracks that really hit the spot.

Overall, Trip Hop is not a genre that would really appeal to me - lacks structure, melody and rock, also I'm never to keen on openly sampling other peoples songs even if they do change the sound - however there is much to admire, the intricate detail as the write up alluded too - the inventiveness and atmospheric changes, Works better for me in TV/Movie soundtrack setting ,which the band would hate me saying.

Great pick.

7/10

 

[threespires]

Anyone going to either Wythenshawe Park or Bristol Downs this weekend?

I can't but am consoling myself with glorious weather, doing naff all and vino and pecorino I'd be paying at least four times the price for in the UK.

 

[journolud]

They go through decades, with the final episode being the late 80s and 90s, which is more relatable. Mogwai, Arab Strap, Teenage Fan Club etc all feature.

Watched all of them last night. Fascinating stuff, punctuated frequently by my wife saying “I never knew they were Scottish”.

Ironically found the third least relatable not being familiar with a lot of bands and certainly all the rave stuff passed me by

 

[threespires]

It is an interesting topic in itself.

Imo, sometimes the process itself is worth the praise. Like in any type of art, really. Being adventurous and experimental in music has always been seen as a positive, particularly when it is followed through and done as well as they have done on this one. The end result may or may not resonate, but doesn't take anything away from daring to do something.

Totally agree. It's part of the reason I nominated AGDCFF, I genuinely thought it was audacious and that in itself made it it worthy.

 

[Coatigan]

Watched all of them last night. Fascinating stuff, punctuated frequently by my wife saying “I never knew they were Scottish”.

Ironically found the third least relatable not being familiar with a lot of bands and certainly all the rave stuff passed me by

Wow, all 3 back to back! Not sure I could have handled that. It was a bit repetative at times and I think they made a bit too much of the 'you had to go to London to succeed' arguement, but the bands themselves that featured, some of the old footage and cameo interviews with some of the big hitters were what made it imo.