Massive Attack - Mezzanine
 

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Sometimes when I hear an album, I say to myself, well, ****, I guess I have to follow everything this artist has ever done and ever will do. From the moment I first heard Mezzanine, this was one of those.

There was a lot of internal band tension during its making apparently. You can hear why, it’s such a clear shift away from the urban souly vibe of the previous albums towards a dark, atmospheric sound. If you put all of trip-hop bar this album on one side, and Mezzanine on the other, saving only one side wouldn’t be the easy choice it should be.

While it has the sonic connective thread of dark basslines across every song, each song changes genre, intensity, tempo and tone of vocals. It really benefits from having three main very different sounding vocals, from Horace Andy’s soulful but haunting cries on Angel, Man Next Door and (Exchange) to Elisabeth Frazer’s weird way of singing where you don’t know where one word ends and the next begins on Black Milk, Group Four and Teardrop to finally Massive Attack’s own style of whisper rapping lyrics. If those 3 vocalists weren’t enough, Sarah Jay also contributes another style of sensual vocals to Dissolved Girl.

Not too much else to say on this, just a perfect album where every song is the best version of what it’s trying to be. Atmospheric, dark, intense, sensual and always interesting. If someone had to pick 100 albums from history that showcases the range of humanity's auditory creativity, this objectively would have to be chosen.

Fav Tracks: Inertia Creeps, Dissolved Girl, Teardrop, Angel

You know I never checked this out. I remember it being an album you were supposed to like, but a lot of the late 90s stuff coming from England just didn't jive with me. I might give it a swing. This weekend.

>Atmospheric, dark, intense, sensual

If those words appeal, you're in for a treat!

Nice review man! Mezzanine is a great album. I think if I was objective about it, I'd pick this album as their best. But, that said, my heart prefers their previous effort - it's definitely easier to chill out to than Mezzanine.

By the way, have you heard either of the Mad Professor Dub remixes of Mezzanine or Protection? They're definitely worth hearing. :beer:

Great album.

Thanks man! And yeh, trip-hop in general seems to lend itself to having good different takes on the same songs.

Fine album, their best imo

Best album of Bristol pioneers!

If Protection didn't have that terrible Doors cover tacked on at the end, I'd call that a better album than Mezzanine

Have you peeped it yet?