Well_Respected_Man
10-03-2004, 10:55 PM
Portishead
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003TSP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Overview
At first glance with the album cover I get an eerie feeling. The gigantic P and black and white art gives a 50’s Sci - Fi vibe, it’s just like our world but something just isn’t right. With that said, the look of the cover completely translates to the music inside. From the record crackles to the trippy bass lines one could feel like they are in another world. I often find myself daydreaming listening to Portishead, the term Trip Hop describes them well.
This is Portishead’s second release (1997) their first one being Dummy. (1994 and # 419 on the Rolling Stones 500) At first listen they may seem very similar but after repeated listening a darker mood begins to sink in. Most reviews I’ve read agree that this album is darker than Dummy. It may be a subtle difference but a noticeable one for fans.
The concept and idea for Portishead’s self titled may be really cool but it may be too indulgent in itself. Some songs appear to just cushion the better songs and don’t standout at all. This also makes the album hard to pay attention to at times, in fact I rarely ever remembered where I was during previous listens as I had already zoned out to something else. Sill, this is some pretty good background music.
Track by Track
Cowboys 4:38
This song does justice as its position as album opener. Beth Gibbon’s phased out vocals makes her sound like an alien and the hiss in the drums only add to an overall sense of mystery. Great interludes of guitars and scratching keep the song interesting for the majority of the time.
Rating 4.5/5
All Mine 3:59
Great drums and horn tone in this song. The rhythm and vocals give off a very sensual feel. At 3:10 the way the phrase “All Mine” is sung is amazing and I always enjoy the sine pattern that ends the song even though it ends abruptly. One of my favorite songs on the album.
Rating 5/5
Undenied 4:18
Standard Portishead song, beginning with a mellow synth melody and big drums. Not my favorite song, as it can get boring quickly, I sometimes skip it.
Rating 3/5
Half Day Closing 3:49
I love the spacey ghouly start of this song. The strings are so sad sounding along with a small theremin part in the background. Again, the vocals have an awesome effect on them and Gibbons hits some impressive notes. The groove here is very trancey, which appeals to me as well and the chorus secures this song as a highlight of the album. Near the vocals appear to have become an instrument which is pretty **** cool.
Rating 5/5
Over 4:00
The acoustic guitar takes the spotlight here and the vocals surprisingly, have no effects on them. The drum rolls before each main beat is cool but not too great in general
Rating 4/5
Humming 6:02
What appears to be a Sci - Fi theme song starts at the beginning. I’m usually not paying the best attention to the album at this point, it’s just more of a cool background music to whatever I’m doing. The longest song on the record, it follows the traditional sound set by the previous songs. The delayed bubble sounds are a standout.
Rating 4/5
Mourning Air 4:11
Gibbon saves this song from potentially becoming filler with some impressive vocals. Just like Dummy some people may claim that this part of the album, 5-7 may be the weaker parts of the album, I pretty much agree with that.
Rating 3.5/5
Seven Months 4:15
The character from Cowboys makes a return in this song you could almost call Seven Months Cowboys part 2 as they sound pretty similar. The beat in this song is probably the funkiest of all the tracks and the horns reminds me of the movie Godzilla which always puts me in a good mood.
Rating 4/5
Only You 4:59
The video for this song is completely crazy and pretty changed the way I looked at this song. In the video a child and Gibbon are alone in a modern city 50 feet under water and there is a stranger looking on from a near by building. It’s actually based on one of her reoccurring childhood dreams. The song itself is very mellow and stands out from the other slow songs on the album. I consider the vocals here Gibbons best. Plus the organ solo is awesome.
Rating 5/5
Elysium 5:54
Based on a fast groove, Elysium is a nice contribution to Portishead. “You can’t deny how I feel” is my favorite line. The extended piano line at the end is middle is nice too. It’s an overall good track.
Rating 4/5
Western Eyes 3:57
Maybe not the best closer but still sounds pretty appropriate. The mood and feel is very mellow and strings are the main instrument. Toward the end, a slowed down speech of sorts is played and the song ends on a final chord.
Rating 4/5
Overall Rating 4/5
Portishead as a whole can get rather boring or too have too much of the same sound. It’s definitely not a greatest album ever type of deal but rather a flavor of the moment. If you do check out this band I would recommend All Mine and Half Day Closing, it you like those listen to the rest of the songs here. I actually prefer this record to Dummy but it varies per person
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003TSP.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Overview
At first glance with the album cover I get an eerie feeling. The gigantic P and black and white art gives a 50’s Sci - Fi vibe, it’s just like our world but something just isn’t right. With that said, the look of the cover completely translates to the music inside. From the record crackles to the trippy bass lines one could feel like they are in another world. I often find myself daydreaming listening to Portishead, the term Trip Hop describes them well.
This is Portishead’s second release (1997) their first one being Dummy. (1994 and # 419 on the Rolling Stones 500) At first listen they may seem very similar but after repeated listening a darker mood begins to sink in. Most reviews I’ve read agree that this album is darker than Dummy. It may be a subtle difference but a noticeable one for fans.
The concept and idea for Portishead’s self titled may be really cool but it may be too indulgent in itself. Some songs appear to just cushion the better songs and don’t standout at all. This also makes the album hard to pay attention to at times, in fact I rarely ever remembered where I was during previous listens as I had already zoned out to something else. Sill, this is some pretty good background music.
Track by Track
Cowboys 4:38
This song does justice as its position as album opener. Beth Gibbon’s phased out vocals makes her sound like an alien and the hiss in the drums only add to an overall sense of mystery. Great interludes of guitars and scratching keep the song interesting for the majority of the time.
Rating 4.5/5
All Mine 3:59
Great drums and horn tone in this song. The rhythm and vocals give off a very sensual feel. At 3:10 the way the phrase “All Mine” is sung is amazing and I always enjoy the sine pattern that ends the song even though it ends abruptly. One of my favorite songs on the album.
Rating 5/5
Undenied 4:18
Standard Portishead song, beginning with a mellow synth melody and big drums. Not my favorite song, as it can get boring quickly, I sometimes skip it.
Rating 3/5
Half Day Closing 3:49
I love the spacey ghouly start of this song. The strings are so sad sounding along with a small theremin part in the background. Again, the vocals have an awesome effect on them and Gibbons hits some impressive notes. The groove here is very trancey, which appeals to me as well and the chorus secures this song as a highlight of the album. Near the vocals appear to have become an instrument which is pretty **** cool.
Rating 5/5
Over 4:00
The acoustic guitar takes the spotlight here and the vocals surprisingly, have no effects on them. The drum rolls before each main beat is cool but not too great in general
Rating 4/5
Humming 6:02
What appears to be a Sci - Fi theme song starts at the beginning. I’m usually not paying the best attention to the album at this point, it’s just more of a cool background music to whatever I’m doing. The longest song on the record, it follows the traditional sound set by the previous songs. The delayed bubble sounds are a standout.
Rating 4/5
Mourning Air 4:11
Gibbon saves this song from potentially becoming filler with some impressive vocals. Just like Dummy some people may claim that this part of the album, 5-7 may be the weaker parts of the album, I pretty much agree with that.
Rating 3.5/5
Seven Months 4:15
The character from Cowboys makes a return in this song you could almost call Seven Months Cowboys part 2 as they sound pretty similar. The beat in this song is probably the funkiest of all the tracks and the horns reminds me of the movie Godzilla which always puts me in a good mood.
Rating 4/5
Only You 4:59
The video for this song is completely crazy and pretty changed the way I looked at this song. In the video a child and Gibbon are alone in a modern city 50 feet under water and there is a stranger looking on from a near by building. It’s actually based on one of her reoccurring childhood dreams. The song itself is very mellow and stands out from the other slow songs on the album. I consider the vocals here Gibbons best. Plus the organ solo is awesome.
Rating 5/5
Elysium 5:54
Based on a fast groove, Elysium is a nice contribution to Portishead. “You can’t deny how I feel” is my favorite line. The extended piano line at the end is middle is nice too. It’s an overall good track.
Rating 4/5
Western Eyes 3:57
Maybe not the best closer but still sounds pretty appropriate. The mood and feel is very mellow and strings are the main instrument. Toward the end, a slowed down speech of sorts is played and the song ends on a final chord.
Rating 4/5
Overall Rating 4/5
Portishead as a whole can get rather boring or too have too much of the same sound. It’s definitely not a greatest album ever type of deal but rather a flavor of the moment. If you do check out this band I would recommend All Mine and Half Day Closing, it you like those listen to the rest of the songs here. I actually prefer this record to Dummy but it varies per person