Tricky: Angels With Dirty Faces

[Ayestrain]

Tricky's 1998 album has aged surprisingly well. The vibe of the tracks are characteristically dark and tense. Musically it's a patois of dub, electronica, hip hop, blues, gospel and alt rock, w/ Tricky snarl/growling and rasping through most of his parts. Somehow, he holds this dark style together (moderately) through 12 or so songs. His lyrics seem even more cyptic, bitter and effusive than usual. The beats sound less sample-heavy and more spontaneous, sedate, blunted, and make for an uneasy, claustrophobic atmosphere on tracks like "Tear Out My Eyes". I have no idea how he did this shit in concert, if he ever did.

I think it was also his last pairing with singer/baby's mama Martina Topley-Bird. Having PJ Harvey take the lead on "Broken Homes" is a definite plus. I just read that none other than Scott Ian played guitar on "Carriage For Two".

"Angels" is good Tricky, though not Pre Millenium Tension good, which itself wasn't quite Maxinquaye good. But as one of his last great albums (what the hell ever happened to this guy?), it holds up well.

[Dehydrator]

Tricky`s solo carreer has always been a mixed bag, personally I ended up putting the songs I like best on a seperate disc and to chill with. From this particular album I`m digging "Mellow", "The moment I feared" and of course "Broken Homes". His last few records where fucking terrible indeed, kinda like Massive Attack´s last record too.

[Ayestrain]

^ I've been thinking about that last point in particular, Tricky being an ex-member of Massive Attack. I'd say comparing the two, what they did when he left vs. his solo stuff (or Mezzanine vs. Maxinquaye), Tricky wins out.

I didn't think Massive's 100th Window was all that terrible, and their Danny The Dog soundtrack was decent, but not altogether mind-blowing.

For Tricky, after Angels, I like his DJ Muggs collab album Juxtapose and the Mission Accomplished E.P. His last one Vulnerable was terrible. What's up with the Britney-Spears-on-crack vocalist on that record?

[Dehydrator]

Yeah, "Vulnerable" is one hell of a arse sucking record. As for Massive Attack I love everything they did before "100th Window" and although it´s not as terrible as "Vulnerable" or "Blowback" (which sucked too in my book) it´s a big step down for them. (I mean it´s basically only DeNaja left on there anyway)

As for "Mezzanine" I think it deserves it´s classic status, it´s inventive, complex and emotional at the same time. I can´t get into anything that Tricky did solo in the way I got into the Massive Attack albums. As for the Muggs collabo I think it´s decent but pretty underwhelming. I sure would love to hear the ep he did with GraveDiggaz since they´re pretty much my favorite hip hop posse ever.

[Ayestrain]

You're right on about Blowback--how fucking embarressing is that album? It's like the Wal Mart version of his former sound.

I don't know--I put on Mezzanine the other night, hadn't heard it for probably years--the first "side" if you will is really intoxicating, but after "Man Next Door" the album kind of loses it's way for me. It's killer--it's still my favorite by them. I guess Tricky to me is more right-brained & spontaneous, compared to Massive's slow-building approach.

I did get to see Massive at Coachella a coupla years back. It's definitely the Robert Del Naja show now. The crowd reaction was mixed, I think they chilled out the crowd a little too much. Horace Andy was there to do his stuff which was awesome, even the "Teardrop" chick was on hand.

I forgot about Tricky's Nearly God album as well, which I think's pretty great, and dovetails right along with Pre Millenium, etc. Only thing I haven't heard is the Gravediggaz EP, but I bet it's the shit.

According to Wikipedia, Tricky is supposed to release a new one in 2007. Doesn't appear like it's happening this year.

[Dehydrator]

"Nearly God" is perhaps Tricky´s most consistent album. Shit, I need to listen to that one more. "Poems" rules.

As for "Mezzaine", I think it´s one of those albums that at first has only two or three tracks that stand out for one (in my case that was "Angel", "Teardrop" & "Man next door") but time after time it grows on you as a whole. Perhaps maybe for the "Exchange" cuts (not that neccessary if you ask me) I think all the stuff on it is awsome.

Aye, I sort of miss the 90s, feels good to remember that Bristol vibe. Whatever happened to the third Portishead album anyway? I think I need to pick up the DVD for "Live at Roseland" one of these days...

[Ayestrain]

I also really like 3-D's (Del Naja's) spotlights on Mezzanine--"Rising Sun" and "Inertia Creeps". Awesome stuff, before he did that style to death on 100th Window.

Yeah, I have quite a few good memories from the Massive/Tricky/Portishead days. I guess all Portishead could muster were some slightly limp instrumentals which recently went up on their MySpace. I guess they feel like they've done it--I for one could see their sound evolving, but I don't see a lot of action on that front.

Seemingly, nobody's putting out work at the quality they used to (Bjork?). Actually, PJ Harvey is one of the few who is.

[Dehydrator]

"Risinson" and "Inearthia Creeps" are both great tunes and flow very well with the rest of the album, I have no problem with DeNaja´s vocals in small doses but when his raps have to carry a whole album (like 100th Window)...it´s tiresome. In my book his shining moment was on "Five Man Army", killer song that one.

As for Björk I haven´t heard "Volta" yet but I think she kind of lost it after "Homogenic" anyway. Most of "Vespertine" doesn´t really click with me. Haven´t given much of her more recent stuff a good chance to be honest.

I hope there is a third Portishead sometime...loved Beth Gibbon´s solo album though.

[Ayestrain]

I'm surprised you say that, Vespertine is definitely one of my favorites by her. I have really good times associated w/ that album even though it came out right around 9/11.

I haven't heard Volta yet either. I guess I kind of cut Bjork loose after Medulla, which was too weird even for me.

I've heard some Beth Gibbons solo stuff that was good. What a voice. Still, those Dummy tracks are what will live in infamy. They still sound so fresh. I don't know that we'll ever see a third Portishead record. Kind of surprised they just stopped.

[Dehydrator]

My problem with "Vespertine" may be that I desperately tried to love it but I just don´t, there are parts that are simply gorgerous and parts that just dont affect me in any way. Case in point : The "I love him, I love him, she loves him she loves him" part in "Pagen Poetry" - that moment is sooo fucking great but the rest of the track is just kind of "there". I might have listened to it in all the wrong moods through and I can´t emotionally connect with most of it (yet). "Yoga" from Homogenic has me affected all the way, whereever, whenever...weird.

On a sidenote, I listened to "Maxinique" earlier today, good album as well. Tricky really nailed "Black Steel". And any song that builds on the samples of "Suffer" by the Smashing Pumpkins has got to be great.

My favorite by Portishead is actually the self-titled. "Undenied" is one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Love bascially the whole album though, I think it´s a bit underrated because people sort of expected a more soulful vibe a lá "It´s a fire" from Dummy. Instead it´s properbly the most downbeat album ever and some find it too depressing but I don´t care, it´s sheer beauty.

[Ayestrain]

I haven't actually had Vestpertine out in long-assed time, so I may not like it as much now. I remember when it came out thinking it was great.

Which song on Maxinquaye samples the Pumpkin's "Suffer"? I missed that.

Speaking of electronic artists that people think have lost their way, what do you think of DJ Shadow?

[Ayestrain]

I guess the wait for the new Portishead record is finally over..

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/47350-new-portishead-album-due-in-april

New Portishead Album Due in April
Photo by Grumpy Man DJs

We knew they were working on it, and then wrapping it up, and now we know they're actually going to release it this time. We even know approximately when! According to an Island Records rep, the as-yet-untitled new studio album from Portishead will arrive in April in the UK, a mere 10-odd years after the one before it. Patience pays, people!

The long-overdue full-length will be the Bristol trio's third. No word yet on a U.S. release, nor all those friendly details we like to pepper these pages with. Here's hoping they give it a better name than Alien, the rumored Portishead album title that was all the rage circa 2003.

[Dehydrator]

Sorry for the late reply but last weeks have been intense.

The song that sampled "Suffer" is "Pumpkin", one of my faves from Tricky ever. I purchased "Pre Millenium Tension" somewhen last month to give it some more spins. I don´t think it´s as coherent on a whole than "Maxinique" or "Nearly God" but it´s cool nonetheless. "Bad Dreams", "Makes me wanna die" and "Christiansands" are great examples of the man´s talent.

I`m all there for a new Portishead album but I believe it when I hear it. "Alien" isn´t so much of a bad title if you ask me. I`d love to catch them live somehow although I heard they aren´t that much of a live act.