Blue Lines (2012 Mix/Master)
Massive Attack
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The first masterpiece of what was only termed trip-hop much later, Blue Lines filtered American hip-hop through the lens of British club culture, a stylish, nocturnal sense of scene that encompassed music from rare groove to dub to dance. The album balances dark, diva-led club jams along the lines of Soul II Soul with some of the best British rap (vocals and production) heard up to that point, occasionally on the same track. The opener "Safe from Harm" is the best example, with diva vocalist Shara Nelson trading off lines with the group's own monotone (yet effective) rapping. Even more than hip-hop or dance, however, dub is the big touchstone on Blue Lines. Most of the productions aren't quite as earthy as you'd expect, but the influence is palpable in the atmospherics of the songs, like the faraway electric piano on "One Love" (with beautiful vocals from the near-legendary Horace Andy). One track, "Five Man Army," makes the dub inspiration explicit, with a clattering percussion line, moderate reverb on the guitar and drums, and Andy's exquisite falsetto flitting over the chorus. Blue Lines isn't all darkness, either -- "Be Thankful for What You've Got" is quite close to the smooth soul tune conjured by its title, and "Unfinished Sympathy" -- the group's first classic production -- is a tremendously moving fusion of up-tempo hip-hop and dancefloor jam with slow-moving, syrupy strings. Flaunting both their range and their tremendously evocative productions, Massive Attack recorded one of the best dance albums of all time.
© John Bush /TiVo
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Grantley Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Andrew Vowles, ComposerLyricist - Shara Nelson, ComposerLyricist - NELLEE HOOPER, Producer - Billy Cobham, ComposerLyricist - Massive Attack, MainArtist - Robert Del Naja, ComposerLyricist - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Massive Attack with Johnny Dollar, Producer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
J WILLIAMS, Composer - Grantley Marshall, Composer - Andrew Vowles, Composer - David Wolinski, Composer - Massive Attack, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, Composer - Johnny Dollar, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Massive Attack with Johnny Dollar, Producer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Grantley Marshall, Composer - Andrew Vowles, Composer - JOHN GUERIN, Composer - Max Bennett, Composer - LARRY CARLTON, Composer - Thomas Scott, Composer - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, Composer - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Joseph Sample, Composer - Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, Composer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Massive Attack, MainArtist - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Massive Attack with Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - William DeVaughan, ComposerLyricist
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Grantley Marshall, Composer - Andrew Vowles, Composer - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, Composer - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - C Williams, Composer - Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, Composer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Grantley Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Shara Nelson, ComposerLyricist - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles, ComposerLyricist - Jonathan Peter Sharp, ComposerLyricist
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Grantley Marshall, ComposerLyricist - Andrew Vowles, ComposerLyricist - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Wally Badarou, ComposerLyricist - Adrian Nicholas Matthews Thaws, ComposerLyricist
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Fred Simon, Composer - Grantley Marshall, Composer - Andrew Vowles, Composer - Shara Nelson, Composer - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, Composer - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Massive Attack with Johnny Dollar, Producer - Larry Brownlee, Composer - Gus Redmond, Composer - Jeffery Simon, Composer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Grantley Marshall, Composer - Andrew Vowles, Composer - Neneh Cherry, Composer - Massive Attack, Producer, Mixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Robert Del Naja, Composer - Johnny Dollar, Producer, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Booga Bear, Producer, Executive Producer - Horace Hinds , Composer
(C) 2012 Virgin Records LtdThis label copy information is the subject of copyright protection. All rights reserved.(C) 2012 EMI Records Ltd ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
Album Description
The first masterpiece of what was only termed trip-hop much later, Blue Lines filtered American hip-hop through the lens of British club culture, a stylish, nocturnal sense of scene that encompassed music from rare groove to dub to dance. The album balances dark, diva-led club jams along the lines of Soul II Soul with some of the best British rap (vocals and production) heard up to that point, occasionally on the same track. The opener "Safe from Harm" is the best example, with diva vocalist Shara Nelson trading off lines with the group's own monotone (yet effective) rapping. Even more than hip-hop or dance, however, dub is the big touchstone on Blue Lines. Most of the productions aren't quite as earthy as you'd expect, but the influence is palpable in the atmospherics of the songs, like the faraway electric piano on "One Love" (with beautiful vocals from the near-legendary Horace Andy). One track, "Five Man Army," makes the dub inspiration explicit, with a clattering percussion line, moderate reverb on the guitar and drums, and Andy's exquisite falsetto flitting over the chorus. Blue Lines isn't all darkness, either -- "Be Thankful for What You've Got" is quite close to the smooth soul tune conjured by its title, and "Unfinished Sympathy" -- the group's first classic production -- is a tremendously moving fusion of up-tempo hip-hop and dancefloor jam with slow-moving, syrupy strings. Flaunting both their range and their tremendously evocative productions, Massive Attack recorded one of the best dance albums of all time.
© John Bush /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 9 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:44
- Main artists: Massive Attack
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Virgin Catalogue
- Genre: Electronic Trip Hop
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24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo
© 2012 Virgin Records Limited ℗ 2012 Virgin Records Limited
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