Mambostaggie Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 Welcome back, Colin. I trust you had a braw time on your travels. Now, drop everything and focus on this thread please. Agree completely Barry, come on Colin, screw the nut, holiday's over! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin M Posted November 28, 2012 Author Share Posted November 28, 2012 10= Depeche Mode Violator (1990) 20 years before we all grew to hate them as they were seemingly destined to soundtrack the celebrations to every bloody goal that Celtic ever scored, Depeche Mode released Violator, their seventh album and often considered as their best. Violator was a significant milestone for the Essex band and served as a gateway in their career, seeing them establish themselves on a huge level in America and positioning them as a stadium and arena friendly band able to compete with the other rock superpowers of the era. The making of the album also represented a shift in working method for the band. Songwriter and driving force Martin Gore was encouraged to bring less developed demos to the band who would then share ideas to flesh out the arrangements. The songs were then produced by Mark "Flood" Ellis, then building an increasingly impressive CV having worked with U2, Nine Inch Nails and Nick Cave amongst others. Adding to the stellar cast, the album was mostly mixed by French dance legend Francois Kevorkian. The album maintains a great sound, never dated in that tinny 80s way - the synthesizer sounds remain fat and full bodied throughout. It was 1990, after all. In notable contrast to say, Kraftwerk or New Order, Depeche Mode rarely interacted or impacted on the dance world - this is a record of great songs whose arrangements just happen to be largely made with electronic instruments, and was closer to widescreen rock than they had sailed before. This is best exemplified by the album's leading singles - the stomp of Personal Jesus and pulsating Enjoy The Silence, which unfolds into a magnificent fanfaring swell. Both songs include sprinklings of guitar as if to sonically signify the direction the band was moving in, but the synthesizers stay stars of the show, the guitars merely additional sounds contributing to the fuller sound. Gore's anthemic songs are key to the success of the album, with Dave Gahan's vocals capturing the moment perfectly. For all their anthemic quality, the songs are dark, moody tales of infatuation, sex, isolation, from the gothic waltzes of Sweetest Perfection and Clean, to the more upbeat Policy Of Truth. And for all the sweeping grandeur there are great moments of subtlety - most notably on the pretty Waiting For The Night. Subsequent albums would see Depeche Mode move even further toward the rock spectrum, but on Violator they delivered a terrific collection of songs, demonstrating their flair for framing great songs in ever enthralling arrangements. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mambostaggie Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Welcome back Colin. Nice to hear from you. Good album, good review, good to have you back! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeebarry Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Welcome back Colin. Nice to hear from you. Good album, good review, good to have you back! Agree on all fronts. Colin, if you're not involved in music journalism already I'd wager you could make a go of it. The reviews in this thread are as good as any pieces of writing on the subject as I've read. Looking forward to the rest of the top ten. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Colin, if you're not involved in music journalism already I'd wager you could make a go of it. The reviews in this thread are as good as any pieces of writing on the subject as I've read. Green dot because I couldn't agree more. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundermonkey Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I'm fairly certain Colin, Groaninjock and Div could get their heads together and do something worthwhile. I'd read it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin M Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 (edited) 9 Massive Attack Mezzanine (1998) Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Massive Attack's third is a brooding masterpiece, brimming with tension throughout, and proved to be the breaking point in the working relationship of the three original and core members. It was to be the last album contributed to by Mushroom, who left the group citing the old classic "musical differences", and Daddy G would not contribute to its followup 100th Window (although he has remained a member of the group both on tour and on subsequent releases). The moodier direction steered towards by 3D aka Robert Del Naja made for a largely heavier affair, yet was tempered by great moments of light and funk - it was never clear exactly who did what within the trio, but it's easy to see this album as a tug of war between Del Naja's overpowering strong will and Mushroom's desire to retain hold on their hip-hop and soundsystem musical roots, with Daddy G caught somewhere in the middle. We can't say truly whether this contributed to the tension of the music, but in any case it makes for an exhilarating listen. This darker theme is felt from the beginning of opening track Angel, as ticking rhythms and throbbing basslines expand towards the crescendo of heavy guitars, with regular collaborator Horace Andy taking on a more androgynous persona amidst the noise. Those guitars reappear at times later in the album and with the heavier mood, Mezzanine often feels like it's taking a more rock direction, thankfully without ever having to dial up Skunk Anansie to achieve it. The growling whisper-rap of Risingson wormholes deeper into the darkness, a far cry from previous dancehall and funk tinged excursions. When Andy sings "I've got to get away from here" on cover version Man Next Door, it rings true, Mezzanine forming the paranoia fuelled comedown from the hazier upbeat mood of Blue Lines and Protection. The mood shifts fantastically towards the light though on Teardrop, its heartbeat rhythm, harpsichord patterns and piano chords sounding positively life affirming, while everybody's favourite ethereal chanteuse Liz Fraser drops by to contribute largely incoherent yet captivating vocals. (Apparently Mushroom wanted Madonna to do the vocals on Teardrop but was outvoted - maybe it's just as well he fucked off). The lazy swing of Exchange also lightens the mood, reminding us of the band's earlier efforts. The Eastern-sounding figures of Inertia Creeps, spooky ambience of the title track and climatic build of Group Four rebuild the tension, hooking you in both mentally and physically. Massive Attack albums always sound brilliantly produced, and in collaboration with new cohort Neil Davidge here, every detail is worth savouring, from the vibrating bass string that closes Angel, to the tick-tocking beats on Teardrop, and crisp reverberations of the beats on Exchange. For all it is darker and heavier than their other albums, Mezzanine brought Massive Attack's sound sharply into focus, and stands as a towering achievement from one of the defining acts of the 90s, and one of the UK's greatest bands. Edited November 29, 2012 by Colin M 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin M Posted November 29, 2012 Author Share Posted November 29, 2012 Thanks for your kind words everybody! I'm thoroughly enjoying doing this, although I'm sure people in the office are wondering why the hell I'm writing the occasional essay. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeebarry Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Mezzanine brought Massive Attack's sound sharply into focus, and stands as a towering achievement from one of the defining acts of the 90s, and one of the UK's greatest bands. 100%. Monster album from a band that must surely be worthy of inclusion in any list of all-time UK musical greats. Massive Attack are fucking immense. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mambostaggie Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Fantastic album, missed out on my list as I took a more dancey approach, had this and moon safari in the top ten then changed them for some reason. Glad to see it get in though. I reckon drexcyia which I replaced for one of the two above has no chance now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Gord Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Fantastic album, missed out on my list as I took a more dancey approach, had this and moon safari in the top ten then changed them for some reason. Glad to see it get in though. I reckon drexcyia which I replaced for one of the two above has no chance now. For some reason, I didn't consider Massive Attack. They are one of my favourite bands but I didn't class them as electronic and I've no idea why. Moon safari was top of my list though. Oh aye, I would also like to congratulate Colin on his excellent thread idea and quality reviews. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bert Raccoon Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Never really got into Massive Attack in my younger years but my tastes have changed so I'll give them a shot again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jupiter Jazz Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Used to listen to Massive Attack constantly but they've lost their appeal to me over recent times. Protection though from err Protection would be in my Top 10 tracks ( Colin). I would now make Moon Safari odds on to finish Top 3, although I didn't include it myself. Good to have you back Colin son. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mambostaggie Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I think I've got a fair idea of whats gonna be left bit I've got no idea what number 1 will be. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_S_A_R Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 i've just noticed this thread i'd have voted for...... nathan fake - drowning in a sea of love alter ego - why not? soulwax - niteversions (number 1) felix da housecat - devin drazzle the knife - deep cuts the knife - silent shout daft punk - discovery daft punk - homework gui boratto - chromophobia supermayer - save the world 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberman Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I would probably change my choices now. I can't stop listening to Moderat, Modeselektor and Apparat. I would do the same after recently discovering Android Lust and Pigface 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groaninjock Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 I'm fairly certain Colin, Groaninjock and Div could get their heads together and do something worthwhile. I'd read it. You'll make me blush.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groaninjock Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 (Apparently Mushroom wanted Madonna to do the vocals on Teardrop but was outvoted - maybe it's just as well he fucked off). Hahahahahahaha! Green dot just for that line! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin M Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 8 DJ Shadow Endtroducing... (1996) In the sleevenotes to his debut album, Bay Area hip-hop DJ and producer Josh Davis pays homage to a long list of pioneers and expert beatsmiths, placing himself in a thrilling lineage of sonic technicians from Grandmaster Flash to The Bomb Squad and beyond. DJ Shadow then saw himself as following in their footsteps, and while that may be true in terms of his musical methods, his run of single releases prior to Endtroducing... had already seen him expand on the work of those producers, demonstrating the seemingly unlimited potential of sample based music, its boundaries set only by the imagination. This album them was highly anticipated for 2+ years prior to its release, and it didn't disappoint. Those early releases like In/Flux and the 4-part epic What Does Your Soul Look Like? had taken their lead from seminal releases from De La Soul and The Beastie Boys, and shown that great hip-hop based music didn't have to only use the traditional bases of soul, funk and jazz as sample material - in Shadow's world, anything was recyclable, from easy listening to dub to prog rock and more. What he did with those sources was to chop, loop, scratch and layer them into intricate sculptures that not only got your head nodding but let your mind run wild. It's both physically and mentally stimulating music that remains the touchstone for legions of emerging producers. Putting together the cut and paste party hip-hop of The Number Song must have been a painstaking process (the album was produced almost exclusively using turntable and Akai MPC sampler) but it's testament to Shadow's skill and patience that it sounds seamless, a short attention span bundle of great beats and hooks. In contrast, the likes of Tangerine Dream-sampling Changeling and Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain layer samples to create lush organic sounding sonic journeys that soothe your ears while always keeping your head nodding to the beats. The gorgeous swirl of Midnight In A Perfect World is sheer bliss, while the juxtaposition of clattering beats with ambient notes sampled from Bjork on Mutual Slump demonstrates the potential thrill of sample based music, where the skill is to recontextualize sounds to create something new, in a way that just isn't possible with only live instrumentation. Shadow's work inherits some of the additional sound of the samples - the crackle of the records adding to the atmosphere. The music is so engrossing that you rarely stop to think that you're actually listening to someone glueing bits of his (ridiculously large) record collection together. It's perhaps ironic that Endtroducing... was arguably the zenith of sample based music production, yet due to copyright restrictions and trends towards synth based tracks, was on release already a document of an approach that at times since has seemed to have become niche in hip hop circles - as rap music grew exponentially commercially the content and endeavour to create was diluted in a sea of shallow empty headed often forgettable music (Why Hip Hop Sucks In '96 indeed). Endtroducing... still stands as a remarkable achievement today though, and listening to it now reminds of how impressive it seemed on release. It's still as engulfing and exciting a listen as it was back then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundermonkey Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 My No1 pick. Glorious. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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