Blue Lines
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| Blue Lines | ||
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| Studio album by Massive Attack | ||
| Released | August 6, 1991 | |
| Recorded | ??? | |
| Genre | Trip hop | |
| Length | 45:02 | |
| Label | Circa/Virgin | |
| Producer(s) | Massive Attack and Jonny Dollar | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Massive Attack chronology | ||
| Blue Lines (1991) |
Protection (1994) |
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Blue Lines is the debut album by British electronica group Massive Attack, released on August 6, 1991 (see 1991 in music) by Virgin Records. Generally considered the first trip hop album, though the term wasn't coined until several years later, Blue Lines was a massive success in the United Kingdom, though sales were limited elsewhere. A fusion of electronic music, hip hop and dub music, the album established Massive Attack as one of the innovative British bands of the 1990s.
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[edit] Critical acclaim
In 1997 Blue Lines was named the 21st greatest album of all time in a 'Music of the Millennium' poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 1998 Q magazine readers placed it at number 58, and in 2000 the same magazine placed it at number 9 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 395 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Stuart Bailie of BBC Northern Ireland stated that [1] "It was soul music. But it had bold, symphonic arrangements. It featured samples of the Mahavishnu Orchestra going ‘hey, hey hey, hey’. It had funky breaks and an emotional power that was hard to figure. It sounded anxious and lost. But there was a grandeur in the music also. People who came across the record became obsessed, spinning it endlessly."
The track "Unfinished Sympathy" has frequently been described as one of the best songs of all time, according to polls produced by MTV2, NME, and various other magazines and reviewers. A BBC writer stated that: "More than a decade after its release it remains one of the most moving pieces of dance music ever, able to soften hearts and excite minds just as keenly as a ballad by Bacharach or a melody by McCartney." [2]
[edit] Track listing
- "Safe from Harm" (featuring Shara Nelson) (McLaughlin/Cobham/Del Naja/Marshall/Nelson/Vowles) – 5:16
- "One Love" (featuring Horace Andy) (Del Naja/Marshall/Vowles/Wolinski[1] – 4:48
- "Blue Lines" (Bennett/Carlton/Del Naja/Geurin/Marshall/Sample/Scott/Thaws/Vowles) – 4:21
- "Be Thankful for What You've Got" (featuring Tony Bryan) (DeVaughn[2]) – 4:09
- "Five Man Army" (featuring Horace Andy) (Del Naja/Marshall/Thaws/Vowles/Williams[3]) – 6:04
- "Unfinished Sympathy" (featuring Shara Nelson) (Del Naja/Marshall/Nelson/Sharp[4]/Vowles) – 5:08
- "Daydreaming" (featuring Shara Nelson) (Badarou/Del Naja/Marshall/Thaws/Vowles) – 4:14
- "Lately" (featuring Shara Nelson) (Brownlee/Del Naja/Marshall/Nelson/Redmond/Jeffrey Simon/Fred Simon/Vowles) – 4:26
- "Hymn of the Big Wheel" (featuring Horace Andy) (Cherry/Del Naja/Hinds/Marshall/Vowles) – 6:36
[edit] Samples
[edit] Personnel
- Massive Attack - Vocals, Producer
- Horace Andy - Vocals
- Jeremy Allom - Mixing Engineer
- Tony Bryan - Vocals
- Neneh Cherry - Arranger
- Paul Johnson - Guitar (Bass)
- Shara Nelson - Vocals
- Kevin Petrie - Engineer
- Tricky - Vocals
- Gavyn Wright - Leader
- Robert Del Naja aka "3D" - Vocals
- Daddy G aka "Grant Marshall" - Vocals
- Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles - Keyboards
- Mikey General - Vocals (bckgr)
- Will Malone - Conductor
- Jonny Dollar - Keyboards, Producer
[edit] Chart positions
Billboard Music Charts (North America) - singles
- 1991 Safe From Harm Modern Rock Tracks No. 28
- 1991 Safe From Harm Hot Dance Music/Club Play No. 35
- 1991 Safe From Harm Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales No. 32
[edit] References
- ^ Warner Chappell Music only lists these four. Other sources claim W. Cobham, Clyde Williams III / C.J. Williams / J Williams, and Horace Andy as co-writers.
- ^ Cover of the William DeVaughn song of the same name.
- ^ Rapper Claude Williams (Willie Wee) of "The Wild Bunch".
- ^ Jonathan Sharp, most likely this one.
[edit] External links
| Massive Attack |
|---|
| Robert Del Naja aka "3D" - Grant Marshall aka "Daddy G" |
| Andrew Vowles aka "Mushroom" |
| Discography |
| EPs: Hymn of the Big Wheel - Butterfly Caught |
| Studio albums: Blue Lines - Protection - Mezzanine - 100th Window |
| Singles: Any Love - Daydreaming - Unfinished Sympathy - Safe From Harm - Massive Attack EP - Sly - Protection - Karmacoma - Risingson - Teardrop - Angel - Intertia Creeps - Special Cases - Butterfly Caught - Live With Me |
| Compilations: The Singles Collection - Collected - Eleven Promos |
| Remix albums: No Protection |
| Soundtracks: Danny the Dog - Bullet Boy |
