Customer Reviews

Blue Lines

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Blue Lines, IMO along with Protection are the "sunnier" albums from Massive Attack, later works are definitively darker and with different vibes. I love Blue Lines, in particular songs such as "Five Man Army" or "Unfinished Sympathy" are just so full of anergy and amazingly different than what was going on back in those musical years. Love this album and it is quite a different experience listen to it on vinyl as suppose than CD, sound is much deeper and warm.

In 1990, hip-hop was steadily winding its way into the mainstream, and aside from a handful of hardcore acts (Public Enemy, NWA), the genre was splitting into two camps-- creatively bankrupt pop-rap like Hammer and Kid N' Play, or softer, accessible edutainment like Tribe, LL and Brand Nubian-- neither of which were too appealing to those with subversive leanings. Needless to say, it was time for the Brits to bring some much-needed fog and terror. The first lines of "Safe from Harm" were like a smooth kick to the velveted head: "Midnight rockers/ City slickers/ Gunmen and maniacs"-- and this was one of the romantic songs! Massive Attack's amalgamation of vintage dub, ambient starkness, hip-hop beats, siren divas, and drawling, purring raps was the sound of the street, whether you were in an embrace in the park or a gunfight in the alley.

3D, Daddy G, and Mushroom packed all the talent of Bristol (including reggae superstar Horace Andy and a young anti-go-getter then known as Tricky Kid) into a cellar and drew up smoke. 3D and Daddy G invented stoned insouciance a year and a half before Snoop would debut on Dre's The Chronic, tossing off smooth antinomies and meandering stories at a slug's pace. And when they were conjoined to earthy strings, minimalist samples, and Shara Nelson's voice, it incontestably changed the world's perception of the resonance of rap.

i'm not especially a fan of hip-hop, or reggae, but this album is sterling; it's influential, intelligent, the soul tracks with shara are tops,
this is sure to remain as an all-time classic, "hymn of the big wheel"; "five man army", the title track, & a totally excellent version of "be thankful, for what you've got; it breaks the myth.
definitely five stars, at least!

Although many have spoken of the enormous influence of 'Blue Lines' on modern music, few seem to have taken time to consider the influences that have shaped it (something the band has expressley done in the liner notes to the album). One of the major influences on the opening tracks 'Safe from Harm' and 'One Love' is Headhunters-era Herbie Hancock. The funky extended groove and the distant electric piano are classic jazz fusion sounds.

Massive attack perform their own form of fusion in harnessing Shara Nelson's classic soul-feuled vocals with the emerging sounds of British hip-hop. You can even hear the influence of Marvin Gaye on a track like 'Be Thankful For What You've Got'; or the sound of late 70's New York on 'Lately' (a time and place of obvious influence, as mention of the movie 'Taxi Driver' in the liner notes attests to).

Dub is also of major importance to the sound of 'Blue Lines', something the young Tricky uses to full effect on '5 Man Army'. Don't forget another of MA's name dropping influence, PIL. Jah Wobble's dub-heavy bass echos round the rhythm of 'Safe From Harm'. Horace Andy's vocals are just as powerful as Nelson's even if they come from a different musical genre. He gives huge emotion to the pop sensibility of 'Hymn Of The Big Wheel' and the contrast of his yearning vocal against the nocturnal background of 'One Love' is an original sound not lost on Moby.

The only thing I have to take a star off for is the dreadful monotone rapping in an English accent, which might have sounded radical in '91, but has become mildly irritating in 2004.

"Bluie Lines" was Massive Attack's first album and the start of unfinnished music history. With this classic 90's album they started the UK trend Trip Hop, and lots of others were going to follow. Like all Massive album's there's a great variety of songs included, hip hop, soul, reggae, dance. Another reason to take a closer look at this album. Shara Nelson appears on this album too, the soulful voice behind "Unfinished Sympahty" her appearence makes the album even better and enjoyable. The song itself it the best of the album and perhaps the biggest hit so far for Massive Attack, it got the trip hop feeling all over it from the beats, the soulish sound and the vocals match perfect. She also sings "Safe Drom Home" which is good aswell. "One Love" is jazzy while "Five Man Army" is reggae and "Blue Lines" and "Daydreaming are hip hop. One of my favorites is the soulish pop influented "Be Thankful for What You Got" with awesome beats and scratching, very memorable song. "Lately" is slow and soulish, but passable. "Hymn of the Big Wheel" is that kind of song i can put in a specific genre, good however. Only 9 songs on this album but it's quality, not quantity. A great classic you defenitely should pick up.

It's hard to listen to Massive Attack's debut album without thinking of their extraordinary & subsequent work. Preferably, I'm a BIG fan of their collaborations with various grand artists. The real winners from this album are the tracks which feature Shara Nelson-- whom has a great yearning/vocal style which is definitely comparable to Sinead O'Connor (Another MA Collaborator)-- probably because both O'Connor and Nelson have that British mourning sound about them, plus both of them work so well with the sound of Massive Attack.

''Safe From Harm'' is definitely the best track off this album, with a over-looped and tripping atmosphere, Shara's voice sounds amazing on this track, plus there's a male vocalist over there too. As-well as the biggest hit off this album is probably ''Unfinished Sympathy'' and is undeniably one of their most popular songs along with ''Protection'' but that's on their second album.

The title track ''Blue Lines'', set's the standard for ''CLASSIC'' trip-hop. ''Daydreaming'' takes off with a sweeping pulsed beat, you hear Shara making an intro for the song, then comes more of Tricky's vocals, it takes a turn for the more rap/hip-hop side. Other great tracks are ''Be Thankful For What You've Got'', ''One Love'' and ''Lately''.

Bottom line is, this album is great and it can stand up on it's own, but I vastly prefer it's successor's such as ''Protection'', ''Mezzanine'' and recently ''100th Window''...

These guys have spread their influence over to Portishead, Bjork, Madonna a.k.a (The Queen Of Pop), Tracey Thorn/Everything But The Girl, Sinead O'Connor, Shara Nelson, Elizabeth Fraser, Sara Jay, Horace Andy, Tricky, Goldfrapp, Mos Def...etc (I could go on forever naming all of the artist's)...this just show's what a FANTASTIC group this is.--- They may not have the overexposed popularity of the unsuccessful/bland artists like Britney Spears, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake...But WHO CARES?...Massive is here to make ''MUSIC''-- not to impress public relations.

Massive Attack is just ''too good'' to be compared to anything like that... Great Album, Definitely worth every cent!.

Massive Attack -Blue Lines. I first heard this album about 2 months after it was released in 1991 when my sister bought a copy. I sat down and listened to the album from start to finnish, i loved it. No, i mean I LOVED IT! I knew from that moment that i was listening to a ground breaking album.

To produce a volume of work of this quality and vision in 1991 was incredible when you consider some of the tosh that was floating around then. For it still to be great, fresh at every listen over a decade on, tells its own story. I still listen to this album at least once a week, i enjoy new music and have some other classics that rate up there, but this album makes me shiver with delight. It's a classic...end of story. Anyone who cannot see this may as well go grab a muti pack, discount bundle of Britney Spears & Robbie Williams albums and catch a first class ticket to musical hell.

With infectious grooves, high production value, sexy vocals and incredible lyrics, it's no wonder that Massive Attack's "Blue Lines" is one of the greatest trip-hop albums of all time! There's not a bad song on this one and MA's material doesn't sound at all dated like a lot of stuff that came out in the early 90s. Truly the "Godfathers of Trip-hop." Every fan of this genre should own "Blue Lines"!

i am an avid music fan, (and own several hundred albums and cds)have been since a kid.-I humbly admit to not having heard any of massive attack's "blue lines" until jan 1st 2004--.After having rolling stone tell me for the umpteenth time how incredible it is, i decided i would not stop until i had fully heard the entire album----my verdict- 1."safe from harm" -gripping and melodic--deep,forboding,pulsing,trippy- forces you to answer the question "what if someone came tonight in the darkness to harm my child."-an uncomfortable but bracing scenario that no one likes to consider/but,which --must-- be considered.powerful. no 2."one love"---uh yeah --um---not quite the incredible song it couldve been. indeed not even close.it just kindof goes on and on. no3.blue lines--all together excellent track-nice use of background noise and ambiance.. no.4"be thankful for what you've got"--what no one seems to have mentioned on this one and what i find impressive. the production quality on this track is incredible:-Crisp-- Tight, Deep -kick>kick>kickin drums!!AND TOMS-throbbin bass. and the kind of patience for the melody that is so rare to find.--i can just hear marvin gaye or tom jones or al green or george micheal or hell, lionel ritchie! even, pushin the lead vocal to the most soulful degree."WHY HASN'T SOMEONE COVERED THIS SONG FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD!"--only one small issue-the song is dire need of a second verse!!!ARRRGH.---no.5"unfinished symphony"--i dont get the hype surrounding this one i guess it forced into everyone head in the 90's and it stuck.---no6-"five man army"--awesome reggae!--before "shaggy" was grownin stubble i reckon.--no 7-"daydreaming" another thouroughly awesome track!--just superb- you are floating on air -no 8 "lately" can't hear it so much as the others,sorry--no 9"hymn of the big wheel" is it just me or did this song get stolen and re-written as "circle of life" from the lion king?--just a thought---a great song.--and overall a great album---have not heard "mezzanine" at all. but will be going n chronological order so i can hear them as they came.--Blue Lines is awesome in many spots. Im sure for its moment it really did shine.--does it last, ultimately yes.im sure it was every bit as influential as every music mag says it was.---but "unfinished symphony" is not the song of the decade, lets not get crazy.

BLUE LINES is one of the most influential albums of the past decade. It is to dance music, what Nirvana's NEVERMIND is to grunge. For a band, whose debut album has had such an impact over music, Massive Attack is truly remarkable. This album has created a whole new genre itself: trip-hop, an offshoot of dance music. If not, this is definitely the first trip-hop album to be a big commercial as well as critical success. Though musically simple, BLUE LINES was much ahead of its time, as far as its style is concerned.

As an album, BLUE LINES is sexy, seductive and subfusc. The opening track "Safe From Harm", with its killer bass-hooks, eerie background music and Shara Nelson's mysteriously seductive vocals, is a perfectly gothic dance number. The following track, "One Love", is all orgasms galore. Instead of going overboard with sexuality like a lot of Prince's or Madonna's songs, "One Love" is as subtle and smooth as it gets, without being all loud and glaring - Only Horace Andy's vocals can be as sexy without even meaning to be.

Songs like "Blue Lines", "Five Man Army", and "Daydreaming" keep up the enjoyably livid mood built up by "Safe From Harm" and "One Love": gloomy and crazy, these three tracks wander aimlessly without any proper structure or chorus, with the band members taking turns to emcee, giving the impression of apparitions whispering mindless words in different forms - isn't trip-hop music, of the ghosts and for the dead?

Well, if BLUE LINES can be all spooky and intentionally subterranean, it can also be as positive, heavenly, and invigorated. This dual nature of this album makes listening to it even more enjoyable. "Be Thankful For What You Got", "Unfinished Sympathy", "Lately", and "Hymn Of The Big Wheel", are so unbelievably effusing with life and zest, that it is amazing that they are packed in the same album as the distressingly dark "Safe From Harm", and the others.

If "Safe From Harm" is one of the grimmest tracks ever created then "Be Thankful For What You Got" is one of the most upbeat songs ever made. With its down-to-earth vocals, and innocently simple words, this song overwhelms with its earthiness. Also, "Unfinished Sympathy", which is much more sophisticated, creates a blissful atmosphere with Shara's unassumingly sweet vocals along with the divine string-arrangement accompanying her vocals; and yes, its irresistibly foot-tapping beats are unforgettable. The closing number "Hymn Of The Big Wheel", is so unbelievably naïve and chaste, that it is only surprising that this song is in collaboration with the same person who has also collaborated in the temptingly sleazy "One Love".

An album, which is sleazy, sexy, subfusc, simple, and spirited, all at the same time, BLUE LINES is an essential album, in any collection. BLUE LINES is indeed an icon, as far as classic albums are concerned, and is undoubtedly the mother of all trip-hop albums.