Customer Reviews

Mezzanine

5 star:		(266)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's hard to improve on Brent DiCrescenzo's original review of this album, which pointed out that Mezzanine absorbs light. Even in the blacklit genre of trip-hop, nothing hit the low register like the pulses of the brooding "Angel" or the choked-out, smoked-out vocals on "Risingson". But what saves this from being a mere opium drip soundtrack are the flashes of pop: the subtle hooks, the dependable songwriting, and-- most of all-- the spare use of Elizabeth Fraser's high vocal wisps. On "Teardrop" and especially "Group Four", the contrast between that fleeting beacon and the void below evoke far more drama than their writing ever could-- like some classic mythological painting where the gates of heaven are just barely in sight of whatever's damned at the bottom.

This cd opens great, and never lets you down. Every track sounds different, and they all just give you a feeling like you can't get without them. Amazing. Can't keep this out of my cd player. Anyone who likes ambient music, or is open to electronica should hear this.

I'm not a huge electronica music fan but I sure love this album. Sooth you right in with it's incredible melodies, lyrics and beats.
Just buy it yooooooooooooo

I guess I just need to put in my two cents in this sea of reviews (most of them good, obviously) for this album. I fell in love with this album in the summer of 1998. I listened to it while reading the 4th book in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. They meshed perfectly. The dark, haunting synths, downbeat droning guitar, and spine tingling vocals on this album are simply amazing. I had never heard anything quite like it before, or since. Massive's earlier works are not as dark and moody, and their later work is a little too innaccessible for most people (though I absolutely loved it!). Buy this album! Dont hesitate! Do it NOW!!! SPEND, YOU AVID CONSUMER YOU!!!!

Whew! 'Nuff said. Bye!

This is by far the best album ever released, not only by massive attack, but i'm talking about the best album ever released in the music world. angel, rising son, mezzanine, I couldn't stop listening, it crabs you and doesn't let you go until the last sound. it's just hypnotising. God, I wish I could listen the album for the first time again!!forget blue lines, this is the album you should get!

This is, flat out, (in my opinion) the best album ever released. Massive Attack is an utterly awesome group, and by far the best Trip-Hop band out there.
The album begins with some of the best songs ever created by any artist of any kind, starting with "Angel", sung by Massive Attack's honorary member, Horace Andy. With his wonderfully haunting voice and the song's slow beats and humming bass, the song becomes dark, desolate, and completely otherworldly.
The second song, "Risingson" is probably the best song Massive Attack has created. It's yet another dark song, filled with paranoia and doubt. I love it.
The third track, "Teardrop" is one of my personal favorites. The song is sung by guest vocalist, Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. It's Ethereal, dreamy, and utterly wonderful.
And, of course, there is "Inertia Creeps". A truly great song and one of Massive Attack's bests. Eerie, paranoid, and hypnotic: it's a great song to lose yourself in.
The rest of the album cannot quite keep up with its first four epic tracks, but none the less, it's other half beats out most albums without ever even trying. A truly wonderful album. I highly recommend it.

This CD speaks for itself. I have listened to their other albums, and own 100th Window, but nothing compares to the musical genius of "Mezzanine". Whilst electronica, it is one of the very very few electronica, trip-hop bands where I am not constantly reminded of synthetic sounds. Richly varied in percussive qualities, with voice and other sounds blended so seamlessly, this album transports the listener onto into a quasi transcendental plane. Now that might sound corny, but there's no other way to put it.

For months I couldn't get through a day without playing this album at least once or twice. Now, i come back to it, and it sounds new again. Beautifully rich and dark. The voices never seem to interfere with the mood, rather they become fused with it perfectly--the percussion and varied sounds, never the "thump-thump" of dancey trancy crap.

I cannot wait for Massive Attack's next album release. I hope they return to this level again: because it was lost a bit in 100th Window. Sinead O'Connors political content loaded lyrics on the Irish-English conflict totally overshadowed the musical gift of Massive Attack. The MOOD is enough to convey that and more to listeners without creating narrow, literal channels of interpretation and storytelling. The track Antistar on 100th was the strength being revealed, but still couldn't shine with the magic of Mezzanine. Storytelling/literal political agendas are not what Massive Attack's strength is: Stick with your strength: It's Mezzanine. It's ALL there. the MUSIC.

This is by far one of the best albums in history, in my honest opinion. No one else has come so close, so completely, on an entire album.

Massive Attack reminds me of another electronica artist that loves to ride on the dark side and that's Mr.Deviant and his CD "Techno Obsession". Both of these CDs are dark and just what the doctor ordered to escape from all this pop radio friendly dance/electronica garbage that's out there. "Mezzanine" is the groups signature CD, and if you're not a fan now, you will be after hearing it. The text book for trip-hop and dark electronica.

"Mezzanine" was among the top albums of 1998 among many critics, is that kind of album you just should like cause it's so diffrent from the crowd. For me however it doesn't give me anything new, half of the songs are 5 stars the rest are 0 stars so giving the album a 3 star overall seems fair to me. "Mezzanine" is not a bad album,Massive Attack gives the audience something diffrent, they invented the Trip-hop genre and surely knows how to make a spectacular recording with cool samples, haunting voices and mixing the genre's. But then again, both of their previous albums were miles better then this. It seems like Massive Attack couldn't decide wether they wanted to make soulish masterpieces with slow haunting female vocals like "Teardrop" or just plain dull, dark hip-hop influented songs with babbling male vocals like "Risingson". On other albums they have mostly made the first option, on this it's 50/50 and i could never get into the latter one. Apart from "Teardrop" i like "Angel" "Exchange" "Black Milk" and "Dissaloved girl" the depressing "Man Next Door" is pretty good too actually. The remaining 4 songs are just "skip" button for me. Not a bad album, but not to match with the previous too. Buy on own risk.

When I first heard Massive Attacks' Mezzanine I thought how wonderful it was to find such great music only to realize it was 3 years old and this was one of the newest albums! Nevertheless, I was immediately drawn to the flow of this album. The album, specifically, "Angel", "Teardrop", and "Inertia Creeps" are like intense, organized musical explosions neatly wrapped in melody. It flows so well molding intensity and mellow together ... like explosive relaxation. The other tracks are pleasant also, though not as strong the previous mentioned, but then again I prefer driven pieces. Personally, I think the dark tones and base elements are the most important pieces of this album giving it a massive foundation for the entertaining '"bells and whistle" elements. Overall I think this album rocks my socks off.