Dummy (album)

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Dummy
Dummy cover
Studio album by Portishead
Released 22 August 1994
Recorded 1993–1994, State of Art and Coach House Studios
Genre Trip hop
Length 45:29
Language English
Label Go! Discs/London
Producer Portishead, Adrian Utley
Professional reviews
Portishead chronology
Dummy
(1994)
Portishead
(1997)
Singles from Dummy
  1. "Numb"
    Released: 1994
  2. "Sour Times"
    Released: 1994
  3. "Glory Box"
    Released: 1995

Dummy is the 1994 debut album of the Bristol-based group Portishead. It reached #2 on the UK Album Chart[citation needed] and #79 on the Billboard 200[citation needed] chart, going gold in 1997.[citation needed]

Building on the promise of their earlier EP—"Numb"—it helped to cement the reputation of Bristol as the capital of Trip hop, a nascent genre which was then often referred to simply as "the Bristol sound".The cover is a still of Gibbons from the short film that the band created—To Kill a Dead Man—which originally got them signed due to their self composed soundtrack.

In addition to the already released "Numb", the album spawned two further singles: the UK #13[citation needed] hit (on re-release) "Glory Box" and "Sour Times", which reached the same position, also on re-release.[citation needed]

On 3 December 2008, Universal Music Japan released Dummy and Portishead as limited SHM-CD versions.

Contents

[edit] Reception

It won the 1995 Mercury Music Prize, beating stiff competition which included PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love, Oasis' Definitely Maybe, and Tricky's Maxinquaye.

The album has sold two million copies in Europe.[1]

  • In 2006, it was included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
  • Mojo (p.62) - Ranked #35 in Mojo's "100 Modern Classics."
  • Mojo (1/95, p.50) - Included in Mojo's "25 Best Albums of 1994."
  • The New York Times (1/5/95, p.C15) - Included on Neil Strauss' list of the Top 10 Albums Of '94.
  • NME (8/12/00, p.29) - Ranked #29 in The NME "Top 30 Heartbreak Albums."
  • NME (12/24/94, p.22) - Ranked #6 in NME's list of the 'Top 50 Albums Of 1994.'
  • Q (12/99, p.82) - Included in Q Magazine's "90 Best Albums Of The 1990s."
  • Q (6/00, p.66) - Ranked #61 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums."
  • Rolling Stone (5/13/99, pp.79–80) - Included in Rolling Stone's "Essential Recordings of the 90's."
  • In 2003, the album was ranked number 419 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
  • Spin (9/99, p.140) - Ranked #42 in Spin Magazine's "90 Greatest Albums of the '90s."
  • The Village Voice (2/28/95) - Ranked #14 in the Village Voice's 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Mysterons" – 5:02
  2. "Sour Times" – 4:11
  3. "Strangers" – 3:55
  4. "It Could Be Sweet" – 4:16
  5. "Wandering Star" – 4:51
  6. "Numb" – 3:54
  7. "Roads" – 5:02
  8. "Pedestal" – 3:39
  9. "Biscuit" – 5:01
  10. "Glory Box" – 5:06
  • "It's a Fire" was included on North American editions of the album, in between "Wandering Star" and "Numb"
  • In some Canadian editions, a bonus track, "Sour Sour Times," was added to the end of the album.[2]

[edit] Charts

Chart (1994) Peak
position
Australian Album Chart 23[citation needed]
Belgian Album Chart (FL) 18[citation needed]
Belgian Album Chart (WA) 12[citation needed]
Dutch Album Chart 15[citation needed]
New Zealand Album Chart 21[citation needed]
Norwegian Album Chart 29[citation needed]
Swedish Album Chart 20[citation needed]
Swiss Album Chart 26[citation needed]

[edit] Credits

All vocals by Beth Gibbons. All tracks produced by Portishead with Adrian Utley and engineered by Dave McDonald.

"Mysterons"
"Sour Times"
"Strangers"
  • Geoff Barrow – Rhodes piano
  • Clive Deamer – drums
  • Adrian Utley – guitar
"It Could Be Sweet"
  • Geoff Barrow – Rhodes piano
  • Richard Newell – drum programmer
"Wandering Star"
  • Gary Baldwin – Hammond organ
  • Geoff Barrow – programmer
  • Clive Deamer – drums
  • Adrian Utley – guitar
"It's a Fire"
  • Gary Baldwin – Hammond organ
  • Geoff Barrow – drums
  • Adrian Utley – bass guitar
"Numb"
  • Gary Baldwin – Hammond organ
  • Geoff Barrow – programmer and drums
  • Clive Deamer – drums
  • Adrian Utley – bass guitar
"Roads"
  • Geoff Barrow – programmer and strings arrangement
  • Clive Deamer – drums
  • Dave McDonald – nose flute
  • Neil Solman – Rhodes piano
  • Strings Unlimited – strings
  • Adrian Utley – guitar, bass guitar, and strings arrangement
"Pedestal"
  • Geoff Barrow – programmer
  • Clive Deamer – drums
  • Andy Hague – trumpet
  • Adrian Utley – bass guitar
"Biscuit"
  • Geoff Barrow – Rhodes piano
  • Clive Deamer – drums
"Glory Box"
  • Geoff Barrow – programmer
  • Adrian Utley – guitar and Hammond organ

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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