Mezzanine (album)
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Mezzanine is the third studio album by English trip hop group Massive Attack, released on April 27, 1998. It was produced by Neil Davidge along with the group. The album was produced on Virgin Records. Musically, Mezzanine is a major departure from the jazzy and laidback sound of the first two albums (Blue Lines and Protection), for it invokes the dark undercurrents which had always been present in the collective's music. It was released to near-universal acclaim worldwide, was a huge success in the UK and other parts of Europe, although it failed to share the same success in the United States, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard 200[1].
Mezzanine marked the departure of band member Andrew Vowles, due to creative conflicts. Similar to their previous albums, the majority of the songs consists of one or more samples, ranging from Isaac Hayes to Led Zeppelin. The album has sold over 300,000 copies in the UK alone since its release.[2]
Album information
Critics lauded the album's textured and deep sound, although it was a heavy departure from the sound of their previous releases. The album relies heavily on abstract and ambient sounds, as demonstrated in the song Mezzanine[3] among others. Horace Andy, a well-known reggae artist also performed several spots on the album.[4] Template:Sample box start variation 1 Template:Multi-listen start Template:Multi-listen item Template:Multi-listen end Template:Sample box end The entire album was provided on their website for legal download many months before the physical release was announced. It was one of the first major uses of the MP3 format by a commercial organization.
In 1998 Manfred Mann sued Massive Attack for unauthorized use of a sample of the song "Tribute" from Manfred Mann's Earth Band's eponymous 1972 album, used in "Black Milk".[5] The song has subsequently appeared as "Black Melt" on later releases and at live performances, with the notable absence of the sample.
The track "Man Next Door" also sampled "10.15 Saturday Night", B-Side of British band The Cure's first single release in 1979.
Reception
Mezzanine was well received by critics, who praised the collective's new sound. Rolling Stone's Barney Hoskyns however, although praising the album, pointed its flaws; "[Sometimes] rhythm and texture are explored at the expense of memorable tunes, and the absence of the bizarre Tricky (who appeared on Blue Lines and Protection) only highlights the flat, monotonous rapping of the group's 3-D."[6]. John Bush of Allmusic also had positive light for the album's song "Inertia Creeps"; it "could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen."[7]
Years after the album was released, it was placed on many "Best Of" lists in England, and even in the United States. In 2000, Q magazine placed Mezzanine at number 15 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 412 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [8]
Covers
The song "Angel" has been covered by Brazilian metal band Sepultura on their Revolusongs EP, released in 2003; by Charlotte Martin on her 2007 album, Reproductions; and by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan on their EP Plagiarism, released in the summer of 2006.
Another song, "Teardrop" has been covered by Newton Faulkner, Mika, José González[9], Incubus, and Elbow, although their versions differ significantly in format and instrumentation from the original.
Track listing
- "Angel" - 6:18
- "Risingson" - 4:58
- "Teardrop" - 5:29
- "Inertia Creeps" - 5:56
- "Exchange" - 4:11
- "Dissolved Girl" - 6:07
- "Man Next Door" - 5:55
- "Black Milk" - 6:20
- "Mezzanine" - 5:54
- "Group Four" - 8:13
- "(Exchange)" 4:08
- "Superpredators" (Japanese bonus track) - 5:16
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | UK Albums Chart | 1 |
| 1998 | ARIA Charts | 1 |
| 1998 | Austrian Charts | 3 |
| 1998 | Belgian Charts | 4 |
| 1998 | Finnish Charts | 4 |
| 1998 | Switzerland Charts | 6 |
| 1998 | Billboard 200 | 60 |
Personnel
- Robert Del Naja – vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples, art direction, design
- Grant Marshall – vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Andrew Vowles – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Neil Davidge – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Horace Andy, Elizabeth Fraser, Sara Jay – vocals
- Angelo Bruschini – guitars
- John Harris, Bob Locke, Winston Blisset – bass guitars
- Andy Gangadeen – drums
- Dave Jenkins, Michael Timothy – additional keyboards
- Jan Kybert – ProTools
- Lee Shepherd – engineer
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Jan Kybert, Paul PDub Walton – assistant mixing
- Tim Young – cut
- Nick Knight – photography
- Tom Hingston – art direction, design
References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fwxqw5ldse~T50
- ^ http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=27713
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4HG3-5Eu7I
- ^ http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/andy_horace/bio.jhtml
- ^ VH1.com : Massive Attack : Manfred Mann Sues Massive Attack
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/massiveattack/albums/album/237405/review/6067962/mezzanine
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:axfexqujldde
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6626741/412_mezzanine
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B-h1EEsKDA&feature=related