MASSIVE ATTACK Schallplatten & CDs

Review: There's a reason that Massive Attack's Blue Lines frequently appears in "greatest albums" lists. To put it simply, it's brilliant, and arguably remains the Bristol-based outfit's finest work to date (though some would argue that the dark and paranoid Mezzanine is possibly better). As this weighty vinyl reissue proves, it's lost none of its hazy, dub-propelled trip-hop charm. All-time classics such as "Unfinished Sympathy", "Safe From Harm" and "Hymn of the Big Wheel" have lost none of their soulful, mood-enhancing brilliance, while lesser celebrated cuts such as "Five Man Army" and "Lately" still sound great despite their vintage.

Review: By the time they headed into the studio to record Protection, Massive Attack were still riding high on the success of their peerless debut album, Blue Lines. While the resultant set, released in 1994, does quite hit the same dizzying heights, it remains a thoroughly great album. Of course, we all know the highlights by heart - the stoned bounce of "Karmacoma", evocative downtempo bliss of Tracey Thorn hook-up "Protection", string-drenched lusciousness of "Sly", and the gentle dub-house soul of the Horace Andy-voiced "Spying Glass", for example - but even the forgotten album cuts (see "Weather Storm" and "Better Things") have aged remarkably well. If you don't own a copy on vinyl already, you definitely should.

Review: Given their famously slow work rate, Massive Attack have been relatively prolific of late. This is their third 12" of the year, following the collaboration-heavy Ritual Spirit E.P (which featured, amongst others, estranged former band member Tricky), and the limited edition Dear Friend. The two tracks showcased here also feature guests. Hope Sandoval joins 3-D and Daddy G on A-side "The Spoils", adding her evocative, fragile vocals - think Liz Fraser on "Teardrop" - to the Bristolian duo's lusciously orchestrated trip-hop backing track. On the flip, things get altogether darker, as Ghostpoet narrates us through another of the pair's paranoid, late night moments. It's arguably the stronger of the two tracks, which is saying something given the overall quality on display.

Review: Snap up this piece of history on wax; Bristolian trip hop legends performing live at the Royal Albert Hall. In the words of Let Them Eat Vinyl "On one summer night in 1998, Massive Attack set the standard that all future performers would try to live up to for years to come." Following up the success of the album Mezzanine released in 1997, Robert del Naja (3D) and Mushroom G and the extended cast of Tricky and Horace Andy play all the hits, including ones on the seminal Blue Lines ("Daydreaming"/"Safe From Harm") and its successor Protection ("Karmacoma"). Horace Andy is at his finest on the amazing "Man Next Door" while The Cocteau Twins' Liz Fraser turned in a career highlight with her unmistakable voice on "Angel".

Review: Originally issued back in 1998, Mezzanine remains the most commercially successful album released by Bristol troupe Massive Attack, thanks in no small part to the Liz Fraser-featuring "Teardrop". This third album signalled a change in sonic direction that played more explicitly on the darkness and tension that was always an undercurrent of their much loved debut Blue Lines and successor Protection. After numerous bootlegs over the years, Virgin have done the right thing and presented this official reissue of Mezzanine to appease fans of Massive Attack and it's clear the LP has lost none of it's bewitching power. The Quincy Jones and Isaac Hayes sampling "Exhange" and "Exchange" remain a delight in particular.

Review: 21 years old and still sounding just as tantalisingly provocative, Blue Lines has undergone a remastering session. Does it sound any better than it originally did? Technically, yes. But it's the spooky soul, imperfect combination of organic dub and basic studio technology and sweet balance of conscience and emotion in the lyrics that really make this album shine. And no remastering can ever better that. This will sound just as fine in another 21 years time.

Review: Way back in 1998 when Massive Attack's career-defining "Mezzanine" was first released, legendary dub technician Mad Professor cooked up some radical reworking. They now get their first official release alongside dubs of two tracks that never actually made it onto the album - Metal Banshee: a dub version of "Superpredators" which was a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Metal Postcard", and "Wire", which was actually recorded for the film "Welcome to Sarajevo". Wild effects, plenty of knob twiddling and oodles of reverb define this freaky late night collection and mark another essential release in the catalogue of the already legendary Mad Professor.

Review: Given Massive Attack's background, it was almost inevitable that they'd release a dub overhaul of one of their albums at one point. That time came in 1995, when British sound system legend Mad Professor - responsible for some of the greatest UK-made dub records of all time - put his distinctive twist on Protection. 21 years on, the set still sounds sublime: a radical translation that frequently bares only a passing resemblance to the Bristol band's original. It's packed with highlights, from the spaced-out, dub-house rework of "Spying Glass" ("I Spy"), to the ricocheting percussion hits and twinkling pianos of "Weather Storm (Cool Monsoon)", and creepy, delay-laden string surges of "Eternal Feedback (Sly)".