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100thWindow

Massive Attack: 100th Window

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? by Chris Nettleton
  • Type: Album
  • Release date: 10/02/2003
  • Label: Virgin
After a four and a half year absence following the epoch-making Mezzanine , Massive Attack have finally returned with a new album, one founder member down on the deal (Grant Marshall having gone his own way) leaving Horace Andy and Robert Del Naja to continue as a duo, with guest vocalist Sinéad O'Connor adding spooky vocals...
(I'm wondering if it's a coincidence that the spooky song she sings on Asian Dub Foundations' Enemy of The Enemy is called '1000 Mirrors'??)

... the good news is that they haven't tried to recreate that sound. This is more of an eerie soundtrack to a sombre dream about the state of the world in 2003 than the hypnotic pump of the previous record, and though it's not going to suddenly shock someone familiar with their previous work, it certainly expands their sound in an eastern direction, most of the songs seemingly woven from Arabic and Asian melodies. Perhaps I can spot Nitin Sawhney in the melting point somewhere... imagine John Carpenter doing a mesmeric soundtrack to The Omen...

It probably has a similar relation to it's predecessor as 'In Utero' did to 'Nevermind'...
The former was Essential the latter merely Excellent

  • Massive Attack 8 / 10
Words: Chris Nettleton

Comments

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Massive Attack - 100th Window

I tried reviewing this a few times but all I could say was it left me feeling like I'd not listened to it and the last track just hums and does my head in.

They've taken out all those middle of peru soul sounds and tried to make an electronica record without getting any of the ice and smashed glass that the cover hints at (not that you should judge a cd by it's cover, mind).

I thought it was a real letdown, I've played it quite a bit and it still leaves me feeling like i'm listening to grey digi-dust blowing out of my computer fan.

Glad you liked it tho Chris.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 12:03 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

I do like th vampiric violins used at times, but the addition of Sinéad O'Connor to the band (she sings more vocals than anyone else, she's basicly *in* Massive Attack at this point) doesn't really sit well, prehaps i just don't like her previous stuff and can't see her anew here

It's on my stereo now, i don't know, i wouldnt' have scored it that highly, but i do think it's my second Massive Attack album next to Mezzanine, it's not so single heavy as that one was tho, it's more background music than ever

ollie.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 12:15 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

I think it's a lot more soundtracky than Mezzanine... perhaps the score was a bit generous, but I have had it constantly playing on my stereo. It isn't quite as good as Mezzanine, but I think the problem is that anything was going to be disappointing by comparison.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 21:14 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

I got a promo copy of this weeks ago and firstly it wouldn't play on my computer... GRRR... 'cos it's the cd player i have. and secondly when i finally did sit down to listen to it after five years of anticipation i HATED it, after about 12 times through now i'm down to dislike...

Mezzanine, Protection and Blue Lines all wipe the floor with it. I disagree about Sinead O'Connor though, her contribution, particularly on 'Special Cases' lifts the whole thing out of its sorry rut at times.

We'll see if the next one, in 2009, is a return to form.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 21:28 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

what i forgot to say - the length of time between massive attack albums has always been justified by the quality of them. if this hadn't taken five years i guess i'd be a bit warmer to it...
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 21:29 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

some people have been having trouble reading the CD in their players or computers (copy protection stuff) but Massive Attack are streaming the whole album via their website at the moment (after the CND give it back to them) some ppl have been getting quite annoyed about this, a few US fans are claiming to be activly getting illegal MP3 versions off others, returning their CD and sending the money directly to Massive Attack..

but anyway, some of the tracks i do actually like more than Mezzanine, I still can't get past Sinéad O'Connor's vocals tho

ollie.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 22:17 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

Have to feel sorry for Masive Attack (or should that be Mr Del Naja?) in some way cos '100th Window' is a cracking album yet compared to 'Blue Lines' and 'Mezzanine' sounds shallow.

Come on people?

How do you follow expertise?

I've no idea so why should RDJ?

Appeciate.
Enjoy.
Rejoice.
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 15 Feb '03, 23:40 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

Can you believe the guy's a paed?
Old_Anonymous_Comments | 2 Mar '03, 11:44 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

What a fucking stupid and immensely unoriginal, not to mention unfunny little comment.

Shit "review".

Difficult album; sounds like the machines were in pain.
Andrew_Future | 30 Apr '03, 23:32 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Re: Massive Attack - 100th Window

Sinéad O'Connor really spoils this on reflection, i always did like Tricky more than Massive Attack anyway

ollie.
ollie | 1 May '03, 02:23 | Send note | Report this | Reply

Massive Attack - 100th Window

Good review. This is obviously not MA's best but i think 8 is an accurate score. We seem to forget that 'bad' for these guys is still for the most part excellent in general.

Chiboys | 18 Jun '07, 04:44 | Send note | Report this | Reply