Day 0789 - Maxinquaye

Tricky "Maxinquaye" (1995)

Tricky had achieved some notoriety appearing on Massive Attack's first album "Blue Lines".   He had brought that group a song he'd put together with teenaged singer Martina Topley-Bird but they rejected it.   Tricky released it himself and started working on music for his first solo album, including some more tracks with Martina.  The title of the album is a sort of portmanteau of Tricky's mother's first and last names: Maxine Quaye.

Tricky produced with the album with Mark Saunders, bringing in a number of vinyl samples which other producers might have rejected due to their excessive hisses and crackles.  Tricky mixed these together with some low-tempo beats, and deep muddy bass to create interesting but sometimes uncomfortable soundscapes onto which he layered lyrics fuelled by paranoia, angst and depression.

Tricky brings a lot of fresh references, sampling "Glorybox" by Portishead on "Hell is around the Corner" and the Smashing Pumpkins' "Suffer" to brilliant effect on his track titled... er "Pumpkin".

This is a solid and interesting trip-hop album that I'd place on a par with the first two Massive Attack albums.   I'm interested to investigate some of  Tricky's other solo releases, though I've read that he never topped this one.

Day 0776 - Protection

Massive Attack "Protection" (1994)

 

Things had not been running smoothly for Massive Attack, their tour in the US had not fared well, they had briefly tried shortening their name to ‘Massive’ in order to not ruffle feathers during the first Iraq war, and had parted ways with their main singer Shara Nelson.

Despite these setbacks the group put together a strong sophomore release, with guest spots from 'Everything But the Girl' singer Tracey Thorn, and rapper Tricky.  Tricky had featured on the first Massive Attack album but had since started his solo career, and after “Protection” would not record with the group again for around another 10 years.

It strikes me how simple some of these songs are, the first few tracks (even the sublime and moody title track) are mostly just the same piece of music looped around with the vocals adding points of difference.   There’s sounds ranging from the deep muddy dub of "Spying Glass", through to "Sly" with its strings-and-beat combo, a sound that would become synonymous with trip-hop.

The whole thing is rounded off with a funky, sound-effect laden cover of the Doors' "Light my Fire"

Day 0704 - Blue Lines

Massive Attack "Blue Lines" (1991)

Massive Attack had gravitated towards each other and been developing music together for months.  Some of the group were involved in the production of Neneh Cherry's "Raw Like Sushi" album, and Neneh in turn had been motivating the group to make and release their own music.  In the words of Daddy G:

"We were lazy Bristol twats. It was Neneh Cherry who kicked our arses and got us in the studio. We recorded a lot at her house, in her baby's room. It stank for months and eventually we found a dirty nappy behind a radiator".

The group produced music with an electronic vibe, but throwing live instruments into the mix and with much slower tempos than typically found in the electronic genre.  Hiphop beats and rapping mix with an almost loungey soul, strings and brilliant vocals from Shara Nelson, Horace Andy and rapper Tricky, who would go on to have an extensive solo career.

Viewed as one of the first/cornerstone albums in the yet-to-be labelled 'trip-hop' genre.

Day 0579 - Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C. "Raising Hell"  (1986)

The third album from Run-D.M.C put them on the map (and on MTV), in particular their collaboration with the members of Aerosmith on that band's track "Walk this way".  The collab was suggested by producer Rick Rubin after he gave Run-D.M.C. a copy of the lyrics to read.  The track was a hit and also helped rejuvenate Aerosmith's slightly slumped career by introducing them to a new audience.

'Raising Hell' continues the group's brilliant mix of rock riffs with scratches and with the two MCs trading rhymes over the top.  The extra loud and chunky scratches, booming beats and occasional cowbell render this almost the epitome of "old school hip hop".

A sonically interesting album that, much like Afrika Bambaataa, takes existing material and molds it into something new, original and exciting.