CD Charts
Welcome to The CD Charts, here you will find all the latest and top selling Music cds available to buy online. You can search and locate the best selling Music cd's and have them delivered to the door. We have a large selection of Music all with reviews.
Back to Home Page > Go back a page
Music : 100th Window
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Rating: 
- A magnificent work of troubling beauty.
Now down to the solo figure of Robert '3D' Del Naja (although Grant 'Daddy G' Marshall's break is only a temporary one), this fourth album from Massive Attack has moved a long way from their Bristollian trip hop roots. Taking 1998's magnificent 'Mezzanine' as a starting point, this brooding beast of an album is made up of delicious shifting layers of textured sound, creating an ominous drifting platform for the vocal contributions of Sinead O'Connor, longtime comrade Horace Andy, and 3D himself. The result is closer to rock than anything beat-based, but don't let that perturb you, plyed loud the pure sonic vision at work here is quite mesmerising, and frequently hypnotic. Certainly a restless departure for this continually creative outfit, this album is none-the-less a magnificent work of troubling beauty.
Rating:
- Simply amazing... but their least accessible record
Of all Massive Attack's releases, this is the one that took the longest for me to really appreciate. On first listening, nearly a year ago now, I was of the opinion, like many other fans and critics, that the absence of Daddy G and Mushroom laid open 'holes' in the music. The songwriting, I thought, was without the soulful, melodic beauty of Blue Lines or Mezzanine. It lacked the introspective, claustrophobic soul of Protection. The beats and production certainly were not imbued with the same dark, powerful and challenging sound that placed Mezzanine among the best records of the 1990s.
So after however many more listens I've given the album, what leads me to give it five stars?
I discovered the subtlety of the emotional (if not political) content of the songs. The melodies themselves are (mostly) more fragile, more subtle than those on Mezzanine, and Del Naja does not tie their flow tightly to the beats. He allows the two to become more separate and flow around and between each other. Silence, possibly the most neglected element in modern popular music, is used to fantastic effect to create the still, reflective mood.
The real brilliance of the music comes in the way this fragility is slowly shattered by quietly menacing riffs and skittering percussion. 100th Window's dark interior has been wrapped up in it's quiet beauty, unlike Mezzanine, where more obvious dark menace was juxtaposed with ethereal beauty. Perhaps the album art is symbolic of the music - the fragile, emotional, human glass shattered by a bullet and all captured in slow motion, freeze-frame.
Inevitably with music as eerily 'chill out' as this - music full of spaces that are only momentarily filled - the album has no 'classic tracks' like 'Unfinished Sympathy', 'Karmacoma', 'Angel' or 'Teardrop', perhaps part of the reason for its lack of critical success. Rather it is memorable for the way it plays on your emotions, and for sounding so incredibly organic yet shattered and frozen.
'Future Proof' begins with a rotating synth riff that never seems to settle into a groove, keeping the song on edge throughout. Guitar licks echo around it until the low vocals come in along with a fractured beat, '...absent friends...empty pockets...they think it's soul...' The song builds to probably the most restrained, quiet fury ever put on record. Testament to Del Naja's innovation that at the climax of the track he introduces quivering ambient drones underneath the layers of guitar.
'Special Cases' floats O'Connor's haunting, powerfully wrought vocals over a brooding bass riff. There is a strange string melody that repeats over and over again ominously and is gradually mixed with wordless vocals. It slowly gets inside your head and makes everything very still, until all the layers of the song come away suddenly leaving only reverb and rotting string bass. (Incidentally, this was initially one of my least favourite tracks)
Other highlights are the pounding beats lost in the grooveless soundscape of 'Butterfly Caught', and the minute detail of 'Small Time Shot Away'.
The album is possibly more deeply layered than any of Massive Attack's earlier work. It may be wrapped up in similar clothing to 1998's Mezzanine, but its is a much darker, earthier and emotionally rich core.
Rating:
- Massive Disappointment
Just like anyone who has anything remotely resembling good taste, I loved Protection and Mezzanine. I thought every single one of the artists featuring on these records was incredibly talented. Though this "100th Window" is mainly Del Naja's, I still thought I would get my money's worth. After all, he does sing incredibly well on the previous albums. Well, he still does. But this time the lyrics he sings are utterly laughable, and the music is not quite of the quality I was expecting. A dark hour for a talented singer. After several listenings, it's found its place in the cupboard along with the other CDs I never listen to anymore.
Rating:
- massive attack
their arrival on the scene, perhaps one of the introducers of the term trip hop, massive attack were something of a revelation. when one thinks of previous albums, classic tracks will always spring to mind. 'teardrop', 'unfinished sympathy','karma coma','safe from harm' are perhaps best known. (even some of the least known are fantastic, thinking of heat miser, black milk, weather strom, better things, man next door, hymn of the big wheel, blue lines and protection. the list could go on.) in listening to their latest offering one cannot help but feel there is no interest, no pleasure arising from listening to this album. it was a laborious chore sitting through this collection of drab tunes and poor lyrics.
as someone who has gained much pleasure from their music i can only hope that the next album will be much, much better.
Rating: - Ahh the genius of massive attack
Surprisingly, to me at least 100th Window had a pretty quiet release-not too much hype (sadly!) after the well rinsed but still class mezzanine. My point being that I think that 100th Window is their best album yet-proven by the emotive collaboration with Sinead O'Connor... I don't think they could have found a better vocal... she enevitably provides a haunting, eerie quality to the 3 tracks she appears on... cohesive with the rest of the album which is very intense at times! (think-listening to 'angel' from mezzanine, turned up far too loud!) But having said that... do not read it as 'scary, manic, dwelling music' although it can be, it pretty much suits any mood.
If you are a Massive Attack fan, there is no exscuse not to own this one!
- A magnificent work of troubling beauty.Now down to the solo figure of Robert '3D' Del Naja (although Grant 'Daddy G' Marshall's break is only a temporary one), this fourth album from Massive Attack has moved a long way from their Bristollian trip hop roots. Taking 1998's magnificent 'Mezzanine' as a starting point, this brooding beast of an album is made up of delicious shifting layers of textured sound, creating an ominous drifting platform for the vocal contributions of Sinead O'Connor, longtime comrade Horace Andy, and 3D himself. The result is closer to rock than anything beat-based, but don't let that perturb you, plyed loud the pure sonic vision at work here is quite mesmerising, and frequently hypnotic. Certainly a restless departure for this continually creative outfit, this album is none-the-less a magnificent work of troubling beauty.
Rating:
- Simply amazing... but their least accessible recordOf all Massive Attack's releases, this is the one that took the longest for me to really appreciate. On first listening, nearly a year ago now, I was of the opinion, like many other fans and critics, that the absence of Daddy G and Mushroom laid open 'holes' in the music. The songwriting, I thought, was without the soulful, melodic beauty of Blue Lines or Mezzanine. It lacked the introspective, claustrophobic soul of Protection. The beats and production certainly were not imbued with the same dark, powerful and challenging sound that placed Mezzanine among the best records of the 1990s.
So after however many more listens I've given the album, what leads me to give it five stars?
I discovered the subtlety of the emotional (if not political) content of the songs. The melodies themselves are (mostly) more fragile, more subtle than those on Mezzanine, and Del Naja does not tie their flow tightly to the beats. He allows the two to become more separate and flow around and between each other. Silence, possibly the most neglected element in modern popular music, is used to fantastic effect to create the still, reflective mood.
The real brilliance of the music comes in the way this fragility is slowly shattered by quietly menacing riffs and skittering percussion. 100th Window's dark interior has been wrapped up in it's quiet beauty, unlike Mezzanine, where more obvious dark menace was juxtaposed with ethereal beauty. Perhaps the album art is symbolic of the music - the fragile, emotional, human glass shattered by a bullet and all captured in slow motion, freeze-frame.
Inevitably with music as eerily 'chill out' as this - music full of spaces that are only momentarily filled - the album has no 'classic tracks' like 'Unfinished Sympathy', 'Karmacoma', 'Angel' or 'Teardrop', perhaps part of the reason for its lack of critical success. Rather it is memorable for the way it plays on your emotions, and for sounding so incredibly organic yet shattered and frozen.
'Future Proof' begins with a rotating synth riff that never seems to settle into a groove, keeping the song on edge throughout. Guitar licks echo around it until the low vocals come in along with a fractured beat, '...absent friends...empty pockets...they think it's soul...' The song builds to probably the most restrained, quiet fury ever put on record. Testament to Del Naja's innovation that at the climax of the track he introduces quivering ambient drones underneath the layers of guitar.
'Special Cases' floats O'Connor's haunting, powerfully wrought vocals over a brooding bass riff. There is a strange string melody that repeats over and over again ominously and is gradually mixed with wordless vocals. It slowly gets inside your head and makes everything very still, until all the layers of the song come away suddenly leaving only reverb and rotting string bass. (Incidentally, this was initially one of my least favourite tracks)
Other highlights are the pounding beats lost in the grooveless soundscape of 'Butterfly Caught', and the minute detail of 'Small Time Shot Away'.
The album is possibly more deeply layered than any of Massive Attack's earlier work. It may be wrapped up in similar clothing to 1998's Mezzanine, but its is a much darker, earthier and emotionally rich core.
Rating:
- Massive DisappointmentJust like anyone who has anything remotely resembling good taste, I loved Protection and Mezzanine. I thought every single one of the artists featuring on these records was incredibly talented. Though this "100th Window" is mainly Del Naja's, I still thought I would get my money's worth. After all, he does sing incredibly well on the previous albums. Well, he still does. But this time the lyrics he sings are utterly laughable, and the music is not quite of the quality I was expecting. A dark hour for a talented singer. After several listenings, it's found its place in the cupboard along with the other CDs I never listen to anymore.
Rating:
- massive attacktheir arrival on the scene, perhaps one of the introducers of the term trip hop, massive attack were something of a revelation. when one thinks of previous albums, classic tracks will always spring to mind. 'teardrop', 'unfinished sympathy','karma coma','safe from harm' are perhaps best known. (even some of the least known are fantastic, thinking of heat miser, black milk, weather strom, better things, man next door, hymn of the big wheel, blue lines and protection. the list could go on.) in listening to their latest offering one cannot help but feel there is no interest, no pleasure arising from listening to this album. it was a laborious chore sitting through this collection of drab tunes and poor lyrics.
as someone who has gained much pleasure from their music i can only hope that the next album will be much, much better.
Rating:
- Ahh the genius of massive attackSurprisingly, to me at least 100th Window had a pretty quiet release-not too much hype (sadly!) after the well rinsed but still class mezzanine. My point being that I think that 100th Window is their best album yet-proven by the emotive collaboration with Sinead O'Connor... I don't think they could have found a better vocal... she enevitably provides a haunting, eerie quality to the 3 tracks she appears on... cohesive with the rest of the album which is very intense at times! (think-listening to 'angel' from mezzanine, turned up far too loud!) But having said that... do not read it as 'scary, manic, dwelling music' although it can be, it pretty much suits any mood.
If you are a Massive Attack fan, there is no exscuse not to own this one!