Portishead – Dummy (1994)

Portishead – Dummy (1994)

Artist: Portishead
Album: Dummy
Year: 1994
Label:Go! Beat

Thoughts:

In the mid 90’s Trip Hop was considered something ‘cool’, it last till the begin of 00’s.

It was considered a high kind of music for people who were into ‘something more’, hyped people, many people only listened this genre cause of the hype, and many of those people were high in most of the time, maybe here lies the results of Dummy (1994) being considered a ‘classic’. When people are high everything can be considered brilliant…

Dummy (1994) most likely caught people attention because of the huge success of ‘Glory Box’, that no one can deny is a very good song. But who listen to music, not only singles in the radio or music on Youtube, knows that albums are made of a whole package, not one or two songs.

Probably the high ratings in websites such RYM (HERE) comes from people who are nostalgic about a specific time in their lives when they used to listen to this album and everything was good and they have all the time of the world ahead. But if they could be honest with themselves and listen Dummy (1994) again they would not rate it high anymore, pretty sure.

Beth Gibbons have a good voice, can’t deny that, a sensual whispering kind of voice, but the skeleton of the songs don’t help her go any deeper or better.
‘Numb’ is ok and ‘It’s A Fire’ was the only track that makes me say ‘oh yeah’ (and ‘Glory Box’, of course), and it’s not even on the ‘original’ release, it’s a track from the Cassete version (HERE). All in all it’s a cold album, maybe if you listen to this in a deep big depression it’ll make some sense, who knows.

Tracklist:
1. Mysterons (5:06)
2. Sour Times (4:14)
3. Strangers (3:57)
4. It Could Be Sweet (4:19)
5. Wandering Star (4:53)
6. Numb (3:57)
7. Roads (5:05)
8. Pedestal (3:41)
9. Biscuit (5:04)
10. Glory Box (5:07)
11. It’s A Fire (3:48) (Cassette only)