Massive Attack (Collaborations #2)

It's been a while since we've heard something new from Massive Attack. I found myself listening to their albums on the last weekend, trying to decide which of the female collaborations was the best. I haven't got any rank but here are my favourites (No particular order). Do you think I missed something?

Unfinished Sympathy (With Shara Nelson) - Blue Lines, 1991

Protection (With Tracey Thorn) - Protection, 1994

Teardrop (With Elizabeth Fraser) - Mezzanine, 1998

Special Cases (With Sinead O'connor) - 100th Window, 2003

Paradise Circus (With Hope Sandoval) - Helgioland, 2010

Broken Window: 10 Years To Massive Attack's Album "100th Window"

On the 10th of February, 2003, Massive Attack, a Bristol Trip-Hop group, released their fourth LP called 100th Window. That was no longer the group which released the previous acts such as Mezzanine and Protection, but a duo project lead by Robert Del Naja (3D) and Neil Davidge. The other two founding members, Andrew Vowels (Known as Mushroom) and Grant Marshall (Known as Daddy G), left shortly after the release of Mezzanine, letting the other members adopt the musical direction of 3D. The result was a dark experimental release featuring Sinead O'connor, Horace Andy and Blur leading singer, Damon Albarn (Named on that album, 2D). It's one of the popular albums of that group, but it worth listening, even though it's 10 years old. Here are five songs that remind me why this album was so brilliant at it's time.

Small Time Shot Away

Special Cases

What Your Soul Sings

 

Butterfly Caught

 

A Prayer For England

Caged Animals: 25 Years To Sinead O'connor's "The Lion And The Cobra"

On the 4th of November it would be 25 years since Sinead O'Connor, the famous Irish singer-songwriter, released her debut album called The Lion And The Cobra. Back then in 1987, she was 20 years old and seven months pregnant when she persuaded the record company to let her produce her album. The result was magnificent, as you can hear below. O'Connor used Metaphors and tales in her songs which dealt with war, love, betrayal and more controversial issues. O'Connor did it in her own way and paved the way for future Irish singers like Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries. The Album sold 2.5 Million copies and got favourable critics around the world, so here are five songs from that great album from 1987.

1) Mandinka

In 5 Words: Paved Sinead way to mainstream
Favourite Line: I don't know no shame, I feel no pain, I can't see the flame

2) Just Like U Said It Would B

In 5 Words: The silence after the show
Favourite Line: I can see too many mouths open, too many eyes closed, ears closed

3) Jackie

In 5 Words: Ghostly sad tale about lost sailor
Favourite Line: And I've been waiting all this time for my man to come, take his hand in mine and lead me away to unseen shores

4) Drink Before The War

In 5 Words: Don't drink that much before fighting
Favourite Line: Oh Listen to the man in the liquor store, he yelling: "Anybody wanna drink before the war"

5) Troy

In 5 Words: The First (Under-rated) single of Sinead ever
Favourite Line: And I wondered where you went to, tell me, when did the light die