Customer Reviews
very impressive sophomore release 
2007-03-22
Portishead's second release comes as a surprise. my first listen to it i felt rather disappointed. beth gibbons' voice was distorted almost the whole time and a much more twisted use of sampling and scratching going on. during my initial listen i was running short on time and could only sample bits of the songs. i guess that is why my disappointment came through. "Dummy" is very much a singles based album that can fulfill the effect it desires through quick listenings. i still love the album and don't take that comment to be anything other than that. this second album is a collection of songs, it is meant to be listened to straight through. each song flows directly into another and gives a seamless tapestry and progression of the trip-hop sound. of course Barrow and crew give us a sampling of singles like "All Mine", "Humming" and "Only You", but seeing where these tracks fit in with the album makes these tunes seem all the more significant. after my first couple of listens (obviously with headphones on) i now "experience" this album rather than listen to it. when recommending portishead i still have to give the nod to "Dummy", but any avid fan of trip-hop needs to have this album in their collection. it makes you want more, but when.....
extremely disappointing at first, now addicted 
2006-08-15
It was like listening to the very few parts of Dummy I didn't like for an entire CD. Way too much gratuitous scratching, and screechy vocals for may taste. Extremely disappointing.
It's now perhaps six months after I wrote the paragraph above and I am completely addicted to this album. Cinematic trip goth at its very very best
I feel so cold... 
2006-04-12
There's nothing like Portishead and nothing like their 2nd album. Its darker, creepier, and more haunting than the first. The entire album has an overal similar sound which makes for a more themed and theatrical sonic experience. I like this better than the first album which had the obvious singles and dabblings in various spectrums of trip-hop which now resembles everyone from tricky to morcheeba. However on this 2nd release, Portishead holds their own, establishing their own trademarked sound: an eerie, slow-paced death-orchestra led by a sultry singer with a heart of black-gold. This music will get into your brain and eat away like bad acid. Exquisite production and smart use of turntables. From the intro of eerie high pitched twinklings over a heartbeat that lead into twangy strums of electric guitar and record scratching, to the last song which ends with the sampled vocals of an old bluesman pining about hookers and gin, this is a masterpiece recording. Goes well with a late-night martini and captures the dreary mood of a cool, misty morning in Autumn just after it has rained and the fog is still hanging in the air...
A very haunting and entertaining trip-hop album - genre fans will love it! 2005-12-30
Let it be known that this album is extremely dark and haunting (don't listen if you're depressed!). The album starts off with a 1-2-3 punch that pretty much trumps the rest of the album - the rest isn't terrible, but they aren't as easily accessible as the first three (they'll grow on you). It does make pretty good background music (on low volume), though. The singer definitely matches the style of music here, as I would claim that most people will like her (she's very haunting). Thankfully the lyrics are also pretty good and dark here - basically everything about the album contributes to its dark undertone. All in all it's a very creative and inspired trip-hop album that I think the first three songs make into a classic! Fans of this album should definitely check out their first album "Dummy" as well as Massive Attack's "Blue Lines" and especially "Mezzanine". Absolutely recommended!
Highlights include:
"Cowboys"
"All Mine"
"Undenied"
"Over"
"Humming" (parts of)
the rest are good, too
Not Essential 
2005-12-17
This is a much more challenging listen that "Dummy" but ultimately nowhere near as satisfying. The main problem is the mix - the sound on this is bone dry and Beth sounds like she's singing in another room. It's a pretty unique sound but very alienating and it hurts the songs. The other problem is that you just can't listen to this after having heard the "Roseland NYC Live" CD. The versions on that CD of the songs from this album are so superior to the versions here that it's not even funny. I heard NYC Live before I heard this and I think that's a big reason why I have never been able to get into this album. All in all, I agree with the other reviewer who said that "Dummy" and "Roseland NYC Live" complete the Portishead picture and this is really unnecessary if you have those two albums. Actually, NYC Live is probably their best release. I would recommend that to newcomers as ALL of the performances on that are improvements on their studio counterparts and it contains all of their best songs with the exception of "Numb".
Severe version of Portishead obiterated sophomore jinx and created otherworldly masterpiece 2008-03-29
I can't think of an instance since Elvis Costello's brilliant This Year's Model that an artist or group so thoroughly obliterated the sophomore jinx in the face of high expectations as Portishead did on this one. And Portishead did so in the same way: by ratcheting up the intensity to a severe level just hinted at in their excellent, but comparatively tame debut.
By taking their distinctive, eerie sound to a new level, Portishead created a nightmarish, heart-wrenchingly emotional, yet catchy groove quite unlike anything before or since.
My favourite Portishead 2008-03-06
Portishead has yet to put out a bad CD and in my opinion this is their best.
Portishead is mesmerizing trip hop. 2008-01-29
Following their success with Dummy (1994), Bristol band Portishead released their second electronic Trip Hop self-titled album in 1997. With a mesmerizing sound similar to two other Bristol bands, Tricky and Massive Attack, Portishead (instrumentalist Geoff Barrow, guitarist Adrian Utley, and vocalist Beth Gibbons) blends dark, melancholic, down-tempo electronica with hip-hop, jazz and dub to create a unique sound. Stand out tracks include "Half Day Closing," and three UK singles, "Cowboys," "Over," and "All Mine."Complete album tracks include:
1. Cowboys (4:39)
2. All Mine (4:00)
3. Undenied (4:20)
4. Half Day Closing (3:47)
5. Over (3:55)
6. Humming (6:02)
7. Mourning Air (4:12)
8. Seven Months (4:16)
9. Only You (4:59)
10. Elysium (5:54)
11. Western Eyes (3:59)
G. Merritt
In my opinion, better than Dummy. 2007-04-25
For the sole reason that this album far transcends the poppy undertones of Dummy, I give it a 5/5.
That being said, I'd still like to give a track-by-track review of this product.
SHORTEST TRACK: Half Day Closing (also one of the best)
LONGEST TRACK: Humming (another favorite of mine)
Cowboys: You can't help but feel the eerie opening to this album pulsate in your mind as the first kick drum hits grace your eardrums. Beth sings in a screeching tone of voice, almost scornful, giving this song an intensity unmatched by previous songs. My only gripe is that it loses its bass after those initial drumstrikes. 9/10
All Mine: An enjoyably simple bump, its lyrics are hard-hitting and possessive (Tethered and tied/there's nowhere to hide from me). 9/10
Undenied: Starts with a moody 55-second instrumental (I love it!), then Beth's lyrics come in as a contrast to the last song (this one is about losing love rather than keeping love close). 10/10
Half Day Closing: The confusing beat and heavy distortion on the instruments and lyrics (at one point, Beth's voice sounds like a distorted guitar!) make this one quite dark and heavy. The lyrics are about the changing times, and how innocence has been lost. 10/10
Over: Starts off with a creepy acoustic guitar, then builds into a strange ballad with heavy drums that burst with string hits. The lyrics match the atmosphere; they are equally creepy. 9/10
Humming: My favorite on the album (and luckily, the longest!) It starts off with a cliché UFO-style humming (hence the title) accompanied by what sounds like reversed strings, then the beat blasts in at 1:30 with lyrics that seem to be about sex. 10.5/10!
Mourning Air: Soft and sad, this song is about holding on tight to love, at risk of slipping into depression. A pretty amazing track. 9.5/10
Seven Months: I don't like this one as much as the others, but it still packs a punch. The scornful lyrics accompany its beat well. 9/10
Only You: The most credited samples lie in this track, but are not too noticeable, as samples are in other tracks. The lyrics are stunning, and Beth sings them with passion. 10/10
Elysium: The name of the track means "paradise," but the lyrics are about hate and self-hate, which makes for another one of those title-lyric contrasts that can make or break an album. This one makes it! 9.5/10
Western Eyes: This song is the most friendly on the album, but certainly still darker than those on Dummy. The sample at the end goes well with the beat, but it should have been placed elsewhere in the song, IMO. 10/10
Final verdict: 10/10
I love this album, and it arrived at my house promptly and in excellent condition. Thank you!
I had higher expectations 2007-04-25
I had seen two music videos for this CD and thought it was going to be great. After listening to all the tracks, I only liked maybe three. I am a heavy trip-hop and acid jazz fan, but this was just psychidelic junk. It was like a whiny, down-beat version of aphex twin. I guess, if thats your thing... buy it NOW!
