It’s worth pointing out that despite all the internal strife, as well as the constant changing face of the electronic music world around them, Massive Attack’s first three albums ( Blue Lines, Protection and Mezzanine ) are rightly regarded as one of the best runs in recent years, earning a degree of near-universal critical approbation rivalled only by the likes of Radiohead. The fact that Massive Attack managed to maintain a relatively prolific schedule throughout the 90s, releasing three albums and a spate of side projects in the space of seven years, is nothing short of amazing considering the uniform level of quality. At times, of course, this kind of exacting perfectionism can be the group’s Achilles’ Heel, as they have proven singularly vulnerable to line-up changes and fractious dissent among founding members, the kind of upheaval that a less regimented group may have managed to avoid. You won’t see them rushing out a souvenir live disc or releasing filler B-Sides. Every element involved in the presentation of their music is painstakingly assembled and crafted to exacting standards. but then, Massive Attack is more than a bit unusual. I realize it’s a bit unusual to spend so much time talking about an album cover. It could stand well on its own but as a prelude to the content within, the cover for Collected is particularly effective. It’s the kind of fascinating imagery you don’t see used on album covers much these days, a striking piece that does more than merely advertise the disc’s contents, making a solid aesthetic statement that bridges the gap between conception and reality in the audience’s mind. A digital photo collage credited to Nick Knight, it conjures up all of Massive Attack’s perennial thematic associations - war, death, love, technology, decay, and the intersection of these ideas with our lives. The first thing you notice about Collected is the cover that is, it’s hard not to notice the fact that it is simply and utterly gorgeous.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |