Transcript
Nicole Shine: Hello.
Conor: Hey everyone, welcome back to the Glenwoods Music Club, where each week we pick an album, Legendary, Obscure, Loved or Not, and review it. In this episode, we're reviewing another one of Nicky's choices, Massive Attacks, Mezzanine.
Conor: Released on April 20th, 1998, this is the second second studio album from the band. Produced by Neil Davidge, In Massive Attack, the album was recorded at Massive Attack Studios and Christchurch Studios in Bristol, England.
Conor: It was later mixed at Olympic Studios in London. Massive Attack Mezzanine is about darkness, paranoia, and internal tension exploring psychological claustrophobia, obsession, and alienation.
Conor: The title mezzanine metaphorically means a transitional intermediate space between two different levels. Peaked at number one on the official album charts in the UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Conor: It's also been certified double platinum by the British phonographic industry in 2013. So babe, how did you find out about this album? Did you discover it yourself or did someone introduce it to you?
Nicole Shine: I was covered on my own.
Conor: Nice. That's always cool.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, I had known about Massive Attack the time that I first heard this album. um But I think just from hearing the singles, on like everybody else,
Nicole Shine: it wasn't until after I got the album and listened to it for the first time that I was like, hey, that's that song from House.
Conor: Yeah, right?
Nicole Shine: I think...
Conor: Yeah. Yeah, I got stuff to say about that too. Yeah, later.
Nicole Shine: But, um yeah, so, no, it was it was definitely from hearing songs from it and then deciding to go and dig into it So. this album, like, the
Conor: Okay, cool. was um Was this album, like the first?
Nicole Shine: Yeah, it was the first Massacre.
Conor: Okay, it was this album.
Nicole Shine: yeah,
Conor: Okay, gotcha. um Yeah, like i had um i had heard them, but I didn't know it band. I thought, again, like the house intro.
Conor: um I thought it was just a song or a sample that was made up for the show and it wasn't until um getting together with you and you having it on your playlist that i was like, oh shit, it's a band. So yeah, yeah, definitely got introduced to them by you.
Conor: All right, let's go through the album tracks and talk about them. First song is Angel. Features Horace Andy turning a fragile theme of protection into a heavy menacing pursuit of devotion and destruction.
Conor: Thoughts on Angel? Okay.
Nicole Shine: I know I gotta do it. this This is the radio song. It's the song from the radio. It's the song that people say when you ask if you like the band.
Conor: This was one of the radio songs?
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Oh wow, okay, all right.
Nicole Shine: This is probably the most popular, even though you might think it's, oh, that song from House. I would say this is the most popular song from this album.
Conor: Okay, interesting, all right.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. This is probably their... There's one that's probably... There's probably a song they have that's more popular. But there this is probably their second.
Nicole Shine: like At least in their top three most popular songs, maybe.
Conor: okay all right um yeah really like this song uh trance like music pop your head uh i just immediately recognized it from one year playlists um a lot of this album i'm like hey i recognize that one you know all right next song rising sun a paranoid claustrophobic track about oh okay oh i'm sorry i'm sorry i didn't mean to cut
Nicole Shine: maybe
Nicole Shine: I like the song too as well. Yeah. Yeah.
Conor: Well, no. Usually when you do the hit single thing, that's like all you do. My bad.
Nicole Shine: yeah
Conor: Any other...
Nicole Shine: No, this I love this song. It's a fucking banger.
Conor: It's a good intro.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. ah And it's actually my favorite video. There is two as well. Well, no. There's a...
Conor: Yeah, I was about say, what song is the one where it shows that guy running from her?
Nicole Shine: This song.
Conor: This song?
Nicole Shine: This one.
Conor: Okay, shit.
Nicole Shine: yeah
Conor: Well, okay.
Nicole Shine: um no i think that there might be a different video of a different album but um but yeah this one is a really good one as well not that the video matters always say but this is uh it's good
Conor: Yeah, it really is. Alright, so, Rising Sun, a paranoid claustrophobic track about nocturnal cityscapes, inner demons, and chemical or psychological loss of control.
Conor: Thoughts on Rising Sun?
Nicole Shine: This is like a really cool, vibey song. um a lot of a lot of the songs on this album can like fit into that category. But very cool.
Conor: oh totally.
Nicole Shine: Very like... a vibe. good, perfect song.
Conor: Oh yeah.
Nicole Shine: I really feel like bass line.
Conor: Yeah, no, it totally does. I just, my notes were just good grooving song. And I was really feeling that baseline. Like it just adds so much to the song for sure.
Nicole Shine: Mm-hmm.
Conor: All right. Next song, Teardrop, sung by Elizabeth Fraser. It functions as a raw breath-driven meditation on grief, mourning, and the active painful nature of love.
Conor: partially reacting to the death of Jeff Buckley. Thoughts on teardrop?
Nicole Shine: Um, again, another single. Um, it's a good song. Um, I used to like it more. i don't dislike it now.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Um, when I first got into them and started this album, I liked it more than I do now, but it's still, you know, it's still a banger. I still like it.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Um, yeah.
Conor: It's funny, it kind of like when it becomes like a ah song that's kind of used on popular media, like a show or whatever, it's still awesome, but you're kind of like, damn it, now everyone likes it. You know?
Conor: i don't know.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, i'm I'm not really the kind of like, I don't, I'm not the kind of person that like dislikes things less because other people like it. um
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's just, don't know. I think when you listen to album songs move up, they move down.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. So, yeah.
Conor: true yeah
Nicole Shine: It's still good and don't get me wrong, but it's just not as um much as as i like I used to like it, I would say.
Conor: yeah I just put another from your playlist also recognize it from house empty always loved the intro but didn't know it was from a band all that was made for the show so it didn't didn't seek any further info out from it based on that but I'm happy to know it's a band, you know, not just a production intro song creation.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: All right.
Nicole Shine: Oh, this video for this fucking song is creepy, by the way.
Conor: I know.
Nicole Shine: I know.
Conor: I couldn't watch it. Like, I started watching it. Then the baby started looking at me. I was like, ah, baby, stop looking at me.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: You creepy ass shit. want to see no baby floating around inside. Ah. ah sir
Conor: All right. I'm sorry. i'm not sorry. Fuck. Shit.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, was fucking creepy. When it started, like, singing. Yeah.
Conor: Yeah. i don't want to see no baby.
Nicole Shine: When we feed it, singing.
Conor: I know, right? Pull out top hat and fuck it up. yeah Teardrop. Coming out of the wound.
Conor: All right. Next song, Inertia Creeps. Captures a suffocating relationship where routine and emotion stagnation trap a person like a slow physical paralysis.
Conor: Thoughts on Inertia Creeps.
Nicole Shine: I love this one. It's so cool. And I love his name I love like any song where he's like does the lead because you know they switch who does the lead.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: And um I he his voice just has such a like cool menacing vibe to it. You know what mean?
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So every song that he does I'm just here for it. But yeah.
Nicole Shine: it's again this whole album is just such a vibe you you said that that about another album where it's like driving with the windows down at night this definitely one of those kind of
Conor: i agree.
Conor: Oh, fuck, yeah. No, this is totally going to be one of those. I actually, after I listened to the album, because I only knew of it from, like, stuff you played on your playlist, I actually bought the album afterwards because I was like, i have to have this album.
Conor: um And, yeah, that was one of my thoughts. Like, this is totally an album that I'd listen to when I'm driving to or back from somewhere with the windows down at night, you know, just vibing.
Conor: It's great for that. um Yeah, it's another good trance song. Very vibing. I love that Middle Eastern Turkish instrumental sample.
Conor: Like, that's so awesome. So good.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah. All right. Next song, Exchange. A moody cinematic audio breather, an instrumental centerpiece, and an emotional release of tension built around an Isaac Hayes sample.
Conor: Thoughts on Exchange?
Nicole Shine: it's okay it's a good instrumental um it's just weird because the same instrumental was later with lyrics so it was kind of weird yeah it was kind of i don't mind it i know i don't skip it or anything is again this whole album is vibe but it's just weird that they have the instrumental and then the same instrumental at the end with lyrics
Conor: Oh, yeah, at the end.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Well, yeah, i was about to doesn't the one at the end have lyrics, like, as opposed to this one?
Nicole Shine: yeah so yeah it was okay it was a choice but okay
Conor: Yeah. Okay.
Nicole Shine: I wonder if it was like a side B, side 2 kind of thing.
Conor: Maybe, yeah, like, I mean...
Nicole Shine: Like where ending side A. Because I've only ever had like the CD.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So I don't know if it did like a side A and it was exchanged and then side B exchanged.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I don't know if that was a thing.
Conor: Or maybe they're like, fuck it. Let's try it with vocals.
Nicole Shine: oh
Conor: I don't know. um
Nicole Shine: Still cool. I mean, it's a really cool instrumental.
Conor: Yeah. All right. So this is two for two, man. Proving people wrong. I love this instrumental. About damn time.
Nicole Shine: And by people, he means me. Yeah.
Conor: I mean, a little bit, but I do like instrumentals.
Nicole Shine: like
Conor: I'm just very picky.
Nicole Shine: yeah
Conor: But yeah, so. All right. Next song, Dissolved Girl. Explores themes of emotional dissolution, deep shame, and using intense romantic or physical obsession as an escape from personal pain.
Conor: Thoughts on Dissolved Girl.
Nicole Shine: this one
Conor: Do you?
Nicole Shine: ah
Conor: i so
Nicole Shine: I like how it changes. Like it's like one thing and then it it like that you kind of get a beat drop. Angel does the same thing where you, but this one is more, one fools you a little bit more where you think it's going to be like one.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Hold on.
Conor: Thing throughout.
Nicole Shine: um you think it's going to be one thing, and then it just kind of changes. So like the two minute mark or wherever it changes, and it kind of like rocks out. You know what mean?
Conor: yeah yeah
Nicole Shine: Like you're not expecting, because this is so not, like it is in certain parts, but this is so like not like guitar, you know, rock out kind of album. And then it you kind of get that beat drop in, you know, the middle of the song and it changed.
Conor: yeah the distorted guitar yeah yeah i mean that tracks just because you know you like the multiple different changes you know too much of the same can it can kind of get It feels like that can kind of bore you a bit if it goes on for too long.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. So I like that aspect. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, yeah. Yeah,
Nicole Shine: yeah I like a surprise beat change. Yeah. Again, just want
Conor: Yeah, yeah. um Again, I recognize this one from your playlist.
Nicole Shine: You go to this whole album, you can probably... I getting some female
Conor: Honestly, I need to stop saying it, but I'm going keep saying it. don't care. um I love me some female vocal, lead vocals.
Nicole Shine: Mm-hmm.
Conor: Love the distorted guitar. So, yeah, it's a good song. Good song. All right. Man Next Door. A cover song, it transforms a simple 1968 reggae tune about a noisy neighbor into a dark, claustrophobic study of paranoia and psychological dread.
Conor: Thoughts on Man Next Door.
Nicole Shine: While I like the lyrics and i like the instrumentation, for some reason his voice really grated my ears on this one. Like I can listen to it.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: But it's not one from the album that I like. Like, as you know, many of these songs I'll just play randomly without playing the whole album, even like listening to the whole album.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, for sure.
Nicole Shine: That's not one I'll just put on. know what I mean?
Conor: Yeah. You're not like, yeah, man, next door, I need to hear it.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. I do love the lyrics.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: I was interested in finding out what's the cover. I really like the lyrics. But yeah, I don't know. His voice was very And I normally like his voice.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Andy, who is Andy? I usually like his voice on songs. um But for some reason on this song, he was doing this weird thing that was really grating on my ears with his voice.
Conor: Yeah, he kind of went somewhere. It's like, ah
Nicole Shine: Like it was almost annoying, like the way he was doing with his vocal.
Conor: yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: um I just, I said it like knowing me in a nice way. I just says his vocal belts are very memorable.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: um Yeah, like at this point in the album, I'm like, God damn, I've heard the majority of this from your playlist, but Like you said, it wasn't a playlist.
Nicole Shine: maybe he just,
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: yeah. Maybe he just holds, yeah, maybe he just the album.
Conor: Yeah, that might have been a you know.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: So, all right. Next song is Black Milk. Explores force, emotional obligation, toxic domestic domesticity,
Conor: ah and a fading or corrupted sense of maternal love. Thoughts on Black Milk.
Nicole Shine: um i really like this one too again i mean i like all of them but yeah this one we're back if we're back to being a vibe it's cool um i really like the the instrumentation of this one um
Conor: Yeah. yeah
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: rome
Nicole Shine: it's It's just cool.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Um, love the title of the track. I mean, it's just, yeah, good title. Um, love the piano. And again, female vocals.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Um, Although it kind of feels like it goes on a bit too long, even though the runtime is the same as the other songs.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, it does. you You do start kind of feeling a little bit.
Conor: Yeah, I don't know.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, maybe it's because there aren't as many changes. i don't know. But very...
Nicole Shine: Am I starting to affect you with my, like, need to change?
Conor: Maybe. i don't know.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: Maybe. But ah very chill and relaxing. It's still good song. Yeah. So, all right. Next song, Mezzanine. explores themes of detachment surveillance and claustrophobia acting as a sonic metaphor for an intermediate lumenal space between safety and danger thoughts on mezzanine
Nicole Shine: I love this one. i love the feel of it. I love the almost like paranoid. I like as we go um more through the album, you can start feeling the like more paranoid, claustrophobic.
Nicole Shine: Like the music goes from like kind of like just a vibey, groovy.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: And on this, I guess, what would be the second side, you just really start feeling a more like paranoid, claustrophobic. Like, oh my god, freaking out a little bit.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Musically, it kind of does that. like the
Conor: Like it just ramps up.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, like the vocals are still mellow, cool, but the music is very intense, like something's about to happen, kind of. Yeah.
Conor: You're almost like talking to the vocals like, why are you so mellow? The music, what the fuck, man?
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: But yeah. Not a bad song. kind of got personally bored with it, though, honestly. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it didn't grab me as much.
Conor: All right, next song, Group 4. The title refers to a specific operational or administrative unit, while the song's tense, paranoid lyrics deal with themes of surveillance, loss of control, and psychological claustrophobia.
Conor: Thoughts on group four?
Nicole Shine: I'm sorry, I'm laughing at my son in the next room with the drum. It's weird.
Conor: He's getting down.
Nicole Shine: I'm trying to listen to you and all I hear is poop, poop, poop, poop. I like this one. Again, very much. It does a lot. It does a lot of changes and it gets very like towards the end.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It gets very ramped up and, you know, it starts getting like hectic and and crazy.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: Um, I don't mind a long song. but Some people might mind the run time of it.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: Um, but I didn't, feel I don't feel it at all when I listen to this.
Conor: yeah yeah well yeah i enjoyed it it's funny i put pretty good closer but it's not really a closer yeah so um yeah it's just a longer hectic song but it's pretty cool pretty cool so next song is
Nicole Shine: Um, maybe that's just because I'm into songs that go on for a while, but, yeah um, yeah.
Nicole Shine: No, it's not.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: The title is the same except it's in parentheses, exchange. ah An atmospheric structural bridge and a sample-based sonic callback.
Conor: Thoughts on exchange in parentheses.
Nicole Shine: Um, normally I'm all about an instrumental, but I actually enjoy the song better with lyrics. I know it was rare for me, but, um, I actually like parentheses exchange.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: hu
Nicole Shine: I don't mind it without the lyrics, you know, like said, in the flow of the album, but I actually think that the lyrics actually add, um,
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, like they add more to it for sure.
Nicole Shine: they add more to the vibe of the song i think yeah
Conor: oh totally. Yeah. I agree. Like, I love this song. I love this version. It's just, yeah. And yeah, it's a great closer for sure.
Nicole Shine: and this is a good closer a
Conor: I totally agree. All right, so favorite, least favorite song. What's your favorite?
Nicole Shine: Okay, so picking up picking a favorite from this album is hard for me.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: This is probably like, it's probably the hardest album I probably had to pick a favorite from that we've done so far.
Conor: All right.
Nicole Shine: Um, but i would have to go with Angel, even though I gave it the shit for being the radio song.
Conor: You're deep.
Conor: You gave it the song.
Nicole Shine: Just because it's such a fucking...
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Like, all those songs on here are good, but, um, yeah. That's, it's undeniably, it's the reason why it's the single, it's the reason why it's the first song.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: It's a fucking banger.
Conor: It's a fucking great opener.
Nicole Shine: It is a fucking banger, dude.
Conor: I love when bands do that, you know, have great openers and closers.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. Like, it totally tells you what you're about to get.
Conor: Get into, know, yeah, right on.
Nicole Shine: and yeah. Let
Nicole Shine: show you.
Conor: my favorite is parentheses exchange yeah i i i'm in love with that song
Nicole Shine: oh wow
Nicole Shine: yeah it's so good it is so good it's so good when it's actually showed
Conor: right i know i would i'd love to hear like if you know if you ever we ever get to read an article or meet the person be like why did you go from the regular instrumental to adding vocals You know, maybe they're like, we just thought it might sound good with vocals.
Nicole Shine: um
Nicole Shine: Yeah, I mean, it's perfect.
Conor: don't know.
Nicole Shine: Like the, the though like I said, the, why the instrumental itself is good, that it just adds something so much to the vibe of the song with the, and usually I'm not like, oh, you need lyrics, but yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Um, least favorite? Um, again, a hard one, but not really. Because I, while I like
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: all the songs on here i would have to give man next door my least favorite just because of what we discussed before the the weird choice that he made with his vocal delivery that was a choice i want to hear the original to see if the original is sung in that fashion and that's why he decided to do that but don't do that
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, that was... i feel like that was a myth, you know? Yeah. The original reggae song. Yeah.
Conor: Just to kind of distinguish his version from, yeah.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. Or, like, no, I'm just curious if he was, like, mimic trying to mimic the way the original was on.
Conor: Oh, God, I hope the original wasn't. No offense to his take on it, but, you know.
Nicole Shine: Because I like the lyrics, like I said. I really enjoy the lyrics, but that vocal delivery was a no.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, it's funny.
Nicole Shine: Mm.
Conor: We talked about it in previous, like, album reviews where it's like, you know. a miss or whatever and this is kind of what we're talking about where they try something they swing for the fences and it doesn't quite hit yeah all right my least favorite yeah it's man next door or and or mezzanine i just yeah unfortunately yeah i just ah
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Really? I like mezzanine. love mezzanine. Are you trying pay me back from last week?
Conor: no no not at all no no no not at all
Nicole Shine: When I didn't like Monster? no, what was the one I didn't like? um One more thing.
Conor: Yeah, yeah.
Nicole Shine: unless I know, I know.
Conor: No, no, i'm not I'm not being petty. I'm not, for real.
Nicole Shine: I'm just i'm just joking with you.
Conor: Yeah, I know you're joking.
Nicole Shine: i'm just joking.
Conor: But, um yeah, I just, yeah, those two just kind of, you know, didn't really hit me as much as the rest of the album.
Conor: But I'd probably still, like, listen to the album as a whole because it still is such a fucking vibe.
Nicole Shine: Okay.
Conor: Maybe I might skip Man Next Door just because those fucking vocals.
Nicole Shine: It is such a lot.
Conor: No offense to him. If you're listening. If we ever get him listening.
Nicole Shine: I know, right? Yeah, because he's listening.
Conor: Right? No offense to you, sir.
Nicole Shine: Yeah. Um...
Conor: You're awesome. But that was a miss for me personally.
Nicole Shine: yeah um
Conor: So. All right. So. If you have never heard of the band, would this album make you want to hear more from them?
Nicole Shine: yes and it did um this was the first album i listened to from massive attack like i said i had heard about them heard of them but this um this album i was like hell yeah i gotta to know more because this kind of trip-hop music um is right it's my thing i like trip-hop music um
Conor: Yes. Yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: um so i was i i did listen to more of their albums i would say some of them are hit or miss this actually believe it or not it's not my favorite mess with tech album um there's one that i like a little more in this one even though i would probably say i like it's weird i would say that this again the songs i like
Conor: Okay.
Conor: Oh, wow. Okay.
Nicole Shine: I don't know. I would say this is a better album than that album.
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: But for some reason, I just like that one better. I don't know. It's weird. But um their first album, um which is a classic that put most people like a lot, I don't really like that much.
Conor: All right.
Conor: Oh, okay.
Nicole Shine: um I like to ah tend to like the albums after this one.
Conor: Why is that?
Nicole Shine: This one and the albums after this.
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: I think this is their second one, right?
Conor: Yeah, yeah.
Nicole Shine: I tend to like this one and the ones after it better. And there's some after this I don't like as much. um
Conor: Okay.
Nicole Shine: But, yeah. So, yeah, I did. To answer that question.
Conor: Yeah, for sure. um Yeah, I mean, i'd be curious check out another album. I haven't ventured past this one yet. Have you played any other their songs from other albums on Playhouse?
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Conor: So I probably have been vibing to it and didn't know, honestly.
Nicole Shine: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Oh, no problem.
Conor: um But ah yeah, I'll have to say that give you give you props. You've definitely introduced me to some cool stuff that I probably would never discovered on my own or found out. So thank you for that. That's pretty cool.
Conor: um Yeah. All right. So take us through the album ranking scale.
Nicole Shine: Okay, our album ranking scale. We go based on skips. um Zero skips is a perfect no notes album.
Nicole Shine: a one skip is a mulligan. Everybody gets one. It could be The most perfect album and some like Connor said earlier, they could have tried an experiment and it just didn't quite work, but still pretty perfect.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: um Hey, Two Skips is a classic album, so about 90 to 95% better than most albums you're going to hear.
Conor: Right.
Nicole Shine: Three skips is good. you know It's good. It's, again, still stop. Like I say, always say stop in that top 80 percentile range.
Conor: Yeah. a
Nicole Shine: Four skips is mid. Five skips is ass. And six ski six plus skips is trash. Because, again, most albums are 10 to 11 out tracks.
Conor: That's the majority of the album. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Some albums are... even like eight tracks or whatever so if you're skipping six or more tracks then that shit is trash yeah just get the single dude or um just buy the the one song you like um and for double albums we double it we gotta do a double album soon we haven't done one
Conor: Yeah. Just get the single.
Conor: ah
Conor: Right.
Conor: Yeah, we'll have to for sure.
Nicole Shine: um all right so that being said i am going to give this a perfect no notes album on our scale um this is only the second album i've ever on our scale that i've given a perfect no notes um which kudos massive attack
Conor: Oh, really? Okay.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: ah
Nicole Shine: ah Even though I dislike Man Next Door, i usually don't skip it. That's why I gave it. Because I was...
Conor: Yeah, I get that.
Nicole Shine: It could be a mulligan. With Man Next Door, could be a mulligan. But I don't really ever skip it. I'm just like... Every time... Every time no every time like every time it comes on...
Conor: I can go pee or something.
Nicole Shine: Because, again, I like the music and everything.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: um So when it comes on, I'm just always like, why did he make that choice his vocals? And I just keep doing whatever it was I was doing. But I don't ever skip it. So... And I usually, when i even though I do do playlists a lot, a lot of times I'll just put this.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: This is one of the few albums that I'll put on and just let it ride.
Conor: The whole thing.
Nicole Shine: There's um any, like we've talked about in other episodes, I'm not really an albums person. I'm more of a playlist person.
Conor: yeah
Nicole Shine: So when an album's so good that I'll put it on and just let it ride, it's it's a good album.
Conor: That's saying something. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: So that that's why I gave it a perfect. Because I think it was... what, a couple weeks ago that I just put this on and just let it ride and was doing stuff, so, yeah.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: I get that. Like, um, it's a vibe, you know, like, even though you, like you said, you don't, you always are like, man, why do you choose that vocal styling in that song? it's It's one where you still just listen to it because it would disrupt the vibe of the album.
Nicole Shine: And the instrumentation of that song is so good.
Conor: Yeah, yeah, it's good. It just, um you know, redo the vocals, sir. And maybe you'll, no. Who am I to say?
Conor: Anyways, my raking is, I'm going to put it as a classic just because I said earlier, Man Next Door and Mezzanine.
Nicole Shine: Okay.
Conor: But honestly, if I was, I'm very much the top to bottom front to back album listener. So I'd probably still listen to the whole album, you know, if it was put on, but if I'm just kind of in a mood, I'd probably skip those two.
Conor: So, yeah.
Nicole Shine: all right so that um so we got a a classic note have you ever given the album a classic no note yeah did you give dark side a classic no notes i think you gave dark side a classic yeah think i did no crap might have even person i don't know
Conor: I'll have to relook. I'm,
Conor: Yeah, I think it, ah no, crap, I don't remember. I might have given it a perfect. I don't remember. I'd have to look.
Nicole Shine: don't think you even i don't think you gave faith in the more classic no notes yeah i mean
Conor: Yeah, and even um even all seven like, I really love those albums, but they're, like, I know I have some that are perfect, you know?
Nicole Shine: even now stuff like really love this album it's split here well I didn't yeah well I didn't give I didn't even give tour radiohead a classic no notes and i I definitely have
Conor: Yeah, would.
Nicole Shine: albums from those two bands that are classic no notes albums that I have but I purposely picked for my first albums from them albums that were not classic no notes because I wanted I didn't want people to go oh those are your favorite bands so you're give it classic you know that's why I
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah. Like, they're not truthfully, like, given reviews, everything's perfect, you know? He wanted to show...
Nicole Shine: i wanted to give show that yes there are some albums so there's that that and I don't think are classic no notes
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Yeah. Yeah, for sure.
Nicole Shine: um But yeah, this album, I believe, in my humble opinion, i haven't heard every trip-hop, which if people don't aren't familiar with trip-hop, it's like Massive Attack, Porta Ted, groups like that. um I do believe that this is the best trip-hop album of all time.
Conor: Oh, wow.
Nicole Shine: um
Conor: Okay. That's that's heavy.
Nicole Shine: I haven't heard every trip-hop album, of course.
Conor: ah You might get attacked.
Nicole Shine: This and a Porter said dummy. I probably tied for the.
Conor: Yeah, we'll have to do that.
Nicole Shine: For the best trip probably album. So ill time this one to me just edges that one out. Just a little bit. um
Conor: It's funny you say that because I didn't think that I would be a big trip hop fan, but like i i think I am. because it's just, it's a vibe, man. I love that shit.
Nicole Shine: It is a vibe.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: That's the best way. It's kind of like. Moody British people singing over like. Electronic hip-hop beats.
Conor: ah
Conor: Moody British people. That's the encyclopedia description of TripHop.
Nicole Shine: But, yeah, I love it.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Love this album. Definitely, definitely, definitely check it out um if you haven't.
Conor: yeah The cover's great. I love the cover.
Nicole Shine: Yeah, if you haven't heard it, it's the Weird Bug album, which you will see in the thumbnail.
Conor: Yeah.
Nicole Shine: but um um And then that on that note, we will be back this weekend with a movie.
Conor: Yep.
Nicole Shine: And next week it will be Connor's turn to pick an album.
Conor: Haven't chosen yet. I want to go. piggyback off your theme and do something different yeah I want to spread my wings oh yeah for sure
Nicole Shine: Do something a little different. Yeah, because Because we we are yeah we are rock people. That's probably our favorite genre. But we definitely love...
Nicole Shine: We're not one of those people that like, oh, we listen to all music. And it's like one album that we listen to that's different than the album we listen to.
Conor: ah
Nicole Shine: We actually do listen to all kinds of music.
Conor: right yeah
Nicole Shine: Even though we've been doing a lot of rock rock, rock, rock, rock. But that's just our favorite kind of music. um But we do... listen to hip-hop r&b we're more of like old school hip-hop because we are old um old school hip-hop and r&b would say the only musical genre we probably really don't listen to is country i do like me of some bluegrass every now and again like some doing and reading like if it sound like it was made after like before like 1960 i probably like it when it comes to country
Conor: Yeah. Yeah.
Conor: Yeah, I agree with that.
Conor: Yeah. then they meant
Conor: Yeah, you like the twang. Yeah.
Nicole Shine: Just a boy and his banjo. um we Maybe we'll we'll do some um some guilty pleasure music too. Because, you know, it's my guilty pleasure.
Conor: Oh, that'll be interesting. Yeah, that would be interesting.
Nicole Shine: And um i I definitely have a genre of music that is my guilty pleasure.
Conor: Oh, this is good.
Nicole Shine: I'm well i'm not going to spoil it.
Conor: i know. i totally know.
Nicole Shine: Kana knows what it is. I'm not going to spoil it.
Conor: I'm not going say it.
Nicole Shine: But I am so ready for the smoke of um what my...
Conor: This is great.
Nicole Shine: Guilty pleasure of John Remusicus. So, that will be done.
Conor: That'll be good episode. That'll be good.
Nicole Shine: So, um um I'm fully excited for you guys to roast to roast me on that one.
Conor: Yeah.
Conor: Oh, my God.
Nicole Shine: That would be pretty funny.
Conor: So good.
Nicole Shine: um So, yeah. Check us out. we'll be You will hear from our us this weekend with the movie. And next week with Connor's pick. And thank you for hanging with us.
Conor: right.
Nicole Shine: Bye.
Conor: See you guys.
