Dummy by Portishead

Pros: Inventive beats, soul-crushing vocals, incredibly developed atmospheres.

Cons: Two songs are more about ambiance than hooks.

The Bottom Line: "Dummy" is a trip-hop classic, and wonderfully demonstrates how various musical genres can be fused into something memorable and fascinating.

Review: Following the burgeoning rise of the early nineties alternative scene, the southwest UK city of Bristol became the home of a slowly growing movement combining down-tempo hip-hop beats with aspects of jazz, pop melodies and multi-textured samples. With ...

Pros: Sensual melancholy played and sung over snaky rhythms. Interesting retro samples, nocturnal atmosphere.

Cons: I tried my best to find one, but to no avail.

The Bottom Line: Possibly the diamond in trip-hop's crown. A collection of tracks that could've come from the darkest lounge of love. Lots of moods, subtle yet powerful from start to finish.

Review: Looking back through the reviews of this album, I was surprised to see that none of my favorite writers had done a write-up. 'Sup with that? Should I keep my love for Portishead a secret? Well, I just can't. I've been digging on "Dummy" for over ten ...

Pros: Sublime production & vocals; divinely sad; surprisingly accessible.

Cons: Perhaps too left-of-the-middle for some; lack of variety in sound; not happy music.

The Bottom Line: Entrancing and achingly beautiful, these soothing yet urgent lullabies should be heard by anyone who has ever felt hurt, afraid, lost or alone.

Review: Delicate but dark, "Dummy" is rightly considered to be one of THE essential albums of the 1990s. Named after their small hometown in southern England, Portishead consisted of onetime Neneh Cherry producer Geoff Barrow and, of course, singer Beth Gibbons. ...

Pros: Original effects and Beth Gibbon's spellbinding voice - a true classic

Cons: May be a bit depressing for some

The Bottom Line: 'Dummy' is a truly remarkable album, full of medlodic twists and turns. An epic adventure from Bristol's finest...

Review: One of the most critically acclaimed albums of 1995 was 'Dummy' by Portishead. Fronted by the enigmatic Beth Gibbons, Portishead were founded by Geoff Barrow (who had previously worked with Massive Attack) and also...

Pros: The beauty of despair!

Cons: Undeniably, this is a somewhat weird album ...

The Bottom Line: Mysterious and beautiful - though not every song is perfect, it's a compelling album that demands repeated listenings.

Review: I won't hesitate to name "Dummy" as one of the greatest albums ever made. Its beauty is elusive - dehumanized throbbings of electronics and agonized, slightly off-key vocals constitute most of the songs. But there's a philosophical depth to it, a dreamy...

Pros: Everything: the dark tone, the grooves, and, most of all, amazing songstress Beth Gibbons.

Cons: A few weak tracks, but they're easily overlooked.

The Bottom Line: Just... buy it. I don't like "trip-hop", but I love this anyway.

Review: Portishead is very much outside the realm of music that I usually listen to. I’m mostly into the rockier, metallic-while-being-melanchol ic brand of metal, along with some pop-rock and other random stuff. While I do have a very eclectic music taste, I ...

Pros: 50 minutes of excellent, innovative music

Cons: very addictive (but that's not a bad thing)

Review: In my opinion, Dummy is one of the best albums ever made; it's right up there with Radiohead's The Bends and Ok Computer, U2's Achtung Baby and Bjork's Post. I bought this cd in 1996 after hearing "Sour Times" for the first time since high...

Pros: Everything.

Cons: CD ends.

The Bottom Line: Dummy is almost flawless. However, it is best listened to during one's lows than highs.

Review: I first became a Portishead fan because of my sister. After seeing "Only You," from their second, self-titled CD on MTV late one night, she came home from Strawberries with said CD in hand. After listening for a few days through the thin walls of...

Pros: The best vocals in all trip-hopdom

Cons: Not the happiest of lyrics

Review: I never would have even considered getting this had I not heard "Sour Times" the few times that it got any radio play in New York Top 40 stations. But when I finally did buy it, it turned out to be easily one of the best items in my entire...

Pros: Trip-hop pioneers

Cons: None

The Bottom Line: This should be in your top ten.

Review: Formed in 1991 in Bristol England, Portishead created a soothing, dark sound that claimed the underground music scene before it impressed mainstream media. Portishead is so often underrated it makes me sick. This is a must have album for anyone that...