Mezzanine (album)
Encyclopedia
Mezzanine is the third studio album by English
trip hop
group Massive Attack
, released on 20 April 1998. It was produced by Neil Davidge along with the group. The album was released on Virgin Records
.
The entire album was provided on their website for legal download many months before the physical release was announced. It was one of the first major uses of the MP3 format by a commercial organization.
and Protection
), invoking the dark undercurrents which had always been present in the collective's music. The album's textured and deep tone relies heavily on abstract and ambient sounds, as demonstrated in the song "Mezzanine" among others.
Similar to their previous albums, the majority of the songs consists of one or more samples, ranging from Isaac Hayes
to Led Zeppelin
. In 1998 Manfred Mann
sued Massive Attack for unauthorised use of a sample of the song "Tribute" from Manfred Mann's Earth Band's
eponymous 1972 album
, used in "Black Milk". The song has subsequently appeared as "Black Melt" on later releases and at live performances, with the sample removed.
Mezzanine marked the parting of band member Andrew Vowles
, due to creative conflicts. Horace Andy
, a well-known reggae artist, also performed several spots on the album.
and other parts of Europe
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
at #1, and was certified
Platinum (marking sales of 300,000) by the BPI
on 1 May 1998. It failed to share the same success in the United States
, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard 200
.
The album was well received by critics, who praised the collective's new sound. Rolling Stone
s Barney Hoskyns, although praising the album, pointed to its flaws: "[Sometimes] rhythm and texture are explored at the expense of memorable tunes, and the absence of the bizarre Tricky
(who appeared on Blue Lines and Protection) only highlights the flat, monotonous rapping of the group's 3-D."
John Bush of Allmusic also had positive words for the album's song "Inertia Creeps", saying it "could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen."
Years after the album was released, it was placed on many "Best Of" lists in the UK, and even in the United States. In 2000, Q magazine
placed Mezzanine at number 15 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 412 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
, the main character falls asleep listening to Dissolved Girl, although the song was not included on the movie's soundtrack
. Angel appeared in the Guy Ritchie
film Snatch
in 2000, the 1999 film Go
, and an extended version of Angel was prominently used in the episode of the television series The West Wing in 2003, "Commencement
" as Zoey Bartlet
is kidnapped, was also featured in a 2010 Hugo Boss
fragance advert, and was used in the pilot episode of Person of Interest
. In 2004, the song "Teardrop", was used as the theme song, for American TV, for the television series House
. "Teardrop" was also used in the TV series Prison Break and CSI: Miami. "Angel" was used in the 2004 remake of Flight Of The Phoenix
by Elleston Trevor, and it was also featured in the 2005 film Stay. The Japanese bonus track "Superpredators" was chosen as the theme song for the character Zaraki Kenpachi from the manga Bleach. The song "Inertia Creeps" was used in CSI: New York (season 3) and a 2002 Victoria's Secret
television ad featuring model Giselle Bundchen. "Inertia Creeps" is also heard in series 1 of Peep Show
as well as the 1999 film Stigmata
. Currently it is the soundtrack track for the 2011 TV show Person of Interest
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
group Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, released on 20 April 1998. It was produced by Neil Davidge along with the group. The album was released on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
.
The entire album was provided on their website for legal download many months before the physical release was announced. It was one of the first major uses of the MP3 format by a commercial organization.
Sound
Musically, Mezzanine is a major departure from the jazzy and laidback sound of the first two albums (Blue LinesBlue Lines
-Personnel:* All tracks produced and mixed by Massive Attack, Cameron McVey and Jonny Dollar.** Robert "3D" Del Naja: vocals - keyboards** Grantley "Daddy G" Marshall: vocals** Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles: keyboards# "Safe from Harm"#* Shara Nelson: vocals...
and Protection
Protection (album)
-Sound:Protection was featured in the top ten of Rolling Stone magazine's 'Coolest Albums of All Time List,' calling it "great music for when you're driving around a city at 4 am," due to the 'chill out' nature of the album...
), invoking the dark undercurrents which had always been present in the collective's music. The album's textured and deep tone relies heavily on abstract and ambient sounds, as demonstrated in the song "Mezzanine" among others.
Similar to their previous albums, the majority of the songs consists of one or more samples, ranging from Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
to Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
. In 1998 Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann (musician)
Manfred Mann is a keyboard player best known as a founding member and namesake of Manfred Mann and Manfred Mann's Earth Band.-Career:...
sued Massive Attack for unauthorised use of a sample of the song "Tribute" from Manfred Mann's Earth Band's
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
eponymous 1972 album
Manfred Mann's Earth Band (album)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is the debut album released in 1972 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.-Track listing:Side one#"California Coastline" – 2:48#"Captain Bobby Stout" – 6:54...
, used in "Black Milk". The song has subsequently appeared as "Black Melt" on later releases and at live performances, with the sample removed.
Mezzanine marked the parting of band member Andrew Vowles
Andrew Vowles
Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
, due to creative conflicts. Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, a well-known reggae artist, also performed several spots on the album.
Reception
Mezzanine was released to near-universal acclaim worldwide, and was a huge success in the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and other parts of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at #1, and was certified
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
Platinum (marking sales of 300,000) by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
on 1 May 1998. It failed to share the same success in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
The album was well received by critics, who praised the collective's new sound. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s Barney Hoskyns, although praising the album, pointed to its flaws: "[Sometimes] rhythm and texture are explored at the expense of memorable tunes, and the absence of the bizarre Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
(who appeared on Blue Lines and Protection) only highlights the flat, monotonous rapping of the group's 3-D."
John Bush of Allmusic also had positive words for the album's song "Inertia Creeps", saying it "could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen."
Years after the album was released, it was placed on many "Best Of" lists in the UK, and even in the United States. In 2000, Q magazine
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
placed Mezzanine at number 15 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. In 2003, the album was ranked number 412 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
Use in popular media
In 1997, the group contributed to the movie soundtrack of The Jackal, recording "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)", a number containing a sample of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Metal Postcard" and "Dissolved Girl", a new song with vocals by Sarah Jay. In the 1999 film The MatrixThe Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
, the main character falls asleep listening to Dissolved Girl, although the song was not included on the movie's soundtrack
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture
The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture is one of the two 1999 soundtrack albums from the blockbuster film, The Matrix ....
. Angel appeared in the Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
film Snatch
Snatch
Snatch may refer to:* Snatch , a 2000 British gangster movie by director Guy Ritchie* Snatch theft, grab-and-run theft from a motorcycle, in Malaysia* Snatch, an album by Howie B* Snatch , or Anagrams, word game...
in 2000, the 1999 film Go
Go (1999 film)
Go is a 1999 comedy thriller film written by John August and directed by Doug Liman, with three intertwining plots that happen to involve one drug deal. The film stars William Fichtner, Katie Holmes, Jay Mohr, Sarah Polley and Scott Wolf and features Taye Diggs, Breckin Meyer, Timothy Olyphant,...
, and an extended version of Angel was prominently used in the episode of the television series The West Wing in 2003, "Commencement
Commencement (The West Wing)
-Plot:Danny Concannon has finally pieced together the puzzle about the killing of Abdul ibn Shareef after learning his pilot was a U.S. operative working under an alias, but C.J. and Leo persuade him to hold off on the story for three days, because five Qumari nationals who were under FBI...
" as Zoey Bartlet
Zoey Bartlet
Zoey Patricia Bartlet is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Moss on the television serial drama The West Wing. Zoey is the youngest of President Josiah Bartlet and Abbey Bartlet's three daughters, and is more prominently featured in the series than either of her sisters.Zoey and...
is kidnapped, was also featured in a 2010 Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
fragance advert, and was used in the pilot episode of Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
. In 2004, the song "Teardrop", was used as the theme song, for American TV, for the television series House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
. "Teardrop" was also used in the TV series Prison Break and CSI: Miami. "Angel" was used in the 2004 remake of Flight Of The Phoenix
Flight of the Phoenix (2004 film)
Flight of the Phoenix is a 2004 remake of a 1965 film, both based on the 1964 novel The Flight of the Phoenix, by Elleston Trevor, about a group of people who survive a plane crash in the Gobi Desert and must build a new plane out of the old one to escape. The film stars Dennis Quaid, Tyrese...
by Elleston Trevor, and it was also featured in the 2005 film Stay. The Japanese bonus track "Superpredators" was chosen as the theme song for the character Zaraki Kenpachi from the manga Bleach. The song "Inertia Creeps" was used in CSI: New York (season 3) and a 2002 Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
television ad featuring model Giselle Bundchen. "Inertia Creeps" is also heard in series 1 of Peep Show
Peep Show (TV series)
Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. The television programme is written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, with additional material by Mitchell and Webb themselves, amongst others. It has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2003. The show's seventh series makes it...
as well as the 1999 film Stigmata
Stigmata (film)
Stigmata is a 1999 supernatural horror film directed by Rupert Wainwright and starring Patricia Arquette as a hairdresser from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who is afflicted with the stigmata after acquiring a rosary formerly owned by a deceased Italian priest who himself suffered from the phenomena...
. Currently it is the soundtrack track for the 2011 TV show Person of Interest
Person of Interest (TV series)
Person of Interest is an American crime drama television series broadcasting on CBS. It is based on a screenplay developed by J. J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan. The series was officially picked up by CBS on May 13, 2011, and debuted on September 22, 2011. On October 25, 2011 the show was picked up...
.
Track listing
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
1 | |
| Norwegian Charts | 2 | |
| Austrian Charts | 3 | |
| Belgian Charts | 4 | |
| Finnish Charts | 4 | |
| Switzerland Charts | 6 | |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
60 |
Personnel
- Robert Del NajaRobert Del NajaRobert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
– vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples, art direction, design - Grant MarshallDaddy GDaddy G, , is a British musician and a founding member of the band, Massive Attack.-Music:...
– vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples - Andrew VowlesAndrew VowlesAndrew Lee Isaac Vowles , also known as Mushroom, is a founding member of British trip-hop collective Massive Attack.-Early years:Vowles grew up in Bath, attending Newbridge Junior School...
– producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples - Neil Davidge – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
- Horace AndyHorace AndyHorace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, Elizabeth FraserElizabeth FraserElizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins...
, Sara Jay – vocals - Angelo BruschiniAngelo BruschiniAngelo Bruschini is an English rock guitarist who has been a member of The Numbers, Rimshots, The Blue Aeroplanes, and now Massive Attack. He produced Strangelove's eponymous album in 1997...
– guitars - John Harris, Bob Locke, Winston Blisset – bass guitars
- Andy GangadeenAndy GangadeenAndy Gangadeen is a drummer from the United Kingdom, known for his band The Bays and as a session drummer. Born in the UK to a Guyanese family, he grew up in Walthamstow and took up drums aged 17....
– drums - Dave Jenkins, Michael Timothy – additional keyboards
- Jan Kybert – ProTools
- Lee Shepherd – engineer
- Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
- Jan Kybert, Paul PDub Walton – assistant mixing
- Tim Young – cut
- Nick Knight – photography
- Tom Hingston – art direction, design