The first outing for the undisputed pioneers of the Bristol Sound and widely regarded as one of the seminal albums of the early 90’s, spawning a new musical genre that would come to be known as trip hop. While the likes of Galliano and Young Disciples were blending politicism with a jazz-funk aesthetic, Massive Attack were on altogether darker trip. True, they demonstrated the same diversity of roots ethnically and musically, but their urban vision was much more dubbed out and twisted than their London based counterparts, a fact that was borne out more starkly on their later albums, from Protection onwards.
The album’s opening track Safe From Harm sets the mood at once – a haunting break beat ballad, whose rolling bass line carries a definite menace, Shara Nelson’s vocal is as street savvy and emotionally tough as you like:

But if you hurt what’s mine/I’ll sure as hell retaliate/You can free the world/ you can free my mind/ just as long as my baby’s safe from harm tonight…

The brooding mood is lifted by some immaculate nu soul in the shape of Be thankful For What You Got and Lately, while Blue Lines and Daydreaming is hip hop on mescalin, whispered flows (west country meets Jamaica) over softly layered breaks like the Blackbyrds’ Rock Creek Park. Reggae legend Horace Andy brings a sweet irie vibe to One Love, Five Man Army and the didgeridoo driven spiritual Hymn of the Big Wheel. And then of course there’s Unfinished Sympathy, a masterpiece of composition with strings, piano and an irresistible break beat all bundled up and sent into orbit by Shara Nelson’s impassioned vocal.
Blue Lines was so ahead of its time, it didn’t even do that well on its release – but then how many people are still listening to Galliano? Still fresh nearly 13 years on…

Check CD Peddlers for copies – they seem to be carrying it at the moment.