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Heligoland | 
| Artist: Massive Attack
Label: Virgin
Category: Music
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £7.22
as of 18/3/2010 15:21 CDT details
You Save: £7.77 (52%)
New (42) Used (4) from £7.22
Seller: forde44
Rating:  39 reviews
Sales Rank: 29
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
EAN: 5099960946621
ASIN: B002ZPIC1M
Release Date: February 8, 2010
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| | Pray For Rain | | | Babel | | | Splitting The Atom | | | Girl I Love You | | | Psyche | | | Flat Of The Blade | | | Paradise Circus | | | Rush Minute | | | Saturday Come Slow | | | Atlas Air |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
It's been seven years since we heard anything from Bristol trip-hop afficionados Massive Attack. Their last outing was (for many) the underwhelming 100th Window, an album created mainly by Robert del Naja (aka 3D), as his partner-in-rhyme Daddy G was on hiatus being, well, a daddy. From the potent, claustrophobic opening track "Pray For Rain"--all tribal drums, bleak atmospheres and the contrastive rich vocals of TV On The Radio's Tumbe Adebimpe--it's clear that Heligoland is a bid for former glories. As the record unfurls through the angular, choppy post-punk of "Babel" (with Martina Topley-Bird), the lurching "Splitting The Atom" (featuring the familiar falsetto of regular Massive Attack vocalist Horace Andy) and the pounding, bass-heavy "Girl I Love You", the feeling grows that this is their strongest work since 1998’s Mezzanine. Unlike that album, the band make regular diversions here into dissonance, especially on "Flat Of The Blade", a wonky parade of bleeps and glitches matched to vocals from Elbow's Guy Garvey. But there are lighter moments too, such as the relatively weightless "Psyche" (again with Topley-Bird), the sparse "Paradise Circus" (featuring the feathery voice of Hope Sandoval) and the plaintive "Saturday Come Slow", with vocals by Damon Albarn. It might not be a Blue Lines II, but Heligoland’s thick production, superb guest performances and dense, stoned atmospheres make it exactly the stellar return to form they obviously aimed for. --Danny McKenna
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
 beautiful March 14, 2010
C. Kyriacou (UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I first listened to this album I was disappointed, as the low-fi sound of the record -on first listen- is less engaging than the "heavier" (? I'm not sure whether the expression is correct..) sounds of the previous albums (particularly Mezzanine and 100th Window)
But it turns out that this is what eventually makes the songs so..effective and loveable - instead of imposing themselves on you, you discover the excellent melodies behind the low-profile sounds gradually and they become a part of you.
In terms of mood, a reviewer said that it is a "defeatist" record and I kind of agree. From what I understand, I hear hopelessness in the record, but this gloom is actually quite charming.. To me, it is a beautiful record about giving up on the world and accepting how things are.
Some of the songs have not grown on me and I will not claim that all of them are equally interesting. However, even if the record had just one of the good songs -which obviously isn't the case-, it would still be an indispensable good song and would be much more worthy than the majority of the albums being released today. I'm sure I will be listening to some of these songs in the years to come as well.
My favourite tracks are Splitting The Atom, Rush Minute and Atlas Air. Also very good are Paradise Circus and Pray For Rain.
P.S. I would like to say that I believe that the criticized 100th Window is an excellent album and could well be my favourite. 3D is amazing.
 Disappointing March 11, 2010
Michael J. Law (Teulada Spain)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
After all the pre release review hype I fell for the trick of buying this album unheard. I do like Massive Attack, but this album somehow grates. They are well past their best now, and for me this does nothing to redeem. Gloomy,rather than moody,for me it is disppointment. I can't be bothered to play it again, so another expensive frisbee.
Ten Shades of Grey March 9, 2010
Man Without a Soul (London)
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
Are Massive Attack a band who have said all that they need to say? On the evidence of 'Heligoland' and the previous album '100th Window' I'd have to say that there is a very strong case for the prosecution. There are only two songs here that can truly bare comparison with the band's 90's material - namely the Horace Andy fronted 'Girl I Love You', a multi layered slow builder that reaches a pleasingly cacophonous crescendo, and the closing 'Atlas Air' that has real energy and, importantly, a groove.
The rest of the material ranges from worthy but not entirely satisfying near-misses (restrained opener 'Pray for Rain' falls into the role of mere mood setter without putting up much of a fight and 'Splitting the Atom', surely influenced by the approach taken by Portishead on their jaw-dropping 'Third' album, lacks the required dramatic weight to truly take off), to place holders like 'Rush Minute' and 'Babel', and finally some compositions with very little to recommend them at all. I still can't decide which guest performance is worse out of Damon Albarn's horrible vocal turn on 'Saturday Come Slow', his mewling cry of 'Do you love me?' grates like fingernails on the blackboard, and Guy Garvey's mumbly bottom of the pint musings on 'Flat of the Blade' which should have been left on the cutting room floor.
With their peers delivering albums of the quality of aforementioned 'Third' and 'Untrue' (Burial) this release just sees this previously trail blazing collective losing ever more ground and where once Massive Attack battled away on the frontlines they now appear to have resigned themselves to a comfort zone - here's hoping they aren't dug in for the long haul.
Amazing comeback March 5, 2010
Mr. S. D. Houghton (Devon, UK)
I am a long - time Massive Attack fan and have been eagerly awaiting their next release. Well, this is AMAZING!
They have managed to come up with totally original music but still sound firmly like massive attack. The album flows well form one track to another really well but the tracks can also stand alone.
There are the usual collaborations with Horace Andy and Martina Topley Bird but Also with Damon Albarn and Guy Garvey.
The standout tracks for me are Girl I Love You, which features some excellent brass orchestration and Horace Andy's unique voice, Paradice Circus which is truly haunting (featuring Topley Bird) and Atlas Air which has a constantly evolving keyboard riff over its 7 minute length.
Overall and album which will appeal to Massive Attack fans and virgins alike.
Massive Attack / Heligoland March 4, 2010
James E. Davis
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Massive Attack is perhaps an acquired taste and this is perhaps their most accessible work. Start here and work backwards, (If you want to) Some of their best work to date in my estimation.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 39
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