at a glance...

Hometown: Bristol, England
Formed: 1982

Members:
Daddy G, 3D, and Mushroom -vocals, keyboards, samples and production
Mad Professor -programming, drums, percussion
Nolan Iril -drums, percussion
Marius de Vries -programming
Andy Wright -programming
Craig Armstrong -piano, string arrangements
Tracey Thorn -vocals
Nicolette -vocals

Bands in the family :
Tricky, Smith & Mighty, The Wild Bunch, Portishead, Neneh Cherry, Howie B, Björk, Horace Andy

Notes:
In the early 80's, the pioneering force behind the Bristol sound was known as the Wild Bunch, an enormously popular DJ collective that dominated the local scene. As original members Mushroom and Daddy G joined with 3D, the Wild Bunch transformed into Massive Attack, and they picked up Nellee Hooper along the way. Their debut album, 1991's Blue Lines, blew away the UK critics, but did not initially achieve much commercial success, despite three fantastic singles including the phenomenal "Unfinished Sympathy." Coming back in 1994 with their compelling, sensuous sound, Massive Attack released Protection, which was remixed by the Mad Professor and released as No Protection. Despite the departure of Tricky, Massive Attack were able to surprise skeptics and survive extended touring and internal tensions, along with releasing an amazing third LP, Mezzanine, in 1998.

Links:
We Love Massive Attack

Halfway between EP and full album, No Protection adds a certain untamed wildness to the densely textured Protection. Layers on upon earlier layers, fragments of beats, and the haunting vibe of Blue Lines makes this a strange trip, one that seems more of a journey for the musicians involved than the audience, who can't help but stand by mystified. Though No Protection would eventually be trumped by Björk's own remix album Telegram one year later, this surely inspired that and other remix albums to follow in the '90s.

The opening of the album doesn't stray far from Protection. "Radiation Ruling The Nation," the remix of "Protection," minimally chops up the beats while removing most of Tracey Thorn's vocals. "Bumper Ball Dub" is essentially "Karmacoma" as an instrumental, with Mad Professor choosing to leave most of the original unchanged. The advent of "Trinity Dub" is where the lines really get blurry. Nicolette's vocals from "Three" become almost ghostly, fading in and out with distinct degrees of intensity. "Cool Monsoon" takes it further by adding out-of-sync beats to the jazzy "Weather Storm."

Then comes side B, and here's where the album successfully mutates from its successor. "Eternal Feedback," a remix with the daunting task of bettering "Sly" mixes in spacy atmospherics, loud vocal reverbs, and striking drums. "Moving Dub" slaps "Better Things" with stealthy waves of electronic noise, making it unnerving and restless. Most memorable on No Protection however, are the heavy breathing, the bubbling gyrations, and steaming beats rising from the closer "Backward Sucking," a worthy remix of "Heat Miser," which boil over into the frantic drums for the (ahem) climax.

No Protection is a groundbreaking album in concept, yet there is a slight disappointment factor involved. If Mad Professor had only gone a little closer to the edge in recreating most of Protection, it would have been a more powerful statement. It would have not only validated Protection, but would have also been the first remix album to make experimenting on an experimental album an idea born of genius. This isn't the album to introduce yourself to the band, but for fans of Massive Attack, hearing new versions of the classics from Protection will be a treat that will reveal new sounds and beats they may have missed the first time around.