CaptainHowdy

...and then it's strange this attitude, if I'm not mistaken some time ago you came in a review of Jackson to remind us how much you liked the fact that Nirvana had pushed "Dangerous" off the top of the charts, ergo Commercial Success (which I clarify I don't consider a flaw at all). As soon as someone points out how Cobain's group was supported by the Media (and it doesn't matter if they weren't at the beginning, no one disputes Nirvana's merits but the sociological uproar that came from it) you get heated immediately. I think that some things, for those who were there, were evident to everyone. Then if Cobain was the most sincere person in the world and didn’t want the success that came to him and was completely out of the showbiz system (I have serious doubts about the last two claims), it doesn't matter; the underlying issue is that somehow his image (I'm talking about social impact) ended up overshadowing his music due to someone, sadly rendering Nirvana... but the discussion can be made about all of grunge, if it ever existed, more of a cultural phenomenon than a musical one, stirring reactions either favorable or contrary. It’s understandable that it was either heavily supported or was immensely disliked, but for a moment I invite even the most passionate supporters to consider that maybe there was something else during those years (better or worse? I don’t know... it was just there...) and this often took a backseat on the radio, TV, and newspapers because there had to be the face of the late (and I don’t say this ironically). No Polemics.

In fact, I believe that the comment above yours referred to the "construction" of the myth rather than its origin. Great album, but there was much better music during those years (and you’re too smart not to know this, so there's no need for me to mention names). His "legend," whether we like it or not, has been built by the media and not by intrinsic factors related to the music, and probably this has done more harm than good to the work itself.

Cultural relativism also has a limit, and good Justi has definitely surpassed it; join me and you'll understand.

As usual, Vitalogy, you understood little of what I meant. The films you mention are examples of Neorealism, and not of Neo-NeoRealism, which is a term not from official criticism (thankfully) but adaptable (from my very personal point of view) to more recent works (Von Trier, for instance). It’s a term I use friendly, and I understand it might create confusion; what I understand less is a certain aggressiveness in your comment. I agree that films are not just made of themes, but if you had read my comment well, you would have understood that if I have to find something good in this film, it's in the theme addressed and certainly not in the execution. Is it a mistake to try to separate things from the technical or artistic side and also see them from the emotional side? I don’t think so. The advice is to try to read well what others assert before rushing in headfirst to give “little lessons.” You are young and passionate, but a bit of calm would do you good.

I'm sorry, but the masterpiece by Portishead is "Dummy" even though I really like the self-titled album (and I don’t think it needs much arguing). Plus, it’s not sociology; it’s music. The early MA have a freshness in both impact and ideas that makes "Mezzanine" absolutely take a back seat.

Rereading my post above, I see that it may come across as aggressive towards the know-it-all; that was not my intention at all. The request for arguments is sincere and not confrontational.

Well, while we're waiting for Saputello to elaborate on his statement, I can only respond to Zion and the Doctor: It's not just a matter of historical importance but of genuine expressiveness. Listening to "Blue Lines" and "Protection" now truly conveys what that movement was, finally breaking out of the self-ghettoization of Clubs to catch the interest of those who considered "synthetic" music to be rubbish. Sure, especially the first one may seem a bit too naïve, but I prefer this flaw to all those found in "Mezzanine," an album that was already understood at the time to have been released with the intent not to shake (in every sense the term can imply) the listener but rather to wink at the radio world (certainly, the first ones were too, in a sense, but in a less obviously sycophantic manner) and to advertising jingles. Moreover, there's not a single idea in "Mezzanine" that cannot be found at least in its germinal state in the first albums. Sure, "Mezzanine" sounds good, but it has that artifact quality that disturbs me a bit. As for "100th Window," let's not even talk about it; it's practically just packaging. Personal opinions, of course.

At the risk of appearing superficial and insensitive to certain artistic heights, I allow myself to say that this neo-neorealism has really exhausted me (if I ever liked it...) and this is unbearable in certain clichés of the genre that it abuses. To be saved only for the theme addressed.

In the meantime, welcome back, Doctor! It’s been a while since I saw you around here, and to better explain my perception, I have to draw on memories of those wonderful years. "Mezzanine" comes at the end of a certain journey (this is almost posthumous since, if I’m not mistaken, 2/3 of the members are not present, even if creativity was already expressed before by the survivor Del Naja) of an entire genre that, over the span of 7-8 years (the dates are debatable; I consider '91 the starting point with "Blue Lines"), produced a plethora of things that still shake the world of electronics and perhaps even beyond. My impression is that the fundamental pillars had already been laid (starting with "Protection," but for others, I could also mention "Dummy" by Portishead or "Premillenium Tension" by Tricky), and "Mezzanine" merely fills in the last remaining gaps (and it does that to some extent) without adding anything particularly new. Of course, songs like the one referenced by Zion, "Risingson," are absolute masterpieces, but they are alongside others that seem to be little more than fillers. Furthermore, I don’t want to say something foolish, but I seem to remember a statement from Del Naja himself that confirmed this, and one from Mushroom (who left a few months after the release of "Mezzanine," if I remember correctly) that said the title was chosen because they themselves had that impression... then the rest is obviously a matter of taste. Bye!

The lowest point of Massive Attack, as far as "Mezzanine" is concerned, is somewhat like its name suggests—an album in between, with three or four masterpieces (on one I'm unsure whether to consider it such or just a personal infatuation) and other negligible things. For me, the essentials by MA are "Blue Lines" and "Protection."