Halloween is six months away and time’s runnin’ out. The first three were TERRIFIC and I need me some more.
Though I'd like a new Portishead album, too - even though Third hardly gets played here, bit too dark for my taste, but what's Halloween got to do with it?
I believe I remember reading somewhere that Geoff Barrow suffered from extreme anxiety and writer's block over writing and recording the follow-up to Dummy. He was terrified that it wouldn't be any good.Then he sorta went through it again with Third. When they do work, they seem to work in the studio pretty fast, in bursts of activity. It's mostly, whatever's going on up inside Geoff Barrow's head that seems to be the hangup. I get the impression that Ade is always willing and able to produce new material, Beth Gibbons is quietly doing her thing, guest singing for other people, but Geoff is the hangup.
Agree. Fantastic three album run, to which I´d add Beth´s Out of Season lp with the former Talk Talk bass player.
I remember how Adrian Utley told Mojo in April 08 - for "Third" - that he wasn't having another eleven years gap because "by then I'd be in my 60's". Well, Adrian was born 27.4.57 so now he even might be in his 70's....
I think Geoff has released close to 20 albums simce "Third" in collaboration with Ben Salisbury, as part of Beak or under another name, not sure you can accuse someone that prolific of writer's block though I wouldn't hold my breath for a new Portishead album.
You hit on it – dark! If you listen and aren’t reminded of twisted horror and gumshoe movies ( “Kiss Me Deadly” an example of the latter ), then I can’t convince. Me? Strong notes of Bernarrd Hermann’s score of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” in a weird, satisfying gumbo. This band knows a vibe and knows how to hold it. Another band that did this well: The Doors.
Well, the gap is really big now, 14 years without an album. Does Beth's still smoking and singing beautifully nowadays?
They always remind me of another of my faves, MBV... Being a fan of both is not reommended for the impatient... Hopefully P4 will just 'drop' one day, with no fanfare or rumours; it will just suddenly appear
So the members have been keeping busy on other things? I wonder about what groups prone to long breaks between albums get up to in the meantime. Anyway, I liked the last album and could do with a new one.
A downer, perhaps, but I love the changes. Consistency in that for each release. I know the sampling leaves some cold, turns out THEY cut many of them themselves. How in the world did they get their paws on Lalo Schifrin tunes? Kinda obscure.