Portishead, “Third” - On Sale Now, and spinning on my turntable
Portishead’s latest, "Third", was released this past Monday. I headed over to my trusty local music store to give them my hard-earned money only to find that they didn’t have it in stock. To add insult to injury ("But I crawled here on my belly through broken glass to buy that!"), they were actually playing it over the store’s sound system. Bastards! I came back the next day only to find that they’d completely sold out of that morning’s CD restock (!). So, for the first time in, oh, 20 years, I Bought Vinyl. The last vinyl copy in the house.
Ah, vinyl! The static feel of pulling the record out of the paper sleeve for the first time, the flip-against-the-palms that came back to me like riding a bicycle, the required blowing of dust from the turntable’s needle - it all made me smile. I had a minor hiccup when I failed to notice that it was a 45 RPM record instead of a 33, but it *has* been awhile since I had to check.
The vocals are just as ethereal as I’d expect from Beth Gibbons, and the music - which manages to be crisp yet flow at the same time - could stand by itself.
Favorite track: "Machine Gun"
This song makes me want to sit and crunch code. Loved it. Has a sort of late ’70s, early ’80s sci-fi movie feel to it towards the end. Also enjoyed "Nylon Smile", and I would not be surprised if "The Rip" starts to get some serious radio play.
I highly recommend that you (1) purchase it immediately, (2) set aside some time to listen to it when you won’t be interrupted or distracted, and (3) play it from start to finish. Unlike some recordings from other artists that you could start or stop at will without losing any of the impact, I think this release is one that should be Experienced instead of just listened to.
Drop me a line at ubergeeke@dotfiveone.com and let me know what you think of it.
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