Portishead is the second studio album by the English electronic music group Portishead, released on 29 September 1997 by Go! Discs.
Music With Portishead, the band chose to avoid sampling other records, which had been a defining feature of their debut album Dummy. Instead, they created original pieces which they wove into the songs, resulting in a more textured sound. The only song to employ samples was "Only You", which incorporates elements of Ken Thorne's Inspector Clouseau score and The Pharcyde's "She Said". "Western Eyes" is listed as sampling "Hookers & Gin" by the Sean Atkins Experience in the album's liner notes. In reality, this song does not exist; like most of the samples on the album, it was created by the band.Facts about Western Eyes
Artwork The album cover is a still image from the music video of the song "All Mine".
Release Released in September 1997, the album reached 2 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 21 on the Billboard 200.
On 3 December 2008, Universal Music Japan re-released Dummy and Portishead as a limited SHM-CD version.
Reception
Portishead received critical acclaim upon its release. In a rave review for Q, Andrew Harrison said that the album showed Portishead sounding "less and less like a conflation of influences, and more and more like themselves", finding the music "almost cinematic" and the lyrics "more rounded" in perspective than on Dummy. Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian credited the band for rendering their debut album's sound "even more haunting" on Portishead. Commenting on the textures of the music, Barry Walters wrote in Spin that the group had created a "gothic", "deadly" and "trippy" atmosphere and gotten "darker, deeper, and more disturbing." AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated that while "on the surface, Portishead isn't all that dissimilar from Dummy", the "darker and more adventurous" quality of the music becomes apparent over repeated listens, adding that "the sonics... would make it an impressive follow-up, but what seals its success is the remarkable songwriting."
Year-end lists Publication Accolade Year Rank Melody Maker Albums of the Year 1997 18 NME 1997 Critics' Poll 1997 32 Q 50 Best Albums of 1997 1997 (*) Spin Top 20 Albums of the Year 1997 6 The Village Voice 1997 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll 1997 14
(*) designates unordered lists.
Track listing
Credits All songs produced by Geoff Barrow, Adrian Utley, Beth Gibbons and Dave McDonald.
Portishead Beth Gibbons – vocals Adrian Utley – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7–10), bass (tracks 2, 4, 5, 7, 9), Moog synthesiser (tracks 4, 6), Rhodes piano (track 9), piano (track 11), string & horn arrangements Geoff Barrow – drums (tracks 4, 5, 9), turntables, programming, samples
Additional musicians Clive Deamer – drums (tracks 1, 6, 7, 11), additional drums (track 3) Shaun Atkins – additional vocals (tracks 1, 11) John Baggot – organ (track 9), piano (track 10) Andy Hague – horns (track 2) John Cornick – horns (track 2), trombone (track 7) Ben Waghorn – horns (track 2) S. Cooper – violin (track 4) Nick Ingman – string & horn arrangements, orchestration, conducting
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Portishead Chart (1997) Peakposition Danish Albums (Hitlisten) 6 European Albums (Music & Media) 4 Greek Albums (IFPI) 5 Irish Albums (IFPI) 3 Portuguese Albums (AFP) 7
Year-end charts + 1997 year-end chart performance for Portishead Chart (1997) Position European Albums (Music & Media) 45 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 43 UK Albums (OCC) 69
+ 1998 year-end chart performance for Portishead Chart (1998) Position New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 32
Certifications and sales
References
External links Portishead Info