Mezzanine (album)

Untitled

Mezzanine is the title of the third full-length album from Bristol-based trip-hop innovators Massive Attack. Released in 1998, it marked the moment when the dark undercurrents which had always been present in the collective's music came to the fore.

Album information

Overall, the album was highly acclaimed by many critics. Discordant rock guitars are featured on several tracks, allegedly against the wishes of founding member Andrew Vowles (aka Mushroom), who left the band shortly after the album's release, citing creative differences. Mezzanine features the talents of long-time Massive Attack collaborator Horace Andy, along with guest vocalists such as Elizabeth Fraser.

The entire album was provided on Massive Attack's website for legal download many months before it was released on CD. Various other artists have since done the same, notably Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and more recently, Radiohead's In Rainbows. It was also one of the first major uses of the MP3 compression system by a commercial organization.

In 1998 Manfred Mann sued Massive Attack for unauthorized use of a sample of the song "Tribute" from Manfred Mann's Earth Band's eponymous 1972 album, used in "Black Milk". The song has subsequently appeared as "Black Melt" on later releases and at live performances, with the notable absence of the sample.

Reception

In 2000 Q magazine placed Mezzanine at number 15 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.

Covers

"Angel" has been covered by Brazilian metal band Sepultura on their Revolusongs EP, by Charlotte Martin on her 2007 album, Reproductions and by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan on their EP Plagiarism (which consists mostly of cover songs).

"Teardrop" has been covered by Newton Faulkner, Mika, José González and Elbow, although their versions differ significantly in format and instrumentation from the original.

Track listing

1. "Angel" (Robert Del Naja, Marshall, Andrew Vowles, Hinds) – 6:18
   • Vocals by Horace Andy
   • Contains the drum loop sample from "Last Bongo in Belgium" by The Incredible Bongo Band.
   • Contains a vocal sample from "Practice Makes Perfect" by Wire.
2. "Risingson" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles, Lou Reed, Seeger) – 4:58
   • Features sample from "I Found A Reason" by The Velvet Underground
3. "Teardrop" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles, Elizabeth Fraser) – 5:29
   • Vocals by Elizabeth Fraser
   • Features a sample from "Sometimes I Cry" by Les McCann.
4. "Inertia Creeps" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles) – 5:56
5. "Exchange" (Bob Hilliard, Mort Garson) – 4:11
   • Features sample from "Our Day Will Come" by Isaac Hayes
6. "Dissolved Girl" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles, Sarah Jay, Schwartz) – 6:07
   • Vocals by Sara Jay
7. "Man Next Door" (John Holt, Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst, Michael Dempsey) – 5:55
   • Vocals by Horace Andy
   • Features the drum loop sample from "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin.
   • Features sample from "10:15 Saturday Night" by The Cure
   • Features the melody and lyrics from "Got To Get Away" by Ska-Band The Paragons
8. "Black Milk" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles, Fraser) – 6:20
   • Vocals by Elizabeth Fraser
   • Based on a sample from "Tribute" by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
9. "Mezzanine" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles) – 5:54
   • Vocals by Del Naja, Marshall
10. "Group Four" (Del Naja, Marshall, Vowles, Fraser) – 8:13
    • Vocals by Elizabeth Fraser
    • Features samples from "In Your Room", "Get Right With Me" and "Higher Love" by Depeche Mode, from the album Songs of Faith and Devotion
11. "(Exchange)" (Hilliard, Garson) – 4:08
    • Vocals by Horace Andy
    • Features sample from "Our Day Will Come" by Isaac Hayes
12. "Superpredators" (Vowles, Marshall, Del Naja) (Japanese bonus track) – 5:16

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1998	Australian ARIA Albums Chart	1

Personnel

• Robert Del Naja – vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples, art direction, design
• Grant Marshall – vocals, producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
• Andrew Vowles – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
• Neil Davidge – producer, arrangements, programming, keyboards, samples
• Horace Andy, Elizabeth Fraser, Sara Jay – vocals
• Angelo Bruschini – guitars
• John Harris, Bob Locke, Winston Blisset – bass guitars
• Andy Gangadeen – drums
• Dave Jenkins, Michael Timothy – additional keyboards
• Jan Kybert – ProTools
• Lee Shepherd – engineer
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
• Jan Kybert, Paul PDub Walton – assistant mixing
• Tim Young – cut
• Nick Knight – photography
• Tom Hingston – art direction, design