Massive missive
Massive Attack
Collected
(Virgin)
Massive Attack were never the most popular band in trip-hop, but they were its best. Though this collection might arrive prematurely — four albums plus singles — it’s a commendable attempt to capture these easily defined yet highly elusive pioneers.
What saves Collected the fate of a thousand critics moaning “You should really just buy the albums” is the invaluable Disc Two, encapsulating rare cuts and B-sides. Though there’s (hopefully) a more expansive edition down the road, an updated “Black Melt” (done because of copyright implications involving the original) and guests Damon Albarn (“Small Time Shoot ‘Em Up”), Madonna (Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”), and Mos Def (“I Against I”) make this trip-hop ground zero a spry ground.
The hits disc sparks with warning shot “Safe From Harm” but disobeys chronology and opts for equal due among Blue Lines, Protection, Mezzanine, and 100th Window. Mixing them up does little to recontextualize the individual songs — Blue Lines, while still exceptional, sounds dated — but still makes for a hell of a mix CD.
— Steve Forstneger
