TS: Portishead - Dummy vs. The Knife - Silent Shout

the other is cold, androgynous, and evil

Yet I'm not sure how much I like either of them anymore, or maybe they're both awesome??

Deleting the thread would possibly be best option now :(

i don't see the same fate for "silent shout" happening any time soon.

This sounds more like a description of the second Portishead album than the first.

i haven't knowingly heard that portishead album, but that is so otm about silent shout. it makes me feel like i only need to ever listen to "silent shout" and "we share our mother's health." i mean, those are the only ones i ever listen to. because the rest of the album just seems like a dim reflection of their themes on my first dozen or so listens.

You're hanging out in a lot of teenage girl bedrooms, cutty?

-- cutty

Hmmm. Well, it certainly got played to death by me (not a teenage girl) at the time, and then sold when I got beyond sick of it. I would never have expected it to become a mass favourite like it did. I think you're underestimating how much this sold (in the UK at least) cutty!

Catching it (Dummy) just slightly before they started picking up hype, chatter & chart positions it seemed pretty damn leftfield at the time.

If you substitute trip-hop for vaguely revivalist-yet-updated electropop as a scene of the moment... I can't see any reason this wouldn't cross over to a wider audience at all. In fact it feels perfectly placed to, my only doubt is the strength of the hooks & tunes actually.

I realise this is P.Sherburnes' feature thesis recycled to some extent with different examples, but still. I can't get over how similar these two records seem in appeal & effect.

Portishead aren't sexy to me at all, the smokiness is like desperate chain-smoking, the femininity is much the same kind of ravaged older femme type... it's not pleasant, it's kind of creepy & odd, very netherworldy & damaged.

I don't think The Knife are quite the same though, I will agree. There's no sex on that record, but if there is it's bad vibes sexual ("Neverland" etc). Yet they seem to both zero in on almost the same core emotions almost by chance? Well to me anyway.

i don't like "dummy" as its been played to death by every teenage girl in her bedroom with the incense burning.

and this matters............. why?

both albums utterly fantastic btw.

typical "i don't like this but can't articulate it so i'll make a lolfans joke"

hahah big hoos otm

there is a lolfans joke for pretty much every musician/band ever

I love both of these, but Dummy is the clear winner. It is one of those rare records that doesn't have any weak moments, it is strong from beginning to end. Silent Shout is great, but has some skippable tracks.