22. Dummy - Portishead 1994
Trip-Hop was a short-lived genre, but an extremely fertile one, creating a few gems in its course. 'Dummy', although not the first release to be given this label, was the breakthrough release, and took the (mainly Bristol based) Trip-Hop scene into the big leagues. Other notable releases that followed 'Dummy', were 'Maxinquaye' by Tricky, 'Becoming X' by the Sneaker Pimps and 'Big Calm', by Morcheeba. With the key ingredients to Portisheads sound being Hip Hop break beats, Dub, Soul, coupled with samples, drum loops and scratching, to all create one of the eeriest soundscapes to ever haunt your speakers. Not a good album to play alone, in the dark. This album, and Trip-Hop in general, never really gets above a certain, meandering tempo, but it really doesn't need to, there is so much atmosphere and lush vocalizing, from singer, Beth Gibbons, that you are instantly sucked into the sultry, sexy and low-lit world the music conjures up. Gibbons, is without doubt, the star here. Her, almost Edwardian, contralto is velvety and hypnotic and perfectly compliments the musical layers created by band mates, Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley. Imagine if Kate Bush wasn't as high-pitched and bat-shit mental, and you're kind of in the right neighborhood. 'It's a Fire', is where she is at her most sublime and effective, especially with the organ building up underneath, you'd have to be made of stone to not feel something from this cut. Second single, 'Sour Times', kick started a trend of producers scouring Neo-classical composers work, for the perfect sample to create hits. Using a sample from Argentinian composer, Lalo Schifrin, the band created a wonderfully, other-worldly track that became a hit and commissioned for quite a few television commercials. The band aren't always delicate though, as can be heard on the likes of 'Strangers' and 'Pedestal', where some pretty domineering bass frequencies and up-front drum loops add lots of weight. Portishead, also favor some abrasive scratching, that make things far from easy-listening. Of course, the star track is third, and final single, 'Glory Box' that really pushed the band into band into the public consciousness. The fact that the band chose to close the record with it, is a master stroke, as too many artists start records with the most well known song. Gibbons sounds so emotionally connected at all times, but here, it is truly spine-tingling. The album remains the calling card of the genre it popularized, and also is heralded as one of the quintessential releases of the 1990's. It won the Mercury Music Prize in 1995, narrowly beating the next album in this list.