Portishead - Sour Times

Portishead may not have invented trip-hop, but they were among the first to popularize it, particularly in America. Taking their cue from the slow, elastic beats that dominated Massive Attack's Blue Lines and adding elements of cool jazz, acid house, and soundtrack music, Portishead created an atmospheric, alluringly dark sound. The group wasn't as avant-garde as Tricky, nor as tied to dance traditions as Massive Attack; instead, it wrote evocative pseudo-cabaret pop songs that subverted their conventional structures with experimental productions and rhythms of trip-hop. As a result, Portishead appealed to a broad audience -- not just electronic dance and alternative rock fans, but thirtysomethings who found techno, trip-hop, and dance as exotic as worldbeat. Before Portishead released their debut album, Dummy, in 1994, trip-hop's broad appeal wasn't apparent, but the record became an unexpected success in Britain, topping most year-end critics polls and earning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize; in America, it also became an underground hit, selling over 150,000 copies before the group toured the U.S. Following the success of Dummy, legions of imitators appeared over the next two years, but Portishead remained quiet as they worked on their second album.
Homebrew Named after the West Coast shipping town where Geoff Barrow grew up, Portishead formed in Bristol, England, in 1991. Prior to the group's formation, Barrow had worked as a tape operator at the Coach House studio, where he met Massive Attack. Through that group, he began working with Tricky, producing the rapper's track for a Sickle Cell charity album. Barrow also wrote songs for Neneh Cherry's Homebrew, though only "Somedays" appeared on the record. Around the time of Portishead's formation, he had begun to earn a reputation as a remix producer, working on tracks by Primal Scream, Paul Weller, Gabrielle, and Depeche Mode. Barrow met Beth Gibbons, who had been singing in pubs, in 1991 on a job scheme. Over the next few years, the pair began writing music, often with jazz guitarist Adrian Utley, who had previously played with both Big John Patton and the Jazz Messengers.

[henriqueramos]

Sour Times

To pretend no one can find,
The fallacies of morning rose,
Forbidden fruit, hidden eyes,
Courtesies that I despise in me
Take a ride, take a shot now.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

Covered by the blind belief,
That fantasies of sinful screens,
Bear the facts, assume the dye,
End the vows no need to lie, enjoy,
Take a ride, take a shot now.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

Who oo am I, what and why?
‘Cause all I have left is my memories of yesterday,
Ohh these sour times.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.

After time the bitter taste,
Of innocence decent or race,
Scattered seed, buried lives,
Mysteries of our disguise revolve,
Circumstance will decide.

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you

‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do

[lorofcb]

I was a depressed, desperate sad teenager and I can honestly say Portishead gave me the ability to see and feel the beauty of melancholy.
I was never the same again. I'm still convinced they saved me.

[suebrown]

This album completely blew my mind when it came out.

[osmoregulatoryorgan]

The amount of nostalgia I'm getting from this album is overwhelming. I recall the smell of my bed, the warmth of the sun through the window, the quietness of the neighbourhood, my cat sleeping next to me. Damn, I miss this.

[derekphelps]

I just can't believe Dummy was their DEBUT!!! Just incredible.

[mickmcnamara]

27 when i first heard this. 55 now and it still gets into my heart and my soul.

[ustheserfs]

Bristol on the map and not just for this. Massive Attack, Tricky, Roni Size. It had it's own little slice of culture. Truly amazing.

[stampede]

I don't know if alot of people know but they performed on SNL in the 90s. They did two songs and they were phenomenal. It got alot of people that didn't know about them into them and the whole trip-hop scene. I hope people look it up and see how great they are live.

[carolcross_ArtFusionStudio]

I love how it sounds so sinister. Ha! Love it!

[jessvisser]

One of my all time absolute favourite songs EVER!! Ok, so I’ll extend it to this album.... soundtrack to being 16 years old x

[dadawg]

you certanly have some quality music taste if you are reading this

[malawix]

Today's 30 years from this MASTERPIECE. Chapeau.

[dopaminewizard]

This is wonderfully the exact vibe of Silent Hill! My Samael! This song in specific is almost totally the opening from Silent Hill 1 musically! I'm amazed and in shock! SH is my favorite game series ever, and I've discovered the band literally yesterday on a SH group... The soundtrack is one of the points that I like the most on SH, and it's directly responsible for the unique atmosphere of the game that I love. So, hearing a band that sounds like a Silent Hill soundtrack, as a fan (and musician) is something worthy of ecstasy.

[portenfamily]

😊 I feel so blessed to have grown up in the 90's. Artists constantly stretching the norm on music, a fluid blend of jazz, hip-hop, rock, & just about anything you could possibly think of ❤

[jllcne]

My first introduction to this general type of music was Sneaker Pimps in the mid 90s...after that, the list of electronic/trip hop/synth/ etc. groups that I've discovered is endless....Portishead, massive attack, boards of Canada, Air, Royksopp, zero 7, thievery corporation, hot chip...and I'm probably forgetting a few....🎵🎶🎵

[caneimcdonald]

2021!! One of the best albums of the 90s!!

[Midtown_Ace]

Every time I hear this track, i just visualize Spock sitting in, playing the Vulcan Harp... Fascinating!

[desocratic]

This one of those tracks that you'll catch some fleeting lick in another joint years later and it'll plague you trying to remember that this was the source.

[EnidAgnusDei]

2020 never heard a full album of theirs until now, 2nd track in and a fan, huge fan.

[keikoceciliahiratasanchez]

es incleible como pudo pasar tantos años para que pudiera escuchar este album completo me tiene hipnotizada sin querer oir algo mas te amo portishead.