Description:
Doing exactly what it says on the tin, Collected brings together highlights from Massive Attack’s four albums to date – Blue Lines, Protection, Mezzanine and 100^th Window – as well as the obligatory new single ‘Live With Me’.
Which means?
Massive Attack, along with Tricky and Portishead, forged the fashionable mid-90s ‘trip-hop’ sound. This collection charts one of the leading lights of that genre, bringing together classic songs like ‘Safe From Harm’, ‘Protection’, ‘Teardrop’, ‘Angel’ and of course ‘Unfinished Symphony’ all in the same place.
Is it much cop?
More cop than all the Police Academy films put together, and then some.
How many good tracks?
While not all the tracks are as immediate or commercial as the big hits, I think I can honestly say all fourteen are very good. In any case, it’s surely worth the asking price just for the five mentioned above.
And the worst?
None. This album’s class from beginning to end.
Biggest disappointment?
Only that I didn’t get the bonus CD of remixes and videos, and the simple ‘best of’ doesn’t include much new.
Verdict:
If you don’t already own the albums – and why not? – then this should be an essential purchase. The only downside is that if you do, and buy the new single, there’s not a lot the one disc version offers other than having their best songs in one place.
(4˝/5)

Release Date: 27 March 2006

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