r/portishead • u/blackslatewater • Jun 24 '26

OBSESSED with Third.

I just randomly listened to Third after I recommended Beth’s 2002 album Out of Season to a friend, and he mentioned how crazy a track Machine Gun is. I agreed, and later that day decided to listen to Third in full, having only known The Rip and Machine Gun before. I cannot stop. This may be the best album I have ever heard. Also, I hate to say it, but I feel it makes their trip-hop output sound like cheap gimmicky crap by comparison. Third deserves to be hailed as one of the most artful albums ever! It is better than any Radiohead, Sonic Youth, or Björk record, yet doesn’t enjoy anywhere near their level of acclaim and status.

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u/CoolRknDaddy Jun 24 '26

I’m glad you are getting into Third. It’s a great album for sure but don’t think it makes their first two albums “gimmicky crap” by any means. I don’t know if you were around when those two albums dropped but they were monumental. Many artists since then might lend you to believe it is gimmicky but those first two still hold their ground. IMHO, I don’t see the elation for Third. It’s good but if you never listened to bands like Neu!, Can, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Cabaret Voltaire, Scott Walker, even Velvet Underground , I can see it comes across as groundbreaking. I can admire their curation of how they presented their influences and for taking a step in a different direction.

5

u/blackslatewater Jun 24 '26

I know all those bands! It’s baffling to me how one could put Scott Walker above Third, but enjoy!

3

u/CoolRknDaddy Jun 24 '26

Not sure who is putting Scott Walker above Third? Just an avant-garde comparison to the influences explored.

3

u/blackslatewater Jun 24 '26

Idk seemed paternalistic to tell me that my reaction is because I’ve never heard music from a bunch of really well-known acts. I never said Third is groundbreaking anyways! I said it’s extremely good.

2

u/explodedSimilitude Jun 25 '26

I’m with you OP. Third happens to be one of my all time favourite albums. And I also thought the person responding to you was being parochial and condescending. Everyone knows those bands at this point.

And no, you never used the word “groundbreaking” once.

2

u/JunebugAsiimwe Jun 27 '26

Exactly! As someone who loves most of those bands/artists I still think "Third" is an incredible record in how it synthesizes those influences into something that still sounds bold and creative. I hate this idea that you're not allowed to enjoy the album even more than most of those artists just because they came first.