Massive Attack released this masterpiece back in 1991. At that time, no one had heard music quite like it: combining electronica, hip-hop, soul, reggae and dub is something that seems obvious now, but the resulting stew was so startlingly fresh that the press gave it a new name. Trip-hop. Since then, many artists have tried their hand at it, but none have succeeded artistically as well as Massive Attack did on this album. Perhaps part of the reason for this is that these producers from Bristol, England weren't really trying to invent a new genre so much as simply make music they liked. There are three timeless anthems on this album, "Safe From Harm", "Unfinished Sympathy", and "Hymn of the Big Wheel", but it's "Unfinished Sympathy" that continues to capture the hearts of first-time listeners more than any other track in the MA canon. Grandiose, bittersweet, and romantically yearning, its one of those tracks that instantly grabs you and doesn't let go. In between the three highlights, the remaining tracks provide one pleasure after another, featuring various vocalists and rappers, the most famous being Tricky, who became an exceptional solo artist following this release. "Blue Lines" remains an essential purchase, demonstrating that music can take on the heft of combining many different genres and still be uniquely expressive and singular. Massive Attack may not have made another album quite this brilliant, but even if they never do, they will always be remembered for this extraordinary work, sounding as fresh today as it did twenty years ago.
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