Portishead Album: “Pnyc”

Some people like this CD, some people didn't. I, personally thought it was one of the best albums I've ever heard. It doesn't really sound live at all, except when the audience cheers,(And when they messed up Roads by clapping all through it.) All of the songs sound as if something has been added to give them more depth. Beth's voice sounds even more beautiful than on the original recordings. If you're new to Portishead and you can't decide on what album to get, buy this one. It has songs from both Dummy and Portishead on it and they sound fabulous. This CD remains my favorite even though I've listened to it thousands of times.

I remember listening to this album when it first came out, and it's aged pretty well, but for the turn-table bits. Those are an acquired taste. Overall, the Roseland recording improves on almost every song in their catalog -- an exceedingly rare feat for any band. The best you can usually expect is a clean recording, but Portishead goes much further by "re-imagining" each song with orchestral backing. And the results are such that you might find yourself mesmerized by songs that never did much for you before. And they don't screw up the songs that were already good, except perhaps for "Sour Times."

Unfortunately, the most beautiful song, "Roads," is marred by an enthusiastic audience clap-along. All throughout the album, you'll note that the audience is a surprisingly muted presence for a live album (muted in the mix phase, not in the raw audio, it sounds like). But they come out in cheerful force... to the aid of the most haunting and lonesome Portishead song I've ever heard. The incongruity doesn't recede with repeated listens, either. At least the band manages to drown these yahoos out during the peaks.

It makes me wonder if they had the audience on separate mikes and could release a version that doesn't include that part. Wishful thinking, though. If there was a chance that Portishead was still around and putting out more stuff, it wouldn't irk me so much. But this is all we got -- three albums, one of which is this live "greatest hits" recording. In other words, not much. (I don't count Glory Times because it's a remix album, and barely one at that.)

It seems like it might not work at first, but Portishead's "Live: Roseland NYC" album is probably the most stunning and most original live electronica album. And the string orchestra enhances their songs in unexpected ways.

If Portishead's second album sounded like a creepy soundtrack to a Halloween horror movie, the string ensemble take the scary crescendos to a whole new level. Beth Gibbons sings a crooning alto similar to the James Bond singer Shirley Bassey. In the song "Cowboys," the orchestra resounds with a wave of dissonance that escalates to a frightening peak with the electric guitars amplifying the dark tension. Combine that with the squeeky turntable scratches, and the band sounds like a deadly mix of James Bond mystery with electric mayhem.

And believe it or not, there are plenty of smooth and sassy James Bond-style orchestrations. The blaring trumpets and strings in "All Mine" turns the copa cabana song into a smoky, jazzy scene, with guitars to electrify the atmosphere.

Even though the live set begins with songs from their less popular second album, there are still plenty of fantastic mixes of songs from their debut album to spare. The high-pitched screeches of the violins in "Mysterons" transform the electronica song into a soundtrack from an Alfred Hitchcock horror film. "Glory Box" sounds even sassier and sexier with actual strings to back up Gibbons' voice and the funky DJ scratcher. And if Portishead fans thought "Sour Times" sounded cool, just wait until they hear the adrenaline-filled crescendo of strings, organs, drums, guitars and DJ scratches, combined with Gibbons' wailing at the end.

And the band has an especially tender moment in the song "Roads," where the spacy jazz wah-wahs and the strings soften their set with a gorgeous faze of romanticism. Beth Gibbons' softening voice near the end make this ballad reach a wonderful intimate level like no other.

But the strings are the most entrancing in the hip-hop beat-oriented jam "Strangers." The beats, combined with the snazzy horns and strings, make this Portishead exciting and electrifying. It's a great way to end an awesome concert of hip-hop, Halloween rock and orchestral splendor. It also shows Portishead in their prime, with an artistic taste like no other electronica band in the world.

Most live albums pretty much lose the feel of the original studio albums -- sometimes they sound tinny and distant. No such sound here. "Live: Roseland NYC" has not only an orchestra, but the jazzy trip-hop of Portishead's two albums, and the beautiful voice of Beth Gibbons. No wonder it was so good.

Portishead hit the big time with their sophomore album "Dummy," an exquisite blend of smoky jazz and subtle trip-hop. Which, admittedly, sounds like the wrong kind of music to play live, but it works wonderfully here. Portishead includes an almost equal mix of songs from their two albums -- six from "Portishead," five from "Dummy."

And surprisingly, the songs sound like simple redos of the mysterious, melancholy songs from Portishead's too-short career, not stage banter and stripped-down versions of lush songs. It's more than a little unusual to have a band's third album be a live one, but in this case it seems perfectly acceptable.

Backed by an entire orchestra, horns and some wicked turntables, the band plays remarkable versions of their songs. "All Mine" is even more beautiful and haunting than in the album, and "Sour Times" is even more breathtaking than it was originally. Most of the others are faithful renditions, given a powerful new twist with the strings and horns -- only a couple feel less cohesive in a live setting.

Frontwoman Beth Gibbons is known as having a lovely pop voice, and she is in excellent form here. A lot of singers are exposed in live performances as having less-than-stellar vocals, but Gibbons' performance demonstrates what a beautiful voice she has.

"Live: Roseland NYC" is a demonstration of what a good live album should be, showcasing one of trip-hop's best bands. Definitely worth checking out, both as as an accompaniment to Portishead's studio albums, and as a good listen itself.

I love electronica, I like orchestral music. In this release they have the perfect union. Even my friends who have a hard time listening to electronic/ambient music really, really like this release. If you are a serious music aficionado you must own this. This is a stunning piece of work that will spin on and on in all types of players and in all kinds of places.