In my time as a Massive Attack fan while loving their music of course, I've also been an avid collector of the band's physical releases. CD's vinyls, cassettes, promos etc... you name it, if its got the Massive Attack name on it I've probably either bought it or am still trying to find it! I've even dedicated a section of this site (Discography) to listing and detailing all of these said releases. On that note, you should also check out these two other dedicated Massive Attack Collector sites - Inflight Data and MACollected.
As for me, I started off with buying my first Massive Attack album, Mezzanine way back in 2000, which got me hooked into the band's music. From there, I proceeded to get all the other albums, then all the singles, then slowly worked my way through all the various promo items and memorabilia I could get my hands on. Some of this stuff is very rare and its taken well over a decade to piece together.
So I've decide to make a top 10 list of my personal favourite items from my Massive Attack collection. It was fun looking through my collection and coming up with this list so I'd thought I'd share it. Also, if you thinking of starting your own collection (Massive Attack or otherwise), some websites you should try to discover rare music releases (besides the obvious EBay) are Discogs, Espirit and the Amazon Marketplace.
So here's the top 10 list in no particular order of preference save for the #1 item at the bottom which is the favourite thing in my collection.
↓ 10. 3D's Nocturne Sessions 2002 CD
↓ 06. Maida Vale 2006 Sessions Promo CD
↓ 05. Paradise Circus Irish Promo CD
↓ 04. Superpredators Japanese Promo CD
↓ 03. Massive Attack V Burial Vinyl
A self-described mixtape that 3D put out in March 2002. Only 200 copies were made and given to patrons of the now defunct Nocturne nightclub in Bristol that Massive Attack had a hand in managing at the time. Its noteworthy for featuring two Massive Attack tracks that were exclusive to this release. A Mad Professor remix of Risingson and Inflight Data (a track 3D had made for the soundtrack to a porn movie back in 1999). The CD also has some nice selections from Pink Floyd, Bauhaus and Public Image Limited among others. Click here to listen to some of those tracks here and also download the whole mix CD in FLAC format.
From France we have the rather unique promo item of a 100th Window retail CD encased in a perspex glass box which opens up in two halves. Produced by the French record label "Delabel", only a couple of dozen of these were made. At the very least it makes a pretty cool paperweight!
A tour jacket that was given only to the working crewmembers of Massive Attack's 1998 Mezzanine tour. If you can't tell from the photo its made from a very nice quality fabric both outside and in. A bit of trivia about the Mezzanine tour was that it was sponsored by Levi Jeans, who also made this jacket. This is also part of my gig going gear everytime I see Massive Attack live!
Before "The Art Of Massive Attack" book, 3D also produced another very limited edition book showcasing his visual acumen back in 2000 cryptically called "Fitting In". Featuring the "Insect President" figure on the cover, only 150 copies were produced, with 100 been given freely to family and friends of D's, while the remainder were sold online for above the £400 mark. Much of the images from this book were not reproduced anywhere else until the "The Art Of Massive Attack" book in 2014.
A live session recorded for the BBC in May 2006, this is a very rare promo CD that has all 7 songs that were played live that day. Only 4 of the songs were broadcast on the radio at the time. Its also one of the only official releases of live Massive Attack material out there. Unfortunately it looks like we will never get a official live album of Massive Attack, but this promo does nicely as a live EP in some respects. Click here to stream the live set on Soundcloud and download the CD in FLAC format.
I just put this one of the list as its the only Irish produced Massive Attack promo from my understanding, and seeing as I'm Irish I'd thought it would be a good idea to include it here. Its also very rare. Only about 15-20 of these were made. Only seen it the once for sale on Ebay.
I have to include one Japanese release on this list. Japan always has some very interesting and unique editions for rabid music collectors. This release is doubly interesting as its the only 3" CD release of Massive Attack's I'm aware of. It was produced by Toshiba-EMI to help promote the 1997 film release of The Jackal in Japan, a Bruce Willis/Richard Gere flick which Massive Attack lent both this song Superpredators and a early mix of Dissolved Girl to.
Of the various Vinyl Factory produced Massive Attack releases, this one definitely seems to be the most sought after and highly priced record (just check the current prices of Discogs). The only physical release of the much talked about 2011 collaboration between Massive Attack and the enigmatic dubstep producer Burial. Its 24 minutes of pure musical bliss. At a 1000 records produced its not quite as rare as some of the other entries on this list, but still one of the highlights of my Massive Attack vinyl collection.
So I've got a few of 3D's prints at this stage, but this is one is my favourite one, as well as being one of my favourite 3D art pieces in general. Known as the "Unbelievable Proof", 3D painted this one for the 2007 UNKLE album "War Stories". It was sold as a print in a edition of only 25 in December 2007 from Pictures On Walls. I have that particular edition framed at home. Makes a interesting conversation piece when guests come calling!
More of sentimental thing for me to include here at the end, I have my Massive Attack scrapbook which is a one of a kind as I obviously made it myself. Its got hundreds of newspaper and magazine clippings of Massive Attack collected from over the years. Back in 2009 in Dublin I got it signed by 3D and Daddy G who were suitably impressed by it. You can see many of the clippings contained in my scrapbook in the Scans section of the site.
In my time as a Massive Attack fan while loving their music of course, I've also been an avid collector of the band's physical releases. CD's vinyls, cassettes, promos etc... you name it, if its got the Massive Attack name on it I've probably either bought it or am still trying to find it! I've even dedicated a section of this site (Discography) to listing and detailing all of these said releases.
For this post, I'm going to be offering up my own top 10 moments (with video evidence courtesy of YouTube!), of Massive Attack performing live from their birth as a live band in the mid-nineties, up until last year's controversial Adam Curtis co-production.
It's cliche to say Massive Attack's music has got somewhat of a cinematic edge to it. As if its the music to a film that has yet to be made. At least that's what I keep reading in countless interviews with the band. And I guess the claim that there is a filmic quality to their music is given alot more credibility when you consider just how many times its been licensed for film and TV. So for this blog post I'm going to be listing some of my favourite uses of Massive Attack's music in the movies.