Third (Portishead album)

Infobox Album
Name = Third
Type = studio
Artist = Portishead


Released = April 28, 2008
Recorded = 2005–2007
Genre = Experimental
Trip-hop
Length = 49:13
Label = Island (UK), Mercury (US)
Producer = Portishead
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hxfqxztjld0e~T1 2008]
*"Billboard" [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3ibf22b3c56d51e86373766f3c22621115 link]
*Drowned in Sound rating|8|10 [http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/13067 2008]
*"The Guardian" Rating|5|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,2276003,00.html 2008]
*"Mojo" rating|4|5 [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/portishead/third 2008]
*"The Observer" rating|4|5 [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/reviews/story/0,,2273978,00.html 2008]
*Pitchfork Media (8.8/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/50072-third 2008]
*PopMatters rating|9|10 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/57159/portishead-third/ 2008]
*"Rolling Stone" rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/20338591/review/20374176/third 2008]
*"The Times" rating|3|5 [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article3808415.ece 2008]
*"The New Yorker" (Favorable) [http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/04/21/080421crmu_music_frerejones 2008]
Last album ="Roseland NYC Live"
(1998)
This album = "Third"
(2008)
Next album =

"Third" is the third studio album by English musical group Portishead, released on April 28, 2008 on Island Records in the UK and on April 29, 2008 on Mercury Records in the US (see 2008 in music). It represents a departure from their previous trip hop sound into a darker, rawer, more industrial style. It is their first release in 10 years, and their first studio album in 11 years. Equaling the performance of their first two studio albums in their native United Kingdom, "Third" entered the UK Album Chart at #2, and became the band's first ever U.S. Top 10 album on the Billboard 200, reaching #7 in its entry week. So far, it has sold more than 900,000 copies.

Promotion

In December, 2007, during the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, England, Portishead played their first full live set in 10 years, featuring five new songs—"Hunter", "Machine Gun", "Wicca" (retitled as "Silence") "Mystic" (retitled as "The Rip") and "Peaches" (retitled as "We Carry On") which appear on "Third". [ [http://www.imgbox.de/?pr=ueli-DSC00014.jpgSetlist from ATP concert (.jpg)] ]

On April 21, one week before the album's official release, all of "Third" was made available as a free web stream on Last.fm [cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7346000/7346662.stm |title=Portishead launch album online | publisher=BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat | accessdate=2008-04-27] .

ingles

The first single released from "Third" was "Machine Gun", which made its radio and download debut on March 18, 2008. It premiered on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show and was made available for download on the band's official website. A UK one-sided 12 inch vinyl was released on April 14, 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/49348-portishead-reveal-ithirdi-single-box-set-details|title=Portishead Reveal Third single, Box Set details|work=pitchforkmedia.com|accessdate=2008-03-20] A promotional video for the song "The Rip" was also premiered on the bands official website on May 12, 2008, preceding its physical release on June 9. "We Carry On" is expected to be released on September 1.

Track listing

All songs written by Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley unless otherwise noted.
#"Silence" – 4:59
#"Hunter" – 3:57
#"Nylon Smile" – 3:16
#"The Rip" – 4:30
#"Plastic" – 3:27
#"We Carry On" – 6:27
#"Deep Water" – 1:39
#"Machine Gun" (Barrow/Gibbons) – 4:43
#"Small" – 6:45
#"Magic Doors" (Barrow/Gibbons/John Baggot) – 3:32
#"Threads" – 5:47
#"We Carry On (Live)" – 6:15 (EU iTunes Store bonus track)
#"Threads (Live in Berlin)" (US iTunes Store pre-order bonus track)

Reception

Upon its release, "Third" was generally very well received by critics. PopMatters gave the album a 9/10, saying "History will eventually see it rank on par with the rest of their legendary works".

Wireless Bollinger, which gave the album 93/100, said that "while Third is, undoubtedly, the most stubbornly difficult, and least accessible of Portishead’s three albums, those willing to give it repeat listens will find themselves rewarded by an album which will, in time, sit comfortably alongside Dummy as one of the greatest albums of their genre." [ [http://www.wirelessbollinger.com/content/view/1439/81/ Wireless Bollinger - Third ] ]

Allmusic called the album "utterly riveting and endlessly absorbing" in their review of the album, which they gave a 4.5/5. The publication also went on to say: cquote
It demands attention, requiring effort on the part of the listener, as this defies any conventions on what constitutes art pop apart from one key tenet, one that is often attempted yet rarely achieved: it offers music that is genuinely, startlingly original.

The album was also praised by fellow band Radiohead, who called it "incredible", "mental", and "their best record so far". [ [http://www.ateaseweb.com/2008/05/08/radiohead-portishead-and-britney/ Radiohead, Portishead… and Britney! | Radiohead At Ease [In Rainbows ] ]

Release history

Charts

References

External links

*
* [http://www.last.fm/music/Portishead/Third "Third"] on Last.fm.
* [http://www.monavissurtout.fr/?p=157 Free listen to "Third"] .
* [http://www.discogs.com/release/1317783 "Third"] full boxset details on Discogs.