The love you gave me, nothing else can save me
April 25, 2016 10:36 AM Subscribe
Portishead's first release in eight years is "SOS", an ABBA cover recorded for the film adaptation of J.G. Ballard's High-Rise.
Oh nice.
The rest of the soundtrack consists of some lovely stuff by Clint Mansell, pretty psyched to see how it all comes together.
posted by Artw at 10:42 AM on April 25, 2016
The rest of the soundtrack consists of some lovely stuff by Clint Mansell, pretty psyched to see how it all comes together.
posted by Artw at 10:42 AM on April 25, 2016
I have basically every song ABBA ever recorded committed to memory and I have since I was, like, 10 years old.
There is a darkness at their core that is not often recognized.
This cover is awesome. Thank you for posting!
posted by hippybear at 10:43 AM on April 25, 2016 [11 favorites]
There is a darkness at their core that is not often recognized.
This cover is awesome. Thank you for posting!
posted by hippybear at 10:43 AM on April 25, 2016 [11 favorites]
Can a fourth album be far behind?
(Yes. Yes it can)
posted by hobgadling at 10:43 AM on April 25, 2016 [9 favorites]
(Yes. Yes it can)
posted by hobgadling at 10:43 AM on April 25, 2016 [9 favorites]
That's three things that I'd never imagine would be used in one sentence and make sense.
posted by MartinWisse at 10:44 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by MartinWisse at 10:44 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
YES! MORE PLEASE!
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:58 AM on April 25, 2016
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:58 AM on April 25, 2016
Interesting. SOS is my favourite Abba song, if only for the chord change on the line "when you're gone".
This cover reminds me a lot of John Carpenter (in the nicest possible way).
posted by Acey at 10:59 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
This cover reminds me a lot of John Carpenter (in the nicest possible way).
posted by Acey at 10:59 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
High Rise is well worth a watch, and in a way would make a good companion film to The Lobster - both are gorgeously shot and feature a comically bleak dystopian maybe-sort-of-Britain, as well as more brutality than I was expecting. The ABBA song scenes in High Rise were definitely a highlight for me.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:01 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:01 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
I remember seeing Portishead in Bristol when they first came out. And of course I listened to ABBA in the downstairs family room as a kid. So, this is great.
posted by My Dad at 11:01 AM on April 25, 2016
posted by My Dad at 11:01 AM on April 25, 2016
The place Portishead is in now is so weird. Are they really a band still producing music? Or are they just a memory? I really like Third but I may be in a minority. This cover is fun in recasting Abba but I don't love it for itself as a song. Probably great as a movie track though.
I'm excited to see the High Rise film. It's one of my favorites of Ballard's books. Although the theater trailer I saw made it seem like the movie was going to be Snowpiercer: The Britishing. It's out in the UK already and Wikipedia tells me it will have a video-on-demand release for the US this Thursday, with limited theatrical release a couple weeks later.
posted by Nelson at 11:03 AM on April 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
I'm excited to see the High Rise film. It's one of my favorites of Ballard's books. Although the theater trailer I saw made it seem like the movie was going to be Snowpiercer: The Britishing. It's out in the UK already and Wikipedia tells me it will have a video-on-demand release for the US this Thursday, with limited theatrical release a couple weeks later.
posted by Nelson at 11:03 AM on April 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
Third came out in 2008? I still think of that as the "new" album. Damn, time, you crazy.
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:09 AM on April 25, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by The Card Cheat at 11:09 AM on April 25, 2016 [9 favorites]
It's Bjorn's birthday today. We should all play ABBA today.
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:09 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:09 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sort of thematically linked, Geoff Barrow of Portishead also produced an unused soundtrack for the movie Dredd.
posted by Artw at 11:13 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 11:13 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Crap. Looks like High Rise is getting some kind of crappy VOD burial in the US instead of a proper cinema release.
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on April 25, 2016
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on April 25, 2016
That's three things that I'd never imagine would be used in one sentence and make sense.
And, yet, it's as if they knew what I wanted ...
posted by octobersurprise at 11:20 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
And, yet, it's as if they knew what I wanted ...
posted by octobersurprise at 11:20 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Wow. Something that made ABBA not only tolerable for me - but made me replay it immediately. Pretty crazy that its been that long since a new release from Portishead... It seems like the past 8 years would have done well with their trippy music. It scores well (as in movie score).
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:23 AM on April 25, 2016
posted by Nanukthedog at 11:23 AM on April 25, 2016
Sort of thematically linked, Geoff Barrow of Portishead also produced an unused soundtrack for the movie Dredd.
He and Ben Salisbury were behind the soundtrack of Ex-Machina , which should have been an Oscar finalist. However, I had the impression I heard some bits, likely from Beak>, and I don't know if that would disqualify it. Beak> are scoring another movie, so Geoff is keeping himself busy.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:26 AM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
He and Ben Salisbury were behind the soundtrack of Ex-Machina , which should have been an Oscar finalist. However, I had the impression I heard some bits, likely from Beak>, and I don't know if that would disqualify it. Beak> are scoring another movie, so Geoff is keeping himself busy.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:26 AM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
When was Chase the Tear? Oh, 2009. Right, I don't expect an album, ever.
I also like Third, a lot. I thought it was generally liked? I don't remember now, but I do remember disagreeing with a friend, strongly, about how direct and followable the line from the first to the third albums was (I think it's quite a direct and clear line, if not obvious or expected).
I recently revisited Out of Season and found I liked it better now.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:26 AM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
I also like Third, a lot. I thought it was generally liked? I don't remember now, but I do remember disagreeing with a friend, strongly, about how direct and followable the line from the first to the third albums was (I think it's quite a direct and clear line, if not obvious or expected).
I recently revisited Out of Season and found I liked it better now.
posted by crush-onastick at 11:26 AM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Crap. Looks like High Rise is getting some kind of crappy VOD burial in the US instead of a proper cinema release.
we'll always have Shivers...
posted by ennui.bz at 11:31 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
we'll always have Shivers...
posted by ennui.bz at 11:31 AM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
High Rise is getting some kind of crappy VOD burial in the US
I guess that means I'll get to see it sooner rather than later. I was thinking I'd have to wait for a pretty long time to go and see it, since I can only go see a movie about every two months (I only got to Star Wars last month).
posted by Dr. Twist at 11:55 AM on April 25, 2016
I guess that means I'll get to see it sooner rather than later. I was thinking I'd have to wait for a pretty long time to go and see it, since I can only go see a movie about every two months (I only got to Star Wars last month).
posted by Dr. Twist at 11:55 AM on April 25, 2016
We saw it on a big screen at a film festival a few nights ago, preceded by a very interesting talk on the brutalist architecture that inspired the book.
I'm a big fan of Ben Wheatley, and the movie didn't disappoint.
posted by daveje at 12:01 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of Ben Wheatley, and the movie didn't disappoint.
posted by daveje at 12:01 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
ABBA has a reputation for being silly campy pop music, but they only have that reputation becuase they were so extremely good at making pop music that we're here talking about them some 40-odd years later. And, like hippybear said above, there's a lot more realness going on in their lyrics than they get credit for.
I also like Portishead a lot and was looking forward to hear what they did with an ABBA cover, but this track fell flat for me. Maybe on a re-listen it'll be good.
posted by 3urypteris at 12:10 PM on April 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
I also like Portishead a lot and was looking forward to hear what they did with an ABBA cover, but this track fell flat for me. Maybe on a re-listen it'll be good.
posted by 3urypteris at 12:10 PM on April 25, 2016 [4 favorites]
This is like the world's most awesome Venn Diagram.
posted by carter at 12:13 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by carter at 12:13 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
High Rise was unfortunately another movie destroyed by Sienna Miller, who has not heard of the concept of 'acting' but merely reads out the lines.
posted by colie at 12:14 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by colie at 12:14 PM on April 25, 2016
I love this so, so much. On first listen my entire body shuddered.
I have loved both ABBA and Portishead for a long time, so this hits really deep.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:19 PM on April 25, 2016
I have loved both ABBA and Portishead for a long time, so this hits really deep.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:19 PM on April 25, 2016
And, like hippybear said above, there's a lot more realness going on in their lyrics than they get credit for.
I had a pretty emotionally turbulent year last year, relationship wise, and I was surprised to find that ABBA songs, if you're in the same place they're talking about, pack a pretty heavy wallop lyrically. Grieving a lost love, excited about a new one, coming to terms with the realisation that a relationship isn't going to work out - there's a perfect pop gem for each of them.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:25 PM on April 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
I had a pretty emotionally turbulent year last year, relationship wise, and I was surprised to find that ABBA songs, if you're in the same place they're talking about, pack a pretty heavy wallop lyrically. Grieving a lost love, excited about a new one, coming to terms with the realisation that a relationship isn't going to work out - there's a perfect pop gem for each of them.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 12:25 PM on April 25, 2016 [5 favorites]
Oh, and though Portishead haven't put out an album in some time they have been playing shows. Mostly in Europe and mostly festivals, but there have been some tours. They've done multiple shows each year going back to 2011.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:27 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by mountmccabe at 12:27 PM on April 25, 2016
I have had A LOT of emotions listening to music over the last 5 days and this was still a standout among them. So great.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:35 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:35 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
Saw the film last week at a fest. The film takes some brave chances but suffers from serious pacing issues. Dreamlike (or lyrical) does not equal slow-all-the-time. Ballard is so much about internal transformation, and the film tries a couple of angles to portray that, none of which quite work well enough. And Sienna Miller is not able to portray internal states.
posted by sixswitch at 1:46 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by sixswitch at 1:46 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
The film takes some brave chances but suffers from serious pacing issues. Dreamlike (or lyrical) does not equal slow-all-the-time.
It's not really a film. It's just a sequence of scenes that follow each other. Ballard had only words to get across what was in his head, and it worked. But the film showed you Ballard's vision and then had people also speaking the same words and had no plot or development. It was a bit like an ad. I really like Portishead tho.
posted by colie at 2:15 PM on April 25, 2016
It's not really a film. It's just a sequence of scenes that follow each other. Ballard had only words to get across what was in his head, and it worked. But the film showed you Ballard's vision and then had people also speaking the same words and had no plot or development. It was a bit like an ad. I really like Portishead tho.
posted by colie at 2:15 PM on April 25, 2016
The ponapisach link is 404ing for me.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 2:32 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 2:32 PM on April 25, 2016
It's been re-upped on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmVuoPJGPE
posted by Zack_Replica at 2:51 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Zack_Replica at 2:51 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also Portishead or anyone else who may be able to make this decision, if you're listening:
LET ME BUY THIS.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:54 PM on April 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
LET ME BUY THIS.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:54 PM on April 25, 2016 [3 favorites]
It cheers up a bit at the end.
Albeit from a very low bass.
posted by biffa at 4:00 PM on April 25, 2016
Albeit from a very low bass.
posted by biffa at 4:00 PM on April 25, 2016
I love Portishead and love ABBA and this left me cold.
posted by Slothrup at 5:31 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Slothrup at 5:31 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
I like this song a lot and now I need to go back and listen to Portishead again.
posted by jeather at 6:23 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 6:23 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
I love that at the end of that Soundcloud link, the next track it played for me was Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal. It was so perfect I thought it was part of the song.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:25 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:25 PM on April 25, 2016
Are there any other good downer Abba covers out there? Because this is great, and I could use a few more.
posted by Going To Maine at 7:22 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by Going To Maine at 7:22 PM on April 25, 2016
“sobba”, if you will
posted by Going To Maine at 7:36 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Going To Maine at 7:36 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Still up here as of 2016-04-25 10:30PM CDT
This is amazing, I want a whole album like this.
posted by drwicked at 8:30 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is amazing, I want a whole album like this.
posted by drwicked at 8:30 PM on April 25, 2016 [2 favorites]
I have never listened to Portishead before, but I love ABBA like I love ... well, just about anything I love. And I love this cover.
posted by lhauser at 8:32 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lhauser at 8:32 PM on April 25, 2016 [1 favorite]
Great cover. Not wanting to digress into awesome ABBA covers but Flying Nun released Abbasolutely at the tail end of last century for fans of antipodean jangle crossed with Swedish pop.
posted by phigmov at 11:57 PM on April 25, 2016
posted by phigmov at 11:57 PM on April 25, 2016
I have never listened to Portishead before, but I love ABBA like I love ..
Correct this ASAP for your own good, please. It won't be like this cover, however at the time their music was released there was little else out there like it
posted by C.A.S. at 10:19 AM on April 26, 2016
Correct this ASAP for your own good, please. It won't be like this cover, however at the time their music was released there was little else out there like it
posted by C.A.S. at 10:19 AM on April 26, 2016
I have never listened to Portishead before, but I love ABBA
Maybe half of my inclination for posting this was hoping someone would stumble onto this (really really good) Portishead track having been only familiar with Abba beforehand.
posted by griphus at 10:23 AM on April 26, 2016
Maybe half of my inclination for posting this was hoping someone would stumble onto this (really really good) Portishead track having been only familiar with Abba beforehand.
posted by griphus at 10:23 AM on April 26, 2016
I grew up with Abba and this was always in my top five of theirs. Tonally perfect - sad and poppy all at once. I also figured out the secret sauce: the first time you hear the chorus there's that little noodly pre chorus 2-measure run of notes then BAM punchy acoustic guitar driven chorus . But then later in the song the run of notes starts ... Then after 1 measure (half as long as before) SURPRISE!! BAM! Chorus. Brilliant little detail.
posted by freecellwizard at 10:45 AM on April 26, 2016
posted by freecellwizard at 10:45 AM on April 26, 2016
I am honestly embarrassed by how many posts tagged ABBA here are by me.
posted by hippybear at 10:52 AM on April 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by hippybear at 10:52 AM on April 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not too proud to say that it took Elvis Costello to make it ok for me to see the gold in Abba. That happened in the 90s, when this view started to take hold and the themes of ABBA songs resonated with those in indie rock.. Evan Dando did a nice acoustic version of this, done live here.
Evan Dando, Knowing Me Knowing You
posted by C.A.S. at 10:58 AM on April 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Evan Dando, Knowing Me Knowing You
posted by C.A.S. at 10:58 AM on April 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
I have never listened to Portishead before, but I love ABBA like I love ..
Correct this ASAP for your own good, please. It won't be like this cover, however at the time their music was released there was little else out there like it
To my mind, Portishead has aged pretty darn well. Most nineties electronica-jazz-ishness sounds dated, or at least of-that-moment - some of that is likely technical (not my area of expertise) and some of it due to changing trends. But Portishead -at least on Dummy- doesn’t, at least not to me. There’s juuust enough electronics for it to sound like the future, but a lot of other material that makes it sound like the past. There’s a bit of scratching, but otherwise not much to date it: the album is a thing slightly out of time. (Also, nothing like a band just flipping its sound on its head for their reunion album and doing something fresh. I’m not sure that Third was the Portishead album anyone was expecting.) (Also, in case folks don’t know, Beth Gibbons’s collab album Rustin Man (Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb) is pretty darn solid.)
posted by Going To Maine at 5:18 PM on April 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Correct this ASAP for your own good, please. It won't be like this cover, however at the time their music was released there was little else out there like it
To my mind, Portishead has aged pretty darn well. Most nineties electronica-jazz-ishness sounds dated, or at least of-that-moment - some of that is likely technical (not my area of expertise) and some of it due to changing trends. But Portishead -at least on Dummy- doesn’t, at least not to me. There’s juuust enough electronics for it to sound like the future, but a lot of other material that makes it sound like the past. There’s a bit of scratching, but otherwise not much to date it: the album is a thing slightly out of time. (Also, nothing like a band just flipping its sound on its head for their reunion album and doing something fresh. I’m not sure that Third was the Portishead album anyone was expecting.) (Also, in case folks don’t know, Beth Gibbons’s collab album Rustin Man (Talk Talk bassist Paul Webb) is pretty darn solid.)
posted by Going To Maine at 5:18 PM on April 26, 2016 [4 favorites]
Third isn't that far from Portishead (aka 'P' - the second album) listening to them now. And if you had heard the b-sides, been to a live show, or heard many live bootlegs Third was something less of a surprise.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:02 AM on April 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:02 AM on April 27, 2016 [3 favorites]
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posted by nevercalm at 10:38 AM on April 25, 2016