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Retro Review: Portishead ‘Dummy’

Published

16 years ago

on

So, it’s the end of another month and I bring you yet another Retro Review. Now, in the comments of the last review, I got two requests, both for metal albums (don’t worry guys, I’ve got them saved and will come to them later). However, to try and introduce some diversity into the music section, I wanted to do a review for something that might not be exactly expected. So, with this review, I’m doing something completely out of the style of music that I usually review in the Bloody-Disgusting music section: Portishead’s debut album, ‘Dummy’. 

portisheaddummycover
Don’t forget to leave a comment with what you would like next months Retro Review to be! In the meantime, check after the jump to hear my thoughts on ‘Dummy’. 

Released in 1994, Portishead’s ‘Dummy’ is an album that helped take music into new directions. Arriving in the beginnings of the birth of trip-hop, later bands such as the Deftones and Nine Inch Nails would cite trip-hop as a source of inspiration. The sound and atmosphere of trip-hop is built around somewhat gritty, grimy sounding tracks that hearken the listener back to earlier times. ‘Dummy’ is no exception to this: When I listen to the album, I think of the singer standing on a stage in a 1930’s smoky bar, a single spotlight illuminating her as she sways hypnotically side to side, as if in a trance. I think of dirty alleys where at the entrance, there is a single streetlight illuminating a lonely woman directly underneath. Basically, I envision the world of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer and I love every second. 
The album starts off with ‘Mysterons’, a seductive track that pulls the listener in with eerie melodies, sultry vocals and an ethereal atmosphere. Mixed beautifully, ‘Mysterons’ is the perfect example of what to expect from the rest of the album. Ending with synths made to sound almost like haunted howling, you just know that no matter what, the tone of this album is a beautiful darkness. 
Production-wise, this album is a joy to listen to. The recording process that Portishead utilized involved a great deal of recording to tape and then sampling directly from the tapes. Doing this added the “scratchy LP” effect that pervades throughout the album. Another benefit from this method of recording is that the album has wonderful analog warmth to it. Listening through high quality headphones or through a good sound system is a must for this album. 
Some tracks that stand out, in my mind, are ‘Wandering Star’ which has a very rhythmic bass melody juxtaposed with Beth Gibbons’ almost erotic crooning. ‘Biscuit’ to this day is still almost frightening and feels like something I would hear in a haunted house. ‘Roads’ is a gorgeous, melancholic song that is heart wrenching, especially during the following lyrics: ‘I got nobody on my side and surely that ain’t right/Surely that ain’t right’.
‘Dummy’ is one of those albums that are absolutely necessary for every album collection. I loved it the first time I hit play and I still love it in its entirety. 
5 out of 5 skulls
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Music

Marco Beltrami’s ‘Scream’ Score Gets Deluxe Reissue For 30th Anniversary

Published

4 days ago

on

July 9, 2026

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Seminal slasher Scream rewrote the rules in 1996, and for its 30th anniversary,  Varèse Sarabande and Craft Recordings are celebrating with a new anniversary reissue of Marco Beltrami’s landmark score.

The original 14-track album returns to vinyl in a collectible “blood-soaked” sleeve on August 28.

If blood red isn’t your color, there’s good news: the reissue will also be available in many different limited-edition exclusive pressings.

In addition to the wide “Woodsboro Bloodbath” red vinyl pictured below, look for the following exclusives:

An Extended Cut Edition of the Scream (Original Motion Picture Score), featuring all 40 of the film’s cues from the 2022 Scream boxset, will also be available on CD. All formats are available to pre-order or pre-save today.

Top L-R: “Knife’s Edge” silver vinyl with poster (Target), “Surprise, Sidney” metallic blend vinyl (Barnes & Noble), “Don’t Hang Up” clear vinyl (Books-A-Million),
Bottom L-R: “I’ll Be Right Back” blue vinyl (Urban Outfitters), “Final Girl” splatter vinyl (Hot Topic), “Wrong Answer” Blood Red Splatter vinyl (Varèse Sarabande/Craft Recordings), and “Final Phone Call” blue vinyl (Indie Retail)

Marco Beltrami composed the iconic score as a then young, up-and-coming composer—one who, ironically, had never scored or even seen a horror film.

Yet just three years after he completed the University of Southern California’s rigorous scoring program, Beltrami submitted 13 minutes of music for Scream’s opening sequence and his future was forever changed. “We knew in half a minute that we had found our composer,” Craven told Variety in 2012. “The music was haunting, beautiful and totally original. Marco turned out to be shy and soft-spoken, but a fountain of ideas and innovation. I never looked back.”

Scream (Original Motion Picture Score) (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

CD Tracklist

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Sid’s House (1:12)

5. Red Herring (2:13)

6. Killer Calls Sydney (2:52)

7. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

8. Cell Phone (1:00)

9. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

10. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

11. Sid’s Doubt (1:23)

12. Bathroom (2:58)

13. Mr. Himbry Gets It (2:11)

14. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

15. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

16. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

17. Dewey and Gale (1:57)

18. Off to See Himbry (0:41)

19. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

20. Randy Almost Gets It (2:33)

21. Gale Crashes the Van (1:33)

22. They’re Crazy (9:42)

23. Sid Stabs Billy (4:24)

24. Billy’s Back (0:52)

25. End Credits (1:40)

26. Sid’s Window (0:26)

27. Gut Someone (0:13)

28. Sid Looks (0:16)

29. Billy Looks (0:24)

30. Billy to Cell (0:34)

31. Killer Calls Again (0:35)

32. Bang Into Billy (0:12)

33. Girl Talk (0:54)

34. Video Store (0:45)

35. Why She’s Here (0:16)

36. Billy Sting (0:13)

37. Prescott’s Car (0:29)

38. Hairbrush (0:38)

39. The Cue from Hell (Orchestra Only) (6:28)

40. I Don’t Care (Vocals Performed by Dillon Dixon) (3:01)

Scream – Original Motion Picture Score

Vinyl Tracklist

Side A:

1. Dimension Logo (0:19)

2. The Cue from Hell (10:33)

3. Trouble in Woodsboro (1:52)

4. Red Herring (2:13)

5. Chasing Sidney (1:29)

6. Backdoor Gale (0:49)

7. Schoolyard 2 (1:17)

8. Bathroom (2:58)

Side B:

1. Sherriff and Dewey (1:21)

2. Tatum’s Torture (2:46)

3. Sidney Wants It (3:09)

4. Killer Stabs Billy (2:50)

5. They’re Crazy (9:42)

6. End Credits (1:40)

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