Original Underground Massive Attack: The Wild Bunch

Product Description
Another major release for ultra-cool UK label, Strut as they present the rise of one of the great UK dance music success stories, The Wild Bunch DJ crew from Bristol, members of which went on to enjoy worldwide success as Massive Attack with their massive selling Blue Lines, Protection and Mezzanine albums. Mixed by DJ Milo. 2002.

Tracks:

Hands In The Air One Time - The Wild Bunch Live Intro Feat. Daddy G(Mixed By DJ Milo)
Party Scene (Russell Brothers)
On The Radio (Crash Crew)
Love Rap (Spoonie Gee)
It's Yours (T La RocK)
Tearin' Down The Avenue - The Wild Bunch Live Feat. Daddy G (Mixed By DJ Milo)
Techno Scratch (Knights Of The Turntables)
Jam On Revenge (The Wikki Wikki Song) (Newcleus)
Smurph Across The Surf (Micronawts)
Hip Hop Be Bop (Don't Stop) (Man Parrish)/Sucker DJ (Suckapella) (Dimples D)
We Rap More Mellow (Younger Generation)
Dyin' To Be Dancin' (Empress)
Come Back Lover (Fresh Band)
Rock Shock (BBCS & A)
Inside Out (Odyssey)
I'm In Love (Evelyn 'Champagne' King)
Behind The Groove (Teena Marie)
You Used To Hold Me So Tight (Thelma Houston)
Double Fresh - The Wild Bunch Live Feat. Daddy G
The Music Got Me (Visual)
Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You (Montana Sextet)
Dance Freak (Chain Reaction)
It's Serious (Cameo)
Can You Feel It (Mr. Fingers)
Dub Plate Fashion - The Wild Bunch Live Feat. Daddy G (Mixed By DJ Milo)

Album Description

Another major release for ultra-cool UK label, Strut as they present the rise of one of the great UK dance music success stories, The Wild Bunch DJ crew from Bristol, members of which went on to enjoy worldwide success as Massive Attack with their massive selling Blue Lines, Protection and Mezzanine albums. Mixed by DJ Milo. 2002.

Album Details

For the First Time, this Album Tells the Story of the Wild Bunch from their Formation to their Legendary Nights at Bristol's Dug Out Club and their Earliest Recordings. Featuring an Exclusive Turntable Selection from the Crew Inspirational Music Force "dj Milo" featuring Archive Wild Bunch Tapes with the Voice of Daddy G. Package Includes Exclusive Original and Rare Photographs with Comprehensive Sleeve Notes and Interviews by Tony Farside Documenting the Wild Bunch Story.

Customer Reviews:

The (Original) Underground Massive Attack!.......2004-06-02

Ever since I saw "The Jackal" back in '97, bought the soundtrack, and then the "Mezzanine" album, I've been interested in the history of Massive Attack: learning that they formed the group in 1987, had two other albums to their name, and that they had a history with their collaborators Tricky, Willy Wee, and Nellee Hooper. Their history dates back to the beginning of the '80s and their involment with the DJ collective, The Wild Bunch. After "Mezzanine", I was an instant fan and eventually collected their last two albums, their singles box set, b-sides & remixes from soundtracks, and their DVD video promo collection over the next year or so. Their music was so awesome, but I always wondered what they sounded like back in the day and thought that it would be so cool if they released an album of their old stuff.

Well, last year my dream came true with the release of The Wild Bunch: Story of a Sound System. I didn't know it was out until I got it for my birthday. I absolutely freaked out when I saw it. It had this cool picture of Grant Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Willy Wee (I recognized him from the "Daydreaming" video), and someone who looked like Andrew Vowles. (I found out that it was not him, but DJ Milo, the guy who mixed the album. Now, the story of the Wild Bunch is sort of jumbled and the web sites that do have info on the group don't have much, so I had never heard of DJ Milo before.)

The album itself consisted of early American Hip-Hop and R&B/Dance tracks with samples of Grant Marshall's MC talents in about five spots. In one spot, there is a one minute snippet of an early instrumental Wild Bunch track and at the end of the CD, there is a single performed by The Wild Bunch with Shara Nelson, Massive's first female vocal collaborator on "Blue Lines". I had never heard of any of the other groups on the album, save two or three, but I own albums from artists who sample bits of the first 11 tracks on this collection! That was another cool thing about this. Some of these tracks contain the original clips of samples heard in: BT's "Movement In Still Life"; The Freestylers' "We Rock Hard; The Propellerheads' "DECKSANDDRUMSANDROCKANDROLL"; Mr. Oizo's "Analog Worms Attack"; Moby's "Play"; and countless others I've heard and don't own.

All of the tracks are mixed by DJ Milo. I've never heard of him doing anything anywhere else because he's been retired since the group broke up back in '87, before Massive formed. Not having a reputation means squat! This guy is the best DJ I've ever heard mix an album! Sometimes, with continuous mix CDs, the breaks in the songs are very noticeable. On this one, we were 4 or 5 tracks into it before we looked at the player and realized the song had changed. Very cool! Plus, on one of the tracks, he layers one song on top of the other, using the vocals from one to loop over the instrumental of the other! Something I've only heard Cirrus and Prodigy's Liam Howlett do. Even cooler!!

The booklet inside tells the complete story of the collective through the words of DJ Milo himself and Massive Attack's own Robert Del Naja. There are also numerous other comments from fans who saw the group's act, who now have recording contracts, such as Goldie and DJ Krust plus info about onlookers Roni Size, Smith & Mighty, and Geoff Barrow of Portishead. There are several other cool photos of the group performing as well, with shots of Robert, Milo, Grant, Nellee, Willy, and Andrew 'Mushroom' Vowles as a teenager! (I think that you can see Tricky in the one on the back of the booklet, I'm not sure. It may be Willy.)

The first half of the album represents Massive's hip-hop roots while the second half represents their soul/dance influences. A very cool, complete package. The only thing that would make it better would be more tracks by The Wild Bunch themselves, but that doesn't take anything away from this collection(maybe they'll put out another one). It is a "must have"! (I cannot believe the price of this album. If I didn't already have it, I'd pay a heck of a lot more for it than what amazon is charging!) Any fan of Massive Attack or old-school rap would be advised to purchase this right away, for themselves and all their friends.

Original Rockers.......2003-02-01

Many people have come to know Massive Attack in this country through their later moody, layered work in 'Mezzanine' and 'Protection', and now '100th Window', but their souls are firmly rooted in the Bristol, UK's 1980's sound system scene. Back then, the style was b-boy Adidas,Fila, and Kangol, and the discs spun ranged from old school rap, electro funk, rare groove, to dancehall reggae-- the rarer the better. This 70 minute CD and 16 page booklet do a great job capturing that scene, and rescuing some amazingly obscure tracks from oblivion. There are only two tracks on this CD that are actual Wild Bunch tracks, the live 'Double Fresh' and the hip-hop meets Burt Bacharach 'The Look of Love' from the very rare 'Friends and Countrymen' Wild Bunch 12", but it's a plus that the other two EP tracks aren't on this CD. The truth is, Smith & Mighty-produced 'The Look Of Love' is a gem, but the other tracks-- 'Friends & Countrymen' and 'Machine Gun'-- are weak. For me, the CD is worth it solely for the Sugarhill Records on fire-styled "We Rap More Mellow" by The Younger Generation, but all these tracks are strong, and I assure you, not easily found in the local used record bins.

i don't agree with you..........2003-01-29

first and foremost this is not massive attack new album but a compilation put together by an early member of the band.This compilation includes material by pre-massive attack fame band the wild bunch(which includes as an extra member along the original massive attack line up,producer nellee hooper who later went on collaborating with bjork,soul 2soul,madonna...)and music from bands and dj's who inspired the massive atack sound.
this album is just a glimpse at how the band started in bristol u.k in the mid eightie's.
Massive attack new album"100 th window" is being released in february and i have listen to it and it 's really really good,sounds like "mezzanine" but even more darker and less "new wavy" and more into jamaïcan dub kind of vibe with vocals by horace andy,sinead o'connor,amongst others!

Great early soundsystem from the MA crew........2003-01-17

... This cd is a collection of what the future Massive crew where listening to in the mid 80's when their sound system was known as the Wild Bunch and they where throwing parties in and around the Bristol area. The mix, is in fact carried out by DJ Milo, who is no longer part of the Massive Attack line-up since the 'Blue Lines' album.

I recommend this album to the enthusiast who wishes to discover the roots of such acts as Massive Attack, Portishead, Smith & Mighty, Roni Size...etc. Yes indeed the material may seem a teensy bit outdated by todays standards but in the mid 80s, trust me this was groundbreaking stuff, so please do not consider this as a recent Massive Attack outing, think of it more as a historical reference tracing back the roots of one of the most influential bands of the last decade.

As regards the album itself the first part is highly loaded with old school hip hop (it certainly bought back some fun memories) whereas the second part is more funk, disco and housey, with the whole album being interspersed with a healthy dose of MCing. All round a quadruple A rating for the boys out of Bristol and their entourage.

Remixed old music is still old music.......2002-11-28

I love Massive Attack. The somber-yet-uplifting sounds of Mezzanine, the vocalizations of Protection and the all-around likeability of Blue Lines; there are few bands that have successfully delivered innovative music album after album. This is why the much anticipated release of Original Underground was such a disappointment. I expected to be won over again by their newest sound, enthralled by their latest discovery of previously unknown musical genius. Granted, that's a lot to ask of any band, but there's nothing new on Original Underground. I did enjoy the brief flashback to my backspinning-on-cardboard days, but what I've always liked about Massive Attack was their ability to make music that's ahead of its time, the newest-latest music for the modern world and all that. If retro old school 80's hip hop is what your after, maybe this is the album for you. Otherwise stick with the old stuff.

Album Review: