Collected (Spec)

With their critically acclaimed albums clocking up 9 million sales worldwide, a clutch of awards and a new album due for release in early 2007, the time felt right for a Massive Attack Best Of, an apt reminder of their musical legacy to date. The album, entitled "Collected" and will feature all their key tracks and the new single 'Live With Me'. The ltd edition will include the main disc and a bonus dual-disc featuring additional new tracks, un-released material, rarities, remixes, all of their videos to date, including the new single and are rare live footage The album release is preceded by the new single featuring Terry Callier on vocals released on 13th March and it sees a return to a more soulful sound for Massive Attack, while retaining the lush production of their more recent albums. The video will be directed by Jonathan Glazer. Massive Attack will be playing a series of live dates and festivals throughout the summer and autumn of 2006, details of which will be announced in due course. Emi. 2006

The group who single-handedly created the woozy, sexual, cinematic, and meditative dance genre known as trip-hop with their 1991 masterpiece Blue Lines later went on to craft gorgeous soundtrack music and generally emerge as one of the most forward-thinking, fastidious, and s-l-o-w production teams in pop music. Collected, a best-of compilation straddling the group's career, is the kind of record that reeks "contractual obligation," but that's not meant as a diss. If a kick-ass collection like this is what it takes for this heady group to keep the record execs happy while they slowly hone a new album, so be it. Much of the older tunes sound remarkably contemporary, which isn't surprising when you consider Massive Attack have always mixed styles in radical, new ways. The one new tune included to entice die-hard fans, the slowly percolating and deeply bluesy "Live With Me," is what soul music will sound like in the future. --Mike McGonigal