Paul Mardles Sunday September 19, 2004 The Observer
Danny The Dog (Wild Bunch) 3 stars
It's fitting, given Massive Attack's history of in-fighting, that they should choose to construct a score for this Luc Besson film, whose protagonist is a slave who does his talking with his fists. Fitting, too, that the end result should be austere one minute and shot through with an understated elegance the next, reflecting the opposing strands that have shaped their sound. As such Danny the Dog feels, improbably, like a classically trained hybrid of Mezzanine and Protection, all heart-stopping strings and a persistent sense of dread. Little more than sketches some of these tracks may well be, but at best ('Sam', 'Everything About You is New'), this gainsays those who have dared to pen the group's obituary.
Alexis Petridis Friday October 8, 2004 The Guardian
There's a certain inevitability about Massive Attack's move into film scores - "cinematic" is undoubtedly the most overused adjective to describe their music, while advertising executives have used their songs to flog everything from football boots to credit cards. Fans will be pleased to note the instrumental soundtrack contains melodies - something carelessly neglected on 100th Window, their 2003 album - not least on the lovely Sam's Tunes and Red Light Means Go.
Meanwhile, Everybody's Got a Family and Everything About You Is New mark a return to the emotive orchestration of the band's unimpeachable early single Unfinished Sympathy. There's even something appealing about the prog-rock influenced One Thought At a Time, which, with its mock-baroque keyboards and rumbling timpani, sounds more like the theme to a mid-70s news magazine programme than a film soundtrack.
The song remains the same.After the curate’s egg that was 100th Window, Massive Attack’s decision to present a soundtrack seems curious. The accompaniment to Luc Besson’s Danny The Dog – the story of a feral boy raised as a pugilist, out May 05 - is a handsome, engaging collection, but as an album it feels incomplete. That said, the familiar elements are in place: bombastic drums and menacing basslines interspersed with moments of stark beauty, the latter best exemplified by Sam – an electronic lullaby blossoming into gorgeous strings. An intriguing if inessential release.