Massive Attack Ready Anthology, New LP

Founding member Robert "3-D" Del Naja and producer/collaborator Neil Davidge have been holed up in the studio laying down tracks for their next album, Weather Underground, the first "real" Massive Attack album since 2003's lackluster 100th Window. (We say "real" because we're not counting the 2004 soundtrack to the Jet Li film Danny the Dog, or as we Americans lovingly know it, Unleashed.).

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Weather Underground sessions is the meeting of the minds between the trip-hop pioneers and TV on the Radio. This collaboration has forced Del Naja and co. to leave gloomy, old England for less-gloomy and less-old New York City in search of new sounds, or possibly just new weed.

According to posts by Del Naja on the official Massive Attack website forum, ex-Cocteau Twin and past Massive Attack vocalist Liz Fraser has spent time in the studio for the upcoming release, most likely contributing her signature ethereal vocals to a song destined to be the soundtrack to the conception of hipster babies worldwide in 2007.

For more immediate gratification, Massive Attack will release the "greatest hits" compilation Collected on March 27 in the UK and April 4 in America, via Virgin Records. The two-disc set features one CD containing the group's most famous songs, as well as a brand new track, "Live With Me", featuring Terry Callier (see: the 70s, Beth Orton), and one CD/DVD including rare and unreleased songs on one side, and all of the band's videos on the other. Legendary director Jonathan Glazer has come out of his six-year music video retirement to helm the "Live With Me" video, which is included on the DVD.

Collected tracklist:

Disc 1:

01 Safe From Harm
02 Karmacoma
03 Angel
04 Teardrop
05 Inertia Creeps
06 Protection
07 Butterfly Caught
08 Unfinished Sympathy
09 Risingson
10 Future Proof
11 Five Man Army
12 What Your Soul Sings
13 Sly
14 Live With Me

Disc 2 (CD side):

01 False Flags
02 Incantations
03 Silent Spring
04 Bullet Boy
05 Black Melt
06 Joy Luck Club
07 Small Time Shoot Em Up
08 I Against I
09 I Want You
10 Danny the Dog

Disc 2 (DVD side):

01 Daydreaming
02 Unfinished Sympathy
03 Safe From Harm
04 Be Thankful for What You've Got
05 Sly
06 Protection
07 Karmacoma
08 Risingson
09 Teardrop
10 Angel
11 Interia Creeps
12 Special Cases
13 Butterfly Caught
14 Live With Me
15 Live With Me (Terry Version)
16 False Flags

Just yesterday, Massive Attack were added to the lineup for the second day of the Coachella festival, April 30. Daft Punk were confirmed for that date as well, so get ready to party like it's 1997.

In related news, Portishead recently shoved Massive Attack into a locker between classes for being an overachiever.

* Pitchfork Review: Massive Attack: Danny the Dog OST

Massive Attack: http://www.massiveattack.co.uk