And your ears shall hear…

I’ve been going through a huge Tricky phase lately so I had to knab this cut out copy of Blowback from Reckless Records. At $2 there was no risk, and after several plays the investment was all reward.

There’s a special kind of thrill in flipping through a cut-out bin at a record store. Most of the time, you’re sifting through albums that never quite found their audience—obscure misfires, overstocked flops, or the odd forgotten classic. But every once in a while, you strike gold. And that’s exactly what happened when I found Tricky’s Blowback for just $1.99.

Released in 2001, Blowback was a departure from the moody, atmospheric trip-hop that made Tricky a legend. This record saw him embracing a more accessible sound, pulling in a strange mix of collaborators like Anthony Kiedis and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, and even Ed Kowalczyk from Live. It was his most mainstream-leaning album—and, according to Tricky himself, a project he did largely because he was broke.

Critics were split. Some praised it as his best work since Maxinquaye, while others found the collaborations forced and the fusion of styles jarring. The New York Times called it “the poppiest production Tricky has ever mustered,” while Pitchfork slammed it as “horrible.” PopMatters summed it up best: “Blowback—the great pop album nobody liked.”

Fast forward to a random Sunday afternoon, and I’m digging through the cut-out bin at a local record shop. I see the black-and-white cover—Tricky, in shadow, exhaling smoke while another figure leans in. I check the price tag. $1.99. Less than a gas station coffee, less than a pack of gum. I didn’t even think twice before grabbing it.

One of the album’s most fascinating moments is Tricky’s cover of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” It’s haunting, unsettling, and stripped down in a way that makes it feel like it belongs more in a dimly lit underground club than a grunge classic. It’s one of those songs that doesn’t just cover the original but transforms it.

Listening to Blowback now, over two decades after its release, it’s easy to hear why it confused longtime fans. It’s messy, experimental, and packed with unexpected choices—but that’s exactly what makes it interesting. Tricky wasn’t trying to please anyone. He was trying to survive, and in doing so, he created something that’s weird, vibrant, and strangely addictive.

I can’t say I would have rushed to pay full price for Blowback back in 2001. But for $1.99? Absolute steal.