The Bristolians' long-awaited fifth LP is a tale of two halves ... Just as you can tell a lot about a person by the company he or she keeps, so the scale of a band's ambition can be gauged by their guest vocalists. On paper, then, Massive Attack's first album in seven years should mark a return to their glory days and the unparalleled Protection and Blue Lines ... There are contributions from Elbow star Guy Garvey, 3D's old mucker Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval of 90s dream pop cult act Mazzy
50-11: The countdown ... 50 DANGER MOUSE The Grey Album ... deleted, 2004 ... The idea of mashing up Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album was irresistible; those surprised by the brilliant results included the former's lawyers ... 49 ... DESTINY'S CHILD Survivor ... Columbia, 2001 ... Destiny's Child's multi-platinum bootylicious third album spawned four huge singles and sent the trio into the stratosphere, making Beyoncé a superstar ... 48 RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET
He co-founded pop's best cartoon band, was the focal point of a global supergroup, penned the score to a Chinese opera – and reunited with Blur for a series of sell-out shows. But knocking back some whisky with a great Cuban singer was just about as good as it gets, he tells Paul Morley ... Damon Albarn, 41, of disintegrating Blur at the beginning of the 21st century, a little hungover from the 1990s, and of reformed closure-chasing Blur earlier this year, and in between/beyond of various