Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Not bad objectively, but definitely not my cup of tea. Was surprising to see Damon Albarn as the frontman here - interesting how his work evolved into something I came to enjoy a lot more with Gorillaz
Nothing super exciting, but a nice "old rock" sound (kinda like mixing hard core rock with pop). Kinda makes sense for the 1994 time frame.
Love Girls & Boys and To the End is pretty great, but idk I didn't really care for much else on this one. It's all fine, just nothing stood out to me. Kinda prefer Modern Life Is Rubbish.
Girls & Boys End of Century Badhead London Loves Trouble in the Message Clover over Dover Magic America
Not sure what we’re missing. The album is just OK, nothing great. Best song is Lot 105 to end the album. (2.8*s)
Since I messed up and missed reviewing the previous title Blur album...I'm doing both here. Revisited Blur album right after Parklife so a different take than my original listen. Parkview: Solid album from Albarn and the team. Good alternative brit rock with some punk and multiple instruments thrown in to spice it up. I liked that they put some random instrumental shorties in that gave the album a carnival feel. I'm not blown away but this can play in most situations...2.7. Blur: Another good brit alternative album with again some punky tracks thrown in. A little darker and more electronic exploration from Albarn. Song 2 (best Blur) was a massive hit and rightfully so. Still gets you amped to this day when it comes on. I also really like "Death at Party”. Some tracks are stronger than any on Parklife but also more skippable ones. Gets a slight edge for Song 2...2.75.
Parklife is a pretty solid trip down 90's brit-pop lane. Front half of the album is pretty solid. Back half isn't nearly as strong but still has a wide range of diverse sounds intermixed into some relatively down the middle songs. Although I do prefer what Damon Albarn eventually grew into I still enjoys some Blur from time to time. I don't expect this will move the needle much for most people but I have some nostalgia tied to it. Even with that, it's still only a moderately above average album. 3.46 stars
Britt pop. I’m good for a couple of songs but it gets old fast
i just really dislike damon albarn what can i say i don‘t feel taken seriously by this album
A lot of talking
didnt listen, going off the cover tho, cover is cool :)
An undeniable classic, but I still think it has its fair share of duds.
3.5/5
Inconsistent
It is CRIMINAL that so many Blur albums are on this list but not a single Gorillaz album.
Cool album. Nothing big stuck out to me though.
Honestly, I really like some Blur, but this is just too damn much Blur.
Pretty alright
Ha, I knew some of these songs without knowing that they were Blur. Nice work, guys!
I tend to agree with the sentiment that there is too much britpop on this list.
It really feels like this dude is pushing as hard as possible to sing with the most obnoxious London accent possible. That aside, it’s pretty good variety of sounds that form a coherent album of songs.
Wow what an interesting listen. I got a lot of influences from older stuff I've listened to on this list. I liked a lot of this, and can see this really growing well on me too. Definitely some Beatles inspiration, and the last track made me think of Green Onions in the beginning.
Punk Rock Eines geht. Ab drm frm dritten wird es anstrengend
7/10 Kinda mid
Pretty solid 90s punk-ish album. The Debt Collector is like oompha... Now a ballad? Weird combo of songs.
This is not Blur’s best, but because they are better musicians, Blur became better.
Didn’t listen to this one To the End.
Like Damon Albarn and most Blur/Gorillaz, but this didn't pack the same punch that I remembered. Still one of his better albums but most of the songs are just meh outside of a few really good ones (Parklife, To the end, this is a low).
Thought they were more alt rock, but I guess that's a later. At this point, they're all over the place... some more alt rock, some pop, even the opening disco track. Not really my thing. 3.0
Another solid outing by Blur. Don’t think I’ve heard the is album before today.
Some familiar surprises. I guess these guys were more popular than I have them credit for
good rock
scary looking dog on the cover
Somes songs are very good, some songs ordinary.. Favorite track: Clover over dover other picks: girls and boys, far out, this is a low
This album was... fine.
Definitely some staples here, not too slick and some really nice quirkiness. If it comes to 90ies Brit Pop, this is a go-to. Surely not a fiver, but entertaining nonetheless. Overall a consistent outing.
3.5
a metà album si perde un po' il filo, ma è divertente e leggero e molto enjoyable!
È stato un ascolto sicuramente divertente, ci vogliono album più leggeri ogni tanto (in più, sono piuttosto anglofila a livello musicale, quindi apprezzo sempre qualche tocco British). Mi è piaciuto abbastanza da dare più di 4/5? Non lo so, devo dire che a metà album hanno iniziato un po’ a perdermi. Per ora, cari amici Blur, vi dò un onesto 3/5.
TWO BLUR ALBUMS IN A ROW? Overall like this less than Blur (1997). Girls and Boys is one of my favourite songs of all time. The rest of the songs sound a bit off to me, and the band overall sounds a bit more annoying on this. 3
Most of it was generic radio rock that sounded the same. A few songs had some quirky electronic music. All in all it was way too long. Stand-out: This is a Low
great album Next!
Was ok, not really my thing, would listen to again but not anytime soon.
Britpop is not for me so I never got into this album. It’s good I guess? It just feels boring in some places. I think the sound is consistent and it’s a solid project but it wasn’t interesting enough for me to come back to.
Features a guy from Quadrophenia yelling about pigeons and joggers, which kind of sets the tone. It’s Britpop doing a full English breakfast—nothing standout, but solid enough to eat.
Quirky! 3.75
Decent!
Even though this is very POP, it's varied, and rather experimental sounding. I actually like it but wouldn't listen to it very much. 3 stars.
Twee at times.
A likeable album but not "where its at" these days.
Really quite a cool album. Not as good as their self-titled, but the way all their synthmelodies, funky guitar solos and classic britpop vocals blend together is somewhat unique. I especially enjoyed the track London Loves.
Bouncy and fluffy. In the best way. Or sometimes moody and fluffy, which isn't as enjoyable.
This album sounds really good. It's pretty soft and enjoyable. Tracks I liked: Girls & Boys, Parklife, To The End & Magic America I consider this to be a high 3/5.
I'm hoping for some more Blur on the list, since there are way better Blur albums
Has some solid bops in here, but mostly I just liked the singles. As an experiment and transition in Britpop I appreciate it and I can also see the cultural satire in it. However, as a project I prefer the Gorillaz.
A mix of 90’s British malaise and some Beatles inspiration. Some of these tracks were hard to listen to but all in all, pretty okay.
Sounds good on decent speakers. Still a bit annoying
A very hooky, yet really bloated britpop album. So business as usual for the genre. The singles are spectacular, while everything else is really meh. Did this have to be 52 minutes long, Damon? You could cut out five tracks and have a much better product.
could i write poetry to this? n
Of all the Alt-Rock albums that came out between 1990 and 1995, this is one of them.
3.5. Can understand now why Doug is a fan.
What an interesting sound for 1994. The official reviews call them 90's Brit Pop but I hear more 80's influence with synth sounds and dissonant vocals. Boys & Girls has the most clever lyrics and is a catchy af tune. The rest is bouncy and fun but unmemorable.
good
Girls and boys good rest okay
Not what I expected, not my favorite of theirs
Not a bad album, a bit generic, but good singles and solid lyrics.
3 - There was a lot in the this album, but honestly something felt missing. I feel maybe it's that there isn't much emotion in it for me. I just felt like I was waiting for it to finish.
Some good songs, sounds a little dated if you ask me. 3/5
was ok for the times and today
This came as a surprise - I've grown tired of the britpop since this exercise began & admittedly I missed this album entirely back in the day, but I'm impressed. For very valid, personal reasons I hate Song 2 so didn't think I'd be into Blur much at all. Didn't find it genius however there's real talent & songwriting savvy here.
Some interesting tracks and was definitely worth the listen.
One of the first “alt” albums I ever listened to
This was nice enough but nothing really stood out to me as special
It was fine.
Not really my style but there are some great songs. Goes in a bit too long for my taste. Highlights: Parklife, Clover over Dover
As a Gorillaz fan, I was excited to listen to Damon Albarn's first project, Blur. This album simultaneously exceeded and missed my expectations. In short, it's a rollercoaster. Some songs, like Girls & Boys and Parklife are amazing, while others drag on and on. In some respects, this album reminds me of Sergeant Pepper's. Some songs have wacky, psychedelic sounds that would could have come from John Lennon. Overall, this album has high highs, but low lows. Many of the songs feel like filler, but the best songs really make up for it. Best Songs: Girls & Boys, Parklife, Clover Over Dover, This Is a Low Worst Songs: Tracy Jacks, London Loves, Magic America
All style, very little substance.
High 3. Good Britpop with some genuinely top notch songs. A sign of the times.
Une succession de pièces courtes, bondissantes, mais moins baveuses que je m'y serais attendue après l'écoute de la première. M'a semblé somme toute sage
A few good tracks, some mediocre tracks, and some duds. Meh.
I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I guess it averages out to 3/5?
Not what I expected at all from a "Blur" album. I really enjoyed the album.
i dont love britpop... prob like 3/5
While you can see the underpinnings of the Gorillaz here, this one is still a bit of a snooze-fest.
More Britpop slop
Classic UK Rock. Very London vibes. Good music for walking and moving around. There’s some magical moments on here with Parklife The Debt Collector To The End Clover Over Dover I’ve never known Damon alburn other than Gorillaz so it’s a trip hearing him sound so young.
A few solid songs but I just didn't get what the album was trying to be.
Different band, same problem: they would improve simply by dropping a few mediocre songs. Better still, drop the pretentious silly noises on most songs. There was potential to be a solid album.
Some good songs and some not so good songs
- Ich glaube es ist kein Geheimnis, dass ich bei der großen Frage „Blur vs. Oasis?“ ganz klar auf Seiten Oasis bin; finde diese Frage aber auch vollkommen overrated, wie auch z.B. „Beatles vs. Stones“ - Sorry, so gern ich die Stones auch mag, aber die sind leider nicht in der selben Liga. So geht es mir beim Britpop auch bei den beiden Bands. Oasis sind in meiner Welt in einer Liga drüber (Relevanz/Erfolg/personal Taste). - Und das obwohl ich auch Blur mag, besonders 13 find ich ein richtig geiles Album. - Mit dem Album konnte ich nicht ganz so viel anfangen. Hatte irgendwie einen strangen Stil, mit dem ich nicht gerechnet hatte, fand das aber nicht zwigend positiv. Es hatte auf mich ganz bizarre Jahrmarkt-Vibes teilweise. Dann aber auch wieder echt coole Bowie-eske parts. - Girls&Boys kannte ich und finde ich einen echt coolen Track - Abseits davon auch einige andere coole Songs (z.B. Trouble In The Message Center) - Bin insgesamt ein bisschen ratlos, weil ich nicht genau weiß, wie ich dazu stehen soll. Rating: 2,75/5
- Ich habe zu Blur irgendwie ein schwieriges Verhältnis. Ähnlich wie bei vielen anderen Brit-Pop/Rock Bands, überzeugt mich die Gruppe nicht komplett, sodass ich behaupten würde ich wäre Fan von denen. Ist mir in der Breite dann doch etwas zu uninteressant. - HOWEVER: es gibt ein paar Songs, die mich absolut catchen. Und auch auf dieser Platte hat es mich ein paar mal gepackt, z.B. To the End und this is a low. - Immer wieder kommen so moody und vibey momente, die ich echt spannend finde und zum ganz genau hinhören bewegen. Leider gibt es genauso viele Momente, wo mich diese Platte (und erfahrungsgemäß diese Band im Allgemeinen) leider wieder verliert. 3/5
I'm more of an Oasis fan
First half is a banger, but peters out for me after that. I enjoy some Blur, but when I listen to them for a long while, it makes me happy that Damon Albarn went and made Gorillaz.
Blur always frustrated me. When they were good, they were fricking epic. ‘This Is A Low’ is perfection. ‘End of a Century’ and ‘To the End’ are just awesome. As much as I tried to resist ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’ I just couldn’t help falling for their catchiness and they were part of a soundtrack to one of the greatest times of my life. There’s some undisputed rubbish on here too…little curiosities not ‘proper’ songs. It’s probably the sheer variety of styles in their songs that stopped me from becoming a fan. There’s no flow, no cohesion l. I also thought of their music as childish - but later discovered that it was wholly due to them coming from Essex. It’s not their fault.
Said it before, I always liked Oasis a lot more than Blur and so, while Parklife has some good stuff on it, it's also very hit and miss. Bank Holiday is the standout away from the two massive hits, Trouble In The Message Centre is good, but mostly I don't like Albarn's voice a lot, the second half of the album is nowhere near as good as the first, and the storytelling while accessible becomes a bit too deliberate in trying to be just that, like they're very consciously trying to be meaningful where Oasis never gave a fuck and were just stupidly basic and loud, which worked better. Probably a solid 3.
I think being much more aware of Oasis and Pulp before really getting to know Blur's music has made it way harder for me to really enjoy it. It's not as clever or sardonic as Pulp, and not as anthemic as Oasis - there's the odd song that really works (obviously Parklife, but there's not much like that, and To The End which I really like), but the rest of it sounds to me like it's stuck halfway between the two, and rather than the best of both it struggles to get near the heights of either. A solid 3/5 for this, but it didn't resonate with me enough to go higher.
Not what i expected
Very 90's
I enjoyed this for the most part. I probably won’t listen to it again. It also was too long, I was ready to be done about half way through.
Classic Britpop. Just fine if that’s what you want tiday.
Greyhounds! Not my favourite britpop album, but it’s far better and far more interesting than any of that Oasis nonsense. That’s right, it’s another anti-Oasis review.
so silly i like
After so much mediocre Britpop, it’s nice to get to listen to arguably the best album of the genre. I like the mix of pop songs with weird experiments. A great album.
S’alright.
this is a lot worse than i remember. its like if you tried to parody britpop this is the thing you'd make. fuck chelsea 2.5/5
Their hits were better than most of this album.
6/10 Top much filler
Gonna be honest, I missed the whole Britpop era fight with Oasis, but to me Oasis all the way. That being sad, its not a bad album, but I've expected more. This was the first time I listened to Blur album all the way. Half I like the other.... it was okay. Highlights definitely the singles but I also really enjoyed London Loves.
Never got around to listening to Blur even though the 90s is my foundational era of music. Didn't really miss out on anything groundbreaking, it seems, but it's not bad.
meh a few good songs. stellar voice tho
It’s a typical British pop album. I enjoyed a few songs but other songs I skipped through.
Decent 90’s alternative album. Some good songs on here.
Not the highlight of Blur but ok.
With Oasis' Defintely Maybe as the benchmark that I previously listened to, this seems a little more hard-edged yet also more quirky (kind of reminding me of the Kinks) than the Oasis album - I'm also left a little less impressed with this one. My picks for this album are Badhead, To The End, and Clover Over Dover.
it's fine. i didn't feel much except for "this is very british"
Music and vocal sounds slightly off key on the first song.
Solid but I’m into Blur’s other work a degree more. Other than a Beatle or a Bowie, Damon Albarn might be the sneaky pick for most albums on this list which I wholeheartedly agree with.
Nice Brit-Pop
Never thought I’d say this but has Noel Gallagher had a better post-band career than Albarn?
Very Gorillaz.
One of the most Britpop to ever Britpop
eh
Standouts: Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Parklife, Jubilee. Liked it more than I thought I would b/c I don't always connect with this band.
Girls & Boys is a classic that I really like, but would never add yo my personal list of daily listens. The rest of the album is quite a mix with songs that are listened over 20 mil listens, or only 224k. Parklife is nice, really liked the drums in that one. Bank Holiday, debt collector and far out are a little too alternative for my taste.
The first six tracks are more or less bangers and make for a great start to the album. But then it ends. The sequence from The Debt Collector to Magic America is honestly quite dull with no songs standing out. Then Jubilee comes and rescues some of the album’s honour before it all fizzles out with a slightly boring ballad and a circus instrumental
This score is based on the cultural relevance of Girls & Boys alone.
Jag hade förhoppningar eftersom albumet var av Blur men var inte direkt någon höjdare. Låtarna var rätt så olika men inte direkt hittar. Min favoritlåt från albumet var Magic America. Albumet får 3/5 stjärnor
Well I was hoping to give this one 4 stars, as I thought it would be a bit of fun. There were a couple of good tracks like Girls & Boys and Parklife, but much of the rest of the album, particularly the second half, felt like filler and was quite boring sorry :(
Some real bangers, but didn't hold my attention throughout.
reminds me of Madness/Late beetles/cheap trick
Much bigger band in UK than here. Saw them live in London with New Order ..great energy but were blown away in my opinion Nothing stands out with this album to me.
Never really listened to this album before and although the hits (girls & boys, parklife, end of the century are all decent songs, i find the rest of the album hit and miss.
Girls & Boys - did not realize this was a Blur song. All Timer. Not at all what I expected from a Blur album, pleasantly surprised. Debt Collector - not expecting a polka song, not a fan Bit of a lull mid-album but ends strong
I listened to the wrong Blur album. Now that I'm on this one, I guess there's nothing wrong with it but I totally understand people calling it "utter shite" or whatever Brits say when something is totally out of the thrust of what people consider cool. I respect the people who will make fun in the face of the cool, though. I can listen to this with my five year old son and not be too worried about him picking up on weird vibes. Just a little arrested development.
This album is a wild ride. It ranges from grunge to indy rock to circus waltz (The Debt Collector). I'm not sure how exactly to rate it so I guess it gets 3 stars. It's a mediocre grunge album. It's a mediocre indy rock album. The Debt Collector is actually a quite good track. So, weird album. Not great album, but not bad either.
Jeg er mere til Damon Alban greatest hits. For ung til at være vokset op med Britt pop, men kan sagtens se kvaliteterne. Tydelig A side, også kvalitets messigt.
I liked a couple of songs here but overall it's probably not something I'd listen to again.
Girl idk
Third times the charm? Who would have thought that out of 1,001 albums Blur could be on the list 3 times. But after listening to them all in the last 3 weeks finally found one that was OK.
This is a fun album, though very top heavy. I lost interest by the end. Standout Track: End of a Century (this was totally new to me and I love it!)
Blur is about as modern Brit-pop as it gets. It's flashy and fast and harkens back to classic Brit bands (The Kinks, The Jam) and even though the songs are good and go together well, they aren't particularly memorable. Knowing now that Damon Albarn would make more music this album shows hints of what would come. It's good/listenable/even danceable at times but it seems all flash with little substance. Or perhaps too much substance - about the same stuff.
Best track for me was Girls & Boys.
I think I'm doing this wrong. It used to be I'd hear a song I liked on the Radio, enough that I'd buy the LP/CD. Then, since I'd spent my very limited money on it, I'd listen to it repeatedly. The repetition made the songs familiar, and I grew to love the whole album. Now, with streaming, we can listen to anything anytime, feeling no need to get more value out of individual purchases. I might have loved every song on Parklife if I'd paid for the CD and listened to it on repeat for ages. But I listened to it twice, and it had some good tracks, and it was ok, but it didn't really grab me. Some albums still grab me right away, but that's rare, and that's what I'm looking at to get a 3 or a 4 unless it's something I already know well. Not fair, but what are ya gonna do?
Kinda boring but didn’t hate it
Britpop classic.
Existing somewhere between new wave and alt rock, this is described as a defining Britpop album. A unique sound, and an entertaining listen. An odd choice considering this band's one hit wonder was not on this album.
Very britpop, very London, humorous, quirky, fun.
Album: Parklife Artist: Blur Year: 1994 Genre: BritPop Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good britpop album. First half of the album was super fun and the second half was pretty dull and I got bored. Fave song: Parklife Would I listen again? Possibly
Man I enjoyed returning to this album. Easy re-listening. They are a bunch of obnoxious arrogant young fools, but I enjoyed listening to them. I may have been one for a while, and I was such a Pillock. Pleased to have moved on in experience and wisdom, but this brings back the memory of it all. 3 stars
Interesting album that definitely ages itself. I think of it as some really early Gorillaz demos where they haven’t found a voice yet. They play with time signatures a bit, different textures and what not. Calling this a “research” album for future projects.
Few bangers
Weak 3
Noooonn il y a pas Song 2 la BO de Fifa sur leur album d'après ! Mieux que dans mon souvenir, ça s'écoute bien notamment "To the end"
Feel the same way about it I have since it came out — meh. “End of the Century” is always a nice, forgotten surprise.
Parklife just doesn't really hit for me. It's at it's best when it sounds like proto-Gorillaz, but most of the time it just sounds like less edgy Oasis. There are songs on the back half of the album that are legitimately irritating and nothing really stands out.
Fun (“Parklife”). This is too fast I like it so much (“Bank Holiday”). I feel funny (“London Loves”).
Great album, wide reaching and varied. Didn't make as big of an artistic impact on me as the Pixies album BUT you can see how this guy became such an important producer. The coolest part for me was probably reaching about Damon Albarn and hearing how he started Gorillaz. What an amazing dude~!
Liked Girls & Boys (spunky) and one sad song but his tone is off key which is typical of Alternative music. I did buy two songs, but that'll be it.
ok
The first third of this album was a bop with great energy and was a lot of fun. After that it drops off and becomes more uneven. At 16 songs it's a bit bloated and would have been a better album with a 4-6 song trim. Overall I enjoyed it and would listen to more Blur. 3.5/5
I like some of Blur and this album was ok. The songs I liked best were End of a Century, Badhead, To the End, and This Is a Low.
Not a huge fan of Brit rock. Something in the vocal twang, I think... Love the energy of Bank Holiday, has a bit of a The Living End vibe, and I liked the melancholy feel on Badhead
Upbeat, feel good ‘90s Britpop. Strong opening track plus a handful of other tracks I liked. First material I’ve heard from Blur aside from Song 2.
Not for me tbh. Too british
its cool ig
Has some weird filler tracks, but still some decent tunes nonetheless.
I feel like the critiques of a very British culture that’s too obsessed with sex and too caught up in the material things isn’t as valid in 2024 as they were in 1994. It doesn’t mean this album is bad; from top to bottom, it never strays from what its purpose is, and I respect the hell out of it for that. It’s a good listen, but I’d say it’s only about a 3.5/5 for me.
When I think back to my experience listening to all these albums, the best I will say of this one is that it was no better than a blur.
Unique blend of different styles, methods, and sounds. 3/5
Girls & Boys: 8.2 Tracy Jacks: 7.4 End of a Century: 8.9 Parklife: 7.8 Bank Holiday: 6.2 Badhead: 9 The Debt Collector: 5.3 Far Out: 5.7 To the End: 7.2 London Loves: 7.4 Trouble in the Message Centre: 6.4 Clover Over Dover: 8.3 Magic America: 9.1 Jubilee: 7.4 This Is a Low: 6.4 Lot 105: 6.9
2nd listen, I like parts of this album but I don’t love it.
Quite eclectic. Much of which is fairly enjoyable.
Surprisingly it doesn’t sound too much like Blur, or at least not as monotypical like some of their more successful songs.
Liked some more than others but solid overall. Would probably dig more into them in the future now besides just Song(2) haha
High born Damon Albarn does working class accent
Perhaps the ultimate Britpop album. I like the diversity and experimental bits. I dont like the geezer thing or tbh Albarn's vocals. 3.5
At least I’ve heard of this Brit group before.
Definitely suffers from being overly long, a good album, but definitely not Blur's best.
I liked that it was trying to do something interesting
fun album. disco, rock, and punk influenced. strong vibes of the who. not a bad listen. highlights: “girls and boys”, “tracy jacks”, “clover over dover”.
Couple of great songs, mostly filled with not bad, not great songs. I instantly forgot what most songs were after I listened. Since nothing was BAD, I guess I’ll give it a 3. Ringing endorsement, I guess, that fits the album.
This wasn’t really my cup of tea (get it? It’s because they are so British)
I really liked this album! All very upbeat songs and were all an enjoyable listen. All very straight forward songs, nothing mind bending or earth shattering, but a fun listen and a lot of catchy songs. I liked: girls and boys, parklife, to the end, and lot 105.
Some real bruv sounding lads. Highlights: Boys & Girls Parklife The Debt Collector To The End Lot 105 A generally enjoyable 90's rock album. I liked the various use of instruments and unique songs. Some songs were kind of bland but I can see how this album helped shape the music of its time and location.
Like all of Blur's albums, a bit of a bloated mess with some gold in hidden in it. One of those bands with a legitimately great greatest hits album that isn't really missing anything else.
Fav song: badhead
Nije najbolje sto imaju da ponude
Heard better ones.
6/10
extremely british and too long but cool silky astro synth cures all ills. preferred these songs as singles shuffled into my library more, this isn’t a spectacular Album™️™️™️ but it’s got a lot of load bearing tracks
What an English album. This is a solid collection of power pop and Brit rock tunes with some curveballs tossed in for flavor (see: "The Debt Collector", "Far Out"). I can't say that it blew me away, but I can see why some folks would love it. My highlights were "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", "This Is a Low", and "Clover Over Dover".
Couple real good songs, the others are kind of meh for me.
This album was just alright. Nothing to write home about, but I did enjoy some of the instrumentation and there were moments on a few tracks that sounded very “circus.” Gotta say I appreciate the little moments outside of the normal expectations.
It’s my era. So there’s a bit of nostalgia attached to it. It’s not painful to listen to but it’s a bit shit in places innit
britpop is not my cup of tea, very average album with a hint of New Wave, couple of good songs
It was chill to listen to, good background music, but nothing really stood out.
This didn’t really do it for me. But to each their own I guess. Kinda sounded like every alternative rock band from the the uk in that era.
Some bangers on this one. The opener is especially good. The album does get a bit stale in the middle and some songs I really didn't care for. Overall a decent listen and there are some songs I'll come back to for sure.
When you wanted to see the Gorillaz but accidentally went to the zoo in London.
Listened Before? N Brit pop! It was kinda what I would expect. Not groundbreaking or anything but an okay listen. I've heard Girls and Boys (think maybe it was a minor hit in the US?) but nothing else. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Parklife
Good few bangers
A couple of tracks on here that I didn’t realize were Blur songs. Nearly 30 years after release, it doesn’t stand out above other Brit pop of that era to me. It’s catchy and enjoyable nonetheless. 3/5
Interesting rhythms and language flow. Fun to listen to, but no emotional connection.
This might be the most British thing that I've ever listened to. It has the line, "I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea." There's a different song called "Bank Holiday". I can picture some 90s kid sitting in a pub in Leeds just loving this. It's generally not bad. Also not amazing, but it's got some pretty good songs on here and is generally enjoyable. I guess they were rivals with Oasis and this is considered to be peak Britpop era. Checks out to me, I'll roll with it. I'm not sure this singer is as good as Liam Gallagher though. Favorite song: This Is a Low Other: Girls & Boys, End of a Century, Parklife, Far Out, To the End, Magic America 11/12/23
Ran out of gas early and seemingly in a hurry. The same can be said about 90's brit pop as a whole. But the first 3 tracks made me dance in my car while stopped at a red light, much to the chagrin of driver's near me. So at least it had that sort of impact. Plus the only albums with dogs on the cover you can trust are Tusk and Working Class Dog. Putting greyhounds on the cover is just asking for trouble.
This album was dank. I knew Song 2 by Blur but that was it. I really enjoyed this one here ace. Solid 3
AJ; Gorillaz originz
It was okay. There were a few good songs but overall not my thing. I admit I did give it a close listen, especially the second half of the album
it’s aight
Ah, one of the big britpop albums. Some real bangers on thjs one. All with that extra thick brittish sauce over it that reeks of snobbishnis and depression and i'm here for it. Alao nice to kind of hear the first sounds of what would later become the gorrilaz
This is a unique album. Not bad but definitely something different than what you typically hear. 3 out of 5.
25 years ago I would have gotten down to this
Posh Damon and his pals, the Cheese one, the Tory Councillor and Graham Coxon, who is cool to be fair. This is actually a good record, if you forget that you don't like Blur. The singles are absolutely massive, and This is a Low is one of the best songs of the Britpop genre. The rest of the album doesn't match up, and it suffers in comparison to Definitely Maybe, from earlier in The Project. I remain Oasis over Blur.
I think this album is pretty nice. I do not like it as much as 13. However to the end is really one of the best songs that I’ve had the pleasure to listen to
Good album
Parklife was a pretty good album. It was nothing amazing but none of the songs were bad and the voice and music definitely worked better than i thought they would. Some parts could be pretty weird but it definitely wasn't enough to ruin the album for me so I think it's a decent album
This album was kind of meh. Pros - they were ambitious and not too formulaic in the songs they chose to record. There were some good songs. Cons - unfortunately, there were more misses than hits for my taste.
Fill in soon. 5/10
Iconic britpop. The sound of blur. Bit of a repetitive sound throughout the album.
Strong styles.
"To the end" 's pretty nice Brit rock, not exactly my style
I feel like I should like this more than I do. Weird and quirky, and not in an enjoyable way for me. Some cool punk-like songs on it help carry. I get a pub crawling with the mates vibe that I just don't resonate with. Fav tracks: Girls & Boys, Parklife, Jubilee
The whole Oasis v Blur debate is laughable. First of all they aren’t even the same genre. But if we are going to compare them it’s not close. Oasis by a mile. Oasis’ energy dwarves Blur. Sure Blur is more complex but that aren’t exactly Radiohead either. I do appreciate the vivid snapshot of British life in the 90s. I’ll give them extra points for that but overall Britpop in general is very overrated. 6.3/10
It doesn't get me like I'm told it should, but good album. Great cover though.
Well, I guess we're just going to review every Blur album on this list. This one was okay. It's getting hard to have anything to say about these Brit Pop albums, since they all start to blend together after a while. Still, the music is really solid throughout 3/5
Blur, good one, underrated I think!
2.5
Not really my cup of tea. Not a “must listen”.
I liked this one better than the previous Blur album that was on this list. But not enough to make me want to listen to it again.
Very fun and poppy album. Damon's genius shines through it. Has quite a few duds, but packed with gems.
Some classics I forgot existed, great album.
This was better than I expected. I quite liked the last two songs in particular.
Boys & Girls - Good Charolette remade this one (4/10). Tracy Jack - catchy (5/10). End of a Century - meh (2/10). Parklife - pleasant (7/10). Bank Holiday - ska-adjacent, actually like this quite a bit (7/10). Badhead - mellow (3/10). The debt Collector - instrumental, circus (1/10). Far out - I like it, melodic and eerie (7/10). To the end - favorite song so far! (8/10). London loves - catchy (5/10). Trouble in the message centre- catchy (7/10). Clover over Dover - (6/10) magic America - huge fan (9/10). Jubilee - okay (5/10). This is a low - my album favorite (9/10). Lot 105 - interesting closer instrumental (4/10).
I liked the first few tracks but it got worse from there. Sad, I really wanted to like this one. 3.5
Good stuff, varied and fun - liked a lot of the album 3/5
Brit pop. not my thing, some catchy songs, a lot of filler.
Good
Pretty good but very much average compared to what I have listened.
Decent britpop album, if I could give it 3.5 stars I would. Really enjoy Damon Albarns performance as the lead singer, however I feel a lot of the songs lacking in depth and feel. Enjoy it as the silly, catchy fun it is!
Heeeurlijk
Erg goed album, heb 'm 3 keer geluisterd. hangt tegen een 4 aan
It was okay, but did I really have to listen before I was dead?
Great variety
I am a big fan of Damon Albarn's work, mostly his stuff from Gorillaz onwards, but I have always assumed Blur had some great albums that I just never listened out of lack of time. "Song No.2" is basically an anthem from my FIFA playing days, and many more songs are just so good, like Parklife's "Girls & Boys". Today finally I had a chance to listen carefully their album track after track, and I have to say I;m just disappointed. Maybe Oasis was a better band, at least other than the main singles? This record didn't move the needle for me, it was quite predictable and rather boring, or even dull. Maybe it's a sign of times, we need something more entertaining now? Nice singles, but the rest of the album is very forgettable, I'm happy to move on. I think I have to listen to the rest of their discography, just to make a more conscious decision about this band.
Brani Preferiti: - "Girls and Boys" - "End of a Century" - "Parklife" - "This Is a Low" Note: Il britpop è un genere fantastico per singoli brani, ma diventa fallimentare quando si crea un album... fortunatamente per loro i Blur sono una band che ha sfornato dei brani fantastici durante gli anni e alcuni dei più famosi sono racchiusi in questo disco. Sono vittima della commercializzazione dei Blur, ascoltando con maggiore piacere i loro brani più famosi e non quelli da considerarsi "creativi".
They had some fun with this album and I like that. Rating 3 stars.
It's okay. Didn't really grab me. Has some good songs on it.
Mid 90s Brit album. Heavy on the Brit, somewhat punk-vibe as well. Lots of British talking bits. Not sure if there is anything I would go back to listen to again, but it was a solid album overall. The titular track “Parklife” probably has the most replay value for me. 3/5
As far as Britpop goes, this is one of the nicer album's I have heard. It's just that after listening, I cannot recall a single song. Oh well .... 3/5
Will require a relisten. This album is certainly eccentric. With the weight of the Britpop / Indie movements to come on its' shoulders, it's clear that this was a massively influential album.
Good album - a few great tracks. 3/5
It was fine, I'm glad to have given it a go but I probably won't return.
Hadde kje så store forventninga, men kunne hørt albiet igjen. Litt for langt, som dei fleste albi fra CD-ens storhetstid
it’saiight
Bit plain but entertaining, I had a good time listening to this
Ah! qualcosa di interessante
Another 2.5
Has moments of greatness in an otherwise average album. Preferred the self titled album with Death of a Party/On Your Own etc.
not sure what it means
Decent Brit pop. Have to love the confidence it takes to put an instrumental waltz in the middle of the album
I don’t know how I feel about this being my first album, it’s very British. But at least it’s got Girls & Boys either though so many covers do it better!
3.4
Love Blur. Some solid songs in here like Parklife & Girls & Boys. The rest is nothing special.
Bowie meets The Smiths
When this album started I was ready to give a one-star “moooom, 1001 Albums is making us listen to mediocre Britpop again” review but dammit if Parklife didn’t grow on me. I didn’t love the vocals most of the time but the music was fun and varied and the album as a whole flows nicely.
Just background noise. Don't hate it but I have better things to listen to.
Litt spess, men viba med 3.5
Decent
Hm. Don't know if I've heard this before! Okay I have heard Girls & Boys. And duh! Blur. I think they have a song on the Trainspotting album. 3 stars
Cool album, fun listen. Girls & Boys definitely stands out by far.
Well, it's better than Oasis, but the album is still like the Cheesecake Factory of 90's brit pop. They do a reasonable job of most everything, but everyone is really only there for one thing.
Never listened to this before. Know the hits. 8 wasn't a Blur girl and I'm still not.
Nice
3.5 Pierwsza połowa lepsza
Well, the big hit "Girls & Boys" is definitely the best track on the record. This reminds me of being in high school, with limited cash, and buying albums based on the strength of a single, and being disappointed with the album... happened all the time, actually. I wouldn't say this record is bad, but I didn't find it compelling, and I fail to see how it breaks any sort of new ground. I'll put it in the bucket of being an album that the UK centric author wanted to include as it was significant in a UK centric way, but it's not really all that important, big picture.
A pretty uninspiring Brit pop album that felt like they got the guy with the worst accent to sing some of these inaudible songs. Overall it wasn’t terrible as I somewhat like the sound but compared to other Brit pop in the 90s this wasn’t that good. Still better than a lot of this list though. 5.9/10
Slightly punky brit rock
Hit and Miss, as usual
3,5
it was okay, not a giant fan of it
Preferred them to oasis. Sort of. I’m not sure how well they’ve aged. This was enjoyable.
I remember when I first saw the outstanding cover to this cd - I immediately thought of the song Dogs (1968) by The Who, which actually namechecks 2 champion greyhounds of that time. I thought, being mods, Blur might have followed The Who’s lead, but no. Not a greyhound reference to be heard. However there are plenty of plight of the working class lyrics here that remind me of 60’s mod classics by The Who, The Kinks, The Small Faces, Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd. The opening track is a classic, as is the title track. And I love the nod to Syd (Far Out). I don’t think it’s great. But it’s pretty good.
Also very nice, love the British rock and story driven songs. Also some lovely theatric interludes. Does also remind me very much of David Bowie, who I adore 3,8
This was just slightly decent Britpop. Too long an album IMO. 6/10.
Good! But why are there 16 songs? It's too long. I kind of am loving Blur. But there's too much filler that's hard to distinguish in the back half. I like how it's both super silly and has a strong identity to it. But it's too long. 3/5. Kind of wish I was a teenager when this came out, I'd probably be obsessed.
very British and very 1994… i really like this album cover
Lovely start, gently downhill. Did I always think that?
It's got a few great songs, a few meh songs, and a few rubbish songs. For me, Blur are a very good "greatest hits" band, but not a great "album" band, and this is not Blur's best album either. I never understood how the question was "Blur or Oasis" when the correct answer was clearly always Pulp.
It’s no argument that Albarn would go on to be one of the most prolific and important songwriters of the 21st century, but you wouldn’t guess that having only heard this album. Blur is a good band, and this album has moments of real rock greatness, but it’s so packed with fluff that makes it pretty hard to sit through all the way. Three stars for the tracks that go hard.
For all the hooks and catchy choruses, nothing here really grabbed me.
3 stars is a lot more than I would have given it at the time of release. I appreciate, rather than like, this album
okay. very british.
Maybe I’m just getting old but this is when mediocrity became mainstream.
Sadly I do not like this album much personally but I see why many do.
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it’s decent and distinctively a very UK soft rock record Favourite song: Track 1 - Girls & Boys
Love me some Blur. Absolute bangers on this album, but runs a little long for me. I would give it something close to 4, but I can't go to 4 so 3/5
This really isn't worth listening to. It's not terrible but the only song I liked was the first one (Girls & Boys) and even that was mostly because of recognition.
Boys and girls, I've always disliked, but it's massively popular. Tracy Jacks has a great chord progression in the verse, but the chorus is grating. Generally a decent track. End of a century is really good, catchy and enjoyable. What can I even say about Parklife? It's iconic to the point where being critical is a bit meaningless. Bank holiday was filler rubbish. Badhead was a surprising track, lots of musical maturity, evocative of Caravan. My favourite track up to this point. Debt collector feels like self-aware filler, but it's still filler. Far out is also filler. To the end is decent if a bit generic. Quintessential song that your dad would like. London Loves is pretty forgettable. Sort of an 80s Bowie caricature. Trouble in the message centre is forgettable. Bit too much on the production, gives it some Eurotrash energy. Clover Over Dover takes us back to that Cambridge Sound from Badhead, absolutely lovely guitar parts and the chord progression has a satisfying and enjoyable turnaround. At first the Harpsichord felt a bit ham-fisted, but it really grew on me, this is my favourite track so far. Magic America is very Brit-pop. The electro drums and sound effects are bit grating, but it's overwise quite a nice track with a nice hook. Jubilee sounds like a send-up of the Sex Pistols made by Iggy Pop. Decent track. Nice guitar parts on This Is A Low, spacey and gritty. Drags on a bit though. Lot 105 is a strange way to send the album off. I don't know if it was originally an end of Vinyl run-off extra or something, but it's of no consequence, sounds like the Monty Python intermission music. Overall and very hit and miss album. The high points are excellent, (Clover Over Dover, Badhead, Parklife and End Of a Century) are all tracks that any other album would be happy to have as their lead single, but the lows really do detract. This may not be the case, but the feeling I get is of a band maturing and ready to write deeper and more sonically interesting sounds, held back by a desperate desire to be fun and relatable. It's common for people to hide passion or intensity out of fear of ridicule. I'm not saying that is what Blur are doing on the throwaway tracks, but when a properly constructed, deep and engaging track pops up amongst the filler, I can't help but feel that they were too concerned with staying cool and disinterested, rather than let their obvious musical talent fully shine. 7/10, should have embraced pretention.
I was unfamiliar with Blur prior to this, except for Song 3. Good album. More playful than their Britpop rivals Oasis. Some silly stuff, some rockin stuff, but overall pretty fun. Parklife is a standout. 3.5 stars
Decent stuff, good instrumentation. Way too British for me.