Parklife

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.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Each song had its own rock/pop sound. Favorite songs were "To the End" and "This is a Low"

Only knew "Song 2" before this. Still the only song I know. Typically 90s.

Fun album, but it didnt grab me.

Easy to enjoy. 3.5/5

There's some really good tracks on here, including some real classics. I'd never listened to this album as a whole before now, and I don't think I'm missing much at all by only hearing the singles/hits before. It has a good energy across some songs, but there's also quite a lot of weird tracks and general filler it feels like.

3.5

Some of the songs were quite fun but I’m not a fan of the over pronounced British accent. My guy needs to work on his vowels

I wonder if I would look more favorably on this album if I hadn’t already listened to so many lesser Brit Pop bands that came up on this list. I can certainly appreciate the humor on this album and the creativity, but it’s kind of meandering.

- Some decent british rock - Not a Blur fanatic but I can appreciate them (at least Song 2 wasn't on this album) - Kinda long - Girls & Boys was my favorite

30.05.2023

The zingiest of the Blur records, despite the presence of their high-water mark of "Girls & Boys." There's too much that is impressed by its own cleverness, so clearly convinced it's the sharpest kid in the class. The blending of punk and dance hall (see title cut, "Bank Holiday," "Debt Collector" and "Lot 105") just doesn't hold up all that well (maybe one has to be British), if only for clunking up the transitions from song to song and for Albarn's consistently Lydonic vocal stylings. "Badhead" and "To the End" and "Clover Over Dover" each work well, suggesting what was possible if they'd leaned a bit more sincerely and straightforwardly into the sweet, rather than insisting on being so salty in taking the piss so bloody much of the time. What's better than decent ("This Is the Low"), doesn't necessarily take flight. And like other Blur records, a bit of judicious trimming would've boosted the overall effect. In the end, one prefers Oasis in one direction, Pulp in another, and the Kinks in the third. The equation is basically this: Blur's being too clever by half leads one to liking them half as much as one might.

Always thought I didn’t like Girls & Boys - it’s actually great giving it a proper listen. Still don’t like the title track, probably from over exposure tbh Surprising to hear the punk influence in the tracks I haven’t heard (Bank Holiday) - hard to take it seriously tbh Forgot about To The End - singalong classic Lots of cartoony, cinematic stuff. Hear it tons in Gorillaz This is a low, enjoyed it Actually hate when Albarn does a John Lydon impression 🤮

1. Girls and boys- My absolute favourite blur song, very catchy and brilliant instrumental, absolute banger-9/10 (added to playlist) 2. Tracey Jacks- recognised this one, catchy chorus, nice drum and guitar , albarns voice is good on this one, however did get a bit annoying 7/10 3. End of a century- liked the guitar on this one, not a fan of albarns voice, liked the backing vocals, disliked the small trumpet interlude, found this song a bit boring 5/10 4. Parklife- another blur banger, one of my favourite songs of theres, very catchy a good song that overviews Britain, love albarns voice in the chrous-9/10 (added to playlist) 5. Bank holiday- faster tune, liked the lyrics, and albarns voice on this one and guitar on this one- 6/10 6. Badhead- good guitar rhythm, albarns voice is good, does seem a bit slow, however the instrumental was nice and mellow (liked the song) 7/10 7. The debt collector- annoying didnt like the trumpet instrumental, 2/10 8. Far out- was not a fan of the vocals, very slow, nice guitar background,3/10 9. To the end- nice violins, nice and elegant, liked the female background vocals albarns voice is good on this one, instrumental strong throughout song,liked how it progressively got faster, nice synths, (liked the song)- 7/10 10. London loves- not a fan of the instrumental to begin with however did get better, was very upbeat chrous was a bit weak, but nice guitar solo, the song really went well with my setting (on a bus) (added to playlist) 6.5/10 11. Trouble in the message centre- liked the piano in the beginning, and intrumental, liked albarns voice, which, good melody (added to playlist) 7/10 12. Clover over dover- liked the guitar picking at beginning, good intrumental, this one had a good vibe liked it very much (added to playlist) 8/10 13. Magic america- liked the electric G in this one, seems like taking the piss out of america which was funny, humerous lyrics, good beat overall, albarns voice is ok on this one (liked the song) 6/10 14. Jubilee- good beat/ instrumental, albarn voice is good, goes very well with the instrumental, very catchy section to the song, (liked the song) 6/10 15. This is a low- albarns vocals very strong, nice guitar playing, loved the solo too (liked the song) 7/10 16. Lot 105- wtf is this?! Sounds like seaside music to begin with, very annoying guitar was annoying 2/10 I already own this album on cd however i had rarely listened to it, i do like a few of the songs on this album, but it seemed like a very generic 90s rock album, most of the songs were catchy but some dir have some annoying instrumentals. Fav song- girls and boys least fav- lot 105 Album average- 6.1/10

Eh.

Only a 3 for the number of times I thought "huh, I didn't know this was a Blur song."

Had some solid tunes on it, but not really my cup of tea. When I think Britpop I prefer The Verve's type of sound a lot more. Did like the title track, Bank Holiday, and To The End.

I continue to believe that I like Blur, or even Gorillaz until I listen to either. Then I realize I just don't. I am not sure why but it just doesn't grab me. Having said that, this record was different than all of the other records coming out at the time. It really did not conform to any of the macho, heavier or darker sounds that were getting popular in 1994. So credit where credit is due.

Starts off with 4 great songs then some filler in the middle. Longer than it should be. Songs 1-4, London Loves, Clover Over Dover and Jubilee.

Starts off with some very good songs but really fizzles out, should have been 20 minutes shorter. 3.5/5

Better than expected, and it grew on me the more I listened.

A good Britpop album, managed to fall asleep to it, but liked what I heard

Parklife is the ultimate British tune. If you're not having a carling and a pack of pork scratchings listening to it what's going on :o girls and boys is another highlight! Decent listen all the way through but not hugely stand out for this genre.

I like Blur. This is probably not my favorite album of theirs ("Blur" is better). I could do with out some of it. In general, I would like their albums more if they had cut the "fluff" and stuck to the "approved" 35 minutes for 90s punk/pop albums. But, who am I to hinder their creative process?

Another potential grower. Could have seen myself endlessly replaying this on my CD player if it came out a few years later. 3/5

There are some good songs but this was really too long.

The definition of fine. Look if you come from a culture where ketchup is too spicy and the only side dish you can handle is "mushy peas" then this music probably blows your fucking mind.

I actually quite love Damon Albarn's other musical project, Gorillaz (which only has one album on this list, somehow?), and would call it one of my favorite bands. Despite this, I've never really dug into Blur as a band, save for Song 2, which I think everyone knows. I was intrigued to finally hear a full album, but my partner had gotten a couple of their albums already, and not thought much other than being better than average Britpop, so my expectations weren't set too high, and after it was all said and done, I'd say it's okay overall. It certainly is better than most Britpop (not Supgrass though), but it is overly long and often times a song will start with something I like then not do enough with me. Very quantity over quality feeling. None of it bad, but if this is the definitive Britpop album, then I have to ask why other Britpop albums like to change what they're doing comparatively.

Parklife is the third album by the English rock band Blur and it's the band's best-selling album. This 4x platinum (in the UK) album was a landmark release in British rock music for being the backbone of the emerging Britpop scene in the mid-1990's. Parklife was released to critical acclaim, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and staying there for 90 weeks. I liked this album and agree it might be the best British pop album out there. The first track "Girls & Boys" was the best in my opinion and the other songs only try to be as great. Pop isn't my favorite genre so that affects my rating of this album, although I still think it's a great album. Still, a genre defining album such as Parklife should be listened to by the masses.

It has filler, but it also has some great tracks, a convincing throughline, and some of Albarns best work

Not the biggest fan of britpop so far, but To The End is a particular favorite of mine. The other singles are also very catchy, but once again seem to be the few peaks in an otherwise mild and forgettable album that generally sits in the background.

Fav tracks: Girls and Boys Everything else pretty mid

siedettävä, bank holiday, girls and boys ja a lot kivoja biisejä

I didn't like these guys when I was a young person. They are alright to my old person's ears. I guess.

3.75

Girls who like boys who like girls who like boys who like boys who like girls who like girls who like boys

Wasn't bad, wasn't great either

I like it. The overly Britishness of Blur just appeals to me I guess.

A fun early 90's romp. Not sure I will listen to it again.

insanely obsessed with just how ragingly british this entire record is: how they perfectly capture the joyful gloominess of life on the isles — a collection of songs that serve as a capsule for a particular era in time that you can almost smell the wetness and humdrum; the aspiration amid the growing anti-institutionalism; the contradictory disdain and pride loudly oscillating; and maybe most of all, the humor. indeed, british artists have always had a much more defined sense of humor than their counterparts stateside, and this is a very funny album. Parklife is so english that Blur sing in a way that over-exaggerates their accent (each time they say ‘Tracy’ on “Tracy Parks”, they sound like children mid-burb… isn’t that the most comical thing you ever did hear?); and the growing americanization of british culture breeds cynicism in them (“Magic America”). but for all the humor, Parklife just sounds kind of stale — in its capsulation of that era of music, it sounds like a relic; it sounds dated. no part of this sounds truly interesting in the year of our lord 2023, though i can see how this would be the cream of the crop in the 90s. the maximalism now sounds clunky, and the verve abrasive. but idk, maybe it’s just because i’m not british…

Ok album, enjoyed the listen, but other than Parklife, not really interested in listening again

Got some groove. Stylistically varied and fun.

Highlights: "London Loves," "End of a Century," "Trouble in the Message Center," "This is a Low" Blur is the kind of band that never let expectations get in the way of making a decent pop song. Among similar bands, they also strike the best balance between the cracked vulgarity of Ween's parallel development and the increasingly self-serious tone of their predecessors in XTC. The lyrics can be mocking or sad and still find a way to be affirmative or charming, like they're matched to Albarn's voice. They're hungry for hooks, a teasing timbre or a modal wrinkle, stacking them on top of each other as high as they can. They know what they like, drifting from XTC to Beatles to Bowie to Pink Floyd for ideas. The tonal clutter, like a suburbanite playroom or a commercial break, is a 90s staple. At the same time, there's hardly ever a breakthrough, a culmination or a centerpiece. This is like the Honda Civic of pop groups, the ol' reliable, the crown royalty of 3-star music.

I had Girls & Boys on cassingle, so I have a lot of love for that song. I've never actually listened to the rest of the album before. This is so British and undeniably 90's. while the album is fun, it doesn't really stand out for me.

Good britpop album. Bit overrated but still enjoyable!

A lot of good songs here but the album is just a bit too long and all over the place. To The End was good.

Fine, idk if I'd rate it a must-listen

No lo amo pero es muy bueno

I lot of good tune work here, some solid beats that get under the skin. But I don't walk away from it wanting to hear more. By the end, I'm glad it's all done. I don't need much more of it.

Good not great

This was overall a lot better than I remembered it. There were a few weak songs, but there were some pretty solid tracks beyond the one or two I grew up hearing on the radio. Certainly has a strong English sound and I'm not sure it would've been singled out if it was American.... But, enjoyable listen.

The best of the crappy Blur albums on this list.

End Of A Century ends with the lyric, “…it’s nothing special.” An apt description for this album. Parklife (song) is good though.

I never really got into Blur, I think Parklife and Girls & Boys are decent songs, but not for me.

Fun, but mostly forgettable. Love Girls and Boys though. Also the song I guess too.

Sinceramente no escucho mucho blur por mi cuenta (es decir no en mi regular playlist), pero escuche mucho blur por fausto un amigo que le encanta y lo ponía siempre en discord. Nevertheless me gusta mucho parklife y siempre vibeo cuando escucho Girls and Boys. 7/10

Enjoyed it!

This album isn't bad. Love the opening track. It could stand to be about 15 minutes shorter though.

Bit all over the place honestly. It has some catchy tracks though. Overall not as huge on it as a lot of people seem to be.

La britpop est un genre qui déçoit rarement depuis le début du générateur. J'ai toutefois eu envie de casser la gueule à Robert et ne m'en suis pas privé dès que j'eus fini cet album.

7,5/10

Pop'y sound with a little edge but really nothing unique enough to make it memorable for me. I'll check it off my countdown list and move on to the next one

Somewhere between Oasis and Wire. Not bad.

7/10

I know a lot of the songs on this.

First song is a banger, the rest is OK with a good vibe

A couple of songs that would get stuck in my head. I wish I had listened to this back when it was current.

It's a little upbeat and fun, but I don't find anything about it to be particularly great. Just good. 3.5

Quite a few good tracks. It is an easy album to enjoy. Never heard it before. Girls and Boys sounds familiar, but the rest were completely new to me. I am sure I will keep listening to this one in the future. 3/5 (for now)

I'd completely forgotten about "Girls & Boys," which I thoroughly enjoy, but it's far better than the rest of the album, which is just okay. I enjoyed "Clover Over Dover"—it's fun to say and I love me some harpsichord—and "Lot 105" has a campy '60s game show vibe to it, but it's barely over a minute long, which is a damn shame. I think it's safe to say that when it comes to Damon Albarn, I greatly prefer the Gorillaz over Blur.

One of the most Bri'ish pop albums ever recorded. My all-time favorite Blur song is Girls & Boys, and I enjoy Parklife (I sometimes sing this on my way to the park with my pup). I wasn't sold on the rest of the album, though. It's just ok.

Very British sounding rock. Not great, not bad.

Buen disco de pop-rock muy inglés. De la ola de grupos de los 90

I liked it. I'm more a fan of The Great Escape. I can see how this got them there, but it's hard to listen to the chaff after you've heard the Wheat.

I get this is the album for the breakthrough, and I was always aware of Girls & Boys (which gets a little grating to me) and Parklife which I like but it's their next album "The Great Escape" that does it for me.

I definitely prefer this album to “modern life is rubbish”. And I’m a Blur girl rather than an Oasis fan. There is quite a bit of filler on this album, but some absolutely classic tunes. Phil Daniels gets a five just for being Phil on Parklife. I would rate this a 3.5 ordinarily, but not given that choice….

Way too many blur and blur adjacent albums on this list. Some good songs but so much of it blurred together.

So varied. There's humour. Many good, a few so so and a couple naff. Have never taken to the singer so their work only warrants infrequent visits.

Interesting how you can hear the transition from 80s to 90s music on this album. Good lyrics and energy. I’d prefer if this was all 90s and no 80s influence

This is fine but give me Oasis any day!

This just sounded like a David Bowie album with crisper production . I don't think there was anything particularly unique about this album though it had some nice guitar parts, harmonies and dancey sections. I did not come away from this understanding how this could be someone's favorite band or album. The Beatles ("End of a Century" sounds like it could have been on Sgt. Pepper), the Kinks, Bowie ("Jubilee" sounds a LOT like "Suffragette City") The Clash, Elvis Costello ("Tracy Jacks" sounds like "Pump it Up") and Oasis already exist. I already thought that Oasis was the much better Beatles-inspired band from this time and if this is the best album Blur has to offer then my opinion has been reaffirmed. Again, not bad by any means but not "Great". I did not hate it but could happily live the rest of my life never hearing this again, which I feel is a telling statement about how good this was. Would give a 3.5 if possible.

I find this hard to listen to now. It’s such a strange novelty record. Two great songs - badhead and to the end. Not interested in the rest.

5/16, 31%

i listened to it and i cant remembert anything

Good album, would have to give it another listen for the songs I'm not as familiar with