Reviews (page 12 of 13)
Eh
Not for me. I did sit up and pay attention to This is a Low, but apart from that it is mediocre. 2.5/5
Not great at all. Came off a like some OG ‘60’s Brit pop…
girls & boys - 1 tracy jacks - 1.5 end of a century - 2 parklife - 2 bank holiday - 1 bad head - 4 the debt collector - 1 far out - 1 to the end of- 2 london loves -2 trouble in the message centre - 2 clover over dover - 2 magic america - 2 jubilee - 3 this is a low - 3 lot 105 - 1
Very interesting. Really British and it kinda seemed like each song was completely different which I liked. But not exactly my style.
Punk-ish Britpop, feels sort of sanitized and in an awkward phase of the music
Absolutely brutal singing in the first 4-5 songs. Got much more bearable later on in the album, but my goodness I thought this was on pace for a 1. Still kind of terrible in my opinion but it at least got better as the album went on.
Not my favorite, a decent song or two
Could not get into this. Not into Brit-pop I guess? Nothing caught me...
There’s something so horrendously smarmy about Damon Albarn that I felt even a child that I was alone in seeing the Emperor without his clothes. Now, having listened to a full Blur album, the bile which rises to meet his disgust with my own only intensifies. Parklife alone - saved in its primary delivery by a professional actor who shits all over Albarn’s full vocal career in his one contribution to it - heftily drags this to two stars. Don’t even get me started on the failed politician and fucking cheese farmer.
Quite chill vibes, not very remarkable, nice background work music Fav song- Girls and boys 2/5
Strange Brit rock of the early 90s.
This is going to be a long listen. The vocalist isn't my favorite. Oh well. This album feels too long and I'm 4 songs in.
meh
A few good to great moments. But very unappealing to me aesthetically, feels very all over the place
4/10 - voice is just annoying
Honestly, DNF at track 3. Not without merit, but not for me.
5/10 Favorite Tracks: Girls and Boys, The Debt Collector, This is a Low Least Favorite Tracks: Bank Holiday (skip), Parklife, Far Out, Trouble in the Message Center, Clover Over Dover, Jubilee
Did not like.
Has a few nice songs and a few that make this an album I will not listen to again (as a whole). 2.5 stars, but as an album leaning towards 2 rather than 3.
1st half samey kind of annoying second half good
Not my cup of tea.
bem mé
I just don’t know. I want to like Blur, even if just to have them win against their foil, Oasis. But I found this album inconsistent and even forgettable for the lost part. Not exactly the stuff with which to battle for the title of “the next Beatles”. I do like some of their stiff, maybe just not this stuff.
Really not Damon Albarn's best work. Pretty boring and uninteresting outside of the first song, with a few exceptions. 2/5
Early 2k rock
I remember hating Girls and Boys when it came out - an infuriating earworm that summed up the banality of early 90s lad culture. Parklife was a different story though, mainly for the fantastic guest appearance by the great Phil Daniels and a nice sense of humour. I thought I might like the rest of the album, but it’s a bit hit and miss - I do like some of the tracks, especially the punk vibes of Bank Holiday and the places where they are trying to channel the 60s kitchen sink feel of the Kinks. However, there are just too many jinky-janky, blokey-wokey, blinky-blimey faux working class pretensions from a group of art school students. Damon Albarn’s whiny voice really started to grate on me by the end of this too.
It has a slightly annoying sound to me, but overall it is creative and engaging and I can understand why someone may love it.
this feels very very long. very long
Tiene temas decentes y singles muuy trillados. Tienen mejores discos .
Really dope album cover, the 2 dogs are moods for sure. Well obviously "Girls and Boys" is a classic and a banger but I have to admit that I didn't enjoy the album at all like there were some good ones but that wasn't really enjoyable or catchy or viby and without "Girls and Boys" I think that I would rate it worse than that.
look I usually like 90s brit rock but I've been listening to a lot of bbno$ recently so the unironic use of "chewsday" was a little off putting. it's a fine album I think I just wasn't in the mood
Twee, shouty, jangly, childlike, ridiculous indie pop of a calibre rarely seen at the time, or even now. Fuck me, I’m glad they discovered how to write actually good music once they’d lost to Oasis. This is shite
Britain should not have been allowed to survive into the 20th century
Ehhhhh
Every song is kind of weird, nothing really sounds good, production sounds great but I’ve discovered from this list that I don’t like Blur at all. It’s goofy, full of awkward melodies that don’t work. It’s just unpleasant rock music’s with a few decent moments.
I remember when this came out and I was lukewarm on it then. After listening to it again I still think it is alright but nothing great. It's not something that I will be listening to again. Kind of forgettable overall with maybe a good song or two in there.
I swear, somebody who was in an early nineties British Rock Band must have been on the selection committee!! It's not bad, but it all sounds the same!
I was bored
The voice is getting annoying over time.
I liked the production, some pretty scrungly sounds. Nice, catchy hooks and instrumentals. Lyrics seemed to be pretty solid too from what I could gather. Problem is, both the hooks and instrumentals are annoying as shit and sound silly. Good album just not my taste.
Rock, Punk, 1994 -> 2
interesting and weird. A variety of styles but none really that interesting. Standout songs: Bank Holiday The Debt Collector This is a low
This album was fucked. Oddly, it started off not too bad for a Blur record, but after 5 songs, it descended into the typical fare of Damon Albarn's incoherent ramblings and brain droppings. No cohesion at all, just random shit thrown at a wall to see what would stick. Fuck that guy. And why the fuck did it have to be an hr long.... Favourite songs: Bank Holiday, End of a Century, Girls & Boys, Tracy Jacks, Jubilee Least favourite songs: Far Out, This is a Low 2/5
Ok
No
not for me
Gave me mild headache and I didn't enjoy it very much, especially the singing. Best song on the album should be Parklife tho. 2.5/5
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘰. Rating: ☆ ☆ Stand Out Songs: 6. Badhead, 8. Far Out, 9. To the End, 10. London Loves, 13. Magic America, 𝟏𝟓. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐰 Interesting...This is not an album I can say I thoroughly enjoyed by any means. I think for most of my listening experience I just got reminded of shitty ska bands that would play in the beginning of a cheesy movie from the early 00's, however once I noticed that this album was made in 1994, I can see that it was probably ahead of its time, and maybe even the inspiration for the former. The album does take a more enjoyable turn after track 7. The Debt Collector, which makes me think maybe the track filled with polka music acts as a divider between the music they wanted to make and the music their label forced them to make. Although this is certainly not an album I would have listened to on my own by any means, and had this been an independent listening session I definitely would've abandoned ship in the middle of Tracy Jacks (despite it being stuck in my head several hours later), I am glad that i stuck it through if only for the saving grace of track 15. This Is a Low, which is a beautiful beautiful song that brought this album from a 1 star to a 2.
Kind of seems like they're trying too hard here.
Didn't care much for this. I know they are pretty big across the pond but I'd rather listen to Oasis...or Gorillaz. Tracks that stood out to me: "Clover Over Dover", "Badhead", "London Loves" Wouldn't actively seek out listening to this full album again.
Lost me with the first track; way too repetitive to be 5 minutes long. At least the rest of the album was quite varied, but at times it felt like the music was being made for the band’s enjoyment rather than the audience’s.
Annoying. Thank you blur for not ever growing up out of the '80s.
Feeling like a broken record with this run of albums, but I think this is again just not for me? It's a long album with a variety of instrumentals/speeds/tones; however, I don't think I thoroughly enjoyed a single one. They all somehow felt both unique and more of the same. Oh well...
It’s British, innit? Not bad as far as Britpop goes, but not for me.
I like a few songs by Blur but don't like them enough to listen to full albums. I want to like them more than I do, but repetitive lyrics are my "nails on a chalkboard"
Never listened to a Blur album before, but now I get why Oasis won that battle. A couple of hits which everyone knows and there’s one or two half-decent other numbers - I quite liked Bank Holiday. But other than that there’s a pile of overly arty crap here that’s trying to be too clever by half. Interesting to hear Cocker’s vocal revert to RP at times. Didn’t enjoy this at all. My last two albums have been 1s. This scrapes a 2. Just
How can I like Gorrilaz but not this? Who knows, but I do.
Whole album was a blur. Nothing unique and all of the songs sounded the same and most of the lyrics were the name of the song repeated over and over.
Some good songs but that's all.
I like some of blur's singles that I've come across over my years, but these whole albums haven't grabbed me at all.
About average for the genre. Nothing new or edgy.
Good in small doses, I suppose. There were a few songs I liked and could see myself revisiting. But as an album I found the “cuteness” became cloying after a while. 2.5/5
Only 2 stars because it’s not as bad as the ones I rated one star, still not good
Nah
mid
Not more fucking Britpop.....
Girls & Boys is a catchy opening track. These guys took the "rip off the Beatles" thing a step too far, End of a Century sounds like an original song written by a Beatles cover band. Bank Holiday is terrible. This is taking "post punk" too literally. This album starts with it's best song and gets steadily worse as it goes on. To the End is the worst song so far. I spoke to soon, there are many bad songs on the album, London Loves being one of them. Lot 105's goofiness doesn't help, especially with the Beatles' Eight Days a Week melody.
Not really a Britpop fan
Never really listened to much from the 90s BritPop era, mainly because the bits I heard didnt really grab me. I always heard about the rivalry between Blur and Oasis. And fans saying you can't be a fan of both. Not that Im a huge Oasis fan either but I would probably side more with them than Blur. This album had a couple of songs I thought were ok. The musicianship is great. I loved a lot of the basslines and some of the guitar parts. The vocals were good but the thick English accent got a bit much after a few songs.
Never heard the album before. There's a lot of variety here. Not a lot of great songwriting, but there is a lot of variety. Boys & Girls stands out from the rest due to its catchiness. They've done a good job with making a satirical euro dance hit. But the lyrics are mean-spirited and, in my opinion, problematic.
Some cool instrumentals, but the vocals are like not good man
this is so annoying. like an emo beatles. 2 stars.
Also das Cover gefällt mir gar nicht, und die Musik reißt auch nicht mit.
Another Britpop album that i am sure many folks enjoyed at the time, which is fine, but is not timeless or memorable.
This is the most British album I’ve ever heard, which is not necessarily a good thing. It’s goofy and over the top and just too much. A few times I stopped and said “what is this song?” Not the worst thing I’ve ever heard but there is much that is far better. Sorry Blur, I love Boys and Girls, and Song 2 is a favorite from the 90s, but this album is not it. 2
Never been sure why Blur is put up there with the britpop royalty. Albums are too long, lack a through line and just don't do it. Songs are forgettable.
They got better songs
this was just ok, i was kind of hoping it would be better but i found it annoying at time and there were really only a few songs i liked. the rest was just kind of background noise.
Just another 90s band who sound like a lot of other uninspiring 90s bands
Mehhhh. Wasn’t my favorite. A good song here and there. But not for me. British pop mehh
I reviewed Modern Life Is Rubbish earlier this year, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Outside of "Song 2," I had never heard any of Blur's music before starting this project, so I'm heading into their discography pretty blind. I've heard good things about this album though, so I'm hoping I'll enjoy it as much as or more than Modern Life Is Rubbish. Well, the verdict is in, and I didn't care for Parklife very much. I appreciate the theme of everyday life that binds these songs together, but to me, the end result was pretty dull (maybe that's the point of this album). The songwriting was fine, but outside of the unifying theme, it didn't really do much for me. Musically, there wasn't much that I enjoyed either. I didn't care for a majority of the songs, and the few songs that didn't fall into that category, were fairly middle of the road. I didn't care for the musical styles that were used on this album either. On first listen, I really hated "Girls & Boys" (it eventually grew on me a little), but the synthesizer really stood out like a sore thumb from the rest of the album. There weren't really any hooks, melodies, or rhythms that I liked, so I found myself just trudging through this album, and it was a long trudge. Parklife might be critically acclaimed, but it's a miss in my book.
It didn’t help that this is my 2nd Blur album in 4 days. I feel like I’m listening to the Kinks if the Kinks sounded a little less pleasant.
It’s OK - well known album. Never did really get Blur
Not really my vibe but it's not bad. Could see myself having it on as background music sometimes
Not how I remember Blur. Not my favorite album
Been bumping Blur’s self titled a lot since i pulled it here. Given that, I was actually pretty excited for this album. Unfortunately this falls flat for me. Maybe I’m just getting hammered with so much Brit pop lately and need to revisit, but this doesn’t capture any of the fun the self title does. Favorites: End of a century, Jubilee
Girls & Boys started and I was like okay this is pretty groovy and fun and then after like 3 minutes I was like oh man it's just the same thing still and I got kind of bored with it. Overall I was a bit bored by this album but there were a couple interesting moments. I liked London Loves. It was kind of like post/egg punk sounding.
I get kinda angry listening to this, the kind of angry that just makes you want to shake a baby. It’s all over the place and directionless. I
I love the song “Girls & Boys” from some random compilation album my mom had when I was a kid. Song 2 is the only song I know from Blur, and I don’t love it, but was hoping this would be one of those albums I never looked at but ended up being really good. Nope. It’s alright, but too many meh songs to make it a good cohesive album. Why is there a full blown carnival track?? I’ll pass on this one, even with a couple decent songs. Listen again: no Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: in the end
Not holding up so well.
This album is far too British for me.
Eh, grand
2/5 Not a big fan of punk.
SO BRITISH! so britpop… i get why it’s loved but think it’s not just for me (american 😔)
I'm almost tempted to give this album an "incomplete," because I feel like I just don't 'get it'. It feels very born out of 90s British culture, with lyrics reflecting sentiment of the time that I just won't be able to connect to. It was an entertaining enough listen, but definitely had way too many filler tracks that bog down the good ones. All in all not bad, but I don't think I'll ever be able to appreciate this album as much as I could. Top Tracks: Parklife, To the End, Clover Over Dover
I really wanted to enjoy it but it ended up just being annoying
I didn't enjoy this at all. Britpop in general doesn't seem like a genre you can really sink your teeth into. This album is fast, cheap, and easily disposable.
offbrand arctic monkeys
There's an interesting exploration of genres going on here but it comes off a bit incohesive over the whole album. I actually thought at one point there must be another band named "Blur" because this can't be the same guys who put out "Song 2". Overall, it's a fun listen, it's fine but not amazing.
Changing the channel.
It sounds like any other britpop record.I don't like it. It is very boring and samey.
Not too crazy for it. Have nothing to say really hahaha
2.5 Nothing special
No. I don't like this Blur album either. Dull, don't like the vocals.
Never really got the 90s Britpop phenomenon. That being said Parklife the song is top shelf ( 4 stars for the single !)
#273. Another run of the mill britpop album. Nothing to write home to mum about. 2/5: meh.
Ah Blur, one of the defining acts of Brit Pop. I can sometimes enjoy Brit pop, when it isn’t just a lad from Manchester talking loudly into a mic while his 4 best mates play instruments. Which is why the only song I’d see myself listening to again off this album is Parklife, and perhaps This is a Low.
eh. nothing really stood out on this one for me.
I am shocked this album was in the 90s. I thought it was 80s. Anyway not my thing.
One or two good songs but mostly repetitive.
Meh
Kept waiting for song #2 or something that sounds like song #2 but to no avail
Holy crap they toned down the British-isms in their later work. This is almost unlistenable.
I wanted to like it, and can tell that some of the songs hit the numbers for being solid pop jams. It just could not hold my interest.
Not a great record. But I would say that to every Britpop record out there.
I’m not listening to this god damned album again and getting.. Parklife! Ahhh fuck me now I am going to be yelling Parklife randomly the rest of the week. 4/10
# 246 : Another britpop album. What a surprise. Honestly, all of these bands are starting to sound exactly the same. Much like their food, British pop music seems to be mostly bland and uninspiring. Average at best.
Not a fan. Kind of droning.
It was fine. Not my thing at all.
I've been lighter on britpop than a lot of people seem to be on here but maybe I'm starting to get fatigued. This just didn't interest me at all.
Girls & Boys Park Life
Not into it
Meh
Not bad, I kind of think of this as stereotypical "british rock". Girls & Boys is a great song. Nothing else on the album did much for me tbh, but it's a fine album.
It doesn’t know what it wants to be. There is plenty of songs that sound very britpop, but also random punk-ish song thrown in the middle. Quite incoherent stylistically.
Not sure how an album like this made the list. Although there are some entertaining bits, those bits were already done by the Kinks in the 60s and most “new wave” bands in the 80s.
feels like another generic British rock band
Это второй альбом Blur, кажется, и теперь я уж уверен, что Oasis были лучше КЕК. Лучшая песня - This Is a Low.
Not a bad album, but not really that good either. Pretty average overall. 2.5/5 Won't listen again
It's becoming very repetitive and boring pretty fast. What a pity. I always thought they had great songs but obviously not on that record. I love british music but there are way better bands!
Not for me 2/5
I thought I liked Blur - then I listened to this and it’s not my favorite. Boys and Girls is still fun. The rest of the album is boring Britpop.
Had a very 69-70 vibe. Nothing special to me
Uniform pop song mush. London Love and Clover over Dover stand out nicely. Yawn.
Honestly, kind of mediocre. I love the genre, this should be my type of music, but I was left unimpressed. It was good, in a fine sort of way.
Honestly... Childish sounding. Unimpressed.
2.5 stars - It's perfectly fine but I would rather listen to XTC.
I thought I'd like this more than I actually did. I've always liked the first song - Girls & Boys - but the rest of the album was kinda boring.
Ну такое себе. Истоки Gorillaz уже слышно, но до них ещё далеко.
Gear: Aür Audio Aurora Mix: "You okay?" Musik: "No, [Britpop] is pretty f***in' far from okay." Wertung: 🐶🐶/5
Fuck britpop. 1.5
Ooof. This was a tough one to get through. Not my jam
Britpop to Cool Britannia. Mysterious genres - but this is quite innocuous. Very meh - mostly pablum. Disappearing background muzak - that's probably a bit harsh. That's what some people want from music and there's a market. I wouldn't change the station, but I sure wouldn't buy it.
Meh
Yeah, no. I do see a couple of things going for this album and I could imagine myself liking it back when I was about 13 and a lot edgier and much more into campy rubbish. But luckily, that is not the case anymore and I think Blur are rubbish - decidedly British rubbish with some character though. Parklife is probably better than the other two Blur albums I had the misfortune to rate with 1 and 2 stars respectively. This one might be a 2.5 rated down. It's something.
The songs started off like they’d be bangers and then I’m pummeled with British accents and weird lyrics
It was somewhat enjoyable but don't know if I'd seek it out.
2/5 Brit-pop blur is my least favorite version of Blur.
This was a divisive album Some songs were strong and reminded me of the smiths/ sex pistols and showed the potential of what would eventually become the gorrillaz. But other songs felt like a carnival ride and made me feel nauseous. I don’t think I’ll be listening to it again. 2
eh
Um, what?
Didn't love it. Almost stopped listening at track 9 because I was done washing the dishes but something told me to keep listening and I'm glad I did because I actually preferred the second half a lot more. In particular, track 10 "To The End" and then "Clover Over Dover" ended up being some of my faves on the album.
Ok
This is too inconsistent. No fluidity and the vocals are uneasy on the ears. The music just isn’t good.
More punk stuff, I am not a fan.
Britpop ist nichts für mich
Not my favorite
Yeah, no. The first couple songs were just alright, but the deeper cuts kinda sucked IMO.
not my thing
So tedious.
mid brit pop with some great songs springled in a real long album. they lose a star for being british and for bullying nardwuar.
Not a big fan of britpop. Album was too long. I can see why it would have been good if I liked britpop, or maybe if I was british. IDK
I do NOT like his voice. The music is fine, but dang.
Really cringy 90s rock. It was not my favorite.
There were good tracks on the album, but it felt a bit bloated for what it was. The highs were high and the lows were forgettable. I'd recommend some songs from the album, but I don't think I'd recommend the whole thing.
Album 8/1001: Parklife by Blur. Pinnacle 90s filler music, one song that if played you would immediately recognize the rest feel relegated to movie background music 5/10
sorry, no.
I have never been much for this band. But they're British, so here they are.
If I had to pick a side in the Blur versus Oasis debates that took place in the 90s, I would never pick Blur. They always came over as slightly nerdy failed art-school friends who formed a band to earn some money. I did like the two good tracks on this album, the first one and the album's title. They held up reasonably well, even though they've been played to death for the last 30 years or so. The rest of the album sucked and was incredibly dull. I even considered a 1 star rating at some points, but the two half-decent tracks pulled it back up to 2.
A big meh from me. Most of it was just boring to me. Not really personally a big fan of this genre in general. But Girls & Boys I did quite enjoy though. Other than that it just didn't really hit for me. Too british 🇬🇧☕️ 3/10
This album didn't really leave any lasting inpressions on me and I doubt that I'll come back to it.
Blur sounds like it should be for me but it just isn't.
It’s fine
Sounds like generic Brit garage rock to me - I know it was a huge album but didn’t find myself drawn to it.
britpop... not exactly my jam
Sucks. Just agonizing voices to be forced to listen to.
Londonfornication. America gets RHCP, I guess Britain had Blur? Lol It's like a 1990s Village Green Preservation Society in someways, quirky and very British. "I like Radiohead but I'm also a goofy MFer" oh do we have the band for you. The 90s were weird man lol. It's not awful, why is it almost an hour though?
britpop just not my thing
I’m not a fan of the British “talking singing”, feels like a boyband Just not a fan, feels like it’s too basic, but could see it being fun radio songs etc 1/2***
Only liked the first track
Decent pop rock, not my jam but not terrible
Personally, the lo-if britpop genre is not my favorite. I don’t think I quite finished this album.
Not really my favorite, too pop-ie
Its great British pop. I personally dislike this, but can appreciate it's significance in the genre
This ones not really for me. Pretty typical 90s brit rock, kind of alternative. I got excited when "To The End" came on since I thought it was the end of the album, but then I unfortunately realized I still had half of the album to listen to.
5/10 This...is not it. Definitely overstays its welcome, although the closer tracks are better than the middle section. Kinda boring, I know Brit pop and even Blur can do better.
Many odd choices. I really enjoyed Badhead. I dig Clover Over Dover. This Is A Low is good too.
I didn't think it was bad, but I didn't enjoy it like I did the other albums I've given 3 stars, so I have to do 2 for this one
While only have a couple of standout tracks this album has you questioning "when does it end?" about halfway through. Some tracks were better left completely off the album and the best songs are okay at their best.
Too few bangers, too many smug wankers
Vocal melodies and timbre not good. Not worthwhile.
Meh. Shoe gazer meets electronic meets pop with a dash of I don't care.
This album is a miss for me mainly cause of personal taste, but i feel like i could enjoy the rocky summer vibe some of these songs have, big Zappa vibe on bank holiday but rockier. Still got some nice discoveries there and enjoyed playing the game and hearing it, just not my thing usually. Have to admit the songs are eventful and clearly a good deal of creativity and originality is at work, i can appreciate that and Damon Albarn's early identity.
Not my style , I like some of the guitar work but it was too hokey for me
hmmm
Too much filler!
I never really understood the cult of Blur. Some great singles, but over-rated albums. It's a British thing, isn't it? Maybe you had to be doing coke in Camden in the 90s with the Britpop crew to really _get_ it. And I don't know why they have THREE albums on the 1001 list. They were certainly an epochal English band of the early 90s; they were massive selling and really important in the British scene at the time. They are the most Britpop of all the Britpop bands (Oasis were, ultimately, a bigger band, but they are not quite so typical of the scene). The NME wasted miles of column inches to their every move, and particularly their supposed rivalry with Oasis. Noel Gallagher once described this album as ""Like Southern England personified". I'm not sure he meant it as a compliment (qv. 'London Loves'). Girl & Boys is a terrific single (especially the Pet Shop Boys remix on the 12", which I regularly spin when I am DJing). Robert Christgau opined that it was the only good song on the album. The rest of the album is comprised of generic indie rock or novelty songs. Parklife annoys me more every time I hear it. And it isn't the only novelty song on the record (The Debt Collector, Far Out, But in fairness, I'm not British, and so the specific concerns of such and Anglocentric album don't really speak to me. If you look at the chart performance of this album, there is a marked difference between how it charted in Britian compared to anywhere else in the world, which I think speaks to the cultural specificity of this record. And you certainly don't need to listen to THREE different Blur albums in your life. This is a 2.5 star album for me, in that it isn't really _bad_ per se, except that the constant over praise from the British music press still annoys me. Rounded down.
Best Song: Girls & Boys. Something catchy to sing along to. Worst Song: The Debt Collector. This kind of oom-pah-pah only works ironically, and I fear the artists were truly serious here. Overall: Although I respect how diverse the music on offer here is, I also feel like not a lot of it is that great. The end result is an album that feels a mile wide but an inch deep.
With a few exceptions, this album didn't really do anything for me
nah, i really did try with this record, i really did. inspired by lauras fond tales of bopping around to and from school with it. for an oasis fan a truly great and terrible commitment! i just think its totally fucking wank. oh well.
Nothing really made me want to hit repeat. One and done.
Fine
I will preface this by saying that I’m an American. Maybe if I was British this record would have a different connection with me. Blur seem to have a really playful attitude about them, similar to bands like Phish. I can kinda appreciate that. This record is wildly inconsistent. There are some good songs, but there are also some very bad songs. Some of the highlights were End of a Century, Badhead, Far Out, and This is a Low. Everything else I could do without.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a guy ritchie movie. Its not bad, but this list is making me increasingly weary of british music. Its also boring. 2/5
This is an album which didn’t find many ways to stand out. I don’t like the lead singers voice, I find it quite annoying. However the quirkier middle section and the closing section were definite highlights. This was the type of album where the songs were okay but you wouldn’t come back to many of them. 5/10
Too british.
- Did not know Blur made music like this - Huge Brit-pop vibes - a few whimsical beats in here - Overall not really my jam, but I can respect the quality of the album
A decent track here or there. Mostly fine, some songs were a bit strange which I thought was interesting
Maybe it would be better if it was 10 minutes shorter. Britpop is not really my thing, though.
I did not enjoy this nearly as much as I expected to.
most average background music ive ever heard. second half is better.
There are a couple of songs on this album that I’ll always love. I struggled with Blur when they first landed and this album kinda sums up just why. Damon’s into his mockney phase and it isn’t very pleasant. Even as a kid I felt that he was taking something that wasn’t his and it drove me crazy that others didn’t see it but I know now that’s because we all came from different places. Anyway, fun songs on here and moments of grace too, ie. This is a low.
A very different album. Not my cup of tea.
Så kan jeg bedre lide Oasis
Wow - they REALLY frontloaded this. The first four songs are great pop, real sing-a-long nostalgia stuff. I wasn't really a Blur / Britpop devotee at the time, so don't really know the album, and hearing it now I don't think I missed that much. It hasn't stood the test of time. I can't stand Oasis, and I do like a few Blur tunes, but I do find them pretentious most of the time. The nice middle class lad with the Mockney accent is so, ahem, hackneyed. They wrote a few catchy ditties, but they do often seem to be trying too hard, and the bulk of this bears that out. Also, was it this long when it first came out? If so, why?
Very 90s Britpop, but it doesn’t quite resonate here and now.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz boring
Very mediocre, won't listen to this again
The album never got past second gear. It’s also very English and Damon Alborn sounds like a wanker. Meh.
I tried, but no thanks. I didn't enjoy it in the 1990s and I still don't. The out-of-kilter timings grate and Damon Albarn's sarcastic whine annoys me. Title track is great, but otherwise I don't know what all the fuss was about.
Siis sinänsä tykkään alun soundista, mutta sitten joka biisi on oikeesti vain saman toistoa
After listening to this list for a year, I have discovered that I am not a huge fan of Britpop. I like the lead singers later work with his band Gorillaz, but I just can’t get into his earlier stuff. It just doesn’t appeal to me but I understand why others enjoy it.
The Blur have some good albums. This is not one of them.
I've never listened to blur so to me it really feels like proto-Gorillaz. Feels relatively generic. Albarn's vocals were never my favorite part of Gorillaz and this album has a much heavier focus on them than any Gorillaz album. I'm also not a super big fan of this genre of rock. Could be worse. I could actively hate listening to it. But I wouldn't be the one to put this on given the choice.
Painfully British. Doesn't really start off super strong. The first song on the album was alright I guess. Bank Holiday sounded like a song that would be in a racing or extreme sports game in the mid-2000s (ps2, early 360 era). Most of these sound like bad Gorillas songs. Not a fan of the first disk (like a 4/10 rating) it's not terrible, but not a fan of the lead singer for the most part, but some of the instrumentals are pretty good sometimes they are kinda just mediocre. A lot of songs have cool starts in the production then as more voices (instruments) are added they kind of detract from the cool introduction. London Loves has neat sections, but ends up getting ruined by the lead singers singing; the instrumental part sounds like it would be in Teen Titans as a background song to that British villain. Disk 2 starts off much stronger than disk 1. Never mind it was only the first song on Disk 2 Magpie that was ok; the next two songs arent good. A good portion of Disk 2 aren't "new" songs ast they are just Acoustic versions of songs. a remix and a Frensh version of their songs. So far Beard is the only song I remotely like a good amount and thats because there is no singing and is very jazzy (chaotic jazz). Holy shit Red necks and Alex's Song were probably the worst 2 songs I have heard in a while. 3/10 for disk 2 Overall probably would rate the whole experience a light 4/10 (red flanel)
An extremely average 90s rock album. Wikipedia says Blur were britpop rivals with Oasis. To me, that’s like saying a hammer and nail are “rivals”. One always wins the battle.
Some good songs but can see why oasis won
I was going to listen to this but then the day just got busy and things went by in a real... blur. I will say that I was not looking forward to it, so two stars for low expectations.
Mid
Is it possible that all the music we loved when we were young really, in reality sucked? Were our parents right when they said you're music is awful? Do the new experiences and experimentations that happen when we're younger cloud our judgement? Case in point, this was an album that I casually listened to thirty years ago and can barely tolerate it today. Music is so tied to personal experiences, and I did have a good time growing up, especially during my college years, but I suppose we all do things we'd rather forget, listening and spending money on this album may well be one of them. Again, my younger self would hate me #tooyoungtobeold #realityhurts
Blur’s “Parklife” opens with “Girls & Boys,” a truly annoying song. It gets a bit better after that, but that’s not saying much. “Bank Holiday” is the best song on the album, in a much punkier style that I wish Blur delved into more. I re-read my “Modern Life is Rubbish” review, and I don’t think I could do any better job of summarizing what I think of Blur. So I’ll just leave “Parklife” with its two stars and move on.
Scale: 1: Dissapointing 2: Didn't enjoy 3: Decent 4: Enjoyed 5: Would listen again Girls & Boys: 3/5, chorus cool Tracy Jacks: 1/5, dont like it End of a Century: 2/5, idk Parklife (feat. Phil Daniels): 2.5/5, ok Bank Holiday: 2/5, kind of annoying Badhead: 1/5, boring The Debt Collector: 3/5, ok Far Out: 3.5/5, chill To the End: 1.5/5, annoying London Loves: 3.5/5, cool Trouble in the Message Centre:2.5/5, idk Clover Over Dover: 2/5, idk Magic America: 2/5, uhm Jubilee: 3.5/5, like the beep boops This Is a Low: 1/5, too long and annoying Lot 105: 2/5, yeah Overall: 2.25/5
Why wouldn’t you just listen to Bowie or the Kinks?
I don't like Blur. I can't get into them. This album just doesn't mean much to me. Perhaps it's a cultural phenom and I just am too far removed from it for any resonance.
Singles were fine, pretty mediocre
Does this have the woo hoo song? First track was bad. Some straightforward brit pop. Some "avante garde" "we're trying to do magical mystery tour" shit.
A fine rock album. Nothing really stood out as impressive or terrible, I enjoyed the listen but would probably not revisit when Gorillaz exists.
I was pretty bored and it felt even longer than it actually was
Snoozefest
Debt Collector was incredibly fun but otherwise, this is meh.
Very weird album, at least not at all like the Blur songs I'm used to. Not a fan of their slower stuff.
I was never really in to 90s Brit Pop. And I guess this is why.
Meh
hehheh... hullun näköinen koira koverissa... hullu ilme... bri'ish 90 luku rokki odotin aivan vitusti paskempaa mutta tässä onkin vähän monimuotoisempaa musiikkia mutta faktaa on se... että albumin ydin on mätä ja mikä on naudalla mätä, niin ladossa on hätä... london loves paras biis...
While this is a lot better than the last album I got by blur which was ultra shitty and should’ve gotten a 1, I still didn’t enjoy it very much. Just not for me I guess
I commend them for trying some different things I.e. using their British accents instead of taking in an American Accent. Essentially it is a pop album with many 3 minute songs. “Boys and Girls” & “Parklife” are catchy tunes, but no real depth to the album. Hearing this once was enough for me, but found no value added.
Zou willen zeggen dat ik dit een te 'wazig' bandje vind, maar dat is het eigenlijk. Ik vind het gewoon saai en snap niet helemaal waarom dit zo populair is.
I really don't care for Britpop or Blur very much, although I think this album is decent for what it is.
New one for me. Think I had heard of the group but not the album. Well sounds kind of dated. Not sure how well it's held up. I'll pass.
Interesting that Damon Albarn did music before gorillaz. Had no idea. Kind of a mixed album, some good songs but plenty that just seemed goofy and were not that interesting. Pretty weak album in the majority. 2 stars
considering blur's "song 2", i guess i was hoping this album would be better and more exciting. it was mediocre. not even one song stood out to me.
So, I only knew the infamous "Song 2" from Blur, and was pretty much expecting something in that vein. I was pretty wrong. This is some bizarre indie, britpop, semi-ska contraption. I did like the chipper, sunshine-y nature of it all, but overall, I honestly just could not get into it.
Like Girls & Boys en Magic America. Niet mijn type muziek, wel heel strak gespeeld. Sterk instrumentaal.
Meh ik kwam er niet in misschien dat dit beter wordt als je er vaker naar luistert
Meh
Another generic Brit pop album.
Was okay liked the top songs rest kind of blurred into the background… pun intended
Great punk album, but it's not for me
Man, Damon Albarn's voice is grating
Badhead, The Debt Collector, Clover Over Dover and This Is A Low. You can only listen to these 4 songs, the rest is rather average and is forgotten very quickly. I'm not sure what this album does on this list, but it would be a good candidate to drop to make way for more modern material.
I did not listen a lot that I liked here. It is the second Blur album I've got, and I had the feeling they were almost the same.
Reconheci alguns dos hits.
Fun, alternative album.
some singles I knew, and can see why they were the singles, rest is circus fillers
Album is all over the place, with a handful of excellent songs.
Cool parts but then they sing
Has a handful of good songs most of this drones on and all sounds the same.
Not really a fan. I enjoyed maybe 2 songs. I imagine it's just not my style of music.
6/16=38%
blur are a boring band
Couple okay hits but mediocre then and did not age well
Decent album but nothing special
The tunes are catchy, but each song is basically the chorus played over and over the exact same way. Boring.
Schwer zu ertragen
4/10
It was alright, but I have a hard time with their accents. 0RS
nope, still don´t like this, i should not say hate.....
Lot more filler than I remember.
Of course I'm familiar with Song 2, which was unavoidable when it came out, but before I started this review, my strongest impression of Blur was how much Brian hates them. :joy:Listening to Parklife is a really odd experience. A high level of songcraft is immediately apparent. The rhythmic hooks are jagged and the melodies and harmonies are cunningly constructed, so why is it that they leave next to no impression? What does leave an impression is the arrangements. Blur weaves together crunchy, grungy guitars, snaky 80s synth lines (thankfully in the background), sing-song choral backgrounds, Manchester accented talk-singing about British everyday life, chugging rhythmic parts, churchy organ overlays, and more into a sound that somehow manages to encapsulate the previous quarter century of British rock without sounding like a simple pastiche. On Parklife, Blur has come up with, like it or not, a unique sound.So what do I think of Parklife? Not a lot, actually. Clearly, Blur is a competent band, and I can appreciate what they're doing on an intellectual level, but they just don't appeal to me.Okay, I wrote the previous paragraphs a few songs into the album. Blur frontloaded the most driving, pop-oriented songs. As Parklife goes along, the songwriting and arrangements get increasingly less energetic and more anonymous and twee, not a good combination. At least until London Loves, and then we're back to the punchy sound of the opening tunes. Blur is much better at these sort of uptempo songs, which are at least cheeky instead of wan.I just had an insight--Blur is the 90s version of XTC, not as horrid, of course, but still with a tendency towards the twee and cutesy, best disguised with crunchy guitars. Best in short doses.
definitely not my style of music, very upbeat happy beats and found a few songs i like
Boys & Girls is a bop, otherwise kinda hard to listen to : P
Pretty horrible. Heavy handed lyrics and awful vocals with boring music make for a near hour-long slog. 3
Thought it would be better. I found it kind of boring man.
Boys and Girls und Park Life sind zurecht Hits, finde ich. Ansonsten haben sie bei diesem Album ihren Sound noch nicht so richtig gefunden und klingen ein bisschen wie andere berühmte britpopper.
“Parklife” by Blur (1994) Quality pop that apparently took off in the UK, but not in the US, which apparently has a lower tolerance for ditzy grooves generated by toddling about in an era of geopolitical stability. It could have been enhanced by one or two ominous overtones. What, me worry? Overall, this album is a pleasant enough listen, entertaining without quite rising to the level of good music. I spent considerable time wondering which dog on the cover was my favorite (conclusion: the one on the right. He’s winning!). Well crafted arrangements, with deft but not overbearing dissonance. Nicely done on “Magic America”. Refreshing departures from standard chord progressions, while maintaining popular feel. Nice balance. On the album’s only attempt at introspection (“Badhead”), it seems there’s not much in there to introspect. “This Is a Low” is interesting, highly referential, and stuffed with layers of meaning, chiefly for those living (or interested) in a maritime culture. This song is the highlight of this otherwise lowlight album. Vocal harmonies excel, even if lead vocal quality is limited. The strain for pitch on “To the End” is unbearable. Nicely recorded and produced, but to what end? The songs Herman’s Hermits would have produced If they’d been unleashed by the guys in the suits. 2/5
Bored
Probably wouldn't listen to again.
Pretty meh overall. It had some moments but I found it boring and wanted it to be over after a bit.
Really liked Modern Life Is Rubbish when it was out and remembered being disappointed by Parklife but what do I know? It exploded and became a huge album. Would never think to give this album a spin nowadays, not many tracks stand out on their own and too many are poor versions of The Kinks. Very much of its time but I will always have time for This Is A Low which is fantastic.
Luka mi je sjebo ovaj album iak je dobar ngl
There no denying that Parklife is a great pop song. And ironically This is a Low turned out to be a quite wonderful high point of the album. These tracks aside the rest of the album is pretty, well, rubbish. Generally not a fan of the Britpop genre and this does nothing to change that.
A nice pop album that wanders a bit during its near one hour runtime.
Meh
I just couldnt do it
Keanu reeves in the 90s vibes
Kinda indifferent. the last song was the music in Arrested Development and that was a random surprise.
Not a fan
I was never a fan of the Britpop sound, and after trying to listen to this its confirmed. I couldn’t listen to any of the songs all the way though without being thoroughly bored
90's uk alternative pop rock band. good not great.