Reviews (page 12 of 14)
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
I asked for more and I got it: this is my third blur album in the challenge and it was just as good as all the rest. As per the first half of the album was back to back hits and the second half fell off a little but I still loved it. In my opinion not their finest work but I’m sure with time I’ll develop more of an opinion on what I love and what I don’t. Overall it banged.
Slightly punky brit rock
Its very much an icon of its time, but peters off a bit towards the end
Hit and Miss, as usual
I really enjoyed this album, especially compared to the last Blur album I got (Modern Life is Rubbish). It's surprising that this was just their next album because I feel like the songwriting is so far ahead of where they were and it really starts to feel like they're finding their own voice more. Pretty much liked this one throughout and it got me to go relisten to other Blur tracks that I hadn't heard in a while. Standout Tracks: Girls and Boys, End of a Century, Parklife, To the End, London Loves, Magic America, This Is a Low
Fun album. The highs are super high...but this album suffers from the same issue I find with all other Blur albums. A below avg. Blur song just really blows IMO. That being said, this is probably the best Blur has to offer beginning to end. 3.5/5
no question blur is the better britpop band! very silly at times and sounds great. PARK-LIFE! best tracks: parklife, end of a century, london loves
It's Parklife
Enjoyable beats, fun and sometimes funny lyrics.
3,5
it was okay, not a giant fan of it
Ive heard a few songs from this before, but never the full album. It started losing me a bit toward the end but overall was a pretty solid album. Oasis is still my go-to for 90's Brit pop/rock.Gorillaz my go-to for anything Damon Albarn.
Any songs known?: - 2 - Parklife & Girls & Boys Favourites?: - Parklife - Girls & Boys - Bank Holiday - Badhead - London Loves Least Favourites: - Honestly none - no skip album Thoughts?: - Damon Albarn is an icon - Such an amazing band & album - LOVEEE Britpop anything - especially 'Bank Holiday' Album art: 5/5 because dogs x Overall score: 5/5
Preferred them to oasis. Sort of. I’m not sure how well they’ve aged. This was enjoyable.
Hello blur. That gorilla sound. French autoroutes. Driving. European summers.Im finking about leaving the house. And I crack a beer. And I am happy for the test fo the day. Know what I mean ?
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.
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.
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
British to the core. It's solid, and it's an extremely fun listen. The opening track is amazing.
This was just slightly decent Britpop. Too long an album IMO. 6/10.
best Blur album
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.
Im a blur hater
very British and very 1994… i really like this album cover
Of all the stereotypically English 90s albums, this is probs my fav. Actually has some variation. I had fun
Top
Great
Lovely start, gently downhill. Did I always think that?
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.
Looks like we made it to the end
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.
With a few exceptions, this album didn't really do anything for me
Classic. Some bangers but the Spotify extended version is .... Long.
I liked this more than the other Blur album I got.
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.
I really like this one, which doesn’t surprise me based on my love of Gorillaz + limited past exposure to Blur. It’s kind of a hard album to get a grip on; sincere but sarcastic, super pop but indescribably weird in a way that pop albums rarely are, nostalgic for the past and dismissive of it in the same breath. Definitely one I’ll return to. Best song: End of a Century
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.
You can see the roots of the Gorillaz in thos album for sure
3 stars is a lot more than I would have given it at the time of release. I appreciate, rather than like, this album
first listen a bouncy fun one
their best.
okay. very british.
Maybe I’m just getting old but this is when mediocrity became mainstream.
Probably my most listened Blur album. It's catchy with enough of it's own style to stand out from the rest of the britpop from the 90s. I definitely prefer this over Definitely Maybe by Oasis (their second album however is great). The whole album listening experience is not a 5/5 but there's definitely material on here that is.
Nothing really made me want to hit repeat. One and done.
Own on Vinyl
Previously only knew Blur from Song 2, and very glad I was pushed to expand that today! This is really fun and varied with plenty of wry-bordering-on-cynical Britishness. Enjoyed the first handful of songs (through and even including Bank Holiday) more than the subsequent ones (honorable mention to the final track).
Sadly I do not like this album much personally but I see why many do.
Fine
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 an album I've owned since the 1990s, but probably haven't played in 15 years or so. Starting with Girls & Boys, it's almost impossible to not find this catchy, infective and downright joyful. Alex James is the true hero of Blur - his basslines are surprisingly complex, funky and tie together tracks only when they're not out-and-out saving the show. Tracy Jacks is a terrible track, but you can get through it by listening to the twiddliness of that bass. End of a Century is a superb bit of music, capturing boredom and conformity with a dryness that just didn't exist in the mid 1990s. Parklife, the title track, uses Phil Daniels superbly. Relegating Albarn to just the choruses is a welcome break. Bank Holiday is fast paced, happy-surfacing but deeply cynical track, and one that I have absolutely no memory of, despite having listened to this album probably hundreds of times. Badhead struck me similarly, but the catch of "I might as well grin and bear it, because it's not worth the trouble of an argument" does loom somewhere into consciousness. It leads into The Debt Collector - the boys clearly thinking that they'd take a The Kinks or Beatles style diversion. It's not terrible, but it clearly a bunch of very talented session musicians going along with the whims of some posh boys trying to pay homage to some other, slightly less posh but ultimately more successful boys from 30 years prior. Far Out similarly pays homage to Bowie and as such is something I have no time for. But it does push you down a bit, ready for To The End - which is genuinely a piece of genius. Way up the very best that Blur came out with, even with it's ludicrous diversion into accordion-driven tosh.. The album should have ended here. What comes next is technically very competently handled. London Loves is an aggressive (thank you James, again) track, eviscerating the hostile nature of London's uncaring big city reality. Imagine how angry they could have been without any hope. Trouble in the message centre. Difficult to quantify or express how little this song interests me. It's just a weaker rehash of better expressed themes from earlier in the album. I might even go as far as calling it a skip track, because it genuinely adds nothing. Clover over Dover is another Kinks homage. Alex James' bass once again rides to the rescue with competency. Magic America and Jubilee blur (if you'll excuse the expression) into one, but This Is A Low picks up again. Ultimately, the album should have finished with To The End. If it had been wrapped at that point it'd have to have been a solid 5 stars. Unfortunately they kept it going that bit too long, and for that reason it has to be dropped to 4.
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 love Britpop
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 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.
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.
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
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
A surprisingly fun listen. Prefer it to their self titled.
Fun album. Very 90s. Standouts: Girls & Boys; London Loves; Trouble in the Message Centre; To the End.
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
Really good album - very varied & very south of England.
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
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.
Too british.
- 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
- 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
The 90s Beatles So British Incredible
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
Not my favourite Blur album, far from perfect, but a classic nonetheless. The best songs are some of their very best Favs: End of a Century (maybe my all time favourite Blur song), To The End, This is a Low
YES YES YES
A decent track here or there. Mostly fine, some songs were a bit strange which I thought was interesting
Really like this record, not my favorite Blur record but quite good
Clearly, '90s brit-rock and britpop bands have really pulled their weight in making up for the cheesy mediocrity that '80s britpop groups could not help but produce. It's bright and shimmery like much of its predecessors, but punchy too. Like someone screaming at you with a smile on their face. Now I feel bad for anyone who only knows Blur for Song 2, because they are missing out on a lot. Standout tracks are Girls & Boys, Parklife, and London Loves.
Strong tunes in the first half but the latter part of the album feel like fillers
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.
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.
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.
What a surprising album for me. I wasn’t as familiar with Blur as I thought I was, though I’ve always liked them because I love Gorillaz. This album put Blur on the map and it shows. I love how multi genre it is.
Really good. Way better than I remember it being when I tried listening to it the first time. In the context of Damon's career specifically, it's definitely a high point, but more in the local maximum sense. He definitely exceeded this with Gorillaz, particularly Demon Days and Plastic Beach, but this is a fundamentally different experience. It's more grounded, more true to its origins. Blur isn't making any wide-ranging statements on the nature of artistry, they're writing songs about being middle class blokes in Britain. And their tunes are great! Favorite Tracks: Girls & Boys, Parklife, Bank Holiday, To the End 4.5/5
I liked this one more than the other two Blur albums. It felt more interesting and I liked more of the songs. It's a lighter four. My favourite songs were Girls and Boys and Tracy Jacks.
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.
most average background music ive ever heard. second half is better.
Starts off with some very good songs but really fizzles out, should have been 20 minutes shorter. 3.5/5
This band is so much more annoying that it needs to be. So often the attitude gets in the way of good hooks, and cool tunes. One's given to wonder just how much better Blur might have been had the played it just a bit straighter. The cleverer the tune, the less the impact. "Badhead" and "To the End" and "Clover Over Dover" each suggest how they might have made songs that people just liked (rarther than wondering if or how they liked it). Just too much posturing and taking the piss. Pulp were better and certainly the Kinks, too. And one doesn't even much like Oasis but still prefer to this lot.
Better than expected, and it grew on me the more I listened.
I love a the satirical lyrics of the album and its depictions of different characters and aspects of modern life. Instant British classic with its mix of humor, timeless melodies and harmonies, and its new take on musical influences like the Kinks (harmonies and instrumentation of end of a century) and the jam (on songs like trouble in the message center and Tracy jacks). Even though the melodies seem familiar, all of the songs seem fresh and unique from each other so there was very few dull moments. It might not be perfect but my enjoyment of the album was a 5. Solid album but I also listened to all of Oasis-wtsmg today and they still are by far the best of Britpop. 👍: Tracy jacks, parklife, end of a century
TRACYYY JAAAACKS (OOO OOO OO OO)🗣️ Bank holiday is the perfect example of a good bad song. Like it’s verses are goofy and random. But the band is committed to the bit and ends up still making it a banger with some killer riffs & a dope chorus. I think that’s the mark of a solid band. To the end sounds like a Gorillaz song. Something off Plastic Beach. This album has no shortage of catchy hooks and dope sounds. This on surprised me with how much I liked it for sure
Yeah this album goes hard. So consistent. 52 minutes and not one of them wasted. Easiest 52 minutes ever. I felt that most of this album really wasn't vocally-driven, which was cool. Most of the vocals were pretty understated, and while complementing the rest of the music very well, it really allowed the instrumentals to shine. This album has everything; some more fun upbeat stuff, some incredible ballads, even a more punkish vibe bank holiday which was a dope twist. Blur made choosing the best tracks a very difficult task here, this album is seriously so consistently good. Also so insanely British. Clover over Dover is maybe the most broths thing I’ve ever heard. I love how it flows. 4 britpop bangers to start. punk switch-up, right into a cool ballad (Bedhead), then an instrumental, Far Out which almost seemed like an interlude, and flowed extremely well into our second ballad, To The End, 4 more britpop bangers, Jubilee which is another kinda vibe switch and right into the final ballad, This Is a Low. I know This Is a Low isn't actually the last track, but it's such a great emotional final piece to close the album. Lot 105 gotta go bruh😂, how you boutta end the album with that instead. I’ll be revisiting this for sure. Im not sure if I’d ever just play a single song though. If I’m listening to one I’m probably listening to everything; it’s that type of album. Best (not easy): This is a low, to the end, London loves, bedhead MMM: 🗣️LONDON LOVES🗣️ the way people just fall apaaaart 🗣️LONDON LOVES🗣️ the way you don’t stand a chaaaaaance PS: Been listening for the last hour deliberating over a 4 or 5. It’s 2am. Why am I letting this decision hold so much weight in my life?
4.8/5
Eh. Why are there Blur albums on this list? Like the others nothing is good about this album.
Was pleasantly surprised with this album. Britpop isn't usually my thing, and I've never cared much for Blur, but listening to this album left me in a good mood. It was fun and quite entertaining.
A good Britpop album, managed to fall asleep to it, but liked what I heard
I don't Britpop a lot but when I do, it's usually 'Parklife.' This was the only Britpop album I ever really got into - though I never actually owned a copy but I did borrow friends' copies a few times. The first few times I heard "Girls & Boys" I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it, but ultimately I decided I loved it. Then "Parklife" completely won me over - this stuff felt unlike anything else my young teenage ears had heard. Yet none of the other Britpop I heard around the same time did a lot for me, so I never really explored the genre all that much. And Blur sort of fell off for me a bit when "Song 2" became the most annoyingly overplayed song ever for a time. I've been meaning to do a full catalog exploration of their stuff for a while now, and this just reminds me that I should.
Boys and Girls is a great song, I didn't even know it was by Blur. The rest of the album is well done, but I couldn't imagine myself listening to it again. I think it's a bit long as well. I feel like I'm missing something, I don't understand why this album is so adored.
I really enjoy this album quite a lot. The variation in feeling across tracks makes it interesting. Favorite track: Trouble in the Message Centre
Blur doin their thing
Yeah this album was great. Variation in styles throughout, strong vocals and instrumentals. Favorite track: Trouble in the Message Centre
Damon Albarn must be protected at all costs
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.
The only Blur song to get regular airplay here is Song 2. This ain't anything like Song 2. I get the impression that this album is trying hard to recreate the feeling of a mid-period Beatles album with the shifting styles and songwriting. The production is good - it has some unquestionably 90s aspects but I'd argue it's aged better than some of it's peers. The album doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. I can see how and why this is on the list. I enjoyed this a lot more than Definitely Maybe. 3.5
Overall pretty interesting and worth a listen if you like Britpop
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?
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.
Who would’ve guessed that the band that made the hit song song 2 would make an album that sucks
Another potential grower. Could have seen myself endlessly replaying this on my CD player if it came out a few years later. 3/5
Very solid britpop album with only a few lower moments, mostly coming from the backend as it’s heavily front-loaded. The singles are great, especially the title track, and all songs are catchy and fun to listen to.
Garbage
Very fun album, I can see why britpop was a big thing for a while. Fav tracks: Girls & Boys, Bank Holiday, This is a Low
Had not heard of this group before. Was pleasant and right for the moment
girls & boys feel dragged on for too long i dont really like his singing here on tracy jacks and im not gonna explain why. end of the century has better singing i like this a lot best track so far parklife feels like something that would play in a 90s movie while someone is skating bank holiday we have some REAL ROCK N ROLL 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸 is it BAD to say that badhead sounds like radiohead. both in the name and the sound uhh the IRS when they come to my door: THE DEBT COLLECTOR 🤣🤣 far out is a little chill feels like a interlude ok to the end WE MADE ITTTTTT. very beautiful possibly the best track so far london loves i hate the bri ish trouble in the message centre i dont have much to say i like it clover over dover i really like this instrumental and the little o ohhh in the back i really like it 😀😀😀 magic america 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 its catchy i like it jubilee feels so familliar but i cant quite put my finger on it this is a low is the best track im going to kill myself this FUCKING GUITAR MAN WHAT THE FUCK!!!! lot 105 is a little chill outro
There are some good songs but this was really too long.
Banal. Stop trying to make Blur happen. It's not going to happen. Best track: To the End
I liked it. Great opening track 'Girls & Boys'. Also liked 'Parklife'. 4/5
I’m normally not a fan of anything britpop at all, but this one has a lot of quality stuff on it. Lots of different genres mixed in which keep it from getting boring. Overall I think it was really good. 7/10
shite
A lovely bit of Brit Pop
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.
Back to the 90s :-)
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.
A very different album. Not my cup of tea.
Fav tracks: Girls and Boys Everything else pretty mid
siedettävä, bank holiday, girls and boys ja a lot kivoja biisejä
Så kan jeg bedre lide Oasis
I didn't like these guys when I was a young person. They are alright to my old person's ears. I guess.
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?
I'm not sure I really need to listen Parklife again. Everything is so familiar. It's probably in my most played top 10 in iTunes, not to mention the endless CD plays going back over the decades. But whereas others on that list (HELLOOO Beatles) I can always return to, I'm not so sure about Parklife. It really was of its time. That time was full of fun and opportunities. It kinda all worked out OK. Girls and Boys is a brilliant disco rom; End of a Century is a little emotional. Bank Holiday gives you a good kicking. It's a four star album, reflecting not what I feel right now, but for what it has offered to me over the years.
Un disco que tiene buenos singles, muestra algunos destellos de lo experimental y tiene canciones olvidables. Es asi, la representacion, desgano y genialidad del britpop. Pero que se le va a hacer. A pesar de esto las letras son decentes y los riffs de guitarra destacan a momentos y hacen mas rica la escucha. 7/10
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
Very 90s Britpop, but it doesn’t quite resonate here and now.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz boring
Very mediocre, won't listen to this again
I like it. The overly Britishness of Blur just appeals to me I guess.
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.
I like many of the songs on this album. 'This is a low' being my favourite
Love! One of the best. Funny relatable lyrics. Accessible to the common man.
These guys want to be Gorillaz so bad. 8.2
Discazo, aunque lo conocía de antes 10/10
A fun early 90's romp. Not sure I will listen to it again.
Siis sinänsä tykkään alun soundista, mutta sitten joka biisi on oikeesti vain saman toistoa
Iskevä (joskaan ei erityisen HYVÄ) aloitusbiisi. Muuten levy jää jumittamaan minimaalisista aineksista venytettyihin täytebiiseihin. Ideoiden puutteessa voi tuntua riittävältä, että lisää biisiin jonkun jännän raidan erikoisella soittimella tai soundilla. Mutta ei se riitä.
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
Classic for a reason.
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.
Got some groove. Stylistically varied and fun.
I had never listened to this album. I kinda like. I think it’s quite good. Very peppy and poppy. Given the year it came out it wasn’t quite as “grunge” as the other stuff that was popular, at least in the States where I was. More specifically west coast. This type of music wasn’t getting played as much on popular radio. It certainly should have been. It has a very eclectic type of sound in the pop realm of things. The band shows a lot of range here. The punky pop sensibility of this album shows a sophistication in their writing. I’m really surprised at how well produced this is and they seem to really be enjoying the exploration and freedom that production brings. In all it’s a very good record.
Ass
The Blur have some good albums. This is not one of them.
blur is always a joy
Really shocked at how much I love this album. Full of great pop hooks and melodies and didn’t really encounter a bad song. Classic British pop and really reminds of London Calling by the Clash
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)
parklife dares to ask the question: "what if a handful of guys with absolutely no lyrical talent got together and made an unnecessarily long album?"
Nostalgia
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.
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.
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.
already listened to it, my favourite blur album, best britpop album
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.
It's the sound i love the most: tidy chaos
Fine, idk if I'd rate it a must-listen
In the collection already. Haven't heard for a while so good to give it a spin again.
Some good songs but can see why oasis won
ну я не знаю что написать у меня сегодня плохой день....
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.
One imagines that Blur saw themselves as chroniclers of the everyday on Parklife, the Kinks of the bold 1990s. However, they fail to rise above their own prurience, resulting in an album that comes across as a sneer of condescension at the lower orders. Add in Damon Albarn's unappealing foghorn voice and you've got a stinker on your hands. Worst live band I've ever witnessed, too.
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.
Good not great
Ooh! I know so much about Blur but have never listened to an album of theirs, exciting! I can hear the lineage, but their particular tambre is not for me.
Mid
IMHO, this is a classic. Not MY FAVORITE classic, but a classic none the less. This album has an actual arc from beginning to end (with some silly interludes and such as was the fashion of the time), and at least four 5/5 songs. That said, it's never gonna be a 5 for me. Always has been and most likely always will be a solid 4/5 for the amount of filler here. But those 5/5 songs are, and will continue to be, in the daily rotation. It's a great album.
One of the best British albums from this era. It is a stylistically very versatile record (synthpop, instrumental waltz, punk-rock and so on) with excellent songwriting and lyrics.
"Parklife" is the third studio album by English band Blur. It is one of the early albums in the emerging Britpop scene. Lead singer Damon Albarn said this was a loosely-linked concept album "travels of the mystical lager-eater, seeing what's going on with the world and comment on it." As weird as that sounds, I'll buy it. The song topics do jump around and the music genres kind of vary too. This album was a huge success in the UK, had four hit singles and was a big return commercially from their previous album "Modern Life Is Rubbish." The album gets going with their hit single "Girls & Boys." Synth pop with the synthesizer, a funky groove and a catchy chorus. What's this really about? The club scene? Free love? Sexual freedom? All the above? The fifth and last single "Tracy Jacks" is more pop-rock guitar driven. I like the nautical sounds at the beginning but I'm still not sure if the repetitive saying if Tracy Jacks is catchy or annoying. "End of the Century" is very much pop. The backing vocals remind me of The Beach Boys for some reason. The boredness of everyday life maybe. Phil Daniels gives some spoken word in "Park Life." Guitar takes the lead. Catchy chorus. Good song. Guitarist Graham Coxon said this was a sarcastic view on various working class people they saw when they walked to the studio. The second half of the album may not have quite the hit singles but probably my favorite songs. Their second single "To the End" almost has a baroque pop feel to it. Albarn on the synths and vibraphone. Sterolab's Lætitia Sadier on backing vocals. One of their best songs. The relationship is over, nothing in common. "Trouble in Message Centre" rocks it out a little more with the guitar and is my favorite song on the album. The catchy la, la, la, la chorus. Not clear but I'm guessing about doing drugs. Another second half highlight is "This is a Low." Soft, acoustic guitar, electronic guitar solo, majestic/epic sounding. Very British in describing a shipping forecast and a low-pressure weather system hitting. This album and Blur in general seem to get a variety of reactions. I always liked this album. No denying the number of very well-crafted catchy songs. My favorite Blur album is probably their last album "13" but this one is up near the top.
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.
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.
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.
Brilliant, as its follow-up
Probably the best Britpop album ever, and definitely the best one the generator has spat out for me to listen to so far. Close to perfection with lots of great songs and catchy melodies, but just a tad too long to justify a 5-star rating in my book.
If I'd known about this album and listened to it in 1994, I'd have thought myself one if the cool kids
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
Magnificent, fun - and even though it’s long it maintains it’s energy throughout. It’s out as a British baroque classic such as the Kinks’ Village Green - some of the Beatles’ McCartney contributions - while adding a new sound for the new era it resides in.
Why wouldn’t you just listen to Bowie or the Kinks?
Classic 90s indie/britpop Album starts very strong, wains a little in the middle but over all a good solid album from an excellent band Some songs have an flavour of the Beatles
aguante blur y aguante Parklife 9.5/10
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
La verdad es un disco de la puta madre. Muy del veranito y que la tapa sea toda amarilla lo hace mucho más recordable. Aparte es re flashero porque de alguna manera, en mi opinión, los temas son como de color amarillo. Hay temas que me rompen un poco las bolas onda Lot 105, onda dale hijo de puta termine el disco con This Is A Low y ya está si es un temazo (no se si no es el mejor del disco). Después Bank Holiday está fuera de tempo y obvio que está pensado así pero no me cabe. Ni en pedo es el mejor disco de Blur pero tiene el record de ventas así que competir compite. Lindo disco para romper todo pero también es re dominguero, una masa la verdad.
Me gusta pero es un poco largo. ya sabes que damon está re bueno por la voz tipo que va a ser un roñoso nasty twink simplemente lo sabes si yo nunca hubiera visto una foto de damon lo sabría entienden. Por otro lado las canciones me dieron ganas de saltar con gente en una fiesta pero estaba en un 47 así que no pude hacerlo. No lo pude terminar porque llegue al trabajo así que me quedaron creo 3 temas por escuchar. Por último quiero decir que es una gran banda, la verdad yo nunca escuche mucho a blur, pero de todas formas me gusta más oasis. La pelota no se mancha.
8/10 <33
uno de mis discos favoritos
Liking it so far. Every song has a flavour, but still cohesive. It does sound like Oasis and "brit pop" though which I didn't really know what it sounded like till now. Tinnny bit punishing. Wasn't blooown away but a solid 3.6, rounded to a low 4.
Well this is a fun little pop album, isn't it? I might be off-base, but sounds a bit like a 90's Sgt. Pepper's. I'm really into this on first listen, I'll have to make a point to revisit it soon, because it sounds like it'd be a lot of fun to sing along to. Plenty of hooks, which is how I like my music.
5 It makes me want to dance, so good
tope de gama
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.
Enjoyed it!
Loved 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.
Diverse and interesting punky Brit pop album.
Singles were fine, pretty mediocre
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.
Un super album de la part de Blur, qui passe en revue tous les trucs et astuces propres à l'art du créneau. On en ressort expert en marche arrière et en contrôle de rétroviseur, un délice.
7,5/10
Albarn doet de wel eens iets vreemd. Dat is op dit album niet anders. Wel een tof plaatje
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.
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
A fine rock album. Nothing really stood out as impressive or terrible, I enjoyed the listen but would probably not revisit when Gorillaz exists.
Some fantastic moments, Parklife alone brings this thing up by a star. However, I don’t quite see the impact of this album beyond leading to more interesting products in the aughts.
Somewhere between Oasis and Wire. Not bad.
rainy day reminiscing of sunshine outdoors 🤪
7/10
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 know a lot of the songs on this.
BritRock at its absolute toniest, great album, 4 stars.
First song is a banger, the rest is OK with a good vibe
eh…
A couple of songs that would get stuck in my head. I wish I had listened to this back when it was current.
Love it!
I remember when this came out the first time round/Everyone thinking there was a battle between Oasis and Blur/This was the beginning of the battle between the 'posh' and 'working class'/The Sun verses The Guardian/Mockney accents, Britpop, Loaded, Denise Van Outen, TGI Friday, Cocaine, Stella, Football/PARKLIFE! Best Tracks: Girls and Boys; Parklife; This Is a Low
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.
I was never really in to 90s Brit Pop. And I guess this is why.
Very British sounding rock. Not great, not bad.
Damon Albarn was the ultimate Britpop guy.
Buen disco de pop-rock muy inglés. De la ola de grupos de los 90
Meh
PAHKLOIF! Þrælskemmtileg plata.
Quite possibly my favourite britpop album of all time. 'Girls & Boys' and 'Parklife' are top notch tracks and deservedly so also smash hits for Albarn and co. 'To The End' and 'This Is a Low' are equally great, and it's great to see the lads having a sense of humor by closing on 'Lot 105'. Unlike other attempts at ending on a jokey song (looking at you Beatles), 'Lot 105' is a perfect ending capturing the atmosphere of the entire thing in one short catchy melody.
“When our third album comes out, our place as the quintessential English band of the '90s will be assured. That is a simple statement of fact. I intend to write it in 1994." - Damon Albarn, 1990
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….
Absolutely love this album. Classic 90s Brit pop
Way too many blur and blur adjacent albums on this list. Some good songs but so much of it blurred together.
Tracks: 1 2 3 4 6 9 15
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...
This album sucks
Blur won the Britpop wars in my mind. They're the most creative and consistent in fantastic albums of the 4. Damon Albarn puts the fun in music, and it's a shame they were never as popular in the US as Gorillaz. He's an enthusiastic and silly vocalist with comical lyrics and subjects (sometimes black humour that borders the line with serious like "Clover over Dover"). It's probably the most accessible Britpop album, full of incredible hits in the 1st half, and a diverse range of punk and folk tracks in the 2nd half, reminiscent of legends like Syd Barrett. This is my top recommendation to anyone getting into the genre, but to be fair I hate Oasis (too loud and annoying vocalist). There are so many unique and creative ideas in this album... There are only 2 or 3 songs that don't blow me away somehow. Impressive from a record with a 16 track listing. The production is incredible. Despite how busy it gets, I can identify everyone, and all the instruments and sound effects come together so naturally and purposeful. This is especially brilliant with how creative and interesting the instrumentation, incorporating many synths and production techniques along with back vocals and strange instruments to make it an engaging listen, picking out all the components. I couldn't see strange tracks like "Debt Collector" perfected so well by anyone else. Finally, the track order is pretty optimized. The 2nd half starting "Debt Collector" sets a slower and mystical setting, and each of the following tracks feel so naturally glued together. Yet each one has its own identity and pulls your attention. Personally, I argue this is their strongest album, but it really shows when their other albums have countless tracks that match the quality here.
Cheesy in places but still a classic
Used to listen to this album all the time
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.
Damon Albarn! Creator of the Ravenous Soundtrack. This album was pretty good. It was really interesting to see this album had such a different style to the Ravenous music, which I am deeply attached to.
Overall a bit laddy and immature, even though I was a teenager when this came out still felt the same, the album excels when it slows down a bit "badhead" & "End of a century" are fantastic and show glimpses of the later Blur I enjoy much more. would probably be more impressed with Parklife if it wasn't perhaps the most overplayed song ever on UK radio so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.
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 a very English album. What I mean is that Blur not only were a great brit-pop band, but their perspective is UK focused in a way that the Kinks were in the late 60s and early 70s. Nicely done lads.
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.
8/10 me gustó más q el otro q me mandaron de blur
Good fun, but there are a couple of duds and an interlude track that goes on far too long.
My son summed it up well when he asked, "Does this band have any good songs?" It's mostly intensely irritating clown music, with a couple of soppy melodramas. "Girls and Boys" is a definite highlight, but it's downhill from there.
4 - bit dated now but a perfect time and place album. For southerners though...
4.5
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%
It’s Damon Albarn! Everything he does is 5 star! Great album!
i listened to it and i cant remembert anything
nice h
Good album, would have to give it another listen for the songs I'm not as familiar with
Banger
Terrifyingly dull.
3.5 stars. 90's alt-rock. Nice vocals. Standouts "Magic America", "This is a Low".
Classic
Really boring and just not good
Girls & Boys - Not bad but not gonna go back to it. Found it too long. Tracy Jacks - I like this song. It's very catchy and I like the instrumental. End of a Century - Flew past me but I like the ahhhh in the background Parklife - Super cheery track from the bri'ish innit, sounds really good Bank Holiday - I didn't like this one very much just made me cringe tbh Badhead- So far the best song on the album I love this track The Debt Collector - Goofy ass beat bruh Far Out - idek what happened To the End - Hi french woman and I like the slowness of this, very peaceful London Loves - Not a big fan of this song the guitar solo in the back ruins it Trouble In The Message Centre - This one is cool, it feels robotic but not lame and the way everything comes in is very satisfying Clover Over Dover - This song is CRAZY good i love the instrumental usage and vocal symmetry Magic America - good song i like animal crossing k k slider noises Jubilee - Not a fan of this song either. Didn't click. This Is a Low - The music doesn't click for me, he says "and go to sleep" and it makes me want to Lot 105 - what in gods name is this bro. never getting the aux if you say you like blur and play this.
3.5 / 5 album. Has some very nice songs, but it's a bit too long of an album + it's a bit incoherent. Feels like a compilation album.