Parklife

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.

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

Ok.

Truly a formative album for me so it’s getting 5 stars. By the time that I started getting into rock and alternative music, Blair, we’re on the self titled album add Song 2 was all over the place. As a Canadian millennial, blur his first and foremost, known for their inclusion on Big Shiny Tunes 2-a truly formative text for us. I was unaware at the time that the direction Blur were heading in musically at that point was a departure from the previous sound. I started getting into this album Parklife when I started to do a real deep dive on Oasis and then by extension their Britpop peers. I listen to this album today and felt like I needed to immediately follow it up with the first two Oasis albums. I hadn’t heard any of these in 10 years and wanted to see how time had affected my perception of them. The Oasis albums are undeniable and have an amazing energy that even that band could not replicate. They are both masterpieces. Parklife though is so interesting. Lyrically it is so much more complex and actually dives into real subjects in songs instead of feelings, you can tell that these are very much more accomplished musicians working at the height of their powers. I believe I talked about this during my review of the self titled blur album, but I was at what was at the time meant to be the last blur show during their late 2000s reunion at T in the Park in Scotland in 2009. They nearly had to cancel the show, because Graham Coxon had food poisoning, and apparently had come right from the hospital to the venue amazing euphoric experience, though, as that crowd was primed to see blur, I had brought a bunch of signs for them, including someone with one of the milk carton guys on a stick that he was holding up in the crowd. The band did go on hiatus but then returned about five years later with a new album. But I was so proud that I had managed to see Blur before they had broken up. A few weeks earlier to the show, I had also seen oasis in Edinburgh. It was to be one of their last concerts before they broke up that fall. This is going to seem inconsequential to most people, but I was given advice on concerts from a coworker, Jason I have never forgot. He had gotten tickets to go see Pearl Jam, and wanted to know if I wanted to buy one of the tickets. The day of the concert, I had class the next day and was not doing great in school that year. Jason told me that whenever I had an opportunity to see a band, I should always take it. He said you would never know if they were going to break up before you got a chance to see them again. Thanks to him, I got to see the two Titans of Brit Pop in the UK, something I would likely never gonna get to do again. This is turned out to be the best advice in my life. Thanks, Jason.

Songs like Girls and Boys and Parklife have since lost their impact due to overplaying, but if you can approach with a fresh mind then this is still a great album. It's too long - 90s Blur albums almost always were. Damon and the band managed to strike a chord and find the zeitgeist with this album which made them into Britpop stars and you can see why - the number of hooks in each song are crazy. Personal favourites are Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, London Loves, Trouble in the Message Centre and This is a Low.

Fine line here between a 3 and 4, but overall I'm leaning to a 3 (no doubt if I'd heard this earlier in the list, it woud have been a 4).

Ok!

Good one. FAV tracks:tray jacks, girls & boys, london loves

Ensimmäinen kerta, kun kuuntelin albumin kokonaan alusta loppuun. Levyn alkupuoli ei jostain syystä oikein innostanut, vaikka sieltä löytyi kaksi aiemmin tuttua kappaletta – Girls & Boys sekä Parklife. Sen sijaan kuuntelu muuttui mieluisammaksi suunnilleen albumin puolivälin kohdilla. Suosikeiksi muodostuivat To the End, London Loves ja Clover Over Dover, mutta muut kappaleet eivät oikein tällä kertaa sytyttäneet.

Cut a few songs, and I'd rate this much higher. As it stands, there's too much bloat between a couple of immortal singles.

Very bouncy album! I really like it. Melodic punk.

This was just okay to me. Maybe I was having an off day. The Boys & Girls cover was the best part.

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.

Nice groove.

Jawel, ik kan dit beter waarderen dan vroeger. Grappige nummers zitten er tussen die ik niet kende

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.

Ik ben toch altijd meer een Oasis fan geweest. Maar toch kon ik dit wel waarderen.

Iets te brit-popperig waren ze hier nog. Latere albums zijn vele malen spannender en interessanter. Maar nog altijd geen vervelend album om zo eens een keer te draaien.

Een tijdje terug naar solo-optreden van Damon Albarn geweest. Dat zit nog in m’n hoofd. Dit kwam daarmee vergeleken wat kinderlijk over, maar kan ook aan m’n stemming hebben gelegen.

4. Would be 5 but too many aged lyrics.

Iconic. This was the beginning but really a continuation of the vibe that goes from the Kinks, The Who, The Jam and Squeeze to name a few. Quirk, fun and constantly re-inventing itself thanks to Damon's skill and inventiveness.

Not my style

solid album not my taste

Absolutely defining album of the '90s

Decent.

Disappointed not to find much in this beyond the singles. But they are great singles.

I totally enjoyed this album — need a bit more time to get a firmer handle on it, but this band was like a perfect cocktail of a whole swath of British pop/rock/punk that came before them. It was as if I could hear every influence (well, there's plenty I wouldn't know) but it never felt derivative or phony. Dug the sense of humor, liked the overall attitude. Not necessarily music I'm drawn to — I'm mostly unfamiliar with blur — but something I was happy to get turned onto. 3 seems like a low score, but I'm not at a 4, so that'll have to do.

In the Oasis vs Blur battle, I was definitely a Blur fan. I practically wore out my copy of this disc back in the day. But it’s been years since I’ve listened to it so I was curious how I’d feel about it today. And I still rather like it though I’d cut out about four of the songs as the albums drags a bit on side two. Having said that side two has two of their best songs (To the End and This is a Low). Anyway, the highs are still high but there’s more filler than I’d like, IMO. This is more like a 3.5, but i'll round up for nostalgia.

Started today's listen thinking "Blur" who the heck are Blur? Soon as the first note hits on Girls & Boys, I was reminded. I'm surprised Girls & Boys is not a TikTok classic for today's gender fluid kids. Reading the Wikipedia entry for this album, I see that there were a lot of comparisons between Blur and Oasis. I enjoyed Blur way more than Oasis and think they are simply a better band lyrically and musically. I enjoyed the ride and flow of this album. I'm going to explore more Blur!

One of the best British albums you're gonna get

Not my fav, must not be a Blur fan..

I really don't care for Britpop or Blur very much, although I think this album is decent for what it is.

90er u Britpop!

It's really pretty good. Nothing mind blowing like Damon Albarn's latest stuff, but we can hear some things shaping up to get there. It's an overwhelmingly British pop album, as well.

classic britpop 7/10

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.

Zo ontzettend Britpop. Ik begreep toen al niets van de “strijd” tussen Oasis en Blur (kwam van de broertjes Gallagher natuurlijk). Blur springt eruit met inventieve riffs, ritmes, britgekte, melodie, zwaar, ruig en pop-licht. Is natuurlijk voor al die Britpop gitaarbands die hierna kwamen een voorbeeld gebleven. Zonder Blur geen Franz Ferdinand en Stereophonics. Maar ook alle eigentijdse bands inspireerden elkaar, Travis, Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers. Mooi album, sterke nummers.

90s Britpop icon.

Boring

Iconic 1990s

Blur never really did anything for me - the battle of Britpop was a little too early for me, but being from Manchester, I can't not side with Oasis. Parklife is a cracking tune, the spoken word parts are pretty distinct compared with a lot of indie music of the era. Girls & Boys is good too, but the rest is a bit filler-esque. Lovely album cover though.

A very good album that has a stronger first half

Britpop classic. The first half is great.

A decent album but nothing to write home about. Not really into the Britpop scene. Oasis did it better.

There has been a lot of Britpop on this list. Some of it good, some of it pretty damn bad. But this is the first one that was FUN! Seriously! The others could be poignant or self-important or serious, but this one here was so damn fun at every turn. It had a smidge of bloat, could have been tighter in some places, but man I had a blast listening, and that's enough for 5 stars easily.

The sounds here feel closer to what I enjoy about Gorillaz, although it did have some dull moments.

Never cottoned to Britpop, but this was ok. I was more of a Leatherface or MBV guy, but this was good. I enjoyed the post-punk and Beatlesesque flourishes.

Sounds the same now as it did when it came out - like a teenage boy complaining about tidying his bedroom. The musical equivalent of Kevin & Perry. The music is ok, the vocals are a discomfort I don't want to suffer

Not bad. Not great. I guess this was Britpop/Britrock before Oasis came along and beat them at their own game. Stand out tracks: Girls & Boys, Parklife.

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.

Singing about the mundane and making it fun.

Like Girls & Boys en Magic America. Niet mijn type muziek, wel heel strak gespeeld. Sterk instrumentaal.

Good album. Gave me punk vibes, but not as loud and annoying.

It was rather enjoyable for the first half, just kinda uninteresting in the back half

It's amazing. Having only heard "Song 2" before I didn't know what to expect, but it blew me away.

Thought this was kinda bland. Guess I didn't get it.

运动听的还不错

an album im prettt familiar with, some classic songs but the rest is pretty boring.

I might just like everything Damon Albarn does

Meh ik kwam er niet in misschien dat dit beter wordt als je er vaker naar luistert

Un estandar del britpop de los años noventa. Sin embargo, como todo disco de una banda popular de su época, es menester avisar la fuerte contradicción entre los temas populares (ubicados en la primer parte del disco) y el resto. No esperen que todos sean iguales a Girls and Boys. Blur es Blur y el nivel de experimentación y sutileza en el comentario social a veces desvía la atención de los temas más pop.

Upbeat British pop/punk

Grest

sounds more diverse than i expected me likey: eh

Nisam ovaj album sluša nekih desetak godina. Jebeno je sjajan. Svaka stvar je drugačija.

When drawing the Brit Pop battle lines I stood on the side of the Northern pretenders Oasis. I always felt Blur were a bit of a joke band. Madness for the 90's... Therefore I never took much notice of this album past the odd single. I can appreciate it a bit more now, but still not one of their best moments in my opinion.

As good today as it was when it was released. A classic.

Good vibes. I’d totally listen to this again

Really enjoyed this one. Notable tracks "Boys & Girls", "Tracy Jacks", and "Parklife".

Super solid album. I'll always choose Blur over Oasis.

I liked this better than modern life is rubbish

Not as bad as I thought it might be, given that the singles off this are kinda irritating

Meh

Iconic album, forgot just how good this album is, filled with melodic pop throughout

Pretty fun, decent variety, didn’t listen too closely but nice enough in the background

Fun and creative album. Really outstanding bass, guitar and vocal melodies.

One of my favourites for years.

Another generic Brit pop album.

Was okay liked the top songs rest kind of blurred into the background… pun intended

Bit of a mixed bag to be honest but good

Étrangement sympathique

maintenant que j'ai écouté tous les albums de blur de la liste je peux dire avec certitude : ouais bof non ??

Great punk album, but it's not for me

Yes, this record is the utimate summation of Britishness during the nineties--with a lot of it still relevant today, from cynicism about everyday life in England to sudden bursts of romanticism and hope. Iconic AND lively. And essential for fans of British rock at large. But beyond its topical contents, *Parklife* is first and foremost an incredibly adventurous album transcending its original britpop genre like no other record before. What a ride it is, from the exhilarating disco parody of "Girls And Boys" up to epic closer "This Is A Low" (I swear I can sense the wind blowing across the white cliffs of Dover or Brighton when I'm listening to this one). And this counting everything in between, of course, including all those wonderful earworms along the way ("Tracy Jacks", " End of A Century", "To The End", or that insanely cinematic title track and its hilarious unreliable narrator--foretelling stuff like Yard Act in 2022). A great, great album that honors that old Kinks tradition in ways that can make Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree proud today. And the best LP Blur has ever released, period (with the eponymous one in tow right behind it). On a sidenote: I'm also a huge fan of Mogwai, and so felt quite saddened when the latter tried to ignite a war of words with Blur at the end of the nineties (as if those two bands were from the same sort of league anyway...). I've just read today that Stuart Braithwaite kind of admitted all of this was a little immature on his part, that he actually met Grahan Coxon quite a few times since the time of that quickly-aborted public feud, and that Coxon has been nothing but awfully nice to him, even with that story between them... At least *one* member of Blur is a high-class act, or so it seems... I'm only telling this story to raise one little question: how come there's no album by Mogwai to be seen anywhere on this list? What do Dimery and co. have against post-rock and other similar genres like that? Beats me, really... Maybe they were such fans of Blur that they decided to boycott a whole genre as a retaliatory measure, ha ha. If that's the case, well, come on, guys, please reconsider. It's all water under the bridge now, is it not? Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 861 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 77 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 34 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 29

Girls & Boys is a bop

Much better than ’modern life’

Truly one of the Beatle’s best

eccentric, indie, funky, jammy, Beatle’s inspired

Great 90s Britpop album. Many surprises. I hadn't heard anything from this album before as I was young when it came out 3.8 stars to start

Kinda weird. Pretty groovy. Some good stuff. Kinda liked it.

I mean it's a good and a classic album, but it's all very samey/samey. Some good songs on there still

Me gusta este disco, pero prefiero el homónimo.

It's a great album. You have to look past the title track and just fall into and enjoy songs like This is a low and To the end

Some killer. Some filler. Not my favourite Blur album. Peak Britpop Blur are this and the next album. They get a bit weirder later in the decade which I prefer.

Girls & Boys is really good.

So many great tracks

This band reminds me a tiny bit of The Jam and other British bands of that ilk. It's an interesting take on pop and I like it.

After touring, Damon Albarn became increasingly influenced by the shift in 60s songwriting which is exemplified in the Beatles and the Kinks. These influences are reflected in this album which manages to incorporate a dizzying array of sounds ranging from experimental 60s rock, to more punk like and electronic sounds. The lyrical content similarly treads the familiar ground of disaffected middle class life. What I love about this album is it’s undeniably British aesthetic and its folding of so many styles into something cohesive and new.

at the moment I liked this album the most of the proposed options, it has everything, and something calm and something driving, there are serious songs and sad ones, and there are simple and foolish ones at first glance

The singles for this are cool and it's not a bad listen overall. It's a consistent sound and vibe and it has its place as an influential British rock album. My gripe is that I'm kind of tired of Damon Albarn's recent saturation in today's music, so it colors how much I would enjoy this. I also think there are better British rock albums out there

I listened to the album while cutting the grass so my full attention was not given and the album was more or less background music. I wasn't too familiar with any of the songs except the first track "Girls & Boys," and that is because the chorus sounded familiar. Overall the album wasn't bad but when Parklife came out in 1994 my musical tastes weren't too diverse. I was super into hip-hop and rap so I wouldn't have sought out this album.

Was pretty good, I liked most of the tracks.

It's a bit longer than it needs to be but there's a lot more to this than many other britpop albums. The interludes are fun, the ballads are really effective, and the singles do indeed slap

Leuk bandje. ***

never really got the hype for this album - just ok for me

Great to revisit this album.

Man, Damon Albarn's voice is grating

Tracy Jacks is annoying, and it's taking all I have to not skip it. Parklife is the first song that is tolerable so far... Okay album got much better after the first 3 songs. Thought it was going to be a 1, but it's earned a solid 3.

Brings back memories. There are some undeniable belters on this album but it does lose its way a little in the middle which stops it from being a 5

Interesting...not what I expected, knowing only Song 2. I like End of a Century and Tracy Jacks was kind of catchy. This is definitely not what I anticipated. Far Out is cool. To the End even has some Serge Gainsbourg vibes, what even is this album?! I feel like this album is so chaotic--I think it's a 3, 3.5 in terms of the music, but I want to round up a point just because it's so crazy.

Not bad, but mostly unmemorable. I liked Girls & Boys which I swear I've heard in a movie or show or something but I can't think of where.

Good pop songs with some brains and some F-you behind them.

Blech

I remember a lot of this in the background in the 90s and didn't mind hearing it now. It was OK

I had never heard any of Blur’s work apart from Girls & Boys. This album is mediocre at best. It feels like it was stretched out by songs that serve zero purpose other than to take up time (Such as Lot 105 which is basically just glorified Wii Sports music). The album feels like it got by with the bare minimum. It’s not horrible, it just feels like so much more could’ve been done. The best songs are This Is a Low and Girls & Boys.

Good album just nothing too special. I prefer later Blur when they got more alternative. Brit-Pop is just not really my thing, but this is a great Brit-Pop album.

Good album. I enjoyed this much more than expected.

fun, electric, groovy, goofy

It doesn’t pack as much of a punch as it did in the nineties, it is eclipsed but Blur’s self titled album, but I’ll still give credit to this album for representing that certain time and place it came from [probably] better than any other album.

15th May 2022 Listened in the morning when working from home and on the way to the supermarket. Watched the outfit in the evening. Love a bit of Brit pop. Again it’s the new fresh sound and a nod to the whimsy of bands like the Beatles. Albarn is a master of writing about regular life.

Classic

I always had a soft spot for Blur during the Britpop War days. Parklife makes me smile every time and plenty of other great tracks.

I can see why this could be quite a divisive album as it definitely does have the potential to grate with the mockney stuff - but the strength of the genuinely good tunes pulls it along. Tracy Jacks, EoaC and Badhead are great and should have been the lead singles!

Britpop de Blur. Ningún megahit. Un 4.

ikkje mitt favoritt blur-album, men ganske bra likavel

Hadde kje så store forventninga, men kunne hørt albiet igjen. Litt for langt, som dei fleste albi fra CD-ens storhetstid

- i see Blur i press like - I like how at some places it's raw like those dogs on the cover (Parklife, Jubilee, Girls and Boys..), just barking at me and then its mellow and I'm bathing in Damons voice (This is a low, End of a century, To the end). - very fun. i can easily put this and listen to the whole thing and stop doing whatever I was doing

The sound of summer 1994, very proud I had a pre-release tape of this! Evocative of OJ's white Bronco and the Romanian football team. Would be a 5 from Badhead alone but the dreadful title track drags it down a bit

Shannah like - 2.5 Bill expected better from a band with such a good reputation - 2 Conor like - 4

I was more of a Great Escape fan and I always felt occluded from liking this one. It doesn't feel as accessible as The Great Escape.

Never really understood why people love that band so much, and I still don't. Some good songles here and there, but mostly boring in the long run. Maybe a greatest hits would be more suited for a casual like me.

Too long of an album, but some great songs in the lot.

Ok but ok

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 though Modern Life Is Rubbish was pretty good but I think I liked this one more it still felt proggy but with a lot more tasteful instrumentals I think also Lot 105 and Supa Shoppa made me feel like I was in Napoleon Dynamite which is a massive plus overall super enjoyable album, I don’t think I have any complaint other than the super corny bri*ish accents still I think this album deserves a 10/10, I really loved it

I had mentioned before about the BritPop documentary. Again, all I really knew about Blur before that was "Song 2" (woo hoo.). This album really puts them in a new light. It really gives you a feel of Britain, I think. The songs don't drag on, and the instrumentals blended in pretty well with the songs. Watching the videos did not really give you insight to the songs, particularly "To The End". I am still not 100% sure what that was about... Anyway I felt that this whole album was a bit more tongue in cheek than they were letting on. But not being from England, there were probably more in-jokes that I was missing. Still, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting.

I wish I would've given the self-titled Blur album a 3 because this album is definitely better but doesn't feel good enough to be a 5. They do some different stylings really well - synthpop/rock (see Depeche Mode) on Girls & Boys, Brit-style spoken word/rap/rock mix (see the Transplants) on the title track, punk on Bank Holiday, classic Britpop (see, um, Blur) on End of a Century. It's an eclectic mix. But there's also some excess / filler / unnecessary stuff - it doesn't need 16 songs, 10 might have been about right. I thought songs 6-9 were kind of boring and meandering but the album regained some steam with London Loves and Trouble in the Message Centre (felt a bit like the Cars here). Jubilee was also a lot of fun on the back end.

Big fan of 'Girls and Boys' and 'Parklife' already. Lovely basslines and guitar. Very listenable album. I liked the more serious sound of 'This is a Low'.

Cest moyen, franchement je m'attendait a un peu mieix consirant leir aitre album sir la liste 3.

cool and fun 4.5

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.

just okay for me. Liked the first song a bit.

I forgot how great this record was, the crown jewel of the Britpop genre. Feel like these guys never fully made it outside of the UK, there’s a lot of bands that I will never understand how they didn’t become huge worldwide, Blur is one. I guess Damon Albarn finally got his due with the Gorillaz but really this should’ve been the album that made these guys gigantic stars. Sadly only in the British Isles…

Some songs had potential and others were just weird. I like Blur but this album was kind of a let down.

Reconheci alguns dos hits.

An album that really defined the Britpop scene. I've never really listened to Blur other than the the hits, and this album was a surprise. It's a nice patchwork of different genres and different tones, all woven together into a cohesive album. Definitely one to listen to!

0couldn't listen through the first two tracks - skipped through, stopped and listened to a couple more tracks but I found nothing that is "must hear".

There were parts of this I really enjoyed and parts of this I absolutely did not. I’m not sure if I wasn’t in the right mood to enjoy it all or if I really just disliked certain tracks. There were a few on here I can see myself going back to, but unfortunately there are a few I won’t give a second chance.

Bit irritating but biped around in a cardigan to this a lot

Fun, alternative album.

Really enjoyed, not stellar, there's a few on here that are pretty boring. However, I would definitely come back to this if given the option.

some singles I knew, and can see why they were the singles, rest is circus fillers

A classic blur album with all the blur trappings.

I was surprised at how widely varied the tracks on this album are. There is brit pop, brit punk, brit rock... it doesn't all work, but there are some definite highs (ironically This Is a Low is one of my favorites). Pretty enjoyable album, but uneven.

3/04/22

I quite like the funny lyrics at the start, as well as the peek into British culture. After that, the songs kind of went into a blur (pun intended) and overall this album just doesn't leave you with a feeling that it was all that. Perhaps it was because it was too long?

Largely enjoyable. I knew Girls & Boys and Parklife before, and I do think these remain the highlights of the album. I also particularly liked London Loves. It starts to drag a bit at the end.

Ok

Album is all over the place, with a handful of excellent songs.

What a banger! 8/10.

Looking for girls who want boys Who like boys to be girls Who do boys like they're girls Who do girls like they're boys Always should be someone you really love

💯

eu não lembrava que blur era tão bão

Empieza muy bien y volver a escuchar las conocidas fue muy bueno, pero hacia el final 16 se sienten pesadas. Songs: Boys and Girls, Parklife

Lo dije cuando nos tocó otro de Blur hace unos meses: "Por mí, para oír a Blur, tiene que ser un disco de éxitos y a la mitad ya estuvo." Este no es la excepción aunque sí me gustó más que el otro (Modern Life Is Rubbish). En definitiva, mi favorita es Boys & Girls, y creo que después de esa (que es la primera) el disco no vuelve a tener un pico.

I knew of Blur, but somehow made it this far without realizing this was a Damon Albarn project. Also they’re a solid coupla decades more recent than I’d assumed for some fuckin reason. Any case, I had fun with this one, probably one of the better entries out of the kind of stuff rock bands were putting out during the 90s.

I like Boys & Girls but the rest of the album is alright.

Very eclectic mix on this album, it's got a lot of variety in the sounds but keeps the strong British vibes that Blur gives off. Enjoyed quite a few songs, some were just ok but overall good album and a fun listen.

I was really excited to see another blur album pop up, but a bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy it as much as their self-titled album

Great album. I vividly remember my sister got a CD player and this album, back in 94, for her 15th birthday. She played this album a lot and I always kinda liked it. Haven't played it in years but it's still great.

as English as tuppence, mockney Britpop

Wasn't as special as I remembered it.

Really enjoyed this one. I'm definitely gonna need to revisit.

As some may know, I got the full CD experience of this album with the Radio Promo copy I happen to own. Regardless, while I was delightfully impressed by how good the first couple songs were, the rest didn't really cut it for me. I don't consider myself to be too big on Britpop but this album isn't as bad as I had expected it to be. It does have it's ups and downs. 3/5, favorite songs: Girls & Boys, End of a Century, This is a Low

I liked Blur's more experimental albums a bit more than this one, but it's still a really decent britpop album.

GIRLS WHO ARE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS TO BE GIRLS/10

Can really hear the connections to Gorillaz. Dynamite drums, vocals lost me some, but decent effort nonetheless.

Loved this my first listen In the 90’s and love it still.

Fabulous and so nostalgic for me. I remember seeing Blur perform Park Life on The Word!

He gets intimidated by the dirty pigeons They love a bit of him

Bank Holiday I could do without, but otherwise what a lineup of delicious Britishy pop.

awrrrrrrrr

very impressed!

even "girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys" can't save this massively meh album

nice blur!

I can't believe how many Brit-pop genre albums there are on this list. Like most of them, I don't have anything against this album. It's good, catchy, and well-produced, but I also don't find anything super special about it. I actually liked this more than most of the Brit-pop albums I've heard so far, but still I'm going with 3 stars.

Cool parts but then they sing

3.5/5. Couple bangers, but The Bends is king of Brit-Pop

Não ouvi tudo, confesso porém curti a vibe

Не мое

Britpop de Blur. Ningún megahit. Un 4.

It was just alright, smiths vibes with some songs

Thought it was great

1994 - English Rock

Some good songs, which are the classics, but other than that, meh. A bit childish.

First half of the album was good, tapered off in the back half

Some of their biggest hits but not blown away overall.

I liked that it was a concept album and that it was interconnected. I enjoyed parts and then some pieces went well over my head 😂 That being said, I’d give it future listens.

I really wanted to like this more than I did 😭 A couple of great tunes (Boys/Girls far and away the best)… I guess it’s always just been the Gorillaz for me.

I have an instinctive dislike of this record since I was in the North during the Britpop Wars. The singles are fun, although Boys and Girls is impossible to sing along to. Parklife has become so much part of culture that it's hardly a song anymore. On this album, Blur don't really seem to know what they want to be, beyond the novelty singles and the cod chanson it's all a bit forgettable. And don't get me started on the bleated mockney vocals. Ultimately, Mogwai put it best: Blur are shite.

Really puts an end to the Oasis/Blur schism, Blur are without doubt the superior group. This record is a conceptually vibrant masterpiece full of well thought out narratives and perfectly executed rhythm. Parklife is easily my favourite ever Blur song.

Has a handful of good songs most of this drones on and all sounds the same.

Liked it

Not really a fan. I enjoyed maybe 2 songs. I imagine it's just not my style of music.

Never really listened to this album. Heard the singles obviously, but Bur were never really my cup of tea.

Classic tunes. Listen to more of this when you have time.

Pretty good britpop 3

i do not like this album quite as much as modern life is rubbish, but, good job damon. great listen.

Up there with the best britpop albums an absolute classic. Just misses out on 5 stars due to my personal preference of preferring oasis, and the verve.

Oh, I remember when this album was brand new. It is packed full of quality singles and the rest of the album is clearly the spiritual descendant of The Kinks' Arthur album, capturing a snapshot of London life (or their interpretation thereof). My favourite track is "This Is a Low", which uses the UK shipping forecast as an effective way of soothing a broken heart. I can testify that this song does what it needs to do and was what got me though the turmoil of 2000.

It's got a lot of filler but some of it is awesome

just as I remembered it

Genre: Britpop 3/5 One of the genre’s biggest records, Blur’s Parklife is a hodgepodge of gritty Britpop singles and absolute faff, as the Brits might say. Girls and Boys represents some of the best ideas the genre ever had, while the 3-song run of Badhead-The Debt Collector-Far Out is an exercise in how much they can get away with. While Albarn’s concepts would come to greater fruition with his Gorillaz project, there’s something here for everybody to enjoy, but plenty to ignore, as well. Definitely more for fans of the genre.

Such a soundtrack to my Uni days and the whole 1990s. Spikey, quirky, Brit pop, indie, truly English. Literally just two or three obvious fillers. A really good album alongside Different Class from that Brit pop 90s era.

Kolejny blur na liscie, dzien w ruinie, jest to rzeci studyjny krazek bandy, ale chyba pierwszy ktory przyniosl im mainstreamowy sukces, bo jak pan Damon powie, ze zrobi album, ktory kazdemu anglikanowi sie spodoba i w radio beda go grac, to tak bedzie, jest to kompilacja najbardziej mialkich popowych kawalkow utrzymanych w klimacie okolo synthowym polaczonym z brzmieniem alternatywnego rocka, wiec typowy britpop, jak przystalo na wyspiarska muzyke z lat 90, o ile szanuje Damona za muzyke, ktora tworzy w gorillazach, tak jestem hejterem blura, bo nie slychac przez kogo jest tworzona muzyka, wszystko brzmi jak muzyka tworzona przez nikogo dla kazdego, wiec masa instrumentow, synthow i mialkosc liryki dobija przez cale 16 trakow rozciagnietych na 52 miniuty, najblizej prawdziwej muzyki stoi chyba tytulowy traczek, ktory featuruje dodatkowa narracje, wiec nie sam pan Damon opowiada historie, jak na reszcie plyty, chociaz reszta bandy wspiera go typowymi chorkami, kolejnym trakiem wartym uwagi z tych 16 bedzie otwierajacy girls&boys, ktory przywodzi mi na mysl tworczosc The The przez ten dencingowy beat oparty na synthach, ale na plejke dodam jedynie parklife, pewnie nie jest to ostatnie spotkanie z blurem, bo przeciez chluba brytyjskiej muzyki popularnej

es brit pop, algo nuevo aunque el sonido me recuerda a otros artistas, pero venga era 1994, era europa

Yes, it's a good one.

6/16=38%

Thumbs down

I enjoyed this album. There was enough quirk on here to make it seem different. And it helped that I've been looking to listen to this album for a very long time because I saw the cover one time and thought it was terrifying. Tracy Jacks was one that stuck with me after listening.

This is a really weird album. It starts out as some quirky British alt-punk but from track to track there's really no telling what genre will be fused in. As a whole it makes for a jarring experience, one I'm not exactly interested in revisiting. Even a couple tracks on here that I straight up skipped. But on a few, the stars aligned and I enjoyed the weird variety show. I can't personally call it great, but it's good enough for how off-the-wall bizarre of a ride it is. Favorite tracks: Clover Over Dover, London Loves, Lot 105, Parklife. Album art: Have definitely seen this before, along with a lot of Blur projects, so I've always been interested to know what they sound like. After this album, I still don't know what they sound like. But the dog racing pic is very cool. 3.5/5

the album really isn't like "song 2" which is a good thing