Parklife

Very solid album, I think I sleep on Blur a bit.

Still sounds so good.

Very very very good, this is the kind of album I love. Kinda like The Smiths and David Bowie with a little modern hyperpop feel, idk. I really liked it so much 5//5 would listen again

7 / 10

Expected to enjoy. But felt like a long annoying album

Not bad

I certainly wasn't expecting two Blur albums to make this list. But I guess if Captain Beefheart is here, anyone can make it. I like Blur, and actually knew a few of these songs before listening today. Plus Greyhounds on cover.

Pretty cool.

Blur is an incredibly boring band.

About as low as a three can get

'sok!!! i'm not a huge fan

damon albarn has my freaking number i stg

Fine

This album kind of sucks sorry

Clever cockney bastards. A solid album, with clever licks, on-point lyrics and entertaining filler.

5/10 - too long but some good tunes

There are a couple of good songs on here, but a lot of this album just isn't a great listen. The highs are decent, but there's too much here that I don't really enjoy.

Despite Damon's mockney affectations, the first half of this is pretty much flawless - the absolute pinnacle of 90s britpop. Trails off a little in the second half but finishes strong. At least 5 or 6 brilliant tracks and some of the best guitar work of it's type - Graham is clearly the hero of the era. Umming an ahhing over the 4/5 boundary until Magic America, which seals the 4 - still, great work that stands up 30 years later.

I had hoped it was better than it was. Still pretty good but not my favorite Britpop.

Brits

Bon mais pas aussi bon que vanté

El documento definitorio del Britpop noventero que ha envejecido bien como una radiografía sociológica incisiva, ingeniosa y llena de vitalidad melódica. En el plano de diseño formal, la producción de Stephen Street articula un abanico estilístico sumamente heterogéneo que, si bien suena un poco disperso al saltar abruptamente del pulso de club y el punk de garaje a la balada orquestal y viñetas de feria, logra dar claridad instrumental a cada viñeta sin perder la fibra eléctrica de la banda. La interpretación del cuarteto desborda una fuerza y calidez que transmiten una innegable autenticidad, otorgándole a Blur una autoridad superior dentro de la escena internacional al capturar las contradicciones de su tiempo con precisión de orfebre. Piezas como la ironía danzante de "Girls & Boys", el humor callejero de "Parklife", el desencanto íntimo de "End of a Century" y la sobrecogedora belleza melancólica de "This Is a Low" dan forma a un documento conmovedor, crudo y real que opera como un sutil llamado a la conciencia sobre el tedio cotidiano, la alienación del ocio de masas y la fragilidad emocional oculta tras la máscara del sarcasmo. Su vitalidad rítmica y sus contrastes dinámicos dotan a la obra de una gran versatilidad para múltiples usos, destacando como un acompañamiento vigoroso para el ejercicio, la conducción despierta o para activar la mente en el trabajo creativo.

The singer's thick drunken-English accent takes centre stage here. Apart from a few key tracks, and a couple of underwhelming stinkers, most of the 16-track setlist is pretty good but nothing more. Girls & Boys is a complete mess vocally, but everything else about it screams polished pop-punk. Which, to be clear, is a good thing. I especially love the bass part. The melody, though inarguably annoying, also proves entertaining. Lyric shoutout: "Girls who are boys / Who like boys to be girls / Who do boys like they're girls / Who do girls like they're boys". Tracy Jacks does noticeably better with its melodymaking. I like the falsetto "woo-oo-oo-oo"s, and the guitar and bass tones. And the whole thing feels very complete, with nods all over the place to pop, punk, rock, new wave, glam (Bowiesque glam), and so on. In End of a Century, it's a little difficult to focus on anything other than Albarn's thick English accent. At least the instrumental part at the end is shockingly great and easily makes up for Albarn's past crimes. The title track does well at dosing listeners with a ton of back-to-back hooks and tidbits of sonic interest, with varying degrees of success. My favourite part has got to be the simple yet headstrong chord progression. Oh, and the bicycle bells. (I think that's what those are.) Bank Holiday is quintessential "it's punk so I should break music conventions even if doing so makes the song sound objectively worse". That missing half beat might not seem like much but it throws off the entire bar each time it appears. Fortunately, the excellent drumming and basswork make up for it. Badhead is a return to relative normalcy and sports a lovely soft rock sound (à la Eagles). The gentle guitar sound gets a big thumbs up from me. While I'm tempted to give The Debt Collector a failing grade, it honestly works well in the context of the album, and that goofy brass-based waltz would be one of the star tracks on most of the hip-hop entries on Dimery's list. Far Out, though, is just severely underwhelming compared to all the other tracks, not to mention forgettable. The only real miss so far. To the End has strings. Nuff said. It also manages to be the very rare carnival-sounding track that genuinely is one of the best on the record. (Mr Kite, on Sgt. Pepper's, also has that distinction.) Plenty of light whimsical synths, and brazen boops and binky bonks, in London Loves. Fun, but not quite highlight-status. The singer isn't trying at all in Trouble in the Message Centre, but at least there's beep boop. And la-la backing vocals, I suppose. Clover Over Dover might be one of the goofiest track names on this list outside of Beefheart/Zappa releases. The song itself is pretty fun but nothing super special. Magic America, though? A slightly confusing melody and vocal delivery, but everything else is pretty dang solid. Especially that chorus. (La-a, la la la la.) Though Jubilee sort of just repeats the same chorus hook ad nauseam for almost three minutes, it's a pretty strong hook, and the brass gives the song a nice edge. This Is a Low, with its crazed bendy guitars and finale-like atmosphere, is a late-album high point (ironic, ha-ha, etc.). Lot 105 isn't. 3/5 Key tracks: Tracy Jacks, Parklife, To the End, This Is a Low

Definitely wasn’t expecting this to be so good. Something was telling me this would be a basic Brit pop album with not a lot going on. I was pleasantly proven wrong, this album has an excellent blend of somewhat psychedelic and silly instrumentals but keeping the raw Brit pop feel. Everything fits together nicely making a fun listening experience. Parklife feels like it sums up the British experience in an album. Almost every song is memorable and tells a story that most British people can relate to. The musicianship is great especially the bass playing. The mix feels huge and you can easily get immersed in the music. The album cover ties everything together and makes me think of a grimy council estate with the sickly colouring and loose dogs. The album is definitely targeted towards that kind of audience. It’s extremely difficult to choose a favourite song because they’re all excellent. Standout tracks though are definitely Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, London Loves, Magic America and Jubilee. Girls and Boys is a song that makes you want to get up, dance and sing along. It’s such a groovy tune and the bassline is funky as hell which I didn’t expect even though I have heard the song many times. Magic America feels like a very sarcastic take on how the English view America with the lyrics being about shopping malls and giant buildings and junk food. Jubilee looks at the life of a lazy teenager that does nothing all day which is the reality for lots especially today, almost everybody probably knows someone like this. The meanings behind the songs hold up well in today’s world which makes the album still feel fresh adding more to the immersion of the album. This is definitely the best Brit pop album I have heard as of yet.

While I do complain about the excessive amount of britpop/rock albums I have gotten so far on this list and the lack of albums in other languages or for different countries, this does have some kinda fun songs and it sounds well. It is still not memorable outside a couple ones for me to must listen before I die to get on the 4-5 star rating

Ah this is why the Gallagher bros hate Blur, not that I hated it but I can see Liam drunkenly cursing at the radio at these “fuhkin’ silly cunts”. I liked the other Blur entry quite a bit more as it leaned more Sonic Youth than this too cool for school pop. I usually give credit for joy taking yourself too seriously but this just seems like they’re trying too hard to not try hard.

4.0 catchy bunch of songs,

Some good tracks but also some weird noises

Achei agradável do início ao fim, e tem algo de único no estilo deles. Muito mais artístico e interessante de conhecer do que muito dos álbuns dessa lista, então vai 4.

it was cool when they all shouted out PARKLIFE though i imagine that wouldnt be taken well in a public british park

ну вроде норм, а вроде и не зацепило, есть и позвонче песни у них.

Honestly most of these attempts to be charming and quirky came off as grating to me

An enjoyable run through some British punk!

It's the 6th form common room, March 1994, and the indie kids are huddled round a Walkman, straining to hear the previous evening's taped Evening Session from some bent back headphones, when the penny drops. "They've Gone F****g Disco!" Us indie kids weren't ready. We loved "Modern Life Is Rubbish", we wanted the Sugary Tea tour on loop, and, in the words of "Blue Jeans", we wanted them to "stay this way for ever". But sadly our heroes were restless - the indie disco was no longer enough for Blur. They wanted real nightclubs, real dancing, and real money. The shoegazers and the baggy chancers were always giving it "there had always been a dance element to our music" but this was different. This wasn't just dance music, it was POP music - and it wasn't just ours anymore. It was too good. Too commercial. Too confident. It turned out that confidence was a preference after all: Blur (pushed on by Food records) had decided they were going to be massive, had written the songs to back it up, and sure enough, Girls and Boys went to number 5, and the bigtime arrived: the Radio One breakfast show, advert billboards, Mile End, Brit Awards, TFI Friday, Tabloids, CD clubs advertising "Parklife" on the back of the Radio Times for the next five years. They definitely weren't ours anymore. Musically, the signs had been there all along, and Blur had already shown more range than most - they'd already navigated from shoegaze to noise-rock to baggy to music hall to pub singalong, but no-one expected Blur to make Sgt Pepper for the 90s. But Parklife was that good, and more than 30 years later, it still just about works. Like Sgt Pepper, the expanded musical pallette allowed them to use the medium as the message - a song about 18-30 holidays could be delivered as eurodisco; a song about the great British park could actually sound like a ranting tramp at a bandstand singalong; a song about a doomed love affair could be soundtracked with film noir strings. Somehow, Stephen Street managed to keep it coherent and focused - the band's influences were all over the place at that point, and they're often very overt: Pink Floyd on "Far Out", Talking Heads on "London Loves", music hall skits and lift music and god knows what. The b-sides were even more nuts - they had a reasonable crack at a modern jazz parody on "Beard" (sadly relegated to the b-side of Parklife), and the very best b-side of them all: Magpie: a jangle-guitar setting of William Blake's "A Poison Tree" ("I was angry with my friend I told my wrath, my wrath did end"), taken from 1794's Songs of Experience, which had previously been set to music by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1958, and by Benjamin Britten in 1965. Something tells me Streety wasn't getting this sort of thing with Jesus Jones. Alongside Damon's musical poncery, unlike "The Great Escape", it does sound like Graham is still having fun at this point - his crunchy new wave interjections ensuring that "Girls and Boys" wasn't pure disco cheese, and the gorgeous Marr-esque countermelody in "Clover Over Dover" which help make it one of the melancholic highlights. Lyrically, "Clover Over Dover" is like a less lyrical "Shakespeare's Sister", and, given Blur's Who obsession, I've always wondered if this was the tongue-tied song of Jimmy, at the end of Quadrophenia, in which the mod dream plummets over the white cliffs (which would make it Phil Daniels' second appearance on the album!). It also resonates with the maritime malaise of the other standout ballad - the peerless "This Is A Low". Having introduced us to Jim and Susan a couple of years previously in "For Tomorrow", Damon brings in characters, everywhere: Jubilee, Tracy Jacks, Bill Barrett - they're all fun, but when compared to their 60s forebears - Lola, "Arnold Layne", Tommy, and even the dedicated follower of fashion - they do feel a bit contrived. Damon's newfound reliance on third person perspectives could be partly due to Parklife's spiritual origins in Martin Amis' 1989 novel "London Fields", which Damon read while on tour in the US in 1992, and which is woven throughout the album. Sometimes it's explicit (the voice of Keith Talent pondering "the mystery of a speeding car" in "London Loves"), sometimes thematic (the park as cultural melting pot in "Parklife", the pub as a shop window for those 'on the game' in "Bank Holiday", the exotic femme fatale in "To The End", not to mention the dog track on the album cover), and possibly structural, too: a single work from multiple related perspectives, an unreliable narrator popping in and out of the action. It's a weakness in "London Fields", but in "Parklife" it adds to the album's kaleidoscopic appeal. But Parklife is definitely flawed. There are a lot of "LAH LAH LAAHH"s on this record, and the mockney stuff (particularly in "Bank Holiday") sounds naff, 30 years on. Amis gets away with it in "London Fields" because it's well observed - in Parklife it just feels like panto. I liked both "Jubilee" and "Trouble In The Message Centre" at the time, but in retrospect they sound weak - fine as shambolic indie tunes by Seymour - but under the studio polish they don't shine. Magic America hasn't dated well - a cartoonish characterization of America bourne of their disastrous 1992 tour, which is not as poetic as either of their other songs responding to US cultural hegemony: 1993's reflective "Miss America" and 1997's "Look Inside America", by which time they've decided that "she's alright" after all. Sonically, it's mastered to be very compressed and radio-friend, but there is some light and shade to break up the texture. If I'm being picky, some of the string and brass arrangements do sound a bit cheap: at the time Blur were 60 grand in debt to EMI, following disappointing sales for "Modern Life Is Rubbish", so the fake strings on "To The End" are more of a pale cultural signifier, rather than the Hollywood string arrangements the song deserves (and which would follow as the money started to roll in). Finally, Parklife exemplfies a lot of people's objection to Blur, which is that Albarn's dilettantism - which would lead to Mali Music, Gorillaz, Dr Dee, supergroups with Tony Allen with the blokes from Verve and the Clash, Africa Express, Operas about Chinese Monkeys, austere solo albums wanging on about Iceland - indicates his fundamental insincerity. Whilst there may be some truth in that, it seems to me that he is a driven and curious egomaniac who cannot stop exploring, and making, music, even if it's not perfect. He can be a total dickhead, but without him, this era-defining record would not have been conceived, let alone made. Even if it did kill "indie". The Jubilee-era sixth formers (slouching back on the settee), lost something that day. But the world gained something special.

- I still find the mockneyness pretty grating, and a lot of the cultural references feel like what they are, namely middle class art school boys trying to portray ordinary British life, and it doesn’t quite ring true in parts and grates - ⁠that said, it is a brilliant album - ⁠it’s a bit like Abbey Road. A brilliant second side, in which the individual songs themselves are not necessarily that strong but they work beautifully together as a sequence - ⁠Building up to This is a low as a brilliant finish

This was a rather easy album to put on, as a big fan of Blur's singles and their 13 album. This was (I assume) well into the britpop era, when people wasted time turning the Oasis vs Blur into a big thing. Look, they're both great, but inferior to Pulp and Suede! So, being a britpop album, it is a very consciously british album. I definitely hear kinks/beatles inspiration from this. As a whole, it is quite mixed, but there are many excellent bangers as well as dull tracks. I'm well familiar with the big hits on the album, as well as a few other strong tracks. So, this was partly new, partly familiar for me. Amongst the silly off-hand songs, there a good few serious, genuinely emotional songs chucked in. This is a low (new discovery - pretty good), To the end and End of a Century. This feels more like a stepping stone in blur's discography, rather than the end finished product. Tracks 1-4 are guranteed fun. Quality dips, but Badhead was a nice new find for me. Quality then improves from track 9, 'To the end' onwards where it is a varying mix of cool and boring songs. Because the quality songs are so good, and there are so many of them, this deserves a 4 imo. Maybe generous, but songs like Girls and Boys will forever be fun bangers.

The third and final blur album I am to get on this site. My second favorite on the site too, after the excellent Modern Life Is Rubbish, and before the very annoying self-titled. But is this any good? Well. There’s some good, but not much to my opinion. This is the moment where Blur begins to branch out from just being a pretty awesome Britpop band to being a pretty annoying experimental Britpop band. Don’t get me wrong, they produce some satisfying tunes in this period, such as the iconic “Girls & Boys,” the concretely catchy “Tracy Jacks,” or the jangly, pretty “Badhead.” Sadly, once these songs have run their course there stands a period of the album where they make some forays into other genres: punk, waltzy theatre, what have you. It stands as something very interesting, all tied together by the Britishness of it all, but it’s just not super appealing to me. Don’t get me wrong! I like Blur a lot. For the past 20 days straight I’ve had nonstop communication with a huge blur fan, and has become one of my closer friends. Under her influence I’ve come to adore Modern Life is Rubbish, and the band’s masterpiece, 13. That being said, there exists a disconnect between us concerning this album and the self-titled project. This album isn’t bad, it isn’t good. I can stand it. 6.4/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: sure REASON: significance

Overall: 8/10 Stellar stuff. I've always been a big fan of Blur, they're probably my favourite band that was a part of the britpop era. I actually prefer other albums of theirs to this but there's some classics on here. Fav Song: Girls & Boys

I can't believe how many excellent songs are in this album. Truly amazing.

Very mixed and much weirder than I anticipated when I bought it.

Ive never delved into blur’s discography but I knew it would be fun. This whole album is so playful and so very British. Britain owes blur money, the way they all made being British cool and fun again. Like Japan has anime as reparations for their war crimes and Britain has blur. (Honestly the British are very lucky they have given us so many talented musicians…) The lyrics are simple but Damon’s voice is so perfect for each song. Theres so much life in this album…also the guitar playing throughout this album is insane too. My favs have to be ‘parklife’, ‘bank holiday’, ‘London loves’ and ‘to the end’…and just to be greedy ‘jubilee’ too

I really like some songs, to most of them I am mostly indifferent. I tried listening to this album before because I really like some of the songs but I can’t really fully get into it

Ah, what many consider the ultimate Britpop album. Does that mean I get to move on to other genres now? 700 records in and sometimes this list feels like 900 Britpop And 101 Other Random Albums To Hear Before You Die. Growing up in the US Blur wasn't ever really very popular. At least not where I lived. Everyone loved Song 2 but I don't think I even really listened to Blur at all until I was an adult. The whole Blur/Oasis debate is pretty funny because it's not like either band is some luminary, once in a generation group. Just look at this list for proof of that. This album is fine, but it really just fades into the background after a while. It is interesting to a point but I feel like there isn't anything that really grabs me and makes me want to listen to it louder. Maybe I just need to give it another shot but I've kind of felt that with all the Blur records I've heard. Or maybe it's because there are so many albums that sound exactly like this and I'm not super familiar with any of them. 3/5

The ying to oasis’s yang

Honestly surprised, didn't think I would like this one this much.

LOVE IT

Girls & boys es un masterpiece el resto no las conocia algunas canciones me dan unos vibes malcom in the middle otras muy deprimentes. De 52 min me quedo con 8min max

Some questionable songs But there's some really good songs on there

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Ca va un peu bizarre

Between this and house music, I think the Brits have a lot of explaining to do about the 90s.

Blur still feel like an adaptation of the music that I liked in the 90s, finished with production worthy of the Beach Boys, with a thick British accent on it. Definitely recognize it as good music. Girls & Boys is super clever and catchy and sharp, and I really enjoy the bouncing rock or Jubilee and the pretty melodies of This Is a Low. But I react to it the way I do most of Pet Sounds: too dense and full of the production layers. It feels planned, designed, genericized. That's kinda harsh for a pretty good album, but there you have it. Set next to an album like "London Calling," another album that mixes up styles and sources and is loaded with ambition and which I happened to have been served just before this, it feels like a bloodless studio creation in comparison with the Clash sounding like a band in the studio sounding great. "Lot 105" feels like it's agreeing with my assessment and laughing at me for being pranked anyway. 2.5/5. Nope, don't know what it's doing on a greatest of all time list.

A solid Britpop offering. Reminds me of the Clash (but not quite as punky), and Oasis (but not quite as iconic). Maybe it will grow on me? 6/10

Pretty good. Shoegaze gets old

I didn't have any context into what I was going to get with this album, but got another sense that it was experimental. Yes, the majority of it felt punkish or alternative, similar to some early Blink, but then there were unique tunes such as Jubilee, that used unique instruments. I think it was an interesting listen, and glad I did, but wouldn't do it again I think. Album Rank: 3.4 Favorite Song: Parklife

Ma lose, nisam posluso do kraja.

Very synth 80s and super British.

Best album I’ve listened to in a while. Def top 15 all time. Reminded me of N <3

I liked this well enough, but there are other Blur tracks I prefer that are not on this album. Good background music, but nothing spectacular.

Top album, top cover

Had echt een aantal nummertjes korter gekund, maar dit is gewoon een erg leuk britpop album. Ik ben er verder niet rouwig om dat Albarn meer energie is gaan steken in Gorillaz, Blur is misschien wat consistenter maar Gorillaz is zo veel boeiender wanneer het hit.

Decent

Some really catchy songs. The more theatrical vocals are less my thing.

truly obnoxious vocals. some of the arranging is interesting in a comedic sort of way, and occasionally it's actually decent, but most of it is banal.

I like Blur

- GIRLS AND BOYS!!!! - yes yes now these are bangers - ALL THE PEOPLE !! SO MANY PEOPLE!! - how could this guy do all this and then make gorillaz and almost pretend blur never happened - after the first bangers it gets mid - oasis is better

I’ve never been to England but this is how I picture English people in my head. If it’s about taking sides, I’m more Blur than Oasis, and this album is one of the reasons why. Don’t hate me, Champaign supernova, live forever, don’t go away are fantastic songs, but I see Blur more album-oriented. These guys evolved in time. Oasis was born big and flew too close to the sun not noticing how their wax wings melted…

Has some songs I really like (end of a century, bad head, etc) but just ok for me, I don’t return to their full albums a lot, not my favorite British band of this era

Meh. I really only ever heard Song #2 from Blur which is a much heavier song then anything on this album. This very much had more melodic and slower songs then Song #2. It was very much more a pop album then a rock album. While good, just not as good as what I expected.

Another Britpop album I can take or leave overall but had a few dazzling moments. I really loved the first track in particular

Absolute classic of its era and no swaggering about , aping the Beatles

Still prefer Oasis but this has some good stuff on it. Probably never really gave it as much time as I should have when it came out. However it still feels like the difference between this and the really great albums is that some of the filler tracks here don’t do that much and are much easier to skip.

I hated Blur long before the faux rivalry with Oasis. There are so many bands of that time that are just better. I believe over the course of their career they have some decent songs and here there are one or two, but overall it is a mess and bordering on a novelty album.

I’ve always been rather on the fence with this album. I do like Blur, and all their albums have something to offer. This one definitely feels more whimsical (very much in the British 60s Kinks esque vibe) and poppy. Far Out seems like an attempt to ape Syd Barrett. The ‘quality’ to me is more on the anthemic slower songs To the End and This is a Low. Otherwise it just feels somewhat lightweight and disposable, albeit fun, compared to albums. That said, it’s an enjoyable listen and I’ll happily do so again.

While this list does seem a little heavy on the Brit Pop, this is one of the albums that I think truly does belong on the list. The hit songs are classics and the album tracks are interesting and unique. I’m not a huge Blur fan, but this is a great album.

I like Modern Life better, but this one’s pretty good

3/5

Naah not my cup of tea

fucking LOVE girls and boys. The rest of the album is nice

It’s ok.

I'm a britpop fan, and a Blur fan, but this was too long and had too much filler. Some amazing highs tho. Parklife was my fav song of the album. End of a Century (my fav first listen) and To the End were my other highlights

99 albums ago, I had Modern Life Is Rubbish and was pleasantly surprised that a britpop album can be good. As easy as it is to snide and be annoyed at all the excessive amount of britpop albums on the list, only Blur to me (thus far) actually seem to have albums that I didn't know about before that have a good argument to be on the list. No I am not going to even bring up that famous britpop band that starts with the letter 'O'. They suck I referred to the Blur I first heard on Modern Life is Rubbish as, "Some sort of compromise between The Kinks, XTC, and 90s rock stylings". I'd say that's mostly similar here, with more Kinks and less XTC influence, and add on about 20% more synths. I think Blur does the pop structure better and is more clear to be tongue-in-cheek vs. [redacted]'s attempts to be serious and whimsical at the same time. Parklife has that smart pop music structure but manages to make songs whose compositions standout from each other. I don't know what else it is (dancing about architecture), but it manages to click well no matter how much I try to shrug it off. I've tried to put down Parklife as something I could say is a 4 and move on, but if I gave Modern Life is Rubbish a 5 for being a pleasant surprise, Parklife also did the same kind of thing. I am actively fighting negativity bias, but please list, I know I have one [redacted] and one Blur album left, please do not recommend more Britpop. Suede was enough.

Where’s the woo hoo song. Kidding. But still not my speed, mate.

Liked the energy of the Songs.

One of THE classic Britpop albums. The hits elevate it.

Better than I expected, actually

Pretty good Blur classic

Quirky, melodic, uplifting, vibrant and I've always been fond of the slow songs on this album but I was surprised relistening how varied and strong the whole album is. The creativity, confidence and panache of a band who would write with unrestrained cockney humour Parklife or Girls and Boys, and transition to the slower songs like This is a Low or Bad head.

In the sea of 90s/2000s alt-rock bands, Blur really stood out with their style and creativity. I enjoy their approach and songwriting and they put on an outstanding live show. 4.

Har hørt denne et par ganger før, men synes fortsatt ikke den sitter helt. Det er noen sterke spor deriblant Girls & Boys og Parklife (baserte Sleaford Mods hele sounden sin på sistnevnte?), men synes helheten er litt bland. Vesentlig step up fra låtskrivingen på Modern Life Is Rubbish da. Hadde ikke trodd jeg skulle være den fyren, men etter x2 Oasis og x2 Blur så er jeg Oasis > Blur. Dog kan ingen av britpopperne touche Common People.

Liker plata best når den høres ut som gammal new wave. Liker den dårligst når den prøver å høres ut som Beatles-pop, for da høres den mer ut som gamle 60-tallsband som prøver å gjenskape 60-tallssoundet. Oasis er også bedre på å skrive låter i tillegg til å være et fenomenalt shoegaze-band

great

nice album from the 90's

Such a joy, I felt the second half was better than the first. Full spectrum of emotion but always on the upswing Playlist add: “Clover Over Dover” but “This Is A Low” made it into my overall 2026 playlist

A great pop album that really refined Blur's distinctive sound, while also showcasing their ability to branch out into different genres with songs like To The End. It peaks a little early in its runtime for such a long album, but it's a fun, varied listen all the way through. What a ridiculous ear worm Boys & Girls is by the way. A textbook 4.5/5 for me. Favourite tracks: Boys & Girls, Tracy Jacks, Parklife, To The End, This Is a Low

As this is my first Blur album on the list, I have been waiting to type a little blurb about my impressions of the band before I actually listen to a single song. “Song 2”. That’s it. That’s my entire knowledge of the band going in. I’ve heard it from just about every hockey game I’ve ever watched. I actually thought they were a one hit wonder band, and didn’t realize just how massive they are in the UK. And this is coming from someone who can easily and proudly tell you that one of my favorite bands of all time is the Gorillaz. This is my third Damon Albarn album on the site if I’m keeping track correctly, and the third different Albarn band in general. The dude has so many albums on here under different names, so it’s hard to keep track of them all. Of the Blur albums though, this is my first of 3. I had been patiently waiting to roll one, due in part to being a big Albarn fan. With how much I love the Gorillaz, I’m kind of ashamed in myself that I’m only listening to Blur for the first time now. Unless it’s not great, in which case I’ve been dodging a massive bullet this entire time. This first part of the review was made before I’ve even listened to the album yet, but I’m expecting to enjoy this, and I hope I’m right. Albarn very rarely lets me down, so we’ll see. I also love the album art, mini bonus. Now on to the actual review, post listen. After listening to it a few times, I’m not sure what to think. It’s still got Albarn singing, which I like. In fact, unlike the Gorillaz, he sings on just about every song on the album here. It’s much more of a traditional English band, and for that reason I kind of find it less interesting in general. It’s still very good, but it just doesn’t hit the same. If you’re British, I’m sure you’ll love it, but it just kind of sounds like a million of the other Brit Pop albums I’ve heard for this project so far. It’s not bad, but I would rather opt for a Gorillaz album if I was listening to Albarn. Some things can be too British. This is one of those things. You can listen to an album, not relate to it at all, and still enjoy it, but this is just too British for me. I feel as if it’s a great album with very good production value, phenomenal singing, and plenty of song variety, it just doesn’t really do anything for me personally. “The Debt Collector” for instance, is just circus music. If it’s supposed to sound like something you’d hear at a Park, I just can not relate. It’s skippable. I don’t know, none of these songs really grab me, even though I can hear how good they are. Not sure why this one isn’t really hitting me today. I was expecting to love it. Instead I just kinda like it. Don’t get me wrong, some of these songs are alright. “London Loves” stands out with all the funky synthy goodness I actually expect to hear from Albarn. That song is pretty good. It’s a great blend of both of the bands unique sounds, combining the Electronica of the Gorillaz mixed with the more traditional Rock guitar playing of Blur. My favorite song was the penultimate “This Is a Low”. It perfectly displays Albarn as a singer, and it’s beautiful. More beautiful than I expected. It’s also just got a killer guitar riff in the middle of the song that brings the song together perfectly. A really good song. Ok, so my first experience with Blur wasn’t as amazing as I was hoping for. But it wasn’t bad either, so that’s fine. I could grow to love this band. I’m not counting this album out just yet. I could see myself revisiting this one and giving it a 4. But for now, I’ll keep it as a 3 and move on to something else. 2 more albums to come from Blur.

It was ok, just sounded all the same with a lot of electronics.

It’s alright. I don’t have beef with it.

yeah I don't like Blur. The albums are too long, too boring, too uninteresting and repetitive. I don't get the appeal.

Oooh-another album featuring Damon Albarn. This 1 with more annoying/repetitive lyrics than some of the others

Love it

Can be so relaxing.

This unfortunately did not hit.

Great album

Bastante interesante

I was expecting to be underwhelmed by this, but I can admit it when I'm wrong. This was a good time.

I do think they coulda trimmed the fat a bit.

Fully new album im excited not the sound i was expecting only really knowing them from song 2, but im here for it. very very britpop. i love the groove they caught on here. its a little weird but just enough weird to catch the ear theyre so british its a little funny. i like the pop of the snare banging. wow even this guitar sounds british somehow oh i like this, the guitar hits right. damon you may be british but your voice is still beautiful. trumpet accent is chefs kiss man i dont wanna comment on the britishness on every song but they make it so hard. not usually that big a fan of spoken word sections in music but i dont mind it mmm idk. a little too punk a little bit not enough singing nice little folk rockish vibes. nice vocals. nice backing vocals. nice little solo. just overall nice little song cool instrumental piece, nothing more than an interlude tho not an instrumental, but still kinda feels like another interlude. weird to put this right after the last track nice laidback song, really allows damons voice to shine at its peaks. a little overrated but it still sounds good they had to come back and remind us once again that they are, in fact, british a little less on the spoken word here, but it helps to have those classic 90s backing instrumentals behind it is that a harp being played? some kind of guitar? whatever it is sounds really cool and i love how unique it sounds on a song like this a lot of different things happening rn, but it kinda comes together? i wonder if this was being called experimental at the time i was about to say their britishness wasnt as distracting here until he says rubbish and then i remembered. great rock song tho, one of the better of this sound on the album i just love when a rock band is able to do a really great acousting song, it just hits different for whatever reason. also makes the electric guitar hit even harder when the solo comes in great close out song (not counting the outro track) fun outro, not necessary but not unnecessary overall thoughts, at times this album was a little too british for its own good, but in a way that added to the charm of it and helped in to not get boring. not really any song on here i would consider bad and only a couple id say are mediocre, but most of the songs were good and a few great ones too. id give it a 7.5

Lots of great fun songs

It’s got some real heaters, and I definitely like the record on the whole, but not all of it

Enjoyed some, but not all. Already loved "Girls & Boys." Added "Badhead" to my liked songs!

Blur has very high highs, but their lows are also very low. I used to prefer Blur over Oasis, but after trudging through this album which is apparenty Blur's 'best' I think I have to give the crown of Britpop over to Oasis.

Blur's finest hour and one of the defining records of the Britpop movement. I am not English and I only started listening to music in the 00's, so my opinion of Britpop does not come with all the very polarized baggage that it often has. To me, these are just great songs, with fun and catchy choruses and occasional genre switch-ups. Every track here brings something to the table, which is a feat for a 16 track affair. One really has to marvel at the Damon Albarn's songwriting prowess. The man has been keeping his style fresh for over 30(!) years now, still making noteworthy work. Fantastic. Key tracks: Girls & Boys End of a Century Parklife London Loves This Is a Low

Far from their best

Best I can do is 2*. It's an album of three radio tracks and a whole lot of mediocre to bad filler tracks. It gets that second star only because the radio tracks are decent enough.

Very fun formative album for me. They are a bunch of dickheads though, only redeemed a bit by being less cunty and far more talented than their rivals, Oasis.

A very solid rock album with some interesting left turn choices

While I don't disagree with others on here that this list has a little too much Britpop, I admit I legitimately enjoy Blur (and Oasis). This is a fun record with a bunch of catchy hooks and a good mix of styles (like the waltz-y "The Debt Collector"), and a bunch of bouncy tracks.

Has some good songs in it 6.2/10

I can see why a non-British audience might find this album boring but I think it's Blur's best, and the archetypal Britpop record along with Morning Glory Similar to other Blur albums I think this has a bit too much filler to be 5* as a whole album, but the highlights are amazing

Exactly what I would expect walking into a London nightlife hub with live music in the early 1990s...the definition of Brit Pop. Some punk stuff, Beatles threads and that blaring British accent. Liked more than I thought I would!

Don’t even remember it! But I listened!

classic,

This record doesn’t really know what it wants to be (except successful). It’s all over the place and tries very hard to channel classic British pop rock and make it successful in the 90s. “Magic America” is notably awful, but the rest of the album kinda meanders somewhere in “forgettable” territory.

There’s a great episode of the YouTube series “That Pedal Show”, a nerdfest on guitar pedal setups, where Daniel Steinhardt and Mick Taylor interview Graham Coxon on his techniques, setup and influences. When asked about the raw, angular guitar sound he crafted during the earlier Blur albums, he explained it plainly: “I was being contrary against John Taylor, who was coming at me through Alex James. Alex was a kind of funky, swingy type of player. I was a really contrary, moody little sod, and I was trying to go anti-that. That's why Girls & Boys is like that.” I absolutely love Blur, but mostly the Blur who leaned fully into Coxon’s influences and made two incredible masterpieces in “Blur” and “13”. Back in the day, during the polarising Blur vs. Oasis debacle, I was definitely on the side of Oasis. But I never thought it was so black and white. I had Blur albums, and loved them too, but as a very different type of music. The thing that struck me about Blur during this era was summed up perfectly by Coxon’s explanation in “That Pedal Show”. Daman Albarn was writing insanely catchy pop songs, bringing “Scary Monsters” funk-era Bowie and bright electronic keys together with brilliant melodies. But under the surface Coxon’s guitar would growl and bite. “Girls & Boys” is the perfect example. It starts off with a programmed electronic riff, before the drums and Alex’s funky bass line start to groove. It’s proper, upbeat pop music. Albarn’s vocal melody seals the deal - this is a hit, exactly as it is. But then as the lyric “on holiday” punctuates the first line, Graham’s guitar comes in snarling and gnashing at the brightness of the tune with the darkest-sounding, rawest riff you could never imagine. Coxon’s use of dissonance was incredible. He had an unbelievable gift of creating the most interesting way to play horrible sounds, that when combined as part of the sum of the rest of the song, sound perfectly melodic. He’s one of two modern guitarists (along with Jonny Greenwood) who was genius enough to be able to pull off these insanely inventive guitar sounds while staying true to the melodic charm of the songs themselves. “Girls & Boys” isn’t the only example, we hear it all over this album. The delay-soaked dissonance at the end of “Tracy Jacks”, the messy anti-solo of “London Loves”, the sustained feedback textures of “This Is a Low”... I could go on and on. That’s the winning ingredient that caught my attention. But of course, it wouldn’t be anything without Albarn’s songwriting too. Songs like “End of a Century”, “Badhead”, “To the End” and “This Is a Low” are perfect examples of Daman’s brilliance when it came to songwriting. And what was charming about Blur back in these days, was how little they took themselves seriously. Songs like “The Debt Collector” and “Lot 105” are quirky, almost circus-like jingles that show their irreverent humour. And then there’s the title track “Parklife”. Graham’s guitar riff is perfect and the chorus is a masterpiece. The brass section makes it feel more like a Madness song than Britpop. But the real stroke of genius was getting Phil Daniels to perform the lyrics as spoken-word Cockney poetry. I was 10 years old when this song came out, so like any other 10 year old back then, I knew pretty much every lyric off by heart. A particular favourite being: “I get up when I want, except on Wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen. I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea, and I think about leaving the house…” I don’t know why, but I absolutely adored those lyrics. There’s something so interesting about themes of mundane everyday activities delivered as poignant poetry. It just works so damn well. I mean, it’s a classic. So, while I still gravitate towards “Blur” and “13”, listening back to these earlier albums is always a blast. Indie pop music, made so much more interesting thanks to the genius sonic inventiveness of Graham Coxon. Or, as he put it in “That Pedal Show”: "I was just trying to be interesting, or keep myself interested… and I just made life very difficult for myself."

This is the most average britpop album I've ever heard. This is not a criticism nor a compliment.

Fucking blur

Usually an oasis v blur thing that people talk about, but this is the first time I’ve given blur a go and they are nothing alike. Catchy, vaudeville, 80s new wave pop dragged into the 90s, some guy Ritchie Raquel UK culture. Lots to love, but also very wierd and hard to love. I love Damon Albarn, park life is a great single. I want to come back to this but I’ve gotta be in the right mood

The last of the three Blur album son this list. Still mediocre IMHO, the others were 3's, I tend to go for a 2 with this one.

Really diverse album, with some catchy lyrics, beats, vocals, guitar, and my favorite song I vividly remember was London lovers

I’ve never had much interest in Britpop, and the entire craze/feuds that surrounded it in the 90s—I’ll always know Damon Albarn as the guy from Gorillaz. That being said, finally getting around to this album was honestly a real treat. This is such a clever and dynamic slice of 90s music, equal parts pop and alternative. There songs in so many different flavors, from psychedelia to Eurodance. Some of the commentary feels a little shallow by modern standards (things have certainly gotten worse than watching the tube and BBQing), but the ennui of late-stage capitalism is still wholly relatable. This will certainly be a new mainstay in my “albums for everyday life” rotation. Fav Tracks: Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Parklife, Badhead, To the End, London Loves, Clover Over Dover, Jubilee Least Fav: Far Out Score: 7

Wonderful album, really stood the test of time.

Enjoyable overall, the titular song is the highlight for me. I expected to like it more than I did.

Fun and easy listen.

Fine. But kind of monotonous, and not in the good way

Perhaps the most British album on a list full of British albums.

Example of 90's Brit-Pop. The album is cohesive and good with a few standout songs. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #438 Best Songs Girls & Boys Parklife

Another complete surprise, but a profoundly negative one. I thought I liked (or at least tolerated) Blur. But this album, new to me, was formulaic, asinine, and way too cute.

Painful, and some of the songs were downright cringeworthy

Better than the last I heard

Some good tunes

Much prefer the later albums when they stop the Chas n Dave stuff and get a bit weirder but still some good tunes here

Loved this album more the older i got

Not my favourite blur album some good songs

Actually class, only 1 or 2 duds

Classic rocket ship album. Started strong and then crashed down

yes… yes ofc i’ve listened to thiss before……

I like a lot of britpop and 90s alt-rock, but for some reason Blur just doesn’t do anything for me. This has a handful of nice melodies here and there, but none of the songs are interesting or catchy enough that I want to hear them again.

5.5/10 - for whatever reason, I just don’t enjoy BLUR.

There's a bit too much filler but a lot of these songs are great. The album's first 4 songs are extremely strong and I can see why this was a Britpop staple. Strong 7/10

H: I was ready for this album to be over 6 songs before it was actually done. I can see how this album was influential. So many songs on this album reminded me of other popular songs. For me it was just ok. 6/10 H fav song: London Loves Z: Aside from Oasis, Blur is the definition of British alternative rock/britpop to me. That is to say, a band I get some enjoyment from, but otherwise tune out after a few songs. Not a huge fan of the genre I suppose! 6/10 Z for fans of: derby days, being white, saying “innit” Z fav song: London Loves

Pretty fun listen. Instrumentation is vast and quirky. Vibe throughout is playful but never vapid. These guys are geniuses, it feels like they're showing off throughout. Can't believe I'd never heard "Girls and Boys" - don't think I'm getting it out of my head this month. But don't think it'll be a repeat listen - the hooks are too idiosyncratic, and topics a bit too british for me to get into. & Albarn's accent was starting to drive me a bit crazy towards the end

Very early 90s British a few catchy songs but not anything that i will need to revisit.

1st half of the album is good.

Not bad, fun to listen to.

The first half or so of this album is great; I hadn't listened to the title track in ages and it holds up. It's ridiculous and fun and just great sounding. Blur's creativity shines for the beginning of the album and all of the weird stylistic mashups and songwriting quirks come through as you would expect them to. Then it kinda fell apart. I feel like half the tracks on here are filler, or maybe just bad songs. "Trouble In the Message Center" and "Magic America" were the only songs I liked after "The Debt Collector". I don't know why they felt the need to make an album this long when they could've easily released one of all bangers. Anyway the first half makes up for the back half, and it's still a decent listen, just not nearly as well executed as it could have been.

Not bad, but I have to work to like BritPop

Horrid.

A great listen front to back. Damon’s songwriting is tight, engaging, funny, and charming. This is peak Blur.

yeah its a pretty fuckin good album! havent listened to it in years but it sure is full of Classics, with "end of a century", "parklife" and "girls & boys" all loaded right up front. the latter of these is obviously my favourite being as gender-wrecked as i am, but i think it'd probably still be a banger even without the lyrics about girls who are boys who like boys to be girls. it's an all timer. other than those i like the thrashy energy of "bank holiday" and the darker feel of "trouble in the message centre", but i think the album does kinda start to lose steam in the second half. having said that.... it holds up a lot better than most albums that make it past the 50 minute mark, and "lot 105" is a pretty fucking funny way to end it. what a bizarre little track. awesome.

Not for me

I'd not heard this album all the way through. It's alright, I suppose.

They could have trimmed some of the fat off but I love Damon Albarn and it does sound ahead of its time

Gold from my days in pomp

Decent album, but that’s a first time listen. I won’t give it a second any time soon.

I knew this was a 5 without having to listen to it again, but I clearly did as it’s excellent. I bought it the week of release, and it’s been with me ever since. There’s so much on this, there’s the OI OI lads stuff like girls and boys and the title track, the twitchy post punk of London loves and the tired romanticism of this is a low. Era defining for me

my reaction to Blur is usually "hurry up and be a cartoon guy already" but this wasn't bad

Hasta ahora de mis favoritos sin ninguna duda

Actually really liked this. Do I got a thing for Brit rock?

Bass line on girls and boys, London loves being fun and some of the slower ones good, largely forgettable record, better than anything oasis ever did

Why it go beep boop in the middle

Woo hoo

p736. 1994. 2 stars. Proof that Blur were a great singles band, but lack the talent for a decent album. They remind me of the The Kinks, but without the whimsy. This is an incredibly flabby double album, full of filler and pitiful instrumentals, and saved from 1 star by the quality of the singles. Actually, I've realised that the main reason I don't like this album is because of Damon Albarn's faux Cockney voice, plus the fact he's a cunt.

glaub nonie es blut album ganz glost. girls and biys isch en huere coole song. macht spass und isch groovy und irgendwie funny. end of a century au herzig, ich checks langsam. sie hend sich nöd so ernst gnoh und das isch sehr guet achoo noch de grunge era. ich ha s bitz problem demit dass bindem und vielne andere albe vorallem hervorghobe wird wie guet d songs s lebe in england beschriibed und so. ich bin nöd vo england ich schwizer und i guess italiäner. aso s isch cool was blur do macht abet ich chan nöd glich guet relate wie brits halt. to the end mega schöni melodie.

que hinoooooo. damon albarn pai de todos nós.

too painfully british to be entertaining

Even as an American angry at the amount of "who?" Brit bands shoved into this list, you're doing more coke than the Gallaghers if you think this doesn't deserve it's inclusion. Easily a top fiver britpop album. Takes lots of loving influence from 80s British new wavers/art poppers like XTC. 8.5/10.

8/10

Pretty good, a bit long

damon has to be one of the most prolific and consistent songwriters of the last 30 years, such a unique ear for melody and versatility across the different genres he explores this album is a satirical portrait of 90s england presented through a catalog of typically british characters and sounds; working class struggle and punk music, the rave scene and electronic music, strong accents and 60s garage music... The cultural language is constantly changing without losing identity because the story that is intended to be told needs to be expressed with those styles and that flexibility.

That is one of the definitive BritPop albums of the 90s some of the nicest singles

The sheer ambition of this album is staggering: Damon Albarn and his bandmates set out to make a genre-jumping Beatlesque pop album - which just by itself is an invitation to unflattering comparisons - that also works as a sustained satire of British life. Those are difficult masters to serve: the songs have to be amazing and the lyrics have to be observant and insightful and the tone has to be exactly right - too harsh and it's cruel, too light and it's toothless. Amazingly, this succeeds on all counts. The more satirical genre exercises are perfect sonically, from the clubby "Girls & Boys" to the punky "Bank Holiday" to the chanson-y "To the End" to the snotty "Jubilee." Albarn is even better when he's sincere; "Clover Over Dover" is understated and heartbreaking, as is the plaintive "End of a Century." The sheer degree of compositional difficulty on some of these songs is staggering - witness the jazz chords combined with the Cobainian anti-guitar solo on "London Loves," for one. And on the sublime "Trouble in the Message Centre" there's a mid-song key change that snaps the track into focus - the exact moment when the drugged-out protagonist pulls himself together temporarily and figures out exactly how deep is the shit he's in. Which brings us to the cast of characters Albarn has conjured - office drones, bored (in)significant others, inhalant-loving teenagers, hedonists on holiday. It would be easy to be cruel to them, because they are all at least slightly ridiculous - and yet Albarn wrings a subtle pathos out of each of these songs. Every one of our subjects is *solitary*, which sometimes means aloof and sometimes self-contained and sometimes just plain lonesome. The most striking thing about Bill Barrett's (possibly imaginary) trip to America is that he's apparently vacationing solo, and the hungover layabout on "Badhead" ends the song by acknowledging that he intends to lose contact with whoever he's been talking to. But it's "This Is a Low" that hammers the point home: *the shipping forecast will be here for you even if - when - nobody else is.* More than anything this is an album about the peculiar modern experience of starving, spiritually, at what is supposed to be a buffet - of being presented with the full panoply of consumerist options, none of which satisfy. In that way it is an ironic harbinger of Cool Britannia - an album about how the bonds between people have collapsed and will have to be rebuilt, quietly packaged as a disposal pop simulacrum of that same idea. I still can't believe I was able to pick up a used copy of it at age fourteen, one fateful afternoon at a record shop in Texas. Best seven bucks I ever spent. On this listen I realized that, like Tracy Jacks, I'm getting past forty. I'm sure I'm ridiculous in a million ways but at the very least I'm trying to cut down on my porklife and get some exercise. And my house is still standing, for now at least.

I guess it's time I admit I just don't get Blur, maybe they are just too British. Girls and Boys is my favorite Blur song, so I was excited to hear the album, but unfortunately that is the one of the only real fun songs here. Nothing else is bad, but he just kinda drones on and it isn't that memorable. This is a very high 3, but I'll round up. Low 4.

calmer than i thought it would be

I really like Blur but for me they are more a singles band than an album band. I feel like the best of their songs are great on their own but the packaged albums rarely fully land for me. The highs are great but the lows bring the album down a bit for me.

More British rock slop but at least this is halfway decent.

Some good songs on here. I remember the Oasis vs Blur battle and was on the side of Oasis and feel vindicated. This is ok but not ground breaking for me.

yAy

This album is really good. Tons of amazing ideas. Fun to listen to. I love the variation on their instruments. (the synth, the vocal bits)

Another day, another Britpop band. Totally forgot that Dan Albarn is part of Blur though, I'm not much of a Blur fan (only know them from 'Song 2'). Apparently this album is a concept album which is neat I guess. I'm not one for concept albums, at least on the initial listen, since I'm more of a music first and lyrics/meaning second kind of listener. If the sound(s) can get me attached or even addicted to the track(s) then I tend to dive in and examine what is being said. That being said, I expected the album to be typical Britpop upbeat guitar riffs and rhythms however the album is a bit all over the place. A lot of different flavours. Dan Albarn vocal performance does a lot for me. I enjoyed the delivery for almost the entirety of the album. Even the tracks I that weren't my thing I found myself still interested more in harmony his vocals provide with the music. I'm sure someone who isn't into Britpop, or start to get sick of it (i.e. anyone doing this list), will find something in this album that jives with them and pushes the right buttons for pop-music (and rock-pop?). Overall, this is a just a good britpop album with A LOT OF FLAVOURING inside of it. Neopolitan Ice-cream pop-album. T3: Boys & Girls, End of the Century, Magic America

Blur invented bisexuals in 1994

A bit meh

3,5. Доволі непогано

Incroyable.

Blur is pretty amazing and this is possibly their best album. Like half of these songs would be any other band’s best song

In 1994, "Girls & Boys" was playing everywhere and I hated it. To me, Britpop felt like an annoying tsunami of harmless boring music that clashed with the vibrant grunge and neo-punk scenes, pushing music back toward something more conventional and socially acceptable. Although I still dislike the genre, I have since learnt that Blur is among the Britpop bands I can appreciate once in a while. This is mainly due to the fact that beside their popular hits, their albums often feature a more experimental side, with odd sounds and weird circus music. Parklife, however, doesn't have many of these moments - you need to rummage through a LOT of very average or uninteresting songs to find a couple of gems. It's certainly not an album I will return to ; it lacks the boldness of their self-titled album or even the energy of The Great Escape. 3/10

We got them all, it was inevitable given how painfully British this list can be. I think we’ve almost completed the set now: The Verve, Oasis, Pulp, Suede, Supergrass… and here comes this second Blur album. Damon Albarn is worshipped like some alternative-rock guru, especially since Gorillaz supposedly provided definitive proof of his creative genius. But with Blur (and Gorillaz), where others hear brilliance, I mostly hear fairly shallow pop rock. It probably captured Britain at the time very well, not quite the football-lad Britain of Oasis, but the slightly less bad boy version of it. The four singles obviously bring back memories, and the fun is contagious, but the bouncy pop, the too many weaknesses and the very British concerns still do very little for me.

Hate to say it, but as much as I used to love this album when I was getting into music, it really hasn't aged well for my taste. For starters, I've been forced to play the title track live far too many times (one time) with a terrible band and an even worse singer. That also meant rinsing it over and over in practice for about 4 months... So not a fan of that one. It also made me get really sick of Albarn's voice, which is tolerable with Gorillaz as they're actually doing something vaguely interesting there, but even then, as stated in my review of their debut album, it's probably the worst part. A lot of this album, not that I remembered it that well, is also trying desperately to be more weird and unique, but in ways that just make it sound downright childish and silly in a bad way. Why does To The End start using random chromatic scales in the background that sound like actual circus music?? Why does Girls & Boys have such stupid, annoyingly repetitve structures? And, god, after seeing that Coachella performance a few years ago, it really showcased how unbearable that chorus is, particularly in terms of vocals. Then, there's the more "normal" songs like the aforementioned despised title track, which I find fine but overall boring and pretty uninspired (I mean, the whole Britpop movement was just indie rock bands trying to go back to the popularity and energy of 60s pop-rock but failing miserably, especially when other cats like Neutral Milk Hotel had similar inspiration but are a lot better overall, in my opinion.) In general, if you couldn't tell from that really long parenthesis, I'm really not a big fan of Britpop these days (sorry Ellis - I do still like Charmless Man and Country House******* though, my nostalgia for those is less corrupted by You Know Who). Overall, sure, there are some less overplayed songs on here that are more enjoyable, like Trouble in the Message Centre, Clover over Dover, and to a lesser degree, End of a Century, I don't really find them that good in comparison to literally anything else I could listen to now or even back then. I don't really think I've gone off anything from my early music taste like I have this.

If Britain were an album - part like 56. I do like how it sticks to being Anglocentric across different genres. It's a pretty cheeky record so the ballads that are sprinkled sour the vibe a bit. I remember not liking the songs "Bank Holiday" and "This Is A Low" when I listened to it a year and a half ago but they sound tame now with a bit more musical experience. I don't mind most of the songs, the satire just doesn't cut it for me.

meh.

high school me loved this type of music and you know what? so does 29 year old me. this album (brit)ROCKS

Expected this to be just another britpop album, but I like it. Had no idea I'd heard anything from Blur but Song 2 but as soon as Girls & Boys came on I recognized it. Can definitely hear a Beatles influence on them but they have really interesting drums and bass lines. The tracks are all really varied and playful - would definitely listen to this again when I was in the right mood.

80/100.

Brilliant. I see the Yanks are jealous.

Æðisleg plata og gaman að heyra gott stöff frá manns eigin samtíma. Gott líka að hlusta og fá staðfestingu á því að þótt maður geti haft smá gaman af einstaka Oasis lögum, eða næstum heilli plötu, að þá var aldrei neinn vafi um hvaða band væri málið. Fullt hús.

A stone cold classic.

Pretty good 4

Hé heftig en te punk. Niet mijn smaak. 2 sterren

For an album allegedly seminal of its era, this was a disappointment. Presumably its era has not endured.

I can’t say how disappointed I was with this album. In a year where Definitely Maybe was released by Oasis, I have no idea how there was ever a conversation about The Battle of Brit Pop. There are two songs on the track that were up to the standard…the rest felt like mindless filler.

Overall found more to like than dislike on this album. Particularly enjoyed This is a Low. 4

Why is Blur’s entire discography on this list

Boys and girls is definitely the best song on here. The rest of it is just ok. It's kind of... Jumbled? There's just a lot going on and idk if it really meshes well for me. It's like they're trying to do a 90s beatles thing. Wasn't bad though

eh. i don’t know if i’m really a blur guy i’m finding out. maybe it’s the wrong day, but i don’t find this all that appealing. i think it’s fine. the only song i find memorable is “girls & boys” because i knew it - but i don’t really like it. it is eclectic, i’ll give it that.

Brit pop personified. I mean it with no real malice by saying “meh, it’s fine.”

This album was perfectly adequate. Nothing too stunning, tracks blurred together quite a bit, but it was enjoyable to listen to.

Very British, playful and ultimately charming.

I thought I'd like Blur. They seem like the band I would like. BUT, it turns out I don't?

Not my go to Blur album, but still in the COOL BRITANNIA Pantheon.

The Blur sucks. Sorry not sorry. 👎. Vocals aren’t good and album too long and not interesting.

3 Blur albums? This author really loves his Britpop.

(Light to decent 7/10) A pretty fun Britpop record, and yes indeed it is VERY British. Unlike Albarn's future project "The Good The Bad and The Queen" which I felt was too British for my American-ass to properly appreciate, I felt like I could bop along to this album better. The instrumentals are jaunty and unique, especially for this era of the 90's. The album does tend to lull in the middle, but thankfully after "To The End" it picks back up and the amazing "This is a Low" closes out the record proper with an anthemic slow rocker.

Interesting

Good, but better to come.

Objectively this is not a seminal work. However it holds a special place in my formative music years and it makes me happy just to belt out a bit of parklife

Mediocre Brit pop....a reoccurring theme on this project.

I loved the 90s to early 2000s atmosphere this album creates. It was a fun, jolly and just a very enjoyable moment listening To this album. Overall i’ll say this album was a great listen and the rock production was also pretty good.

Classic and entertaining

Ah good album and Dean Albarn still making hits 30+ years down the line.

not bad. first half kind of foreshadows his gorillaz work. too long tho

I've been a serious slacker on the Blur front; I really like some of their songs but whenever I've had a go at their discography I've just not found myself in the mood to pick up what they're putting down. I think this project will finally redress that, though, because I enjoyed so much of this beyond the hits I knew. It's catchy, witty, eclectic, fun, and sometimes beautiful. The little fluff tracks are really annoying – and even without them the album would be a bit long for me – but it's largely good to great. Plus the black dog's face on the cover makes me smile :)

The singles from the album are OK being familiar but the rest is just pretty boring pop music of its day. No wonder I hadn’t heard them before or even if I had then must have easily forgotten them. They all seemed to blend into a background nothingness. The only track that sounded different to the others was Debt Collector and that sounded as if it was stolen from a merry-go-round at a kid’s fairground. Didn’t feel any extremes of negative feelings listening to it but just thought now I’ve heard this album I won’t ever need to again. Next please...

I was 100% obsessed with Blur when I was younger (my first gig!!) so it’s a little tricky to be impartial here. However, I do still feel it’s a brilliant record, full of pop hits and pure undiluted Britpop. Is it a bit dated - yep, is Albarns overexaggerated cockney accent annoying - yep but songs like End of a Century, Badhead, To the End and This is a Low are still absolutely brilliant. There’s more filler in here than I remember - they could have cut Bank Holiday, debt collector, London loves & lot 105 and it would have been a 5 star (why oh why oh why mess up the end of the album with such shite)

Extremely formative record for me - I just wanted to be Graham Coxon, and whilst I listen to this I'm actually completely unintentionally wearing the 'Pavement ist Rad' t-shirt he wore to promote this record, 32 years later, so nothing's really changed. I've listened to this 10,000 times and not much recently, but it's still pretty much as great as it was in the past. Like all Blur albums, it's too long and you don't need the silly filler tracks, and 'Parklife' has dated terribly (I hate that I still know all the words, so much more important things my useless brain could be remembering!), but 'Badhead,' 'To the End', 'Trouble in the Message Centre', and especially 'This is a Low' are still superb. 'This is a Low' is the best thing Blur ever did, and the guitar solo is perfect. I think this is also a weird case of 1001 book actually picking the right album - 'Modern Life is Rubbish' and 'The Great Escape' that sit either side of this have aged MUCH more poorly, in my opinion - the mockney bullshit is at least ring-fenced quite neatly within a few tracks on this record. And of course the self-titled album is infinitely better than all of these and had better be on the list as well!

i'm not sure how much of my dislike for this is purely my dislike for british voices

Solid but not something I need to revisit

Liked this for the most part. Found myself skipping ahead a lot at the end. This is the end should have been the end of the album.

I was an oasis kid, but I now feel I should have been a Blur kid, but I just never gave them a chance. Having listened to this I'm not sure. It had its moments, but so hit and miss, I'm not sure they're as good as they thought they were

Okay, not peak but not bad by any means.

I will never understand how Blur gets mentioned in the same breath as Oasis

blurry

Those britpop vocals are like nails on a chalkboard

Damn good album. Didn’t realize how Britpop Blur was. Maybe that’s why it really hasn’t landed as much in the states. Either way I’d like to revisit this band and this album has a lot to offer. Even though I’m giving it 4 Stars it might be a 5 Starer.

Typical britpop

Great album containing two of their big hits but also littered with great songs

I've been a pretty massive fan of this album for a while: it's probably my favorite Britpop album and 'Girls & Boys' is an all-time great album opener, and I was fully expecting to give it an easy 5/5, but sadly I do think it has shrunk on me since I first heard it 5 years ago. It's still fantastic, mind you, 'Girls & Boys' is just as good as ever, and it's surprisingly really varied genre-wise, but I'd be lying if I thought that it's fully consistent the whole way through. Still, at its best, this album is stellar - 'This Is a Low' is a stunning late-album highlight and 'To the End' is a really beautiful chamber pop pastiche that works really well. Not as good as I remember, but still really great.

- girls & boys: I’m just vibin’ bro and obviously I’ve heard this before. - Tracy Jacks: I like it, but not enough? I like the vibes though. - end of a century: I like this, and the lyrics too. - parklife: also heard this before and I’m just vibin’ again bro. - bank holiday: I don’t like this. - badhead: this might just be my favourite. - the debt collector: yo I was actually looking forward to lyrics on this, and now this shit just reminds me off when I was younger bro. - far out: no. - to the end: I like these lyrics, but that’s about it. - London loves: I like the instrumentals but about the rest? Idk man. - trouble in the message centre: I like it but it’s not like wow this changed my life. - clover over Dover: why are we in the 1800s? I do like the lyrics though. - magic America: I kind of like this? Nah kind of boring never mind. - jubilee: now I actually like this, this is good. - this is a low: I like the vibes but again I’m getting kind of bored. - lot 105: I feel like I just got laughed at for listening to this and they’re just rage baiting me at this point. And I just got jumpscared okay! ( I don’t know what to think about this! I think I like it more than “blur” but I feel like I shouldn’t compare them to eachother? This album feels like my life? Boring and dull, but the songs are still so catchy, that’s what makes it great )

proud to be Bri-ish, mate

2 of the worst songs in history on a very good album

Fav song: Girls & Boys

Parklife is easy to enjoy. Stephen Street's production is glossy. Alex James's basslines are buoyant. And Graham Coxon is exceptional from start to finish. Even when he's just playing off-beat stabs, the guitars sound calculated but febrile - they're exactly where they need to be, but they could go anywhere! These elements all do a lot of work and, while The Debt Collector and Lot 105 are the obvious targets for criticism (unjust criticism! They're neatly-arranged band workouts), I think Bank Holiday and Jubilee are the real clunkers that cannot be gussied up by studio and instrumental craft. Blur would get Song 2 out of such thrashing later, so it's a mode they can handle, but the version they produce on Parklife feels unnecessary and leaden, compounded by Albarn's weak lyrics: "Until mama loses her knickers!"? These songs exemplify a limitation in some of the songwriting across the album - too many two chord verses, a lot of them a single tone movement up or down. Thankfully, Coxon comes up with something inventive pretty much every time, but Albarn sounds a bit shambling. It is worse when his efforts at storytelling prove underwhelming - Tracy Jacks has a superficial sheen, but is nothing. Albarn, as a storyteller, is not Ray Davis or Paul McCartney; Jarvis Cocker has him outstripped here, with greater class and psychological insight. He will become a much better storyteller, but some of the character portraits here feel cheap. If one was going hard, you could even lump Girls and Boys in here: a looping four chord cycle with weak satire. That too hard though. Girls and Boys is great. Elevated by all the components I mentioned at the top of the review, but also giving Albarn space to indulge himself as a frontman and enjoy himself with wordplay. And perhaps it is the amount of space on Parklife that lets some of those weaker elements through - too long, filler covered over with shiny paint - but it is also that space that allows Albarn to develop. Always strong with melody, he starts to really meld melody with performance and emotion on To The End and This is a Low. An emotional openness starts to appear on this album that will serve him well going forward. Parklife shows Blur as a tight, inventive band, but Albarn is sometimes still an art student rather than an artist. NB. Far Out was the inspiration for the first proper Essential Penguins song, Cumulonimbus. 3.5 I think the crucial thing that most people don’t appreciate about Parklife is how courageous Blur were in making it. In retrospect it is easy to read Girls and Boys especially as mere successful commercial fishing - dancey drums, cheeky lyrics about sex, of course it was a hit etc. Wasn’t the song Parklife just chorus and gimmick? Weren’t Blur just three pretty boys mugging and jumping around and Dave Rowntree was also there? I think most people’s view of Parklife (and Blur in that era) is something like that; of something manufactured, of effective exploitation. It is generally unknown that not only were these songs, these arrangements, and these artistic decisions entirely their own - Blur received no encouragement whatsoever from their label; quite the opposite. David Balfe the owner of Food warned them about all this pandering to a small market of ‘Art students’ while they were working on these songs, declared the whole direction a mistake, repeatedly threatened Blur with being dropped, and then sold the label weeks before the album was released. In the face of that pressure and constant naysaying, a 25 year old Damon Albarn kept his head down and made the music he wanted, the way he wanted. Credit to their producer Stephen Street for backing him up. It’s just a brilliant album. Graham Coxon, 23 and already a verifiably prodigious player on Modern Life…, enters his pomp here as the most creative and consistently inspired guitar player of his generation (on this particular topic there are sometimes declarations for Bernard Butler from Suede Ultras - they’re avin a laff) On later Blur albums Coxon’s guitar would become an event - abrasive, wild, effects-heavy stuff that dominates the track. The magic of Coxon’s playing is that it was always that way but folded so well into the rhythm of the song, and so judiciously placed in the mix, that it is hard for the casual listener to notice how unusual it is. Girls and Boys is a perfect example - Alex James’ funny, loopy bassline is easy to notice and much celebrated - I’ve never heard anyone mention Coxon’s abrasive, angular, chromatic lines which are all the way through that song. Those lines are so unlikely, but they fit so neatly that no one notices they shouldn’t. It’s a similar case with Parklife - everyone knows the main riff and no one notices the odd sophistication of the guitar line in the chorus. There is such variety in his playing as well. There are several tracks on Parklife whose diverse guitar lines I could happily be tedious about - End of a Century, Trouble in the Message Centre, This is a Low (the solo is a guitar miracle - no one else could have done that) - but I would settle for people listening to them, and possibly hearing them for the first time. I think The Great Escape might be Coxon’s masterpiece - alas, it isn’t on this list because [checks notes] nobody likes it, not even the band. Oh well. Back to Damon. Damon Albarn is, in my opinion, a songwriter of the first rank. If the last quarter of a century has seen a sort of grudging admission from all the people that don’t like him (once again it’s mainly his face) that he is sort of good at getting hits because of the undeniable commercial achievements of Gorillaz, well I still don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. His instincts for melody, for hooks, and for arrangement ideas are as keen as ever Paul McCartney’s were. In Blur - a unique band cruelly yoked by the British press and by subsequent pop history to the concept of being the Other to Oasis - Albarn was as dazzlingly prolific as McCartney at his height. Like McCartney, he is also partial to the odd indulgence in ‘Granny Music’ but where McCartney’s recollection of Music Hall was digested as the forgivable eccentricity of a genius, Albarn’s recollection of The Kinks (or indeed Music Hall) has been recorded as one of the reasons Blur, and Britpop as a whole, bear a sort of creative illegitimacy in common analyses. Sure they were just ‘copying’, same as Oasis, goes the conceit. Second-hand. It is only with Gorillaz, a truly contemporary version of pop music, in this narrative, that Albarn’s talent becomes worthy of acknowledgment. But Gorillaz invites listeners to a version of the future in entirely superficial ways. The core of Gorillaz success is the same as Blur’s - well-wrought hooks, irresistible melodies, diversity of sound, energetic novelty in arrangement. Albarn already had all that on Parklife. The title track is so familiar to everyone that it is a perfectly simple business to roll our eyes when it comes on the radio and sigh at the poverty of chorus and gimmick. Parklife is one of the strangest and most inspired pop songs of the 90s in my opinion. Like all the greatest pop songs it is hard to imagine sitting down and writing that because it is hard to imagine it not existing already, and therefore easy to imagine writing it - it was just sort of obvious wasn’t it? Was it fuck. I almost wish it had been just 80,000 Art students that had bought Parklife - then we’d never hear the end of how absolutely brilliant (and brave) Blur were. 4.5/5

yws

Kesälevy

Possibly the best 90s Brit Pop album. Its diversity and creativity are simply stunning, especially compared to e.g. Oasis' straightforward pub rock.

Blur is one of those britpop bands that think they’re smarter than they actually are.

PARK LIFE

I swear man, the British are responsible for some of the best but ALOT of the weirdest fucking music I have ever heard. This shit is not good. The fact that this shit has over a 3 and some other albums struggle to break average shows me how flawed yall opinions are. Who is the target audience for this type of music? I am so serious rn.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Tämä oli sellaista parempaa britti-indi-rokkia. Tässä ei ollut ärsyttävyyttä. Itseasiassa ajoittain ihan nautiskelin kuuntelusession aikana.

No olipa hassu brittipoppilevy. Joku yks tuttu juttu löyty, se nappas aivan ok, mutta muuten ei oikein ollu paljoa kiinnostavaa. Kertakuuntelulla meni aivan okei, tuskin tulee sen enempää pyöriteltyä.

Fun album.

Pleasantly meh. I didn’t dislike it, but also could have died without listening to this and it would have been perfectly fine.

Top 5 most front heavy albums ever, still pretty good

I think Blur is very pedestrian as a band and have never been much of a fan. Boys & Girls is a great song, but the rest of the album is non memorable.

Commercially, the concept of Britpop was the best thing for this band. For me it hurt them in terms of their legacy though - strip out all the hype and bullshit and you get a worthy successor to The Kinks, Bowie and XTC with this album. It's full of hooks, kooky as fuck and very much a British statement.

Girls and Boys is the hardest line dance I’ve ever done

3 out of 5. Started off ok but then fizzled out by the end.

What a unique album. I feel like it has different genres within it. Rock. Punk. New Wave. I was almost convinced this was going to be a 5 (or at least a 4) for me after hearing the first few songs, which were fun. And then it got a little too punk and chaotic for me. And then it redeemed itself with some of the cool synth in the latter songs. I kept thinking how some songs sound very much like Oasis. Same kind of drawn out notes and vibe. But different enough. By the end, I feel like the album is solid. It’s actually quite fun and very British (in a good way), but that one listen was enough for me to soak it in and appreciate it for what it is. I don’t feel the desire to listen it again.

Vibes: 3 Instruments: 2 Production: 3 Emotional Value: 1 Storytelling: 1 Album Cover: +0 Stand Outs: Girls & Boys, This is a Low Overall Rating: 2

This may be the first Britpop album I've heard that kinda lives up to the "modern Beatles-like" sound that Britpop is supposed to be. It could be sort of like The White Album, all over the place and experimental, only not as good. There really a few really good tracks and a few that are a complete waste of time. 3.75 (almost a 4, but not quite there)

All the people. So many people. Fun album overall. Favorites: London Loves, Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, To the End, Clover Over Dover, Magic America

I've always been a fan of Blur although I've never listened to this album in full (I only had The Best Of CD growing up). Favourite songs include 'Girls & Boys', 'Parklife' and 'This Is a Low'. An easy five stars!

Great album by a great band.

wish i liked anything half as much as i liked the singles!

Just another average Blur album.

One of my discoveries in this project is that Blur is way underrated. With this album alone they carry on the tradition of Bowie and the Clash, and even maintain the Brit playfulness of jaunty little ditties that show up in 60s albums.

Classic album that I am very familiar with. Always happy to give it a new listen.

Vooruitstrevend, je voelt de karakters, en lekker toegankelijk

5/10

3.5

Having spoken to many, I infer this is the auditory representation of what went on in the mind of an average Brit in 1994.

I’m slightly confused. This album includes some really great songs white half of them are just to simple, predictable and dull.

A breakthrough I think, and indicative of the 90s Britpop thing, but not quite the heights they'd achieve in the future.

No entiendo como compitió con oasis este disco

Good vibes... reminded me of those bright movies in the early 2000s I used to watch with my Grandmom. Like cheaper by the dozen

I got chills listening to Tracy Jacks, Parklife too. This album seems like a party, a chill party. What a trip, great album.

Good energy and rhythm. ★★★

I heard a little Gorillaz in it, pretty cool!

Some cool bass stuff. Fine

Entirely enjoyable. No songs on this album that I already knew but the vibes were great.

I'd forgotten what a great album this is.

J’adore girls and boys donc ça commence bien To the end ! L’album est un peu long 7/10

Surprisingly catchy brit pop

One ok song. I don’t know man come on. This is I don’t know whatever just noise just garbage. I’m giving it two stars for the graphic design.

Better than I expected overall, not really my things overall, but I see where they were one of the most popular britpop bands because its a lot better than most of the dreck britpop also included on the list. Skunk Anansie clears this though.

Another great album from Blur. Fun upbeat songs throughout with punchy instruments and Damon as always with a great vocal performance. Liked the title track and Boys & Girls most. The cover is also pretty cool.

Always loved this album cover. That first track is really great. I really like how this album feels like it could have been made in the early 70s but absolutely can’t be due to subject matter. There’s moments that sound like the Kinks or the Jam. I like how diverse it sounds.

Enough fucking britpop

Fun, but nothing to write home about. Only listened to it once through and felt like it was enough.

Feels like a 90’s continuation of the Clash and the Sex Pistols but softer around the edges. And some the Doors-like organs in there. Never really listened to them outside of their hits, quite enjoyed this album, musically diverse and interesting. Curious ska-like finish 😅