Reviews (page 3 of 13)
Girls & Boys I recognized, I heard covers of this back when! This is a good album for workin'.
I’m definitely team Oasis but you can’t deny how good this album is!
Very British, very 90s ... and very good. There's maybe a little bit too much whimsy in places like The Debt Collector, and Parklife has been played to death and I can well do without Bank Holiday but there is so much sublime stuff here the less good just disappears. End of a Century and To The End are real standouts, but there is a lot to love in all but the exceptions noted above. I'll dock it one point out of ten for the minor crapness, but that still makes it a good 5 star album.
Third time's the charm, I guess. And it is indeed full of charm. I absolutely loved this album and would listen again and again.
That was fun. I really enjoyed this one!
All right. Here we are at album #1001. Not quite done but a milestone nonetheless. About 900 albums and 2.5 years ago, back when I had the stamina and interest to listen to the albums multiple times and write long explanations justifying my ratings, we had our first blur album. There was a lot I liked about Modern Life is Rubbish but I was frustrated because I couldn't quite pin down why I didn't love it. I listened to Parklife at a friend's recommendation and found that it had the element that Rubbish was missing. This is joyful, unapologetic, poppy poppy Brit pop. I loved this one easily and immediately. A great callback for album #1001.
I was not happy to see a third Blur album. But I really enjoyed this one! I should have suggested dropping the others because this one is great! Girls and Boys has been a long longtime favorite and the rest of the album is chock full of catchy creative tunes. Terrific!
"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 WTF is that sorcery?!?!? It’s the UK’s favourite BritPop album but not the world’s (Definitely Maybe probably is) - but you can see why: it is quintessential Brit through and through. It’s like The Kinks - misunderstood but respected outside of the UK; enshrined in the zeitgeist within the UK. Coachella this year proved it - Blur’s headlining resulted in not a lot of buzz for anything but Girls & Boys and Song 2 - save for the Cool Britannia attendees. TL;DR - this album delightfully and joyously nails mid-90s Britishness to the wall. It’s the bee’s knees.
Gran disco
It’s got a clutch of hits, another clutch of album tracks that feel like hits, and still finds room for a disparate bunch of weird, esoteric asides that should have no business on such a mainstream album but nonetheless bring me a sense of enormous wellbeing. It also distills the essence of a particular time and place (i.e. mid 90s England) in music form, as much as any album can be said to do such a thing. Sometimes a band’s most famous and popular album is, in fact, their best.
very good 5/5
How fitting this came on a Bank Holiday. Call me crazy, but this guy sounds a lot like the guy from Gorillaz
Oh how I love this album!
What a surprise Blur has turned out to be, I'm ashamed of myself for missing them back in the day - they are right up my alley and I grew to love the Gorillaz. This sounds like the "foundation" of the Gorillaz. Great stuff.
One of my all-time favorites! Every song is a banger.
Certified bangers across the board. Easy to forget how many Blur classics are on this album
Es el disco de girls & boys, que a dia de hui seria polemico (jj xiste polytikamente incorrecto) Na, sadrokeo de los early 2000s. Ta fino, de esto que no l'has escoltat mai i dius xe que nostalgia. Crec que el cantant es trolo, pero quin cantant no ho es¿ A mitat del disco fan algo raro, no se i despues mes trankileo, en general bastante bien 4,5
Classic.
I've been a big fan of Blur since 'Shes So High' was released, Leisure is a great debut album too. I remember hearing 'Boys and Girls' in an indie nightclub, which must have been early 1994 and thinking wow! That is one hell of a song! The album that followed was a tour de force of tunes. Their inspiration for this album ranging from Magazine, Wire and (now I get it) The Kinks. But the title track still rankles to this day. It's just too Hokey cokey Laaahhdan, because of Phil Daniels. (Kinks Arthur anyone? I totally get it now) the rest is just quality. I always feel like crying when I hear 'This is a Low'. But as soon as that song ends, it's back to Hokey cokey for the end. Even with the cheesy fairground stuff, It still is a 5 star album, but a mid 5
I might love Modern Life is Rubbish more, but this is probably Blur's best album. Grew up with both of them basically, but with this one those couple of years meant I was old enough to buy all the singles on release and get into the b-sides. Had a massive fold out poster of the album cover on my wall from out of I think Select Magazine (RIP). And it still holds up. Very much enjoyed in the car today. Jubilee, Message Centre, This is a Low, End of the Century, To the End.
british people make music good parklife 🗣️🗣️🗣️ 5/5
Girls & Boys: Great bassline, dissonant guitars, witty lyric. Just an excellent pop song. Tracy Jacks: one of my favourites. The guitars sound so good, first of the character sketches. The pre-chorus in particular( Everyday he felt closer…) is great. You could imagine this sitting comfortably next to She’s Leaving Home or When I’m 64 on Sgt Pepper, it’s that good. End of a century is more pop brilliance. The backing harmonies and Coxon’s guitar lift a fairly simple song with another perfect middle 8. Parklife: The ultimate 90s pub sing-along, another unusual but perfect Coxon riff. The spoken word verses could easily be cringeworthy, but for some reason it all works. Bank Holiday: Suddenly they they turn into the Undertones. I’m not a punk fan, but it’s pop adjacent and I don’t mind it. Bad head is another simple gem that I always forget about and then enjoy when I play the album. For blokes their age at the time of writing this, they have a knack for writing ennui-laden songs from an older perspective. Despite being ridiculously catchy and the presence of Parklife and Girls And Boys, it’s quite a melancholy album. The Debt Collector, a pretty enough piece of music which I like for the oddness. It does come off like a poor relation of for the benefit of Mr Kite The Debt Collector and Far Out act like diveider’s between the sides and then the quality hardly wavers. To The End is Serge Gainsbourg-like. Not sure if the couple in the song are breaking up or celebrating staying together, and don’t really care because it’s so good. The rest is a succession of excellent twisted pop - London Loves, Magic America, Jubilee (so Bowie/Ronson). The only clunker is Trouble In The Message Centre, it’s the kind of subject matter you’d think would inspire a great song from them, it’s not dreadful but it suffers amongst the company it’s in. Ends with This is A Low, which is one of the best songs and guitar solos of the 90s. It’s a massively impressive album. The 90s was largely built in nostalgia for British pop’s high watermark in the 60s, but this stands up to anything that decade produced.
Parklife I don’t listen to this album as much as Blur, 13, Think Tank and The Magic Whip. Although I should because it is a fantastic album. Girls and Boys is a banger of an opener and because of its ubiquity and familiarity it’s easy to forget what genuinely fantastic bit of pop music it is. The same goes for Parklife. Never really noticed before but strings at the end of Tracy Jacks are very White Album. Great song. I kind of forget about End of a Century but what a song, full of great guitar moments. I love the horns, the waltzer organ and it’s a great chorus too. I’ve never been that keen on Bank Holiday, I like the lyric but not the song, although I was actually quite enjoying it today. Badhead really is very lovely, a sweet melody and some lovely shimmering guitar and organ. Another great horn arrangement. I do like the Wurlitzer seaside organ in The Debt Collector and Lot 105 and that it keeps popping up on the album, like a cultural touchstone among the various everyday tales of Britain that form the bulk of the themes of the album. To the End, yet another lovely tune. For all the Girls and Boys and Bank Holidays there are 3 absolutely beautiful ‘ballads’ on Parklife; Badhead, To the End and This is a Low. This is a Low might actually be their best song, certainly in the top 5 for me Clive. London Loves - structurally quite straightforward but its insistent bass and guitar are fantastic, a really great song. I’ve not always been keen on Trouble in the Message Centre but again listening today I really enjoyed it. Clover over Dover - I love this song, the guitar and piano/harpsichord combination is superb and I love the harmonies. A very melancholic lyric too. Magic America and Jubilee are a great one-two before the brilliant conclusiveness of This is a Low Obviously Blur predate Britpop but It’s interesting how prominent the bass is compared to a lot of the bands and the production style around at the time of Parklife - lots of noise and treble but very little melody or distinction in the bottom end. Knowing how eclectic and diverse their albums and solo projects were from Blur onwards it’s easy to overlook how unlike Britpop this album is. A bit like Supergrass in that there are more influences than just 60s classic rock. There’s obviously a lot of Kinks and a lot of Beatles (particularly the use of horns and strings) but there’s disco, punk, new wave and a lot of pop. Listening today I wonder if this might be their most concise and consistent album? Thematically the songs all sit together despite the stylistic variety and it’s an incredibly satisfying listen, brilliantly sequenced and I don’t think there is a weak song, even if Bank Holiday and Trouble in the Message Centre may not be as strong as some of the other tracks. I liked this back in the 90s but 30 years on I appreciate it even more, it really is a great, great album. Easy, can’t be anything but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Blur's third album, Parklife, is a vibrant tribute to British culture in the '90s. Released in 1994, it embodies the spirit of the era with its eclectic mix of genres and witty lyrics. Tracks like Girls & Boys and Parklife capture the essence of British life with infectious energy. The album's diverse sound, blending Britpop, indie rock, and alternative dance, showcases Blur's musical versatility. Damon Albarn's distinct vocals bring the songs to life, infusing them with charisma. Parklife played a pivotal role in shaping Cool Britannia, celebrating British creativity on the global stage. With its irreverent lyrics and catchy hooks, the album became a cultural phenomenon. Albarn's earlier prediction about Blur's place in the '90s music scene proved prophetic. Parklife solidified Blur's status as the quintessential English band of the era. Its timeless appeal continues to captivate audiences worldwide, making it a bouncy, fun-filled masterpiece. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 10 STAND OUT TRACK - This is a Low
Blur es una de esas bandas que disco a disco se superan. Su sonido, sus búsquedas, sus etapas, todo en ellos es muy bien. Mención aparte merece la genialidad de Damon Albarn y de Graham Coxon, que lo confirman con sus otros proyectos musicales. ¿Respecto a éste trabajo? Bailable, punk, colgado, en la línea de una banda que sólo avanza y que iba camino a demostrar su solidez y su marca en la historia de la música desde su influencia en el rock alternativo y en todo lo que vendría. Pude verlos en 2023 y me dejaron estupefacto. Increíble cómo la música nos puede hacer trascender y nos deja llenos de vida.
Adding it to my main rotation, made me noticed Blur is more than Song 2
Es una genialidad tras otra. 5/5.
Haven’t listened to this in about 25 years. Thought it would be nice to remember it. Not really sure I know many of the tracks. Proceeds to sing the entire album word for word with a beaming smile. 4.5
I didn't expect this to be a 5 start album on first listen, but I'm fairly sure it is now. However, I think this is as good as Britpop gets. If '...Morning Glory' and 'DIfferent Class' are 5* albums this rightfully should be a 6. Some of the decisions made on this album are super brave, at times it's kooky and whimsical. It never feels like it's taking itself too seriously. Compared to the street-drug chic of Oasis, this record is a gem.
3/15/24. Fun, awesome album, one of my all time favorites with numerous listens and continually revisit it. I always thought Blur had an edge over Oasis as Blur wasn't afraid to experience with different sounds and themes. Park Life!
excellent album for girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys. 10/10!
Very good album. I enjoyed it a lot. Love all the different styles.
instant 5
On a roll. Another faultless album.
Indie pop rock. I have never heard of this band but this album was a jam! After listening, I wonder if one of my other favorite bands (tally hall) drew some inspiration!
Any album that has Phil Daniels talking about the dirty pigeons gets an automatic five stars from me.
Fabulous album!!
Hvor skal man starte med det album. Det er jo lyden af mine teenage år. Formativt for min musik smag. Her er nogle dyk ned i nogle af de ting jeg elsker ved det : - Uimodståelig catchyness på Boys & Girls - Skildringen af af være fanget i et konformt liv på Tracy Jacks - Beatlesque trompet på End of a Century - Parklifes energi der får mig til at løbe i ring og skrige “All the people!” - Punk-perlen Bank Holidays energiske beskrivelse af briternes øl-kultur - Jingle Jangle guitaren på Badhead - “Well you and I collapsed in love” på In the End - Bass linjen på London Loves - Cembaloen på Clover over Dover - Damon Albarns levering på Jubilee - Storheden i en skibsvejrudsigt på This is a Low
Tracy Jacks and Badhead. Taking me back to early Jam and XTC vibes. Love it!
Ok so this is tricky. This Album isn’t especially poetic and yet there is still much beauty to found in the lyrics and the no-nonsense way the scenes in the album are depicted. When you’ve listened to 100 love songs, it’s nice to hear a song that you can jusg enjoy freely and I think blur knew that when writing this 5/5
Very good would listen to again
The more I listened to it, the more I loved it. The humour on this is also great. Didn't think I would really like it because I don't like other blur albums but this one is great. There's a fair amount if contrast and experimentation throughout the album with the album's tone changing from heavy to soft. I love it. Certainly a vibe
"Girls & Boys" just happens to be one of my favorite songs *ever* in music history so it was pretty easy to rate the rest of the album which maintains a similar poppy-punky-go lucky cadence (ie Bank Holiday) that feels rare to find nowadays. Somewhat unexpectedly, Blur is bundled up in the innocence and carefreedom of my youth and I appreciate the reminder. (In reality this is a solid 4.8 but limited by the ratings nature of this platform)
My first time listening to them and it was enjoyable! Unique sound…playful, artsy.
PARKLIFE!!!
Ace
Britpop Satisfying vocal harmonies
I had only heard a couple of Blur’s songs. There’s quite a bit of a riding in this album which took me as a surprise. I liked it a lot!
Listened already
I have a real affinity for pasty white Brit-pop bands, and this is one of the all time great Brit-pop albums of the 90s. This album is overflowing with great material, “Girls and boys”, “End of a Century”, “Parklife”, “London Loves”, “Clover Over Dover”, and the true gem “This is a low”.
britpop classic. not my personal favourite blur album (always really liked modern life is rubbish) but it's up there. graham coxon's guitar parts here are some of his best. it's a Certified British Classic. so many great tracks on this
The album that put Blur on the map and my, how they have progressed since!
Love this album! Grew up with this album!
Great album and it's so hard to choose the best Blur album for me, because it comes down to album cuts. This or 13 are probably my favorite Blur albums. "Parklife" is one of the first salvos in the Blur-Oasis album war and I do prefer Oasis, but if I could combine 13 with Parklife then I think Blur would have the best overall album. Of course, that's cheating. The first four songs on here are classic and "To the End" is an excellent reverse breakup song. The relationship is over and "they did it," which means they failed. Excellent. I could go without the instrumentals, but they are short.
The very essence of Britpop, cracking stuff both then and still
klassikko
Always great.
WOO HOO! WHEN I FEEL HEAVY META--- *explosion* Favorite Tracks: Girls & Boys, Parklife, Bank Holiday, To the End 4.5/5
Enjoyed it. Didnt even listen to most song in the hey day. Liked the tune to London loves.
Haven’t listened to completely yet
Sick album!
Great album but Oasis is still better than Blur. Damon Albarns voice is amazing in some of the songs and the guitar is pretty cool
It hits all of my nostalgic notes and has some true bangers on there. Great stuff
Unexpected
5/5. I can't believe I am saying this but this was a really good brit-pop album. I thought I've heard it all but when it sounds less like brit-pop and more like everything else, I guess that is when it is good. Still some normal rock and pop songs, but multi-instrumental and experimental as well. The willingness to try new sounds in a genre so confined is what drives this album. Awesome stuff and each new listen confirms a different favorite song.
This is a good one! A britpop classic that takes us on a trip to the 90s.
Like a British Sloan. Enjoyed it more than thought.
The boys in Blur hav edone it again. One of the best pop bands of the 90s makes an album full of really great and energetic songs, no one is surprised. Some true classics on this album. Opening with Girls and Boys could have easily set the rest of the album up to be dissapointing, but every song carries the weight.
This is a great album, certainly the funniest blur album and one of the best britpop albums. It can be a bit too long, like do we really need the debt collector, far out and lot 105? But overall the songs are great and pretty much all blur albums are too long. 5/5
Not much to say about this, other than its an absolute masterpiece. There is not one duff track on this record, and it is just so eclectic. I got into it when I was about 9 years old so admittedly it does hold a large nostalgic flame for me, but it still sounds so fresh 29 years later. The bassline on Girls & Boys is so sick, and 'incidental' tracks like the Debt Collector and Lot 105 just bring the whole thing together so well. Favourite tracks: it's a tough one, but Clover Over Dover, Trouble in the Message Centre and Bank Holiday are amazing.
Classic album of the 90, great songs throughout
It's Parklife
Any songs known?: - 2 - Parklife & Girls & Boys Favourites?: - Parklife - Girls & Boys - Bank Holiday - Badhead - London Loves Least Favourites: - Honestly none - no skip album Thoughts?: - Damon Albarn is an icon - Such an amazing band & album - LOVEEE Britpop anything - especially 'Bank Holiday' Album art: 5/5 because dogs x Overall score: 5/5
Hello blur. That gorilla sound. French autoroutes. Driving. European summers.Im finking about leaving the house. And I crack a beer. And I am happy for the test fo the day. Know what I mean ?
best Blur album
Top
Great
Looks like we made it to the end
their best.
Own on Vinyl
The 90s Beatles So British Incredible
Really like this record, not my favorite Blur record but quite good
What a surprising album for me. I wasn’t as familiar with Blur as I thought I was, though I’ve always liked them because I love Gorillaz. This album put Blur on the map and it shows. I love how multi genre it is.
TRACYYY JAAAACKS (OOO OOO OO OO)🗣️ Bank holiday is the perfect example of a good bad song. Like it’s verses are goofy and random. But the band is committed to the bit and ends up still making it a banger with some killer riffs & a dope chorus. I think that’s the mark of a solid band. To the end sounds like a Gorillaz song. Something off Plastic Beach. This album has no shortage of catchy hooks and dope sounds. This on surprised me with how much I liked it for sure
Yeah this album goes hard. So consistent. 52 minutes and not one of them wasted. Easiest 52 minutes ever. I felt that most of this album really wasn't vocally-driven, which was cool. Most of the vocals were pretty understated, and while complementing the rest of the music very well, it really allowed the instrumentals to shine. This album has everything; some more fun upbeat stuff, some incredible ballads, even a more punkish vibe bank holiday which was a dope twist. Blur made choosing the best tracks a very difficult task here, this album is seriously so consistently good. Also so insanely British. Clover over Dover is maybe the most broths thing I’ve ever heard. I love how it flows. 4 britpop bangers to start. punk switch-up, right into a cool ballad (Bedhead), then an instrumental, Far Out which almost seemed like an interlude, and flowed extremely well into our second ballad, To The End, 4 more britpop bangers, Jubilee which is another kinda vibe switch and right into the final ballad, This Is a Low. I know This Is a Low isn't actually the last track, but it's such a great emotional final piece to close the album. Lot 105 gotta go bruh😂, how you boutta end the album with that instead. I’ll be revisiting this for sure. Im not sure if I’d ever just play a single song though. If I’m listening to one I’m probably listening to everything; it’s that type of album. Best (not easy): This is a low, to the end, London loves, bedhead MMM: 🗣️LONDON LOVES🗣️ the way people just fall apaaaart 🗣️LONDON LOVES🗣️ the way you don’t stand a chaaaaaance PS: Been listening for the last hour deliberating over a 4 or 5. It’s 2am. Why am I letting this decision hold so much weight in my life?
4.8/5
Love! One of the best. Funny relatable lyrics. Accessible to the common man.
Discazo, aunque lo conocía de antes 10/10
already listened to it, my favourite blur album, best britpop album
In the collection already. Haven't heard for a while so good to give it a spin again.
Brilliant, as its follow-up
aguante blur y aguante Parklife 9.5/10
uno de mis discos favoritos
5 It makes me want to dance, so good
tope de gama
Loved it
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
Absolutely love this album. Classic 90s Brit pop
Tracks: 1 2 3 4 6 9 15
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
Classic
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.
4. Would be 5 but too many aged lyrics.
Absolutely defining album of the '90s
One of the best British albums you're gonna get
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.
It's amazing. Having only heard "Song 2" before I didn't know what to expect, but it blew me away.
Nisam ovaj album sluša nekih desetak godina. Jebeno je sjajan. Svaka stvar je drugačija.
As good today as it was when it was released. A classic.
Iconic album, forgot just how good this album is, filled with melodic pop throughout
One of my favourites for years.
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
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
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.
💯
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!
Bank Holiday I could do without, but otherwise what a lineup of delicious Britishy pop.
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.
the album really isn't like "song 2" which is a good thing
Didn't want it to end, confident 5 stars Saved: - Girls and Boys - Tracy Jacks - End of a Century - Parklife - Badhead - To the End - Clover over Dover (favorite) - Magic America - This is a Low
11/26/2021 Today's Album: "Parklife" by Blur - FYI I am writing this as I listen to each song. After researching, it turns out I already have some songs by this group on my playlist. Girls and Boys is a great opener to this album, with this fun and bouncy backtrack that is just layered up with these whiny vocals that actually work pretty well and these rock guitars. There's also a bunch of cool channel specific synth effects that I really dig. I know I'm still on the first song but damn the breakdown at 3 minutes is also so cool and I just really love the sound of it so far. Tracy Jacks is nowhere near as explosive as Girls and Boys, but I think it's a good follow up and it's still a pretty fun song, if not a little repetitive. Also damn the strings switch up is cool as hell. Oh my god the production on End of a Century is next level. I absolutely love this song it's like if the Beatles were grungy with those muted trumpets and distorted guitars. Parklife is a very interesting song, with the layering beat and laid-back spoken word vocals. I keep wanting to say the vocals are annoying, but then there's some great harmony or the instrumentals take center focus, and I can't really complain anymore. Bank Holiday is a stinky track. It sounds like the most annoying Green Day song but with Gorillaz vocals. Okay but that noise rock pop off at the end though okay okay I see you. Badhead is a very pretty piece of psyche pop. I really like the pretty flowery guitars and the synth in the left channel. The vocals are also much less obnoxious, and I think that it directly following Bank Holiday makes that track much more bearable and makes it make more sense within the track list. Fantastic track. The debt collector has this creepy carnival atmosphere to it. Very moody, but playful. Wow the flutes and clarinets add a whole new layer to this vv good yes i like. Far Out is just that, far out. I think it's a nice way to split up the album with some weird ass experimental noises. The vocals actually meld somewhat well with this, and it reminds me of a weird track off of a Ween album and the way the vocals trail off is so cool. I actually really like this song as well, damn. To the End is a super nice song. I love that the vocalist is really pushing his abilities and the psychedelic guitars mixed with such chill percussion is so cool. I really like this album holy damn. Oh wow the sparkly little flourish on To the End holy cow. London Loves absolutely fucks. Everything about this instrumental just screams CUM. I can't help but boogie down to this one. The hook and chorus are fantastic, and I am not bored for a second. The fucked-up guitar solo around 2 minutes makes me nut. This band is so good at balancing their sounds to make it just go down so smooth. The sampled traffic narrator in the left channel are mixed so well. This album is absolutely blowing my mind. Trouble in the Message Centre is this cool retro futuristic track. I don't think I'm crazy about the vocals in the beginning but I'm waiting to see where it goes. The instrumental is so good I'm waiting for the vocals to stop sounding so monotone, but I think that's sort of what they're going for. This guitar solo at 2:10 is absolutely making up for the poor parts of this track. I overall think it fits the flow of the album well, even if it isn't a great track by itself. Clover Over Dover starts off really strong with these harpsicord piano sounds mixed well with a psychedelic guitar and steady drums. I like the vocals a lot in this song and the bridge has these really cool laid-back vocals that hug my ears. Me like. Magic America sounds a little funky at first but as you get used to the sound it really opens up. The bubbly noises in the second verse is so cool and I really like how consistent all of the choruses are. They all sound so natural and clean. The solo on this song is so weird but so cool at the same time. This weird instrument just shines over the backdrop of the distorted guitar and rock drums and the descending synth at the end just closes up this track perfectly. Jubilee sounds like it could have come off of Pablo Honey by Radiohead. Its a little too blown out for me to really like it. I do like the strange descending note at around 2:00 but its short lived and the saxophones in the background just don't do enough to save the song. This is maybe the only bad track other than bank holiday, and it isn't even unlistenable. This is a low has these really cool effects that sound like they came out of Radiohead's The Bends. Once this song hits the chorus, it hits for sure. I love the melancholic instrumental and all of the psychedelic effects overlayed on this track. These distorted guitars at 3:00 absolutely fuck all over this song. It turns this song up from a 7 to a 9.5 and is the perfect culmination of most of this album. This is a great climax to the album and I just hope the closing track puts it to bed nicely. Lot 105 is a nice upbeat closer. It has this playful organ piano over this ascending bassline and 808 beat and it just gets better when the guitar and aux percussion come in. It feels like its wrapping up in that same kind of energy it started with. When it picks up in the last 20 seconds, its super fun and closes out the album fantastically. Overall, this album fucks so hard and the few flaws I see in it are completely overshadowed by the amazing highlights this album has to offer. Holy shit it's good. (and fun) Score: 9.8/10 Almost flawless. Highlights: All excluding Bank Holiday and Jubilee
Really cool album. Lots of different styles of music mashed into one.
I cheered when I saw this assignment. I had discovered this album just a month prior and loved it. I'm a fan of Gorillaz, and pre-Gorillaz Damon Albarn doesn't disappoint.
Peut-être le meilleur album de Blur, de la Brit-pop qui fait plaisir
Brit pop anthems, but also I had forgotten their range and depth, love it.
A bit ‘raw’ in places, but that just adds to its charm
Love that album
One of the all time great Britpop albums and the main reason why Blur were better than Oasis.
An absolute classic. The heady glorious days of Britop in its prime. Brings back so many nostalgic memories of early teenage years. So many debates over what was better, this or Definitely Maybe. Still don’t know the answer
A classic album from our formative years. So many good tunes on here. A handful of forgettable tunes though, but they’re outweighed by the bangers.
Yay a proper all time favourite. Legendary status. 10/10
Loved it, pure nostalgia
Noch einmal 20 sein? Bittesehr, hiermit ist das alles wieder da: die Big Love for All Things British, die Buchstabe für Buchstabe eingeatmeten Ausgaben von NME und Select, die noch frischen Erinnerungen an das Erstaunen und den Kulturschock beim ersten Ansehen von Quadrophenia nur wenige Jahre zuvor, der ganze jugendliche Leichtsinn und all die naive Neugierde auf das, was jetzt hoffentlich bald losgeht. Kritische Distanz zu diesem bestimmt (tatsächlich) 100 mal gehörten Album: wie soll das denn gehen? Deshalb auch genau die Anzahl Punkte, die hier schon seit 27 Jahren rumliegt und immer noch kein bisschen Staub angesetzt hat. (I'm a nineties bitch, was soll ich machen?)
fun
Classic. Love this album.
Fun and thoughtful and clever.
This album was my world 25 years ago. Mixed feelings now, some parts are overwhelmingly cringy but there moments of true quality. 5 stars just for my 15 year old past self.
Modern Life is Rubbish gave birth to the "modern Blur". Parklife was the band vastly overpowering its baby steps. Britpop was on its way to becoming the next big noise to shout out the rooftops about and Blur were poised to being the faces of the movement and Parklife, with its depictions of sketchy, weary, aimless characters, made them more than worthy of the throne. This is the kind of album that would make most band's call it a day. For Blur, it's the start of the next chapter.
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.
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 😅
As many have said here, this starts to lose its way big time after To The End - although it ends brilliantly on This is a Low. But when it is good, it’s sensational.
Some fun songs. Did really drag me in, but I'd definitely listen again.
4.5
In the era of Brit Pop, if Oasis were the Beatles, Blur were the Kinks. I always dug the Kinks.
Despite being a fan of Gorillaz for my entire career of liking music, I think this album is what made me realize what a gem Damon Albarn is. The sound he adds to a song always comes off as so charming, I think it's part of the reason he's had such success across experimenting with genre. An approach that is not missing on this album, the direction of this album swaps back and forth so frequently. "Girls and Boys" is a club song, "Bank Holiday" is a weird new-wave punk song, "Far Out" is a mix of a wiggles and earthbound song, "Parklife" is uhhhh... And while it's probably unfair to credit Albarn excessively, while ignoring the rest of the band, I do think his presence adds so much. Homie is just so versatile. 4/5
вибачте шо я сумнівалась це зарашо бля
Above average britpop but you already knew. Girls & Boys really hit this time around. Needs another listen, not because I’m unsure but because there’s a lot of cool and interesting things I wanna come back for.
Fun and frolocking from them posh lads. Add Song 2 and this would be Best of Blur
Some songs were ok
Just a fun little rock album with no skips. Nothing much else to say
332/1001 Blur - Parklife Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ On the whole, far more positive than usual with Blur. Yes it's a bit too top heavy, but for the most part, the album material holds up against the singles.
I liked blur already so it’s not surprising this album slapped
Man,.I enjoyed this even more than the last time I heard it.
332/1089 got gorillaz a couple days ago and today is blur so that’s fun this was a good britpop record, i think i prefer it over parklife for sure, very enjoyable faves: To the end, This is a low, Clover over dover, Trouble in the message centre, Girls and boys 76/100
First half of this is classic. Quality drops off a bit in the second half and then picks up again with This Is A Low. The concept works throughout, the forced Englishness is a bit much at times. Some great tunes here. Trim some of the almost skit like numbers and this would have been a 5
There are two outstanding tracks on this album - Girls and Boys and To The End. They are both excellent and so very different. Parklife is very good. The rest of the album is nothing special and the London 'cheeky chappie' vibe is quite annoying. However, on the strength of those three tracks I'm going to have to score highly
I’m occasionally asked where I stand on the Blur vs. Oasis debate. To be honest, I’m not particularly keen on either band. I do think this album highlights one of the key differences between them, though: Blur wrote songs about ordinary people, whereas Oasis wrote songs for ordinary people. That being said, I can’t stand Noel Gallagher, and I find Damon Albarn’s vocals a little tiresome after an extended listen. Still, there are some great tracks here, and the overall standard of songwriting is strong. I certainly prefer this to their American-influenced self-titled album, Blur, which I gave 3 stars, so I feel somewhat obliged to give this a 4.
more like this is a high am i right????
Love it. They dont make em like this anymore
Pretty good
My 2nd slightly underwhelming Blur album, although I rate this one slightly higher than Modern Life Is Rubbish, which was my opening salvo on this 1001 journey. The singles here are cracking, leading off with ‘Girls and Boys’, then ‘End of a Century’, ‘This Is a Low’ and of course, the title track, ‘Parklife’. The trouble with these Blur albums is there is too much low level shit in between the moments of genius, which leaves me a bit tired of it all by the end. And yes, this album didn’t need to be 53 minutes long, you could have knocked off 3-4 songs and have an absolute classic on your hands. Good, but could have been better.
Overall a very fun and authentic record. However, I can’t really turn back to it that often simply because I’m biased towards their 1997 self titled.
love how well it picks up. feels like i'm in damon albarn's car and he's telling me a very long winded story but none of it is coherent, but the vibe is still there. something i would buy on cd given the chance.
The good stuff is really very good, but there are some clunkers on here that border on lounge music or the more cutesy Beatles songs. Still, probably my favorite of the (too many) Blur albums on this list. 3.5 that I may round to four stars, since I rounded down on another one of theirs.
This would be a 5/5 they’d excised a few tracks that are “just okay,” but it’s still great.
actually didn't mind this. thought we were in for some brit-pop nonsense but they got me with a couple of these songs. overall a fun listen.
está bueno. God banda. Boys and girls
Pretty good stuff. I only really know them from Song 2, but they've got a lot of diversity in their sound.
It's probably three to three and a half star album, but I'm giving it 4 stars because a.) it's the best of the three Blur albums on this list (there does not need to be three Blur albums on this list), and it's not yet another tedious 60s/70s hippy rock bullshit album.
My brit pop awakening
7/10 Standout songs- parklife , to the end , and this is a low
I never much liked Blur; posh boys trying to be like the rest of us. But they could still churn out the odd banger. Having never heard this in full, I still knew a large chunk of it and was surprised that I enjoyed the sings I was unfamiliar with. It just has too many damn songs.
Iconic album.
was amaazzzing !!!
me gusto bastante el disco. buena musica de fondo. 7,5/10
Very solid album. Sounds like it could have come out at any point in the 2020’s
7/10
"wah wah why is there so much britpop on the list" I mean you're not wrong, there is far too much britpop on the list, but there's also far far far too much early american punk, american psychedelic rock from the late 60s, and american art rock from the 70s. Hmm, wondering if there's a reason people don't seem to complain about that. Anyway this is pretty good. It's fun.
1001 albums to hear and feel good before you die 108# I've heard other albums from blur that didn't really click. THais one isn't that obnoxious to me. It really feels and sounds good, with a taste of weirdness that the pop rock scene doesnt have often and this well known.
Blur made dozens of great songs, but none of their albums are perfect. Parklife (or Blur) comes closest. The title track and Girls & Boys are overplayed, so I tend to skip those, but there are great moments (End of a Century! To the End! This Is a Low!)
Awesome
Britpop at its best. More of a mixed bag than i remember..5/6 incredible songs but also lot of filler...
Vocals were too british for my taste, but otherwise this was an enjoyable rock album with a lot of variety. I appreciated this opportunity to hear more of Blur's music beyond their few mega hits and would happily listen to more of their music in the future, but probably won't seek it out myself.
Woah! A lot to overcome here, some of my least favorite genres but this was great. Reminded me of Pulp and The Clash. I was also mowing lawn and I'm noticing a trend that I always enjoy music I listen to mowing the lawn. Not sure what that means, it might mean im old and this is a hobby now. Unclear.
Wow, very very fun album. London Loves felt like a cool 80s track, girls and boys is a classic Not loaded with hits, but a really solid album play. Pair with Gorillaz 😎
The Good: Parklife beats Jaillife! The Bad: What if the park is filled with lions? The Ugly: Realizing that it’s all a blur in the end… I do bleieve this to be my last Blur album this journey, and that makes me kind of happy! Not that this album is bad, but I was never a massive fan of the Britpop that soiled up the airwaves back in the ‘90s.. Then again, the opening track to this album is a joy to listen to… and the rest of the album wasn’t half bad either. Guess I could contemplate giving Blur more than a passing grade… I also need to add that almost three weeks have gone by since this album was presented to me, and I’ve really not given it my fullest of attentions… but I blame D for that. So, as a compromise for not having paid full attention, I am going to put this album into the 4* bin ensuring that I will listen to it several times again. 4* thanks to Boys and Girls—yes, I know I wrote that wrong, but the original Girls and Boys song title still belongs to Prince, found on the album Parade, not found on this list...
Ah yes, quintessential British rock. Girls and Boys is a great opener for this album! It’s fun, slightly silly, and all around a good time. Tracey Jacks was a bop! Being A British (tm) who doesn’t live there, it’s always hilarious to hear the accent come through in music like this. I really liked End of a Century. The horns were nice and I liked how the guitar added a melodic tone to it. The title track and bank holiday were both so funny! It’s such typical British humour. Badhead had a nice melody to it, and I appreciated the oboe and other fun instruments in The Debt Collector. To the end also had a lovely sound to it. It was just a good listen. London Loves had a great little groove to it. I loved the increased urgency of Trouble in the Message Centre. Clover over Dover had some lovely calming guitar. Jubilee is just so good! The last two tracks close the album very well. 4/5 ⭐️ 134/1089
På Parklife visar Blur vilket bra popband de faktiskt är/var. Titelspåret, Girls & Boys, This is a low, End of low med flera är alla genuint bra brittpop. På minuskontot utfyllnadsspår som t ex Debt collector och det faktum att Alburn är en rätt begränsad sångare. Lyckas trots allt kravla sig över fyrastrecket.
I know one song by Blur and it’s not on this album. First track is good so far. This is a long way from “song two”. Has some of the same pretentiousness in the vocal delivery. But overall it’s good so far. Like a Beatles replica. Track three should be called “we copied oasis”. 😂🤣 Track four is “what is we copied Sgt Pepper?” Track seven is “Oktoberfest”. I’m poking fun at these, but they are good songs and the album is enjoyable. This album is going fast. It’s 53 minutes and I’m most of the way through it. So it really is pretty good. Or I’d be bored. This is so much more fun than song two. I’m torn between four and five stars for this album. But it’s pretty great. Last track is hysterical. It sounds like an old movie sound track.
me gustó mucho. muy buena portada del álbum
Fun, exciting, Britpop
I didn't spend a lot of time listening to blur or Oasis in the 90's, so a lot of this was new to me today. I think it could grow on me, but my initial feeling on first listen is a high-3 or low-4.
All in all a great and cohesive album!!! 4.2/5. Favourites were the usual and the funfair music song!!
Never thought to listen to this in its entirety. Glad for the suggestion. Great album with a unique flavour.
Great album and a classic for a reason, it goes on a little long but ultimately an enjoyable time. I always forget how much I love Graham Coxons guitar playing and how much that brings to the table for blur
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. Was easy to listen to and ended up saving different songs to my library. Favorite: Clover Over Dover
Послушала половину. В целом неплохо. 7/10
Some nutty shit on this album, but a lot of great songs too. I wore this thing out in high school.
Starts of great, music of my adolescence. Park life was such a pivotal song for that era
A fun album to listen to. A few outstanding songs, that have also been favorites of mine for a few years.
One of the most self-consciously “English” album. The question is do I buy into their schtick here? Mostly, yes. There are 1-2 misfires.
Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as... This album has a nostalgic place in my heart. But I think it is also good (right? right? well it's on the list anyway). Much better than the self-titled one. Du bist sehr schön, Parklife.
Not much to say other than this was a fun listen
This is what I want my Brit-pop to be; aggressively British. In a million years I would’ve never thought that the Dire straits were British, but from the first “rubbish” to lamenting about the clover on the white cliffs of Dover these guys Britain in the most English of ways.
Great album. Felt euphoric listening to it. I mean it's Pink Floyd it'll always be magical.
The best Brit Pop. England’s answer to Pavement offering up sardonic and sarcastic anti-rock. Peak 90’s ennui and slacker vibes all around
I’ve always really dug these guys. Not at the time as much as in the early aughts. My brother compared them to pavement and that makes sense- I enjoy the low fi jangles told through a Brit pop lense.
Inevitablemente, teníamos que ser o de Blur o de Oasis, porque lo mismo no son. Los dos a la cabeza de aquello que se llamó Cool Britannia, pero los Blur siempre han tenido un rollo más pinky y se repetían menos que los Oasis. El espíritu de Damon Albarn en nada se parece al de los hermanos Gallagher, más juguetón y arriesgado el primero. De este álbum me quedo con “Boys and Girls”, “Tracy Jacks” y “Badhead”.
Great band, pretty good album. Like Leisure and their later work a bit more
I'm not British enough to give this a 5. 4/5
parklife again huh (insert smirking sticker) not complaining 8.8/10 gets better eveyr time
Great album, solid listen the whole way through
Album con muchos altibajos. La primera mitad me ha costado escucharla. La segunda es mucho mejor! To the end y clover to dover increibles! Probablemente lo volveré a escuchar.
A bit of The Who flair with updated composition and more 90s alternative vibes. Interesting story telling and fun beats. There’s also a lot of influence from David Bowie, which is always fun. There are also moments of a British Invasion with their random skits and calliope music, but they add some fun whimsy to the music.
Buen album, piolon y yanki
PAWKLWYFE!!
album #35 the backing instrumentals on every song are strong and, to me, are very colourful providing a perfect springboard for albarn. the whole album is incredibly fun and feels like a british summer personified; it's a great nineties album that truly stands the test of time! i also thoroughly enjoy how much britpop pisses off americans. it's delightful. ꩜ average track rating: 3.4/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): girls & boys, to the end ꩜ least favourite track(s): bank holiday ꩜ album rating: ★★★★☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,054 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 22 (+1 Parklife) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 9 (+1 Parklife) ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 26
Мне нравятся многие песни Blur, но почему-то ни одной из них нет на этом альбоме, кроме титульной. В целом хорошо звучит, бодренько, но много проходных треков как по мне. Да и мое сердечко все равно уже отдано другому его проекту, мультяшному
Благодаря челленджу изучаю бритпоп. Этот альбом показался самым незатейливым из тех представителей жанра, что были, но в целом обаятельно, хоть и порой скучновато.
оч хорошо, понравился почти полностью, крепкая 4ка
De Blur solo conocia song number 2, pero descubrí que es un grupo bastante entretenido
my face lit up huzzah banger im happy 8.7/10
7/10
Overwhelmingly British on first listen. I'm also more used to Damon's moodier stuff, and started thinking he only got good when he discovered trip hop. A second listen opened my eyes to how *fun* this album actually is!! Standouts: Girls & Boys • Parklife • To the End • London Loves • Trouble In the Message Centre • Clover Over Dover • This Is A Low
Great shit here. Many moons ago I listened to this because I liked Gorillaz and I hated it. Years later, I came back to it and I appreciated the lush production, the social commentary, and the bangers. I had to gradually get into britpop but this was step one and I truly adore it.
Lovable Songzeile: We all say, don't want to be alone We wear the same clothes 'cause we feel the same We kiss with dry lips when we say goodnight End of a century, oh, it's nothing special Ich weiß, ich weiß gesehen auf 100 Jahre ist 1994 schon End of the Century (and the Millenium), aber ich finde trotzdem es kommt ein wenig zu früh. Dabei waren Blur in meiner musikalischen Sozialisation erst viel später als man denken könnte wichtig. So dass das hier für mich auch nicht die emotionale Erinnerung auslöst wie bei anderen. Aber jetzt nochmal mit ganz genau hinhören ist es schon ein wahrer Geniestreich. Die Lakonie mit der Themen, musikalische und textliche durchgespielt und abgehandelt werden, die Distanz, ebenfalls in beiden Bereichen die echte Coolness enstehen lässt - ich hab wirklich ausnahmsweise nix zu meckern. Kommt mir selbst komisch vor.
Keine Lust auf eine wohl überlegte und lange review. Mag einfach wie es flowt.
Not all terrific but generally good. 7/10
Favorite Track: Girls & Boys
Fizzled out towards the end but otherwise fabulous
Pop rock avec une vibe un peu Green day et quelques originalités (le clavecin de Clover over Dover je m'y attendais pas)
Best Britpop so far. Actually pretty good. As a Radiohead fan, I didn't know anybody in Britain in the mid 90s wasn't miserable, which I guess is nice in hindsight.
Not my favorite Blur album, but still a fan 3.5⭐️
it's 3.75
Outside of moody guys playing Wonderwall at house parties Britpop is a big blind spot of mine, and after a couple Oasis albums I thought we were heading for the Neil Young zone. No longer. This album was a blast and all over the place in the best way, it feels like they're pulling sounds from a lot of different places without sacrificing listenability.
Dope ass album. Damon Albarn rules. I wish more artists made cool music. Favorite track: Parklife
Blur is a musically rich band and it shows on this record. One of the highlights of Britpop
Buen disco, motivado para empezar la mañana.
been years since i gave this a listen. it's still a great album. some of the odder stuff near the end doesn't really work that well as it kinda takes my ears out of the album as a whole, but it's still a top-notch album
Very fun and energetic album, some big hits I already knew but mostly new things. Will definitely listen again! Highlights: Girls and Boys, Parklife (the famous ones : ) )
i’ve heard this album before. i remember liking it but i don’t revisit it often. lotta tracks damn. the bass line is girls and boys is so good. great opener. i like that the background vocal that yells “GIRLS! GIRLS! BOYS! BOYS! GIRLS!” gets louder every chorus. there’s a direct line between syd barrett and tracy jacks. parklife and bank holiday is a crazy back to back run. this first side is banger after banger so far. it’s been said but this album is incredibly english. badhead is one i never really paid much attention to. the streak continues. never heard two interludes back to back before. weird. this album is good, i just need to let it grow on me and im not there yet. there’s something about the second half that isn’t hitting nearly as hard as the first half. also something came up while i was listening so there’s probably something there. lot 105 is jaunty as fuck
I’ve heard this before and I own it. As I said for the last Blur album, the missus loves them, and I don’t dislike them. Also as I said earlier, I am not a big fan of britpop, although Blur is probably the best of those groups. This is kind of nostalgic for me since three or four songs from this album got played a lot on the local college rock station when I was in high school, and I remember listening to this a lot when my wife and I were first dating. All the songs are less britpop than their “departure from britpop” album and they're all pretty good, it’s probably nostalgia talking but I really enjoyed this.
A classic from my college days. Several great songs, and a few not so great songs. Solid album but not ground breaking.
Slick peckers
Really really good
Might be the greatest cover art of this project, that also perfectly reflects the attitude and vibe of the music. Bubbly, eccentric, and groovy. I’ll be coming back to some of these tracks.
Didn’t quite hold up as the 5 star album Ionce thought this was
I was unfamiliar with Blur and the beats they put down. I really dig it.
I liked this album, it was fun.
Really good Brit pop record. Loved the first 4 songs and then there was a little lull before another 4 bangers. Cut some of the fluff songs and this would be a 5 start for me. 16 songs is way to many. That’s my only criticism
Bring back britpop I love this shit
Pas toutes bien mais quand même un trop chouette album Top track To The End ça bouge pas !!
Parklife and Girls &Boys always in my heart. Un pur produit Britpop comme on les aime. Good guitar riffs, commentaire social, un bon petit accent working class alors qu’on est un petit bourgeois. Je dirais toutefois que ça peut vite avoir tendance à être un peu redondant (genre est-il nécessaire de répéter Tracy Jacks 5 fois ?) Mention spéciale pour le Damon Albarn de cette époque, le pain. Moins fan des sons un peu expérimentaux ? Genre Far Out ? Keske ?
Has anybody ever seen Damon Alburn and 2D from Gorillaz in the same room? They sound almost identical, almost like the same person! 😮 In all seriousness, great album 4/5
3.5/5
I was and, very much still am, an Oasis guy. I still don't think Blur ever made a 'great' album. Loads of brilliant albums. Almost all their singles are classics as well. This album is obviously very good. Girls and Boys, End of a Century and many others are brilliant songs, superbly performed. Some of the album is a bit 'Cor Blimey' and they definitely are playing at being working class. But I can't deny the strength of most of these songs.
4/5. A really solid alt rock album. The arrangements and production are of ridiculously high quality. You get so many different instruments and genres threaded in here in a coherent way. Harpsichord, horns, synth, and choirs join in to make what might have been a decent enough alt rock album into something special and unique. Melodies and harmonies are really pleasant. blur has a talent for ear worms and leverages music theory to pull at the heart strings with just the right chord at just the right time. The only things I can say against this album is that it can be a little too chaotic at times and that the vocals can get tiresome. Still, definitely worth a listen for fans or alt rock.
oi so british
Liked it then, love it now.
I LOVE DAMON BEAUTIFUL BABYGIRL
Esse álbum tem o que os outros de britpop que escutei não tem: whimsyness.
Pretty much the quintessential Britpop album for me, as I grew up in an Oasis-hating family. I don't think I've listened to it in its entirety before this though, as I mainly listen to Blur's greatest hits. So I was surprised at how many great deep cuts there are on here. It's a bit too long though, and I would have dropped a few songs (like Bank Holiday). Overall, a great summery pop album though.
Girls & Boys Tracy Jacks Parklife London Loves Clover Over Dover
Favorite Song: End of a Century
fav songs: girls and boys tracy jacks badhead london loves cheeky, playful, melodic 70/100
Loved this one!
BRITAIN 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧 feel like i'm transported back to 2010s britain listening to this. so nostalgic even though ive never listened to this album before
A fun, very British album.
so much more playful and eclectic than my previous exposure to britpop as a genre had primed me for. i think the doggies on the cover are cute also.
Classic britpop, very genre defining
Hmm
Jeuj, Blur is terug met nog meer lollige Britpop. Een prettige combinatie van lijzig, blij en energiek, en na 32 jaar (shout out naar Doe Maar!) klinkt het nog steeds fris. Nee, helemaal niks mis mee, eigenlijk.
This album is definitely one of the most iconic British albums. It was poppy with its catchy hooks and very British humor. But while the album is humorous and unserious, the instrumentation on this album is fantastic. Overall, parklife is a fun and nice album that does an amazing job at incorporating pop with rock in a creative and memorable way.
Random thoughts: * So, in the 90s when this came out, I don't really remember it. I'm pretty sure I heard "Girls & Boys" but can't say for certain. * Flash forward to late 90s and early 2000s when Susan introduced me to this album. I listened to it on CD and still have it today. * I definitely like this and have pulled it out every once and awhile to listen to since it is such a good album. * I love the varying styles (punk, pop, jazz, etc). Park Life, London Loves, Tracy Jacks, and Magic America are a few of my favorite tracks. * I guess if you listen close you can kind of hear that this guy will go on to become Gorillaz. Although I really don't hear anything like Song 2 in here. * I was never one to care much about Britpop and the whole Oasis vs Blur thing i only really know about from reading about it way after the fact. But this album makes me choose Blur over Oasis if you have to pick sides.
Me I like
Olipa hauska levy, en tätä ilmestymisaikanansa kuunnellut, mutta hyvä että nyt. Monipuolista meininkiä hyvällä pilkkeellä silmäkulmassa. Ja hitit toimivat yhä hyvin.
The hits are truely amazing but the rather quirky songs that are in between makes it a bit silly at moments, makes me think of pavement, but I like pavement more
Looking back, it seems like every Blur album has always been a cult classic, but in the early '90s, few thought so. I'll go further, "thanks" to their first two albums, the band managed to make a tidy fortune and live practically hand-to-mouth for a while. Perhaps when you're angry and hungry and have nothing left to lose, things like "Parklife" are born. It's a genre-defining record, without exaggeration, that, while it didn't feature any fundamentally new moves, executed them in such an order and proportion that it gave birth to Britpop. There's a little bit of everything here — ballads, punk rock thrillers, electronic dance hits, and even some orchestral pieces, sometimes serious, sometimes silly. I once saw someone say that Blur was a band that planned to sound like The Kinks, but ended up sounding like The Jam. There is something to this.
I knew the singles plus a few extra songs that are on the "best of" album I have, but hadn't heard the others before this. Pretty enjoyable, nice sound.
Pretty good
This is another band I need to learn more about. They are all over Colin Larkin's list. I dig it. 4 *
Me gustó mucho el disco. Muy versátil y muy divertido de escuchar. Un disco muy personal para la banda ya que son historias sobre su vida supongo plasmadas en un disco y pero cada canción tiene un carácter distinto así como debió ser cada historia. El disco abarca una amplia gama de géneros como el punk, las baladas, el synthpop, entro otros lo cual lo hace sumamente disfrutable y nada tedioso. Me gustaría destacar su estilo único que al final termino por definir un subgénero: el britpop, escuchas ese termino y los más probable es que pienses en Blur y en especifico en este disco. Buen disco.
Took me right back to my youth
This one is fun! I really liked the variety of sounds, especially the less common and unique ones. Very listenable and I could see myself putting this on during the summer days! 7/10
This isnt an album review, its a window i to my teenage years. Released when i was the grand age of 12 and writ large across my falling on love with music, i sang every word of 70% of this. Undeniable pop bangers that i'd sung and danced and drank to in later years, shade in ballads that stand the test of time and an introduction to strings on indie pop that sparked a life long love. I didnt revisit this album because it never left me and i still listen to it now. The second half has some undoubted filler but this is a tardis that takes me back to when i had hair and my knees didnt hurt and life was simple.
Stand-out tracks: Girls and Boys, This Is a Low, Tracy Jacks, Far Out, The Debt Collector, Clover Over Dover, Trouble in The Message Centre, Parklife, Bank Holiday Lots to like on this album. I do feel there are quite a few duds as well that just fill up space, but I'm overall pleased. Tracks like Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, Parklife, Trouble in The Message Centre aren't anything too melodically complex, but they have catchy lyrics and good enegry. On the other hand there are a few shorter sort of in-between tracks which focus on a singular idea like The Debt Collector, Far Out and Bank Holiday that play around a bit more with the instrumentals. I feel like the album is just a bit too long and tries to play with many ideas, but ultimately ends up not being perfect. Maybe focusing on fewer ideas and having more meaningful tracks would benefit this one.
Highlights: Girls & Boys, Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Parklife, London Loves, Trouble in the Message Centre, Clover Over Dover, Magic America, Jubilee, This Is a Low When I saw this as the record of the day it brightened my mood. I love Blur and I love Albarn. One of the rare 90s Britpop acts I don't detest to any degree. That being said, I never listened to Parklife as a whole, but I already had a good portion of it across several of my playlists. It just sounds whacky and cheery, but not at all dumb and simple, so I find it to be a great pop record. Found the mocking use of whatever that moog sounding thing in Magic America was to be a nice touch. Strong opening loaded with the singles, then afterwards it cools down, but it doesn't get dull. It even picks up a bit at the very end. The middle however is filled with a couple of shorter tracks (even an unexpected instrumental!) that do feel like padding, but they are just ok.
Nice blast from the past - some good songs, thx!
Blur walked so that Fontaines DC could walk a bit faster. This album slaps on the first half, and then you’re over it by the second half. “To The End” is the best song, could have ended there.
Really impressed with this album! loved the vibes, it's chaotic and messy in the best way. Production is great and the vocals are fun. I had a good time with this, enjoyed most of the songs and would definitely listen to this album again! 7/10
Oasis?
Good. Not sure if I just liked the ones I already knew though.
This was a pretty fun album. Not too serious and some decent hooks. Seems like good summer driving album.
Some great memories and a couple of bangers. Some lesser tunes not aged well, but the album is all about the attitude and swagger, (vibe as the kids say) and deliberately pulpy songs. The album also gets an extra star to wind up the American reviewers on here.
I actually really like this album - similar to my Pulp review (and The Streets I guess too), something about the working-class mundanity of some of these classic Britpop albums just sticks with me. And this one is arguably THE classic album of the era. The first four songs are pretty stellar - Girls and Boys is just a pop banger, and Tracy Jacks may be my favorite song of the album. Sort of a lull in the middle and then it picks up a bit towards the end. I dig it.
Nice and varied Went into it assuming brit pop shite Nice lil fair ground interlude Smidge too long, lost impact towards the end