Reviews (page 6 of 14)
When it comes to 90s Britpop, this is probably my favorite album. It’s just a fun, lighthearted listen that captures the upbeat spirit of the time. There’s a lot of variety on here, some songs have orchestral arrangements, others lean into dance rock, but the whole album feels consistent and cohesive from start to finish. It’s just a great blend of different styles while still keeping that classic Britpop sound.
I remember first listening to this album after the sensation of "Song 2" when I went through the Blur back catalogue. "End of the Century" and "Girls and Boys" both caught my ear. I've had this album in my rotation ever since, "Girls and Boys" being the track I probably hear most often. I had been out of touch with music for a while so had missed the Brit Pop trend of the early 90s until being introduced to this album. I preferred Blur to Oasis as more direct successors to The Housemartins.
Oasis won.
Very British The Debt Collector sounds like carnival music (good) VERY British
Decent Rock
Lige kommet tilbage efter dårlig tour i usa men proceeder til at lave en af de mest identitetsfulde britpop albums fra perioden som virkelig cementerede deres status som nogle af de største. Synes musikken er fed og fuld derudad i alle mulige genre og det er virkelig sjovt at lytte til. Fik et stort smil på læben selv på en dårlig dag. To the end er en af de mest meme potentiale sange jeg har hørt. Det har både new wave, brit pop, art pop, ska og det hele. Massere af synths som giver det et elektronisk touch. Det har virkelig meget personlighed synes jeg.
Damon Albarn is amazing like always. A great album from one of my favorite sub-genres of music ever.
Some good ones, similar sound to other brit bands of the time.
Blur is a band I feel like I’m supposed to like. But I just don’t. They are certainly not bad, and I don’t dislike the is record. It just does absolutely nothing for me.
It started out fun then the debt collector sounded like straight up clown music which I hated and it kept getting weirder throughout. Overall it was fine though.
Fun, like britpop probably should be
Album cover goes crazy hard. Strong first half, weaker second, but no outright misses.
Good britpop. Extra points for album cover going so hard. 4/5
Klassiker. Für 5 Sterne hat es mir dann aber doch hinten raus ein paar Längen und Skip-Songs. Bitte endlich wieder auf Tour kommen!
Schwierige Sache - einige überragende Songs, aber auch einige miese Filler. Insgesamt schwache 4 Sterne.
Ich möchte Blur eigentlich mehr mögen und feiere ihren Expertenierwillen. Nur leider geht am Ende einiges nicht für mich auf und selbst ihre besseren Songs fallen für mich meist nur in die Kategorie "ganz gut". So verhält es sich auch hier.
This is definitely not a low.
Vom Cover hatte ich doch mehr wyldes erwartet. Hat sicherlich am Ende alles was es braucht. Aber warm werde ich mit Britpop in diesem Leben wohl nicht mehr. Bestätigt nochmal auch warum ich nie angefangen habe, Blur ordentlich zu hören.
Keine 5, auch nicht mein liebstes Album aber eine 3 bekomme ich nicht übers Herz.
Hat viel Spaß gemacht, es kann aber sein, dass das vor allem an der willkommenen Abwechslung liegt. Daher: Vorsichtige 4 Sterne.
Mein liebstes Blur Album. Hier ist vorallem am Anfang eine Riesen Hitdichte und trotzdem zeigt sich, dass Blur die experimentierfreudigere und mutigere Band sind im Vergleich zu Oasis. Ganz großes Britpop Kino
The younger version of me loved it.
The best Blur album. Its uneven, but has some real high-points, including "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", "Badhead", and "To the End". Its also experimental and has some tracks that are borderline throwaway. Still, it is a worthy album in this list.
when your only memorable song off the album is also the most annoying one
oi oi go on lads
I liked the part when they yell Blur!
Girls and Boys 4evaaaa
It gives me a sense of enormous wellbeing. Parklife!
Favorite Track: Baghead
Not my favourite Blur album by a long shot.
Parklife by Blur has a lot going for it. I like eighty percent of the songs. Boys & Girls is so surprisingly funky. Could have been a straight five out of five, if it wasn't for some obvious filler. I'm ashamed to admit that for a long time I only knew blur from song 2, but there is much more to the band, which I'm slowly discovering over this past year.
Objectively, this album is probably 4/5. But for me, this was one of the albums that helped me get into alternative rock sound that is undoubtedly my favorite. I've always much preferred Albarn in Blur as opposed to Gorillaz. Cant say the same about ALLLLLLLLLLL THE PEOPLLLLLLLLLLE. But this is a 5/5 for me.
Day 90 Hard to explain just how massive this album was in the UK when it was released, still some absolute bangers on here I come back to often 8/10 Highlights End of a Century London Loves This is a Low
1. Girls and Boys - Pretty groovy "electronic" song 4/5 2. Tracy Jacks - Best song on the album 5/5 3. 15. This Is A Low - Love Graham's guitar solo in this. 4.5/5
Fine album, catchy at times. Felt longer than it was. 3/5
Surprisingly fun listen.
What am I missing here? All of the accolades I read about this album - best album of the 90’s, the definitive Britpop album, etc. - I was expecting so much more and it was so mediocre. Don’t know why they’re so popular. I’d rather listen to Oasis.
WTF did I just listen to?? (Just about) Every song is a collection of random thoughts that don’t seem to have a single common thread or theme worth giving a crap about. And I normally dig a fine English accent but for some reason it didn’t help this album at all (Parklife was God awful and Bank Holiday might be the dumbest sh*t I’ve ever heard). This album/band should be removed from the interweb. And it looks like I made it to the end…finally.
I had a tinge of irony today when I listened to ‘Bank Holiday’ on a Bank Holiday. Unfortunately, that’s the closest I came to any sort of feeling other than complete disbelief and boredom at this pisspoor excuse of an album. The dogs on the cover are running away from a Blur live show, no doubt. This is absolutely awful, kitschy pop.
The Brits have given us many great bands, Blur doesn't appear to be one of them. I was looking forward to this one, but was left dissappointed and scratching my head. First the upside, I learned who sings boys & girls, that annoying song that worked its way into countless movie soundtracks. Not the greatest start, but mystery solved. The title track Parklife epitomizes this album for me. Lots i like about the song, good backbeat groove, snarky spoken word lyrics that flow nicely into sung chorus, and a good bit of attitude. I should love this song, but I don't. It doesnt come together for me, for everything they did right there is something wrong. It's missing something, actually, it's missing a few things but I cant put my finger on what they are. I didn't like or dislike anything about this album. It just seemed off. I was hoping this would be a great find, but it's not. It's okay at best. The Brits love Blur so I'm certain there will be another album, fingers crossed that will be better.
So charming, cynical, and fun innit, jus loik yer blokes down at the pub!
Ikke favoritt. Helt ok
Not a bad album and certainly more than just the hits. A few different genres which I wasn't expecting too.
Not bad. A couple I liked. 3/5.
It's a fun pop album with some good songs. Yet it is two unfocused and you could really tighten this album by cutting a fair amount of songs. Really could probably closer to a 3 1/2 tbh
Sounded punk to me at first listen but upon further inspection it is technically Britpop. I just let Modern Life is Rubbish play after this and got through like most of that because I couldn’t get away from Blur’s sound. Parklkfe is an awesome album with attitude.
Wait... so you're tellin' me that Damon Albarn isn't a blue haired cartoon character? Fun album to listen to, definitely see my self coming back to it. IT may be more of a 3.5 but rounding up after seeing damon's ass the other day (and because I do love damon's sound which is all over this album).
sorry brandon. even blur can't make me tolerate british people. also the title track fucking sucks. (that said, this album is fun and energetic, and yeah, fine, i love damon albarn, especially because he talked shit about t swift a few years ago and that made me kinetically sexually attracted to him)
This is the most br*tish thing I think I've ever heard. But I had quite a bit of fun with it. This may come as a surprise to everyone when I, an American, have never listened to Blur outside of Song 2. I know, I know hold your questions. Some more well-rounded people have been waiting for this one and I cannot lie, I think I understand why. Parklife was an absolute hoot. Lot 105 was a very fun album closer. My biggest gripe is that Trouble in the Message Centre spells center all fucky. I do not know that much about Damon Albarn. I'd kinda prefer it that way because every time I do hear about him he seems somehow more br*tish or like more of an asshole (read br*tish). He said something about Taylor Swift "not writing her own music" which caused some online drama I suppose. I'm neither here nor there on it, but what does my opinion matter I'm just a white guy? Any-who, this album was a great time and I feel better having listened to it. I've thrown it on more than I normally throw on the albums of the day and I'll probably throw it on in the future, so it's getting an a-okay from me. Dips and Dive/5 (that's a little Cockney Slang for you, Erik (I'll appropriate redcoat culture all I want they deserve it))
Plenty to like here, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that several of these songs were attempting to hypnotize me, which is a typically British move that I did not appreciate. 3.5-4
I'm admittedly a Damon Albarn hater, and it's nice to know that the Oasis bros share my opinion of him. That being said, I like Blur regardless of Damon's involvement. I discovered them backwards when they reunited for 'The Magic Whip' in 2015. I think I heard 'Leisure' next, then 'Parklife,' my least favorite of the three. I appreciate the concept behind the album and enjoy some songs, but there are also some complete misses for me. The title track sounds like a song that plays at the end of a Bob's Burgers episode. "End of a Century" absolutely rips.
I wish it had more of a distinctive quality to it. It’s fine, just could use something to make it memorable.
I like Blur quite a bit but I’m not sure I think they ever made a true no skips album. I was literally thinking about it yesterday in terms of them never making an album worse than a 3 or better than a 4. This is me, again, saying some variation of "album too long" and also readily acknowledging that, as much as I enjoy Blur, I will readily acknowledge about 20,000 reasons to find them annoying. Blur requires a bit more active listening than their contemporaries, because their real strength is in the lyrics more than anything. Damon Albarn is pretty much head and shoulders over all the other britpop folks as a lyricist, other than Jarvis Cocker and maybe Brett Anderson. Parklife was Blur’s third album and their last as the unquestioned and unquestionable biggest British band before the Battle of Britpop circa 1995 and Damon subsequently spending the remainder of the 90s taking a series of Ls (getting into heroin, getting dumped by Justine Frischmann, getting bullied by Gallaghers) that culminated in him deciding to make music as a cartoon character instead of himself. And I tend to think that when/if his legacy is being discussed by future generations, there will be more discussion of Gorillaz than anything else. But Blur remains a stadium act in the UK so maybe that's just me not fully appreciating their popularity outside the US, where their last concert was a disastrous Coachella gig. As far as the album itself goes, we're right in the thick of Blur being as aggressively British as possible, which began on Modern Life is Rubbish and continued on The Great Escape (The so-called "Life" trilogy). As in the other Life albums, the big defining feature here is these Ray Davies-style songs about these super mundane things like bank holidays and civil servants and annoyance with US-centrism. Sonically, there's a good amount of variation here; "Girls & Boys" has some pretty gnarly disco guitar, is catchy as hell, and is also probably my favorite song in the world to listen to while running. "Bank Holiday" is a punk song that is mercifully the length of a punk song. Elsewhere, we've got waltz timed oompa-"chimney sweeping music" on "The Debt Collector" and an almost Bond-esque sound on "To the End," alongside something approaching space rock on “Far Out,” some new wave on “London Loves” and, yes, straightforward ‘90s alternative rock on "End of a Century" and "This Is a Low." That refusal to have any set-in-stone sound would later become a cornerstone for Gorillaz, but it's been part of Damon Albarn's work from very early on. It's wild to me that the title track is a thing that was released as a single; I cannot fathom the notion of hearing that song on the radio during my morning commute, even though when you think about it there's really not a better time to hear it? It's sort of the thesis statement of the album and would probably make more sense as the opening track to provide an overview to what the album is going to be about, but I also understand that would be pretty alienating to a new listener. But at the same time, watch them play it at Glastonbury 2009 and see how wild that crowd gets. The key thing here is that most of these character studies feel very "birdseye." Blur is not talking about the mundanity of modern life because *they* can feel it but because the *listener* can. "Tracy Jacks," "London Loves," "Magic America," and "Jubilee" feel voyeuristic and damn near anthropological, rather than relatable. Damon is rocking FILA tracksuits, a gold tooth, and a cockney accent. He's playing a character like the theater kid he’s always been at heart. Again, an interesting prelude of things to come. The best songs on here are the more sincere ones, that feel more intimate and less theatrical. "End of a Century," "To the End," "Clover Over Dover," and "Badhead" all show an honesty and vulnerability that wouldn't really be found elsewhere in Blur's canon until their sad boi era later in the decade. "This Is a Low" is, ironically, the high point here and is the perfect marriage of these two concepts. It's emotionally resonant and intimate, while also being inspired by, of all things, a shipping forecast. Great album. I like it more than I did this morning. “Clover Over Dover” has especially improved in my standings, a tune that never really stood out to me one way or the other but is now one of my favorites on the album. But it could use some trimming (cut: Bank Holiday and Lot 105 for sure. Maybe The Debt Collector and Far Out), and I'm not ready to give it a perfect score.
Some solid, whimsical, sarcastic rock. More albums should have an interlude of old timey carnival music
I listened to Parklife a few times in college, getting into the headspace of young brit punks as I wrote a thinly-veiled ripoff of Trainspotting. Blur was also often just a few lines of lineage back from all the UK EDM sounds that were starting to invade the states. I couldn't get past the blandness back then. Needed the spice of the drum & bass remix. The Gorillaz Blur aint. Now years of banal adulthood have worn away my youthful predilections. I eat plain rice and beans every day and I have the patience of an old oak tree. It's still pretty bland. End of Century, Parklife, and Badhead are good. I can see liking Magic America. It all probably hits better in the UK, I'm sure. But it's gonna be a 2 from a 'murican who wasn't there.
I think if I gave this album a few more listens it might grow on me? Is there something there? It’s definitely in the area of what I like I just don’t know if I like this yet?
I experienced the Brit Pop wars more through criticisms and Wikipedia entries than studied listens of Oasis and Blur. Maybe it’s my love for Radiohead. They’re the undisputed kings of any modern music from Britain. But I always sided with Blur because I like Gorillaz and think the Gallagher brothers are cunts. I’ve seen Noel. He was a massive prick. Great tunes, but actively shitting on the crowd in between. I’m sure Damon is an arrogant guy but people seem to love working with him so maybe not. But this isn’t an oasis review, this is a Parklife review. This album feels mad British. It’s meant for those ears, not mine. It’s solid though. I love the titular track. Dont always love the rapping bits on the album. It feels like each of these songs has something to it that I really like coupled with things I really don’t care for. (Ex. I love the intro to Teouble in a Message Center, I dig the backing vox in the chorus. Don’t care for the verse vox.) Girls and Boys is a bit of good fun. I feel like I hear The Specials and their Muzak sensibilities, I think they borrow from the club scene with their drum work and the danceabikity This actually ended up being a double listen. It’s definitely growing on me. The first half of this album has some fun stuff. End of a Centruy has some good ballad vibes. Badhead is so fucking good. A follow up with Debt Collector and Far Out is certainly a choice. My first thought was “this must be some British shit I don’t understand” which is probably correct and my follow up though was “o it’s Damon Albarn, he just loves to make sounds.” And I dig that when I view it through that lense. I mean, I still don’t like the music but I like the spirit. I thibk this album worked its way from a 2 to a very solid 3.
Blur at the peak of their britpop success. Album filled with great pop tunes, but there are few other Blur records above Parklife on my list of best Blur albums
Solid stuff with lowering quality when album reached its end. I started to feel repetation in songs but rather good feeling continued throughout album
I’ve always been more Blur-boy than Oasis-boy back in the day — still am, really. But this album was about 50% too long. First half was good.
I've always been more of a Oasis guy, while Blur was fine and good, it didn't really pick me up. This album has too much still moments, while the good songs are really good, the slow stuff takes all of the momentum away.
Well, well here's yet another post-punk Britpop album that sounds exactly like all the others. Sleepy go night-night. Influence 2. Hits 2. Quality 3. Intangibles 2. I do not like boring post-punk Britpop, but if I must choose one, I guess it would be Blur. 3.
One of the classics from the Britpop era. Lots of hit singles on this one, along with some equally great album tracks. Trouble in the Message Centre is my favourite Blur song. And I’d argue that This is a Low is Blur’s best song overall (and maybe Damon’s best vocal). I’ve always been impressed by how unconventional Graham Coxon’s guitar work was throughout all of Blur’s discography, even on their more acclaimed albums like this one. Along with albums from a handful of other bands, this helped define the 90s in Britain.
Still holds up well after 30 years … and still better than oasis
Ok, so I was dreading a Britpop album which I knew this list has plenty, but this is actually much better than I expected, not half bad. Will probably give it 3 stars, cannot see going above that because it's a bit boring to me still. Album opener really stands out to me "Girls & Boys" and it reminds me of Bowie style which is a good thing. Skipped quite a few tracks on 2nd listening and couldn't get to listen for the 3rd time so no more than 3.
1, 3, 6
not bad, but didn't do anything for me
Okay
Super
Hmmmmm gad vide hvordan det er 🙀🙀🙀🙀
Slet slet ik fan :))))!!!
Feels like young summer in a very different way to Oasis - it feels like its soundtracking a fun, warm summer around Britain with all your friends, without any weight of expectations other than the fun times and making friends. A lot of the criticism of this album probably goes on its voyeuristic lyrical content, but I think of that as a plus - it reminds me a lot of late 60s Kinks and Sgt Pepper era Beatles in its catchy ditties about British life. Occasionally the lack of sincerity does grate on you a little after 16 tracks. 'To the End' is a classic that I've never truly enjoyed, but luckily it all feels in spirit of the album. Would recommend listening on a sunny May/June weekend.
Parklife
Day670 - i’ve had a few tom waits albums albums and now i’m a tom waits fan. this is my third blue album and now i hate blur
There’s a few hits in here, but much like other Blur or Gorilla albums, I can’t fully get into them. Specially Blur.
I don't find this very compelling, but it's ok.
Was hoping for more. A few great tracks. Really like Damon albarn so was hoping for a better insight. Brit pop ehhh
Fun, britpop has never been my thing and this album didn't bring me round. Didn't hate it though
Charming album, feels somewhat nostalgic
There is a really good 40 minute album in there. Strong 3
Parklife is technically excellent - great musicianship, cool genre-hopping - but it never quite clicked for me - back when it was released and it still doesn’t today. To me, Blur sometimes sound like they’re sneering at their subjects rather than being part of their world. That said, when they drop the smirk on slower tracks like “To the End” and “This Is a Low,” they’re genuinely moving. Strong 3 stars.
innit
Not particularly fond of the British, but these ones are alright.
Jollain tapaa klassikkokamaa itselleni. Tykkään tuosta brittiaksentista aina!
Ordinary
Brit Pop. Certainly. Some good moments, but also quite bland at time. A lot of the theatrical/ show tunes sound production annoyed me. Not sure the big hits justify the rest. Rather hear Oasis.
good album, some songs were a little bit annoying, but i enjoyed the rest. 3
Some good songs that I recognize.
A little all over the place. Felt disjointed and too long.
I was not a fan there wasn’t really one song on the album I enjoyed
Blur is right, went by without much details sticking in my brain. Fine, fun, nice background music.
Pewnie miałem coś do napisania o tym albumie w momencie, kiedy go słuchałem. I pewnie jeszcze więcej, kiedy słuchałem go po raz drugi. Ale po dwóch tygodniach zatarł się w mojej pamięci i nic z niego nie pamiętam. Poza tym, że chyba chciałem mu wystawić 3, na pewno nie więcej.
Cor blimey! It's these blokes again! Honestly, I didn't hate this. In fact, compared to the other albums on this list that are tagged as Britpop, this was quite good. Bonus star for surprising me and bucking the trend for this genre.
I had low expectations of this due to the last Blur album. I was surprised when this started off well enough. I did grow bored towards the end, but I’m going to give it a bump in rating for exceeding my expectations.
Boys who like girls who oh whatever
Everyone agrees that our phones are listening to us but I don't think people are aware that the 1001 Albums Generator is also listening. Talk shit on Girls & Boys and the generator will punish you with Blur. When this album doesn't bore me, it annoys me. Every song had a moment where I'd hit my limit, look down at the runtime, and somehow there would always be 2 minutes left of pain.
This was a first time listen for me. Thanks to this project, I've been listening to bands I'd heard of but never gave myself the opportunity to appreciate. What I've found is that I really like Britpop a lot. I don't think there's been one album in that genre that I haven't enjoyed. What I can say about Parklife is that it's so far the one I've enjoyed the most. Every song put a smile on my face thanks to something-a little musical bit or a fun turn of the phrase. Yes, it's definitely derivative of music that came before it, but I didn't care one lick about that. In fact, I like the recognition of where some songs came from. There's part of me that doesn't feel this deserves a five rating, but there's another part trying to come up with reasons why not and I'm struggling to find any. I think that first part is just the surprise of how much I love this record. And no, a non-PC album cover isn't enough of a reason to dock a star.
One of their best before they went weird on me.
Two songs that I appreciated. On this list that ranks a three
One of my favourite albums from the ‘90’s
Didn't hate didn't love
Blur is always great
Instantly started bouncing. Unfortunate that the best song is first, but the rest is still pretty good 👍
Heard the two bangers a million times before and they always slap, rest of the album is decent too
Gutes Rock-Album. Girls & Boys ist bekannt. 3/5
Album on krutskeid täis, aga see teebki kuulamise väga huvitavaks. 10 lugu 14st olid mulle piisavalt huvitavad, et läksid kohe Spotify Liked Songs sekka. Siin on piisavalt satiiri ja põnevat kõla, et saaks albumit ikka mitukümmend korda kuulata. Pole ime, et see on 90ndate britpopi üks defineerivaid albumeid. Oasis vs Blur kakluses olen kindlasti Blur poolel.
Maybe one needs to be from the UK or super into mid 90s britpop to want to throat this as deeply as the British press and rags like Pitchfork have. Im not and this is as far on the low end of mediocre as can be.
A rare 1. This album really annoyed me. Generic boring brit-pop dnf. Why is this on the list? Genuinely I could find better music on the radio
There's a lot going on in this album. And the songs seem to change direction a lot. At one point I thought I was in a circus.
Listen, Damen Albern is a legend. But this is just bland Brit pop. I couldn't find a single song worth revisiting.
Boy and Girls is a great song
Didn’t we listen to this already? I don’t know. It’s all… a BLUR. I know I know. A lot of you came to this dog track to hear droning British “rock” and gamble on competitive animal abuse, but I just wanted to take this time to thank all my loyal readers for the approximately 6 “thumbs up” across 300 reviews. It’s thanks to the loyalty of those people that I can strive to continue to make “jokes” like the one that began this paragraph. It appears that another dog is going to have to be put down around the homestretch turn, so I’ll begin my exit by saying it’s in a man to dream *GUNSHOT* *LOUD YELPING* but you’ll find that *SECOND GUNSHOT* in dreams we find out the uhh how’s that go? *GRAINY PA ANNOUNCEMENT ADVERTISING PENNY BARK-A-RITA NIGHT* that we are all uhh the men in dreams or what have you. It looks like they’ve got the corpse off the track, so I bid you all a good evening and please, enjoy the rest of the races. Oh and Blur. *SCATTERED SOBS AMONGST WAILING SIRENS.* Girls & Boys - Both?? How are we going to afford this? Duran Duran called, they said they have urgent word from the Visa fraud department. Thankfully I gave them my credit number promptly and I should be on easy street. Tracy Jacks - Related to Terry Jacks? Songsmith extraordinaire who brought us “Seasons in the Sun.” End of a Century - BLUR PREDICTS Y2K. Parklife - Ahh this is actually pretty good. Love a bit of cockney screeching. PARKLIFE. Bank Holiday - The banality of working life distilled into a mid-90’s punk tinged rock song. This somehow captures the bleakness of the infinity of employment while also sounding like a run of the mill party song. Badhead - How’s your head? Nothing but complaints, really. I kinda lead with the teeth. The Debt Collector - Ah the classic boredom interlude. I love those. Far Out - Through the looking glass, I spy a dapper alligator surfing upon a sea of rubies. From his corncob pipe, a billow of phantoms form a megalophobic nightmare in the cream cheese skies lighting the scene. Now that would be far out. Whatever this was, was more like “close in.” To the End - Even ColderPlay London Loves - Fun little poppy tune. Feels refreshing compared to the last little bit. Also? Like a decade ahead of its time. This has 2004 written all over it. Trouble in the Message Center - Whoa, this guy IS the message center? I would like to commit arson at the message center. I kid the poor man. These la la la’s do have me obsessively fidgeting with my lighter. Clover Over Dover - Mozart Moshpit. Magic America - Magic if in stead of making a rabbit disappear, you were killed in an “unpreventable” mass shooting. God bless the US of A, where civilians spay the ultimate price for freedom. Jubilee - Man I am asleep here. If it weren’t for the dense swath of This is a New Low - Oh it’s just kind of bad, not THAT bad. Lot 105 - No, this is Lot 301. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve peeled greyhound corpses off of a modern day coliseum for psychopaths. It’s now time to end the week on a low. A boring album, that I’m sure was the “soundtrack” to some bloke’s ‘94, but it was simply the drone in the background for me for about an hour. The fun ideas were there, but appeared like pennies in a pile of gruel during the world’s worst scavenger hunt. Not very fun, and in the end, kind of a waste of time. I have donned my corrective lenses and now the blur is gone. I think that’s best for everybody. Especially LensCrafters. Greedy fucks. 2 HIGHLIGHTS: Parklife, London Loves, Clover Over Dover
Interesting! Varied! Markedly british! But still great and I liked the whimsy and I liked the songs I had never heard more than the ones I had heard. Cool!
Been stuck on this album for a while due to the birth of my daughter, so it's been hard to listen straight through. And it's fine, it didn't pull me in fully to hold me for its duration, but I would say I really enjoyed Parklife, Tracy Jacks, anda couple others. I like Damon in the Gorillaz so much more, but this does feel like a foundation to some weirdness.
Not too bad. Way better than Oasis, anyway.
7.5/10
Girls&Boys is iconic. The 90s were better somehow. The album is pretty weird. Definitely where the Streets got his style from. A bit Pink Floydy.
Niestety nie mój klimat. Nie jest źle ale pierwszy kawałek mnie denerwował już po polowei
Some very nostalgic songs (family road trip staples) and some new-to-me songs. Overall enjoyable and solid
This was a very fun album. Quite diverse - all over the place! In Tracy Jacks, I love how the first guitar strum isn't synced between the left and right speakers. There is a slight delay. That really caught me off guard when listening through the album. I instantly rewinded to hear that again!
Now I've heard the rest of the album that the single came from. Not bad I'll listen to this again
It’s undeniably British, it’s undeniably fun.
Solid album with fun tracks
I wanna hear a moody and serious cover of “Parklife” next time they make a Jurassic Park.
Pretty meh after that poppy first track. I tried, but pass
Not great
Definitely not top-notch
Parklife is a vibe. It's funky, rocky, carnival-y? and a bit oddball. I think this one needs a couple listens to really absorb. It's got a lot of meat on its bones to digest. It feels like it captured the feeling of England back in the 90s. I can't explain it because I wasn't there, but I feel it somehow. I actually get Porcupine Tree vibes from several of these songs, and they're from the same-ish time frame, so that was an interesting pull in my brain. The album features some great basslines and some catchy guitars, also the styles used by the songs keep things moving and interesting. It is a long album, though, but I don't feel it overstayed it's welcome. Standouts were "Girls & Boys" "Parklife" "To The End" and "This Is A Low." Overall, I had fun but I think this is a 3 star album, very very close to a 4. Parklife is fun but things kind of blend together after a while. There are some standout songs though that will go on a playlist. I'd have probably rated this higher if I grew up with the album, but as a Blur outsider I thought it was good but not exceptionally great. I do want to listen to some more Blur though!
Cool album with a lot of variety of sound and styles.
Wow this list is just different varieties of white guy rock, hey. Went into this a bit jaded which has maybe harshed my judgment but I just really really don't care that much about this album. Saved a song: N RYM: N
Nice little album. I enjoyed it!
So for some reason my browser didn't save my review when I refreshed my screen. I do remember saying "More Blur. Hooray." somewhat sarcastically. And I believe I said that I liked each song approximately half as much as I liked the previous song. And I did like "This Is a Low." I believe that's all of it.
Previously rated: #116 - Blur (3/5) #922 - Modern Life Is Rubbish (3/5) *************************************** Album #936 Another Blur album. Fine. It's just so annoyingly Bri'ish innit? Best track: End of a Century (?)
Pretty good britpop album, not my favorite but definitely a fun album.
great britpop
Really did not like this. I'm not a Blur hater by any means, but I thought this album would be much better given it's relatively widespread acclaim.
A slightly mental album that I can't help but like for the most part. It's all over the place, energetic and playful, with some truly standout moments. Despite the positives though it feels too long and filled with some really forgettable moments. A good listen overall but it's left me feeling confused as to why the album is regarded as one of the best Brit-Pop albums, and feeling that anyone comparing Blur to Oasis need to give their head a wobble.
Girls & Boys: sploinky a little bit. the chorus is so cunty, I love the queerness of it. I've never listened to Blur before so I wasn't sure what to expect but this is a lot of fun Tracy Jacks: love the snare. it's not bad but it's kind of repetitive. End of a Century: weird chord progression on the verses (positive). I like this song but I wish the chorus gave a little more. Parklife: title track(!) so much fun, it had me smiling. really charming. Bank Holiday: goofy lil punk song. nothing incredible but it's a super fun cut and it makes me excited for other left-turns on the record. Badhead: inoffensive and mid-tempo The Debt Collector: polka? oh it's actually just polka for real Far Out: this is so funky, what an odd track. acoustic circus alien? I can't think of any direct comparisons which is pretty cool. To The End: it's alright but it's a little hokey. I like the chorus. shoutout to the circus music break during the bridge London Loves: ooooooo what is this? LOVE the way it comes in. really liking the sound/vibe of this one. catchy. Trouble in the Message Centre: super duper cool. I want to say it sounds like DEVO but I don't actually know what they sound like Clover Over Dover: this shit sounds like the Goosebumps theme song. I don't feature the verses but the rest is interesting Magic America: I like it but I was already starting to get sick of the chorus by the end of the song so I'm not sure how replayable it is. Jubilee: midpoint between punk and dad rock. chorus hits This is a Low: psychedelic + moody. this one eats Lot 105: roller coaster tycoon reggae. cartoon theme music. ending the album with this is so funny like what was the reason ___ SCORE: 7.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: Girls & Boys, Parklife, London Loves, Trouble in the Message Centre, Jubilee, This is a Low
Always enjoy blur!
Streets like a jungle on which the herd travels to Greece. On holiday, on a sunny beach, a paranoid girl likes boys who like boys who beat girls who do boys like they’re girls who do girls like they’re boys - always should be someone you really love
Loved at the time and still holds up today. One of those bands who weren't a favourite but I had all the albums.
Terrible album
I wouldn’t say I’m much of a Blur fan and this record didn’t fix that. I don’t know what it is but none of the chords or notes just really hit? There’s some nice guitar play but the use of electronics, brass sections and the overal vocale just feel a little to whimsy for me. There are some sick moments, but in general I just cringe.
Tämä bändi on erittäin tuttu, kuten myös levy. Kokonaisuus ei yllä Blurin parhaimmistoon, mutta ”Parklife” on kullä itselläni bändin Top 10:ssä.
Okay. I'm a sucker for BritPop, and for my money, Parklife knocks it, well, out of the park. Not groundbreaking. Not genre defining. But damned solid and immensely listenable.
Surprisingly good. Plenty of songs that I liked on their own, and the whole album was varied enough to stay interesting the whole time.
I really loved this album in the 90s. I still do!
Groupe connu de nom uniquement. Rien d’interessant dans cet album trop long, les morceaux sont mous et très ennuyeux. Quelques morceaux plus dynamiques le sauvent de la note minimale, pas assez pour me donner envie d’y revenir. =>2/5
I've been on a run of great music for over a week now. All types of eras and genres from the 50s to the 90s, I've moved my feet to salsa and blissed out to ambient, but this is the first album of that run I really know inside out. Parklife was one of the first albums I ever bought, on cassette, at the height of Britpop. I've enjoyed other Blue albums down the years but I do think this is their peak and I knew without listening it was almost certainly a 5 for me. However, I put it on and even noticed some new things that hadn't really stood out before like the exquisite harmonising on the backing vocals in End of a Century or that Damon shouts 'A-G-A-I-N' in Bank Holiday, I always heard the first two letters but thought he was just making random 'Ay Ay Ay' noises after that or the weird clicking buried in the Clover Over Dover mix. Although the bigger hits are on the first half of the album I actually think it gets better as it goes on, with the run through the underrated London Loves through to This Is A Low among the best sequences of the decade. It's prompted me to go back and listen to their comeback record The Ballad of Darren again and while that doesn't get close to this, it has it's moments too. I know this charmed run will have to end soon, eventually my greyhound will come in last with something I just don't want to listen, but for the time being, I'm just enjoying it, because it's giving me an enormous sense of wellbeing. Parklife!
Amazing!!
3.5 rounded down, I don't know why. There are some good tunes here but it's not what I was expecting. How were these guys feuding with Oasis on the charts?! They're so different!
Aight
Never was a huge Blur fan as compared to Gorillaz, but I really enjoyed this one.
This was an enjoyable 90s British pop album.
First song was great. The rest was pretty meh.
Quintessential 90s brit alt rock/shoegaze, Damon Alban has a great voice and the music is super accessible. I feel like the US knows them as a OHW for Song 2, but they have a lot more to offer. All that said, it didn't blow me away, honest 3.
Lame. Et par kule her og der.
Not bad. If any of these songs came on a station or Playlist I'd listen.
Basically a punk record put through a charming, British filter. On paper it could be awful but albarn and co created something distinctive, cohesive and at times hilarious. For me the pinnacle of Britpop. Girls and boys is timeless, this is a low is a lesser known masterpiece.
più attivo
Think the 90s might be taking the lead
A couple upbeat tracks, some nice variety. But this could have been a shorter album. I checked out for the last few tracks.
Good stuff, obviously as I probably said in the other blur album its weird having my introduction to Damon Albarn be Gorillaz, which I suppose is probably the wrong way round. But I think this is more guitar based than the other one, and I think that's both good and bad, because there are some quite basic songs on here, whereas there were some interesting creative sounds on the other one, but there are some really amazing guitar songs on here, with good guitar tones and parts etc. The more straight-up pop songs on here are a bit hit and miss, not sure I like girls and boys, but parklife and to the end are good, there are also some really catchy choruses which aren't really hits, like the London Loves song. Obviously Damon Albarn is a great singer, even if he's not technically speaking the best singer, and all the other instruments are good. I probably like this the same (if I remember correctly) if not a bit more than the other album. Favourite songs: Tracy Jacks, end of a century, parklife, bank holiday, to the end, London Loves, trouble in the mess, this is a low, lot (this one is a really funny goofy ending). Overall around 7/10
Neat listen and first time hearing the whole album. I'm a big Damon Albarn fan from Gorrilaz and some other Blur work. He gives me Beck vibes where he's just a wealth of sounds and musical knowledge. Lotta ideas to put down and I think 15 or 16 tracks. Didn't have the generational bangers but some good ones and covers a lot of sonic ground.
I do not get this one at all. It started super poppy, and stayed mostly poppy, but felt like it thought it was more serious that than. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. Like, why is there carnival-esque music sometimes? Is it because we're in a park and carnivals can be in parks and that's #parklife? A lot of it felt dumb and other parts snobbish. It's honestly hard for me to articulate why it turned me off so much. Best I can do is say it sounded like something I would like if I had no personality. I guess there were two or three songs that I did enjoy, but the album was 16 songs (and 52 minutes) long. I found the rest bland, boring, and/or lame. While this isn't a list of 1,001 "cool" albums to listen to, I would expect the albums on it to have more style than this. Or, at least, be better. Overall: 1.9/5
The line for Brit Pop from the Kinks goes straight through Blur and I am totally here for it. Love this so much.
Ending with Lot 105 is funny. High 4, big fan of blur and this album
3.5/5 was really into this band for a brief period during middle school, because i was really into gorillaz and i had discovered that damon albarn was a part of this band on accident. They had a couple of really catchy songs but overall it doesnt hold up as well as I remembered. its just overly british fav tracks - this is a low, girls and boys
Fun britpop. I like britpop. I have nothing else to add
I only knew one Blur song prior to this. Very solid 90s Britpop. Pretty much every song is good or interesting in some way. Moves through a lot of different styles while still managing to sound cohesive throughout. This album is dripping with British influence, from the Beatles to the Who to the Kinks to David Bowie. You can hear it all.
The definitive Britpop album, overflowing with sunny and infectious melodies and unabashed in its pure Britishness - from the accents to hanging out at parks and drinking tea. Blur is one of my favorite bands - something of a latter-day Kinks - and while this isn’t my favorite Blur album it is in many ways their signature statement. A classic.
Yeah Blur is fine.
A curious mixture of classics and mostly meh and forgettable. 3/5
1994 brit pop is an era I lived through and haven't spent much time revisiting. Some of the songs on this album are national consciousness level, which doesn't always bode well for a sit down album listening experience. In the end I'd say this is a mixed bag.
If DEVO made a punk-lite album.
Surprising how little I liked this. I guess I prefer their other albums
It was fine
Great - reminder of how much I liked this the first time round. Tempted to give 5 stars but not sure I love it enough to come back to it again and again.
Kinna sick
Plenty that I recognised, a classic from my past.
I know everyone, including Ray Davies himself, are willing to give Blur credit for being the Kinks of the 90s, but you can leave me out of it! I've always hated how you can hear the sneering at people unlike them in songs like "Girls & Boys", "Tracy Jacks", or the title song. It's not even that they're so nasty about it (like, the Kinks come off homophobic in songs like "Dedicated Follower of Fashion" and "A Well Respected Man"), it's that they're not even funny about it. Like, "Girls & Boys"' much-parodied chorus sounds like nothing more than it does some right wing talk radio guy trying to make fun of liberals and their 27 genders. The only good thing I have to say about this album is that at least it's not Oasis, you know?
Sweet
Very original and influential, especially on early 2000s British indie rock. Not exactly my cup of tea but a nice listen.
Fine.
Decent album on a decent day of birth
more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop more britpop
Without the fond memories of being a teenager and listening to this album on my friend’s Walkman on the bus (we had a earbud each), I’ll admit the title track would be an little annoying. However, the rest of Parlikfe holds up so well. Forget the whole Britpop/Blur v Oasis bollocks - This Is A Low and End of a Century are just incredible songs.
Didn’t have the highs of Blur but also didn’t have the lows. Pretty solid stuff, so a 4….I think….I don’t even know anymore.
Low 4.
Good clean fun
Close to a 5. Quite a few classics just a couple too many tracks I would want to skip
Fantastic. Fav songs: girls & boys, parklife, bank holiday and this is a low. First half was 5/5 but it got a bit weaker as it went on. This is a low saved the second part and put it at a 4/5 in total.
Very solid (brit)pop album
This was OK. I'm wasn't in love with it though, I feel it's one of those 'you'd have to be there at release' to get the hype
I found the album strong but start to lag in the middle but To the End weirdly got me and I relistened to it a few times. Feels definitive for what it is.
Damon Albarn can construct very good pop songs. This album lost it's way at some point. Could have been a tighter 40 minute album.
I was raised on a diet of Britpop!
vocals missed me
First time listening all the way through, absolute banger album!
Great album. Catchy pop tunes. Not sure Britpop deserves its own genre, but everyone should have this in their collection.
i truly don't like Brit Rock
an album i knew before and love! big blur fan (not their best album tho) fav song - to the end
Solid. Fun.
1994 I liked it in '94, I'm not so keen now. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ❌️ no need Revisit 🫳 We've all moved on ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
This album includes some classics I’d give it a 4.5 it’s not quite a 5 for me
Really fun and catchy!
No thanks
Blur is the gold standard of britpop to me
Not for me
It's 94 and Britpop certaintly had it's momentum,but though i really liked Britpop bands i was more into Oasis,Verve stuff never really a Blur fan. So i never really heard an entire album only the hits from the radio. Listening to this i liked the following songs excluding the singles: Tracy Jacks(the repetition annoyed me at first but as it progressed it was really nice), End of a century,Badhead,Far out(second favourite),To the end is a moody,60's influenced dreamy number very different to the others,very beautiful, London Loves is great fun with nice guitars but the end could be shorter, Trouble in the Message center is more agressive my top favourite out of this album left me wondering why this wasn't a single, Clover over Dover which i don't know what this means but i really loved it's sound, This is a Low is a hypnotic song with such beautiful tones and guitar playing. Overall is a good album of a great era and a great band that their singles didn't do justice to what they were capable of.
Covers a lot of ground in terms of its influences—disco, punk, pop, new wave, early-era Pink Floyd. The results are hit and miss. Damon Albarn envisioned this as a concept album, but the concept doesn’t come across as having been fully worked out. The short bits don’t bring any value to the record, and there’s an attempt at a love song that doesn’t quite get off the ground. But Blur always seemed like they were having more fun than most of their Britpop brethren; and on the few tracks where they throw caution to the wind (‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Parklife’, ‘This Is A Low’), the record is better for it.
I thought I liked Blur, but I didn't like this album.
Naw
Tbh idt it’s quite a 5 but I’m feeling generous
Great album, original, fun, but not really my thing.
Didn’t really like it.
I’ve never really listened to anything but the singles from Blur, but this is a solid Britpop album. An enjoyable listen.
I was never bothered to enter the Oasis v Blur debate. But if I was pushed I did prefer the Northern English gritty sound over the southern cheeky chappie cockney which I identify Blur has. That’s not to say that I dislike Blur. In fact I do own this album. It’s not a favourite but thought it worthwhile having in my collection due to it’s popularity and high ratings by those in the know. Like most Blur albums I am familiar with there are one or two good songs but these and interspersed between fillers which revert to the aforementioned “Cor blimey guv, I’ll have a jellied eel with me auld man” type. Blur are/were great musicians but these sound they produced never entirely resonated with me. 3/5 17/9/25
An album that starts big but tails off heavily towards the end. A couple of songs that sit permanently in the public zeitgeist, so impossible to not see the contribution here. Am happy to leave the album fillers along and just listen to the classics, so overall, a bit mid.
A couple of clear bangers that far exceed the rest, which just bob along nicely but don't do a huge amount. The bangers are elevated by the nostalgia attached to them.
Enjoyable britpop. Tails off towards the end of the album
Overall as an album it is ok. Clearly some big songs in terms of Parklife and Girls & Boys and some other highlights in there as well. But there is some filler. It is a good album and good for the background.
I don't think I've ever listened to a Blur album outside of greatest hits - generally I don't think I was missing too much but credit where it's due there's some fun bits on here. Much more variety of sounds than some of their Britpop peers. Oompah
Is it possible to be an Oasis fan and a Blur fan? I say yes as I'm a fan of both, although I do give a slight edge to Oasis. I love this album, lots of fun songs. Favorites: Girls & Boys, Parklife, London Loves, This Is a Low Would I listen to it again: Yes
1. litt kul 2. meh 3. litt kul, kmf 5. nei.
lett, luftig, føles sommerlig samtidig som det er litt futt og aggresjon i det Liker Blur, men blir litt mye med et album kanskje. Digger noen låter, men på nåværende tidpsunkt litt ensformig. Generelt mye trøkk og litt stemning. INtressant i kontekst av sin samtid
This album has a little bit of everything which makes it so incredible that as a whole it's cohesive. Highlights include "bank hokiday" "London loves" "jubilee"
Not too shabby, think they have better stuff
It's alright some good songs. But not enough. Stand out song - London loves
One of my all time favorites.
The album starts off strongly and after a few tracks it feels like it goes downhill. The opening track and the title track are both good and this is a solid album, it just doesn’t maintain the quality it starts with the whole way through
6,81
As a Gorillaz fan who knows next to nothing about Britpop outside of a handful of Oasis songs, I was excited to check this out. It didn’t disappoint! Catchy songs all over the place, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I already knew a couple. Standouts: Bank Holiday, London Loves
j'ai passé un bon moment mais c’était pas wow non plus, je le réécouterai sûrement pas.
Britpop. Another category I totally missed. This is one of the reasons I enjoy this list so much. Without going into specifics, I just enjoyed this album very much. Very refreshing. I look forward to exploring their other albums.
Boys & Girls is a straight banger. Every other song is just okay though.
Meh. Back half of the album is much better than the front half but I only liked about half the songs on the album anyway. I don’t get the hype.
Horrible histories ahh. Most of this seriously sounded like something you would hear on CITV (especially bank holiday) It was ok at best and way too long for not a lot of good songs but there are a few highlights which at least made it worth a listen. The guy’s vocals were kind of annoying, especially when he was trying to hit high notes., the instrumentals were sometimes punky, sometimes poppy, I liked the electronic dance effects in some songs (like the first one despite the overall cheesiness of the song), the other instruments were nothing special bar a few guitar riffs and licks which were nice. I think in summary the album definitely suffered from them sounding like they weren’t taking themselves seriously enough but when they did it was good which I think reflects in my favourites from here. Favourites: The debt collector, Trouble in the message centre, Clover Over Dover and This is a low. Overall, 5/10.
This was fun! Judging an album by its cover it automatically got 5 stars from me, but after listening I toned it down.
more of an Oasis guy, but i did like a lot of this album. Blur sure did have their moments.
I was not truly familiar with Blur’s game before listening to this album. I’m not convinced they’re THE “quintessential” Brit-pop band but i would say this is an essential Brit pop album. Took a few tries to get into it, but once I did, I found myself really enjoying the back half more than the front half. Would listen again probably.
Really fun couple of listens. Ended up liking this album a lot more than anticipated. You can hear the classic British influences on (what at the time was) the next generation: elements of The Beatles, The Kinks, Elvis Costello, and The Who with posh, modern flair make this album a perfect snapshot of 90s working class England. Both scathing in its criticism and Pythonesque in its humor, this is a band I didn’t give much of a chance the first time around, but am definitely going to revisit their discography.
I don't love the majority of Brit Pop but I have a soft spot for Blur. They are both the ideal example of the genre, as well as exhibiting a healthy amount of diversity to keep the sound from getting too repetitive. "Parklife" really demonstrates this with songs influenced by synth-pop, punk, new wave, and Syd Barrett-style psychedelic rock. Throughout it, the spirit of 90s London is strongly felt, which might be either charming or annoying, depending on who you ask. For me, "Parklife" is a great album and a sign of what was to come for Damon Albarn. There are hints of Gorillaz in the eclectic nature of this album. Their previous album "Modern Life is Rubbish" is a better complete album, but this one has some of Blur's best ever songs. The first four tracks are possibly the strongest run of songs the band ever made. The excellent "To the End" features Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab which is a great bonus.
Not digging it.
Girls & Boys is so queer I love it I also like when girls do boys like girls
Pure fun! A lot of songs that deliver joy and smiles
Really liked Girls & Boys favorite song on that album
Jag "missade" egentligen Britpop-vågen, men visst är det bra grejer! I Blurs Parklife finns flera bra låtar, även om jag inte placerar de som "ikoniska"
This was such a fun listen - much sillier than expected!
Goddamn this is a fun album. It loses a bit of steam in the second half but at least these guys sound like they are having fun being in a band. Personality goes a long way.
Cool but seems like the pop version of the clash
Mot da best from blur but good
Es mi album favorito de Blur, junto con The Great Scape...asi que estoy encantada con la elección
Good
Some songs are really good and some times Blur are so annoying. Sometimes sounds like they had writers block and made some weird noises
Good album. Loved the first song lead singer also with Gorillaz
Stinky stinky stinky. So grating to listen to. A few redeemable tracks... London Loves and Trouble in the Messaging Center are fine
pretty good
Indie pop perfection
Still holds up well although maybe dips a little too much into novelty/knees up for me. This Is A Low fantastic although I tend to look elsewhere for my Blur fixes these days, mainly chunks of MLIR or dips into their two later more experimental released.
1001 This album is as iconic a Britpop moment as you can get. It’s the sound of an evolving band, balancing commercial popularity, art, and fun It’s definitely a bit too playful in places, with VERY British references and humour which many outside this sceptered isle would inevitably miss. The mod influence on Blur at this time wee both visual and audible. I can frequently hear the album leaning into the Ray Daviesesque social commentary which dominated their previous release. I was a massive fan of the mod sound and scene at this time and was all in on retro trackie tops, cordouroy trousers as well as being the proud owner of a pair of second-hand Adidas SL72 trainers which were like gold dust in Camden but I’d found for £5 in Neath market 😂 The album is fun enough, yet a trifle inconsistent, although Damon Albarn also delivers some of the quality slower work he later went on to master A fab weekend listen. Sentimentally it’s a 5, but rationally evaluated it’s a flawed but still hugely enjoyable listen.
Can't believe this list has four (4)(!!!!) Blur albums on it. Not to tell too obvious of a joke, but these songs really blurred together with all the rest of their stuff.
Toooooooooooo looooooooong
Boring britpop mostly, but there were a few interesting songs sprinkled throughout to keep me entertained.
Yes. For an American I have an unnatural love of Blur.
Great album! Highly recommend!
This is a superb album. A must for any collection
Pretty fun the whole way through! Lots of compelling twists and turns.
too long and too british
Brit rock rockksss. Blur a bit less straightforward rock.
Like this better than the other Blur album, I’m actually surprised at how much I’m enjoying this. So far Girls& Boys is a highlight, I also strangely really like To The End
Good players and music I like, seemed to lack a little soul to me.
Fascinating! The first few tracks on the album really cought my attention. I hear a spectrum of British bands, The Kinks, XTC, Reckless Eric, and more. They are an homage to so that and they have their own sound. However some of the experimental pieces didn't capture me and I lost interest about half way through. I'll have to come back to this album.
Didn't really connect with it.
Parklife is one of my favourite songs from that decade so I had high expectations going into this. To the end is definitely up there. How have I not heard this before?? The second half of the album isn't as good as the first but maybe it'll grow on me
I'm a fan of blur, and knew some songs from this album, but never listened to it start to finish. It's definitely a vibe. Not actually what I was expecting, but still great. Knowing now that the singer went on to form the gorillaz, I really do hear some early similarities.
Not a vibe, kinda ew
Albarn's vocals are particularly annoying here. Not a single stand out track; produced well enough
I had a blast listening to this. I was already familiar with Blur and have listened to some of their famous tracks. I really enjoyed listening to a full set of tracks from them. It's my kind of music and I can see myself replaying certain tracks for a while. This was my favorite album for this week.
Inte riktigt min smak
This was very British. Not in a bad way, just not my cup of tea... Get it? Lolz. 3 stars
music for children
Somehow I missed Blur in the '90s. This hits so many of my sweet spots, tho. Definitely gonna revisit it.
I was working at a bar at Alex James Big Feastival music festival and he had a range of drinks he wanted us to push called “Britpop”. I casually mentioned to him that we were probably the only two people there old enough to remember Britpop. He copped the strop and flounced off in a huff! Still this is probably Blurs best album and his festival was fun to work at.
Every song reminded me of an early 2000s comedy
Dang, I guess I just like Britpop. Great songwriting, melodies, lyrics, production, etc. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
not as good as their self titled album but theres some good songs on this.
I like blur, weird that they came up for the first and second time in such quick succession, but okay. This album doesn't hit nearly as well for me though. It does establish a 'signature sound' for the band. But the content just hasn't blown me away at 2/3rds through the album. This is a Low was a good song though.
Good
One of my faves
Eh
I liked this album! Like many of the other commenters have hit on, this list has so many britpop groups… most of which I am unfamiliar with. This was an easy listen. The genre influences definitely bounce around. I also love the album cover of the greyhounds. I think the first half of the album was stronger.
Happily surprised that I really, really like this. The record sounds fun, loads of variety in songs and vibes, great sound. Really good!
very britty
This was kind of cool. Seems innovative for the time.
Decent Brit Pop
The best britpop band. Lovely album, i prefer Modern Life is Rubbish only out of nostalgia 93/100
Didn‘t find it interesting soundwise. At least the text is progressive.
made it through the first 4 songs. gg
Not a big Blur (or Britpop) guy, but Parkife, Badhead, To the End, Magical America (great chorus!) and This Is a Low are great songs. Besides that the album mostly swings between annoying and irrelevant.