Reviews (page 7 of 14)
While listening to this, I was looking (on Wikipedia) at Britpop and Jangle Pop and Let's Active and Mitch Easter and Don Dixon... but this was a bit too forgettable.
Nah. Too long, too not fabulous.
Some interesting variety. Not the best, but decent.
Not what I was expecting, since the only thing of theirs that I knew was Song 2. A bit too long and a bit too repetitive, but still interesting.
Chaotic
not usually a fan of britpop, but this album is just fun 8.5/10
I guess this must be a British thing. Some people absolutely adore this album. It's even in the top 100 of Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums, where he gushes that “Parklife was a stunning album of high-quality, undeniably English pop.” "Undeniably English” is the key phrase: no one outside of England cared much about this album. The UK numbers are solid: 4× Platinum, 1.2 million copies, #1 on the charts. But cross the Atlantic and things fall apart. In Canada, it sold 50,000 copies and peaked at #41. In the US? Barely a blip — it topped out at #61. Meh.
Like Oasis, and I like it. Enjoyed Boys and Girls a lot.
Starts off strong but tails off
Lost me at some parts More like a 3.75 for me
I respect this album but it’s too peppy to love
2.5 stars I’ve never understood the hype of this record. I grew up on early Oasis and never really knew much Blur. When they reunited and headlined Coachella I gave their music a listen. I had my sights on this album because of its high praise. And after a few listens, I was baffled. I didn’t get it. Not that it’s bad. There is enough good music here to satisfy, certainly. But it’s jumbled and overstuffed and forgettable. Nothing about it screamed tentpole for Britpop to me. Listening today didn’t change my mind. I enjoyed aspects and zoned out others. It’s fine.
Perfectly fine mid 90s British alternative music. Not my favorite. But not bad.
Fairly forgettable.
C'est mon album préféré de Blur. J'ai plus de sympathie pour Blur que les détestables de Oasis.
J'ai pas un aussi grand attachement émotif à Blur comme avec Oasis qui est un band de mon adolescence. Mais c'est vraiment varié (des bouts à la Talking Head, du New Wave, des petits trucs à peine qui sonnent un peu hard rock), plaisant, plein de English Wit (ennui, dérision) In the End on entend la belle voix de Albarn pas mal à nue comme dans certains passages de Gorillaz plus tard. C'est beau. Parenthèse, ce top 1001 commence à montrer ses couleurs de plus en plus secte British.
J’pense pas que j’aime tant que ça blur. Genre en 1994, je choisis Definitely maybe de Oasis, tout le temps. Ou different Class de Pulp l’année suivante. Et en matière Damon Albarn, je crois préféré Gorillaz, avec lequel j’ai grandi. C’est pas mauvais clairement! Girls and Boys, Parklife, Badhead, la rockeuse Trouble in the message centre; toutes des tubes! Mais des fois on dirait qu’ils se prennent pas assez au serieux à mon gout, peut être la façon très « désinvolte » de Damon de chanter qui ne vient pas toujours me chercher.
I've always been on the fence about Blur. I like some of their singles, and I like other things that Damon Albarn has done, but I don't really enjoy listening to Blur albums in their entirety. I've tried Parklife severale times in the decades since it came out, and it still doesn't do much for me. Not mad at it, just not an album I'm probably ever going to reach for. 2.5/5
I recognized the album art to this one, and it seems like I've liked previous Blur albums ok, but this one wasn't it. It's too much right in the brit-pop pocket, which I'm not a fan of. Won't be returning to this one. 2/5
Rating forthcoming
Never cared for Blur that much, or a lot of britpop in general at the time. But since hearing Pulp’s Different Class and now this album, I admit it must have had something going for it. I know this album is ‘famous’ and highly regarded. I’ve even been asked a pub quiz question about the album cover so it must be well known And yes listening to it in full a few times now, that reputation is deserved. It’s a good collection of songs. Tracy Jacks is the best track on the album so it’s really surprising that it was never released as a single at the time. I liked it. But not quite to a 5 level.
I generally like Damon Albarn projects but for some reason, this one isn't doing it for me.
As sick as I am of all the britpop in this list, this one strikes a decent balance of mid-90s sensibility and carelessness that only Damon Albarn could provide. 3/5, not a mainstay but not a waste of time.
Enjoyed listening to this one, nice 90s alt!
Iconic slice of 90's pop.
Gotta respect the local leytonstone lad
Ok. I recognized Girls & Boys, but nothing on it was really my jam.
From the first song (the crowd pleasing girls and boys) to the tuneful and funny Tracy jacks this album hits all the right notes. It is the best postcard of britpop circa 94. Hard to fault. Lyrically blur were never better than this. Bears repeated listens too which is the sign of a great album. Personal favourite this is a low puts this album into "great" territory
82% Best: Girls and Boys; Parklife; London Loves Must-Hear? Sure
Nostalgi påverkar förmågan att bedöma Parklife rättvist. Helt klar många fina poplåtar. Girls & Boys och Parklife är fortfarande trevliga. To The End är briljant. Omväxlande kaxigheter, socialrealism och en del trams som inte åldrats så väl. Stark 3.a.
Fantastic out the gate, but really falls apart in the final straightaway
Crap life
Bri’ish innit
It’s interesting
Starts strong, falls off a bit but ends well. Really a Britpop album with a ton of different influences. 4/5
An all-time great album.
Meh
Girls and Boys is a great song but another forgettable album for me
For me, easily Blur's best and most consistent offering. Possibly the album which first springs to mind when Britpop is mentioned, for me at least - some 30-plus years later, this stands up as a decent album despite the considerable albatross of being associated with that particular movement. The title track does grate on your eight-millionth listen, and a couple of the less subtle tracks - Bank Holiday, Jubilee - now come across as a bit too on the nose. Otherwise, there is enough variety and depth to ensure this is Blur's peak pop statement. Parklife spawned four singles (five if you include the US release of Tracy Jacks) - I'd argue there are at least three or four other tracks which could easily have made the grade.
The epitome of 90s English rock music for me. Not music I listen to everyday anymore but some songs are still burned in my memory for 25 years now.
Nice tunes!
Boys & girls is a classic but the rest of the songs on this album were nothingburgers
Look, I liked it. I see the Oasis connection and it's a bit jaunty and fun. I knew the song Girls & Boys and have listened to it a ton without knowing it was Blur. It's wild that this is where this sound comes from
Like an experimental alt-rock album
3.5/5
I've heard a lot about how Blur is much better than Oasis, but Oasis got popular. While this album is good, I'm not sure that I'd agree with that based solely on this album. It's still good, it feels almost experimental at times and it's played and sung damn well. I think I'd need to listen to more Blur, but I'd be willing to listen to this again.
Passed me by at the time; I was Oasis over blur in 1994. Blue got better, oasis got worse. This has some great tracks on it but overall is too art-rock for me and most of it is a bit bland or isn’t very memorable.
Poppier than I would have thought, more baroque too, not bad. Gets tiring as it goes on
Ok but v 90s
Bassist is very underrated. Album has lost a bit of its sheen from being too locked to its decade thematically. Some songs have aged better than others. Still a fun listen
I wasn't too familiar with Damon Albarn's work before Gorillaz, but with that being said I really enjoyed this record. The majority of this album was quite lovely. I was initially a bit put off from listening to another Britpop record but I was pleasantly surprised having listened to this a few times. There are a few songs that get a tad too wacky at times excluding that this was a fun listening experience. I'd prefer listening to this over Oasis. These gents sure know how to play some smashing tunes. Top 4: To The End (fav), This Is A Low, Girls And Boys, and Tracy Jacks no bad songs 4.50/5
It's missed me. I'm just not feeling it. I enjoyed Girls and Boys for one lyric and but musically I'm meh to the tune. Some of the lyrics are good and I think I would enjoy them more if the music had a different arrangement. Like it's just to peppy for some songs and the lyric should have some gravity to it but it just doesn't. I'm just not a fan of blur I guess.
What a mess. Corny. Ugh.
I don’t understand what British people love about this album. It’s truly a downfall from their great early rockers. I understand this is Britpop, it’s not bad it’s just nothing special. In the right environment I could enjoy a song or two at a time.
Not a fan
3.5 The middle really sags for me, but starts and ends with some of the 90s’ best rock. Favorites: “Girls and Boys”; “End of a Century”; “Bank Holiday”; “This is a Low”
Idk they were gonna bring it like that. Lotta ways they keep it fresh and still the same essence throughout. That accent in this makes me feel, as they say now, "cunty"
ah the brits pretty decent
Properly diagnosed with a case of "every song is okay, but none are reamarkably good". Also, too heavy on the trumpet. Also, commentaries are clearly filled of nostalgia.
I'm very hit and miss with Blur.. they were the 2nd band I saw live and it remains one of the worst gigs I've seen! I do think that they are capable of great moments and theres a couple of them on _Parklife_ in _To the End_ and _This is a Low_. But for the most part, and particularly this era Blur, the mockney, end-of-the-pier schtik is tiring and absolutely grates on me these days. _Boys and Girls_ and the title track being the biggest offenders, two songs I never need to hear again. The album _Parklife_ as a whole sounds of it's time and despite knowing it pretty well, I don't have any nostalgia for it. And whilst I can't deny the catchiness of some of the well-known songs here that I'm not a fan of, there's also a fair bit of filler too, particularly the back end of the album. So not one I need to return to and Blur will remain a playlist band for me.
Not my fav blur album, but a good one
Half is as expected - britpop (which itself is blues inflected post-punk?). Other half is more experimental, sounds like Gorillaz. Best tracks are singles, otherwise have - London Loves and Trouble in the Message Centre
Yeah good not bad not great
Buen album, no se si lo escucharia seguido pero puede ser un gusto adquirido
So 90's brit pop. 3.5, but rounding down (not worth going up)
I don’t think I like Blur. End of a Century might be the only half-decent track on here for me. Everything else is insufferable, grating, and practically unlistenable.
Still sounds great after 30 years! One of my favourite Britpop bands delivering great sounds and clever witty lyrics. Love this album!
Eh
One good song, lots of average/forgettable songs...
I like two songs, the rest just does not stand out to me.
PARKLIFE. edit: Enjoyed the album but only Parklife is a song I really enjoyed. So changing it from a 4 tot a 3
Pijnlijk bri-ish
2.5 - Meh
Peak classic Blur. In a word this album is FUN! Liked Songs Added: Girls & Boys Tracy Jacks End Of A Century Parklife Far Out To The End Trouble In The Message Centre Magic America This Is a Low
I like Britpop more in theory than reality
i like more oasis sorry
I liked it. It was pretty fun.
I haven't listened to Parklife in a really long time, but it still holds up well. I don't connect with it on an emotional level so much, but that's okay. I understand why it made a splash and has been included on lists like this one. My favorite song is the energetic opener, Girls & Boys, but I also like This Is a Low, a slower-tempoed, pensive song about the BBC Shipping Forecast.
Not my favorite but it wasn’t bad.
Some good stuff here. There's some filler that detracts. Very British.
This was mew for me, but I did enjoy. Will be listening to this again.
Park loife
Girls & Boys is probably Blur's second best song
In 1994 I lived in London and this album blasted through my headphones as I worked a terrible job. I still know all the words and that's really where this album shines. The songs have small observations scattered throughout them that Albarn never bettered. It's not the romanticised seediness of Suede's concrete estates in small towns, but rather middle-class mundanity: cheap holidays abroad where you shag whatever; going through the motions while dating; compulsory family get-togethers; traffic radio because you are stuck on the motorway; the routine of everyday life in an England where the dreams of Swinging Sixties are peeling away. Parklife is an era-defining album. Its ordinary Englishness set to music deeply indebted to Beatles and Kinks resonated with a generation growing up under the austerity of Thatcherism. The album also led to some utterly terrible copy cats (notably Blur themselves on their awful follow-up The Great Escape - the less said about that album the better). Parklife's actually not my favourite Blur album (and Blur isn't even one of my favourite 90s acts) and it's a high 4 album for me. (Don't miss This Is A Low - possibly the most beautiful song ever about the Shipping Forecast.)
Blur, what's all this then??? You were supposed to be good??? Parklife is such a good song, but then you decide to just do bland ballads with sappy string arrangements??? And what's with the incoherent, half-assed genre-hopping??? Time to listen to some Gorillaz instead, then.
Not my jam, but there were some moments.
I’m not British enough for this album
Never been wowed by BritPop, even though I was living there in its heyday--maybe that's why: it was on the radio nonstop. So this one feels pretty overrated to me. I know it's blur's masterpiece and all, but even the hits are kind of a drag. I kind of liked "This is the Low" at the end, but quite a few I wanted to fast forward. I'm not Cool Britannia enough to get it
Fond memories of this album. However, did not realize the number of fillers. Still worth of the list.
Just…why?? I can’t imagine putting this on a best of list.
Just like last weekend's supertramp album. The more I grow older I realize britpop is so awesome. Cheery, rooted in punk and alternative sounds, bitchin riffs, beautiful melodies. And just enough sarcasm and cheeky direct british influence to make you smirk a bit. I'm glad also to have listened to both albums from the 1994 britpop battle phenomenon. Because critically examining both have lead me to say. I wouldn't have been able to make a proper assessment and would have caved to whatever my friends said. I lean more oasis, this album was at times lulled by british humor and irony. I can't sometimes deal with it. In summation britpop yay.
From the jump I'm in. My only experience with Blur is Song 2, and I'm deeply into this. I don't know how I've never heard Girls & Boys before but it's still such a bop 30 years later.
Utterly mediocre
3’5
Look, I'm sure that this album was very big and influential in 1994, but it sounds like the background music in several different parts of an Austin Powers movie. Lot 105 is an obvious parody of Brak's "Don't Touch Me." Favorite Song: Bank Holiday
OK, not my favorite
eh. was good, but don't really see myself revisiting anything, honestly.
This album changes lives.
Mmmmmm, nah
GIRLS/BOYS BE MY FAVORITE SONG OUT OF THE LABUM
Enjoyable listen.
Some redeeming songs but not the best
Not too bad had some bangers but not my fav
This album is ok. I am not a fan of Brit Pop but I would listen to this again.
Interesante
Perusbrittikamaa.
Ok, kuunneltavaa mutta kyllä näistä tämän aikakauden britti pop/rock bändeistä tulee fiilis, että ovat toinen toisen perään samasta muotista vedettyjä. Oasista kun on vaikea päihittää.
*** 1/2 Not bad but Not good enough for my taste
so hits songs some deep cuts. not a bad album at all. Boys and girls is the stand out track for me.
Meh.Ni lo terminé de escuchar. No me acabo d gustar.
I’ve never been able to fully get into Blur or Gorrilaz. I appreciate the odd song here or there as they can release some good ones. I like when they focus on the jangle like they did on Clover Over Dover and hate when they focus on how freakin’ British they are like they did on the title track. 3 stars
Wall to wall bangers
Bette than Coldplay
I liked this album for a little bit ended up getting a bit bored of it the last stretch of "Parklife" is pretty forgettable and makes it a slog to get throught but the first 8 songs on this record are great and make this album worth listening to. 7/10 Favourite: Parklife Least Favorite: Jubilee
generic and repetitive
nada muito marcante
I enjoyed this album lot. Good variety
Britpop, I was more into Oasis…but Blur had some really good singles!
One of my favourites!!
I really like Albarn's work, and Blur's britpop is pretty good. That being said, I expected more from this record. It's a pretty good album, they have a very distinctive and innovative take on britpop and they're not afraid to mix different sounds and ideas. The first half of the album is the best for me, starting with the great and by now classic "Girls and Boys", followed by "Tracy Jacks" and "End of a Century" which were both really good too. I found "Parklife" really funny even though it's a bit weird. After this though, I felt the record lacked the same punch. I really liked the production and Albarn's distinctive voice, but beyond that I just didn't find anything particularly polished or technically noteworthy.
Trochę smutek, że najlepsza piosenka jest na początku płyty, a potem jest już tylko gorzej, ale nadal jest to porządny kawałek brytyjskiego pop-rocka. Dobry na imprezy, do słuchania w samochodzie i jako muzyka w tle. Nic wybitnego, ale potrafi wkręcić jak palce w pralce. 7.5/10
Blur just can't help themselves, overloaded album with selective good to great songs weighted down by a large number of absolute dross. For every "Girls & Boys" style bangers theres a dull a fuck "Tracy Jacks" chaser but then it's followed up by the likes of "End Of A Century" and "Parklife", maddening really.. It's got nothing to do with your "Vorsprung durch Technik", you know
All style and frill that pummeled me into submission and completely won me over
I love everything Damon Albarn does.
Classic of its time
Really enjoyed the album. It's what I picture when I think of BritPop though that's probably unfair to an album that is actually pretty experimenting. Love Gorrilaz so was fun listening to an earlier Albarn project. Favorite track was "This is a Low", feels like it could have been cut off of "The Bends".
unoriginal British pop rock that shouts and doesn't do much for me. has some bright spots but not enough to make me want to listen to it again
Not bad but not my preference in music. But not annoying either.
When I close my eyes and imagine the average British person I see an aging man dressed like a woman Monty Python style (big muumuu) with a monocle sitting on a toadstool with a mouthful of fish and chips and vindaloo muttering something about keeping calm while listening to bad techno. Which is to say I don't have a good idea of Britishness, which is to say again that a lot of this album went over my head. There's some solid stuff on here, but then there's some McCartney level cartoon character studies with wacky carnival music. You can complain about skits on rap albums, but this album has entire songs that are basically skits. I mean, Tracy Jacks is the second song. There is goofy, and then there is goofy Britannia.
Parklife is my favourite album and encapsulates what was great about them for me: fun, cheeky, hit lines and hooks that become earworms and mundane drudgery of British everyday culture being brought to life.
It was like taking the worst parts of the Gorillaz and amplifying them to be more unbearable and annoying. Mostly just noise and less than great vocals. I can see how it was different for the time. But not for me
Cool
Britpop shit Tony Blair shit
solid indie
Quaint and fun enough. I fondly remember the singles dominating the radio and TV airwaves at the time. It does get a little too silly-willy-British-tea-time-bob's-your-uncle for me in places, though.
Great Brit pop
Classic Britpop album. Far more experimental than many rival bands of the period but lacking memorable hits beyond the obvious. Good listen.
I’m listening to a Blur album that does not contain Song 2? I see this is their earlier stuff. I didn’t hate it, but I’m probably never gonna listen to this album again.
An absolute classic. But then I loved Britpop - still do - so that’s an influence. But this is a masterpiece and a formative album for me. Sparkles of pop genius throughout and then This Is a Low brings the house down.
I usually complain about britpop being too derivative, but here I wish it was a bit more down the middle. It was surprisingly frenetic, and not in a good way.
This seems like it's just a standard pop record. Nothing incredible by any means.
Love it
This is piss in a pint glass. Boring, smug nonsense built on tired British clichés. Working-class music for people who watch the working class from a safe sistance. Not clever. Not deep. Just happy-go-lucky garbage dressed up as something smart. Music for mental toddlers.
Cresci ouvindo o trabalho de Damon Albarn; Blur, Gorillaz, The Good The Bad & The Queen, seus projetos secundários como Dr. Dee e Rocket Juice… Enfim, quando cheguei na maioridade eu já estava basicamente fatigado do homem ao todo, visto que tive tanta exposição a ele quanto um jovem Brit crescendo nos anos 90. Não ajuda o caso que Blur desapareceu, e que Gorillaz foi ficando cada vez pior após Plastic Beach. Então quando penso nesse álbum, eu acabo revirando os olhos. Acabei sendo exposto até demais a ele. Mas aí coloco ele pra rodar e começo a ouvi-lo, e imediatamente lembro do porquê eu ser tão fascinado por essa banda durante meus anos formativos. Volta tudo na hora. Os refrões hipnotizantes, as guitarras cintilantes (toda a instrumentalização, na verdade), a voz do Albarn e o seu alcance monstruoso, as letras secas e temas corriqueiros. É tudo extremamente agradável. É um álbum fácil de ouvir, quase relaxante, até nas partes mais agitadas. Eu cogitei reduzir a nota em 0.5 devido a duração… mas não é necessário. O tempo passa rápido ouvindo-o, não consigo pensar em nada que eu cortaria. Talvez eu trocaria a ordem das faixas, pois, do jeito que ele é, ele acaba ficando desbalanceado tendo suas melhores faixas todas no início do álbum. Mas não é um problema grande o suficiente para eu reduzir a nota 5. Blur vs. Oasis? Oasis pelos singles, Blur pelos álbuns! Não acredito que as pessoas ainda debatem isso quando a resposta é tão óbvia! ;) 5/5
at long last!!! a damon albarn project where the songwriting doesnt feel like its slipping through my fingers! idk if that will necessarily translate to a wider appreciation yet but i found this very effortlessly enjoyable...just great great tunes in a variety of flavors. his eclectic sensibilities are in place, but the record still feels crazy cohesive,,,urban landscapes, uncomfortable heat, encounters with remnants of History and Culture that are all well and good but they aint helping you pay your next rent. the writeup in my copy of the book talks about this record as placing blur within a larger lineage of disillusioned british Youth Culture, which was a thought i was already kinda baking while listening given how much this sounds in parts like a revival of both mod rock and the kinks. that seems like p much the heart of All britpop, and of its Definitive entries this has gotta be close to my fave ive heard so far. even tho i dont know why br*tish "people" make music in the first place
brit pop classic! I wasn't a big fan of this album when it first came out. I found it too much pop and not gritty enough. I've converted over time to get the appeal. To the End and This is a Low are the stand out tracks.
at first this album felt very 80s to me and i was surprised to see it came from the 90s. a couple of songs in, it became clear it was 90s but genre bending and very explorative. i liked how i couldn’t predict their sound from song to song. standouts: tracy jacks, the debt collector, to the end, trouble in the message centre (!!!), and jubilee.
5/10. All songs pretty average but Girls and Boys is pretty fire 🙏🙏🙏👍🚲😞❤️🇨🇳💥🤥🙏🥶🥁🥶🚲🇬🇧😞💥👍🤥🤐🇪🇺🤐🇪🇺🚲🤪🔥👍🥶🤫🤐🛳🤐🚳🤐🚲🤪
Girls & Boys set my hopes too high
Breakthrough in Britpop but was overall disappointing after well known tracks. Didn’t really follow a cohesive story and felt kind of muddled. Overall 5/10
Cold cover Decent bit boring but decent 5/10
Well done Brit pop.
I like this Blur more than the last one, but still not that much.
Pretty solid UK punky type stuff, not the biggest Blur fan but there's some good stuff here
It was ok but that first song reminded me of Good Charlotte?
Cheesy Songs. Boring Production.
With the strong British accents and the liberal quoting of the Beatles’ calliope and horns, I would’ve loved this in my 20s. Now I think it’s just OK but I’m happy I listened to it.
Very repetitive songs, but “end of a century “ and “to the end” are great songs
Not my cup of tea. It was not the worst that I have ever heard and I found myself tapping my foot a few times. The Debt Collector had me feeling like I was at a circus. Very strange. If someone else was into this album and wanted to listen to it, I would be ok to listen again, but I would never seek it out on my own. One and done is ok for me.
Shockingly good
I think that was the most British album I have ever listened to. Some songs I could see myself listening to but not all.
Just sounded like a a much worse version of the Beatles. Maybe would’ve had a better opinion if it didn’t play directly after them.
Big gorilla’s fan so I listened to this album a while back to see what blur is all about. I wasn’t super impressed at the time, but I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. It was a nice easy lesson, but I won’t be adding any of these songs to my rotation. I hear a little bit of the Gorillaz and boys and girls which I thought was kind of cool.
It wasn't bad. Sweet album cover. I've always had an odd thought process with Blur. I think Damon (singer/main writer) is a pompous asshat, but he's also a creative genius. Song 2 is my favorite track by them, but the whole song was meant as a joke to stereotypical rock radio hits. It's also not on this album. London Loves, Tracy Jacks, Jubilee, and This is a Low were the standouts for me. I appreciated the variety of instruments throughout the album. The album felt experimental, large, and daring. It still blows my mind that these guys were just as big as Oasis in the 90's in the UK. This isn't a band that strikes me as someone capable of doing that. But still, it eventually led to the Gorillaz, so I'll give it that.
the original bisexual for clout
oasis better. damons voice on this album grates on me slightly. i much prefer gorillaz and the new blur album from the last couple of years. Ballad of Darren I think it was called. 2/5
Damon Albarn is so insufferably annoying. Insane to me that the man behind this could also produce the genius records of Gorillaz. Can we have one of those next?
Amazing I haven’t listened to this through with any concentration, ever. Blur-ey.
Another from my younger years. In my collection
I'd spin this again, however I am not sure what mood this album is for, Lads weekend?
♥️ These are my boyz, what can I say ♥️ Same town, same time. I didn't know Damon or Graham well but at Stanway Comprehensive we played in rival bands and they made it and obv mine didn't and if I'm honest it hurt then...Still, hat's off and God bless. To my ears, Damon Albarn is the vocal love child of Ray Davies and Paul Weller...and when wouldn't that be delightful? If The Jam never broke up and maybe took in some members of XTC this could very easily have been their album from 1994...and there ain't nothing wrong with that!!! A++ cover art (holy shit that dog), A- title (to Americanos - perhaps A+ for Brits), B+ tunes (not much here past the mostly excellent singles), A+ sounds. N.B.: yes, that's Phil Daniels speaking on the title track. You may know him for his role as the mod at the center of the movie Quadrophenia.
It's a bit weird to get the three Blur albums in this collection in reverse chronological order, especially since the later "Blur" album is so different from this album (and likely from the other earlier album, "Modern Life Is Rubbish"). I can definitely see, though, why this album got all the attention back when it was released, as they had the early lock on the Britpop sound, and the impossible-to-avoid single "Boys & girls" (with a weird and seemingly irrelevant video of the band in front of various water scenes). The rest of the album is solid, and they sound remarkably assured given how young they clearly were, but I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't all that familiar sounding, and while it's impressively wide-ranging style-wise, it felt a bit hit or miss in terms of quality. The highlights for me were "Parklife" (and the quirky video to go with it), "Far out" (short as it is), the semi-Gorillaz-infused "To the end" (with a well-done Marienbad-inspired video), and "London loves". Just as with their later album "Blur", I'm baffled at how little Blur's sound translated to Damon Albarn's later Gorillaz project/albums; too bad, too, as I really enjoy Gorillaz. And I'm kind of shocked at how young-looking (and kind of juvenile) Albarn looks in his Blur phase. I'm also equally fascinated and appalled that he apparently declared just before Blur's debut album that "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." He was right, I suppose, but I kind of wish I hadn't read that about him.
Too jangly for my taste but well done.
30/05/2025 It's classic Brit pop isn't it.
Amo la voz del cantante de Gorillaz. Algun que otro aburrimiento pero en general OK. Nota: 2.9
Kind of good and kind of too much at the same time. Definitely some catchy songs and songwriting but some interesting instrument choices/weird and semi-irksome singing.
no.
Just didn’t like this album. Not sure why.
honestly a lot better than I thought it would be based on my disdain for Song 2. I liked the disco-y opening track.
Enjoyed parts. Lot of repetition which at times was a bit grating. Rounding 2.5 to 3 stars (blur may benefit from being directly after super furry animals in my listening order)
Når inte riktigt ända fram men bra är det ju.
Couple of classics, a few misses
Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls Who do boys like they're girls, who do girls like they're boys Always should be someone you really love
I think it was a had to be there sort of situation. Not for me.
More pretentious than Gorillaz
Ok but I just remembered a blur
this album may have the dogs on the cover but blur did not have that dawg in them when making this
It made me nostalgic for London but I probably won't get going back to this album.
Not for me. 1/5
I just listened to “Modern Life is Rubbish” by Blur yesterday. I didn’t notice a huge difference but thought perhaps “Parklife” was a bit more radio and listener friendly. It is also a solid three star album and I probably enjoyed it a little bit more, even with the two or three throwaway tracks.
Not long after giving their self-titled album 5 stars and wondering if I was finally “getting” Blur, I come crashing back down to earth with this. As an album it’s just so strange. An unbalanced, incoherent mish-mash of tracks. The front part of the album is loaded with the singles (and Tracey Jacks) - some good, some bad but all overplayed and I was bored enough of hearing them that I chose to skip past them. Then to the middle of the album where it seems to just be made up of random soundbites and jams, mostly annoying stuff, some of which I again skipped. Then to the end (pun intended) with a few tracks that I actually quite enjoyed but by that point I had already skipped enough tracks to make my mind up about the album. 2.5/5
Okay for the genre
Britpop at its finest. Starting off with perhaps the besr bass riff of 90s pop.
Back in 1994 "Girls & Boys" was a breath of fresh air from a few years of dour grunge. This was fun and foreign (to this American Teen) But beyond that song they never really caught on for me. I enjoyed this listen, but after the few songs I know it didn't leave much else.
me senti meio idiota de nunca ter me ligado muito nesse disco antes. Nunca entendi muito a graça do Blur mas talvez esse disco comece a mudar isso
Nice
Wow, what an album, I did prefer Oasis in the 90’s. 5 star
Entertaining.
Meh, I prefer Pulp
This is like the 5th middle-of-the-road 90's British band I've gotten recently and I'm getting a little sick of it. Normally this'd be another 3 stars but fuck that
Obviously a defining album of the nineties and the first five tracks, To The End and This Is A Low make it impossible for me to score this lower than a 3. But i’d also forgotten the dreamy elegance of Badhead and the joyous bounce of London Loves. Ultimately though i will always be more Oasis than Blur and the remaining tracks to push it over the top. A really good listen but not a classic
I fully anticipated despising this, having been on the Oasis side of the debate in the 90s. However, listening to it as an adult has me realising that they were a lot better than I remembered. Still can’t stand Damon Albarn’s voice, mind you.
I did debate not even listening and just automatically awarding 5 stars, because I adored this album in the 90s, but I thought I better check. Still love it. Especially "End of A Century" and "This Is A Low". 5/5
Jebenica, već sam preslušala hehe
izvrsno!
i fucking hate "Girls and Boys".
Another Blur album, one of their salvos fired in the Great Britpop Wars of the 90's. I think this is better than Blur (the Woo Hoo album) and I liked listening to it, but overall it's just OK. I like Blur, but they do not need to have multiple albums on this list. I don't know how many different ways I can say it. This is just another not bad, but not great album.
Ok I was geared up to hate this, but it wasn't actually that bad once I got past Girls and Boys which truly stinks. The oompah song is bad, and it really runs out of steam but I was expecting a 1 and for the most part it was fine. Much better than the other Blur we did.
I liked this much less than the other Blur. The more songs a British band does where they’re trying to Do A Beatles, the worse it is. Too many of those here.
Pretty decent Britpop going on here. The radio singles are great fun, the rest of the album was boppy enough. This one is ok for an occasional listen.
Got bored with the whole Brit Pop scene pretty quickly in it’s peak, but I checked this one out again and it’s pretty good. Now l have to go back to my Spiritualized collection and check it out again.
I once read that you're either an Oasis person or a Blur person — and after listening to Parklife, I can say without a doubt I'm firmly in the Oasis camp. Always have been, still am. There's just no comparison. Parklife feels all over the place. It's quirky, sure, and I get why people say it's clever, but most of the time it just comes off as smug and trying too hard to be artsy. The songs bounce between styles without much cohesion, and while there's some catchy stuff here and there, nothing really sticks with me. If I had heard this back in 1994 or 1995, I'd have shrugged and gone right back to Definitely Maybe. Blur might have been critical darlings, but Oasis had the soul, the swagger, and the songs that hit you in the chest
Not really saying anything controversial when I say that Blur is a good band. Britpop gets a lot of flack here, but this Blur album still seems pretty well regarded. There's quite a number of songs I like here, Girls and Boys and Parklife, the biggest hit singles, first and foremost. The album is full of humour and wit and brings a lot of variety to the table. There's a few weird oompa loompa band esque songs and interludes on here, but they don't detract from the listening experience too much.
new discoveries: Badhead, Far out, London loves, Trouble in the Message Centre, This is a low richtig gutes Album!!
Just like their great Britpop rivals Oasis, Blur wear their influences openly. I hear The Kinks, The Small Faces, even Syd Barrett at times. It all makes for a great pop confection, but really one for those like me who don't really care for the cheeky chappie persona. Still, the album and its singles enlivened the UK music scene for a while, and I guess made an impact on popular music at the time.
The pinnacle of Britpop, whatever that means. Still, for a subgenre I don't have an abundance of love for I do enjoy this album. Fun and catchy, and British in a way that reminds me of the Kinks (not in sound, but in approach). Worth a listen.
I don't know why but it feels generous to me giving this a 3. There are certainly good songs, Girls and Boys, Parklife, End of a Century, To The End (in other words, the singles), but this is another Blur album that is just way too long. Typical of the 90's. A tight 30 minute album would have had me feeling much more positive. 3 Stars
I liked Boys like Girls and the Parklife one
I wanted this to be 5 star album but it starts to drag in the middle. Lots of fun ideas and interesting songs here. Can understand why they were competing with oasis!
An album packed with Britpop classics. Take away the big hits though and the rest is very inconsistent .
Aaaa! Girls and Boys! That was a good time of life. Enjoyed the rest of the album, too. It has good energy and stays interesting.
Ok, some good songs, background music
Vocals are so nasal and grating, but typically British. Annoyingly catchy. Playful lyrics.
Brilliant early Gorillaz album. No cartoons though. Some classic hits and the rest - which I hadn't heard before - is pretty great too. 75/100, rounded up to 4*.
Uggh. Such a love/hate for the songs on this album.
There's enough quality here that it could be an easy 5, but there's so much filler as well.
Best
Decent, but nothing to write home about. Overall, nice sounds, but nothing over the top. ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Eh
Very nice
Classic 90s rock / punk vibes. Fun!
blur or oasis?
Not for me. I did sit up and pay attention to This is a Low, but apart from that it is mediocre. 2.5/5
Not great at all. Came off a like some OG ‘60’s Brit pop…
Another 90's album that's overly long! And with brit-pop to boot. 1.5 stars
girls & boys - 1 tracy jacks - 1.5 end of a century - 2 parklife - 2 bank holiday - 1 bad head - 4 the debt collector - 1 far out - 1 to the end of- 2 london loves -2 trouble in the message centre - 2 clover over dover - 2 magic america - 2 jubilee - 3 this is a low - 3 lot 105 - 1
Some top notch Brit pop hits but, beyond that, I found it a bit dull.
I’ve already heard 2 Oasis and 1 other Blur album during this project, and this is easily the best of the bunch. It’s incredibly cohesive compared to “Blur.” It wonderfully blends 80s pop and 90s rock. I love it.
Uh yeah
Very interesting. Really British and it kinda seemed like each song was completely different which I liked. But not exactly my style.
Punk-ish Britpop, feels sort of sanitized and in an awkward phase of the music
I thought I would be more into this album.
Very British, innit?
Another one I like but haven't listened to in full in years (maybe decades). Girls and Boys is, of course, a banger. The Debt Collector sounds like a Kinks track. Overall, solid album.
I guess we were due for another Britpop album... A few hits here (Girls & Boys, Magic America), a few misses (Bank Holiday, Far Out, Trouble In The Message Center), and a collection of other middling songs. Landing at 2.5 stars, but will round up to a low 3.
I understand Blur are britpop darlings, but TBH I've never been able to get completely hooked into their stuff. Girls & Boys is a fun and dancey way to kick things off. Love To the End and London Loves. Both great song -- the use of the newscast underlay on London Loves is wonky, but somehow works. This one had its moments, but never really went above a mid-level for me. 3 / 5.
I'm still trying to figure out the exact difference between "all over the place" and "good variety", but this one is more in the "all over the place" category. Never really got hooked by this one, but never really hated it either.
Absolutely brutal singing in the first 4-5 songs. Got much more bearable later on in the album, but my goodness I thought this was on pace for a 1. Still kind of terrible in my opinion but it at least got better as the album went on.
I feel like I shouldn't like Girls & Boys but I really fuck with this song. Might be the only song I know prior to listening to this. A lot of these songs kinda remind me of that Syd Barrett album. Or maybe he just kinda sounds like him. I feel like for the most part I usually really enjoy Damon Albarn's voice, but it's not really doing much for me on this one. Digging London Loves. See you soon London! Magic America is a silly one but I'm loving it. I enjoyed this one for sure but not enough to bounce up to a 4. Solid 3.
Utter shite
Not my favorite, a decent song or two
Could not get into this. Not into Brit-pop I guess? Nothing caught me...
Surprisingly enjoyable. Apparently, I like Blur better than Gorillaz. But always minus one point for not being Oasis :)
Oooooh. Ok. I get blur now. I always was confused by them, and how I never really clicked with most of their big singles despite liking britpop and especially loving Damon albarn’s later project, gorrilaz, but this listen helped me understand what I was missing, their singles fit in a lot better when listening to their frankly bizarre albums, I love how strange they get with instrumentation, melody and chord choices. The summary mentions the Beatles and kinks, which I certainly hear, but i also hear madness and cardiacs, which was unexpected, but extremely welcome. I understand why they’re so beloved in the UK.
There’s something so horrendously smarmy about Damon Albarn that I felt even a child that I was alone in seeing the Emperor without his clothes. Now, having listened to a full Blur album, the bile which rises to meet his disgust with my own only intensifies. Parklife alone - saved in its primary delivery by a professional actor who shits all over Albarn’s full vocal career in his one contribution to it - heftily drags this to two stars. Don’t even get me started on the failed politician and fucking cheese farmer.
I don’t mind Blur, but this album seemed really repetitive compared to some of their others that are on this list. Why there are multiple Blur albums on this list, only the brit who made it can answer. The songs themselves were fine, some were good, few were bad, most were fine. Nothing anywhere on here to write home about, but it works. 3/5
I mean, If you are going to over stuff this list with Britpop, you may as well add the best. 7/10
Quite chill vibes, not very remarkable, nice background work music Fav song- Girls and boys 2/5
I know they wrote that one song, whoo hoo. The other songs are kinda weird and melodic, generic rock stuff.
This is pretty funky and cool
Strange Brit rock of the early 90s.
Schon banger, geiles Cover und Damon Albarn war ziemlich Hot früher Liebling: Magic America Schlechtester: the debt collector
Beschissensten Lied: the debt collector Unerwartet: beard Lieblingslied: bank holiday
I recognize that this is excellent, influential pop, but I don't like it much. Too same-y? Not quite quirky enough? Meh.
Solid. Going to do a Blur deep dive because of this.
Hmmm, defintly taking A LOT from the Village Green era of The Kinks here. It's fun and catchy, but also weird... very weird at times. They don't just sit on the approachable brit pop sound and capitalize off of it like they could, they innovate on it. We could probably argue all day about how it lands. Some of it leaves me scratching my head, but a lot of it is solid. Overall a pretty enjoyable release.
i likey
Classico, grandi brani all' interno, bello lo atile inglese dell' epoca, c'è damon
Not my thing. I find it quite quite dull musically, and Damon Albarn's vocals get a bit much after a few songs. Some songs (mostly the hits) are OK. I'd give it a 2 but with an extra star because, afterall, it is an influential album and band.
Brit-rock and Brit-pop doesn't really do much for me. I used to hate this kind of music when I was in high school. Now I can tolerate it. (I still think Oasis is unsufferable though).
Funky fun
Listened before
This is going to be a long listen. The vocalist isn't my favorite. Oh well. This album feels too long and I'm 4 songs in.
I thought I liked Blur but apart from the two big hits I found this pretty mid.
Not my favorite genre, but still an okayish listen.
Iconic cover. Was at secondary school when this hit, Girls and Boys an absolute anthem. Love this so much.
Well I recently listened to two other Blur albums for the first time of my own volition, so this is good timing. After listening to this, it further supports my opinion that everyone is better than Americans when it comes to making music.
meh
Nails to a chalkboard
A few good to great moments. But very unappealing to me aesthetically, feels very all over the place
Has some bangers
Very good rock, amazing for training, but probably not something I would listen to normally, except for "boys and girls"
Mmm gymnasiet
Britpop just isn't my thing, but this wasn't terrible or anything.
Finde spätere Alben von Blur besser
13 year old me might have vibed with this - but that's also questionable! This was boring af 🫠 Album rating: ⭐
I like the cover, it reminds me of Without Warning. But the vibes are quite different. First 4 songs were good, rest were ok. Also I saw a video on youtube about greyhound racing in West Virginia.
I like blur and Ive debated giving the other blur albums 5s but I always end up going 4. Anyways this was good. Another 4 for blur. I think my highest blur 4 was modern life is rubbish.
4/10 - voice is just annoying
I like blur
Uneven mixed bag of pop and punkish ska 7/10
Nice band, but doesn't sparkle me
Honestly, DNF at track 3. Not without merit, but not for me.
5/10 Favorite Tracks: Girls and Boys, The Debt Collector, This is a Low Least Favorite Tracks: Bank Holiday (skip), Parklife, Far Out, Trouble in the Message Center, Clover Over Dover, Jubilee
Good album
Acceptable
I kinda rock with this.
3.5 Stars.
Did not like.
Has a few nice songs and a few that make this an album I will not listen to again (as a whole). 2.5 stars, but as an album leaning towards 2 rather than 3.