Reviews (page 9 of 13)
Alright album, but a bit underwhelming. Starts strong and then dilutes into unremarkable run-of-the-mill Brit pop
I had fun with the first half, and then middling to low success with the second. I wonder how different albums like this would be without the concept of the singles.
Nothing really grabbed be but I enjoyed most of it. There were some random almost pretentious songs in the middle that didn't feel totally necessary.
I respect Damon Albarn’s ability to cover a lot of ground with his songwriting, but on Parklife, it mostly just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s all too wink wink in a smarmy British way. Maybe it’s just trying too hard to be a Sgt. Peppers for the 90’s. I’ve tried on many occasions over the years to get into this record, but I just can’t. A few songs hit well: “Girls & Boys” is a stone cold classic 90’s banger, “Far Out” and “Too The End” emit cool psychedelic vibes, and “This Is A Low” is a solidly written, mature tune. Had the album been full of those, then it would be a perfect record.
It's hard to believe that this album is 30 years old. In addition to the title track "Parklife", the album also includes their hits "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", and "To the End".
Fav track - Parklife 2012 Remaster
This album was okay, only barely a 3, though. The first third or half of the album could easily be cut with no negative effects.
6/10. Got better as it went.
не захватывает пока блёр. только предыдуще знакомые песни приятны
Kann man schon Machen, aber muss ich nicht nochmal hören. Glaube wenn man nicht aus UK ist versteht man das nicht
I did not have this album first time around. Am over familiar with the singles and they still hold up - but otherwise underwhelmed with the rest of the album - do not think I have missed much.
Kinda fun, a little silly at times. There was a lot more to the band than "Song 2" would have implied. A solid 3.
Welp, no more Blur after this I guess. I've always been fond of the title track, it's one of the quintessential britpop songs with its dryness and catchy hooks. The rest of the album isn't really conventional and jumps around a bit stylistically, though. One could praise Blur for their versatility here or bash them for being inconsistent and trying to do too much. Regardless, this album turned out to be more divergent and stranger than I expected.
Sooo, it's ok. A little mediocre. I was more into Pearl Jam and Nirvana at the time. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't spin it again
3
I’d listen to it again, but I won’t seek it out
It's fine. I like blur more than most of the other 90s alt bands but the album is too long. I will say there is some good variation between songs to keep things fresh over the hour. Nothing spectacular but nice and nostalgic.
Brit Pop
Another Blur record. I hadn’t realized “Girls & Boys” was their song. It’s really the only thing that stood out as memorable here.
Started off with a banger and took on a dreamy, perhaps blurry if you will, sound as it went on. A pleasant listen for sires Girls & Boys was the standout for me.
Was hoping it would be better
Parklife-Blur, 71/100. (Official Rating: 7.1/10) Posted on, “Album of the Year," "Rate Your Music" and “ MJ’s Album Reviews.” Official Ranking of the Year: Genre: British Rock, Rock, Artist: Blur Date: 11/18/24 “Fast, slow, all of it juxtaposes into one piece that is for the ages. Amazing alternative album.”
Fun. Love Oasis hating on this one. Not home to their all time bangers however.
Meh
Creative and fun for a couple of listens, but it's really Damon Albarn playing around with different genres and taking everyone along for the ride. I think he's gotten better at that since this album. I was there for some of it, but got a little bored with some songs.
6/10
A couple good songs, but just not quite Oasis.
Overall a great rock album With some great highlights but some tracks lacked the consistancy which lowered my scoring a little but its a good album nevertheless
The author of this list really likes britpop don't they. There's some decent songs on here, but a lot of filler as well.
I like a fair bit of this but they are so annoying and I recently saw a video where they horribly bullied some guy trying to interview them so it loses a point.
Very British but not awful.
Eh. So-so
Teenybop Brit pop album. I liked that this album had more of an identity than the first one. I just don’t really like what it is. Standouts: Girls & Boys, Badhead, Clover Over Dover, and Jubilee.
This is a classic. And I got this album the day after I got the good, the bad, & the queen.
Alllllll the people. This album starts off really strong for me but tails off significantly. I really like the opener though; it’s a classic and the weird, harsh, grating guitars sound so perfect.
its alright..
It's pretty British. They sound a lot like Oasis, or I guess Oasis sounds a lot like them, since this is their third album, and was released about two weeks after Oasis's first song. I liked listening to this more than any Oasis music, at least, since I didn't get the feeling of pretentious egomania that oozes out of that band. I'm still not sure about the genre as a whole. Outside a couple of Pulp songs, my opinion at best for the hits is, eh, fine. I did tend to like this album, although there were some parts that I'm pretty sure are written specifically for the early 90's UK audience, and a mere colonist like myself can't truly understand the complexities of the metropole. I didn't find anything to add to my catalog, but I'd be open to another Blur album. Also, I have now learned about "The Battle of Britpop," so I guess you can ignore the Oasis comparisons.
Why do they sound soo much more British than on the woo hoo song
Me during the first song: this is a masterpiece Me during the rest of the album: 😴
this is some nostalgic 90s brit pop I can get behind. Most I can't.
Alles in allem nichts herausragendes, aber ein paar Songs die mir gut gefallen (zb This is a low) und einige sehr nice guitar parts. Hätte man vielleicht auf unter 40min kürzen sollen
Had some real high highs, but the rest was forgettable. To The End was killer.
I still prefer Gorillaz, but this was a solid 90s britpop album.
One of the better blur albums. Not every one is a hit though. Middling 3.
blur had some tunes and it’s nice to see someone taking a swing but it’s funny anyone took their grandiosity seriously
meh, there's probably better blur albums based on the tracks i've heard from them
arctic monkeys vibes
po britpop nunca foi muito pro meu bico não mas não é um álbum ruim
pior que ONTEM (03/10) eu pensei "ou talvez eu devesse escutar blur mais a fundo pra ver se é melhor que oasis mesmo". bom timing. bom album pro fim de semana, ouvi ele umas 4 vezes. é legal, tem umas músicas mto boas (alo Girls & Boys), mas eu sou mais oasis mesmo, sabe. muito pra frentex, tenta colocar diversos elementos na música e fica uma mistureba meia boca, fraga.
Blur is a rock band that has a bassist and they were not afraid to use him. Really nice to hear this groove-based rock album. I'm not too up to speed on them but love Gorillaz and always wanted to get more background on Blur and pre-ape-era Albarn stuff. Seems like there's some equal effort to music, production, and songwriting as there's a lot of craft applied and on top of it all, so original and unique. Silly that they had this beef/ comparisons with Oasis as the 2 bands could not be more different. Oasis is not even in the same category, in my opinion.
I didn't really understand or enjoy it. Was originally going to give it a 2 because I was struggling, but the 2nd half bumped it to a 3
Overtly British, but in a good way.
The album tracks are meh but my god the singles are bangers
Solid
This isn't what I thought blur was, I had only heard song 2 really and this was very different from that. This reminded me of the talking heads a lot of times in terms of the lyrical style and unique sounds. Good album
It was fine not the most memorable.
I do not understand how this album made Blur so goddamn popular. Blur are a band who can make the most goddamn obnoxious song you’ve ever heard in your life, yet by the time it’s finished, you kind of want to replay it because the hook wormed its way into your little earholes and dug its claws into the wrinkles of your brain. Parklife is a strange fucking album. Like, “strange” is being kind. It’s weird, but not noisy and chaotic, and not trippy and psychedelic, but like, just….all over the place? Every song here has a weird sonic “doo-dad” that is persistently grating against your eardrums, and while they can definitely play, each part feels almost out of sync. It doesn’t feel like musical genius, but more like a miracle– maybe even divine intervention. It’s definitely not the production, which is so ‘90s Loudness Wars ™, and it’s definitely not like these songs are particularly inventive or nuanced or even smart. In a lot of ways, Parklife is kind of a dumb album. By lads, for lads. Maybe that’s the appeal; maybe that’s the appeal of Britpop, although if that’s the source of the magic, I’m left deeply confused how I liked the parts I liked, because that’s the thing about Britpop that I hate the most. No, I think, for all its weirdness and chaotic off-kilter stylings, Albarn can just write a fucking hook, and Parklife is filled with motherfucking hooks. It’s also stylistically diverse, which gives it a lot of legs. The first five songs are quite the run. It’s not how I expected Blur to sound, and it’s always changing, but it’s also weird but still very catchy, and it’s paced really well, and I have to admit, I started to wonder if I was about to find a Britpop album I unequivocally enjoy. That fantasy quickly fell apart by the time “Badhead” lazily crooned its way past me, and from that point on, Parklife never really came back around. It remains a weird, doohickey-filled record, it tries to be stylistically diverse, and I do think the hooks continue to land, but the rest of the record is much more aligned with the sounds and aesthetics of Britpop, whether in ballad, arena anthem, or anything in between. I think there’s a couple more standouts, namely “To the End” and especially “Magic America,” but nothing else really reached the heights of the openers. I thought I was just looking for issues, but even on multiple listens, Parklife just looses steam for me, and doesn’t ever recover. Ending on the Britpop cliche of “This Is a Low” and the stupid filler of “Lot 105” is the nail in the coffin for me. I respect what it’s trying to do, and I think it starts out doing something, but Parklife is front-loaded as hell, and lacks enough punch on its back half and put-togetherness to leave me feeling much of anything. I’m still positive overall, but it’s more apathetic positivity than enjoyment.
Blur is sometimes good but always so repetitive
This album is fine. I do think the back half is better than the front half. It definitely picks up and has some more interesting elements. Shoegaze sounding guitars, fun vocals melodies. Ultimately, I'm not really sure why its in here. It was fine.
Girls & Boys is a bop, and this is a fun album overall but really loses steam about halfway through.
The Gorillaz are one of my favorite bands of all time, but Damon Albarn on this album doesn't have the same magic as he does with the Gorillaz. It's a solid album, but I was expecting it to blow me away. Favorite Song: "Tracy Jacks".
Meh
I tried this album when it came out in the 1990s. Did not enjoy it then, but I hoped that maybe my opinion had changed as I got older. At the end of the day, it was more bearable than Oasis. Albarn gets better with Gorillaz, but compared to what was going on elsewhere in the music world in the 1990s, PARKLIFE was pretty middling. Technically produced but no new ideas on this album, just a rehashing of previous British band's ideas. The polka track, "The Debt Collector" truly feels like the band taking the piss. Their fellow citizens Pop Will Eat Itself made a far more interesting record that also came out in 1994, DOS DEDOS MI AMIGOS. Far more creative than this album, and I would argue has a sound that is aging better than this album. Seal's 2nd album was also released in 1994. A far more impactful Pop album that year, in the U.S., and around the world, and I'm not sure it is even on the list, which in my opinion is a huge mistake. An aside about the album cover. I don't think animal cruelty is a good look. Spanish bullfighting gets justified criticism from the Brits, so when will dog racing also be made illegal in the UK? Non Sequitur Thought not related to this album at all: Am I the only one that feels like they missed a massive moneymaking opportunity by not partnering their "Song 2" with the chocolate drink Yoo Hoo in an ad campaign?
Pretty average Britpop. I forgot half these songs as soon as I heard them. 7/10 More British blandness
++: Girls & Boys, Park Life, Magic America, Jubilee Lot 105 +: Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Badhead, Far Out, To the End, London Loves, Trouble in the Message Centre, Clover Over Dover,This Is a Low +-: Bank Holiday, The Debt Collector 7,8/10
Ok album but nothing to write home about.
I get up when I want, except today where I was rudely awakened by the ominous realization I'd have to review this album. I'll award an extra point for how irresistible doing terrible cockney impressions is after listening to the song Parklife. It's a classic album however when it comes to britpop this album doesn't stand out, some would say it's all a blur. 3/5
Another album from the past that I have not listen to in a while. So there a few good songs on this album, although my love for Girls & Boys has long been eroded and find this song to borderline irritating now. However for each good song, there seems to be a filler song, perhaps I skipped over these in my youth? Anyway I had initially thought this was no brainer 4 stars but after a re listen it's closer to 3.25.
I like Blur less than I used to. Which isn’t unusual - tastes change. I really like Leisure and still do much better than this record. Parklife kind of drags and gets a bit boring. It’s fine though.
Seemed like they were messy with a lot of different ideas on this one. Not bad, but it's not high on my re-listen list.
Albumi #38, 04.08.2024 Ysärillä Blur oli enemmänkin kuuntelussa. Parklifella on hetkensä, vaikka ei mielestäni Blurin parhaita levyjä olekaan. Erityismaininta kappaleille "End of a Century", "Trouble in the Message Centre" sekä "This Is a Low".
girls and boys- 6 or 7 except theyre so british.... tracy jacks- 5 end of a century- 4 or 5 parklife- damn they pulled out the sax. 5 or 6 bank holiday- 5 or 6 badhead- 5 debt collector- 5 or 6 far out- 4 to the end- 4 london loves- 4 trouble in the message center- 4 clover over dover- ben dover? 4 magic america- 4 jubilee- feels like it would play in phineas and ferb. 5 this is a low- 4 lot 105- 5 starts kinda good and got boring
Some good songs but honestly didn't grab me.
This has a MUCH more distinctly British feel than Oasis to me... Whatever that means 😂 I just mean there are many more examples of slang and strong accents and sensibilities that just seem quirky and strange to an American and probably aren't utterly mainstream to a UK resident but probably make more sense and feel more familiar. Anyway, the music is great! Not hard to see why this album did so much business. The production is strong and the songs are catchy without being bubblegum and weird without being off-putting. It's not really fair to compare them to Oasis. They are totally different bands. VERY different styles of songwriting. But if I had to choose... Sorry, boys. It goes to the insufferable Gallagher Brothers!
Not a whole lot to say about this album - it was fine. I liked that it didn't really fit into a particular genre.
Ehh. Ok
First half was good
Primera vez que escucho este album de pe a pa, sí es cierto que había escuchado alguna canción que otra antes. Entiendo que en su momento fuese un pelotazo, y entiendo que si eres angloparlante más aún. No es mi estilo, me dió mucho más fuerte Gorillaz, pero entiendo que era por la edad, y la novedad ya que a día de hoy también me dan "pereza" dentro de la "novedad".
It's hard to listen to Parklife objectively since it is a large part of the British canon. The instrumentation and production is good, the lyrics aren't poetry-clever, but they are interesting enough to carry the whole album (apart from Bank Holiday). I've never liked Boys and Girls, but enjoyed the first half of Badhead and weirdly Parklife was better than I thought. 2.5/5, so having to round up to 3 stars
Couple of hits, don't hate it don't love it
The good kind of annoying.
No me ha gustado demasiado, pero tampoco es horroroso.
it was fine. i don't really get the whole *Blur* thing or why this band/album would have been in a tabloid insult war with other mid-90s british bands, but i'm not british so, ...
I'm pretty sure "Song 2" is the only Blur song I know, so I was expecting this album to sound more like that, and I was disappointed that it didn't. Still, it was interesting enough I guess.
2.5, rounding up bc my type is absolutely girls who are boys who like boys to be girls who do boys like they're girls who do girls like they're boys and i need to thank blur for phrasing it so succinctly
I liked that the first song was pretty gay
I'm not sure if any other Blur albums will reach the high of their self titled album. Although its cool to hear a sort of proto-Gorillaz, Damon Albarns still a treat to listen to. It seems like they experiment a bit more with this earlier entry.
Liked it well enough. Not as much as their other album we got.
Fun sounds, more chill than I remember.
69
not bad, wish there was a little more distortion on the guitars on some songs because that’s what i liked abt this album. first three tracks were good and then 4-8 were just duds. after that it picked up a little and got pretty good.
Not bad objectively, but definitely not my cup of tea. Was surprising to see Damon Albarn as the frontman here - interesting how his work evolved into something I came to enjoy a lot more with Gorillaz
Nothing super exciting, but a nice "old rock" sound (kinda like mixing hard core rock with pop). Kinda makes sense for the 1994 time frame.
Love Girls & Boys and To the End is pretty great, but idk I didn't really care for much else on this one. It's all fine, just nothing stood out to me. Kinda prefer Modern Life Is Rubbish.
Girls & Boys End of Century Badhead London Loves Trouble in the Message Clover over Dover Magic America
Not sure what we’re missing. The album is just OK, nothing great. Best song is Lot 105 to end the album. (2.8*s)
Since I messed up and missed reviewing the previous title Blur album...I'm doing both here. Revisited Blur album right after Parklife so a different take than my original listen. Parkview: Solid album from Albarn and the team. Good alternative brit rock with some punk and multiple instruments thrown in to spice it up. I liked that they put some random instrumental shorties in that gave the album a carnival feel. I'm not blown away but this can play in most situations...2.7. Blur: Another good brit alternative album with again some punky tracks thrown in. A little darker and more electronic exploration from Albarn. Song 2 (best Blur) was a massive hit and rightfully so. Still gets you amped to this day when it comes on. I also really like "Death at Party”. Some tracks are stronger than any on Parklife but also more skippable ones. Gets a slight edge for Song 2...2.75.
Parklife is a pretty solid trip down 90's brit-pop lane. Front half of the album is pretty solid. Back half isn't nearly as strong but still has a wide range of diverse sounds intermixed into some relatively down the middle songs. Although I do prefer what Damon Albarn eventually grew into I still enjoys some Blur from time to time. I don't expect this will move the needle much for most people but I have some nostalgia tied to it. Even with that, it's still only a moderately above average album. 3.46 stars
Britt pop. I’m good for a couple of songs but it gets old fast
i just really dislike damon albarn what can i say i don‘t feel taken seriously by this album
A lot of talking
didnt listen, going off the cover tho, cover is cool :)
An undeniable classic, but I still think it has its fair share of duds.
3.5/5
Inconsistent
It is CRIMINAL that so many Blur albums are on this list but not a single Gorillaz album.
Cool album. Nothing big stuck out to me though.
Honestly, I really like some Blur, but this is just too damn much Blur.
Pretty alright
Ha, I knew some of these songs without knowing that they were Blur. Nice work, guys!
I tend to agree with the sentiment that there is too much britpop on this list.
It really feels like this dude is pushing as hard as possible to sing with the most obnoxious London accent possible. That aside, it’s pretty good variety of sounds that form a coherent album of songs.
Wow what an interesting listen. I got a lot of influences from older stuff I've listened to on this list. I liked a lot of this, and can see this really growing well on me too. Definitely some Beatles inspiration, and the last track made me think of Green Onions in the beginning.
Punk Rock Eines geht. Ab drm frm dritten wird es anstrengend
7/10 Kinda mid
Pretty solid 90s punk-ish album. The Debt Collector is like oompha... Now a ballad? Weird combo of songs.
This is not Blur’s best, but because they are better musicians, Blur became better.
Didn’t listen to this one To the End.
Like Damon Albarn and most Blur/Gorillaz, but this didn't pack the same punch that I remembered. Still one of his better albums but most of the songs are just meh outside of a few really good ones (Parklife, To the end, this is a low).
Thought they were more alt rock, but I guess that's a later. At this point, they're all over the place... some more alt rock, some pop, even the opening disco track. Not really my thing. 3.0
Another solid outing by Blur. Don’t think I’ve heard the is album before today.
Some familiar surprises. I guess these guys were more popular than I have them credit for
good rock
scary looking dog on the cover
Somes songs are very good, some songs ordinary.. Favorite track: Clover over dover other picks: girls and boys, far out, this is a low
This album was... fine.
Definitely some staples here, not too slick and some really nice quirkiness. If it comes to 90ies Brit Pop, this is a go-to. Surely not a fiver, but entertaining nonetheless. Overall a consistent outing.
3.5
a metà album si perde un po' il filo, ma è divertente e leggero e molto enjoyable!
È stato un ascolto sicuramente divertente, ci vogliono album più leggeri ogni tanto (in più, sono piuttosto anglofila a livello musicale, quindi apprezzo sempre qualche tocco British). Mi è piaciuto abbastanza da dare più di 4/5? Non lo so, devo dire che a metà album hanno iniziato un po’ a perdermi. Per ora, cari amici Blur, vi dò un onesto 3/5.
TWO BLUR ALBUMS IN A ROW? Overall like this less than Blur (1997). Girls and Boys is one of my favourite songs of all time. The rest of the songs sound a bit off to me, and the band overall sounds a bit more annoying on this. 3
Most of it was generic radio rock that sounded the same. A few songs had some quirky electronic music. All in all it was way too long. Stand-out: This is a Low
great album Next!
Was ok, not really my thing, would listen to again but not anytime soon.
Britpop is not for me so I never got into this album. It’s good I guess? It just feels boring in some places. I think the sound is consistent and it’s a solid project but it wasn’t interesting enough for me to come back to.
Features a guy from Quadrophenia yelling about pigeons and joggers, which kind of sets the tone. It’s Britpop doing a full English breakfast—nothing standout, but solid enough to eat.
Quirky! 3.75
Decent!
Even though this is very POP, it's varied, and rather experimental sounding. I actually like it but wouldn't listen to it very much. 3 stars.
Twee at times.
A likeable album but not "where its at" these days.
Really quite a cool album. Not as good as their self-titled, but the way all their synthmelodies, funky guitar solos and classic britpop vocals blend together is somewhat unique. I especially enjoyed the track London Loves.
Bouncy and fluffy. In the best way. Or sometimes moody and fluffy, which isn't as enjoyable.
This album sounds really good. It's pretty soft and enjoyable. Tracks I liked: Girls & Boys, Parklife, To The End & Magic America I consider this to be a high 3/5.
I'm hoping for some more Blur on the list, since there are way better Blur albums
Has some solid bops in here, but mostly I just liked the singles. As an experiment and transition in Britpop I appreciate it and I can also see the cultural satire in it. However, as a project I prefer the Gorillaz.
A mix of 90’s British malaise and some Beatles inspiration. Some of these tracks were hard to listen to but all in all, pretty okay.
Sounds good on decent speakers. Still a bit annoying
A very hooky, yet really bloated britpop album. So business as usual for the genre. The singles are spectacular, while everything else is really meh. Did this have to be 52 minutes long, Damon? You could cut out five tracks and have a much better product.
could i write poetry to this? n
Of all the Alt-Rock albums that came out between 1990 and 1995, this is one of them.
3.5. Can understand now why Doug is a fan.
What an interesting sound for 1994. The official reviews call them 90's Brit Pop but I hear more 80's influence with synth sounds and dissonant vocals. Boys & Girls has the most clever lyrics and is a catchy af tune. The rest is bouncy and fun but unmemorable.
good
Girls and boys good rest okay
Not what I expected, not my favorite of theirs
Not a bad album, a bit generic, but good singles and solid lyrics.
3 - There was a lot in the this album, but honestly something felt missing. I feel maybe it's that there isn't much emotion in it for me. I just felt like I was waiting for it to finish.
Some good songs, sounds a little dated if you ask me. 3/5
was ok for the times and today
This came as a surprise - I've grown tired of the britpop since this exercise began & admittedly I missed this album entirely back in the day, but I'm impressed. For very valid, personal reasons I hate Song 2 so didn't think I'd be into Blur much at all. Didn't find it genius however there's real talent & songwriting savvy here.
Some interesting tracks and was definitely worth the listen.
One of the first “alt” albums I ever listened to
This was nice enough but nothing really stood out to me as special
It was fine.
Not really my style but there are some great songs. Goes in a bit too long for my taste. Highlights: Parklife, Clover over Dover
As a Gorillaz fan, I was excited to listen to Damon Albarn's first project, Blur. This album simultaneously exceeded and missed my expectations. In short, it's a rollercoaster. Some songs, like Girls & Boys and Parklife are amazing, while others drag on and on. In some respects, this album reminds me of Sergeant Pepper's. Some songs have wacky, psychedelic sounds that would could have come from John Lennon. Overall, this album has high highs, but low lows. Many of the songs feel like filler, but the best songs really make up for it. Best Songs: Girls & Boys, Parklife, Clover Over Dover, This Is a Low Worst Songs: Tracy Jacks, London Loves, Magic America
All style, very little substance.
High 3. Good Britpop with some genuinely top notch songs. A sign of the times.
Une succession de pièces courtes, bondissantes, mais moins baveuses que je m'y serais attendue après l'écoute de la première. M'a semblé somme toute sage
A few good tracks, some mediocre tracks, and some duds. Meh.
I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I guess it averages out to 3/5?
i dont love britpop... prob like 3/5
While you can see the underpinnings of the Gorillaz here, this one is still a bit of a snooze-fest.
More Britpop slop
Classic UK Rock. Very London vibes. Good music for walking and moving around. There’s some magical moments on here with Parklife The Debt Collector To The End Clover Over Dover I’ve never known Damon alburn other than Gorillaz so it’s a trip hearing him sound so young.
A few solid songs but I just didn't get what the album was trying to be.
Different band, same problem: they would improve simply by dropping a few mediocre songs. Better still, drop the pretentious silly noises on most songs. There was potential to be a solid album.
Some good songs and some not so good songs
- Ich glaube es ist kein Geheimnis, dass ich bei der großen Frage „Blur vs. Oasis?“ ganz klar auf Seiten Oasis bin; finde diese Frage aber auch vollkommen overrated, wie auch z.B. „Beatles vs. Stones“ - Sorry, so gern ich die Stones auch mag, aber die sind leider nicht in der selben Liga. So geht es mir beim Britpop auch bei den beiden Bands. Oasis sind in meiner Welt in einer Liga drüber (Relevanz/Erfolg/personal Taste). - Und das obwohl ich auch Blur mag, besonders 13 find ich ein richtig geiles Album. - Mit dem Album konnte ich nicht ganz so viel anfangen. Hatte irgendwie einen strangen Stil, mit dem ich nicht gerechnet hatte, fand das aber nicht zwigend positiv. Es hatte auf mich ganz bizarre Jahrmarkt-Vibes teilweise. Dann aber auch wieder echt coole Bowie-eske parts. - Girls&Boys kannte ich und finde ich einen echt coolen Track - Abseits davon auch einige andere coole Songs (z.B. Trouble In The Message Center) - Bin insgesamt ein bisschen ratlos, weil ich nicht genau weiß, wie ich dazu stehen soll. Rating: 2,75/5
- Ich habe zu Blur irgendwie ein schwieriges Verhältnis. Ähnlich wie bei vielen anderen Brit-Pop/Rock Bands, überzeugt mich die Gruppe nicht komplett, sodass ich behaupten würde ich wäre Fan von denen. Ist mir in der Breite dann doch etwas zu uninteressant. - HOWEVER: es gibt ein paar Songs, die mich absolut catchen. Und auch auf dieser Platte hat es mich ein paar mal gepackt, z.B. To the End und this is a low. - Immer wieder kommen so moody und vibey momente, die ich echt spannend finde und zum ganz genau hinhören bewegen. Leider gibt es genauso viele Momente, wo mich diese Platte (und erfahrungsgemäß diese Band im Allgemeinen) leider wieder verliert. 3/5
I'm more of an Oasis fan
First half is a banger, but peters out for me after that. I enjoy some Blur, but when I listen to them for a long while, it makes me happy that Damon Albarn went and made Gorillaz.
Blur always frustrated me. When they were good, they were fricking epic. ‘This Is A Low’ is perfection. ‘End of a Century’ and ‘To the End’ are just awesome. As much as I tried to resist ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’ I just couldn’t help falling for their catchiness and they were part of a soundtrack to one of the greatest times of my life. There’s some undisputed rubbish on here too…little curiosities not ‘proper’ songs. It’s probably the sheer variety of styles in their songs that stopped me from becoming a fan. There’s no flow, no cohesion l. I also thought of their music as childish - but later discovered that it was wholly due to them coming from Essex. It’s not their fault.
Said it before, I always liked Oasis a lot more than Blur and so, while Parklife has some good stuff on it, it's also very hit and miss. Bank Holiday is the standout away from the two massive hits, Trouble In The Message Centre is good, but mostly I don't like Albarn's voice a lot, the second half of the album is nowhere near as good as the first, and the storytelling while accessible becomes a bit too deliberate in trying to be just that, like they're very consciously trying to be meaningful where Oasis never gave a fuck and were just stupidly basic and loud, which worked better. Probably a solid 3.
I think being much more aware of Oasis and Pulp before really getting to know Blur's music has made it way harder for me to really enjoy it. It's not as clever or sardonic as Pulp, and not as anthemic as Oasis - there's the odd song that really works (obviously Parklife, but there's not much like that, and To The End which I really like), but the rest of it sounds to me like it's stuck halfway between the two, and rather than the best of both it struggles to get near the heights of either. A solid 3/5 for this, but it didn't resonate with me enough to go higher.
Not what i expected
Very 90's
I enjoyed this for the most part. I probably won’t listen to it again. It also was too long, I was ready to be done about half way through.
Classic Britpop. Just fine if that’s what you want tiday.
Greyhounds! Not my favourite britpop album, but it’s far better and far more interesting than any of that Oasis nonsense. That’s right, it’s another anti-Oasis review.
so silly i like
After so much mediocre Britpop, it’s nice to get to listen to arguably the best album of the genre. I like the mix of pop songs with weird experiments. A great album.
S’alright.
this is a lot worse than i remember. its like if you tried to parody britpop this is the thing you'd make. fuck chelsea 2.5/5
Their hits were better than most of this album.
6/10 Top much filler
Gonna be honest, I missed the whole Britpop era fight with Oasis, but to me Oasis all the way. That being sad, its not a bad album, but I've expected more. This was the first time I listened to Blur album all the way. Half I like the other.... it was okay. Highlights definitely the singles but I also really enjoyed London Loves.
Never got around to listening to Blur even though the 90s is my foundational era of music. Didn't really miss out on anything groundbreaking, it seems, but it's not bad.
meh a few good songs. stellar voice tho
It’s a typical British pop album. I enjoyed a few songs but other songs I skipped through.
Decent 90’s alternative album. Some good songs on here.
Not the highlight of Blur but ok.
With Oasis' Defintely Maybe as the benchmark that I previously listened to, this seems a little more hard-edged yet also more quirky (kind of reminding me of the Kinks) than the Oasis album - I'm also left a little less impressed with this one. My picks for this album are Badhead, To The End, and Clover Over Dover.
it's fine. i didn't feel much except for "this is very british"
Music and vocal sounds slightly off key on the first song.
Solid but I’m into Blur’s other work a degree more. Other than a Beatle or a Bowie, Damon Albarn might be the sneaky pick for most albums on this list which I wholeheartedly agree with.
Nice Brit-Pop
Never thought I’d say this but has Noel Gallagher had a better post-band career than Albarn?
Very Gorillaz.
One of the most Britpop to ever Britpop
eh
Standouts: Tracy Jacks, End of a Century, Parklife, Jubilee. Liked it more than I thought I would b/c I don't always connect with this band.
Girls & Boys is a classic that I really like, but would never add yo my personal list of daily listens. The rest of the album is quite a mix with songs that are listened over 20 mil listens, or only 224k. Parklife is nice, really liked the drums in that one. Bank Holiday, debt collector and far out are a little too alternative for my taste.
The first six tracks are more or less bangers and make for a great start to the album. But then it ends. The sequence from The Debt Collector to Magic America is honestly quite dull with no songs standing out. Then Jubilee comes and rescues some of the album’s honour before it all fizzles out with a slightly boring ballad and a circus instrumental
This score is based on the cultural relevance of Girls & Boys alone.
Jag hade förhoppningar eftersom albumet var av Blur men var inte direkt någon höjdare. Låtarna var rätt så olika men inte direkt hittar. Min favoritlåt från albumet var Magic America. Albumet får 3/5 stjärnor
Well I was hoping to give this one 4 stars, as I thought it would be a bit of fun. There were a couple of good tracks like Girls & Boys and Parklife, but much of the rest of the album, particularly the second half, felt like filler and was quite boring sorry :(
Some real bangers, but didn't hold my attention throughout.
reminds me of Madness/Late beetles/cheap trick
Much bigger band in UK than here. Saw them live in London with New Order ..great energy but were blown away in my opinion Nothing stands out with this album to me.
Never really listened to this album before and although the hits (girls & boys, parklife, end of the century are all decent songs, i find the rest of the album hit and miss.
Girls & Boys - did not realize this was a Blur song. All Timer. Not at all what I expected from a Blur album, pleasantly surprised. Debt Collector - not expecting a polka song, not a fan Bit of a lull mid-album but ends strong
I listened to the wrong Blur album. Now that I'm on this one, I guess there's nothing wrong with it but I totally understand people calling it "utter shite" or whatever Brits say when something is totally out of the thrust of what people consider cool. I respect the people who will make fun in the face of the cool, though. I can listen to this with my five year old son and not be too worried about him picking up on weird vibes. Just a little arrested development.
This album is a wild ride. It ranges from grunge to indy rock to circus waltz (The Debt Collector). I'm not sure how exactly to rate it so I guess it gets 3 stars. It's a mediocre grunge album. It's a mediocre indy rock album. The Debt Collector is actually a quite good track. So, weird album. Not great album, but not bad either.
Jeg er mere til Damon Alban greatest hits. For ung til at være vokset op med Britt pop, men kan sagtens se kvaliteterne. Tydelig A side, også kvalitets messigt.
I liked a couple of songs here but overall it's probably not something I'd listen to again.
Girl idk
Third times the charm? Who would have thought that out of 1,001 albums Blur could be on the list 3 times. But after listening to them all in the last 3 weeks finally found one that was OK.
This is a fun album, though very top heavy. I lost interest by the end. Standout Track: End of a Century (this was totally new to me and I love it!)
Blur is about as modern Brit-pop as it gets. It's flashy and fast and harkens back to classic Brit bands (The Kinks, The Jam) and even though the songs are good and go together well, they aren't particularly memorable. Knowing now that Damon Albarn would make more music this album shows hints of what would come. It's good/listenable/even danceable at times but it seems all flash with little substance. Or perhaps too much substance - about the same stuff.
Best track for me was Girls & Boys.
I think I'm doing this wrong. It used to be I'd hear a song I liked on the Radio, enough that I'd buy the LP/CD. Then, since I'd spent my very limited money on it, I'd listen to it repeatedly. The repetition made the songs familiar, and I grew to love the whole album. Now, with streaming, we can listen to anything anytime, feeling no need to get more value out of individual purchases. I might have loved every song on Parklife if I'd paid for the CD and listened to it on repeat for ages. But I listened to it twice, and it had some good tracks, and it was ok, but it didn't really grab me. Some albums still grab me right away, but that's rare, and that's what I'm looking at to get a 3 or a 4 unless it's something I already know well. Not fair, but what are ya gonna do?
Kinda boring but didn’t hate it
Britpop classic.
Existing somewhere between new wave and alt rock, this is described as a defining Britpop album. A unique sound, and an entertaining listen. An odd choice considering this band's one hit wonder was not on this album.
Very britpop, very London, humorous, quirky, fun.
Album: Parklife Artist: Blur Year: 1994 Genre: BritPop Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good britpop album. First half of the album was super fun and the second half was pretty dull and I got bored. Fave song: Parklife Would I listen again? Possibly
Man I enjoyed returning to this album. Easy re-listening. They are a bunch of obnoxious arrogant young fools, but I enjoyed listening to them. I may have been one for a while, and I was such a Pillock. Pleased to have moved on in experience and wisdom, but this brings back the memory of it all. 3 stars
Interesting album that definitely ages itself. I think of it as some really early Gorillaz demos where they haven’t found a voice yet. They play with time signatures a bit, different textures and what not. Calling this a “research” album for future projects.
Few bangers
Weak 3
Noooonn il y a pas Song 2 la BO de Fifa sur leur album d'après ! Mieux que dans mon souvenir, ça s'écoute bien notamment "To the end"
Feel the same way about it I have since it came out — meh. “End of the Century” is always a nice, forgotten surprise.
Parklife just doesn't really hit for me. It's at it's best when it sounds like proto-Gorillaz, but most of the time it just sounds like less edgy Oasis. There are songs on the back half of the album that are legitimately irritating and nothing really stands out.
Fun (“Parklife”). This is too fast I like it so much (“Bank Holiday”). I feel funny (“London Loves”).
Great album, wide reaching and varied. Didn't make as big of an artistic impact on me as the Pixies album BUT you can see how this guy became such an important producer. The coolest part for me was probably reaching about Damon Albarn and hearing how he started Gorillaz. What an amazing dude~!
Liked Girls & Boys (spunky) and one sad song but his tone is off key which is typical of Alternative music. I did buy two songs, but that'll be it.
ok
The first third of this album was a bop with great energy and was a lot of fun. After that it drops off and becomes more uneven. At 16 songs it's a bit bloated and would have been a better album with a 4-6 song trim. Overall I enjoyed it and would listen to more Blur. 3.5/5
I like some of Blur and this album was ok. The songs I liked best were End of a Century, Badhead, To the End, and This Is a Low.
Not a huge fan of Brit rock. Something in the vocal twang, I think... Love the energy of Bank Holiday, has a bit of a The Living End vibe, and I liked the melancholy feel on Badhead
Upbeat, feel good ‘90s Britpop. Strong opening track plus a handful of other tracks I liked. First material I’ve heard from Blur aside from Song 2.
Not for me tbh. Too british
its cool ig
Has some weird filler tracks, but still some decent tunes nonetheless.
I feel like the critiques of a very British culture that’s too obsessed with sex and too caught up in the material things isn’t as valid in 2024 as they were in 1994. It doesn’t mean this album is bad; from top to bottom, it never strays from what its purpose is, and I respect the hell out of it for that. It’s a good listen, but I’d say it’s only about a 3.5/5 for me.
When I think back to my experience listening to all these albums, the best I will say of this one is that it was no better than a blur.
Unique blend of different styles, methods, and sounds. 3/5
Girls & Boys: 8.2 Tracy Jacks: 7.4 End of a Century: 8.9 Parklife: 7.8 Bank Holiday: 6.2 Badhead: 9 The Debt Collector: 5.3 Far Out: 5.7 To the End: 7.2 London Loves: 7.4 Trouble in the Message Centre: 6.4 Clover Over Dover: 8.3 Magic America: 9.1 Jubilee: 7.4 This Is a Low: 6.4 Lot 105: 6.9
2nd listen, I like parts of this album but I don’t love it.
Quite eclectic. Much of which is fairly enjoyable.
Surprisingly it doesn’t sound too much like Blur, or at least not as monotypical like some of their more successful songs.
Liked some more than others but solid overall. Would probably dig more into them in the future now besides just Song(2) haha
High born Damon Albarn does working class accent
Perhaps the ultimate Britpop album. I like the diversity and experimental bits. I dont like the geezer thing or tbh Albarn's vocals. 3.5
At least I’ve heard of this Brit group before.
Definitely suffers from being overly long, a good album, but definitely not Blur's best.
I liked that it was trying to do something interesting
fun album. disco, rock, and punk influenced. strong vibes of the who. not a bad listen. highlights: “girls and boys”, “tracy jacks”, “clover over dover”.
Couple of great songs, mostly filled with not bad, not great songs. I instantly forgot what most songs were after I listened. Since nothing was BAD, I guess I’ll give it a 3. Ringing endorsement, I guess, that fits the album.
This wasn’t really my cup of tea (get it? It’s because they are so British)
I really liked this album! All very upbeat songs and were all an enjoyable listen. All very straight forward songs, nothing mind bending or earth shattering, but a fun listen and a lot of catchy songs. I liked: girls and boys, parklife, to the end, and lot 105.
Some real bruv sounding lads. Highlights: Boys & Girls Parklife The Debt Collector To The End Lot 105 A generally enjoyable 90's rock album. I liked the various use of instruments and unique songs. Some songs were kind of bland but I can see how this album helped shape the music of its time and location.
Like all of Blur's albums, a bit of a bloated mess with some gold in hidden in it. One of those bands with a legitimately great greatest hits album that isn't really missing anything else.
Fav song: badhead
Nije najbolje sto imaju da ponude
Heard better ones.
6/10
extremely british and too long but cool silky astro synth cures all ills. preferred these songs as singles shuffled into my library more, this isn’t a spectacular Album™️™️™️ but it’s got a lot of load bearing tracks
What an English album. This is a solid collection of power pop and Brit rock tunes with some curveballs tossed in for flavor (see: "The Debt Collector", "Far Out"). I can't say that it blew me away, but I can see why some folks would love it. My highlights were "Girls & Boys", "End of a Century", "This Is a Low", and "Clover Over Dover".
Couple real good songs, the others are kind of meh for me.
This album was just alright. Nothing to write home about, but I did enjoy some of the instrumentation and there were moments on a few tracks that sounded very “circus.” Gotta say I appreciate the little moments outside of the normal expectations.
It’s my era. So there’s a bit of nostalgia attached to it. It’s not painful to listen to but it’s a bit shit in places innit
britpop is not my cup of tea, very average album with a hint of New Wave, couple of good songs
It was chill to listen to, good background music, but nothing really stood out.
This didn’t really do it for me. But to each their own I guess. Kinda sounded like every alternative rock band from the the uk in that era.
Some bangers on this one. The opener is especially good. The album does get a bit stale in the middle and some songs I really didn't care for. Overall a decent listen and there are some songs I'll come back to for sure.
When you wanted to see the Gorillaz but accidentally went to the zoo in London.
Listened Before? N Brit pop! It was kinda what I would expect. Not groundbreaking or anything but an okay listen. I've heard Girls and Boys (think maybe it was a minor hit in the US?) but nothing else. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Parklife
Good few bangers
A couple of tracks on here that I didn’t realize were Blur songs. Nearly 30 years after release, it doesn’t stand out above other Brit pop of that era to me. It’s catchy and enjoyable nonetheless. 3/5
Interesting rhythms and language flow. Fun to listen to, but no emotional connection.
This might be the most British thing that I've ever listened to. It has the line, "I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea." There's a different song called "Bank Holiday". I can picture some 90s kid sitting in a pub in Leeds just loving this. It's generally not bad. Also not amazing, but it's got some pretty good songs on here and is generally enjoyable. I guess they were rivals with Oasis and this is considered to be peak Britpop era. Checks out to me, I'll roll with it. I'm not sure this singer is as good as Liam Gallagher though. Favorite song: This Is a Low Other: Girls & Boys, End of a Century, Parklife, Far Out, To the End, Magic America 11/12/23
Ran out of gas early and seemingly in a hurry. The same can be said about 90's brit pop as a whole. But the first 3 tracks made me dance in my car while stopped at a red light, much to the chagrin of driver's near me. So at least it had that sort of impact. Plus the only albums with dogs on the cover you can trust are Tusk and Working Class Dog. Putting greyhounds on the cover is just asking for trouble.
This album was dank. I knew Song 2 by Blur but that was it. I really enjoyed this one here ace. Solid 3
AJ; Gorillaz originz
It was okay. There were a few good songs but overall not my thing. I admit I did give it a close listen, especially the second half of the album
it’s aight
Ah, one of the big britpop albums. Some real bangers on thjs one. All with that extra thick brittish sauce over it that reeks of snobbishnis and depression and i'm here for it. Alao nice to kind of hear the first sounds of what would later become the gorrilaz