Modern Life Is Rubbish

Always thought I was an oasis man. Turns out I’m a blur man

Some people are too smart for their own good. You've probably met those sorts of guys before. They're often sitting in the back of the office or the classroom, having that distanced 'I-can't-be-bothered' stare, idly turning their head towards the urban smog outside the window, as if listening to their own inner teacher or boss instead of the real man in charge. If you're a little intrigued by all that cynical, borderline-nihilistic reserve, you sometimes find yourself talking to such a person during coffee breaks, just to see what they're all about. Soon, however, you realize you won't gain much from the conversation anyway, and often leave that coffee break even more nonplussed than you were before. You admit still being fascinated a little, but the unobtrusive words exchanged on the surface keep on screaming "boredom" to your ears. The only real problem being that you don't know for sure if said boredom actually belongs to that person you talked to, or if it's just *yours*. That bloke is *Modern Life Is Rubbish*-era Damon Albarn. Too smart for his own good, and thereby missing a chance to genuinely impress or fully convince you. Admittedly, this doesn't mean there's absolutely anything Damon and his pals from Blur couldn't say with some sort of force or intent when they recorded their second, aptly-named, album. There is, actually. "For Tomorrow" is nothing but a stellar opener, for example (more on that later), nicely paying homage to a oh-so-brit tradition established by the Kinks--whose shadow obviously looms above the first part of Blur's career (minus-*Leisure*) with decidedly good aftereffects overall. Here the vocal melody floats with a bittersweet, mock-happy-go-lucky charm that belies the existential dread underneath the song itself, and it takes a full string section towards the end of that gem to reveal the full tragedy at hand in that tale about postmodern dread. Following that great introduction, "Advert" is a little punky masterpiece that snarls and rattles the point of the album's title home even better than the opener. The schoolboy's lament "Pressure on Julian", a swampy track that foretells left-field, grungy elements from *Blur* and *13*, owes a lot to Graham Coxon's admirable chops on his six strings, the sort of musical sprinkling that can't hurt a second-tier song. As for "Turn It Up", it is a bouncy pop song that gives some needed levity at the eleventh hour (even though it's no "Song 2" or "Girls And Boys" either). This list of assets could go on, of course. Production is flawless (courtesy of long-time collaborators Steve Lovell and Stephen Street). Arrangements are artful. But are those tracks *memorable*? Do you remember *that* guy from your old classroom now, as well-dressed as he was? Probably not. Let's just hope that lad's nihilistic stance hasn't triggered him to do the worst and harm himself at some later points of his life at least. "He's a twentieth century boy / With his hands on the rails / Trying not to be sick again / And holding on for tomorrow". This is how the album starts, namely as an inverted T-Rex anthem where contemplations about suicide have taken the place of the usual calls to hedonism enacted throughout the history of rock'n'roll. On the same song, Damon tells a little more about the alienated individuals having such self-destructive thoughts: "Jim stops and gets out of the car / Goes to a house in Emperor's Gate / Through the door and to his room / And then he puts the TV on / Turns it off and makes some tea". Vacant life at its most obvious here. See also "Blue Jeans": "Blue, blue jeans I wear them every day / There's no particular reason to change / My thoughts are getting banal, I can't help it". Uh, OK, Damon, we *get* it. Consumer society and constant commodification play their parts gnawing us all into tiny little squibs devoid of all life. But the point is: do *you* have to sound so bored yourself to hammer that idea home? Isn't that overkill? C'mon, chin up. Shake a leg. You're turning into an annoying, humourless slob here, and this might go against your first intent, don't you think? Because... well, yes, duh: *Modern Life Is Rubbish* says it straight right from its title. You can't relax ("Star Shaped"), you're barfing on food and drugs to vent your frustrations out ("Chemical World"), there are leeches in the close-cropped lawns and "eating between meals stifles the appetite". Nice program, right? You also have to deal with publicity sponsors ("Colin Zeal"), militaries ("Sunday Sunday"), or even the CIA agency on "Miss America", an overlong dirge that saps what's left of the album momentum on side 2. This is a record that ends with a song called "Resigned", folks! Even though at that point, we're not necessarily caring any longer either, mind you, as harsh as it sounds to say so. All this performative angst might actually be nothing short of rosy under the sun for amateurs of works driven by wry, pessimistic hot takes about our late capitalistic societies. But the crux of the issue here is that overall, *Modern Life Is Rubbish* is almost a complete misfire on those topics, bordering on self-indulgence in the expression of mundane banalities, and becoming itself the sort of bane that it supposedly tries to tackle in the first place. And in a way, the music itself is burdened by the exact same sort of problems that are plaguing Albarn's lyrical conceits throughout the record. There is no sense of direction to the whole thing. Melodically speaking, some songs, especially those with the most "Britpop" inflexions, appear lively on the surface, but there's none of that catchy *spark* in them, none of the sheer tongue-in-cheek inventivity and directness Blur will become known for in *Parklife* for instance. It is probably no coincidence the latter was released only a year after this one, as if the Essex boys had felt the need to course-correct the many shortcomings witnessed here as soon as possible, before it was too late and they lost that peculiar zeitgeist they were aiming at in that tentative effort here. Likewise, what could pass for melancholy or mystery in some of those songs will be better explored later on, first with "To The End" on *Parklife*, and then further in parts of *The Great Escape*. But mostly, it is during the post-Britpop period that this specific dimension will finally bloom. Before those glorious days ahead, what we have is merely a sketch of the promising future, drawn thanks to a somewhat mechanical hand on auto-pilot. The sarcastic Village Green Preservation Society of days yonder has turned brown, and then bare. Blur still tries to summon its wry, ironic poetry, but their heart's not in it, as if squashed by the weight of their own conceptual pretensions. Fortunately, they found a way out of this conundrum, given that there isn't anything in *Modern Life Is Rubbish* that Blur hasn't done *better* in the three albums that followed it, gving Albarn and company the opportunity to finally have their cakes and eat it too. In those later records (*Parklife*, *The Great Escape* and *Blur*) not only has Blur allowed themselves to grind their axe about the pitfalls of modernity, but this time they also managed to have fun on the wayside. The music there does not merely *snarls*, it also *giggles*, *guffaws* and *rolls on the floor with laughter. Sometimes it also jumpstarts, gets genuinely angry, croons and even cries. In the core of those emotions, commodification and the unavoidable existential responses it triggers in us all are still lying there somewhere, honoring the initial program established in the band's second album. But to target those themes for what they are, you still need to contrast them with a little spice, a little flavour, and it's a lesson Blur has probably learned the hard way through this transitional second LP. Overall, we *do* agree with you, Damon: "modern life is rubbish" indeed. But no one said you *can't* have a wholehearted laugh about it, at least. [Number of albums I listened to from the list: 2 Albums left to listen to: 999 Number of albums I've found genuinely relevant: 0 Number of different albums you should listen to before you die: 2 (including this one)]

Honestly, it didn't make much impact on me. I neither hated nor loved this album. It was mostly ignorable, early-90s poprock. Just... meh.

Too long and too boring. This album is rubbish.

Modern Life Is Rubbish by Blur is kinda like oatmeal - its food, but nobody really wants it. 2.5/5

This album is rubbish

holy fuck british you’re fucking british you’re so bloody fucking important shut the fuck up not everything you do is iconic. god fucking fucking fuck. enough with the stupid accent!!!! 33 songs are you serious? i skipped them all after the first chorus. rubbish.

I would strongly disagree that this is one of the best albums of all time.

Unlike the other Blur album (Blur), this one is just so incredibly boring and generic. Some more truly bland replacement-level rock. Starting to think this list didn't need to be 1001 albums long

"People talk about this trilogy of Modern Life is Rubbish, Parklife and The Great Escape... we didn't plan it that way" - Graham Coxon "It was, kind of, the birth of what became known as the modern Blur" - Dave Rowntree Getting rid of the baggy aesthetic that was forced upon them by their record label, Blur looked forward whilst looking back in the creation of their first great album. Anglophile musings and seething resentment of the downtrodden grunge movement spurred Blur to craft pop songs that dealt with esoteric characters and everyday dealings of life and that path would sustain (and define) them as they became the biggest band in Britain. Modern Life is Rubbish? It still is.

MY FACE! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ON MY FACE! ARGH FUCK! MY FACE! MY FACE! GET IT OFF MY FACE! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY FACE? MY BEAUTIFUL FACE! MAKE IT STOP! MY FACE! MY FACE! NOT MY FACE! MY HANDSOMELY STRUCTURED FACE IS FALLING APART. PLEASE, NO! NOT MY FACE! ANYTHING BUT MY FACE! NOT THE FACE. MY FACE! NOT THE FACE! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING? WHAT'S HAPPENING?! WHY? MY FUCKIN' FACE! MY FACE! THIS ISN'T FAIR. NOT THE FACE!

I only got a pound a week pocket money in 1994, so I bought this on cassette instead of Parklife (which I taped off my mate's copy, but I was so jealous of the art and the chords inside...). My lack of funds made a great choice for me. This is the best they did that Kinks style observational stuff in their career - it started moving towards parody on the next two albums.

Found out that I like Blur

This album is rubbish. I cram to understand how a sophomore album from a second rate one hit wonder made this list.

classic britpop origins album

See, I love Blur, and I think "For Tomorrow" is one of their best songs, and YES, this is when they figured out "hey, let's be cheeky and extra British and just create weird singable songs" and basically pushed britpop a bit further than Suede had been able to do. So it's easy for me to give this a high rating. But, then, think of it like this: this is Blur's "The Bends." It works in parallel. Both bands recorded an album that sounded a bit like a last gasp of a dying scene (Pablo Honey / Leisure) and then shifted things to create what felt like a fresh new look at the band (The Bends / Modern Life). They followed these albums up with even better versions (OK Computer / Parklife) before eventually messing around and moving into True Art in their later years (OK Computer and on; Blur and on; - the only real difference is that Blur snuck a third cheeky album in before their art phase with The Great Escape). Anyway, this is all a way of convincing myself that it's okay to give this five stars. I'm doing it.

I love this album. I've played it too much, really. Kicks in with strength, attitude and satire with For Tomorrow ...and just continues in an excellent vein. Great music, good songs, nice delivery. I like the cover, too. An album that is everything good about the early '90s in music. I prefer this to the more catchy, poppy Parklife that came afterwards. It's also more coherent than Leisure, and much more the sound Blur hit upon as their own. It's on a par with The Great Escape, two albums later. It's pleasant to hear Blur before the heroin kicked in - although their two grungy albums are very strong, too, especially the amazing '13'.

Modern life IS rubbish. It was a lot better in 1993 with Mr. Blobby, Blind Date and Man Utd about to dominate. The only good thing about life now is online pornography and West Bromwich Albion's mascot, Boilerman. And we haven't been able to even see him for over a year now....apart from in online pornography.

Like all Blur albums this one grew on me more this listen. Chemical World through Oily Water is one of my favorite 3 track runs of all their albums. The piano interlude at the end of Chemical World is a great example of what set them apart from the other Britpop bands. I could see maybe Supergrass adding that in a song but it is just so joyful and fun that is a big reason I love Blur. Even if the subject matter of the songs is some depressing stuff. The cover art is one of my favorite. Also, their single popscene should be required listening with this. I always see that single/this album as one of the early movements of Britpop so definitely worth the listen. Now in terms of its flaws, I agree with others that they improve on the sound in subsequent albums. Not to say that this one doesn’t have its own sound/feel between their sound on their debut and Parklife. And the back half does have more songs I don’t came back to more than their other albums. But that just feels like judging them against their own high bar. Rating: 4.7

Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish This is blur's second studio album. Before they started working on this album, they were about to be dropped from their record label To help recoup money owed they went on a tour of the US. It was an extremely long and arduous tour and the band was extremely homesick and just sick of the United States. Damon Albarn, decided on that tour that this album would be a modern take on the Kinks and other pop band from the UK. The result is an album that has the humor and sound of a Ray Davies (Kinks) album. While most know song 2 from their next album or Damon's other musical project, Gorillaz, this album is what led to that journey. 5/5

One of the first and best Britpop records and maybe my favourite Blur album. It's got all the things I like about Blur - plaintive melancholy, guitar rockers, fun pop songs- without any of the annoying mockney stuff that were part of their next two records. Plenty of gems, For Tomorrow, Star Shaped, Chemical World and (bestest) Blue Jeans for example

A great album with some of my favourite Blur tracks on it: Blue Jeans, Miss America, Oily Water, Chemical World, For Tomorrow. Still sounds fantastic

Modern Life is Rubbish I’ve never really been that keen on this album, and consequently I haven’t listened to it for a long time. Despite there being some great tracks and a lot of hints at where they would go I think always felt that there weren’t enough good songs and that it didn't feel like a coherent album. That’s why doing this is good, as listening today I’ve vastly reconsidered that opinion. While it may not be as great as Parklife or pretty much all their albums from Blur onwards it's still very good, with a lot of those little Blur things and moments that make them so interesting and so great. For Tomorrow is excellent of course, great bass and I love the strings, sounding a little like the seaside organ that we hear a lot of on Parklife. Great bass on Advert and I love the little guitar hook. More great bass on Colin Zeal and some excellent Coxon guitar too. I know Alex James is a great bassist but it's easy to forget how good he is - I suppose his persona can make you feel like he's along for a laugh but he has so many great bass lines and really is so integral to their sound. Pressure on Julian has a nice edgy feel to it, again great bass, but is a little forgettable. Star Shaped is great of course, strong Parklife/Great Escape Vibes, love the ‘I’ve been making plans’ bit. Blue Jeans is great, one of the delicate melodies and vocals, but with the organ and accordion giving it some seaside colour. Chemical World is great, and I don’t dislike the Intermission section, I just wish they were separate songs. Love the Horns on Sunday Sunday, very George Martin. It sounds quite Parklife and also sounds a little Supergrass-y too. Oily Water is fine, another good melody but maybe not the most memorable track. Miss America is great in that woozy way and Villa Rosie has such a great melody and the guitar is just so good. Coping and Turn it Up are both very good tracks, but I think the length of the album is working against them at this point. A lot of bands would kill for songs like these but they are a bit lost at the back end of this. Resigned is great though, the sad eyed wistfulness is very affecting and is a nice tonal counterpoint to Copinga and Turn it Up. Loads of the ingredients that make Blur great, but the bass on this is particularly good, in a way I’ve never previously appreciated. It is a bit long though and does suffer from a few too many tracks but it is a great album. Not top tier Blur but close, a high 4. 🚂🚂🚂🚂 Playlist submission: Won’t overthink it, For Tomorrow

Never listened to Blur saved for a few songs, knew they were more than "Song 2" (which was a parody anyway). This is some damn good britpop. Damon Albarn really knows how to craft a catch tune. Favorite tracks: "For Tomorrow", "Oily Water", "Villa Roise"

Modern Life is Dull... Just like this album. Little intrigue or diversity of sound and the runtime is much much too long

This is not very good at all. All sounds EXACTLY the same. Chirpy riffs? Done. Stupid Mockney accent and gibberish lyrics? Done. No discernible songs? Done. Awful album.

I think maybe I'll like later Blur albums better? This is fine, but a bit dialed back and bland compared to what they'd become later on. Opening track is good (but not great), but the rest fades a bit into beige. 2/5.

Algunas canciones sobresalen, pero en general da bastante pereza escucharlo ahora. Qué cosas.

Not really interesting, some parts remind me of bowie

I find this noisy and irritating. Sometimes the lyrics are interesting, but the overall impression is that I hear a person mildly shouting while instrumental noises cycle around. I try to relegate it to the background while I'm doing something else until something in me declares "Please stop!"

Probably the best britpop album of the 90's, filled with great pop songs with punkish twist. Great sounding record too. The absolute rating is probably 4,5 stars, but Graham Coxon's guitar playing deserves the extra half stars.

Llegamos oficialmente a mediados de mayo y toca Blur. Ya han aparecido en éste reto y de más está explicitar el porqué. Decir sobre esta banda que los pude ver en vivo y fue un show impactante, que terminó de confirmar lo que sentía por ellos.. ¿Sobre el disco? Tremendo, como el resto de su discografía. Gracias por el recuerdo. Hasta mañana

La la la la laaaaaa La la la la la la lallalalaaaaaa 9.5/10

Super weird and pretty great. You can definitely see the beginning of the Gorrilaz here, which is awesome, as there are many experimental sounds, rhythms, and somg structures. The brit rock era of the 90s is notably cheerier than the grunge seen here at home and I find it quite refreshing. For Tomorrow, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, and Villa Rosie are my favorites here. Rock on Damon Albarn.

If Oasis was the modern version of The Beatles, Blur was the modern version of The Kinks, which is infinitely more interesting, albeit commercially riskier. This album was almost never recorded and we might have never known Blur and Damon Albarn as anything more than a footnote in Brit Pop history. For the number of boring British bands from the 90s, Blur was the real deal in my book. Much more eclectic and daring, and less formulaic. "Modern Life is Rubbish" saw the band move away from the then popular grunge style of the States and looking inwardly to England, as the Kinks did. But Blur put it in a more modern context of the multicultural Britain with nods to the past. Sure, cheap holidays in Spain was standard now but who doesn't love a good cuppa at home too? There's loads of variety on this album which really keeps it fresh throughout and also gives a lot of hints of Albarn's later work, like Gorillaz. It's an impressive record from a band on the brink of collapse. Lucky for us they made it.

Brilliant second album launched them into greatness

I have to admit, I enjoyed this Britpop album more than most, though I’ve never been the biggest fan of Britpop to begin with. At the same time, I’ve noticed this album has received a lot of low ratings and mixed reviews from people who are really into the genre. So with that in mind, it’s probably a sign that this one works better for me than most Britpop albums do.

My favourite Blur album! There's such a huge difference between this and the first album. The songwriting is at another level and quite varied. Each musician contributes something meaningful to each song. In particular, Graham Coxon's guitar work is on point. It's frustrating that Spotify doesn't have the original version of Chemical World, even though there are two versions on the special edition of the album. These versions are over-produced and inferior. Liked Songs Added: Star Shaped Blue Jeans Chemical World Miss America Popscene I'm Fine Peach When The Cows Come Home

this, more than any other album i’ve gotten so far, will absolutely be in my rotation of stuff i regularly listen to. i love it

Well I know this will be an instant 5 for me and will probably get slaughtered in the comments for being daft and English and faux-cockney. It's all of that and still brilliant. Interesting that they were pitted against Oasis. Two bands who shamelessly thieved from better bands to shape their sound. Blur the 60s, the Kinks, the Small Faces, Syd Barrett, and Oasis the 70s, T-rex and Status Quo. I just simply preferred the 60s stuff to 70s chuggers. Blur definitely also heavily influenced by XTC but that doesn't fit my paradigm so I'll just conveniently ignore it. Listening to the lyrics contributed a healthy dose of cynicism about the world I was growing up in, which I had never been particularly convinced by. Records like this and others were a fully necessary refuge, or a mental shield at times. Not gonna take each song in turn but the singles are all tremendous, I bought both versions of Sunday Sunday so got the music hall sing alongs on the b-sides (which are at the end of the special edition linked on this site, for all to enjoy). Advert is fantastic. The swirling noise where a chorus should be on Oily Water. And some songs are simply beautiful, Blue Jeans, Resigned and Villa Rosie is just joyful. I would single out Popscene for attention, even though it's a standalone and wasn't on this record - a proto Song 2. Forever etched into my memory as the sound of teenage summers and doing my paper round. My favourite Blur album and always will be.

i'm not super familiar with blur's output beyond a handful of songs and obviously what damon albarn went onto with his next musical endeavor. so i didn't know totally what to expect with this one. wow! i was totally blown away. really fun, really great record with a bit of a sneer. what i really adored is that this album is so obviously influenced in a lot of the late 60s british music that i adore - in particular, i hear a lot of Kinks influence here which definitely endeared this album to me. i can say i will definitely be back to this album and i look forward to exploring blur's discography in the future!

Absolute banger of an album. Best album by Blur and one of the greatest albums. No doubt about it. And yes, Modern Life is Rubbish!

Their best album by far. Such an odd collection of songs but somehow it all fits together to make a cohesive listening experience. Graham Coxon is fast becoming my favourite guitarist, Alex's bass lines are hidden Easter eggs that really shine when you actively listen to them. Some of Damon's best song writing also on display here.

Loved this

Have never really listened to more than a few of their tracks. Really fun album. Really creatively punky. Loved it.

I liked it very muchly

It's Blur innit. Not even listened to this record before, and surprise surprise, it's a solid one. Favourite tracks: For Tomorrow, Colin Zeal, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, Oily Water, Villa Rosie.

Gorillaz was my intro to Damon Albarn's work, but I love me some Blur, and this album is no exception.

imaginative, blunt, animated and quintessentially british, this album is a staple of 1990s british pop. the air is cold and the atmosphere is murky and you really couldn't have it any other way. many songs in the album never feel afraid to be honest, damon almost venting about his conflicting emotions about himself and the world around him; predatory business practices, purpose, and a few cheeky inside jokes thrown in and you've got yourself an amazing and unique rock pop collection.

One of the albums that defined my teenage years. Was a perfect album celebrating a vanishing Englishness which was in equal parts nostalgic but also critical and punky. Think also the artwork sums up the colours in the record. It's autumnal sounding and slightly bleak. Coxon's guitar playing is always something to behold. There's an underlying darkness behind the 'pop'. Masterclass in songwriting and Albarn deserves to be held in the same regard as Bowie Full five stars. No questions.

This is probably my second favorite Blur album. It's very strong, start to finish. Has been on my playlist since the 90s and will continue to be. Great album.

I live this album. In fact I’m learning the guitar parts from it, rather slowly. I only properly got into Blur in the last decade or so - long after their peak which I was there for - and concluded this is their best album. For me there’s not a bad song in it (well, maybe one or two skippable ones) and it feels like it does what indie rock should. I think that’s the best way I can put it

Pre-listening thoughts: so I obviously have heard of Blur and have heard a few songs from them but none from this album. In the dated Blur vs Oasis debate I am absolutely team Blur though sorry! Post/during listening thoughts: epic and awesome. So so British and I love it. Blur you just gained a fan fr 9.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: hmmm I love britpop so yes! Maybe not a necessity for everyone though Fav tracks: almost all of em! What a fun record Least fav tracks: Miss America

Excellent

Das ist ein richtig gutes Album. Sehr kreativ, allein schon die Anfänge der Songs sind schon sehr hörenswert. Insgesamt würde das Album sehr dicht aufgenommen. An Instrumenten ist fast alles aufgeboten, die Lieder variabel in der Struktur, man hat nicht das Gefühl, es gibt ein zuviel. Das macht Spaß und man freut sich auf die Überraschungen. Dennoch sind es eingängige Pop Songs trotz anspruchsvoller Produktion. Und "Chemical World" ist wohl ein Test, ob die Lieder wirklich bis zum Ende gehört werden. Gelungen.

fun! but no everyone is a hit

Good stuff

GOD

¡Éste no lo conocía! ¡Qué pena! ¡Cuánto tiempo perdido!

Really good! Never thought to give these guys a listen before and I'm glad I did.

Transcendently beautiful

Mellow, quite lovely musically - very different from the Blur I'm used to (i.e., Song 2, which is a real headbanger)

The album that started Britpop. Basically sounds like a week in the life of your average Brit in 1993. Light-heartedly cynical at every turn and full of wry smiles and nods to the British way of life. Not to mention the work of a master songwriter and a genius guitarist, in Albarn and Coxon, beginning to find their feet as a creative force that would influence and lead the whole Britpop movement. And it's just a fantastic record from start to finish.

Schyssta låtar rakt igenom. Unikt och intressant utan att bli jobbigt. Vet inte vad mer jag kan säga men något mer än såhär kräver jag inte av en skiva.

I've listened to this album before, and my initial feeling upon seeing it on here was excitement. Nonetheless, I tried to listen to it with fresh ears. For Tomorrow is a standout song on this album. It really sounds like something that could've been released in the late 60's. This is a common trend throughout the album, with several of the songs having a similarly retro soundscape. Yet this album isn't so easily pinned down. There's retro, but there's also plenty of 90's style pop rock to enjoy. It's a dynamic album overall (a trait that is very important for me to truly enjoy an album). I guess the band faltered in popularity after their first album, so they really poured their soul into making something special with their sophomoric effort. It really shows. There's a lot of heart here.

Without Blur maybe I wouldn’t even be doing this 1001 albums challenge - I’m very grateful for this band. I’d known some of their songs from the late 1990s from my teenager years but then later I was into only 60s and 70s music. Until one day, I found a video with a song from their debut album, ’Leisure’, and that was the moment I started listening to all of their albums and got into them. I opened my ears and my mind, and I discovered many other bands from the 1990s, and I also started listening to a lot of stuff from the 1980s and 00s, as well. For these reasons I’m not unbiased when it comes to Blur. ’Modern Life is Rubbish’ is the second album by them – after their pretty average, baggy debut album they went touring the US, which made Damon Albarn homesick and tired of American culture and the music scene. They returned to the UK and made this quintessential English album which was *the* original britpop album that started it all. Albarn has great sense for storytelling and melancholia, the 60s influences (particularly The Kinks) are felt strongly. They made an album full of accessible, well written rock, with strong hit songs (For Tomorrow, Sunday Sunday, Chemical World), and no less great other songs (Blue Jeans, Oily Water, and my personal favorite, Resigned, just to name a few). 'Parklife' may be the most commercially successful album of the trifecta, but ’Modern Life is Rubbish’ is more genuine, it shows the zeitgeist of the era perfectly, and it's the most original britpop album in their catalogue. Objectively, this album would be a bit less than 5, but I’m rounding it up to the perfect 5, since here are no half stars.

Can’t be objective here. No apologies.

I like Blur, Damon Albarn is a great musician.

A perfect brit pop album that combined the links, the jam and XTC in a modern context with killer guitar.

Need to say more? Great.

Britpop! Hurra! Parklife är ju bland det bästa som hänt 90-talet. Älskar denna skiva från första sekund till sista. Chemical World är en pärla. Damon Albarns röst blir aldrig tråkig att lyssna på. La-la-la-la osv

Wow - It is interesting to think that this was released the year that Pablo Honey was. I can hear some "pre-The Bends" vibes here. Beautiful harmonies, great musicalization, and solid production. I had listened to some of these songs before but had not gone through the entire album. It is a fantastic work. No fillers. Great bridge between the "madchester" Blur and the "britpop" Blur. I love it.

an early masterpiece by a band who’ve lived there ever since

I finally listened to Blur last year, ran through their discography and this was my favorite!

Diverse, interesting tracklist. Fun to hear a song from "Baby Driver" on the set.

A contender

This is basically where it all started. The birthplace of what was to become the great, big battle of the 90’s British music scene. Blur are at times leaning noticeably closer to a rougher and more heavy guitar driven style on Modern Life Is Rubbish - and I’m all here for it. While songs like “For Tomorrow” and “Chemical World”, “Oily Water” stand out, there’s not a single bad track on this monster of a record. Parklife might be the quintessential Blur album. But this is their best.

i liked parklife by these guys and i like this album too :)

Me gusto el brit pop

Blur is everything I loved about alternative British music in the Eighties. This album doesn't disappoint.

well the score 1:0 in favor of damon albarn

Favourite blur album. Full of quality hook laden tunes. Love Blue Jeans

Brilliant, best Blur album by far. 5 / 5 stars.

Exceptional

Britpop bangers

Good. I've already been through this discography.

Brilliant, as both of its successors

This was a good listen. Probably the most uncomplicated, accessible album I have had. When I say uncomplicated, I definitely don't mean lyrics-wise. They are sharp and clever and the music is so catchy. Will listen again!

Love it

Really cool variation of songs. Loved it

Well this is one brilliant album but it’s definitely blurs most front loaded album as I love the whole run from for tomorrow to oily water then Miss America onwards is just a drop in quality. Blur overload their albums anyway this just gets a 5/5.

One of my all time favourites. Villa Rosie gets me every time.

My Favourite Blur Album and their best in my opinion. Others have better tracks or were more revered or sold more. From memory this one didn't fare too well at the time so it is nice to see it recognised

very cool

Best album of Blur? Blur is not in the same league as the Auteurs, Pulp or Suede.. but this album turns out to be just as strong as I remembered (it just needed a few extra spins and un-comparison with the Gun Club album from the day before) and it even does not include Popscene...

its fuking blur

Absolutely triumphant - They really were the best of Britpop

I own this album, on CD. Bought in the mid-90s I thought it was worth spending a week's allowance on. Having heard it now for the first time in 20+ years, I find myself humming For Tomorrow. For this, and almost this alone, I give the album five. I've got no problem acknowledging when my teenage musical self was "misguided", shall we say, but I just can't here. I came back to this thinking I'd find some egregious examples of crashy Britpop wank... But there isn't. There's just not. It obviously sets up britpop tropes, but each track seems to skirt around the edge of Britpop guff without succumbing. Astonishing. Albarn's vocals fits. Alex James' bass is tight. And the drumming from Dave Rowntree is stellar.

A prefect album from start to finish.

A fantastic album