Modern Life Is Rubbish

Better, in my opinion, than Parklife. I enjoyed this listen, but I’m not really sure if I *needed* to listen to this album.

yawn...

no

22/08/2026 I am not completely convinced by this album.... I was a bit let down by this. Spotify listeners: 14.3 million

That last 40 seconds of Resigned though

I like this guy better in the Gorillaz

Some decent 90s Britpop weirdness. The lead singers accent and nasal tone was hard to listen to in the first half, but I guess you just get inoculated to it after awhile.

Boring as heeeeeeellllllll

a little unrefined so kind of misses the mark Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: is it even their best album? 2.5

I went into this expecting to hate it, but I don't mind it? I'm not sure. It's way better than their self-titled - I think it's because I didn't hear much Britpop in this. The bass is the best part of this album for sure. Preferred the first half to the second.

I have a like/hate relationship with Blur. I like a number of their tracks but also find Damian’s voice quite irritating a lot of the time. I really disliked them when they first started out, and whilst this album was a big improvement in style and sound it’s still not great. Who knew they’d end up producing some absolute bangers just a few years later.

I love this album. I can see why the playing up of the Englishness grates with some people but, for me, that's part of the fun. Authenticity in music is so overrated!

Brit pop is mostly not my thing but it's a fine album

Very enjoyable!

It's possible to hear in this album the craziness present in the modern world (specially in "Oily Water" and "Chemical World").

beeeeeeeeeeem mid pqp

a segunda metade até que eh bem interessante, um pouco mais barulhenta. porém, achei que eh o mais mediano deles que passou por aqui. nada demais não. boto fé que marca a mudança de som deles, mas foda-se fraga. só o parklife já resolvia!!

A Blur album with none of my favorite Blur tracks, but still a good record.

I don't think I've listened to anything by blur. I liked it! A decent album for sure. More grunge than the stuff I normally listen to. They've got some nice beats going as well as the guitar. I'd probably give it another listen if I came across it again.

This is a solid effort from this English band. Some well written songs.

These guys make Oasis and The Verve sound revolutionary in comparison. Really bad vocals, forgettable songs, and vanilla arrangements combine for a poor listening experience. Modern life may be rubbish, but these guys are bollocks. Low 2/5

Quintessential but not great Britpop. I can hear the influence, I would even say the imitation, of The Kinks and similar groups in this. The weird yelping singing style in Advert stood out, but overall this album doesn't do anything for me.

As is often the case with blur Graham Coxon’s innovative and melodic guitar work stands out to me, maybe there are a few too many Kinks rip of tropes but overall it’s. A decent album with a great single in Chemical World. Showed that they had a lot more to offer than their prior album would suggest but didn’t quite realise their potential yet 3.3

It's ok. There are some interesting weird tracks buried in here as well as the singles which are solid. But I just find some of this a bit tedious too at times.

Meh'dern Life is Meh, by Meh.

I liked it better than I did when it came out, but Blur are still one f the bands that I just don’t connect with like I’m “supposed” to.

Modern Life is pretty average.

Blur's weakest album, goes by uneventfully.

I do like Blur. I didn't realize Parklife was not their first Britpop record. Interesting to see what my blind spots are.

I’ve gotten a lot of Blur lately, this one I had to scrub my mind of previous ratings to come at it with an open mind. And it wasn’t hard! I dug it awesome sound for the most part, it showed its age towards the end. But the last couple tracks right the ship.

Poppy, fun.

Not rubbish, but not that great either.

This was better than expected.

The singing is rubbish

one of my fav albums so im totally biased yes. it is the second most british sounding blur album after parklife, and yes modern life is absolute total rubbish, every time i listen to this album i just keep thinking about how we now think back then life was better meanwhile they thought the same back then

Take 3 as part of AOTD, Blur is not the band for me.

Not feeling this one at all

I’d put this at a 3.5. Blur is fantastic. This record didn’t hold my attention the way I thought it should. It’s still pretty great.

I would consider myself a Damon Albarn fan, I've really loved a few Gorillaz albums, and I think that Blur is an alright but somewhat overhyped band from what I've heard. And truthfully, this does nothing to dissuade me from that belief. It's not bad, I enjoyed quite a few songs on here when Albarn actually decides to try and have an interesting melody. But honestly I just feel like for quite a few songs on the record he's kind of annoying. This can be easily attributed to his youth, but he was already 25 when this album came out. I think, even if you do say he was young, it doesn't make it any easier to listen to. Still an alright album, but I would've preferred if this spot on the list went to a Gorillaz album instead, the exclusion of Demon Days is simply criminal. Favorites: Star Shaped, Chemical World, Coping

I like their later albums, but this one just never really hits for me.

I like this iteration of blur more than that of their self titled album. This would be so much better if it weren't Albarn singing, I cannot stand his vocals 3/5

It certainly is! Solid effort by this band. Interesting songs with an appealing style. If anything there our too many songs on it.

Huh. I guess I like Blur now.

Blur is a band that I know about and have heard a few of the singles, but never really listened to an entire album of theirs. Listening to this has been fairly enjoyable. It's largely an album that goes back to British pop of the 60's, most notably the Kinks and and brings in a bit more noise as an update to that sounds. That definitely brings in elements of indie rock, and punk and post punk as well. I like and will definitely listen to this again.

Well! I'm done. Maybe Modern Life Is Rubbish when you don't have a new album to listen to every day. I guess I'll find out!!!

It was pretty good

Album #236 Blur: Modern Life Is Rubbish Seeing as Blur are one of the quintessential 90s bands, it is really no surprise that they suffer from one of the quintessential 90s problems: too much filler. The dawn of cd’s led everyone to believe that every second had to be filled, and if your album was under an hour, then it wasn’t worth the money. Sometimes this leads to an album’s quality increasing, because more good tracks equals a better album, of course, but most of the time bands were just adding tracks to fill the time, and they weren’t quite of the quality of the others. When it comes to Britpop, Pulp, Oasis, Suede, and even Blur themselves, all had albums approaching the hour mark that still felt like incredibly satisfying listens, and I think the reason Modern Life Is Rubbish slogs, whereas A Different Class, Dog Man Star, or Parklife excel, is the lack of anthems. I don’t mind not every Britpop song being a karaoke staple, but I do appreciate it when a band splices them within the album just to wake me up and keep me engaged. It’s not that I don’t love Cast No Shadow, but I definitely love it more because it contrasts well with the pompous ballads like Wonderwall and Champagne Supernove. With the exception of the opening track, every song on Modern Life is Rubbish fills the same niche. I can’t say that there is really a bad song here, but by the halfway mark I felt like I had already heard everything the album had to offer. I’m sure it’s a case of the songs revealing their identity over time, but based upon my first listen, Modern Life Is Rubbish did not leave the impression on me that I thought it would. Still though, lots to like here; Blur are at their most British, and their songwriting is quality as always, just think the album could have flourished with some trimming and more diversity. Best Songs: For Tomorrow, Chemical World, Star Shaped Worst Song: Miss America Score out of 10: 7

Haven't finished it at the time of rating, and hadn't had time to delve into the meanings. However, it felt unfitting not to leave a review for this grace to the ears. Congratulations, Blur.

A very warm and wistful album, though a little snotty British edge is mixed in to keep things from getting boring. Love the melodies and atmosphere here. Britpop makes a lot more sense if you focus on its good bands.

one christmas (years ago) i was so bored that i listened through blur's entire discography and i was not super impressed. this album feels, idk, a bit bloated? the best thing to come of it might be the "modern life is rubbish" tshirts. it's fine. it's just not for me. i'm sure it was a great experience if you were english in the 90s.

3.5/5

Not bad. Very late 90s vibe.

There are some really fun lively tracks on here. Production wise it's helped along by unique sounds and instruments unique to individual tracks which help them carve out their own place in the album as a whole. There are pretty strong melodies the whole way through and cool, moving baselines under chunky pop rock chord progressions. While the album is very strong for the most part, I feel they could have cut it down a song or two, even maybe shortened some of the tracks just a tad.

I was surprised to like this one! An interesting little rock album

British rock group of the 90s. It's soft rock maybe kinda beatles like but more rock than boy band. "For Tomorrow" is a famous song from this album.

Mediocre alt

Parempaa brittipoppia, tätä oli jo vähän ilompi kuunnella.

Kovasti brittipopahtavaa brittipoppia. Ei oikein iskenyt itselle tämä(kään) blurautus, mutta ei nyt toki ärsyttänytkään mitenkään. Mennään midtier arvosanalla.

I put this on in the background while working around the house. It plays very long but strangely nothing really got my attention too much, and I didn’t hear anything so bad that i wanted to be over either. If anything, i kind of liked the last track. 2.5/5

I always want to like these guys more than what ends up happening. Same situation here. The listening starts out with good intentions, only to end up being disappointed. I can get behind their conscious choice to go all classic Brit/Kinks feel, but it kinda stops there. The album plays way too long, and I don’t remember a single song.

Apparently I know very little about blur. I think I wanted to like this more than I did but found it kind of boring and at times annoying. Pressure on Julian was not enjoyable. I struggled to get through the album and had to do it in multiple sittings. Didn’t feel like something I’d go back to, so rounding down for those reasons. 2.5

I think I like this more than Parklife but not 100% sure so I’m rating the same. Enjoyable but not amazing. A woooooooo hoooooo!!! 3.5/5

# In-Depth Review: Blur's *Modern Life Is Rubbish* In 1993, Blur was a band on the brink. After the baggy-influenced, shoegaze-tinged debut *Leisure* brought them success but also a critical backlash, and following a demoralizing tour of America where grunge was king, the band's future was uncertain. Rather than capitulating, Blur doubled down on a distinctly British identity, crafting an album that was not only a sharp social commentary but a deliberate artistic manifesto that would define a generation. *Modern Life Is Rubbish* is the sound of a band reinventing itself, finding its voice, and in doing so, laying the very foundation for the Britpop movement. ## Lyrics and Themes: A Satirical State of the Nation The album's title, lifted from a piece of graffiti, serves as its thesis. Damon Albarn's lyrics are a collection of "caustic lyrics about England as it was at that moment, and the way it was getting this mass Americanised refit". He adopts a persona akin to a modern-day Ray Davies (of The Kinks), creating character studies that explore the "dreams, traditions and prejudices of suburban England". **Key lyrical themes:** - **The Mundanity of Modern Life:** The opening track, "For Tomorrow," presents a stark portrait of a Londoner whose life is a series of empty rituals: "Jim stops and gets out of the car... Then he puts the TV on / Turns it off and makes some tea / Says: 'Modern life is rubbish'". This cynical observation is woven throughout the album. - **Rejection of American Cultural Imperialism:** The album is a direct "two fingers up to America". Blur saw a world where American popular culture was colonizing British identity. This is a reaction against the "Coca-colonisation" of the UK. "Miss America" is not a person but a product, embodying Albarn's fear of cultural homogenization. - **Satirical Character Studies:** Albarn creates specific, deeply unremarkable characters to critique British society. "Colin Zeal" is a "modern retard with a love of bombast," an "immaculate dresser" who represents a self-satisfied, aggressive conformity. "Sunday Sunday" satirizes the "little Englander" mentality and nationalistic nostalgia, with a jaunty music-hall tune undercut by lyrics about "the England he knew is no more". - **The Bleakness Beneath the Catchiness:** This is the album's signature trick. The upbeat, melodic music contrasts sharply with the bleak content. "Star Shaped" is a prime example, featuring a "deliberately cheesy instrumental break" that masks a meditation on workplace drudgery: "My thoughts are getting banal, I can't help it". ## Music and Production: A Classicist Revitalization Musically, *Modern Life Is Rubbish* was a complete 180-degree turn from *Leisure*. The band abandoned its shoegazing and baggy influences for "traditional pop," specifically the classic British guitar pop of The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Jam, and The Beatles. The production, handled primarily by Stephen Street, is "lushly produced, featuring brass, woodwind and backing vocalists". This gave the album a cinematic, rich quality that felt both nostalgic and entirely new. **Musical highlights:** - **Graham Coxon's Guitar Work:** Coxon is the album's secret weapon. His playing provides a vital tension to the classicist song structures, with AllMusic noting he "tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects". This creates a dynamic interplay with Alex James' "kinetic bass". - **Diverse Genres and Styles:** The album refuses to settle on one sound, yet it coheres brilliantly. It ranges from the "stately" pop of "For Tomorrow" to the "punky" energy of "Advert," the "vaudeville stomp" of "Sunday Sunday," and the "neo-psychedelic" haze of "Chemical World". - **Experimental Flourishes:** Tracks like "Intermission," a frantic pub piano knees-up, and the sprawling, Pink Floyd-esque "Miss America," showcase Blur's willingness to experiment within a pop framework. The album is filled with "peculiarities" that make it endlessly interesting. ## The Album's Influence *Modern Life Is Rubbish* is widely regarded as **one of the defining releases of the Britpop scene**. While its commercial success was moderate (peaking at number 15 in the UK), its critical acclaim and artistic statement created the blueprint for the explosion of British guitar pop that would follow. It created the template for Blur's own masterpieces, *Parklife* and *The Great Escape*, and established the thematic and musical playground for an entire movement. --- ## Pros and Cons of *Modern Life Is Rubbish* ### PROS - **A Clear Artistic Statement:** An ambitious and successful reinvention for a band in crisis, showing a clear, confident vision. - **Sharply Satirical Lyrics:** Damon Albarn's character studies and social commentary are witty, caustic, and perceptive, establishing him as a voice of his generation. - **Exceptional Musicality:** The production is lush and detailed. Graham Coxon's guitar work and the band's use of diverse instrumentation create a rich, textured soundscape. - **Varied and Dynamic Songwriting:** The album explores a wide range of styles (punk, psychedelia, pop, music-hall) while maintaining a cohesive identity. - **Foundational Influence:** It laid the essential groundwork for the Britpop movement that would dominate the UK in the mid-90s. ### CONS - **Pacing Issues:** The album's second half is generally considered weaker and loses some momentum compared to its stellar opening run. The long, languid "Miss America" and the slight "Turn It Up" are often cited as drags on the overall flow. - **Uneven Highlights:** While consistent, some critics feel the album lacks the "killer" highs of its follow-ups, with nothing quite matching the iconic status of *Parklife*'s best tracks. - **A Warm-Up Act for *Parklife*:** Some view the album as a brilliant, but ultimately preliminary, sketch for the more fully realized and commercially successful vision that would arrive with its legendary successor.

flipped between 3 and 4 stars. i think i wouldve liked it more if i was in a different mood, everything felt like it went on a little too long for me. probably miss america, blue jeans and villa rosie were my favs.

Cool listen but nothing there to change my life. Feels like great drunk pub music though fwiw

I always preferred Oasis as a kid, and it's good to know I still find Blur comparatively boring.

Decent album. You can easily hear the 70s experimental rock influences in this one. They might be trying a little too hard to be The Who.

Je savais pas que c'était aussi bien Blur en fait, moi qui m'était arrêté à Song 2 tel un imbécile. C'est génial, les chansons sont courtes et bien construites, les lignes de basse restent en tête, la voix est puissante. Playlist pick : Turn It Up, qui me fait trop penser à du R.E.M.

Skjønner at dette ikke skal være kremen av Blur, men på dette punktet vil jeg utvilsomt si Oasis > Blur. Noen av låtene ga veldig Syd Barrett vibes. Spesielt Miss America (beste sporet imo) og Villa Roasie (ikke like vellykket homage). Men det er ikke til å komme unna at det er utrolig mye kjedelig rock her... Føltes til tider ut som en utholdenhetstest.

Modern Life is Rubbish, men denne plata står ganske støtt. Oasis, men med mer Beatles-harmonier og mindre shoegaze.

gorillaz > blur

Kind of a 2.5 ?

Another day of hell at work; another friendly and familiar album to get me through it. I could honestly do without the big For Tomorrow single but most of the rest of this is pretty great :) Yes it IS chimney-sweep music but chimney-sweep music kind of hits sometimes. I don’t know what to tell you

If modern life is rubbish, this album isn't helping. Jokes aside, this is just such bland British alt rock. It's fine. I didn't actively dislike it, so a begrudging 3/5 it is.

In my view far behind Oasis and the rest of the British pop rockers.

Don't care for blur. Wish version of oasis

This is really quite good for britpop. So many interesting and unexpected turns sonically. I also loved the extended outtro. Unfortunately, britpop is kinda cheesy so it gets capped at 4

A solid meh of an album. I didn't hate it, because I think Blur had to crawl so that this indie rock sound could walk/run in the '00s. But I do think those later groups were better.

7/10 I wrongly dismissed this 30 years ago because, mainly, it wasn't Oasis, but now, without that filter blocking my ears, I can enjoy it for the early scene setter it was. At times it's too Essex and jaunty, and Damon can't half be annoying, but I erall it is fun and catchy and has a great feel

A really good album title, appended to a very average album. For Tomorrow is Blur at close to their best I think - a little plaintive, still fun but not irritating. Then it just becomes Blur I suppose. By the time you're enduring the last two minutes of Chemical World you're in real pain. Overall, it's not bad - Oily Water is another good song for instance - but it's inconsistent and occasionally annoying.

This certainly isn't a bad album, but after listening to it, I tried to remember any of it and struggled. I remembered that Chemical World ended with a piano noise rock outro as it was something different, but for the most part this album has one vibe and it barely changes, everything just kinda blurs together.

Some weird and wonderful chord progressions but doesn't capture my attention. 3/5

Modern Life Is Rubbish Blur 1993 Genres: Rock Styles: Britpop, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Indie Rock 1. For Tomorrow (★★★★★) - Contexto: Un retrato optimista e irónico de la vida cotidiana inglesa. Invita a encontrar belleza en la rutina, los suburbios y las pequeñas costumbres frente a un mundo moderno cada vez más deshumanizado. -Comentario: La forma en la que canta me hizo acordar a David Bowie por momentos. 2. Advert (★★★★★) - Contexto: Crítica al consumismo y a la publicidad. Describe cómo los anuncios prometen escapar del aburrimiento diario mientras las personas permanecen atrapadas en una vida monótona. -Fav 3. Colin Zeal (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Retrato de un oficinista completamente absorbido por el trabajo. Satiriza la obsesión por la productividad y la identidad basada únicamente en la carrera profesional. 4. Pressure on Julian (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Habla de la presión psicológica y las expectativas que recaen sobre una persona, mostrando cómo las responsabilidades pueden terminar ahogando la individualidad. 5. Star Shaped (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Reflexiona sobre la ambición de alcanzar la fama y el reconocimiento, mostrando el contraste entre los sueños juveniles y la realidad. 6. Blue Jeans (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Una nostálgica canción de amor sobre el recuerdo de una relación terminada. Habla de la dificultad para dejar atrás a alguien importante y de la fuerza de la memoria. 7. Chemical World (★★★★⯨) - Contexto: Critica una sociedad cada vez más artificial y superficial, donde el progreso tecnológico y el consumismo reemplazan la autenticidad de las relaciones humanas. -Fav 8. Sunday Sunday (★★★★☆) - Contexto: Una mirada humorística a las tradiciones familiares británicas de los domingos, mezclando nostalgia con una sutil ironía sobre las costumbres nacionales. 9. Oily Water (★★★★☆) - Contexto: Evoca sentimientos de alienación, ansiedad y búsqueda de refugio emocional mediante imágenes oscuras y acuáticas, siendo una de las canciones más atmosféricas del disco. 10. Miss America (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Retrata la soledad, la distancia emocional y el desencanto detrás de una figura idealizada, cuestionando las apariencias y los sueños de éxito. 11. Villa Rosie (★★★★⯨) - Contexto: Una historia surrealista y llena de personajes extravagantes que juega con el humor absurdo y refleja el caos de la vida moderna. -Fav 12. Coping (★★★★☆) - Contexto: Trata sobre la lucha por seguir adelante frente al estrés, la frustración y la sensación de no encajar, buscando mecanismos para sobrellevar la vida diaria. -Fav 13. Turn It Up (★★★⯨☆) - Contexto: Una explosión de energía y escapismo que propone subir el volumen de la música como forma de olvidar temporalmente los problemas y la monotonía. 14. Resigned (★★★★★) - Contexto: Cierra el álbum con una aceptación melancólica de las limitaciones de la vida y del amor. Expresa resignación, madurez y la idea de seguir adelante pese a las decepciones. -Fav -TOTAL = ★★★★⯨ (4,07)

chemical world is very interesting, and so is sunday sunday. Overall very nice

brutal lang & nicht mit memorable. gibt paar songs die gut sind aber all in all nicht meine. varianz sehr hoch tho

i love damon

It’s good Brit pop. Maybe marginally better than average. But always feels like a poor man’s Oasis. I just couldn’t immerse myself in it. I should listen to it again and more thoroughly. This is a classic 3.5… better than average but not spectacular. I reserve the right to bump up the score if I ever listen to it through again and I find that I like it more. Blur feels like a band I should like more but just don’t.

Pretty solid stuff, especially the opening track

dnf so it’s a 1 i guess

I want to like this one more than I did. Definitely think I prefer the self-titled over this one, even though this one definitely spans a broader list of genres and influences. Blur though is just a little more consistent. I like this album more when it's hitting on post-punk like on the tracks like Colin Zeal and Pressure on Julian. Although the rest of the tracklist is still solid, although AGGRESSIVELY British sounding. It definitely feels like Blur trying to expand their sound, searching for something to hit on.

Some of these tracks fell a bit flat, but there were definitely highlights that made this enjoyable on the whole. I think I like Oasis' style of britpop more than this, and I prefer Damon Albarn's more ambitious work post-Blur. Favorites: Advert, Colin Zeal, Oily Water, Villa Rosie, Coping, Resigned

It's solid, but britpop doesn't really move the needle for me in either direction and Oasis was a bigger deal in my household growing up, so this doesn't have the nostalgia factor.

Suitable title, poor man's Village Green or Arthur

First three songs are pretty good but this fourth one is quite grating and annoying i cant lie. It's quite basic British pop music i cant lie. Ok chemical world kinda hits. Yep this song is really freaking good. oily water is nice and funky. Boi coping like broootal black pill 💀 amirite guys? Overall a pretty solid albums with good parts but also lots of boring songs which drag down the albums overall quality.

I concur.

Excellent.

Album #1001! Is this really as essential a listen as Dimery makes it out to be? Sure, it's a precursor to some hugely influential Blur albums later in the 90s, but as a standalone, it didn't have much of an effect on the world or even on the band. Even if it's noticeably better than their mega-popular self-titled record. Like, I adore Billy Joel's album Turnstiles – it's his second or third best behind The Stranger, and clears most other 1976 releases – but I would never include it in a "must-listen" catalogue. That being said: If you're going to commit to a thickly accented, punky vocalist, this is one of the best directions you can take with it. The songs sound excellent, especially in the first half of the "disc 1" main release. I enjoy that surprisingly tasteful and subtle interaction between lead and backing vocal. The drums, bass, and guitar are all recorded cleanly and showcase some great riffs and fills along the way. Lots of cool little sections that you don't hear much in ultra-polished modern pop – like the high, music-box-esque piano interlude in Advert, the incredible basswork (and quasi-psychedelic outro!) in Star Shaped, On the other hand, though, the music is ridiculously cheesy sounding, with little attention to the overall album experience. When the first six or so consecutive tracks all carry a similar energy and tempo, both within and between the songs, it's worth taking a step back and asking yourself if you maybe should've left replaced some of those "song duplicates" with ballads, or reprises, or multiple contrasting sections within a track... and so on. There's a reason the greatest albums of all time boast one or more of these things. Chemical World does maintain that same moderately happy, medium-upbeat feel as all of its predecessors, but at least it experiments a little melodically and uses a pretty entertaining low vocal. Plus, the little guitar solo at around 2:20 has got to be the best 10 seconds on the album. And that second half, with the carnival-esque piano melody, the gradual build-up and increase of tempo and density and tension... Wow. So, so much better than everything before it and (mostly) after it. Damn. Dense, lush horns on Sunday Sunday, plus a complete switcheroo thrown at us in the second half, creates another decent highlight. I wish the lead vocalist would shut up, though. Sure, his singing is better than mine, but that doesn't mean it's good. Then we get to Oily Water, and I know I technically did ask for a switch-up, but shoegaze for 40% of a 5-minute track isn't really the way to go here. Still, the first 60% is pretty good. Overall, the only miss is Miss America. It has "miss" in the name, so at least Blur are self-aware. I feel a little bad about that judgement, though, seeing as it *is* a change in pace where the album needed one most. Ah, well. All the other songs excel in some way or another. 4/5 Key tracks: For Tomorrow, Advert, Chemical World

This was pretty rad. Every chord progression went somewhere I wasn’t expecting but still leant itself to the overall aesthetic and vibe. Great time. Will return.

Solid record, but it didn't blow me away.

not my favorite Blur album, but still great at showing what they could accomplish during their earlier phase. great guitar work, catchy melodies, sharp lyrical writing.

Something weird happened with this album. The first couple times I put it on it was kinda in the background and I found it vaguely annoying. Then I went for a run and put it on, and, being at front of mind, it really took off. There’s a great push and pull to the songs and a whole lot of attitude. It’s catchy as all get out and pretty funny throughout. I don’t really care for the opener, but I like the rest of the first half, particularly “Advert,” “Colin Zeal,” “Star Shaped,” and the wonderfully woozy “Blue Jeans.” It loses a bit of steam after that interlude, but gets it back with “Turn It Up.”

Обязательный разговор с неприятным человеком. Довольно точное описание того что вы будете чувствовать на протяжении всего этого альбома. Очень тягостный неинтересный скучный и однотипный. Оговорка - это исключительно мое мнение, а также учитывая что альбом вышел в 1993 вообще непонятно как завоевал свое место. Удивительно что альбом the cure который и свежее и интереснее вышел на 4 года раньше. Отлично для контекста прочитал, что же особенного в этом альбоме - если кратко противопоставление американскому гранжу - брит-попа объединения рока 60-x и энергии 90-x. Скучнейший вариант 60 я услышал а вот энергии как будто бы вообще не было. Ирония что ровно после этого альбома я слушал the who и вот они уже в 70-х дали эту энергию, видимо которая должна была быть в этом альбоме. Вообщем ничего цепляющего особенного и интересного этот альбом не несёт для меня и скорей всего для любого слушателя не из Британии 90-х. Его наверняка надо было послушать для понимания контекста "противостояния" которое явно было придумано и обыграно только с одной стороны. В любом случае абсолютно ясно что гранж намного мне ближе чем брит-поп. Оценка альбома - 2/10

do the makers of this really like british people or something... goofy i've already heard enough britpop to last my whole life

I am getting tired of British rock on this list, but I still decided to give this one a fair shot. Unfortunately, they do nothing that interests me or sets them apart from all the other British rockers here. I'm not too picky and as long as the album entertains me, I will come back to it. Modern Life is Rubbish is just too bland for me to want to revisit. On the bright side, nothing here is too offensive on the ears.

Nice

Meh

Weirdly have never heard this, and it's not quite what I expected: ostentatiously British, noisy, and unfocused... I didn't finish listening.

It's fine.

Etherial, lush in parts. I guess there's someone for everyone out there. So there is that. Favourite track: Miss America

Fun, liked it more than other blur I’ve listened to. By the end got annoyed with it, which is why the length of an album matters.

played to death in its day

I really liked the sound on this one

I got my head checked, by a jumbo jet, it wasnt easy, but nothing is. WOOHOoo... what? Wrong album. Fine. I will listen to their 5th most popular album whos famous song is For Tomorrow, but in my mind I still have The Big Shiny Tunes CD on and I'm thinking no one understands me like Eminiem.

Unremarkable. Okay, .

Blur really has a lot of early albums that are filled with mediocrity. It wasn’t bad cause i like damon but there just wasn’t much to be found here after a great opening track

p716. 1993. 2 stars. The alternative to Oasis's 90s revival of Brit rock, with an infusion of ideas and tunes stolen from The Kinks and The Jam. It's OK, but very derivative. Multiple points deducted for Damon Albarn - can't stand his voice, and at the end of the day he's an ex-art school middle class twat from Colchester, pretending to be a working class cockney. Poor life choice.

I would call this capable brit pop. Catchy, fuzzy, and with the tone you expect. Feels like you could play the whole double album as background at a college party and no one would complain. They wouldn’t love it either though.

Definitely not what I was expecting given what "Song 2" sounds like. Joke's on me I guess since I've now learned that that song was meant as a more of a parody. I have to say that this album wasn't great. Nothing stood out and it had it's weird moments.

this is not good.

Not really my thing.

looonggg album, too long. britpop with a lot of instrumentals. liked chemical world.

I liked this one, I'll probably listen to it again.

Näh

Enjoyed this one

I didn't pay Blur much mind in their heyday. My memory of the two albums of theirs I bought is that they were very inconsistent, and most of the songs weren't really my thing. So I never explored the rest of their catalog. Besides, I didn't need another Brit-Pop band to pretend to hate; I was already pretending to hate Oasis. But this album is great! It's like 90s-rock Bowie, but somehow also sounds timeless, like it could have been released this year. The production sound is unexpectedly awesome. (I didn't think Brits liked drums.) Def getting added to the quiver.

I like Blur. And I liked this album. I listened to it a couple of times driving across North Dakota and Montana last week. It felt very out of place and time, which I enjoyed.

There's nothing at all wrong with this album, but I find myself totally bored and stopping after 3 songs. It took me forever to run through it once, and I don't see myself getting through a second time to figure out what is going on. I like plenty of Damon Albarn's music, so I can't really explain it.

Good. I should listen to it again, and to more Blur. I mostly missed Britpop the first time around.

4/5 - Somewhere between a 3 and a 4. Rounding up because it would annoy Oasis.

okay

Probably their best album. and the most accurate album title probably ever

Tätä ei oo tullut kuunneltua, Blurin tämän jälkeistä tuotantoa kyllä. Tämä oli hivenen tylsä levy biisi materiaaliltaan. Ei jäänyt mikään biisi mieleen.

Kui album hakkas, siis ma arvasin, et kuulan Gabrieli-aegset Genesisi. Aga see polnud üldse nii hea. Igasugust veidrust on siin plaadil ja enamik sellest ei istu. Mul on raske sellele isegi 3 anda, sest mulle tõesti ei jäänud midagi siit kõrvu. Võibolla 90ndate inimestele selline kõla istus, sest see oli uudne. Aga mulle tundub see pigem mõttetu. 2.4/5

Honestly I might not even finish this one today, it drags a bit. I love the album art but that's about all I do like about this album, not as memorable as the one I got before from them, so perhaps 2 stars here, not complete garbage either

Blur is rubbish. But sure, let’s just put all their albums on this trash list.

Back to back Blur is crazy. I liked both albums a similar amount.

I definitely was confused with this one. I Thought I missed the album yesterday. Then I checked and it was Blur. So I thought, maybe I had already listened to it and forgot. But I was sure that wasn’t the case. Then I saw it was just back to back Blur albums. Knowing the history from the day before it’s cool hear how different this album is from their self titled album.

Not as good, IMO

I refuse to believe the back to back Blur wasnt programmed into this. Like what are the chances of that?! Like 2/770 or something, or I guess 1/385ish...? But still those are crazy odds..

This album is pretty good. Living in the mid-2020's, I have to say I tend to agree with the title, and things don't look like they'll be getting better all too soon. But that won't stop me from trying. Anyway, the music. I've listened to about 30 albums classified as "Britpop" on the list so far, and they are kind of starting to blur into one another (pun not intended). This one feels like a strong example of the style, and has some unique enough variation that it stays interesting. This album was hovering just above a 3 for me, but putting the Mallard on the cover pushes it over the edge. What a beautiful piece of machinery. If more things were designed with the same care and creativity, the modern world would be a little less rubbish. Favorite track(s): bit of a weird one, but the intermission at the end of "Chemical World." The track itself is good, but the intermission blew me away the first time I heard it (which would have been in the film "Baby Driver"). Other than that, I liked "Pressure on Julian" a fair bit as well.

I do not get the hype over this band from this list maker. My list would not have any of their albums.

<The obligatory diatribe about Robert Dimery putting really mid britpop from the '90s on the list by default>

Boring

Totally inoffensive but completely uninspiring. They were wearing their influences on their sleeve pretty blatantly at this time. Most of this is not at all bad but I’m never going to listen to it again I don’t think.

At first, I was pleasantly surprised and thought that this might sneak into one of my 5 out of 5s. Near the end, I feel more than happy giving this a 4. Simply put, I hadn't listened to much Blur bar their most popular songs. As a result, some of the songs I heard on this album really surprised me at how complex and interesting they were. A prime example being my favourite song of the album "For Tomorrow". This song featured orchestral strings, ghostly gospel backing vocals and a fun structure. Some of the other later songs on the album just didn't scratch the itch as much. I am looking forward to the other Blur albums since, apparently, it only gets better from here...

Britpop halt. Nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht herausragend.

There is nothing on this album that makes me want to listen to more Blur

Ah, ça faisait longtemps que j'étais pas tombé sur un album purement osef. Ces derniers temps, j'ai plutôt eu des albums cools et quelques trucs sympathiques auxquels je n'accrochais simplement pas trop. Mais là, enfin depuis un bon moment, voici un album qui m'entre par une oreille et sort par l'autre comme on les aime. C'est donc de la britpop, donc c'est très accessible, c'est très sage, ça ne prend pas de risque et ça se fond complètement dans la scène. Peut-être que je suis un peu cruel avec ce groupe tout simplement parce que ce n'est pas mon genre de musique et que je pourrais être plus sympa, et si Robert Dimery ne m'en avait pas déjà fait écouter des pelletées entières, c'est probablement ce que je ferais. Je n'irais pas jusqu'à dire que c'est un mauvais album, mais que diable, au bout d'un moment, ces groupes anglais de cette scène finissent par un peu tous se ressembler et ça devient crispant à force. Je vais pas mettre une mauvais note, parce que ça me semble injuste (surtout par rapport à d'autres albums du genre qui réussissent l'exploit d'être encore plus oubliables), mais bon sang, ça aurait été sympa de varier un peu plus les genres représentés.

The album started off pretty good... but then the britpop reared it's ugly head. And don't get me wrong, it's pretty good britpop, but "good britpop" is also an oxymoron. So because of the britpop, and the sheer length of the album, I was feeling quite... resigned... at the end.

Pretty average overall. Intermission is my favourite part.

OATMEAL

Man, Blur are just such a fun band. They are one that have grown off me just a little bit with time, I think that other bands outside of the big 2 of britpop like Pulp and Sugergrass are superior, but what Blur have that the others don't is an unbeatable energy. This album is witty and sarcastic as hell, and I think it's really obvious how Damon Albarn and co are just having a great time writing and playing these songs. The stories they tell in the lyrics are captivating and genuinely quite funny at times, and the music that goes along with it is just a blast to listen to while you're following along to the words.

If this album, not even Blur's best Britpop sounding album, is on this list then I'm certain that this won't be the last time I hear them in 1001

it's okay

Glad I listened. It was good to work to. First half not as favored as the second.

Coping is decent

Første gang jeg virkelig har syntes de lyder som Oasis. Ikke et kompliment

Lidt banger-flad imo

Huh, I recently met someone in real life who's also doing this challenge and he said that this was one of his favorite albums he's had on it. And it turns out that this is actually *fantastic*. Honestly, at the moment, this is probably my favorite Brit Pop album. Their sound here has some really quirky, eclectic edges, but Blur's songwriting still has the tenets of pop music down to a science. The result is something that's *ridiculously* catchy, but fiercely creative, even explorative. It's pretty amazing that Blur have managed to write a pop album without obvious hits, which doesn't creatively suffer *at all* for it. The overall vibe ends up really fun and energetic, with some influence from grunge, electronic, Americana (maybe, briefly) and some of the weirder pop bands like XTC or Cardiacs (both of whom they were explicitly influenced by at this point). At this point in Brit Pop's development, the tropes have still not been established, so Blur is throwing a lot at the wall, and almost *all* of it sticks. Honestly, nothing stands out as a "worst" song to me. I don't know if I'm willing to call it a 5 yet, just because my enthusiasm for this album was so sudden, but it's certainly on the short list of albums I intend to revisit with the hopes of upgrading it.

It's reminiscent of 60s psychedelic rock with a Devo twist.

Despite owning every other Blur album and having bought them roughly around release i’d never actually listened to this. Obviously the singles are great but the rest just feels fairly middling to me and far from their best. Sunday Sunday is the highlight as it bridges this to the poppier Parklife that came next

This album is also a bit rubbish.

I enjoy Blur a lot and I *really* like a lot of the tracks on this album. While I really do get why they are divisive (mostly why people might hate Damon Albarn's singing), as far as I'm concerned they make catchy songs that make me want to bounce up and down. They so often have interesting backing vocals and great little guitar twiddly bits. I love For Tomorrow - its a great single and remains one of my favourite Blur songs. I love Sunday Sunday - yay, brass section! I (mostly) love Chemical World (there's no need for the full length of random intermission at the end, and that's coming from someone who actually likes the tune). This is an almost entirety enjoyable album for me, but it can't get 5 stars, because it's too long. That's something that's easily fixed by removing Blue Jeans, chopping down the intermission and a couple of other tracks (Miss America could do well to lose about a minute of meandering). I feel like I'm sounding too negative, but I do absolutely like this album... I just don't quite love it. 4/5

Love Blur but wouldn’t consider this their best. Still enjoy it, and a very influential album of its era.

Wow, long and boring. I thought I would love it after the first song, but alas

This sounded arrogant and un-fun.

Couldn't finish it

Appreciate their works, but probably enjoy best as a greatest hits collection band. Love Albarn’s work with the Gorillaz!

Started slow and kinda boring but flipped the script pretty hard for me. Definitely not rubbish

Album tbh kind of a blur to me

I have listened as attentively as I could to this album (ie while getting bored to frustration with most of the songs). Looking at reviews here, I can see it has keen fans, as well as emphatic detractors, and lots of people giving it three stars - I wanted to see if I could get what others were appreciating. I give the album some credit for having a theme and wanting to do some story-telling, or at least scene-setting. I'm kinda signed up for critique of shallow consumerism. But I think the criticisms here are shallow, the characters one-dimensional, the lyrics ineptly expressed and overly repetitive. (On Genius, some of these songs with opaque lyrics have no significant commentary, suggesting there are no "hidden depths" to the 'quirky' phrases - eg Miss America "plucking hours from the sky" means what? no-one knows.) I'm not English, so I won't comment on the accusations of fake Cockney, but I will say the singing style doesn't appeal to me. I'm guessing these songs would like to be early David Bowie (eg Life On Mars), or The Kinks (eg Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), but I'd far rather listen to actual Bowie or Kinks than this. The music is also frustrating. There are mildly noisy guitars, but like an advertising firm's idea of noisy guitars (that don't really intrude). Songs with one potentially appealing riff but no counterplay, no satisfying chorus. Very limited vocabulary of chord structures. Some studio effects and noises not integrated with songs. I searched in vain for a song I could consider my favourite: I was hoping to like Chemical World on a second listen, on the basis of the first half (decent riff, though goes nowhere much) but the piano-led second half really is rubbish - it's a twee piano line, the speeding up to crash is appallingly mishandled, no emotional impact and all too long. Why didn't someone tell them that it was maybe worth trying, but it didn't work out, so they should cut it from the song?? Overall, as there's no song I can comfortably sit through, I'll say for me it's Bad, 1/10.

First 2 tracks are fantastic, it can't maintain that level and starts to become samey. This is pre prime Blur but the following year then would drop 'parklife'.

No me movió como los otros dos

Oh wow, more Blur. Okay, this was fine.

뭐라 쓰지

When I listen to Blur, I enjoy it. But I never choose to put on Blur.

liked it more than I thought I would

Maybe modern life would be more bearable if the music improved. I don't know how there was ever a argument of Oasis vs Blur and I'm not even that big an Oasis fan. His voice is annoying and the whole sentiment is whiny. "I've heard much worse" is the best thing I can say about it.

Whilst at least 50% of the members of Blur are annoying they do make a pretty solid band. This might be their best album, retaining their very English charm and style, a la The Kinks, and mostly keeps some of their wackier inclination under wraps.

I have heard a fair bit of Blur before but never this album. Blur's unique sound is starting to come through on this album, although still a little bit rough. Parkilfe and the s/t album are probably better, but I still enjoyed this. The latter instrumental part of Chemical World is incredible!

It was a mix of punk and rock. There was times where it sound like 70s punk and also like early 2000 pop. It was a good album to work out to add some good songs in inside there

As an American (which I have to repeat a lot about this list because it was curated by British people), Britpop is otherwise known as "that Oasis sound" because Blur's best known song in the States and is played at every sports venue is Song 2, the WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO song. You know it, your uncle knows it, and your pet iguana Sarah understands it. Well to my absolutely absence of a shock, that's not the Britpop sound and not what Blur actually sounds like. Yes I know Gorillaz and it's the same guy but please stick with what I'm actually going to say here. Modern Life is Rubbish is certainly not the snobby, obnoxiously over-produced and volume-maxxing as much as Oasis's albums are, and the end result is quite nice. Some sort of compromise between The Kinks, XTC, and 90s rock stylings. Was better than what I was expecting for the most part, but I think I'm still going to prefer Gorillaz.

Review - stop fuckin makin me listen to Damon Albarn arrrrrrgh Score - 5/10 Need to listen? NO

Bastante lejos de los mejores trabajos de Blur. Hay varios discos de la banda más merecedores que este para estar en esta lista.

I suppose you include this in the book because it was the starting pistol for Britpop, if you think that particular marketing campaign was as important as music writers like to make out. Suede weren't the starting pistol to their credit. Blur are a singles band to me. The albums always seem to have more than their fair share of filler. I can't imagine why the Teardrop Explodes peeps haven't sued over Colin Zeal's similarity to the way superior Sleeping Gas. They even add insult to injury by immediately following it up with a song called Pressure On Julian. One amusing thing to observe is that the 1 star reviews by American participants complaining about its Britishness would no doubt have delighted early 90s Damon Albarn. This was a rebellion against Grunge but it was also a rebellion against the perceived musical excesses of shoegaze and the influence of the likes of the Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine and Jesus and Marychain. For me the problem with that is that they end up with a restricted pallette to work from and too many of the arrangements are a bit dull and the melodies and lyrics aren't good enough to pick up the slack. It sounds pompous.

Much as I like Blur, they can get a bit much, especially their more Britpoppy stuff like this. The videos are all a bit too Lads Lads Lads for me. And that bit tacked on the end of Resigned was very novelty song, which always means a point deducted.

It's ok. Didn't mind listening but wouldn't seek it out.

I had always sided with Blur on the Blur vs Oasis factions in the 90s. However, I have to admit this Blur album was harder to listen to than the two Oasis albums I've had so far. Damn. Rating: 3

Did this album influence Britpop in a way? I guess so. But does it have much of an effect on me? No, no it does not. Some interesting bits, but mostly forgettable for me.

This is much better and more interesting than the other albums I've had of theirs. In those cases I liked the hits, and found the rest to be a bit wanting. In this case I barely knew any of the songs, and they're nearly all really good! I really like the range of instruments and breadth of styles in here. I particularly like the brass and the funky synths. It's way more expansive than you might expect. It's also really weird and frenetic at times, but in a good way. This was really good!

This album and "13" are my favorite albums by blur - completely opposite ends of the spectrum of their music, but they are my favorites because this album is quintessential and, in my opinion, the best example of quirky Brit Pop. It wasn't until later when I dug more into The Kinks albums that I saw their influence, but Blur still took it much farther. There's also a lot of heart and innovation in these songs, though. I go back to it very regularly.

I liked that about the same as their self titled album. I liked the weird scrambled Luau vibe in Miss America. 4

I dunno... I liked some parts of this record. It had some cool music at times but to be honest, nothing really catchy or that memorable. I wanted to like this... but I did not. My bad.

Fun at times, but three Blur albums on this list is 2 too many

Sometimes, the rich kid energy bleeds through. Sometimes, this record takes all the influences from British psychedelia that I do not care "she was a lady on bike and a pretty little squirrel said hello" < this is not an actual lyric but that's what Damon Albarn sounds like more often than I like. But other times, i dig the sound.

I remember the first time I listened to this album, I didn't get it at all. It seemed long, somehow convoluted compared to Blur's other albums; for a long time, it was my least favorite album in the band's discography. Now I've listened to it again, and I'm thinking, "What a fool you are. This is Blur's best album!" It's not as experimental as their self-titled, although there are some flirtations with trendy American grunge. It's not as primly English as Parklife, although both the lyrics and the melodies still convey the band's adoration of their homeland, with all its flaws, in the style of the caustic mood of The Kinks. Blur seem to be already exploring the sound that would later make them famous, but very thoughtfully, without abandoning their old foundations. The word "Britpop" doesn't fully capture the mood of the record; it's more like a majestic, melodic, and silly punk-grunge. Albarn is a genius, guys!

3.5 rounded up

All I really knew of this band is that they were rivals with Oasis in the 90’s and that their leader went on to form Gorillaz. Another pleasant surprise. Two other Blur albums to come — looking forward to them.

Blur is a band that’s good for two great songs an album, on every album of theirs I’ve listened to. Parklife has Girls & Boys and Tracy Jacks. The Great Escape has Country House and The Universal. Blur has Beetlebum and Song 2. 13 has Tender and Coffee & TV. But I’ve never listened to this one. Can it buck the trend? A: not really. I love “for tomorrow” and the rest is ok.

It gets better for blur but this a necessary step forward.

Cool album cover.

Hadn’t listened to much Blur but I like the Gorillaz.

feels so young and fun - they were still getting along and enjoying making music together. doesnt have the angst and anger of the S/T album

I liked this 14 track 59 minute album. I backed Oasis in the britpop wars of the 90s, but I can see why Blur were in the running. 4 -1 for a poor Pete Shelley impression throughout. Why not just get Pete Shelley in the band? +1 for putting Mallard on the album cover (Footnote for fuckwits:- Before spouting off in your reviews about 100s of tracks on an hours-long album, take a look at the Wikipedia tracklist to confirm what tracks were on the original release, learn how to use Spotify, and just listen to those, you dumb fuck.)

There was live music and it was not annoying. There were no real bangers like song 2 but it was ok

Finally! After a seemingly endless run of utter sludge comes this total gem of a record. Modern Life is Rubbish blew me away when it was released, and it still blows me away today. I was dismissive of Blur when they first arrived - She's So High and There's No Other Way were perfectly charming pop tunes, but they gave no real indication that Blur would become anything more than bit part players. The ‘Madchester', 'baggy' sound that had dominated the UK’s indie scene for a few years was giving way to Grunge, and these two singles seemed to be trying too hard to cling on to a fading trend. I forgot all about Blur until I was offered free tickets for a show they were headlining at the Town & Country Club in London in July 1992. I wasn't particularly interested but went anyway as Mega City Four were supporting (as were Suede, who’d just released their first single). In no mood for a washed up band of 'baggy' has beens, I nearly left before Blur came on - how glad I am that I stayed. It's become something of a legendary gig for the band - they were visibly very drunk, and apparently convinced they were about to be dropped by their label. Damon stumbled onto the stage announcing "we're fvcking shit" before launching into a visceral set of songs, most of which would appear on Modern Life is Rubbish about a year later. Yes, they were very drunk, and no, they didn’t play brilliantly well, but it was like nothing I've seen before or since - the ‘poster boy popstar' image I thought they were trading on was nowhere to be seen, and the ‘baggy' pop sounds of Leisure were the sounds of a different band. This was something else - a transformation. It was a raucous, discordant assault of energy and awkward time signatures that I swear no one saw coming. I was excited for the album and when it came out, I was not disappointed - how could a band go from Leisure to this? It helped punch Grunge back across the Atlantic and flung the doors open for a sound that would define an era. These character-driven songs that blatantly mash up the bands influences from Bowie to Cardiacs make up not only Blur's greatest record, but one of the pivotal albums in British music. Oh,and Blue Jeans is one of the most perfect songs ever written.

What an album. I tried to come at this as if I have never heard it before (which is silly I know) but whatever approach I take I find it hard not to think of it as a masterpiece in modern pop. It's funny in places, acerbic in others, catchy as hell, has something to say and is up there with other major quintessentially English bands. Fabulous.

90’s Britpop ⭐️Chemical World

Album that saved the band from bankruptcy, but I don't think it belong in the list if we already have Parklife and the Self titled. Not to say that it is a bad album, just not the best from Albarn and Co.

This was a fun album. Solid three stars.

Good album.

I know their hits and that's about it, but this is good. Nothing that stood out as a hit, but I enjoyed it nonetheless

Damon Albarn is rubbish. The first song annoyed the fuck out of me, I skipped it. His dumb ass voice just sucks so bad on this album. I liked the instrumentation.

Not really a Brit pop sort of guy, or a blur fan, so this is a hard listen. It was either these or oasis and unfortunately I’m probably ok the bandwagon of oasis. Odd one or two songs stand out but, I don’t know if it’s you’ve got to be in the mood or if it’s just not as good as I thought it would be this album. Long, drawn out. I’d say masterpiece in a lot of ways, but again, it’s Brit pop.

It's alright.

Title of the album hits close to home rn. Even though the album is dripping in classic 90s vibes, I also find Blur's sound to be pretty timeless Brit pop rock.

Honestly I never have high expectation for Blur outside of providing fun poppy in-and-out albums. This kinda hit though, was quite keen on the songwriting.

7.5 / 10

Hmm. Some genuine gems in the first two thirds of the album, a very stale last third. "For Tomorrow" sounded a lot like Albarn doing a Bowie impression, and I'm not even sure how intentional it was. It's a bit hard to pick apart what is and isn't sincere about these recordings (and maybe that's the point). "Star Shaped" felt like the crux of Albarn's position on everything. "I've been making plans, become an unconscious man" he says against the backdrop of some too cheery backing vocals. There's a feeling of cynicism and irony sometimes just undercutting things, sometimes fully in focus. The group seems perfectly happy to experiment with pop tropes while the lyrics often wander off about one thing or another "Chemical World" brought back moments of Bowie impressionism, but this time I didn't mind, the writing and melodic structure was really catchy. I saved this one. Best on the album easily. Not to mention that wild second half! This song deserves it's own album. Then the baroque textures on "Sunday Sunday" that start slow then break off into something more like a 90's sitcom intro song - super interesting. I don't really know or care about what's being said here, or on many songs - there's enough to entertain me instrumentally. I did not hate this NEARLY as much as I thought I would. While almost all britpop leave me yearning for something more, there was a handful of genuinely special passages peppered throughout this record. I'd like some more discernable lyrics, like the beginning of "Miss America" - that was nice and digestible. Sadly, every song afterwards felt dull and unnecessary. So it all evens out to a perfectly acceptable 3/5

2,5

Britpop is totally my jam, and yet.... reading the Wikipedia for this album is terribly embarrassing. The pretentiousness of Damon Albarn and even the other band members is astounding and makes me want to hate this album. It's such a shallow attitude to take - "America bad! England good!" Also - they hated America because we didn't love their music.... yeah - *it wasn't very good at the time, sir, BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION*. And yet the band felt that "Modern Life is Rubbish" was some kind of major artistic statement. Anyways. Let's actually listen to this thing before we draw any conclusions...... - I'm noticing something about Damon Albarn's music. I really enjoy some of his songs, "Coffee and TV," "Sing," "Clint Eastwood." But most of his work is missing anything remotely ear-catching to me. The songs on "Modern Life" are squarely in the non-hook category: dense, and tuneless, and going nowhere very interesting. I just don't get it. TWO STARS

Not great

Good

Quite a long sit like this. Whether I thought it was worth it, hmmm...

Going in I was quite skeptical about this album (the name itself felt depressing). For Tomorrow was a strong start, with every song after being such a banger - I didn’t think I’d enjoy British pop so much. They got the beats and simple lyrics to complement it.

ngl no le presté la atención necesaria porq estaba yendo a defender a la universidad pública.

This whole album listening challenge has me rethinking Blur. Blue jeans is a jam but I’m not super into any of the other songs.

Guess I’m a Blur fan

Forget modern life - this album was rubbish 😔 Nowhere near as good as their other album listed on here 2 ⭐️

Very British indie rock. They mostly been a one hit(ish) band for me. Gorillaz is more my style. It is well written but pretty forgettable. One thing that really annoys me is that their progressions never finish because they use a cadence I'm not a huge fan of (especially on Villa Rosie and Colin Zeal).

Was not expecting too much but ended up having a fun time with this one. Whilst it's not as packed with hits as other Blur albums, this is nonetheless filled with great songs. I especially enjoyed some of the guitar work throughout, and the lyrics were properly witty in their examination of British suburbia. Favourite song: Chemical World Least favourite song: Villa Rosie

I am coming to realize that I just do not enjoy blur. The first album on the list did nothing for me, and it was the same for this record. I remember liking the Song 2 single off their self-titled album but not enjoying anything else on that album. Perhaps the entire band turns me off...

Pretty lengthy for nothing to really stand out for unfortunately.

Bit disappointed in this tbh. Not convinced it should be on the list and definitely not their best work

Bright guitar driven Britpop relying on crisp guitar work that balances catchy pop hooks with slightly rougher alternative rock textures. Bass lines are melodic and active, often carrying momentum beneath the guitars. The vocal delivery is expressive, slightly nasal, and highly character-driven. Lines are phrased with theatrical precision, emphasizing wit and observation over emotional vulnerability. Listening feels like walking through a crowded city where every street presents another ironic little scene or observation leaving the listener overstimulated.

Didn't have any of the hits I know them by, and didn't grab me. I'm sorry I did have time to give it a second listen before having to rate it because I know these guys are capable of great things.

The last (yet earliest) of the three Blur albums. I'd been hoping that perhaps it would show a new and different/interesting side to Blur, but I'm not really sure it did, partly because the other two were so many albums ago that I don't really remember them any better than I likely will with this one. I can see the sort of Ray Davies/Kinks character sketch influence--apparently part of Damon Albarn's epiphany while the band toured and circled the drain after their debut album--but they seemed to have replaced Davies' wit and compassion with simple sarcasm and disgust for suburban life (largely continued in "Parklife"). It's too long by half for what you get, I'd say, but the best of the lot for me were "Colin Zeal", "Sunday Sunday", the strangely compelling "Miss America" and "Villa Rosie". It's kind of funny how poorly this album did in the US; I guess the hatred for all things American he cultivated during their debut album tour through the US was reciprocated for this album. I didn't hate this at all, but I'd definitely say this was by far their least interesting or distinctive of the three albums in the collection, and perhaps not even deserving a slot (heresy to Blur and Britpop devotees alike)....

It was fine. Never really grabbed my attention.

Interesantísimo. Quizás un pelín largo de más, y eso me hace perder el focus, pero Blur son claramente el grupo superior de la ola británica de los 90.

Standard 90s alt rock. Nice flow, I guess, but nothing fancy overall.

It’s easy to pigeonhole this album for its ‘OI oi geezerism” and there is elements of that, and I never have and never will like “Sunday Sunday” but it’s full of glimpses of the band they’d become. The heavy lidded psychedelia of “oily water” and the drowsy syd barretisms of “Miss America” which I consider to be the best thing they ever wrote. I really wanted this to be a 5 star but a few too many baggy tracks

My heart genuinely sank when I saw the Spotify runtime - 2.25 HOURS of Britslop. Thank fuck it's only the first disc I had to get through. Unfortunately an hour of this shit is still an hour too long. I was so over this shit album by Chemical World. The songwriting on this album is just dreadful man. British people should have been banned from making music in the 90's. I gave up on this. Terrible.

Wow... I only heared "that one song from Blur" and expected 90s pop rock cheesefest... DIDN"T EXPECT AT ALL what I'll hear. A lot of creativity. Cool melodic approach that resembles both The Beatles and Cardiacs. Still there's some moments that I liked more and some that I liked less. My personal favs: Advert (!), Chemical World, but most importantly, I really wish there would be a whole album of music like Intermission, this one is really the music that makes my brain active and happy

Kinda meh. This can’t be Blur’s best record right? And if there’s another one on this list, and they still included this album… then that makes this album even more annoying to stomach.

I was a huge fan of Blur back in the day, and still like them a lot. This album is fine, but not one of their best, in my opinion.

solid 4. Na minha opinião, Blur tem muitos outros álbuns melhores, mas Modern Life Is Rubbish é um grande salto do debut, principalmente nas composições explorando a vivência britânica. Algumas músicas soam como filler, como Turn It Up, Pressure On Julian e Villa Rosie, e acho revoltante que Popscene não entrou na edição normal do álbum, pois é a melhor música a sair dessa era. Também acho que alguma das músicas fillers poderia ter sido trocada por Young and Lovely, uma B-side que soa como material de single facilmente.

Better than I expected from Blur. 3.1/5

2nd CD is quite good

Listened to this one on a full plane with a baby throwing a temper tantrum, so safe to say this album felt like a blur (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜) but I mean yeah it's fairly solid britpop/rock, idfk

bleh 2.5

Meh. It's not rubbish, but it doesn't particularly distinguish itself either.

It is a decent mix of Brit pop and 90's indie, not a fan of the vocals at all. Only a few songs that I thought were completely interesting, could have cut a few songs and tightened this up. For me it was a bit too over produced, especially the drum sound and too long. And I know Albarn with the Gorillaz, which are awesome, but I couldn't get into his style on this record.

When this started to play, I thought it was OK as I got through the first few songs. Then I got distracted by something and must've tuned it out, as I only still realized it was playing when I got to song 9 (Oily Water). I found that one pretty good, but it doesn't really bode well for the album that I was able to completely ignore 5+ songs and not get pulled back in sooner. Having now completed the listen, I feel like the things I remember most about it are negatives. The main one being Albarn's voice, which once again grows old fast. Some people can pull off a distinct/unconventional singing voice, but his doesn't really work for me. I also didn't love the songwriting. Some parts were good, but often one section of a song kinda ruined what I had liked about it otherwise. Another issue was the length. I don't know if this band is capable of making an album shorter than 50 minutes from what I've been recommended, but I wish they had here. I really didn't see anything that lent to this album running as long as it did (just about 59 minutes). This is my third Blur album from this list (behind Parklife and Blur). I've only really liked Blur so far, for whatever reason. And even that wasn't really anything great. This one is better than Parklife to me, but still not that good. As a whole, I found it fine but unimpressive. Maybe another listen would help it make more of an impact, but I don't feel inclined to give it one. Overall: 2.2/5

3.5

Enjoyed about the first half of disc 1 as it was reminiscent of the Kinks and the Jam. Was not impressed with the other songs or sounds.

this was okay, nothing stood out really except chemical world with the intermission. that slapped. but yeah didn’t stand out overall

nah

Algunas letras/ melodías se siente monótonas y raras como si no supieran escribir y otras canciones no tienen este detalle, se sienten como el soundtrack de Shrek. La música en general me gustó, la guitarra 2000's

I was an Oasis fan back in the day, and because of the rivalry, I never really gave Blur a proper chance. At the time, I saw them as a bit too middle-class and “art school” compared to Oasis. Over the years, though, I’ve grown to appreciate them much more. Going into today, I don’t think I’d ever listened to Modern Life Is Rubbish all the way through. It also feels like a very fitting title for a day back at work, modern life really is rubbish. This is a fun indie album with solid production and some genuinely strong tracks. For Tomorrow, Colin Zeal, and Chemical World all stand out and show the band finding their identity. That said, it does lack the big hits you get on later albums, and I’d still reach for Parklife or Blur over this. Favourite track: Colin Zeal Least favourite tracks: None, every song earns its place Album artwork: Love it, I’m always a fan of a good train cover

this album sucks ass

COOOLLLLLL

OMG, this was rubbish. Maybe if it didn’t go on and on, I would not have hated it so much. Nah. It could have been 20 minutes and it still would be rubbish.

Rounding up from 2.5. Blue must just be a band that missed me. I couldn’t get into this beyond a couple songs. And the Spotify version is over 2 hours. Not sure if that includes demos and outtakes, but a lot of the songs seemed unfinished.

3,3/5

This album makes me think Oasis is the best band ever and I don't really like Oasis. This album is too british for me. Nothing special at all, just boring. Too long. It's not awful, just too boring and too british. I didn't like it.

It was okay. But kind of dull

Solid blur album. The band sounds tight, the melodies are fun and full of a bitt of whimsy. The british irony and humor is palpable. And Damon gets really good cracks at some vocal runs. Doesn't really excite me like Park Life and Leisure. But I dig it alot. The album art work is a nice touch. Again british irony. "Modern life is rubbish" while depicting a very post modern concept train from the 1950's.

3.0 - Ok

"Instilled in the band a contempt for everything American" Big up Albarn

I think I just found my new fav Britpop album. Great energy, great melodies. Favorite track: Chemical World

Fine 90s album, but never need to hear it again.

It's been years since I heard Modern Life is Rubbish, but I remember being ambivalent towards it. Upon relisten, Blur does some things that I expected, and some things I didn't. As previously stated, I did not have good memories with this album, and I'm reminded why. Blur can often be irritating when they lean obnoxiously pop. What I did not expect is that Blur could be punky or channel the dark psychedelia of a Soundgarden song. I really do appreciate the band's willingness to experiment with their sound, and it is consistently rewarding. Sadly these songs are in the minority Highlights: "Advert", "Oily Water" Lowlights: "For Tomorrow"

Curious ideas, otherwise standard rock, at times Beatles like.

I am normally not a fan of BritPop but Blur is just a step or two away from Bush with this release and it tends to lean more towards Post-Grunge. Will I listen to it again? Sure, will I gravitate towards and out this on without conscious thought, likely not.

It is alright but it lacks the invention or sense of melody of their later work. I do like the intermission which sounds like a silent movie soundtrack on speed.

A bit too clever for its own good and a sadly bloated album that doesn’t leave too much that is memorable. Some nice songs dotted on here (“for tomorrow”, “star shaped”, “oily water”) but doesn’t let Coxon really let loose like he does on later albums and is all the better for it.

Just a good album. Don't really have much else to say. 3.5 bumped up to 4.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump down to a 4. It’s not exactly the superstar version of Blur that would come to pass by their self-titled album, but it’s a pretty good album nonetheless. It’s just not one that really hooked me all the way through – these are all solid to great tracks, but this album’s connective tissue feels like a band still trying to find its identity & its musical niche. The foundation for what would come down the pipeline by “Parklife” is there, but it still really needs to be molded. Damon Albarn’s vocals are solid here, lining up with this album’s “regular guy trying to make it in this godforsaken country” approach to its storytelling. The problem is, that very quaint vibe that the lyrics & vocals give off doesn’t necessarily mesh with the instrumentals a lot of the time. These are energetic, with loud guitars, pulsing percussion & and some dynamic shifting that keeps each track fresh. To my ears though, as a full cohesive album, it just relies on that energy a little too much as its driving factor towards each track. I’m not saying these are poorly written, because there are some great lines in here, but that disconnect of the quaint lyricism / delivery & the instrumentals just becomes too apparent when EVERY track does it. That disconnect creates a sense of repetition that permeates into lots of other aspects of the album; there’s a lot of “la la la” segments, a lot of longer outros, a handful of repeating choruses, & a lot of repeating guitar effects that feel more noticeable every time they pop up. When they’re done well, they’re done very well, and this album usually does them well, making it easier to ignore it while you’re in the moment. It is, however, noticeable enough throughout this album’s hour-long runtime that it leaves each track on its own island after you’ve finished the whole thing. That’s mostly the reason I’m down to a 4 – not because of any individually bad tracks (although “Turn It Up” has the laziest lyricism I’ve ever heard from Damon Albarn), but because this album just never gains a sense of cohesion that hooked me in as consistently as they wanted it to. I can’t sit here and say there’s a great run of tracks that all fit together; there are runs of tracks that all feel good to listen to, and the entire album works well enough, but the flow of the album itself feels interrupted by all the little bits of repetition that pile up. Obviously, I can excuse parts of it for being from a band’s second album while they’re trying to find their musical identity, but it’s too persistent. It’s the type of persistency that warrants this being the lowest rated Blur album on the site, although not by much. Hence, a 4.5 bumped down to a 4; the individual strength of all of these tracks still certainly warrants a listen (if nothing else, “Oily Water” is cool as hell), and perhaps if it were re-edited to let the album flow more naturally, I’d be inclined to look towards a 5. As it stands though, it just never flows well enough for me to get there. I admire the swings & experimentation here, a lot of which helped to shape their style & refine it down the line, and I think this album’s warranted to be on the list as part of the growing pains that make their later albums hit as hard as they do. P.S.: I’m starting to think I need to give “Parklife” a revisit, because I probably underrated that quite a bit. It was super early on though, so can you blame me?

Check it out, a wolf!

I’m calling it. Brit Pop is just overrated.

I think this is good but it’s not super engaging for me. The instrumentals are good but the singing is eh

Enjoyable but mostly forgettable.

I knew For Tomorrow from the best of album I have, but didn't recognize the others. Ya, I like it, very much my thing.

its alright. enjoyed it for the most part.

This album was ok, it didn’t blow me away though. I wonder if they were not British would they be on this list.

This isn’t their best work by a mile

This was just okay. The lyrics and stories are solid but personally didn't move me at all. The music is kinda repetitive in each song. Didn't like his voice.

meh. I just don't get the appeal of albarn.

eh

A great album with a lot of snarky lyrics that’s going to take me multiple listens to understand all of it.

Good and influential

no me gustó tanto este disco, pero creo que es por que tenía la expectativa de escuchar algo similar al trabajo que hicieron en el homónimo o en the great escape (algo más rapidito y pesado). igual por la estética y la estructura del disco, no me puedo quejar, suena como debería sonar blur, más no logro encontrar la personalidad por la que se caracterizan. buen disco, pero para tenerlo de fondo también. ah, por ultimo. que dure 2:30 horas no le colabora para nada

Like the blur album I had 2 days ago…fine.

Was in a Blur mood today. Will revisit but not rerate.

Nothing memorable here

Far too long 2 srts

Damon Albarn is rubbish. His disaffected vocal style completely ruins two different bands for me -- Blur and Gorillaz. This album is actually what cemented that notion for me. Let's attempt some criticism: 'Chemical World' is interesting. It has a singalong melody and sort of a Flaming Lips gang vocal in the chorus and a Pumpkins-esque glassy tone to the overdriven guitar. And then there's an irritating piano outro for some fucking reason. 'Oily Water' has kind of an interesting riff but it's totally dependent on either a tremolo pedal or possible some volume modulation to work, which is fine except when your whole thing is an effect, I'm going to compare you to The Edge -- one of the few people I give a pass to on this -- and it's not as effective as ol' Dave Evans. I'm not even a U2 fan. 'Villa Rosie' is alright. Instead of listening to this shite, try any of Sloan, Thrush Hermit, Eric's Trip and/or Jale. Music from Canada's East Coast in the 90's was infinitely better than the hot, sweaty, leaking garbage that was the Blur/Oasis "battle". Honestly The Stone Roses and later The Verve were much better, too. I've seen it written that Blur and Oasis were lifting their act from the 60's and 70's of great British music, respectively (say The Kinks for Blur and T. Rex for Oasis). If that's the case, I think they both missed the point (to be expected of the Gallaghers, as they were probably steaming drunk). There's a subtle aggression and transgression to The Kinks, backed up by their very beautiful melodies and harmonies; Blur just picked up the jangle and wanked all over a recording studio. You wouldn't attack a blackboard with a wire brush in a public park, so please be mindful of noise pollution and don't stream Blur if you don't have to. This reminds me of growing up in an era where everybody my age pretended that they didn't care about or like anything in particular and that performative cultural anhedonia has done lasting damage to all the kids from the Gen X/Millennial cusp. Don't celebrate it. This is crap. The Spice Girls were better. 2/5

4/10

Buen álbum para acompañar una mañana tranquila sin nada que hacer, solo para música de ambiente.

8/10