Reviews (page 4 of 9)
My history with Blur started at Parklife, so visiting this early record was interesting. It's an odd mix...some nice Brit-pop although not many radio-ready hits. All in all, there's not a lot that's very memorable. It's almost like the album they play on the overhead in a used record shop.
Haven't heard this one before, it's a well produced and created album that brought new life on to Blur. Great songs and great pace. Found it very good overall, although it drags at the end, a little long for my liking.
Has a few songs that stand out, but otherwise very generic alt pop stuff.
Anche il peggior album dei blur è meglio del miglior album degli oasis. E questo non è il miglior album dei blur. Le mie preferite for tomorrow e oily water
I find Blur tricky to rate. I like their music, but it's right at the pointy end of pretentious Brit Pop wank. They have some excellent tracks, which probably means I'm a greatest hits kinda guy. I'm glad I listened to the original track listing and not the whole Spotify album, which went for almost 2 hours and 20 minutes!
I had never heard this album, though I've always quite liked Blur, I hadn't heard much of their earlier stuff (apart from 'Sing' on their debut album which is a favourite on mine from the Trainspotting Soundtrack - I can listen to that song on repeat and often listen to it about 30 times in a row) - I've got sidetracked! I loved this album and listened to it in full about 3 times, then just Miss America on repeat for the rest of the day. It was just perfect for my mood and work today, and seeing as I've been on a Metallica and Tool tear, it was nice to change up the pace. (Plus, I have a bit of a weakness for British accents) I'm tempted to give this a 5 - so I will! (I think I'm less likely to regret giving this a 5 than when I gave Steely Dan a 5 ha ha)
I enjoyed this
Everything just sounded like a cloudy Saturday morning after staying up to late the night before. I wasn't really excited about it but there wasn't anything that was inherently bad, it was just blah. I just sat around and chilled.
I want to like this more than I do. It's like all the right elements are there but it just doesn't click into place for me.
Blur is never dull. Their songs feel like a grab bag of prizes at the carnival. Occasionally they drop a truely timeless banger, like Girls & Boys or Song 2, but mostly they feel like an oddities band to me. I don’t dislike them, I just don’t ever feel compelled to listen to them. Same goes for this record. I’ll say 3.5 here.
I was hoping for more from this. I gave it a few tries but it just kept feeling like a blur. The second half of Chemical World was pretty cool, and Sunday Sunday was probably my favorite overall track.
It was an alright album. Never can top Oasis….
Completely boring album from a guy who has obviously done much better
rubbish
Detta var inte min grej, alldeles för "krånglig" musik för min smak. Vissa låtar hade ett gött sväng men detta var för långt ifrån musik som jag kan uppskatta. Dock är det roligt att de sjunger på brittiska.
Solid album. I've listened to Gorillaz but very little Blur. This is probably a sign I should check more of their stuff out. Sweet guitar and bass tones. I suppose Damon Albarn's voice is a bit of an acquired taste, but I acquired it long ago. The production is nice.
Can't do blur
Having never listened to blur outside of "Song 2", I didn't really know what to expect. With that being said, I was pleasantly surprised to find it was effectively a combination of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and the Kinks, mixed with instrumentation that occasionally reminded me of Soundgarden. Colin Zeal and Star Shaped were 2 favorites in particular
Aggressively British. I think I mean that in a bad way. I mean, I do because I don't like it. It's not that it's actively bad, it's just not my style. Very repetitive. I like the weird circus like interlude in the middle of Chemical World. That's fun. Most songs are too long, bordering on jam-y for me. I would maybe like some of the songs if there were 2 mins long. I was kind of just waiting for it to be over.
More pedestrian British stuff. Nothing jumps out here as special
Bro this was fire
I like their punk Kinks kind of sound on several tracks; "Colin Zeal" is even an attempt at their own "Well Respected Man." This was intriguing enough musically to keep me listening, but the storytelling kinda circles the same few ideas, and none of the tracks quite jumps out enough for me. But I appreciated the excuse to give them a real listen.
“For Tomorrow” is a killer song. The rest of this still feels like a band finding themselves. It’s all pretty fun, but none of it stands out to me. Their next album, Parklife, is where everything clicks into place and then a string of modern classics are shortly after it. Bonus points (but not stars) for one of my favorite album covers and titles.
3,5
It has that distinct British rock sound that I'm not a big fan of, but by all means it's not a bad album. Cool train on the cover though.
Train album! I think! It gets too long, but is interesting and listenable, especially the first part. Risky 4.
#167/1001. Well, this sounds like a blur album. Decent Brit pop, nothing to hate too much, nothing to love too much.
Not a big fan of blur, bit i am a fan of damon and gorillaz
It’s alright, not an amazing album for me.
Another selection that reveals a British bias for the nineties. I presume this because so many albums on this list seem to come from that time and place, highlighting (I suppose) the author's background as far as seminal musical influences. This is fine, but it leaves out my own biases for what is largely defined as Americana music. There are three albums by Blur on the list, NONE by Warren Zevon. That makes no sense to me.
This one flew by me. Not bad, not interesting enough to remember.
A good listen. Not their best work but enjoyable. 3/5
I didn’t need this album to have a smash hit like “Song 2”, but the whole time I was begging for it to give me something, but it was just so uneventful. I guess given the title maybe they set out to make the album equivalent of your morning commute…
11/1001 хороший и бодрый альбом, но зачем было прикреплять ссылку на версию с доп. песнями оставляет желание послушать потом
хороший альбом
There's some good stuff in here, but in the end it's not really standing out from other 90's Britpop which this entire list seems to be made up of. They get a star for not being Krautrock.Also, this group sounds more like The Kinks which is a good thing and keeps things tight. I like that. 1 star for effort. Less annoying singing than Oasis, so give them a star for that. Other than those 3 stars, I can't seem to go higher on the rating scale. 3 / 5 stars
Like it 3/5
Strong
I love Blur, but I think it took them a while to get into their stride - i'd rate this album as "fine"
Boring and lame. This album is rubbish.
I liked it for the most part. It just ran a little long.
Guys... I don't think I like Blur. This is the second album that has left me to realise I just really like the ~6 songs I'd heard before. Both them and Oasis gave birth to the big indie rock/Britpop style that dominated in the 90's/00's that I never connected with.
7.8 - avg seems kinda high. It was fine but not anything crazy. Vibes but kinda weird a lot of the time. Favorite songs were Chemical World and Oily Water (8.2). Least favorite were Coping and Turn it Up (7.6).
Not quite
Pretty good but fairly generic british alternative. Albarn has a much more original sound in his other project.
I'm tired of all these britpop albums. Nearly every britpop band just has too many albums on this list. But you know what, if there's any britpop band that I'm okay with having 3 albums on this list, it's probably Blur. Don't get me wrong. I don't think Blur should have 3 albums on this list. I think they should be at 2 albums to put them on the same level as Oasis since they have 2 albums that kind of have to be on this list. But yeah, this is my second Blur album of this project and it's easily the most cuttable one. I mean, Parklife is Parklife, that one kinda has to be here, and self-titled is the one with the funny woo-hoo song! But back to what I was saying before, Blur is the britpop band that I'm most okay with having a high album count because I really like this band. Damon Albarn is such a talented guy. I've probably heard his voice too many times for this album project, but it's not a voice that I'm upset to hear. I will say that this album definitely feels like its earlier in Blur's discography in that it's not as experimental as an album like Parklife. Parklife felt like each song was switching between styles and even genres to an extent. It had a ton of variety. Modern Life is Rubbish is certainly not a monotonous album, but it definitely feels less experimental and less remarkable. This is a good album, don't get me wrong. Unlike modern life, this album is not rubbish. However, I don't love this one nearly as much as Parklife. There are some very good elements here, obviously. The general Blur style is still fun here. The songwriting is solid. "For Tomorrow" is great. However, I'm less impressed by this album than I was for Parklife and I definitely can't give it the 5 that I gave it. Still, I do enjoy Modern Life is Rubbish quite a bit and would still call Blur a band that I enjoy. Light 4/5.
This album is a bit rubbish-ish
What is up with Damon Albarns infatuation with hellish circus music? Album was not too bad. I liked some of the guitar riffs
This album is too long by about 20 minutes. And it's so overly British, I don't even know how to feel. Yeah, it's not unlistenable, I just don't want to listen to it anymore. This album doesn't even have the woo-hoo song on it, so there's that.
They remind me of Charlie's band on Lost, Drive Shaft, and Drive Shaft was more interesting even though they only had one song. I also think that they tried to incorporate an old British sound, but only because someone suggested, not because they liked it.
Enjoyed the album but not one of my favourites from blur.
People: ‘Blur or Oasis?’ Me: ‘Gorillaz.’
A nice morning coffee companion.
Good, solid brit-pop listen.
Shit.
Fav: Miss America Least Fav: Pressure On Julian This is a great album no doubt, but I’m puzzled why this is included ahead of 13, which I believe is Blur’s magnum opus. But yes this is a great album with some varied hits, with my favourite being the chill ‘Miss America’
own
Pretty cool album
This album is rubbish 1.5/5
damon albarn made one good thing ever and it was gorillaz
two Blur albums in a row out of 1000 is insane. it's prestidigitation For Tomorrow: really like the production on this, although that might just be the remaster. I respect a lalalalalala chorus. they love to make a relatively straightforward pop song with just a handful of weird twists and choices and I think it works most of the time, there was a lot of the same on Parklife Advert: punky. kind of a Weezer vibe? I dig the guitar riff and the energy, this one's gonna be stuck in my head Colin Zeal: he's pleasing himself he's pleasing himself aaaaaaaaaaaa (this is a pretty cool song, the chorus is a little too repetitive for me so I don't know if it'll stick but I was entertained) Pressure on Julian: these vocals do not sound good at all. the lyrics/vocal delivery kind of made me cringe at times too and I'm not even really a lyrics guy. appreciate the swing but it missed me Star Shaped: vocals are a step up from the last track but like...only one step. not a huge fan of this one Blue Jeans: the drums sound soooooo good. the song itself is just okay, I want to like it more than I do but it just doesn't quite click Chemical World: that guitar tone is bananas like actually. this is a cool one, it hooked me more and more as it went along which is always cool for a song that's longer like this. 0/0 because the hurdy gurdy ass outro was only two minutes of the song and not all six Sunday Sunday: not feeling it much. like The Hoosiers if they were less good Oily Water: they went stupid on the production for this one, that skittery glitchy effect on the guitars is so sick. I like how much they let this song breathe, the last two or three minutes are almost completely instrumental Miss America: they put this song in a cave. feels 10 minutes long Villa Rosie: some really solid WOOHOOs on this one. everything else is just okay Coping: filler. sounds decent but doesn't do that much Turn It Up: this song isn't bad, maybe a little stagnant Resigned: kinda dull. crazy outro though for no reason it's hard to not compare the two albums getting them one right after the other. I think Parklife is a slightly better album with better hooks but I prefer the sonic palette of this one overall. this one appeals to my personal tastes more but the songwriting isn't quite as strong. also Parklife is just purely more fun, this album is a little more serious and moody (which I often prefer, but Parklife has a charm to it that this record doesn't really) __ SCORE: 6.5/10 ADDED TO PLAYLIST: For Tomorrow, Advert, Chemical World, Oily Water
Every college band at a liberal arts school in the 90's? To be fair, I didn't hate it - and in fact - at the time when I was at a liberal arts school in the 90's I probably would have absolutely loved this if I had discovered it then. But as it stands, I'm listening to this for the first time in 2025 and it's fine. Take it or leave it.
Meh
Pretty cool sound, especially contrasting grunge at the time
Edgy-ish oasis. Still hard to hear this and not think of "If Gorillaz was experimental alt at first"
A good Britpop album? It DOES exist!!! I mean, maybe expected - it’s Blur, one of, if not the best Britpop groups, and this is the album I’ve enjoyed the most from them on this list so far (I think there's been two previous to this). The songwriting is great, the compositions are fun, the harmonies kill. Great stuff.
Not the record I would have picked to represent Elton. I bought this when I was 14 - only a couple of years after it came out and about the same year as I started discovering Black Sabbath, T.Rex and things that were not on my mom’s radio station as she drove us to school. My mom loved a.m. radio in the 70’s. Tony Orlando and Dawn, ABBA, Captain and Tennille- my mom loved it all. I remember buying Crocodile Rock when it came out and then bought Don’t Shoot Me I’m only The Piano Player. Madman soon followed. Tiny Dancer is an undeniably great song and a great start to this record. As the third record released in 1971 (King Gizzard like work) this album I think suffers from a lack of focus. Tiny Dancer, Levon and Madman Across the Water are the most focused and best songs on this record. The prog rock touches are awful. What dooms this record are songs like Razor Face. It’s a song about a drunk drifter with a razor face who is back in town and meeting by a travel inn to get drinks. WTF was Elton thinking? And that’s the song stuck between Levon and Madman Across the Water. Madman Across the Water has a Stairway to Heaven vibe. At least it’s interesting. A little too prog inspired but at least Elton gives it a puncher’s chance with an inspired vocal. Indian Sunset is also a head scratcher. The guy is from England. Why is he spending 6:00 minutes singing about the Iroquois. Really, I’m starting to think the author who assembled this list of 1001 albums was doing it to fuck with people like me. Absolutely no self respecting critic is going to go wow- this is a stunning work unless they are absolutely fucking stunned that this record is a platinum selling record because it’s mostly shit. I remember seeing literally hundreds of copies of this record in the used bins right beside the Billy Hoel records. The rest of the record is merely a turd circling the drain. Even Elton fans are not going to be shouting out “play Holiday Inn!” I couldn’t wait until Goodbye finished. 3 songs and ditch the rest. It’s a rotten peach. See how I did that?
Fine.
A bit underwhelming, not as 60s mod/ Kinks influenced as I hoped. Also Damen's singing is more annoying on this album compared to Parklife. There were still some standouts like "Blue Jeans". Will need to give it another listen! high 3/5
I was so bored.
Blur before Bllur became Blur. Nice little album here, catchy tunes.
I had a wonderful time listening to this, I deffo prefer Gorrilaz but this was still a joy
#726. About 2 hours of uninteresting moaning. 2/5: meh
Blur's debut album was commercially praised initially but soon fell out of favor. Their follow-up album featured a makeover incorporating traditional Brit-pop influences, Anglocentric themes about dreams, tradition, and prejudice of the suburbs, and clean production incorporating a wide-range of instrumentation. The album was a turning point in their critical reception. Overall, I enjoyed the wide range of the songs, but still felt it was a little bland for my taste.
An enjoyable but not all the memorable dose of 90s indie rock.
I don't hate this, but I also just don't get the appeal of Blur. In the whole britpop battle of Blur vs. Oasis, consider me totally team Oasis. And I think I finally figured out my issue with Damon Albarn: when he goes into falsetto, he sounds almost indistinguishable from Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel. And now I can't un-hear it.
its so cool hearing a band evolve over time. This early entry once again showcases Damon Albarn at his best as usual. I usually hate this brand of UK rock/punk singing, but he consistently nails it and the majority of this album kept me interested. Its fast and energetic but not obnoxious.
Really enjoyable album by the Blur Boys! This list has really shown me that I’m just a big fan of Damon Albarn. Obviously the Gorillaz are amazing but Blur is a top tier Brit rock band and i hear a lot of Albarn on every album of theirs we’ve gotten.
Previously rated: Blur (3/5) ********************* About as average a British rock album as you can get.
It’s fine
I really like this one, definitely felt very kinksy with the satirical Ray Davies - like lyrics. I felt this was just a better version of parklife with more interesting and fun songs without that horrible histories feel despote it being in similar style and production in most ways. Favourites: For tomorrow, Star shaped, Chemical World (mostly due to that great intermission), Sunday, oily water and Villa Rosie. Overall, 7/10.
Surprisingly good album. The best and worst thing that happened to Blur was "Song 2" in the US. They are only known for that song and nothing else. This album is every bit as good as an Oasis album from the same time.
Too British
everysong is almost good or almost bad
The tail end of this album was pretty good. But I just kept thinking "I can't wait until he gives this up and forms Gorillaz"
Another cool one by blur, but less than parklife<3
I think I'm an Oasis guy.
Niet de beste Blur
Holy shit the British is turned up to 11 in this album. It's hard to take, honestly. I liked when they leaned more into the weird, alternative styles.
Seems like an ok album but doesn't have any of the hits
Thi was a great album - really solid, fantastic songs. Admittedly 1001 serving me up the deluxe version meant that two hours of Blur was a lotttt of Blur, but even the bonus material was still good.
Masterpiece! Brilliant vocal, very melodious, pleasnt and harmonious.
95/1001 Blur - Modern Life is Rubbish Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Haven't got a lot to say about this to be honest, it just seems a fairly run of the mill indie rock record...
Lame
lowkey liked this so much i only listened to this album for the last week instead of any new album whoooops. really great though i love how fun and out there this record is. gives me airplane over the sea vibes
Extremely okay. This list has so much britpop and this an unremarkable example.
kan se lite proto-gorillaz från Albarn. inte dåligt, men för långt :(
Pretty damn good! Inte helt min smak men absolut ett okej album :)
Well it was better than Park Life
Look at all these yanks getting their knickers in a twist over britpop lol
A couple of good songs. But this was far too long, and much of it was very forgettable.
Didnt need to be that long, but some bangers in there
There are a few good songs and nice soundscapes. Not every song is same. In total: average.
Blur me donnerait presque envie d'être British, et c'est pas donné à tout le monde.
This is actually pretty good. Awesome guitar sounds at least. Very cool for it's time.
3.9
nope.
Hard to put my finger on it which I think is the point. Experimental post grunge alternative punk with pop elements. Creative and interesting production decisions which Alban would go to throw into high gear with the gorillaz. This particular album had eluded me. I picked up the one with their more popular hit “song #2” at a garage sale at a formative age but never bothered to listen to anything beyond that. I dig it. As an album, it works very well. Individual tracks would seem out of place in a playlist. But it kept me interested. I’m going to run this again sometime in the future as there is a lot going on.
What a fun name. I don't know the timeline of musical influences, what they took inspiration from or what they may have come up with on their own, but I heard things that I believe inspired later bands, different guitar riffs and melodies I think Disc 1 was stronger than Disc 2. The most fun section was the last 2 minutes of Chemical World, when it builds up, getting more and more frantic. It is hard to pick 2-3 favorite songs, I will be replaying this album.
It was ok...kind of meh to be honest. But not bad, just nothing I would seek out ever again.
This was fine. Nothing groundbreaking, and I dare say there might be a bit too much Britpop on this list, but the genre can be very hit or miss for me. I've liked everything I've heard from Blur previously, but this is the first time I've listened to an entire album. Started off strong but then faded a bit. Average overall.
I just can't seem to vibe with Blur. It's fine, but I don't really care.
2/10
Not bad.
As far as Britpop goes, this was one of the more listenable albums on this list. I’ve found I generally can’t stand Britpop, in large part because it comes across as incredibly whiney to my ears. This wasn’t quite so bad. Perhaps, as I read, they were trying to emulate the Kinks. I’m going with three stars, which is definitely rounding up because I don’t think it’s bad enough to warrant only two, but I’m not going to be listening to this again anytime soon.
The album that invented Britpop, I think. It's far from Blur's best outing. They would begin to shine an album later, which I reviewed a year ago. Graham Coxon's unusual guitar style is clear on "Modern Life is Rubbish". There are some standouts like "Oily Water" and "Turn It Up". 3 stars for "Modern Life is Rubbish".
Careful and crafty, smarty and arty. But as per usual with BritPop (and this is like the sixth Blur we've had--what gives?) I just don't find the songs compelling. I want to want to make an effort, but it's just not happening.
This is the third Blur album we’ve gotten. 😳 It’s not bad—the first half is pretty good, in fact—but it’s not great either.
Day614 - make it better or make it shorter. this hopefully will be the last blur album
I’m not a person who would have thought that Blur had two albums on this list - mostly because I’m unfamiliar with any of their work besides the eponymous 1997 album featuring Song 2. This album sounds more British if that makes sense - it seems made for that audience. Not unenjoyable as a whole - some songs are fairly pedestrian, but there are several worthwhile tracks. The melodies are good, the overall sound of alt rock distortion is there. Theres a lot of tremolo. Notable songs include Advert, Blue Jeans, Chemical World, Miss America, Resigned.
Better than I had expected (only really know their Best Of), certainly in terms of the guitar work, but there’s something about Damon Albarn’s delivery that irritates me.
A filling serving of meaty guitar passages laced with baroque pop elements. From the the parlor piano on Chemical World, to the scattered woodwinds and lush string arrangements elsewhere, it holds attention across its 14 tracks. Though drawing from across the British guitar pop spectrum, it remains grounded by its chugging guitars, fizzy passages, and dense grooves, like on standout track Advert, with its cheeky cynical lyrics. In Britpop fashion the vocals veer a bit too Colin Newman/Wire-esque, somewhere between board and pretentious - yet the pure power(pop) of the tracks here stand as a testament in and of themselves. While still sounding fresh, some might find the overall density of the album a bit tiring.
Blur's best record. The closest they ever got to Ray Davies. And one of the most relatable album titles ever. Fave track on this listen: For Tomorrow
Very British. From first impression of track one, I can definitely see where future project came from. 100% not for me. Was kinda painful to listen to
Très moyen surtout par rapport à ce que Blur est capable de faire.
It didn't make much impact on me. Neither hated nor loved this album. It was mostly ignorable, early-90s pop rock.
I've heard some music by Gorillaz, the band created by Blur's frontman David Albarn, so I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting. All I knew was that this was gonna be some of the typical surburbanite core/melancholia/descending chord worship that defined most Britpop of the mid 90s. Sure enough, I was right. I've always wanted to hear a Blur album, but maybe this just wasn't the right one. It's sounds so very unsure. It's muddy -- like a paint smear -- starts out bright and focused then gradually gets messier. The album artwork is absolutely gorgeous though, had fun staring at it!
Really boring actually
Inoffensive Brit rock. It takes no risks. It gets no rewards.
This is good stuff; I like Blur. I don't like this quite as much as later (more Pavement-y?) Blur. Still a solid four though.
There is nothing really great or memorable about this album, and it gets annoying after the first few songs because it all sounds the same.
Pretty fun Britpop album. Now that I’ve had a few Blur, I seem to enjoy them over most of those bands. A bit kookier, not too serious, lots of interest guitar parts and sounds. While I enjoy listening; I’m also sure not much sticks with me other than a few songs, and I’m not sure that it left me craving more to be a “must revisit”. I’d but self-titled Blur a notch above this and Parklife, and this probably edges out Parklife for me for now… Blur seem to capture that space right between a 3 and 4 that makes it hard to choose.
Quintessential 90s Britpop.
Very British!
Blur is fine. All their songs blend together for me.
Pretty meh on the first listen but feels like it would grow on me if given the chance. Best songs were advert, Chemical world and oily water
Oh yeah it’s the other Brit pop band (or the other other if you like Pulp). Fine album, but you can tell why Oasis won the battle, this isn’t anywhere near as accessible as definitely maybe
Didn’t expect this album to be here! The ultimate Britpop album. It’s full of teenage angst and pessimism whilst being so evocative of the Quadrophenia era of Britain.
good! i mean its blur
I do not understand the appeal of Britpop. Gave it an extra star for not being Oasis.
Blur the second. It’s more than a little self-aggrandising to categorise Britpop as a “must-hear” genre, but I’ll bite. I don’t recall liking their self-titled album all that much, which is unfortunate as I like Albarn for his work on Gorillaz. Maybe this one will be the one to win me over. Hmm. I like Albarn’s quirky vocal style, as always, but there’s a whole lotta nothing spliced between the better cuts of this album. The stylistic approach is pretty restrictive – there’s only so far you can go with these kinds of guitar riffs and sounds. However, on a more optimistic note these lyrics seem to be right up my alley. I may give this album a closer listen sometime in the future. “For Tomorrow” ain’t bad. I like Albarn’s vocals, and the guitar riffs near the middle of the song are pretty sweet. “Colin Zeal” has a good rhythm, and I enjoy the lyrics. I like the layabout energy of “Blue Jeans” - the weary instrumental sounds quite nice. No way! I knew the outro to “Chemical World” was a Blur song, but I wasn’t entirely sure. I like that bit of the track, though I don’t care much for the main song, admittedly. Gonna check the book. Considered Blur’s best by many. A time capsule of England during the 90s. Laid the groundwork for where Blur would go. Yeah, this seems to be a decent pick. It’s nuts to me that only the first Gorillaz album landed on the list (before being subsequently removed from later editions of the book). I can cosign this inclusion on the basis that the list can do with more Albarn representation.
A bad album is one thing, but a bad double album? I can't believe I sat through 2 hours of meandering uninteresting music. Not a single memorable song on here. At least Blur is correct in their assessment that modern life is rubbish, unfortunately so is this album.
Repetitive, from the lyrics to the guitar riffs. Had a very "garage band" quality, couldn't get past the first few songs.
Just too long which dilutes the talent. There was probably a 4-star album in there… 3.3
First album out of the 1001 and a strong 3/10 album to start with. Love the accent the instrumentation, had some very good moments, but felt some parts were weaker. Might return to it, but will definitely check out their more popular works.
A good Britpop album Highlights: - Villa Rosie - Colin Zeal - Sunday Sunday
Modern Life ain’t anywhere near as bad as this album
Not my favourite from them, but still good stuff. Simpsons: No
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Blur have always gave me Thomas Skinner vibes. I’m just glad Thomas Skinner has come out of the woodwork to give me a fitting description of Blur.
An early Britpop classic
Another blinder fron the Essex boys to me this was their best!
Blah blah blur.
Some great tubes on here. I can see what they were aiming at. Show BUSINESS, baby!
Probably the Blur album that I'm least familiar with. It's fine, but nothing really piqued my interest.
I don't know Blur's music at all, but I was pretty sure I've heard something by them before. So when this started...I swear I thought, "Is this a prank? Did someone upload a fake album to YouTube?" Wikipedia explains what I kind of gathered, that they're "Britpop" and specifically that they're influenced by "British guitar pop" like The Who and XTC. It sounds like a throwback to an earlier era. But...maybe not in a good way? It's the first album I've hit so far that I wanted to shut off not because it's bad but because halfway through I'm like "yeah OK I get it". By the end it was so droning that I nearly bumped it down to 2 stars, but, OK, not-my-genre-etc.
Cover 7.2 Unfamiliar with their catalog, aside from Song 2 ("woohoo!"). This was just ok. Nothing really stood out to me. I mean there was some interesting songs but I not worth a re-listen.
At the time I was definitely more of an Oasis fan than a Blur one, but looking back, I can clearly see that I was wrong. Blur were the far more varied and interesting band. That said, this album seems a strange one to include on the list. Perhaps it's because it was at the very start of what became britpop, but it's mostly pretty poor with only For Tomorrow being any good. Popscene, Blur's best early song, isn't on the album, only the deluxe extended edition. Which again, is mostly filled with very average songs.
No real standouts for me…solid album
I liked Chemical World, but the rest kinda... blurred...
Solid album. A nice way to start my 4th day of Covid kicking my ass. Blur is right, modern life is rubbish, all the fucking gaslighting that's happening on a global scale is mind-blowing. I liked it better when I had to stick my finger in a number and go in a semi circle to the right 7 times to call my friends. And if your finger slipped out you would have to hang up and start dialing again. But anyway, this is really enjoyable Britpop, it's catchy but not commercial and I appreciate that. I don't think I've heard any of these tunes before. Solid playing and no outright skips. I would enjoy an entire album of Miss American style numbers.
Pretty indifferent towards this one. Felt pretty generic to me tbh.
Reminds me of oasis Beatles Brit pop punk. Maybe just the accents…blue jeans chemical world were standouts
A flashback to some of the more mediocre elements of college radio in the 90s that I could have lived without.
I thought I might like this better on another day, but it turns out I don’t.
It's alright. Sounds very British, guvna.
One of the most sarcasm baiting titles. ‘It’s not just modern life’. One blur album is enough and as song 2 isn’t on this, this isn’t it.
doesnt hit me as extraoridnary. I like some of their songs. ... but this album felt "brown"
... and so is this album. I'm sorry, that is a bit harsh, but these headlines just write themselves. I never really understood the cult of Blur. Some great singles, but over-rated albums. It's a British thing, isn't it? But it really is just an updated Kinks. Maybe you had to be doing coke in Camden in the 90s with the Britpop crew to really _get_ it. In fairness, I'm not British, and so the specific concerns of such an Anglocentric album don't really speak to me. I just want Damon Albarn to stop bleating and go away. (I do like the cover art, though. That's a cool train.)
This is ok but…not super memorable
It's not a terrible album, but not one I particularly love. Generally the sound is quite cool, and there's songs on which it works quite well, especially towards the end of the album. But I struggle a bit with Blur. I find they remind me too much of an arrogant, posh side of the south of England. I don't love Oasis either but compared to when I was teen, when I was a big Blur fan, a lot of the fascination for them has also waded. I did have a thought listening to the end of, Chemical World, are you trying to be clever or funny. But anyway, wouldn't necessarily re-listen to this one.
Que pereza me ha dado
Oasis or Blur? I still don't understand the hype for these two bands. As an enormous fan of Brit Pop, that these are the faces of it still confounds me. So many more interesting groups out there. Album is fine. Just like all of their albums are fine.
3/10 album is 10 songs too long, really stretching recording on a CD, it's good for 3/4 songs and then it drags with the same britpop style, second disc is arguably better with its variety
You can tell Blur was finding their footing with this one. I don’t think it quite reaches the heights of Parklife, but it’s still solid. Miss America is kinda just nothing. Favorites were For Tomorrow, Advert, Chemical World, Oily Water, and Turn It Up.
Almost OK. 2.5
A nice listening of an 90's rock album but nothing more
Second Blur album in a row... what is this black magic???
Solid, but not amazing.
Blur were still trying to find their sound in their second album. Still before the main Britpop era, it included many different sounds from Madchester to Beatles-esque 60s. Lyrics were a huge improvement from their debut album which I thought were pretty basic. Overall, a joy to listen to and some hidden gems in this one. Update: It's 2026 and I love Blur and this one even more than I did when I first reviewed in 2025!
Not a big blur fan but it's listenable
Good, would be better if each track was a minute shorter. Or if Albarn had a less annoying voice.
Solid album throughout!
Modern Life is Dull... Just like this album. Little intrigue or diversity of sound and the runtime is much much too long. I thought I liked Britpop before this list, but now…? 2.5⭐️
Blur is an amazing band, but this is not their best album. Advert is a nice song!
Degelijk album met mijn favoriete Blur nummer: Popscene! Ook andere hits zoals Chemical World, For Tomorrow, Advert ... Maar ook wat te lang. Daarom een 3.4
Niet voor mij
Cool, like blur, but not a massive fan of this album
Favorite Track: For Tomorrow
Why does Robert Dimnery have such a hard on for Damon Albarn ffs?!? Favorite songs: Advert, Coping, Colin Zeal, For Tomorrow Least favorite songs: Pressure on Julian, Miss America 2/5
ANOTHER Blur album. You can feel the influences in this one from the Jam and other late 70s/early 80s. Was quite enjoyable.
it’s such an enormous shame that the list doesn’t have the deluxe version of this album. i realize that’s a ridiculous expectation but i’ll never stop extolling the brilliance of this album’s B-sides over the track list on the original release—so many examples of blur’s best songs, or at least the best examples of damon’s songwriting and graham’s guitar in conjunction with one another (which i suppose are not necessarily the same thing). this would include ‘peach’, ‘bone bag’, ‘my ark’, ‘garden central’, ‘young & lovely’, and of course ‘beachcoma’ which is one of their best best best songs for real this time…and their cover of ‘maggie may’ which i stan idgaf…replace all the clunkers on MLIR with those and you’ve basically got a perfect album. in any case the actual album is just alright. i don’t like most of the singles (’chemical world’ and ‘sunday sunday’ in particular are damon at his most mealy-mouthed). but i’ve learned to enjoy almost all of it through repeat exposure and i think many of the songs are FUN if not actually all that GOOD. however ‘oily water’ is a real stroke of genius and it’s exciting to see a glimpse of the far more experimental/abrasive sound they would adopt later. that swirly guitar on so many of the best tracks sounds like how a gasoline spill looks in a puddle, iridescent and shimmery and strange... this is definitely the record that launched britpop so it deserves to be remembered in the grand scheme of music history. and they were sooooo so cute during this era in their little mod-adjacent looks ^_^ fav tracks (going by the original release only…as much as it pains me): oily water; miss america; blue jeans
i think this album isn't as good as my rating reflects. but i had fun. i'm not sure I would think this album was worth being on the list if i didn't already know it well, but i do think it's kind of emblematic of the nascent britpop moment of the time so i guess it's representative of that part of music history. it's just a bit one note compared to their later albums; it's a lot of songs that are all kind of doing a similar thing, and some of the songs do that thing better than others. Fav tracks: For Tomorrow, Chemical World, Blue Jeans
Lost me in the first half but loved everything in the second half
Don't like them at all
I like blur. But this is the longest and most British album I've ever heard. I couldn't finish it. Just too much. Blur is a better band but oasis has better songs.
Not my favourite Blur album tbh
Eh!
Too long. C’mon guys.
This album is rubbish
I appreciate this, genuinely, for what it is. Honest, authentic 90s music in an era when there was so much bad music. This isn't bad, but it's also not very good. 2/5.
How many fucking Blur albums do I need to hear before I die?????? ^ I wrote that before I even opened the album. 33 songs and 2+ hours LMAO fuck you I am not listening.
OMG what a great album!
Definitely not bad, but also definitely not my thing.
Modern life isn't rubbish, this album pretty much is though. Was expecting more and was left disappointed.
blur were a group whose first three albums each represent a quantum leap forwards on their predecessor. This one in the middle sees them adopt a mod persona that they'd tweak further on Parklife. Three very strong singles, Chemical World a favourite of mind, and a sense of a band about to happen.
A bit boring. All the ingredients are there, just can’t bring myself to like how it’s all assembled.
I actually really liked this one.
First time listening to this album, and enjoyed some of the tracks. Only recognized a couple of their songs from another album, and wasn’t aware of how much they had produced. So this felt fresh even though they had been around for some time. Can definitely feel the influence of other bands, like The Kinks, Squeeze.
I likened this more to the self-titled album as opposed to "Parklife" which I liked more. I liked the extra instrumentation in "Sunday Sunday" and "Star Shaped" that was pretty cool. But ultimately, I felt this album was too similar to the s/t album, and I question why two albums that are like that needed to be in the list. Top tracks: "Chemical World," "Sunday Sunday", "Star Shaped", "Resigned"
It may be a defining album for Britpop but it's kind of boring. These guys got better with time and their next album Parklife was a lot better. I listened to it a second time and started feeling like maybe they were going for a Kinks kind of thing. So maybe give them some respect for that but I haven't loved the Kinks albums. It just felt like for every cool song like Advert, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, or Coping there's an equally dull song like Blue Jeans, the Intermission (following Chem World), Miss America, or Resigned.
Liked this album much more than their self-titled 97 album. Good catchy power pop riffs throughout, like a heavier version of the Kinks, but I like the Kinks, so ok. There were a couple tracks that pull the score down: Oily Water (didn't like the guitar effect or the noisy ending) and Miss America (with guitar detuning like My Bloody Valentine, which I hate). Admittedly, Oily Water grew on me once I got past the effects and Miss America surprisingly sounded better on close listen. One other small quibble - the mix was a little too trebly - I had to turn the music up pretty loud to get good bass sound, which was a shame because the bass player has a lot of interesting riffs. Beyond that, though, I enjoyed the album. Favorite tracks: For Tomorrow, Advert, Chemical World (including the piano "intermission"), Villa Rosie, Coping.
I enjoyed this one. Decent variety, some weird, unique and rougher rock songs that I loved. Chemical world was a chaotic blast. Oily Water was great.
After the first two songs, I don't think I can make it through an entire hour plus. I think Advert might be the best so far, but I don't care for the frizzy noise in production, would prefer it to be cleaner. Gotta admit for BritPop, not my thing, not bad. Wanted to like it but just didn't overall. They do have their own sound. If the remaster is this muddy, I hate to think what the original recording sounded like.
Demasiada voz con "efecto megáfono". Me ha gustado la frescura de los instrumentos. 6/10
Two Blur albums in 1001 is maybe a little too much
Colin Zeal is quite fun and has a great little guitar melody. Pressure on Julian a bit of a step down though. Damon's vocals can be a bit grating here - I feel like he softens his accent later in his career.
I’ll admit to being biased from the get go because everyone I know who actually uses the term rubbish is a putz, but this tracked with my expectations on that front.
i also don't feel taken seriously by this album
for the love of GOD!!!!!!!! don’t listen to the Spotify link! find the original album and save yourself from 2 hours of pre-parklife blur. anyways, love you blur
Rubbish
1. Fuck u for the siren sounds 2. it's whatever, but in a respectful way
Excellent!
Second Blur album already. I like this one more than the other, quite frankly. A more cohesive sound, I feel.
This is an interesting listen. Lots of ear candy and variety of songs. I know it’s irrelevant but this record alone is so much more rewarding than any Oasis album I’ve heard. Like many CD era albums, it’s too long for one sitting, but to my ears the quality remains steady throughout.
This was super freaking long and somehow I was not bored by the end. I am now a blur enjoyer
Blur is solidly in the “4/5” band territory for me. Always enjoyable, never really stands out enough to get a 5. Oasis better
I have not listened to this in a long time and honestly, I think it might be my favorite album of theirs. As a whole, even without the big hits, I appreciate the weirdness here more.
Awesomeness returns after Jazz lift hell😁 Lalalalala lalalalala I am holding on tomorrow as a twentieth century boy! 1971
It's fine. Somehow feels more cartoonish than his later work
Amateurish and repetitive at times. Like a combination of Oasis and The Cure but not really as good as either or doing their own thing.
tiene cada temon un metal pero mas relajado diria yo
bleh
So far, I've always really liked the stuff I've heard from Blur. A 2-hour album that inspires would also inspire me. Unfortunately, that's not the case with this album. Nothing of the first half stuck in my memory. In the second half I became impatient, jumped from track to track and was a bit bored. In the end, I stopped listening to the album. 3/5
Average 90’s Brit pop/tock. Not bad, but pretty forgettable and definitely not essential listening.
Poppy but dissonant early indie rock. All around interesting, great distorted guitars. Heavier Camper Van Beethoven vibe.
I thought this was good, I basically like Blur. But it did get a bit harder to like Blur with this being the third one in the last couple months on here. Don’t know what that says.
i liked this a lot (wanted to give it 3.5)
Funky guitar rhythms. Damon’s witty voice sings about everyday life of ordinary people going to work, saying all the same things, someone being proud of himself because he’s on time, Energy like a train going full speed Favorite song: for tomorrow / blue jeans / resigned Least favorite song: pressure on Julian Almost Britpop boxed with early green day pop punk attitude
Not their best
Damon I love yiu
Honestly probably a 4, just a lot of the tracks sound like The Smiths. This isn’t bad but I wasn’t in the mood to listen to that
More of a late 70’s/early 80’s new-wave pop punk sound than I was expecting. Maybe later stuff would be more gritty rock.
Blur is a confusing band to me. On the surface, it feels like they got worse over time as they became more and more enamored with studio trickery and experimentation, then accidentally experimented by making a “joke” mainstream album that ended up being pretty good, and then went back to their diminishing returns. But also, like…Blur were always a weird band, always experimenting, always making the weirdest pop song imaginable while still making a pop song. That’s evident here on Modern Life Is Rubbish, which is no different in its kookiness than later Blur albums that I don’t like as much. So why does Modern Life Is Rubbish work for me? Well, I think it’s mostly because the experiments feel natural. Like, this is still extremely chaotic– sometimes to a fault– but throughout the entire thing, it always feels like they’re having fun with it. The fun is palpable, and infectious even. Also, while the songs are quite stoned-out, you can still get a sense of Blur’s hitmaker capabilities buried beneath the edgy lad fuck-around energy. That said, Modern Life Is Rubbish is far from perfect. The biggest issue, and the one I’ve never really been able to shake, is that it feels like it goes on forever. On paper, none of the songs feel particularly long, and 14 tracks for the CD era doesn’t feel that bloated; in practice, every song meanders past its conclusion, often to veer into studio fuckery. If it was only a couple of tracks, it’d be negligible, but when it’s every track, it does drag. The experimentation is like a feedback loop for exhausting length, and the exhausting length a feedback loop to invite experimentation, and that hellish symbiotic relationship wears this record down from great to only pretty good. Still, this is Blur’s best album, bar none. Sure, it lacks a mega-hit, or even a catchy standout, but it’s consistent. More importantly, it’s extremely ✨itself✨ in its sound, and while sometimes that means you have to put up with some annoying lad bullshit, most of the time, it’s endearing. It’s actually kind of crazy how Blur became standouts of the Britpop scene, because this does not sound like Britpop….this just sounds like Blur. Singular, warts and all, take-it-or-leave-it. I don’t think that means I’m a huge Blur fan, and I’m definitely not warmer to Britpop as a result, but I think I appreciate Blur more than their peers, because at least this record has a voice, is fun, and feels unique. At very least, I’ll return to Modern Life Is Rubbish here and there whenever I’m feeling a bit loopy and silly, which is exactly the kind of fun energy this album exudes.
I looked at the comments before listening to the album and kinda fove in backwards since many people seemed to absolutely hate it. This was so much better than I expected, such a great blend of genres and influences! I heard some Bowie, R.E.M., Talking Heads, and more in there. I wouldn't say it is perfect, but I will recommend this album to the appropriate people and will surely listen to it again. 4,5/5
Such a good album - probably 4.5 stars vs 5 but it was better than some I’ve rated 4 on here already.
Too monotonous for it to be a staple on my playlist, but otherwise decent album
Lite långt för att lyssnas på fler än en gång. Bra, men inte vad jag tänkte att blir var.
britpop is a hit or miss for me
Blur is one of those bands who, in my opinion, have one great album (Parklife) and a lot of albums with a few good songs and a lot of 'eh' moments. This is one of the albums with the 'eh' moments.
some good songs but overall too long
I'm more of a Parklife man, and this doesn't hold as many obvious hits, but there's no denying that it laid the foundations for greatness and demonstrated the beginnings of what those that love Blur love about them. Oily Water is my favourite track here.
This is my third Blur album, and I think I can say that while I "get" them, I don't love them like some people really do. I'm not saying I'd be on the Oasis side of the rivalry between these two groups, but I don't think I'm necessarily team Blur. They're ok. But each album carries with it this sense of...aloofness? I don't think that quite nails it. Let's just say that it's painfully obvious these guys went to art school. Their music has this smartness about it, a sense that they know more than the listener does and there's some joke that they're in on and the listener, try as they might, just can't be. This could also just be a cultural difference in humor and taste. But I don't really get the jokes when they're there, and I honestly can't even always understand the lyrics anyway. For me, this album follows the same blueprint as the prior ones - some catchy riffs and melodies, some offbeat lyrics and themes, some lyrics I simply cannot understand, and a sense that there's a joke I'm not in on. Three stars. Standout Tracks: Advert, Chemical World, Coping, Turn It Up, Resigned
Another Blur album, was hoping that after their last one, I'd be done with it, but no such luck. Just like all other Blur albums, this is fine, and totally unremarkable and not at all essential.
I'd rather listen to Gorillaz
I listened to part of this before having to drive somewhere with my partner who refuses to be tormented by this list. Came back to it today at approximately where I remember leaving off? I don't hate Blur and the album was pretty catchy.
Apologies for falling for it, but it remains insane that there was ever some kind of competition or comparison between this band and Oasis. This was dreadful at all times.
I am quite certain I've listened to this twice now and retained none of it. I am unable to believe that in this list full of British general-rock-type bands we also needed this album.
Nice listen, but they can do better
It's certainly not RUBBISH, but it's not as good as the other Blur albums on this list
It is cheeky, jangly, and a very British time capsule of the early 90's. It feels like it’s elbowing for space on an overcrowded Britpop tube ride. I liked it OK… just not hopping back on this train soon.
Hab ich gern gehört
Buen disco, el único problema es su carrera posterior con Parklife, Blur o inlcuso The Ballad of Darren, pero esta fue su primera muesca en el marcador de discos que merecen la pena por sí solos. No es un pariente menor de Parklife, se defiende por sí mismo. Star shaped, For tomorrow, Turn it up... Algo estaba cambiando en el 93 y allí estaban ellos para asumir el liderazgo, algo que harían en su siguiente obra maestra.
Prima
Pretty easy listening. Im a fan of Blur and Damon Alburn so I probably may enjoy this than most. Very unique style and like UKs grunge.
I just found this boring. I think I’d have a different take on this if I had been around to enjoy it the first time around, but I don’t think it’s aged that well and a few tracks in I was done with it all. I’ve never really listened to Blur beyond the obvious hits and on this listening I won’t be rushing back!
I do like Blur. This is not their best album. It feels a bit like an experiment. They clearly had not nailed it here. Some elements of the fun, energy and britishness are there but just badly composed. I would describe this as the most listenable bad album I have reviewed so far.
The sound of this album puts me in mind of an early 90's optimism, the start of Brit pop and "Cool Britannia". I was interested to find the vocals in the first half of the album sounded almost like pop-punk. The second half was more laconic. My issue with Blur is that they are just a bit bland. By halfway through the album I felt like I'd heard all it had to give.
it could be worse
Hyvä ysärirocklevy!
I'm not a big Blur fan. But I recognize the importance of this album for the so-called Britpop of the 90s. I'm not sure if this is the right album to be in the 1001 albums. I personally consider Parklife a much better and more important album. But anyway, I'll leave 4 stars here and leave.
I really want to like Blur, but I just don't. Almost like a less artsy but more experimental REM. And, oh my, this album is super long. The second disc is a bit better, but, by then, I am Blurred out.
Its true, Food processors are great. I feel like they were a 90s Beatles lite but not in that Oasis way, more in that Tomorrow Never Knows way... Def doesnt suck.
Like it. Would give 3.5 if I could. Classic blur
3,5
Not fan
I've surprised myself with how well I remember the lyrics to all these songs. Soundtrack to my early teen years, and absolutely brilliant
So I was going through this album thinking it was awful, I accidentally hit a different track and couldn’t find out where I was so I just stopped and that’s enough for me.
This album is not rubbish, but it's merely OK. 3/5 #86
Very British with the thick accents. I didn't know Blur or what to expect. It was a bit long but I enjoyed it. A pretty solid 3.
Rating: 6/10 The first song is the best, the rest is pretty good but too long overall. Definitely not as interesting or experimental as their other albums from this list.
Good but with a few parts that dragged. Looking forward to more Blur!
Mm, you know what, I submitted this as 3 stars initially, but I flipped through the songs again and think I will give it a four. I'd say 80% of this really works for me. I think I like future-Blur a bit more, but this is still right up my alley, and who am I to deny that?
Good album. Singable. Melodic. Rhythmic.
For Tomorrow is very good. One of my favourite Blur songs. The rest of the album? Eeehh
definitely cool and well executed, but nothing special
British alt-rock as it sounds in my head when I imagine any band from the 90s in the genre. It has a good feel to it but to me its more something that I leave on if it comes on the radio or on a random playlist than something I would actively listen to.
Interesting conception
Creative! Lots of interesting themes across the songs. Second album I've listened from Blur, and so far, they've been grand. The frantic outros on some of the songs make me feel like the train on the cover, chugging at full speed frantically on a track that goes to nowhere.
The souns of a darker, grungier blur is quite good if still very eclectic. But the very posh British vocals and some of the songs take me out of the vibe.
Meh. Typical 90s music.
That was pretty great
4 stars
3.5 - pretty good, pretty British
it’s ok, but not one of the 1001
hmmm... ik heb al betere Britpop gehoord... zelfs van Blur zelve...
Always been weak for Britpop
Forgettable
Not my favorite Blur album. Just ok. Kinda vanilla to me.
I kind of liked this one, and for the most part enjoyed listening to it, but then again, there was nothing special about it and it just didn’t grab me. It didn’t seem unique enough to me to make this list, but what do I know?One of my frequent complaints for many of these records is that some of the songs just run too long, and the album itself is longer than it needs to be; that happens again with this one. I also found the cockney accent to be a bit annoying after awhile. This for me is a strong three star album…probably won’t bother listening to it again, but I wouldn’t mind if it were playing somewhere and I happened to be there.