Reviews (page 5 of 9)
Probably the best britpop album of the 90's, filled with great pop songs with punkish twist. Great sounding record too. The absolute rating is probably 4,5 stars, but Graham Coxon's guitar playing deserves the extra half stars.
Arrangements with strings and all kind of variations pushed into one album. Still it somehow stays together as an entity.
This album is decent—nothing that gives me goosebumps or evokes any strong reactions one way or the other. Solid, but not remarkable.
Not their best, but decent brit rock album none the less. I feel this one is missing the hits for me, tracks like Beetlebum or Song No. 2 come to mind off the top of my head.
6/10 It is fine. This was a bunch of sounds in a not too unpleasant arrangement. there were some sneering English accents, so that's nice. 5-21-205
I never listened to much Blur, basically just Song 2 and Beetlebum. This album was some solid fun britpop, no real standouts though
Meh , pretty rubbish
This album is rubbish. I'm assuming this joke has already been made a million times, but it needed to be said again
Started off strong with the first song but not very memorable after that
Just not very memorable
33 songs, over 2 hours? Thankfully I checked to see what the original release had and I stopped with disc 1. Marginally better than the other Blur record I heard on here. They seem like something I should like, but something is missing that I can not quite put my finger on.
Nice album but I prefer Parklife #musicaky #albumsky 3/5
Honestly really good. Not too memorable, but a solid album.
Didn't these guys do that "Woo Hoo" song? Can we listen to that one?
Just enough bangers to tip this into 4 star territory. Barely.
between yesterday and this, a good reminder that this book was compiled by a british man. this is significantly better than the fall, imo. best are chemical world and miss america
Llegamos oficialmente a mediados de mayo y toca Blur. Ya han aparecido en éste reto y de más está explicitar el porqué. Decir sobre esta banda que los pude ver en vivo y fue un show impactante, que terminó de confirmar lo que sentía por ellos.. ¿Sobre el disco? Tremendo, como el resto de su discografía. Gracias por el recuerdo. Hasta mañana
Not bad. I generally like Blur's sound, though I don't find it exceptional. "Chemical World" is the standout, silly and weird and instrumental. "Resigned" is another fun little instrumental one.
Rating: 1 Notable songs: at a push "For Tomorrow" The album is so lacklustre and full of nonsense. Its just filler on filler.
ok, some good stuff, great title, lovely artwork, but the best was yet to come.
Nice, but not my favorite from them
La la la la laaaaaa La la la la la la lallalalaaaaaa 9.5/10
I liked this better than Parklife, to be honest. It was okay.
I think I’m starting to understand all the hate directed at britpop.
Being an American child (apologies for that given...everything now) at the time this came out, I was never really exposed to Blur much until they had already faded away. I knew Oasis, but Song 2 was literally the only Blur song I knew growing up. Even now, I can only name a handful. I guess that's all to say that as a kid growing up in the desert in the US, Blur didn't really make it that far, though I know they were much more popular elsewhere. This album? It's just kinda plain. I feel like this could have been any number of British pop rock bands in the early 90s. And I'm sure it was. Maybe it's just looking back 30 years later but nothing really sticks out for me. I've heard sooo much music that sounds just like this, there's nothing that makes me want to keep listening. Villa Rosie is kind of a weird high point for me, I liked that one. The rest? Meh. I can think of a lot of albums missing from this list that would have been a better pick than this one. I was going to round up because the album name is great, but it's now the next day and I can't even remember how any of the songs went. 2.5/5.
i refuse to spend anymore time on the planet listening to blur by conscious choice
interesting music, if not enough to truly stick in mind
Screamo? Meh
There is a lot of good But never a good sign when the first track is the best song on an album by far. Still good. Too long. Blue Jeans is good.
Pretty fun, eclectic and joyful, still miles better than anything Oasis could manage, but has too many similar songs and drags on just a touch.
A bit disappointed here. The first song rules and it got my expectations a hit too high. It's all very nice and listen able but a bit boring compared to the album with the dogs running on it. Feels like it's just a bit too slow and chill for my taste
Great album from my favourite band I've discovered through this project. Not as strong overall as Parklife, and is a bit too long. There's a good 4-5 songs that could probably be cut to create a stronger record
A surprisingly consistent and interesting album from a band I don't really think of as an 'album band'. There's plenty of different sounds on this - of course the early 90s grunge-esque scene, but also some pleasantly slow and relaxing tracks. 'Miss America' harks back to Planet Caravan in a lovingly fresh way. I like this album, but not completely in love with it. Best Tracks: - Miss America - Blue Jeans Worst Tracks: - Pressure On Julian Rating: 6.5/10
Decent but nothing special
Not really for me!
There are some good parts to this album, but overall it is pretty average. 3 stars or C+.
Well, that's a lot of Brit Pop. I kind of enjoyed it. Does that make me a bad American?
first cd: rather rubbish / second cd: quite all right
I won't go for the low hanging fruit and call the album "rubbish;" however, at one point I wondered how far into the album I had gotten since it had been playing for quite some time, only to see that I was not quite done with the second song on the play list. It just got worse from there. . .
Ik vind Blur best leuk, al scoren hun albums bij mij tot nu toe steeds een 3. Wel moet ik zeggen dat ik drie keer Blur in deze lijst een beetje overdreven vind. Wat heb ik hier dan verder nog over te melden? Niet zo enorm veel. Het zijn prima popliedjes voor op de achtergrond. Een paar liedjes zijn 10% leuker dan de andere liedjes. Overall is dit een best fijn album. Ik vind dit prima. Ik geef ze een keer een 4, want ik heb er al vaker over getwijfeld.
No Im good here
There is nothing wrong with this album, but it fell a bit flat for me. Not sure what the issue is, because the songs are performed well, the harmonies are on point as always.. Not sure. I preferred Parklife much more to this.
Blur very blurry to me, nothing stood out sadly
I grew up with Blur playing somewhere all the time and I never really got into it. However, I have never heard this album, Its giving me David Bowie vibes.
Decent
Catchy pop album
This is pretty good with some nice guitars and ideas. It wears its The Kinks influence on its sleeve, which isn't a terrible thing, but the album really started to bleed together for me by the last few tracks and I had no real desire to listen more than once. Low 3.
Nothing on this album really stuck out to me on first listen, but I can’t say the experience was entirely unremarkable. The songs just aren’t overly catchy or impressionable, but the social commentary at least feels important. To those that came of age in a world already thoroughly ‘Americanised’ it’s easy to forget about the cultural rebellions in our own backyards. So there’s a British sense of humour through each track that takes aim at those changing times. Which is all well and good, and necessary even. But I do struggle a bit to find the joy in the listening experience. There are no bad songs by any means (The closest I got to connecting with the music was Colin Zeal), but the sarcasm on display here just makes it all feel a little bit like being on the outside of an ‘in joke’. All that said, there may be more than meets the eye here on repeated listens as the arrangements are interesting and the guitar work is impressive. A light three stars ✨
Underrated band really, some songs on here are bangers and should be considered classics
Good Blur Album not my favorite one but still good!
Sounds like Ziggy Stardust and the Kinks had a baby
Cockney accent, brit pop, 2+ hours. Three strikes. Outkast can be the exception for the 2 hour album, generally it should be at least a 1 star deduction.
Coming in with relatively positive takes here again for Blur. Oddly, this album sounds a lot more fresh than the self titled album we had earlier (which was released in 97'). Much of the punk rock vibe here seemed ahead of its time (sounded more like early 2000s alt -- kind of like the Hives). I wouldnt say I dug any of the popular tracks here more than the others /shrug My favorite song that Ive added to my playlist is Miss America. That tune sounds like The Brian Jonestown Massacre and caught my ear both times through this album.
Love Blur but there are better albums than Modern Life. I hope to see some in this list.
This album is not immediately accessible lyrically, at least for a non-Brit like me. But you can drop the needle anywhere on this album and it sounds great. The band is working with a breadth of possibilities. One warning: You may be sent over to a deluxe edition that is hours long. You may find the original, hourlong edition has enough to explore!
One of the few cases where later music from the band is just plain better. This is a good album, although thematically it feels like a forced 2nd draft full of good ideas not quite tied together completely. I didn’t mind, though. There is wry, suburban commentary that is witty rather than preachy, and the songs are fun and interesting.
I believe I've listened to this at least once, when I did a half-hearted listen through of the first handful of Blur albums a few years back. Can't say I'm too well versed in Britpop-related music, but I do certainly enjoy the sound. Reading how XTC's Andy Partridge was initially tapped to produce really helped me see Blur in a fresh light. Listening with that connection to XTC, even though Andy ultimately did not produce this album, I think makes clear the influence from and the similar style to XTC, some songs much more than others. I'm not sure if I was an XTC superfan when I did the Blur album listens before, but it certainly is opening up my interest in revisiting more. This is probably the first album that has come up that isn't a "slam dunk", obvious all time classic album, but I certainly am not challenging its inclusion on this list, it's a great record. Providing a little kick in my arse to keep exploring Blur's catalogue, maybe sooner than later!
Another good album by Blur, who is probably my favourite britpop band, I guess. MLIR has been slightly under the radar in their discography, and I think that's fair - it's a very solid album with fun songs, but nothing really stands out or catch you by surprise. Just a very good release.
It’s there. Failed to impress me, but not bad. Something’s just missing and I couldn’t tell you what it is. There were some good moments, but also some very boring parts as well. Probably wouldn’t listen again and go back to Song 2 being the only Blur song I know.
Surprisingly enjoyable
Some good stuff in here, feels like it defines a lot of upcoming alt rock. 4* Highlights: for tomorrow, villa rosie
I gotta be honest: I listened to this and I cannot recall a single thing about it. Which I guess means it also wasn't terrible, but still.
Didn’t really grab me… never been that keen on early Blur
I love Blur and think Damon Albarn is a pop genius but this is one of their weaker efforts. I think The Great Escape belongs on here instead, or even Think Tank
A little long but still its a very enjoyable time. Strong 3 to light 4 cant decide
It’s an overall solid album. I was never into blur or britpop to begin with but this is a good album, maybe one that can actually get me into that time period of music but for now I’ll stick with grunge
Cool variety, English sound
Super weird and pretty great. You can definitely see the beginning of the Gorrilaz here, which is awesome, as there are many experimental sounds, rhythms, and somg structures. The brit rock era of the 90s is notably cheerier than the grunge seen here at home and I find it quite refreshing. For Tomorrow, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, and Villa Rosie are my favorites here. Rock on Damon Albarn.
It's fine. I like Blur, but I think this album is a bit hit and miss. This is more of a transitional album, and they really hit their stride on Parklife. I'd imagine Parklife has to be on this list, otherwise I find it extremely sad that this album is here instead of the one that sent them stratospheric. Also, I love Gorillaz. That has nothing to do with this album, of course, but I just wanted you to know.
Easy listening - Indie rock
The high points really are great, though there are quite a lot of meandering fillers
Tune
3.5/5 stars
★½
tough one. I love the blur aesthetic, especially the parklife era and this is no exception. I do think the songs run a little bit out of steam towards the end which leaves me which leaves me a bit in between, but to give it the benefit of the doubt, 4 stars
I knew what to expect from Blur. I was at the time this released pretty up-to-date on my Britpop/rock care of Bob. He was into Blur, and Oasis, and the rivalry between them. That said, I definitely am not a fan myself. I got into Pulp a bit around this time, but never found the love for Blur, even if I like some of the later stuff Damon did (Gorillaz)> This just felt like generic Britrock. There was nothing at all that stood out about this album, and having listened to it yesterday, I don't really have any of the songs still bouncing around in my head.
I didn't really know what to expect from Blur. I know them for 1 song, "Song 2" and I've tried to listen to some of their other stuff and I wasn't a huge fan. Basically, that's how I felt about this album too. It's just not exciting, it's not innovative, it just kind of exists. I think if someone said they liked this album, I'd understand, but I'd just disagree.
It's OK. It's Blur. It's arch and angular and a little bit too knowing for my palate.
A decent number of decent songs, but no great tracks. Maybe 1-2 worth adding to a playlist.
I remember my kids listening to this it isnt awful
I've always had a soft spot for this record, it sounds amazing, and the songs are great
A few good tracks
They did a really good job on this one, especially by the fourth or fifth song, on making the tracks blend right into the background. I wasn’t even paying attention. Got real boring real fast. Nothing big special on here, but nothing big offensive either. The finale of “Chemical World (Including “Intermission”)” is annoying, but otherwise, a very meh album. 3/5
This album just went on forever. Not really the worst thing, but I did get tired of the peppy vibe by the end. There were some vocal moments that reminded me of Bowie.
If Oasis was the modern version of The Beatles, Blur was the modern version of The Kinks, which is infinitely more interesting, albeit commercially riskier. This album was almost never recorded and we might have never known Blur and Damon Albarn as anything more than a footnote in Brit Pop history. For the number of boring British bands from the 90s, Blur was the real deal in my book. Much more eclectic and daring, and less formulaic. "Modern Life is Rubbish" saw the band move away from the then popular grunge style of the States and looking inwardly to England, as the Kinks did. But Blur put it in a more modern context of the multicultural Britain with nods to the past. Sure, cheap holidays in Spain was standard now but who doesn't love a good cuppa at home too? There's loads of variety on this album which really keeps it fresh throughout and also gives a lot of hints of Albarn's later work, like Gorillaz. It's an impressive record from a band on the brink of collapse. Lucky for us they made it.
Brilliant second album launched them into greatness
nii.. tulee semmonen viha tästä että tosiaan alkaa näkö sumentua ihan kunnolla. ihan reilusti menee näkö tahraiseksi näkee vaan punaista bro. nään vaan punaista kun tää saatanan bändi jaksaa ilmestyä ruudulle. anteeksi jos käytän paskaa kielenkäyttöä mutta nyt ärsyttää niin suuresti.. omg rakastan kun distortion kitara ja sitten huonosti tallennetut rummut paukkuu mahdollisimman yksitoikkoisesti!! ja sitten laulaja ottaa kaksi askelta eteenpäin mikkiin (hän otti kaksi askelta taakse instrumentaalia varten ja laittoi silmänsä kiinni ja katsoi alaspäin) ja sensuaalisesti hänen äänensä rikkoutuu.. painu kartanoll' for tomorrow
Most of these songs are rubbish - a few things caught my ear, but mostly it was an edgeless stream - kind if a blur, actually.
It was good in the 90s
Good album! I like the arrangements and surprises in those arrangements. Good blend of punk, indie and Britpop. good 4
A bloated nothing of an album. The only song worth listening to was Chemical World which was instrumental. 1/5
Pretty good. Didn't blow me away and may not listen again.
Decent, all I can say really
Not my interest at all
I don't get Britain's obsession with Damon Albarn
oooooh 2 back to back 90s albums! Blur. I definitely know Blur. Damn a 2 hr album! I couldn't remember at first what song these guys did. Song 2. "I got my head checked" which I always thought it said, I got my head shaved!! WTF!? Anyways. This album sound nothing like that son. They're so Brittish! I never knew that. The accents comes out a lot in this album. Even the tittle. Modern Life Is Rubbish. lol Okay I listened to most of the first disc. I don't think I want to listen to the rest. I'm giving it a 3
Sympathique et inoffensif
3.4 - Yeah it was okay, not sure
The first half of this album tastes like a glass of room temperature water after a day at the office. From Oily Water onwards I found it much more interesting. Miss America, Villa Rosie, Turn It Up all had some redeemable qualities. Fave Tracks: Oily Water 3.2/5
A couple of cool tracks, except for the big one that everybody has heard. It all gets lost in generic pop rock for me, though.
I HAT E BLUR WHY DO THEY KEEP SHOWING ME BLUR
When I die and come face to face with the creator, I will have to answer his questions. Who were you? What did you live for? and Why did you write a review for Blur's 'Modern Life is Rubbish' without finishing it. "It was tiresome and uninteresting" I would say, but that answer dissatisfying the creator. "But what if it improved in the second half? Or what if it got worse. If you gave it 3 stars it mustv'e been enjoyable enough" replied my lord and savior. "Well yes, it was good enough, it was exactly good enough to be insufferable. It wasn't bad enough that I could muscle my way through it like some of the slop on the list, but it wasn't good enough to be enjoyable. and the crushing weight of the run time made me so painfully aware that I was listening to it. It was all too much" I respond. And I'll have to hope that answer is good enough
Decent enough 90s British rock album. So far we’ve had two blur albums, neither of which has been Parklife, which seems strange to me. That’s a great album, this one is just fine. It turns in to background music a bit, and it’s long. I don’t really know why it’s in here, but there are much worse albums to pick. Pretty average.
This is the worst Gorillaz album yet. It's a bunch of nice 90's rock tunes that didn't have the nostalgia needed to take it up some stars.
Blur is blur
I have to admit, I enjoyed this Britpop album more than most, though I’ve never been the biggest fan of Britpop to begin with. At the same time, I’ve noticed this album has received a lot of low ratings and mixed reviews from people who are really into the genre. So with that in mind, it’s probably a sign that this one works better for me than most Britpop albums do.
As I am generally pretty unimpressed with Blur I would never have given this a chance. I actually liked this the best so far, so …that’s all I’ve got. Better than other Blur.
I'm a blur fan but don't spin this one much. Opens well but quite a few weak songs. Still a band very much finding out how to work together.
Nah, this is really bland. Certainly their weakest
Parklife clear
Thank god this guy started Gorillaz and turned this all around...
Meh! It's OK, but not as good as their next album, Parklife.
First of all, this is one of the most sick cover arts I've seen... and second of all, the music is almost on par. I was not expecting much from this album as I don't have a great tack record with pop rock, but wow, was I impressed. Finally, pop rock that actually does its job well! Despite the sad name, it's a bunch of fun songs with simple but great riffs and vocals. It's a bit on the longer side but manages to hold up well. This is what pop music supposed to be. Sorry, Blur, I was not familiar with your game.
I can see how this would have been cool in 1993, but Blur has put out better stuff since this
Mitäs se tämä oli, ei innostanut kuin ehkä yksi kappale vähän enemmän?
5/10…brit pop 🥱
prat < wanker < tosser < twat < knobhead
Not so interesting
Too chill
they have better albums, got tired of this halfway through
For me, personally, no tracks on this record or the album as a whole qualifies to be a 'greatest of all time'. This is extremely middle of the road, bland. Especially after listening to a similarly early and obscure Smiths album yesterday that was amazing and also an unknown sound to me. Sorry to this album.
Very meh for me. I guess I'm not really a fan of blur, at least when they are making brit-pop like this
3.5 changed from peer preasure
Tried greatest hirs of blur cos i forgot what i ws suppossed to be listening to. Still don’t love them
It’s Britpop with shitty Albarn vocals, complete with intonated ‘o’s and a vague, cringy air of the popular side of British culture that I’m particularly averse to. There’s a general collection of interesting instrumentation, which never even attempts to stray into the far-reaching lands of above average, save for maybe the uncharacteristic drawn-out Oily Water. For Tomorrow is fun, if you can of course ignore Albarn’s ‘I’m definitely British, and this accent is for the ketamine-induced, bucket hat-wearing, football-brained 90s British crowd!’ accent. It’s not nearly as bad as the Mancunian counterparts with their senseless wailing. But it is still not any good. Keep it to yourselves, aforementioned 90s crowd. I don’t want any part of it.
Blur is good, but not great.
okay look a lot of it is very good but i did also involuntarily say "jesus Christ how long is this shit" somewhere near the end
Definitely is British pop rock
My favourite Blur album! There's such a huge difference between this and the first album. The songwriting is at another level and quite varied. Each musician contributes something meaningful to each song. In particular, Graham Coxon's guitar work is on point. It's frustrating that Spotify doesn't have the original version of Chemical World, even though there are two versions on the special edition of the album. These versions are over-produced and inferior. Liked Songs Added: Star Shaped Blue Jeans Chemical World Miss America Popscene I'm Fine Peach When The Cows Come Home
With the best will in the world I cannot give this more than a 3. There aspects of it I really like but in the end there is not enough that stands out. They have better albums than this
По мнению А: 4/5 По мнению С: 5/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 4/5 (03.02.2025)
this, more than any other album i’ve gotten so far, will absolutely be in my rotation of stuff i regularly listen to. i love it
3.5
Blur albums are rubbish
kinda boring
86/100. An extremely impressive Britpop rock record. It’s not Blur’s best, but definitely one of their strongest. High tempo throughout, good lyrics, and some psychedelic elements. A very enjoyable record with a high standard of production.
Modern Life is Rubbish is a fine album. copy/paste to read more: https://richcain.substack.com/p/project-1001-modern-life-is-rubbish?r=4ztyq
Was really enjoying this but don’t feel like coming back at the moment. Probably 3.5
Listenable Brit pop. I liked the Suede record better. 2.5 stars
Well, it's still Brit Pop and a far cry from the quality of the Gorillaz.
Well I know this will be an instant 5 for me and will probably get slaughtered in the comments for being daft and English and faux-cockney. It's all of that and still brilliant. Interesting that they were pitted against Oasis. Two bands who shamelessly thieved from better bands to shape their sound. Blur the 60s, the Kinks, the Small Faces, Syd Barrett, and Oasis the 70s, T-rex and Status Quo. I just simply preferred the 60s stuff to 70s chuggers. Blur definitely also heavily influenced by XTC but that doesn't fit my paradigm so I'll just conveniently ignore it. Listening to the lyrics contributed a healthy dose of cynicism about the world I was growing up in, which I had never been particularly convinced by. Records like this and others were a fully necessary refuge, or a mental shield at times. Not gonna take each song in turn but the singles are all tremendous, I bought both versions of Sunday Sunday so got the music hall sing alongs on the b-sides (which are at the end of the special edition linked on this site, for all to enjoy). Advert is fantastic. The swirling noise where a chorus should be on Oily Water. And some songs are simply beautiful, Blue Jeans, Resigned and Villa Rosie is just joyful. I would single out Popscene for attention, even though it's a standalone and wasn't on this record - a proto Song 2. Forever etched into my memory as the sound of teenage summers and doing my paper round. My favourite Blur album and always will be.
Eh okay
Meh. Swas'o.k.
Fairly uninteresting.
Super fun album. One of their best
Overall: 7/10 So I'm a huge Gorillaz fan and I remember when I found out that it was basically just one dude AND he was in the band that did the "woo hoo" song I was ecstatic to listen to more of them. Sadly, I was a dumb teenager at the time and I was just dissapointed that Blur didn't sound like Gorillaz (besides Albarn's distinctive vocals). I wish I could go back in time and force myself to listen to them without that context cause I was missing out. Getting into this album specifically, there's so much to love here. First off, Albarn has such a great voice that you could recognize a mile away. To go with the vocals, the lyrics can be very strange but in a fun way. The real star of the show, however, is the guitar work. I feel Graham Coxon isn't talked about enough because he's always doing something interesting and cool. The reason this isn't getting a higher/perfect rating is because it's waaaaaaaay too damn long. I would have cut out at least 3 of these tracks to make it a shorter and more pleasurable listen cause you really start feeling that length around the 40 minute mark. In any case, it is a really good album and I think a good introduction to Blur (although you'd be better off starting with Parklife or the self-titled album). Fav Song: Blue Jeans Least Fav Song: Chemical World
Catchy sound without any standouts. Worth a listen but won’t have me running back.
Blur isn't my thing. Bands that try to be too lyrically clever, sometimes at the expense of musicality simply don't do it for me. The drumming is particularly poor. 2/5.
Sounds like Blur with no good Blur songs.
OK album, but felt very long. Didn't listen to the whole second disc that Spotify had as part of the album as it was just extras and I didn't really enjoy this enough to continue listening to more. 2.5/5
Ok. A sign of the future output from Blur.
Chemical World is a classic. Love Damon Albarn, great album,.
I feel bad because there is so much renown for Blur, but there’s nothing overly interesting in this rock album.
I enjoyed this album overall. Very chill.
Oy bruv, bit dull, innit?
i'm not super familiar with blur's output beyond a handful of songs and obviously what damon albarn went onto with his next musical endeavor. so i didn't know totally what to expect with this one. wow! i was totally blown away. really fun, really great record with a bit of a sneer. what i really adored is that this album is so obviously influenced in a lot of the late 60s british music that i adore - in particular, i hear a lot of Kinks influence here which definitely endeared this album to me. i can say i will definitely be back to this album and i look forward to exploring blur's discography in the future!
I've already heard 3 or is it 4 Blur albums and have a hard time differentiating this from them. Goes without saying but too much BritPop
Absolute banger of an album. Best album by Blur and one of the greatest albums. No doubt about it. And yes, Modern Life is Rubbish!
I thought I knew a lot of Blur, but I’d never heard this album before. Not bad.
This is a pretty good album. Although I'm not a huge fan of Britpop, I like several songs here. It's worth a listen, and I will revisit it to see if my impression improves.
Veldig blir, veldig bra
Their best album by far. Such an odd collection of songs but somehow it all fits together to make a cohesive listening experience. Graham Coxon is fast becoming my favourite guitarist, Alex's bass lines are hidden Easter eggs that really shine when you actively listen to them. Some of Damon's best song writing also on display here.
Turns out Blue are not an album band, but at least Chemical World and one or two other tracks are alright.
Mundane
Honestly, this was really not my thing.
While most Brit pop tends to fall flat, Blur’s sophomore attempt really resonates with me. I’m not sure how many “hits” we have here, but that’s not the point. The album works as a whole really well, and we dip our toes into a wide variety of sounds.
Modern life’s not so bad if you ask me.
the second blur I've listen to and honestly this doesn't really appeal to me. it fine. tbf the other one I listened to was their newest album The Ballad of Darren and don't think really like that album too much, including myself. I think im just mad that it doesn't sound like Gorillaz which should've been obvious considering they're completely different musical projects. maybe once i accept that I'll enjoy blur's music more. this is way too damn long too omg its the song from that one scene in baby driver wow
C’est vraiment le streak de bangers de Noël! Même si Modern Life n’est pas le pinnacle de Blur (j’en reviens pas que The Great Escape n’est pas sur la liste), tu trouves quand même des bombes comme Chemical World et For Tomorrow, pis même les fillers sont bons. Anyway, j’ai pas le temps, c’est Noël!
Good. Not great.
Not my fave blur album
Muy bueno
Modern Life is Rubbish is... not rubbish ... but a lil' shrill. Blue Jeans was solid, but the pleasure was short-lived —the double-time piano in Chemical World was so irritating.
Felt quite nostalgic listening to this. But it's not my favourite Blur album. I'm more familiar with Parklife - a continuation of the theme. I prefer the later, more introspective stuff on Out of Time.
Britpop's finest. Stand out tracks for me are For Tomorrow, Resigned and the Kinks inspired Sunday Sunday. Parts of this album I quite like but mostly it does not quite do it for me. 3 stars.
Very nice album, lots of different sounds and while it's kind of old the production sounds very good.
Fair to middling 90’s pop. There was so much better out there.
Nice sound marking the early 1990s.
For Britpop 90's alt rock it's fine. Not amazing, but not grating. Just meh. Standout is leadoff "For Tomorrow". "Chemical World" frantic ending but good.
Probably my favourite Blur album with For Tomorrow my favourite Blur track. I do find Damon's vocals a little grating at times.
I'm still shocked that the only way pop rock, power pop and theatrical stuff clicks with me is still in the context of britpop, it feels like this is the only genre that has all these influences and makes them sound like good and fun alt rock with edge and not something too dorky or too revivalist of the past. Blur manage to melt the current rock sound in England (the touches of psych and noise pop are appreciated) with just incredibly catchy songwriting that doesn't feel cheap or like an annoying ear-worm. Hell It's even crazier how in its almost 70 mins it only has like ONE bad song and that was a hidden song, everything else is fantastic, how did they do it?
Bit bland
Loved this
Nice and energetic. 2hrs tho, pah.
I feel like I had their other big album in this albums thing already, it's definitely that classic brit pop sound like Oasis and stuff. I don't hate Brit Pop but it gets kinda samey to me. I think I'm just crabby listening this morning because the British accents are really bothering me. TALK NORMAL. The harmonies and melodies are actually pretty cool, but like I said, so much of this brit pop stuff sounds so similar.
I got this as a teenager and always felt like I'd bought the wrong Blur album because it just didn't connect at all. A couple decades letter, I can appreciate it a bit more, though primarily as a historical touchstone. It's a foundational bit of Britpop that draws on tradition of UK powerpop for tight melodic songwriting and some of the sounds of the era's alt/indie rock for its fuzzy energy. Rejected by America, they delve deep into Briticana with ironic art-school eccentricity and authentic ecclecticism. It's well crafted and put together, sounds great, cool use of effects, lots of clever song-writing tricks and catchy melodies. It's wry and whimsical, serious about musicality but uninterested in the dark gloomy depression of grunge, instead creating the definitive Britpop mood of optimistic nostalgia. But it's also got too much annoying stuff and none of it is as good as their next two albums. The foundation rather than the pinnacle of this 60s-yearning brand of 90s guitar pop. Can't help but feel Blur would be better represented as a Best Of band not an albums band. Whoever keeps making these double-length special issues the default on Spotify is not doing anyone a favor - just give me the original tracklist FFS! Not some bloated monstrosity full of unwanted extras and bonus tracks and remixes and outtakes. Favorites: For Tomorrow, Colin Zeal, Oily Water
Gorillaz>>>>
nagyon akartam szeretni a blurt valamiért, de nem sikerült. :D pedig tök oké ez az album meg minden, szóval egy négyest azért kap
I guess I can see enjoying this until 1994 came around
The Kinks for the 90s, sharp and wry with a real playfulness. Bigger things were ahead.
Modern Life is Rubbish is the second album from Blur, and the release before their breakout album, Parklife. The album includes more experimental efforts than found on the band's debut, Leisure, with the band exploring a range of sounds, but all well within the world of brit pop. Blur is, unfortunately, the Brit pop band right before Oasis, and they may be lesser known for that timing. Modern Life includes a fun selection of melodic, upbeat songs. While this album didn't find the commercial success that the band's later work did, these songs show the band's ability to craft great pop songs.
More excellent Britpop from Mr. Albarn and friends, always tuneful, intelligent, exciting, and a cut above the average.
Wasn't great, wasn't rubbish. 3/5
It was a fine showing, fun songs, good instrumentation
The type of listen that really does *feel* it's length, which in this case is over two hours. You feel bored in the first 30 minutes, so the whole thing is just a total slog
Sometimes, if I’m not careful, I can be a bit a smug, pontificating wank. Damon Albarn suffers from the same affliction and that’s usually why I like him - he’s going to a bit of a dick about his pal who moved to the country and likes baths but he’ll be funny and a bit insightful about it so you’re prepared to let it go. And he’s a musical genius so you’re distracted by that too. From one wank to another, lads, the mix was slightly off on this one. Not funny enough or insightful enough to feel anything but mean and not musically interesting enough to overlook the cruelty.
Not terrible. Don’t really like the vocals but good album
2/5 A bit too much brit-rock without memorable tracks.
Better than I thought it would be
Brit-Pop.
I liked this quite a bit better than the other, later Blur CD. It's a little more grungy, and the twee British (I believe this is the correct twee British term for it) "rubbish" is reserved as a bit of color, e.g. the little jingly intro to to "Advert", before he hits you over the head with overdriven guitar. There's some cool tricks on it too. They've got nice backing vocals on most songs, not too over the top. And for such a bone-crushing guitar sound, they do really well covering the treble end of the register, in a variety of different ways. "Colin Zeal" is a really nice song. Ripping grunge guitar, soaring backing vocals, snide lyrics. Couple others on there are nice too. I'd listen to it again.
Oh Blur..... the 90s answer to the Kinks. Ray Davies and the boys produced no less than 5 tremendous brit-rock gems of the sixties. Blur didn't eecord 1/2 the music the kinks did, but they managed about 4 entries into the pantheon of brit-rock. I'd say this is their "Something Else", while "Parklife" serves as "Village Green"
Too long, nowhere near as interesting as their other albums.
“Modern Life Is Rubbish” is one of the pillars of Britpop, without a doubt. Along with Oasis, Blur is one of the greatest precursors of the genre. Unfortunately, something happens to me where the first songs of the band’s albums seem really good to me and at some point that gets lost. This makes me lose interest in the work, no matter how good it is. In this case, I enjoyed the first 8 songs, but after that the album seemed to lose its way. Maybe because Damon’s voice is not really to my liking, or simply because the production starts to seem repetitive and boring. Still, “Modern Life Is Rubbish” is a good album, which gets lost amidst Damon’s pretensions.
I feel bad because I love them but this is just not it man, they have better albums.
Some decent songs, a handful of boring songs, far too long. The songwriting doesn’t quite reach Parklife levels
Initially I thought they sounded like a mix between Bowie and Pink Floyd, but not in a good way. Thought it was a little obnoxious. Then it started to grow on me. They're a little like an English Smashing Pumpkins, but not as good. They're cover of Maggie May is horrendous though.
Have never really listened to more than a few of their tracks. Really fun album. Really creatively punky. Loved it.
Two Blur albums in a row? It's like getting a double album. There aren't enough good Blur songs to get their greatest hits on this list, let alone two albums. This is the spiritual descendant of glam rock. In the battle between Blur and Oasis, count me as a firm Oasis vote. This is better than Parklife except for Boys & Girls. They are a Beatles cover band that made some original songs. When people say that Greta Van Fleet are a Led Zeppelin cosplay band, they are also saying that Blur is a Beatles coplay band without the clothes. Blue Jeans is terrible. This album is terrible. British people just love crappy pop rock. The second half of Chemical World reinforces what a bunch of self-absorbed, twee losers these guys are. This album feels twice as long as a normal album, I think that's a function of having just listened to a Blur album prior to this one. Resigned might be the best track on the album but it's too little too late.
Uuuuh…di solito apprezzo o almeno tollero gli album dei Blur o il britpop in generale ma questo…è proprio fastidioso
due stracazzo di ore. non esiste.
Checche ne dicano le altre recensioni che ho letto su questo gruppo, a me è piaciuto molto più di altri album dei Blur
I liked it very muchly
It's Blur innit. Not even listened to this record before, and surprise surprise, it's a solid one. Favourite tracks: For Tomorrow, Colin Zeal, Pressure on Julian, Chemical World, Oily Water, Villa Rosie.
Not my thing, unfortunately. Some songs were okay; some were very annoying. 2.5
I was not familiar with this album before listening. I really did not care for it. The vocals were somehow grating despite not really being able to put my finger on why. The instrumentation was fine, but not particularly noteworthy for the most part. I wouldn't come back to this one.
I went through a phase of loving Blur in late 90s/early 00s. But then as a kid I went through a phase of thinking I’d marry my mum. Thankfully I grew up and realised she wasn’t marriage material and just good for the sex. Much like Blur who are really only good for their hits. They are a greatest hits band. 3.0
Overuses abit the echo/reverb vocals, but I guess that’s the vibe this album tries to go for.
I didn't really care for it. BritPop is a struggle for me to enjoy.
Modern Life Is Rubbish, along with Parklife, is the most British album i think i have ever heard. Everything about this album just screamed England from the title to Damon's voice to a lot of the musical ideas and i really like this album for that. The album generally sounds great with some well done guitars and fun musical offshoots which don't get distracting which really helped this album in the long run. I like this album more than Parklife since there was never a point in the album which was distractingly different from the rest of the album. The self-titled album may still be better but i still think this album is really good. Best Song: Turn It Up Worst Song: Miss America Side note: Since i reviewed every Blur album on this project, I'm gonna do what i did with Simon & Garfunkel and rank all their albums on this project so, here goes 1. Blur 2. Modern Life Is Rubbish 3. Parklife
Gorillaz was my intro to Damon Albarn's work, but I love me some Blur, and this album is no exception.
A double album that really didnt need to be a double album, and the Maggie May cover was awful
Well that was effing irritating. Only made it halfway before protecting my ears and brain.
I don’t like it. 1
Schönes Album.
Boring shit. Couldn’t finish it
So long.. I lost patience for this album before I even got halfway through.
British AF
imaginative, blunt, animated and quintessentially british, this album is a staple of 1990s british pop. the air is cold and the atmosphere is murky and you really couldn't have it any other way. many songs in the album never feel afraid to be honest, damon almost venting about his conflicting emotions about himself and the world around him; predatory business practices, purpose, and a few cheeky inside jokes thrown in and you've got yourself an amazing and unique rock pop collection.
Я переслушал пару раз,но все-таки не зацепило. Небольшая грязь и непоследовательность. Нагромождение звуков.
Nothing engaging here.
This teeters between a 3.4 and 3.5 when I average my ratings of individual songs. The latter half (or maybe even 2/3) is great Britpop but this is probably my least favorite '90s Blur album so I'm bumping it down to 3/5
2 whatever songs and the rest is enjoyable.
Some good songs mixed in
Two Blur albums almost in a row? I wonder how many more of their albums are on this list. It's an ok album but not great.
This album is rubbish
Some good, bit toff
I’ve always struggled to get into Blur, despite loving Gorillaz. Ostensibly I should enjoy Bowie-worshipping pop-rock, but very few BritPop bands or albums have ever impressed me. Every now and then a song will jump out at me, and maybe if I dug into the lyrics of this I would enjoy it more. But for now I can only report that it sounds fine, and is doing nothing for me.
A definite improvement over their debut. Essentially a more polished version, that hinted towards the versatility they would soon embody on their next record
One of the albums that defined my teenage years. Was a perfect album celebrating a vanishing Englishness which was in equal parts nostalgic but also critical and punky. Think also the artwork sums up the colours in the record. It's autumnal sounding and slightly bleak. Coxon's guitar playing is always something to behold. There's an underlying darkness behind the 'pop'. Masterclass in songwriting and Albarn deserves to be held in the same regard as Bowie Full five stars. No questions.
Blur just doesn't do it for me.
Good album but not the best by Blur. Standouts: For Tomorrow and Chemical World
There are FIVE fucking Damon Albarn albums across all editions of this list. The only one I enjoyed has been Gorillaz, and even that was hit or miss. He also managed to make Tony Allen sound like shit. There's no way he's equally as worthy of a listen as Tom Waits, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, nor indeed more worthy of a listen than The Kinks or Talking Heads, for fuck sake!
Like all Blur albums this one grew on me more this listen. Chemical World through Oily Water is one of my favorite 3 track runs of all their albums. The piano interlude at the end of Chemical World is a great example of what set them apart from the other Britpop bands. I could see maybe Supergrass adding that in a song but it is just so joyful and fun that is a big reason I love Blur. Even if the subject matter of the songs is some depressing stuff. The cover art is one of my favorite. Also, their single popscene should be required listening with this. I always see that single/this album as one of the early movements of Britpop so definitely worth the listen. Now in terms of its flaws, I agree with others that they improve on the sound in subsequent albums. Not to say that this one doesn’t have its own sound/feel between their sound on their debut and Parklife. And the back half does have more songs I don’t came back to more than their other albums. But that just feels like judging them against their own high bar. Rating: 4.7
Very nice, better than the last Blur record.
Sung through a sneer. I would like this with another vocalist. Coxon is, and always has been, far too good for this band.
Straightforward 60's British invasion inspired pop album. I really like it. Sure it's not as creative or has the peaks of Parklife or the S/T album but it's very consistent and quite enjoyable.
Britpop bright spot of the early 90’s, strong album throughout. Deserves to be a permanent but spread out rotation.
I liked it better then Parklife. Seemed more focused.
This is probably my second favorite Blur album. It's very strong, start to finish. Has been on my playlist since the 90s and will continue to be. Great album.
A blur.. nothing stood out
Meh. Trying to sound very much like The Clash but...eh. Miss America is good, due to the Gorillaz vibe. 2/5.
Being a teen in the UK in the 90’s, this had lots of nostalgia for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but there was probably a bit more filler than I remember. Still, great Brit Pop album, and even greater things to come from Blur.
Wasn't bad as background music during work, but nothing stood out to me and made me rock out.
🎶la la, la la la, la la la la la la la la🎶
decent britpop album. starts super strong and then kinda turns into a slog after the first few tracks, but there are some enjoyable songs hidden in with the others. favorites: for tomorrow, advert, colin zeal, chemical world, villa rosie, turn it up
Might be the least interesting or creative Albarn project I've ever heard, but it's passable.
I actually enjoyed the front half quite a bit, but Chemical World and Oily Water butchered the pacing for me.
It really is
Very mid. Liked that I could feel the Kinks coming through.
Sure, it's more ambitious than Leisure, but better? More pleasurable? One's not persuaded. Plus, bands don't really deserve extra credit for attempting social commentary. Leave that to the novelists, sociologists, urbanists, etc., eh? This isn't as good as it seems to be convinced that it is and Blur often wrecks enjoyable songs with tone reversals that make the whole thing seem a joke. "Blue Jeans" and "Chemical World" are best cuts, but they aren't enough to push this into the top rank of records. Also, it's hard to escape the impression that Albarn just likes to hear himself sing, when he's really only too clever by a quarter. Oasis is better in one direction, Pulp in another. One should like Blur; one was/is very much in the target demo, but somehow their work never connects.
Альбом неплохой. Хуже Parklife, но мне скорее понравился, несмотря на процент. 4/14
I live this album. In fact I’m learning the guitar parts from it, rather slowly. I only properly got into Blur in the last decade or so - long after their peak which I was there for - and concluded this is their best album. For me there’s not a bad song in it (well, maybe one or two skippable ones) and it feels like it does what indie rock should. I think that’s the best way I can put it
And they thought this in the 90’s…..
More fun than the battle ground of 93
I was surprised to see this on the list because i think it is one of the weakest Blur albums. Its still a decent early britpop album but its not got the hits or depth to do much for me.
Some of this album was really enjoyable. Great Oasis-esque Britpop/indie jams. Most of this album was forgettable and bland.
Oh no, more Blur. I was unenthused going into Modern Life Is Rubbish, and my lack of enthusiasm wasn't unfounded. The vocals were boring and felt unpassionate, which soured me. The lyrics stirred nothing in me. Blur's sound is like they are mimicking another musician's sound but without any originality. For what it's worth, I thought the instrumental interlude on "Chemical World" was probably the most interesting that Blur were.
As I near a 75% completion of this project, I am just tired of all the very similar Britpop. And...a third Blur album on this project? Seems unnecessary and further lends to the assumption that many make about the creator of this list being overly horny for Britpop, but whatever. Turns out, yes, I liked this at least okay -- like I do most of the Britpop on here. But still. The album didn't really have any memorable moments, though. It was all just very mid. I'd give this about a 2.5.
This strikes me as yet another UK centric entry, there's nothing special at all about this record. It's not bad, it's just not unique or super interesting.
Pretty bland.
this is good but this isn’t the best blur can get, it’s kind of like mid blur which is still good but
Pre-listening thoughts: so I obviously have heard of Blur and have heard a few songs from them but none from this album. In the dated Blur vs Oasis debate I am absolutely team Blur though sorry! Post/during listening thoughts: epic and awesome. So so British and I love it. Blur you just gained a fan fr 9.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: hmmm I love britpop so yes! Maybe not a necessity for everyone though Fav tracks: almost all of em! What a fun record Least fav tracks: Miss America
Modern Life is Rubbish I’ve never really been that keen on this album, and consequently I haven’t listened to it for a long time. Despite there being some great tracks and a lot of hints at where they would go I think always felt that there weren’t enough good songs and that it didn't feel like a coherent album. That’s why doing this is good, as listening today I’ve vastly reconsidered that opinion. While it may not be as great as Parklife or pretty much all their albums from Blur onwards it's still very good, with a lot of those little Blur things and moments that make them so interesting and so great. For Tomorrow is excellent of course, great bass and I love the strings, sounding a little like the seaside organ that we hear a lot of on Parklife. Great bass on Advert and I love the little guitar hook. More great bass on Colin Zeal and some excellent Coxon guitar too. I know Alex James is a great bassist but it's easy to forget how good he is - I suppose his persona can make you feel like he's along for a laugh but he has so many great bass lines and really is so integral to their sound. Pressure on Julian has a nice edgy feel to it, again great bass, but is a little forgettable. Star Shaped is great of course, strong Parklife/Great Escape Vibes, love the ‘I’ve been making plans’ bit. Blue Jeans is great, one of the delicate melodies and vocals, but with the organ and accordion giving it some seaside colour. Chemical World is great, and I don’t dislike the Intermission section, I just wish they were separate songs. Love the Horns on Sunday Sunday, very George Martin. It sounds quite Parklife and also sounds a little Supergrass-y too. Oily Water is fine, another good melody but maybe not the most memorable track. Miss America is great in that woozy way and Villa Rosie has such a great melody and the guitar is just so good. Coping and Turn it Up are both very good tracks, but I think the length of the album is working against them at this point. A lot of bands would kill for songs like these but they are a bit lost at the back end of this. Resigned is great though, the sad eyed wistfulness is very affecting and is a nice tonal counterpoint to Copinga and Turn it Up. Loads of the ingredients that make Blur great, but the bass on this is particularly good, in a way I’ve never previously appreciated. It is a bit long though and does suffer from a few too many tracks but it is a great album. Not top tier Blur but close, a high 4. 🚂🚂🚂🚂 Playlist submission: Won’t overthink it, For Tomorrow
Doesn't have the biggest hits but this was a fun listen. IMHO a more consistent album overall than Parklife.
Very English. Splendid harmonies, some catchy tunes, with hints of the underlying melancholy that they developed further on the next album, Parklife. .
Brit rock, with some folky leanings
A classic, even if it’s not my favourite Blur album!
A great album! You can see Damon Albarn coming more into his own in this album, which will lead him to become one of the greatest musicians of the last 30 years! The album has more of a punk feel, with a lot of heavy bass from Alex James, which gives it that punk vibe. There are still some songs that you can hear that are very Britpop, but you can see Blur is so much more than a Britpop band, they explore different types of genres. The flaw it has, as it explores these genres, the album is a bit uneven, going from Pressure on Julian to Star Shaped, is very jarring! But that does not take away from what a great album is! As the likes of For Tomorrow and Oily Water, are just amazing tracks!
After having listened to and not really enjoying Parklife, I went into this album with lower expectations. But I have to say this pleasantly surprised me. It took a few tracks to click, but once it did I found myself enjoying every song that came on. Definitely a more digestible and fun britpop album. Top tracks: Star Shaped, Oily Water, Resigned
Excellent
Enjoyable songs and melody
Didn't know any of these tunes, clearly it was an album from before Blur's commercial peak. A decent discovery though.
Not all bad. I try not to think of Blur in comparison to Oasis ... let Blur be Blur.
Loved it!
The only Blur song I had heard prior to this was Song 2. I went into this album not expecting a whole lot and was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed it. Overall, a solid 90s Brit-pop-rock album. My favorite track was Miss America.
Passed me by easily enough, nothing interesting
This album is kind of rubbish. I just don't see the appeal yet. How is it that these guys were the rivals of Oasis? How is this album any better or more important than any of the million other Brit rock albums this list has?
Not my favourite by Blur - but it's still Blur.
I quite enjoyed this one, overall I was surprised by some thoughtful and creative musical approaches (instruments and harmonies). It's much more than a "typical British album from the 90's" or "yeah that album before Definitely maybe"
not bad but just okay 3
Sorprendentemente no me gustó
Wow, that was great. Haven’t dived in to Blur’s back catalogue but I was excited to see this come up and very much enjoyed it. Quite ‘early work’ but I think I’d have loved it when it came out. Lots of people on here comparing it to the Kinks, who are shit, and those people are wrong.
blur mag ich, auch wenn die schiere zahl von songs auf diesem doppelalbum mindestens soviele überraschungen enthält. manches geht, anderes gefällt .. nicht.
Blur. Beim reinhören wurde mir sofort klar wieso ich ihren Stil mag aber Blur noch besonders. Zu gleichmässig sind die Songs
Je devrais réécouter cet album car je n'ai pas été assez attentif en l'écoutant, mais j'ai tout de même bien aimé. Ça m'a moins marqué que les deux autres albums de Blur que j'ai eu, mais je continue de comprendre pourquoi ce groupe est si important sur la scène UK. Ça continue de prouver pourquoi ce sont eux le meilleur band de Britpop. 7/10
I think this band's sound is somewhere between Black Crows and Beatles. But the bad versions. That I couldn't tell if I liked them is telling and due to a lack of focus on their part. I have to say that some songs had that cool vibe. But the others lacked confidence.
I listened to this and the next thing I knew I was wearing Blue Jeans Coping with the outcome of the Miss America contest.
неназойливый, можно фоном слушать (когда-нибудь продолжу)
Serious meh.