Reviews (page 7 of 9)
Not the same level as Parklife which follows this one but still very good.
Dis my thang so to say
T'was alright. 2.8
A simple sound profile, but they really hit their stride from the midpoint of this record. Love the Coxon guitar twiddling and Damon's straightforward delivery.
I feel like this album, more than any other Blur one, captures the zeitgeist of the moment - the calm before the Britpop storm, the angst and ennui of 1993, pre-Cool Britannia. Half of this album is a bit naff, the other half is incredible. Sitting on the threshold, waiting for the madness to begin.
Meh. Not even in the top 3 Blur albums
Good but getting a 3 bc too long
Quite disappointed,I like blur but this album was actually quite boring with no great songs.Too long with nothing really interesting
Just ok, had it on loop and never really caught my attention
It's alright. Nothing amazing but I could see myself listening to these songs in the background at least. It's kind of funny how british they are though.
A decent alternative album. Nothing special or notable about it. Tracks I like: For Tomorrow Advert
Album is ok. Not my cup of tea buts fine as backround.
Its ok I guess. Its a bit twee at times. I can see the Ray Davies influence. Its been revisited by critics and considered a classic but meh.
Enjoyed more than I thought I would
i liked parklife by these guys and i like this album too :)
I am surprised I like this more the Parklife, as that is generally considered the better album by the band, but there was just something here I enjoyed a lot more. I think the british-ness of it all isn't too overwhelmingly annoying, more Supergrass-esque, less Oasis. Nothing mind blowing, but this one was good. Went on too long, though, and that's removing the two hidden tracks seemingly not apart of modern digital releases.
first listen good stuff (2012 double album is a bit long)
Neither bad nor amazing. Good background music? Decent brit-pop.
This is the kind of music that makes you want to sit back, toke up and chill out to. They mixed Bowie and The Kinks with a dash of something special and the whole thing just works.
I was very worried coming into this album cause when I first listened to Blur I listened to Leisure which is a very meh album (I think I gave it a 6/10). I was very surprised by this album because it was leaps and bounds better than Leisure. I feel like Leisure was just a lesser version of a bunch of other artist with a lot of boring choruses, weak vocals and annoying instrumentation. I think that Modern Life Is Rubbish completely changed that with really captivating instrumentation and really good vocals. I really like almost every song on Modern Life Is Rubbish besides "Sunday Sunday". Some of the highlights for me were really good like "Colin Zeal", "Resigned", "Coping", "Pressure on Julian" and "Blue Jeans". Overall I really liked the album solid 9/10.
Chill
Aggressively ok. Boring like a lot of 90s rock. This is like the middle road of the era. A bit noisy and snarky with no real feelings apart from dejection and cynicism. I much prefer the romanticism and pop sensibility of the eighties (cure, smiths etc) or the more dynamic, fun and danceable rock of the aughts. This got some good lyrics though and I completely agree with the title and the thesis Damon Alburn delivers here.
Me gusto el brit pop
The definition of a three
Wow, Blur really amaze me. I would not have thought that their music pleases me that much. But this record is close to perfection.
Didn't hate this, but didn't love it either. I could have gone my entire life without listening to this album and not feel like I missed anything.
Blur is everything I loved about alternative British music in the Eighties. This album doesn't disappoint.
damn this truly is blur. straddles the line between goofy britpop and non-goofy, which is sometimes good but also makes the whole thing feel longer than something like parklife. best tracks: for tomorrow, blue jeans, chemical world
Some tracks kinda hit, but some don't hit at all. Not my vibe. 2.5/5.
I liked it, but not as much as self-titled & Parklife
My musical attn was so thoroughly focused elsewhere that I pretty much missed britpop first go round. Enjoying learning. Dig the combo of noisy guitars with just enough reference to kinks-esque pastoral quintessential Britishness. Review written 1/3 way through the album. Let’s see if it changes…🤘Chemical World 🤘Advert is a lovely hommage to buzzcocks.
Heard before: some For me, it's always the same with Blur. I think I like them, then I'm disappointed at first, then I start to dig it with more listens, then I think the whole thing is solid, great even! The longer I listen, the more I like it. And this is no exception. The poppiness outclasses the heaviness, and the crazy chromatic chord shifts and sing-songy "Sunny English Afternoon" style carry the day. I underestimated Graham Coxon's input - his guitar lines stand out and drive things along. I guess this is their first "Britpop" record; you can see why they stuck with it. Top tracks: Blue Jeans, Star Shaped, Oily Water
Young Damon Alban really nailed this one, and apparently it's not even their biggest album, definitely makes me want to explore more. Reading about how Blur needed a hard image change so they pioneered Britpop is a wild story. Influences heard in many mid 00's indie and alt bands. I like how the sound transfers to the Gorillaz, who often take it one step further or odder
ya des bangers mais mid
nice early baggy britpop, enjoyable sometimes a bit too simple. Still a very good album, deserved a listen
Modern Life Is Rubbish by Blur is kinda like oatmeal - its food, but nobody really wants it. 2.5/5
It's fine! I would never be mad if it came on, but I'm not having a lot of fun lol.
Благо, что Blur не всегда писали песни из разряда Song 2. Иначе это было бы невозможно слушать. А так... ну да, есть какие-то цепляющие мотивчики. И уже с высоты двух прослушанных альбомов The Kinks понятно, где и куда они здесь повлияли. Не могу, кстати, выбрать между Pulp и Blur. Надо до кучи ещё будет Oasis послушать...
I was initially unimpressed with this, but it grew on me as the album progressed. It's a strong Britpop album with a proper balance of the melodic and the snotty. For as smart as this was musically though, lyrically I found it to be fairly dumb. Fave Songs: Turn It Up, Sunday Sunday, Chemical World, Resigned, Oily Water
Ok album, this is my second or third Blur album, and I’ve found that the music and singing don’t click with me.
Pretty rocking Blur album
Knew this one, loads of great songs.
33 songs. 2hr18mins.... fuck. Way to overstay your welcome by about 28 songs.
well the score 1:0 in favor of damon albarn
This ain’t a bad album, but Blur have better albums on this list, I don’t think this one needs to be here. Although this does mean they get one over on Oasis with their 3 albums vs Oasis’s 2 albums on the list. But a 2-2 draw would of be a fairer result, in-line with their other Brit pop contemporaries Pulp, Suede and the Verve.
Not the limp-dicked whinefest I feared this was going to be. So for exceeding my exceedingly low expectations, I award them two participation trophies. 🏆🏆
Southern swagger, but a bit samey..
A really fun listen with solid lyrics. Exactly what you’d expect from the title: plenty of well-deserved cynicism about life under colonial capitalism presented SO Britishly that it gets a little grating at times.
Pretty good despite being British
I am a fan of later Blur, but this is not my favorite album by a long shot. That said, you can definitely hear the origins of britpop indie rock in this album, and I loved this when it came out. Now, it feels a bit too clever and funny for its own good, but that was my JAM back in the 90s when I was a snarky teenager filled with faux cynicism. Overall, a decent sophomore effort but it doesn't hold up well for me 30 years later. 3.5/5 rounded up because I see the potential here for the later, better work.
Einige gute Lieder, die sich lohnen, aber auch ein paar Lieder, die man nicht unbedingt braucht. Es variiert zwischen poppig und experimentell. Kann man auf jeden Fall gut hören. Zwischen 3 und 4, aber eher 4.
Este me gustó mucho, sobre todo porque cuando salió me lo salté y después, cuando me rayé escuchando el disco homónimo del 97, nunca me molesté en volver en la discografía del grupo.
Favourite blur album. Full of quality hook laden tunes. Love Blue Jeans
This album is like a stroll through a history of British Pop music through the lens of Brit Pop. quite enjoyable.
Brilliant, best Blur album by far. 5 / 5 stars.
This Album Is Rubbish.
wasn’t sure what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. quality modern day britpop. catchy. not bad at all. highlights: “advert”, “chemical world”, “villa rosie”.
Modern Life might be rubbish but I don't think this album is. I thought it was kind of chill and background and a lot more mellow than I expected blur to be. I liked it. Erica: I like his vocals in other stuff, but this wasn't bad.
Another one of those albums that I guess I liked but I don’t know why it’s on this list. Nothing stood out good or bad. If I was somewhere and it came on, I wouldn’t complain. But I’ll never seek it out, either.
some 90s pop rock that really.... blurred on by. ha ha ha. there isn't much I wanted to explore here. when the ending zinger came on I was viscerally worried that I'd have to listen to another tune. 2/5, with extra demerits for its length
I do like a few blur songs, but I don't think I can listen to an hour of it. It doesn't have any of their best bops on it either
Modern Life is Dull... Just like this album. Little intrigue or diversity of sound and the runtime is much much too long
Seems fine but nothing caught my attention
A little samey in places, but every time I was starting to get a bit bored, it would start to move in a different direction. Dreamy pop with a nice mix of different styles taken from older musicians and also contemporaries. Hints of everyone from Bowie to Ray Davies. Probably somewhere between a 2 and 4 for me for the first disc. Then it seemed to get more rambling and boring the longer I listened and was actually horrified to find I was still in the first third of the second disc when I was hoping to be near the end. As the last disc rolled on things started to get worse and worse, awful covers, horrible filler, I wish they had just stopped at the end of the first disc to be honest. Two stars I guess.
Can’t say I enjoyed this one.
This album just made me reconsider my appreciation of Blur. I always had a hard time with those guys, some songs I really liked but for the most poart I always found their albums to be pointless. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed that one. Maybe because it's pretty simple and goes straight to the point: making great power pop tunes.
Surprisingly ok. There might be one good Blur album out there after all!
Wow, this is now my favorite (and the only one I like) Blur album. This one contains nice songs, especially For Tomorrow or the beautiful Miss America. I wouldn't say it's one of the best albums ever, but it was worth a listen.
Was hoping for more from this, but it is very samey for the most part. The speeding up piano sample they use is some creepy fun though
Totally fine. Just a random walk in the 90s power pop world.
Enjoying this so far, not a bad album. Does feel a bit long
So is a lot of this album
Exceptional
There's some good songs in there - but how can I rate something this long - over 2 hrs!
WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE DISAPPOINTING: I was sitting here ready to listen to Blur whom which I love dearly and I'm slapped in the face when none of the songs...slap? Starts of with the hit of For Tomorrow and then just falls off from there. If I were to listen through a couple more times I'm sure it would start to hit by alas it has to settle for a 4/5
Meh
A bunch of solid songs with nothing really bringing them together as a cohesive whole. A shame, really, as I love the songwriting of Damon Albarn, and the group's performances, and the singles on here are outstanding. A decent record. A decent record
Can't stand Damon Albarn's whiny, sarcastic voice - like Graham Fellows'Jilted John, but without the humour. Also the odd/jerky timings and guitar and general dischordance gets on my nerves. It's just irritating.
It's ok. didn't really get into it and not sure how much i digested it.
Mjög gott Britpopp. Sumt er algjör toppur, en inn á milli má finna filler sem dregur plötuna aðeins niður.
Took a couple spins but I’m glad I did it. Solid stuff, better on the back half though. Or at least more engaging. I didn’t dig any of it until it hit halfway and then I guess I got it? Oh well. Thanks for inspiring Hot Hot Heat.
Sounds like an early Bowie parody album. Thought I’d enjoy this as I love Albarns work both solo and Gorillaz but this album ain’t it
Rather boring. Not much to say about this to be honest. Will revisit possibly.
This double album wasn't not for me. It felt like I was listening to the same song on repeat for the 2 hours.
Kunne vært en 4er, men blir en 3er.
I don't know if I can stomach 2 hours of shitty British rock from a band that I already don't like that much. Of all the bands to get another entry on this list I was hoping Blur would not be one of them. I feel like Blur was just an experiment for Gorillaz to actually get a good start. The first track isn't bad... They have a really good knack for making great instrumental tracks that are utterly ruined by the lead singer. I'm really glad he got a lot less annoying/better at singing by the time he started Gorillaz. His voice is just not enjoyable to listen to. If they just didn't have any vocals these songs would be significantly better. Low 3/5 I guess. It is solely carried by the instrumental.
you know what ELSE is rubbish??
That's a pretty good cover. And this is a pretty good album. No standouts, but it seems like Blur's heart is in it. Might need to give this one another listen.
Absolute dog-rot.
Album 21 of 1001 blur - Modern Life is Rubbish Favorite Track : For Tomorrow Rating : 3 / 5 British Indie Pop. I think I missed out on this on back in the early 90s. Grunge was about to make its move about the same time this came out. I feel that it probably got lost in the shuffle, as did many in this genre did. It was a good listed. While only the 1st track really stood out, there was nothing else about the rest that turned me off. Gave me some slight Squeeze vibes, but the comparison might not be fair to either. Not a waste of time.
OK
Listened twice, nothing stuck
Very UK mod-ish in that late 80s/90s style giving respect to Kinks and the Who and also The Jam. I always liked this Blur album and although it doesn't get heard as much as the following celebrated albums it certainly stands up well in their discography.
It’s like the British blink 182. There are certainly some fun tracks on the album. The sound is well balanced but the hooks aren’t as often as I’d like them to be. Overall, the music is pop punk and I was surprised to enjoy the album more than anticipated.
Just an okay album from a mostly okay band. I don't understand why this needed to make the cut. Gorillaz is much more interesting and should've had more albums included than Blur.
The only Blur song I know is the “Wooo Whooo” song. This album is a little better but I’m surprised Blur has more than one album on the list.
I decided to go back and listen to the other Blur LPs on 1001 to see how this one stacked up. The song writing is certainly snappy, especially the opener, and I can hear some of that Ray Davies influence that Damon Albarn mentioned, especially in Coping, and they have a real knack for song intros that grab your attention, But my key takeaway was that after listening to so much Blur was that maybe my prior scores of 3 weren’t generous enough.
This is very Anglocentric Britpop that just failed to resonate with me. No Woohoo here.
Britpop bangers
We’ve had blur albums before but I didn’t really remember them so this was kind of a clean slate and I didn’t really like it. The voice was obnoxious and I think it just made the rest of the album disappointing.
Blur album number 3 within the first 500 - not necessarily a complaint (although we're 1 for 2 on the previous selections...) just noting the very heavy British slant to the list. It's kind of nice from a North American perspective as for the most part we didn't get nearly the hype on this side for many of these artists... Blur a great example. This was the only Blur album I owned so being familiar with it probably skews me a bit. Damon Albarn's vocals can definitely grate just a bit :P - but overall this is a great 90s Britpop album - token comment about the Blur v Oasis rivalry - Blur's albums always *sounded* better than Oasis' did, this is no exception. faves: "Colin Zeal" TL;DR: Good melodic 90s rock, one of the better of the Britpop era - album is too long; cut this by about 15 minutes and it could have knocked it up to a 5 7/10 4 stars.
It sure is
Britpop. Ningún megahit. Ni fu ni fa.
In the 90's, Blur was always advertised to me as an Oasis or Radiohead level of good. And I was a massive Radiohead fan and I enjoyed Oasis as well, so I always assumed Blur would also be something that I enjoyed. But I just never got it. Song 2 was alright but nothing else really grabbed me. I gave up on them long ago and even with the Gorillaz, I love what's going on, but the music just didn't do it for me. Listening to this though may have changed that. It's not mind blowing or anything. But I REALLY enjoyed this record. It could just be my mood, but I am super glad this came up today and I will give their other albums a spin as a result.
Little to hate and little to love about this album
Good. I've already been through this discography.
Ööööhh… yeah de e!!!!!
Am I crazy or is this way better than their other albums? A pleasant suprise
Med en titel som denna gör de recensionen alltför lätt...
Felt it was pretty good but somewhat forgettable. Overall pleasant alt rock, catchy but not addictive. Low 3.
I come from a household where 'Blur is Shite', but this was alright.
Meh - wasn't bothered then, not bothered now
Not the best blur album, but still super enjoyable
Nothing wrong with this album but for my money nothing to make it special either. Easy listening rock but no song stood out to me
Bättre än väntat!
Small bit annoying and repetitive at parts. Definitely some classic tunes and catchy songs but not as high quality or revolutionary as other projects by Damon albarn.
cool album cover. track one is really cool. the bassist and guitars are working really well together. track 3 is a banger. this is banging use of theme across the album yay. track 5 is a tune. Harry was hating on this album too much. the songwriting is really really good. track 6 bangs. as a whole this album might be better than 13. can't decide if part 2 of track 7 goes hard or is incredibly goofy. track 8 was a fun little song. track 9 sounds nice. now that I pay attention this kinda slaps. if only I was in the country when blur was playing live. mm track 10 is developed. I see why this album is on this list. holy shit this slaps. mm mm mm. track 14 is a banger. this outro has a lot of the sounds and mixing techniques used on 13. like the organ which I think is on 1992??? (Must be a different song idk which) might be wrong. overall this is a very solid album id give it between a 3 and a 4 but ill round it up sure. there weren't any mega high higlights but it was all proper good stuff. favourite track was probably miss America. yay
enjoyed it. A bit quirky!
Did not like one song. Couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Some nice britpop.
As far as I can tell, Blur's brand of britpop is rock-based. Heavy riffs, fast paced, and wild sounding. This is in contrast with their rival Oasis's brand, which I think is pop-based. I don't really want to pick a side, because both are the same: promising at some places but falls flat as a generic pop-rock instead. Britpop in general, it seems, likes to play safe.
Yes, Blur was big in BritPop, and yes, this album helped paved the way for that. But outside of the UK, no one really cared about this album or its singles. This album had one single in the top 100, and that was *only* in Britain. The album was certified Gold... again, only in Britain. The album reviews at the time of release thought it was a good album, not great. Retrospective reviews have been better... but only some. Some reviews still think it's a good, not great, album. It's not a bad album though. And for historical reasons I can see it being on the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear before You Die, but their self-titled album would be a better choice in my opinion. The songs on here are good but not great, and I found myself wanting the album to be over so that I could listen to something better.
1. For Tomorrow: great harmonizing progression. Guitar goes hard. 8/10 2. Advert: chorus saves this one for me. Feels too messy at points. 6.5/10 3. Colin Zeal: great chord progression, like the little solo, love the storyesque way of this song. 7.5/10 4. Pressure on Julian: this one isnt it for me. 4/10 5. Star Shaped: really nice riff, vibey song, very nice solo. 8.5/10 6. Blue Jeans: mellow song compared to the rest, alright but not particularly interesting. 6/10 7. Chemical World: pretty nice melody, catchy chorus. 7.5/10 8 and on: alright not too special. Vila Rosie was from all of these my favorite.
Britpop is not as gimmicky as I remember.
I found it a bit of a let down. The first song got me excited and started off real strong but the rest of the album was really mediocre.
Fun album. Catchy songs with elegance, even if Britpop still isn't for me. Modern Life is Rubbish overstays its welcome for a few tracks.
Sehr chillig zum nebenbei laufen lassen, definitiv irgendwann nochmal hören zum lyrics abchecken.
All fine
Second album on this list by Blur and a doubling down for me that me and Blur don’t vibe. Maybe third time’s a charm at some point?
Yeah Blur are better than Oasis. That is all.
I really like this album. 'For Tomorrow', 'Chemical world' going into 'Sunday Sunday' are top tier. Loads of unique moments too
Well it was very Blurry throughout ! Thnk I prefer Gorillaz. It was OK so 3*
Its fine but i think i dont really get blur or something
De her fuckers var onde mod Nardwuar og synger legit "lalalala" ok nok bias, ægte lyt nu. Bare sådan lidt kedeligt, det giver mig ikke rigtigt noget. Hans stemme er også lidt whacky. Den anden halvdel er dog bedre og der bliver faktisk bragt noget frem. Sjove instrumenter bliver introduceret og det lyder ikke ligeså tamt som starten.
I’ve always liked Blur, but personally prefer Damon Albarn in Gorillaz. Looking at the track listing, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything of this album. I’m excited to listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Star Shaped, Chemical World This whole album was pretty fantastic. It’s got that very British feel, hence the genre of Britpop, that you don’t really tend to hear anywhere else. I was correct that no longs on here were recognisable to me, but that does surprise me as you’d think some of these songs would still get plenty of radio play, especially on the radio stations that I listen to which are mostly 90’s music. Regardless, I can say with confidence that I really enjoyed this. If you’re into 90’s British pop-rock bands, give it a try.
Brilliant, as both of its successors
Rubbish... boring uk rock
This was pretty good. I had listened to Blur a little before but not much.
Pretty solid Brit-pop with a healthy dose of glam mixed in. Not bad, not special either.
Britpop, de jaren negentig, een licht verlangen naar de goeie ouwe jaren zestig, met een dikke laag ironie erover en dan alles met veel vervorming uit de versterkers laten knallen. Best leuk, maar niet alles in dit genre blijft even lang boeiend.
Easy-Listening-Britpop. Ik word er gewoon wel relaxted van. Zelfs een vriendje (9) van mijn zoontje ging er even lekker voor zitten. Het doorstaat de tand des tijds dus prima. En ook de album-titel lijkt mij prima houdbaar...
In de 90s was je of een Blur fan of een Oasis fan, een soort revival van de Beatles vs de Stones. Ik was voor Oasis, dus heb nooit echt goed naar Blur geluisterd. Maar dit is best wel een lekker uptempo album, flinke gitaren er in zowaar. Prima popmuziek uit de 90s zo.
One of the first and best Britpop records and maybe my favourite Blur album. It's got all the things I like about Blur - plaintive melancholy, guitar rockers, fun pop songs- without any of the annoying mockney stuff that were part of their next two records. Plenty of gems, For Tomorrow, Star Shaped, Chemical World and (bestest) Blue Jeans for example
Yeah, it's another Britpop album and I know the sheer amount of them garners a lot of hate from long-time 1001 reviewers. Probably rightly so - I'm less than 200 in and have already lost count. However I don't really care because I'm still into Britpop. I liked this album, it soundtracked a long walk on a grey Saturday afternoon very well. It was the kind of album that I just sort of zoned out too, where all the songs blended into one. But sometimes I'd be pulled back into reality to find that this was *still* on. This is a very long album, probably one of the longest I've had so far. Although there were excellent songs sprinkled throughout, so I never truly got bored or thought I was wasting my time, it still verged on feeling like a chore occasionally. Still, it was very good, there were some classics I recognised in there, and also some amazing songs that were new to me. (I especially liked the Daisy Bell cover) However, it's not an album I'm likely to listen to fully and uninterrupted again any time soon. Definitely one that's better to sprinkle through a playlist in my opinion. Favourite: For Tomorrow (Visit to primrose Hill Extended)
Ihan ok, ysärisoundi puree mutta jätti aika väliinpitämättömästi. Hitit Blurilla pelittää (For tomorrow oikein hyvä), muu menee yllättävän hitaaksi grungeksi.
Ajankuvaa: ysärillä rockin ja popin perinteiset sointuvaihdokset eivät ole tuntuneet tavallisista rock/pop-bändeistäkään riittäviltä. Mikä on ihan "ok" - mutta ei kannata odottaa yhdenmukaisen loisteliasta lopputulosta.
This was a good listen. Probably the most uncomplicated, accessible album I have had. When I say uncomplicated, I definitely don't mean lyrics-wise. They are sharp and clever and the music is so catchy. Will listen again!
My immediate thought was “this is just The Kinks”. Sure, it’s not an exact replica, call them the modern (1993) version. My suspicions confirmed when reading about the album and learning how heavy an influence The Kinks were. To put it simply, five songs in, I was bored. There was nothing this album really had to offer. I was initially somewhat on board with a few songs sounding like The Kinks at first. I jumped ship when it became apparent this was the entire album. After reading they were threatened to be dropped by their label after their first release, I had to give it a listen. I cannot put myself into a label’s shoes to decide what makes a band droppable, but at least Leisure was something different. Still influenced by Brit pop, but not a complete Kinks ripoff to my ears. A friend pointed out they have that “WOOHOO!” song, and that’s a jam, so hopefully that album comes up later and I hear the good stuff. This is rubbish. Go listen to The Kinks.
High three to low four for me. The rock style seemed so classic to me for many of the songs - so much so that it was almost like listening to comfort music in the same way that people would eat comfort food. Despite this, there were definitely a few songs on here that I did not particularly like (like Sunday Sunday) and some of the rest started to blend together. Overall pretty solid.
If this was half as long it would be great. Ballooned up to almost an hour, it’s just good. There’s not many songs that miss, but not many that really HIT either. Mostly, it’s a promising, early-career effort that, in hindsight, provides a blueprint and origin story of sorts for many of the band’s later, greater career works.
Not my favorite Blur album, but also never bad. I’m always inspired by their song structures and adventurous chords. I would have loved to have heard the Andy Partridge versions of these songs, which supposedly were demo recordings early in the process. It’s hard to rate this, knowing what the band will ultimately become, and how good it’s about to get, but I didn’t dislike it. I also love the super Britishness of bands like this and the Kinks… it’s a thing I’ve recently discovered through 1001. 3/5
I enjoyed the album a lot, especially the first and third songs
This is not very good at all. All sounds EXACTLY the same. Chirpy riffs? Done. Stupid Mockney accent and gibberish lyrics? Done. No discernible songs? Done. Awful album.
Strengthened my belief that Blur wrote some outstanding songs but were a boring album band. It’s full of good lyrics and oh-so tunes. Very English but just not very interesting musically.
Love it
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, just classic British rock which delivers strongly across the board Favourite song: Track 9 - Oily Water
Pretty average from Blur and this version is way too long at over 2hrs. They’ve done much better albums than this.
This album was "what if David Bowie was not as good?"
Not worth 2 hr and 15 mins of my time
Enjoyable but nothing that really captured me.
I only really know Blur from Song 2 but so far the album isn't as unintelligible as that song is. Some words I miss but I'm getting most of them. I think my favorite song is Advert, it's the first song from any of these albums I've added to a playlist so far. Blue Jeans is pretty good too, I like how slow it is and the instrumental's really pretty. All in all, I think the album's pretty good. A lot more lowkey that I was expecting but it wasn't unwelcome.
Good ol' blur
There are songs from blur that I really love, but this album is not for me. I can see the appeal, but I can't say that I enjoyed it
OK - nothing special here, didn't even recognise the singles
This really did nothing for me. Much prefer Albarn's work with Gorillaz
I like Blur well enough. This isn’t my favourite. I much prefer Parklife. This is a bit meh for my liking. For Tomorrow is the only takeaway from this album from me. And I do love a picture of a steam train. Which is about all I have to say on the matter. Pretend this is a 2.5.
This album contains the garage band, indie sound I so loved in the 90s. It’s a record that, if I had heard it then, would probably be an old favorite. Having heard it only once, i would probably rate the experience at a 2 with hopes of it becoming a 4 after repeated listens. But I don’t have time for all that now so a 3 it is.
I may be a few decades behind, but here's a band I've discovered through this listening group. I knew the name, I thought I had listened to Blur before, but this is all new to me — and I'm really liking it. The songwriting is clever and catchy and feels consequential, whether or not it really is. Great energy, just odd enough to be interesting, serious without coming off as self-aware. Whatever, that's all rubbish. I like the music. Could be a 5-star but for the early-'90s curse of making albums longer than they needed to be. Drags a little toward the end, but damn good.
I never listened to this one as much as Parklife or The Great Escape. I wonder why, as it's pretty similar, though maybe not quite as cooked. It also doesn't quite hit the highs of the other two albums. Good stuff in general, though I get a bit tired of their attitude as some of their lyrics are rather condescending. But their tunes are pretty good and I was surprised at how many I remembered. Blue Jeans, For Tomorrow, and Chemical World are standouts. As with Parklife, I'd trim maybe 1/4 of the album as it's all a bit much. (That's the problem with a lot of albums from the CD era. Not restricted to 42 minutes of music anymore, so let's fill up the disc!)
I like but I can't say I love. The album took a turn around Blue Jeans and by Resigned…I think I fell. Not quite a 4 for me but more than a 3.
One of the best 90s alt rock groups
I used to like this a lot more, but hearing it now it's kind of a bloated mess. There are some good songs, but the record is about 15 minutes too long.
The album was fun, not necessarily an attention-grabber or even an attention-seeker. Nothing noteworthy or profound on the first listen-through. These are all good things for the purposes of this review, though. The sound of the 1980s was ever so faint, with the predictable beats of the early 1990s when drums started getting really pop-style emerging throughout the listen. The vocals were still very much of the previous decade, but there was a sense of honesty that the 90s seemed to have brought out in its transition from the 80s. This is rather hard to explain, admittedly. Overall, the album is indicative of the trends from one decade to the next, maybe even a perfect blend of that. The appreciation for this album starts and ends there, however.
man i just didnt vibe with it
Everything about this is so English sounding. I appreciated that it was more adventurous than some of the other stuff we listen to in a way that worked. It really do anything for me though when I listened. 2.5
More interesting than I thought it would be. Still not very interesting.
I couldn’t tell you why I like this album more than all the other British rock bands we have listened to. My favorites were chemical world and Sunday, Sunday.
It was okay his accent was a bit too strong but whatevs. For Tomorrow and Chemical World were my favourites and some of the other ones weren’t too bad either. I liked the ending of Resigned. Pretty good album but got a bit boring after time.
Wasn't into this one. Didn't hate it or anything, just didn't connect with it. I didn't like the production - it all sounded the same to me.
It was fine. Nothing stood out.
It was aiiight. I really really enjoyed a few tracks but felt pretty neutral toward many others. Pressure on Julian was one of my top tracks. Also really dig the instrumentals on Chemical World.
BRITANNIA POPPIA ÄRSYTTÄÄ!!!... ei oikeesti ärsytä... hieno soundi.... indifferent with the album....
Really good in some ways, troublesome in others. Somewhat downbeat and tempo and a bit softer and less sneering than their other works. Very well produced and polished, spiky – but ultimately sub-transcendent – pop. Kinksesque it very may well be, though not quite the real article, is it? Overall, there's a good bit to enjoy – "Blue Jeans" and "Vlila Rosie" are both strong and likable; "For Tomorrow" and "Turn It Up" bounce along nicely, the former aided by strings that are nice enough but feel slightly surplus to requirements; But there are also the barb-y bits (one is tempted to call them own goals) that are on brand to Blur but seem to denigrate the songs. To wit, the end of "Chemical World" seems purposefully annoying and not very clever, more like taking the piss. They are showing off – what exactly? Their music hall chops, one presumes. Even allowing for the social commentary aspect, one fails to see the point? They do much the same on "Resigned," almost ruining what's otherwise an engaging tune and leaving a bit of a bad taste as the record comes to a close. Boys (and maybe one means Damon), what's the point? The answer might be to ride the finest line between pleasure and provocation. This record – though like a lot of others of this era is longer than it absolutely needs to be – mostly succeeds but too often blur they are more annoyingly provocative than intriguingly so. **Interestingly, not a single cut off this record, crafty though it may be, not one of the cuts is in the Top Tracks on the streamers.
This is a decent album. Initially I didn't really like what I was hearing and didn't think I'd enjoy this album at all as it seemed that the first two tracks were supposed to be the more popular ones. The first track in general felt like a mediocre Kinks ripoff right from the opening chords. As the album went on I enjoyed it more but still not one that I'll probably come back to. I've never really gotten into Blur. I don't think they're bad, I just don't hear them doing anything that unique or groundbreaking. I actually think Damon Albarn has become a more interesting songwriter in Gorillaz and even by the later Blur album 1997 ST album. Standout Tracks: Star Shaped, Blue Jeans, Oily Water, Miss America, Turn It Up
I love that Blur is willing to go with whatever sound they feel like performing. This album just didn't do it for me.
Not too bad, a great variety of sounds, far better than parklife, but in the end, a bit of work to get through all of it.
Back to back Blur albums, Britpop sound on full display here.
This is an album I don't know. I have spent some time with Parklife and Self Titled. I've also really enjoyed Gorillaz and some of Albarn's production over the years (looking at you Bobby Womack). Looking forward to spending some time with this. Starts off with a heavy nod to Bowie. That's a great way to start. In fact, the album does have a sort of lineage of the British Pop history feel to it - which is apropos given the title of the album. This is a fun album, you can see why they became a big deal.
HL: "For Tomorrow", "Star Shaped", "Blue Jeans", "Chemical World", "Turn it Up" Had to go thru the tracks the next morning to get the highlights, when I got a better appreciation for the melodies & different influences on display (the initial listen left me a bit cold, but I'm not sure why). Pretty sure my overall appreciation of Blur fluctuates with time; I thought their self-titled album was pretty great but I haven't felt a strong urge to return to it since. 3.5 January 8, 2023
Meh
This album was cool. Very much fit the mold of 90s alternative that I like. The mid-track changes were a touch that landed for me. Favorite track: Sunday Sunday
Not really into this. It sounds pretty generic. There is just something about this album that makes it sounds low effort.
Boring
The thing we should all ask ourselves is how did the british successfully convince the entire world that they were the ones to emulate? This is an OK album, but nothing about it other than its british-ness stands out at all. 2/5
Started slow, but got better as it went along. Love Chemical World, Resigned. The 19 song bonus disc has some pretty good stuff too if you've got a couple of hours.
Very British punk 80’s vibe. It has a distinct sound.
"Chemical World" is pretty interesting. Blur has just always been the less-interesting Gorillaz to me. I'm hoping I can leave that thought in the dirt somewhere, but this album doesen't really help much. I'm looking forward to listening to Parklife for sure though. 2
There are better albums in their discography, but this is still classic Blur.
Começo do album é bom. O restante achei pretensioso demais
Really cool variation of songs. Loved it
First song feels pretty funky, so far don’t hate it. Laaaalaaalaaalalalaaaaa - I love this part Making my head hurt a little tbh (chemical world)
Chemical water was my favorite but overall not a fan of this band actually
Not for me
Rock alternativo
Альбом мне понравился, можно было чуть сократить, сложно было все дослушать 🙄 больше всего понравился трек Chemical world хахахх Ладно на самом деле Sunday Sunday
Первая часть альбома понравилась, вторая уже надоедала, долго! но при этом первую часть альбома я может еще даже переслушаю! лучший трек:For tomorrow долгие треки такого жанра иногда слушать невыносимо тяжело.
Better things are to come I think. It's pleasant enough but I don't think this should be here.
This is the most British album I've listened to in a long time. I can't say there's any song on it I'm excited to hear again. A lot of the recordings sounded like the epitome of recording quality and techniques I was taught in college.
I guess it’s okay? I liked some of their songs when I was younger. This album just didn’t do it for me right now.
For their second album, and breakout success, Blur made a transparent attempt to revitalise what the Kinks were doing in "Village Green Preservation Society", without quite the same humour or heart. On my first listen, "Modern Life is Rubbish" really didn't do a lot for me. But it's worth persevering to allow the best songs to float to the top of the "oily water": there are some gems here, albeit obscured by a performative indifference. On first hearing this album, my struggle was that it seemed relentless with Damon Albarn's smug and faintly condescending songwriting about stranded twentieth-century men and women trapped in "modern life." Most of the songs boast unorthodox chord progressions which are interesting at times and obnoxious at others, as though Albarn and co. are showing off at the expense of crafting good songs. Still, once I listened more and had got over wondering how each song was going to settle itself, I started to appreciate Blur's craft much more. "For Tomorrow", a last-minute addition to go out as a single, proves irresistible with its deceptively chirpy "la la la" refrain. "Chemical World" is a slow-growing anthem, even if it does sound like the Weasley twins on vocals. "Star Shaped", "Turn It Up" and "Villa Rosie" are my other honourable mentions, though my highlight of the whole album may just be "Intermission" at the end of "Chemical World". Surprising, refreshing and dramatic, it's a perfect interlude. For a second album, "Modern Life is Rubbish" is reasonably assured in taking risks but could perhaps have gone further. Despite the promise of genre experimentation and an expanded orchestra section, all too often we end up reverting to throwaway character studies ("Colin Zeal"), robotic punk-by-the-numbers ("Coping") or tuneless dirge ("Miss America"). The rest of the band are competent but not breathtaking: Graham Coxon proves himself a supple and versatile rhythm guitarist, while Dave Rowntree's drumming is rarely anything but seismic and intense. As a forty minute album, "Modern Life Is Rubbish" could have been truly special. As it is, it's just pretty good- but knowing the heights Albarn would later reach, both with Blur and the far superior Gorillaz, makes it a worthwhile curio.
Never really been a Blur fan
I did not listened a lot to Blur before and I mainly know them from "song 2". I really like their sound, but this album didn't convince me.
Maybe a bit too poppy, maybe a bit too long, but it’s all quite clever.
Nice to learn some more songs by Blur than just song 2, Not really my favourite songs ever or anything but they do sound pretty fun
Sad without excitement
Opens really strong and has some great songs. Just a few too many dull moments for it too be 4 stars. Great listen though!
Wasn't quite sure about it on first listen, but there was enough there that I thought I'd give it a second spin. Enjoyed it much more the 2nd time through. There's a few slower parts, but overall pretty fun album and I'd come back to it. 3.75/5
I stand by my previous comment that I don’t understand why Oasis and Blur are the Britpop bands to make it big when literally every other one I’ve heard is better. Mehtastic. D
... david bowie shades. Catchy though I would listen again. I dont want to get lost in 3's so ehres me ranking it 4 against my better judgement.
Хороший альбом, можно было чуть сократить -- 16 треков и час хронометража не держат внимание на сотку постоянно. Оставить все треки до Sunday Sunday, а дальше часть порезать, был бы вообще отлищный альбомес на 11-12 песен. А по собственно содержанию — ух, сука, навалили мощных риффачков, чувствуется уверенная рука хитмейкера, но при этом не глупо сделано.
Sometimes Blur sounds like Gorrillaz and sometimes Gorrillaz sounds like Blur but this album is pure Blur. Fave tracks are For Tomorrow and Chemical World.
I was leaning towards a 3 on first listen as it left me mostly cold, but I warmed to it on a 2nd. Yup - engaging enough - nothing too grating. Fave track - I mean, I want to say "Intermission" and "Commercial Break" because I'm very much that kinda douchebag. "Chemical World" is fine too, I s'pose...
Modern Life Is Rubbish is weird because it's a Blur album without pretty much anything Blur were well-known for. It's alright, good in places and forgettable in others, preferable to lots of stuff we've had but really average in general. Just gets a 3.
I think maybe I'll like later Blur albums better? This is fine, but a bit dialed back and bland compared to what they'd become later on. Opening track is good (but not great), but the rest fades a bit into beige. 2/5.
Not their best, but not bad. I didn't buy this when it came out, possibly as a result of their rather twattish public personas at the time.
The one before they got great and put their mark on the decade.
I love Blur. But of all their albums, this is my least favourite. It's the album before Parklife (which is an absolute riot), and a looong way from 13 (which I think is Blur's pinnacle). Still a good listen and cuts along nicely - but nothing outstanding, which is a shame because a lot of Blur's output really is.
A great album with some of my favourite Blur tracks on it: Blue Jeans, Miss America, Oily Water, Chemical World, For Tomorrow. Still sounds fantastic
Bit dated and a bit gobby, but gets better as it goes on. I didn't appreciate the context to it: despite it being their second album, Blur were far from being on the up at the time. Bit of a drag in places, but a few great tracks. Prime cuts: Star Shaped, Chemical World
Some good musical moments which they have ruined. Maybe on purpose?
Found this instantly forgettable, much preferred the previous album on the list
Not bad, little bit all over the place
Well this is one brilliant album but it’s definitely blurs most front loaded album as I love the whole run from for tomorrow to oily water then Miss America onwards is just a drop in quality. Blur overload their albums anyway this just gets a 5/5.
meh
Reminded me of Bowie a little at the start in a weird way. The ending songs had a lot going on. Overall it was fine.
Very blur
Early Brit pop from a bad that is mostly known in North America for one song that isn’t on this album. Musically strong with British influences, lyrically thought worth repeated listen
A tad long and bit on the nose, innit bruv.
First half of this album was really good. Totally surprising. Then the horrible piano interlude happens and it turns into the Blur I hate. Oh well, half a fun experience.
Buena sucesión de canciones con el característico estilo del pop británico. Ritmos sencillos, estribillos pegadizos y canciones alegres. Muy de escuchar a ratos
Eclectic and listenable
Perustylsä. Mielenkiinto loppui kolmannen biisin jälkeen.
Perusjeekkisblurri
I sort of forgot I was listening to music during the record.
Grade A Britpop. Lots of catchy hooks and bright melodies, delivered with a playful and mischievous spirit. The influence of The Beatles and The Kinks are clear (the music proudly asserts itself as very British) with some harder alt-rock sounds and styles blended in. The production has an abundance of fun details too that I’m sure will make this album particularly enjoyable to replay. This is a pretty long album and I wonder if it’s too long. Still, I respect a band that had so many ideas that they just couldn’t pick and put them all on the album. Blur is one of those bands I’ve been meaning to listen to for years. One of the things that’s been great about this list is that I’ve finally been finding time for all those bands I’ve heard about but never gave proper attention to.
It's a pretty tight album, I found myself expecting more from it though. It's got that British edge to it at times and also has some beauty in melodies here and there. The singer has a great voice that is so memorable. I really liked "Star Shaped". Like a lot of their songs, the singers voice has this "mocking" sort of tone but it sounds great in this track. The break in this with the acoustic guitar and synth is one of my favorite parts on the record. I kind of felt like I wanted more from the record, which is surprising given that it's 2 hours and 18 minutes long. Maybe it needed to not be spread so far?
77/100
Good ol’ Britpop. Probably the best Blur album. The influences of the Kinks and Small Faces are strong with this one. The album is a bit too long tho. Not bad at all.
All I really know of Blur is WOOOO HOOOO! This album was fine - I did have to get the book out to tell me why I needed to hear it (FYI it didn't convince me).
Ihan ok, mutta en mitenkään erityisesti tykänny. Jos pitäis valita lempparikappaleet niin For tomorrow ja Blue jeans.
Ihan kuunneltava, mutta ei tästä jäänyt ihan kauheesti mieleen, vaikka palasin joihinki kappaleisiin parikin kertaa. Kuuntelin vähän aikaa sitten Blurrilta toisen albumin (Parklife), ja vaikka se oli osin jo ennestään tuttu, niin myös moni niistä aiemmin tuntemattomista kappaleista tuntui jäävän paremmin heti mieleen. Tällä albumilla sellasia kappaleita oli ehkä jossain määrin For Tomorrow, Oily Water ja Turn It Up.
I am sick of blur already I cannot stand them. There are good songs on this album but I hate them and there stupid voices.
Listened to this with Popscene as an aperitif. I was one of the many who overlooked this when it was first released. A big leap from its predecessor Leisure, and the first of Blur's four great albums.
Beatles but bad
3,5
Fun albums
I love Blur, but I don't see any particular reason to include this particular album here.
Essential if not a bit superfluous BritPop.
it's good background music. 3.5/5
not bad
The vocals just drag. I just dont like blur.
I live in a city with a lot of British expats. I mean, a lot. Oasis is the band that you hear drunkenly yelled along to after a brunch or at the bar, but they are the less interesting band overall. Probably because they're kind of a one-man gang with Noel Gallagher, who I think is talented, and then bandmates who ended up being somewhat replaceable. Blur sounds much more like a band. Dave Rowntree is seriously underrated as a drummer, and Graham Coxon is an all-time great guitarist. I understand the "Damon Albarn is too smart" critique, since sometimes you just want to drunkenly caterwaul to Wonderwall and call it a day, but when his lyrics work, they really work. I get the Kinks comparisons as far as the themes go, but I don't feel like this album is aping anything older - this feels more like an update than anything else. Singles are all strong tracks (Sunday, Sunday is a bit on the nose, but still sounds good with those horns), Advert, Pressure on Julian, and Star Shaped are standout album tracks. Starts to bog down a bit on the beginning of side two, but a good album overall, though a handful of dud tracks keeps this from being a 5.
British They Might Be Giants for people who somehow have even less sex. Yeah, I like it. The ranking still stands: Suede > Blur > Pulp > Oasis
Great album. Though ill admit this is probably due to nostalgia.
It was just okay.
Alright
Rubbish
I really dug this album. It was so peaceful and dreamy.
As a huge Gorillaz fan, glad I was finally pressured to listen to a Blur album. However, I can't say I was impressed.
One of my all time favourites. Villa Rosie gets me every time.
Background noise at work, was decent but didn't pay too much attention to it.
Didn’t remember how close Blur where to The Kinks but also to English Punkrock heroes like The Clash or The Jam. Still nice to re-discover.
Unfortunately, this album is rubbish.
The “meh” album I have ever heard.
I like Blur but did not like this album. Waaaay too long with loads of filler.
not bad 3
I enjoyed this album, it was good background rock music and my dad also owns an album by Blur
Really nice album, lots of unique sounds and nice vibes
Pain in my ears. I can’t stand this type of droning rock. Horrible vocals. Miss America and resigned are the only tolerable songs.
The critics who put this list together must really like blur! Familiar blur chord progressions, quite liked advert but no other standout songs.
Another Blur album
Thought it was decent but I enjoy their later albums more.
Not as good as parklife imo but it's ok.
From my relatively limited experience of Blur, the weakest album of theirs seems to have been the one to make this list. None of the songs grabbed me particularly and this passed me by in a bit of a - ahem - blur. Supposedly an epiphany, this was just a bit like modern life, as far as I was concerned.
A decent bridge between Blur's debut and Parklife. Modern Life is the sound of the band in transition. They managed to ditch the baggy sound they had been lumped in with, and started to develop as songwriters. The comparisons with The Kinks are obvious, both in subject matter and style. The singles of course stand out. For Tomorrow, Chemical World and Sunday Sunday are Student Indie Disco defined. A great album to drink pints of cherry brandy and cider to.
One of Blur's better albums imo, some amazing songs here.
I'm not sure why I liked this so much. The sound isn't particularly lush, though it does a lot with a rather standard band. None of the lyrics leaped to mind. However, the sequencing did a lot of work and my overall impression is of Blur as nineties inheritors of the Kinks, deservedly.
Slow british pop
Great. solid
I think this is the first album in this series so far that I've listened to twice, really enjoyed it! I've always been a fan of Blur but until now I've only really listened to their singles and greatest hits. Going into this album knowing it was influenced by The Kinks makes a lot of sense and gave it good context. Some really solid songwriting here and a lot of memorable songs. It's a shame this album has been somewhat overshadowed by their Parklife era which followed.
My Favourite Blur Album and their best in my opinion. Others have better tracks or were more revered or sold more. From memory this one didn't fare too well at the time so it is nice to see it recognised
Not my thing. Standard British Pop. Found myself getting bored and looking forward to it finishing.
pretty good shit. overall the vibe is there, and the two main instrumental bits give it a nice lil structure BUT the opener is so weak and they use lalala in two separate songs. i was alr disappointed with one. also the mix was a lil off on like 1or2 songs, the lower harmony and guitar were sorta clashing. otherwise, the run from blue jeans to villa rosie is pretty clean. and i’m a big fan of chemical world, miss america and the closer. solid 4
Þetta kærulausa britpop er alltaf skemmtilegt.
Think I may have brought this back n the day not aged that great tbh
Pretty good. Listened while marking homework.
"Modern Life Is Rubbish" is the second studio album from Blur following a media backlash from their previous album "Leisure" for its fading bagging music scene (Manchester dance) and unsuccessful US tour and a change to more tradional rock-pop (Kinks, Small Faces). I found this quite good. The songs are more melodic and lush using brass, woodwinds and backing vocals. There are definitely songs that have that Blur-type sound that I'm familiar with. The lyrics are built around traditions and scenery of England and London, supposedly on purpose for lead singer Damon Albarn's dislike of the US after their last tour. The band had to record two additional songs "For Tomorrow" and "Chemical World" after their Food record company owner David Balfe (of The Teardrop Explodes) initially rejected the album and told them he thought the album was artistic suicide. Wow. Hindsight. I thought one of the highlights was the exceptional, unique guitar playing of Graham Coxon. This album is considered on of the defining albums of Britpop. The album begins with the first single and song they wrote for the record company to release the record, "For Tomorrow." It's very poppy and peppy. Strings. Background vocals. Nice production. It seems to be kind of a montage of London. One of the highlightlighr for me is "Pressure on Julian." It's an obvious dig on The Teardrop Explodes' Julian Cope and especially their record label owner David Balfe. Just excellent and weird guitar by Coxon, sounding like the frickin' Jesus Lizard. It's pyschdelic and also reminds me of the Kinks, Pink Floyd and heck even The Teardrop Explodes...lol. "Chemical World" was the second single and appears to be about drugs and their use detaching one from the world/reality. Straight-forward pop-rock guitar and song. A kind of weird music hall/ vaudeville instrumental ends the song. Their third single "Sunday Sunday" has a nice guitar start. Albarn seems to be poking fun at older generations' nostalgic memories. Defintely Britpop and kind of Beatles-esque. It changes tempo and almost sounds a roller rink with the organ at the end. I enjoyed this album. It is the first of a trilogy of albums known as the Life or English Trilogy. I probably like of a few of Blur's later albums better. And at 58 minutes this is a long listen probably due to them recording two more songs. Maybe it was to piss off their record company. I doubt Blur gave a shit
A bit risky calling modern life rubbish when putting an album like this. I mean it's alright but it's also a bit rubbish - sorry, had to do it. I mean it's not impressive and somehow all British alt rock sounds the same. 6/10.
Interesting... this project has exposed me to a lot of bands I've never heard of. These guys are pretty good, not necessarily my jam, and some of the other albums I found better at first listen.
This is my third and final Blur album on this list, funny enough I got them in reverse order of release. While the other two were certainly more commercially popular, I think this one is my favorite of the three. It is just so musically intriguing to me. Parklife and their self titled album are just a little more alt rock and loud while this is a slightly quieter and full of interesting instrumentation. The mixing is also very well done, some of the pans on songs like the guitar intro to "Colin Zeal" starting panned hard right and then panning over to the middle and then a second guitar that is panned more left. The bass intro on that track is fantastic too. I still can't quite get over the typical Brit-Pop vocal sound though on some tracks like "Villa Rosie" it flows a lot better for my ears. Great Album!