Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Starts off strong, but I soon lost interest.
Classic Blur
With Song 2 being so overplayed, I’d kinda forgotten how good this was. Very few misses on this diverse album
I’ve been waiting for Blur. Of course “Song 2” is a sports stadium mainstay. But I also knew “Parklife” going into this album and so was expecting a similar sort of very British quirkiness that that song just oozes. Didn’t really get that here. But the band really covers a wide range of sounds here. There’s lighter, poppier stuff that’s just chill to listen to, harder rock that makes you see that Blur was definitely an influence on later British bands like Arctic Monkeys, and a weird experimental sound collage type song reminiscent of The Beatles “Revolution 9.” Their creativity was apparent from the start and it was interesting to discover that they’ve been this way since the beginning. Not many bands are. Overall, a fun listen that warrants a lot of standout tracks and relistens. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Beetlebum, Song 2, Country Sad Ballad Man, On Your Own, Theme From Retro, Chinese Bombs, Movin’ On
Considering how much I loved Mellow Gold, I thought I would enjoy this one a lot more than I did.
Song 2 is a banger. Maybe I’d rate this album a 3 if they weren’t from fucking London
One good song
Alright, Gorillaz is a better Damon Albarn project and produces a better product, sorry
Song 2 is good... 👀
I thought the album was a little too long. The music wasn’t bad, but it kind of lost my interest about halfway through.
It was better music than I expected based on Song 2 but not very interesting in comparison to other contemporary bands.
Very different from parklife but somehow also extremely enjoyable. Some of the songs felt like a better version of Radiohead. Ended up listening the album four times on the same day
Fuck Oasis. This is real britpop
Part woo-hoo, more boo-hoo. After Song2 this LP was a let down.
Interesting album… Enjoyed a few of the songs. Reasonably unique style with interesting vocals ….
So Blur was one of the few albums that I had never listened to all the way through, that actually got worse after each subsequent listen – which is rare for me… There was decent diversity in the music throughout the album, and most of the compositions were fairly well done – it’s just that not very much grabbed me… “Song 2” is obviously quite catchy, and probably the most well-known track from this album, but after a few listens, it pretty much loses it’s “muchness” as there just wasn’t a lot of substance there… Not a bad poppish tune at all, but it’s certainly pretty limited… The best track IMO was the last one – “Essex Dogs”, and “Death Of A Party” & “Just A Killer For Your Love” were somewhat interesting, but not nearly enough to make up for the pedestrian nature of the rest of the album… Also “Country sad Ballad Man” is just a truly awful song – not as bad as “30,000 Monkies” from Lightning Bolt (i.e. a band from the apparently the “Noise Rock” genre, that I had to listen to a few weeks back on the 1,001 – but I digress…), but still dreadful… Had some decent expectations for this one, so a bit disappointing to be honest… Nothing but a solid 2 for me…
It’s mid, I don’t see the hype!
Hey did you know this is the guy who did Gorillaz?
Easy listening, which I didn't expect knowing Song 2. I quite liked it as background music, not too distracting. Just snip the last couple songs to get it under 50 mins. Stand-out: M.O.R.
Very diverse, poppy, heavy and weird
Blur is a band I always think I enjoy more than I actually do. Maybe I just misremember Gorillaz songs as Blur songs, I don't know. But this album was fine. It's not something I'm really ever going to want to reach for, but I didn't mind it for this play through. 2.5/5
Weird mix of songs I liked and some just-ok songs. I was surprised that I only knew Song 2. I assumed they had at least one other popular single on that album, but maybe not? Anyways, Song 2 is great but can't buttress the rest of the album. 3/5
Meh. D+
Ahead of its time. Song2, Beetlebum are well known and popular. But it’s the lesser known songs on this album that show Blur to be exceptional, inventive and engaging.
I was dreading this one, I expecting to hate it. What I didn’t expect was for it to just be broadly inoffensive, dull music. I couldn’t even muster up hatred for it.
An interesting weird album. I think I've heard better Blur albums but I get how Song 2 has endured and I see the creativity and indie oddity that Albarn exploded with in Gorillaz start to fester here.
From Apple Music's description: 'Worn down by fam, Britpop, and each other, Blure re-emerged… Same Apple Music, same. In yet another case of putting an entire album on the must listen list because of one hit song, we bring you Blur. My third Blur album from this experience and another instance of three being way too many. 2.5/5
> song2
Eh it was alright I guess. Standout: Song 2
Damon Albarn is someone that finds new sounds. Whenever I’m hearing new songs from Blur, Gorillaz, etc., I’m interested, intrigued, and on board.
Prefer their earlier albums
I thought this album was better, song 2 is about all it's got!
That was entertaining but ultimately underwhelming.
Meh. Song 2 is head and shoulders above the rest except arguably Beetlebum and the first 45 seconds of M.O.R. Seems like the perfect band for British millennials to love so much they get upset when others don't know who they are.
Ok
No thanks. I don’t understand this album being one of the 1001 albums.
La gueule de bois. Voilà l'état dans lequel se trouvait la Perfide Albion en cette fin d'année 1996. La grande fête Britpop, cette orgie de drapeaux, de guitares et de coupes au bol, touchait à sa fin. Dans la grande bataille médiatique qui avait opposé les deux titans du genre, il y avait un vainqueur par K.O. : Oasis. Les frères Gallagher, prolos magnifiques et arrogants, avaient conquis le monde avec leurs hymnes de stade, laissant Blur, les petits intellos arty de Londres, sur le carreau. Pour beaucoup, la messe était dite. Blur était devenu le groupe de la "Cool Britannia", mais cette dernière commençait sérieusement à sentir le réchauffé. L'album précédent, "The Great Escape", malgré ses qualités, sonnait comme la caricature d'un son qu'ils avaient eux-mêmes inventé. Le groupe était au bord de l'implosion, les rumeurs de séparation allaient bon train, et franchement, personne n'aurait parié un kopeck sur leur avenir. Damon Albarn, le leader charismatique, semblait usé, piégé par le personnage qu'il s'était créé. Le groupe ressemblait à un animal blessé, acculé. Et que fait un animal blessé ? Il mord. Violemment. "Blur", l'album éponyme de 1997, est précisément cette morsure. C'est un grand "allez vous faire foutre" balancé à la face de la presse musicale anglaise, du public qui les avait catalogués, et peut-être même à leur propre passé. C'est l'acte de sabotage le plus courageux et le plus salvateur de la décennie. Damon Albarn et sa bande ont décidé de jeter le bébé Britpop avec l'eau du bain, de brûler leurs costumes Fred Perry et de dynamiter tout ce qui avait fait leur succès. La première écoute est un choc. Fini les ritournelles pop et les observations sociologiques sur la banlieue anglaise. Dès les premières notes de "Beetlebum", on est ailleurs. C'est plus lourd, plus lent, presque toxique. La production est volontairement crade, les guitares sont distordues, la mélodie est sublime mais semble se débattre pour ne pas sombrer dans la mélancolie. On sent que quelque chose a changé. Et ce quelque chose porte un nom : l'Amérique. Et plus précisément, l'influence grandissante du guitariste Graham Coxon. Lassé de la pop calibrée et du cirque médiatique, Coxon, fan absolu de rock indépendant américain, a ramené dans ses bagages le son de Pavement, de Sonic Youth, des Pixies. Des groupes que Blur, au sommet de son arrogance "so british", aurait probablement méprisés quelques années plus tôt. Enregistré en partie en Islande, loin du tumulte londonien, cet album est celui de Coxon. C'est sa victoire. C'est lui qui injecte ce chaos, cette dissonance, cette énergie lo-fi qui va complètement redéfinir le son du groupe. Bien sûr, il y a "Song 2". Le tsunami. Deux minutes et deux secondes de bruit, de fureur et de "WOO-HOO !" qui deviendront, ironiquement, leur plus grand tube planétaire, notamment aux États-Unis, là où on ne les attendait plus. Un hymne de stade parfait pour vendre des bagnoles et des jeux vidéo, un bras d'honneur tellement énorme qu'il en est devenu commercial. C'est le paradoxe génial de cet album : en cherchant à se détruire commercialement, Blur a trouvé une nouvelle voie vers le succès, une voie plus large, plus internationale. Mais réduire cet album à "Song 2" serait une insulte. C'est un disque schizophrène et merveilleusement déroutant. Il y a des moments de grâce pure, des ballades lunaires comme "Strange News From Another Star" où l'on sent l'influence de Beck et d'un certain Bowie période spatiale. Il y a des pépites pop déglinguées ("M.O.R."), des explorations bruitistes ("Essex Dogs") et des chansons qui semblent flotter dans un état second, comme si le groupe avait enregistré sous anesthésie. La presse anglaise, bien sûr, a crié au suicide commercial. Ils n'avaient rien compris. En se libérant du carcan de la Britpop, Blur venait de signer son disque le plus audacieux et, rétrospectivement, le plus important. C'est l'album qui leur a permis de survivre aux années 90 et d'entamer une seconde carrière, plus expérimentale et passionnante. Alors, pourquoi seulement 4 sur 5 ? Parce que malgré son importance capitale et ses coups de génie, l'album est parfois le son d'un groupe en pleine transition. On sent la tension, le tiraillement entre l'ancien et le nouveau, et tout n'est pas parfaitement abouti. Ce n'est pas mon Blur préféré mais c'est sans doute le plus nécessaire. Un disque de rupture, un disque de renaissance.
Certified classic
Not a fan of his style
Other than Song 2, nothing of note.
Enjoyable! I think songs go on a bit too long and the album is too long as well, but I didn't mind it so much as I have with other records on this list. Not my favourite but has plenty I like. Song 2 is definitely an all timer, but Beetlebum, Death of a Party and All your life (from the deluxe version) are all great as well. 3.5/4.
Ok album.
Really enjoyed this album. A lot of cool songs with interesting vibes. Would definitely listen again. Not enough songs stand out as great though
I would love to be a fan of blur, but I just can't do it. Song 2 is obviously an all-time banger, and Beetlebum was a fun listen, but the rest of this album seems lost. Definitely hearing some of those Gorillaz roots in here, before he fine tuned it. If Song 2 wasn't on this album it would be a 2/5.
Brit pop clásico.
I enjoy blur and damon a lot. I think they have a unique style and it works. 4.5 wanted to give it a 5 but for some reason I can’t and rounded down.
enjoyed it. have heard blur before so not too surprised. enjoyable but a little slow for my liking
4/5
I can't even describe how bad this is. 1 star F-.
From the first song I was hooked. I've never heard of Blur before but this was a standout.
I didn't love this album when I first listened to it, but on a second try, I really like it! I feel like Blur was really experimenting with their own style and every song feels pretty different from the last. Songs like "Song 2" are just straight action while "Strange News from Another Star" feels like a Bowie throwaway. Others obviously influenced bands like OK Go and Portugal. The Man. Best Songs: Beetlebum, Song 2, Death of a Party, Looking Inside America, Strange News from Another Star Worst Songs: You're so Great, Essex Dogs,
Enjoyed this album. Fave song "Song 2" 3/5
Thoroughly decent. For the most part, it confirmed my feelings about Blur - that their music was basically just The Beatles but worse. However, there were a few tracks on here that surprised me. I specifically liked the grimy, almost Portishead sound on "Death of a Party" and "I'm Just a Killer for Your Love".
A change from 'typical' Blur music. Not my personal favourite but a few good tracks on here. Personally I prefer the album '13'.
Only one song you care about on this album. Trust me.
Song 2 rocks. Forget the rest.
There's a reason I only knew one of their songs
Song 2 gets you 2. The rest was not remarkable.
Not any appealing noise on this work for me.
Really really strong opening. Had some other highs, as well as some middles.
just because of "song 2" this album is awesome
Was okay. I can’t really remember anything that caught my ear, but nothing was bad either. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Yeah nah. Song 2 aside it just felt dated and cynical. Much is made of Blur and Albarn’s musical experimentation between genres, even as bands like the Cult already killed for it. I just didn’t get into this, and I remember why I didn’t get into it when it first came out. Also, it’s hard to listen to a band who is leader, Albarn is such a dick, who exploits and appropriates world music, and other musicians. Relistened to Elastica the other day, and it was amazing!
I will stand by this album until I die. This is Blur's masterpiece, and every song on is as good as, if not more, than "Beetlebum" and "Song 2". It's just really experimental and fun, even surprisingly beautiful at times (I'm talking about "You're so Great". Absolutely incredible song). Like, how can you listen to something like "Theme from Retro" and call this a generic Britpop album? Damon Albarn ate the forbidden fungus and the masses couldn't handle his spore fumes. Happens to the best of us.
Alright overall but the gulf between song 2 and the next best song on this album is significant
woo-hoo
This album was a blur. Kinda ripping off big time rush. I thought it was fine
Think my first encounter with a Blur song was playing FIFA 98. I have no idea what he's saying sometimes. Attempted partial transcription: Woohooo I got my head checked By a chomba che It wasn’t easy The nothingahhh No Woohooo When ifandalpliay Woohooo Andisplayialal
I liked Parklife more than this, though I'm not sure I've actually ever given this album a full listen through before today. That isn't to say I didn't like it, I enjoyed it quite a bit even, but Parklife has a better overall sound to it than this one. Song 2 is still the best one between the two of them, as silly as it is. The great thing about Blur is that they've always straddled a bunch of styles on their albums. This particular one has too many generic sounding songs that don't really take advantage of the band's weird capabilities. Songs like "Theme from Retro" and "Country Sad Ballad Man" are just too out there compared to the rest of them and kinda wreck the vibe of the whole thing. I realize this is probably intentional but for whatever reason it doesn't really connect with me. Other than that, the other songs are great. I enjoyed the majority of this album and it's a fun reminder that the 90's wasn't just grunge and boy bands.
This is the worst Gorillaz album ever.
Very good britpop album. Probably my second favourite Blur album after Parklife. So close to being a 5/5 but as with Blur's other albums it doesn't quite reach there.
Not the biggest fan of this album. Song 2 is great, but short. The rest have the opposite problem imo. They're a bit too repetitive and samey, without any intensity.
A unique album for the nineties, showcasing a songwriter that would eventually create Gorrillaz.
Never really got into this back when it was released beyond Song 2 (which still holds up). The only other notable track was the opener (Beetlebum). The rest was pretty forgettable 90s British Alt Rock. Just didn't really hit for me, as much as I wanted it to.
angole, jeden popularny utwor z fify i reklam i to by bylo na tyle
Helt okej men för långt och mycket skrammel
song 2 går hårt annars vet jag inte i vilket sammanhang man skulle lyssna på det här albumet ärligt talat
Hann inte lyssna på hela! Favoritlåt: Song 2
Helt okej album, inget speciellt typ. Men song 2 e en klassiker Bästa låt: Beetlebum
It was nice. Not too exhilarating but I enjoyed it
Classic 90s stuff. I only knew the 1 major single heading into this album but I really liked all the tracks overall
getting a bit sick of this mediocre britpop from the 90s. 6/10
Better than imagined. It has a lot of personality.
This one is really fun, good album to throw on for just about anything. Some of it sounds like it would be used in a trailer/movie from the 90s/early 2000s
Brit pop at its finest, debate and recreate but here we are.
It's al alright album. I remember it back when it came out and I still feel about the same. It's not bad but I wouldn't miss it if I didn't hear it again.
"The death of the party // Came as no surprise..."
Woo-hoo! Liked the sound and vibe, but there is other Britpop I prefer.
I liked this less than I thought I would tbh, obviously I liked the classics but the rest of the album was kinda just a wall of noise idk
Was a fun return, forgot how many good songs were on this
woo hoo
One time Damon Alburn came into the place where I worked and he was dressed as a child sailor or casual mime or something and he was so bratty and pouty and that’s all I can think of when I hear his music. Prior to that, I liked this album just fine when it came out and it’s still nice.
I didn't know the history of Blur and how they changed their sound for this album. I really like the sound and energy of it and am glad they made the change. Especially because we got that Whooohooo song out of it.
Surprisingly good the whole way through
Wonderful.
whooo hooo!!!
I listened to this a few day ago and can't remember a single thing about the album, I'm not sure I can give it a review other than it existed. So I guess that makes it a 3
Song 2 is a banger. The rest...it's ok.
Blur is right up my alley. Who doesn't love screaming "Woohoo" at the top of their lungs to song 2?
I know and like the second track. The rest of the album was ok.
Sorry, I just don't get it. Another one of those UK acts that just isn't all that interesting.
This album is pretty wild. It has a quality to it of a band at a creative peak; they just can't go wrong. Quite often there are songs or parts of songs that don't seem like they belong on the same album as Song 2, or they seem like tracks around which entire albums could have formed, but the overall disjointedness is a feature, not a bug.
3.5
Good, but not as good as I was hoping
Temas buenos, pero no tan memorable como podría ser
Decent album by a great British band
First two songs are sensational. Soooo good. You'd think a self titled album would be the first album, not the fifth. But it's their album. Death of a party wasn't good. Chinese bombs was at attempt at some post punk rock thing that didn't really work.
There's a lot of potential here. I like the general style, and occasional more challenging, noisy, attitude filled barrage that is mixed in. Songs like Death of a Party, which have a Gorillaz vibe, are the strongest for me... Look Inside America has a very Bowie sound as well. Song 2 is special, though that has become skippable now. Not enough that is really outstanding to move it higher.
Best nice, solid
Far more experimental and varied than I expected. On the whole not bad, but I won't be looking out for it anywhere.
Just about good enough to scrape a 3. Song 2 is just perfection but countered by some absolute shit.
Blur have always made good albums and this, their post Britpop album is no exception. My least favourite track is 'Song 2' woohooo.... but probably their finest moment ever is 'On Your Own'. Every time I hear it, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck (apart from when I've had my hair cut, that is). The drum machine, that abuse of a guitar, the wonky melody, just perfection! To run away from a scene of which Blur were so central, was a bold and thank goodness, a very good move. It made me really sit up and think. I'd already realised Graham Coxon was a very good guitarist, and one of my favourites of the 90's, but this reinvention put him up there in my opinion, one of the most underrated greats. A 5 star.
First time listening to a Blur’s project . I’m lost between the highs and lows of the record. Nothing is really bad, it’s jut that some songs feel useless. The best ones are really good though.
Bão
This is my favorite of Blur’s catalog. Song 2 is one of the great all-time rock songs. Not quite 5 star for my taste, but pretty solid overall.
I liked some of this, but not something I'm going to go out of my way to listen to again. 3/5
I like some of their other songs better, but this was still enjoyable
ci stava
relisten. my 2nd favourite album of my favourite band of all time. i love everything Blur has done but this record and 13 (1999) changed my life and music taste forever. its the epitome of the late 90s music and everything ive ever wanted from an album. i also appreciate how balanced and diverse it is with fun tracks like On Your Own, moody tracks like Beetlebum, devastating tracks like Strange News from Another Star and the experimental tracks on which they really let their imagination flow like Essex Dogs and Death of a Party. i also think this was the first time they implemented that spooky sound (Theme from Retro, Death of a Party) that they later perfected on 13 and Damon carried over to Gorillaz (which was always my favourite part of Gorillaz early projects). long story short: amazing album that influenced even more amazing music
Song 2 and Beetlebum are solid gold. I never liked the album that much at the time and on re-listen it still doesn't quite deliver. There's much better Blur out there!
Bit of a mish mash really
Quintessentially British, quintessentially ‘90s. Yet somehow, I really like it! Either you like Blur’s shtick or you don’t, and even though I’d only heard Modern Life before today, I think I just like Blur’s shtick. This is an all-over-place record with a lot of studio bullshitting, which is normally a negative trait for me, but to my own surprise, it all works. Every song is so good, and each one stands on its own merits. There’a lot of style changes across the whole thing, but somehow, it always sounds distinctly like Blur. The whole album benefits from the greatness of each of its parts. I like some parts more than others, obviously, but my liked songs outshine the songs I disliked. I expected this to be sprawling, especially for a 14 track album, and in concept it certainly is, but as a listening experience, it’s oddly breezy, and always engaging. I’m sure once this challenge has shoved a few more Blur [and Britpop] albums down my throat, I’ll kick myself for not rating this 5 stars, because by then, Blur will be my favorite band of all time. But for now, I think a strong 4 stars shows how much this stuck with me.
As someone born in the early 80s, Ive been primed to like song 2. But the test of the album was pretty meh. Listened to the 2012 remaster and it sounded pretty flat with loads of distortion which didn’t amount to much
The first half is brilliant, the second half not so much. I’d say it’s an album of 2 halves. One brilliant half, one not so much half. The first half is the brilliant half. 3.2
Well, this certainly takes me back to high school. Love it.
Middling Blur
I liked it initially but it didn’t really mix it up much, and started to sort of blend together to me. Obviously song 2 is a classic, and I really liked Essex dogs, but most of the 50ish minutes I felt like I was listening to well done but sort of samey music.
Quite boring
Not that this a bad album by any means, but as is typical from Blur, I just wanted more. It really drops off after the first 2 tracks, and never hits the same peaks.
I found this to be more engaging than earlier Blur, as the shift from the Britpop sound towards a more eclectic, lo-fi approach aligns more closely with my sonic sensibilities.
Gillar Blur. Så även detta album. Bra pop liksom.
Det här börjar bättre än förra Blur-skivan. Hoppas det håller i sig. Det är lite svajigt. Men håller sig nog på en trea totalt.
Betygsmässigt i paritet med Modern life, svag fyra, även om denna kanske var lite med publikfriande. Det finns några starka låtar, men soundet är lite spretigt och det varvas med lite för mycket utfyllnad för att hålla hela vägen.
Old classic I haven’t listened to in years. Immensely enjoyable
Schon ganz gut, wenn man's mag. Ich gebe mal 5 Sterne.
Le classique Song 2 est dessus. Je crois que avant écoute j'avais l'impression que ce serait l'ablum de Blur qu ej'aimerais le moins, car j'ai eu une passe où j'ai bcp aimé les plus vieux. Dure presque une heure, un peu trop long. YES: Beetlebum*, Death of a party, Movin On, Essex Dogs (long, contemplatif) NOPE: Theme from Retro (interminable et juste 3 minutes), Chinese bombs
I can do without this album.
This is a very fun record! Far from perfect but much better than I had been lead to believe. Great example of incorporating new influences into a band’s own distinctive style.
Lovely discovery. I had never listens to this album. Only knew Song 2. Rock with a twist and unexpected sound.
Super famous brit-rock album. Not my favourite; I thought I would enjoy this album more than I actually did. I like the raw qualities on a lot of the tracks, but there are many rough transitions and some songs that I can't connect with. I respect the album and the band, but won't be revisiting regularly. Fave tracks: Song 2, You're so Great, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love
This is a pretty wild album. Of course everybody has heard Song 2 before, but I didn't think much else of Blur beyond that. I have to say I did not have super high expectations, kind of labelling them as one-hit wonders, but this album proved me wrong. This album cycles through numerous genres of rock, I hear influences from Weezer, the Pixies, The Smiths, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones to name a few. Each song is well executed and it's immediately obvious what they were trying to emulate. My one complaint would be that it causes almost a bit of music whiplash, as there is almost too much variation going on here. Fav Tracks: Song 2, You're So Great, Strange New From Another Star
So let me get this straight…Blur hears Wowee Zowee by Pavement, Clouds Taste Metallic by the Flaming Lips, some Guided By Voices records, maybe a Fall record or two, does their best to emulate those bands and we should find it impressive? Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more try-hard attempt at a Guided By Voices song as “You’re So Great” - complete with faux tape crackle. I literally can’t get over how they put a sample of tape crackle over that song… In the time it took them to make that sample, record their parts and put the effects on the vocals to make it sound “lo-fi”, they could have just run down to the British equivalent of Guitar Center, bought a Tascam 4-track and recorded the song on it in one take with an overdub or two and it would have been more authentic, replete with actual tape hiss and crackle. This album is a joke….a practical joke that got out of hand. It has to be.
Fine, a necessary jump into different sounds after reaching the limits of their previous approach with The Great Escape. Kind of feels like their ticking off the boxes - this is the Bowie track, the Roxy Music track, the trip hop track...
It was OK. "Song 2" obviously the unlikely effervescent smash hit but also liked "Chinese Bombs" and the more ballad-y "Look Inside America".
Surprisingly good and a fitting treat for my 100th album from the list. "Strange News..." especially was right up my alley.
Song 2 ist top . Der Rest nicht mein fall
Not as good as the last blur alb I listened to ya know the one with the dog on the cover
In that way it's probably my favourite Blur album it's also not that consistent. Some good songs, some experimentation. A good band but not a great one. Yet Damon is a genius for all the other things he's done alongside this.
An album so fresh and fun, constantly throwing intriguing new ideas at the listener, that it passes by in…well, a blur. If Song 2 is all you’ve heard, you’re missing out.
Pretty good. Not terribly impressed though.
Love it
This album was much more experimental than I was expecting. Really great production and vibe here
Blur - Blur (1997) 4/5 I’ve never listened to this album. When I listen to this I hear…Paul McCarteney/Wings…The Kinks, David Bowie. I suppose that makes this British? I’ve read that this is their third album (This is actually their fifth album) and the first two are Brit Pop, but this album is a departure from that. So that’s where the Pavement/Sonic Youth Influences I hear come in? I’m suspicious at first, but this seems like a pretty good album. I only have a day to listen to it, grade it and move on. I’ll probably return to this. I guess I’ll check out the first two to see what the departed from. These aren’t the guys who are brothers? I think that’s Oasis. They are bad boys I think, does Blur have any identity? Are these the guys who sampled that Rolling Stones song and it was huge but they didn;t get permission, but it was OK because 30 years later the Stones said it was OK? Things get experimental sometimes. This album is better than I expected. Now I’m trying to figure out if it’s A Lot better than I expected. There’s a bunch on here that seems pretty good, but since it’s all new to me…I’m trying to determine if it’s even better than the first listen reveal, or if this is just kinda it. I like the weird stuff here more than the normal stuff. It seems like, as the album progresses it gets more and more weirder.
Not their best work. Fun listen. Full of 90s nostalgia
Better than I remember when I first heard it in the 90s.
Song 2
“How much Damon Albarn can we fit on this list?” “Well, he hasn’t put out 1001 albums of his own yet, so keep cramming them in there!”
rokeito asin britich con la mitica de "Wooo hooo" nanannannanaa y tal, ta bien de 4,5 que redondeo a 4 per que avoltes es lo que toca. Tame te dic, si van fer una cançó bona y nada mas se supo igual hi ha que redondear a 3
Best song: On Your Own, Song 2 Vibes: childhood Dad's car radio, TV soundtrack 2000s brit pop rock, beatles/bowie knock offs
Never "got" Blur the firsrt time around, doesn't seem to have gotten any better over time. Don't get me wrong, Song 2 is an absolute banger/fifa classic, but the rest is a bit meh.
Reasonable mellow rock that peaks at the opening track
Fine, but doesn't really feature any of their best tracks
Wow I didn't expect this to be so boring. So, so, so much filler. I didn't get through the double disc special spotify addition, I copped disc 1 (admittedly with a fair few moments of zoning out) and that was enough. It wasn't a bad listen, it was a nothing listen. Fav Track: Beetlebum
Didn't do a whole lot for me! Certainly there's a few tracks that are sticky, and I tend to quite like Albarns voice, but at almost an hour I tuned out quite a bit. Two and a half. Fave track: Chinese Bombs
Much better than some of the other Britpop in this list, Alvaro and Coxon seem to have figured out something so obvious that others try for. Still not their best album, but pretty enjoyable. Decent album. Three and a half. Fave track: Beetlebum
Excited! Only know Song 2 before listening and have heard only good things about this one. Track 3 is the most Beck influenced song I’ve ever heard, it’s not a bad impersonation honestly. So far all the songs are super tight, no complaints honestly, I can imagine though how fans of their early stuff might have been turned off by this shift. Really liking this! Not at all groundbreaking, but just a solid record for the time, the few stand out tracks are fun. I think that’s the thing holding it back from being a classic, there are some great moments on here but other than the bombastic Song 2, I don’t think any song has the staying power. None of them are bad! They just don’t stand out. I think this is a very strong 4/5, damn close to 5, but just missing an extra something, the end kinda limps along and definitely sours the whole.
Meh. There was a lot to like from this genre. This is not one of them.
High highs, but meh mehs
I have not heard of this band before but I was quite into their music. I recognized: Song 2 which was a pleasant surprise. I dug most of the songs but I don’t think there’s any favorites right now. I will probably listen again!
i dont really like blur tbh
Brit-rock trying to be American Indie.
yo
really tight and great sound, loses some of the absolute dreaminess and scope of their other albums tho
strangely wasn't huge on this despite being a huge gorrilaz fan
Enjoyed the first two songs but it tailed off after that and ended up being yet another well produced/played Brit rock album. Solid but not that memorable.
56/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Rätt så bra faktiskt men inte något som vid första lyssning sticker ut
3/5. I love song 2, and a lot of the rest is great. However, it feels like the record has a lot of filler.
The first two songs on here are great, but after two listens I find the rest pretty hit and miss. Some of the more experimental tracks are cool, but feel unfinished. I'm a fan of Blur's hits, but I've yet to hear an album of theirs that really blows me away. Modern Life Is Rubbish and 13 gone close though.
aw i don’t know why i haven’t listened to more blur. it’s good! easy to listen to…. that’s about it though…not mad that i listened to it tho…will still be listening to some songs off it! win! weiners: they def explored eachothers bodies
The band's pivot to lo-fi indie delivered mixed results, with the grunge diss track "Song 2" being the clear highlight.
Ok
Woo-hoo, blur is perfect for 2 minutes and 1 second.
With the Blur v Oasis thing I was always on the side of Oasis. Whilst Blur were undoubtedly groundbreaking musicians and made some great albums for the masses who adored them I was always a bit cold. I thought that their albums were a bit weird for my tastes but there was always a gem which sprang out of the weirdness to grab you and appreciate why they were so popular. In the case of this album that great song is Song 2 which I suppose half the planet are aware of. Despite its ubiquitousness I never fail to enjoy the power of the underlying riff. A really great song which stands head and shoulders above the rest of this album. I only bought this album recently. Not intentionally but because it was going cheap in a charity shop and decided because it was an album of some significance to some I needed it my collection. The only other Blur album I have is their greatest hits which is the one I like more as it mainly contains the aforementioned gems which I can play without enduring the weird. 2/5 20/3/24
It's okay
Nice melodies and twists in there I haven't heard before. I recognize the very well known Song 2 of course, but the others were easy listening too.
Song 2 is the best song on the album otherwise, this isn't that great a album.
I dig this noisier, indie, less poppy, more lo-fi Blur. This is a band I never really got into, but dig this album. As a big Gorillaz fan, can hear some of the music moving in that direction a bit. The album may be a little longer than it needs to be, but is full of interesting ideas and sounds.
fucking good music finally
no hay cancion mas increible que beetlebum
I really enjoyed this album. A mix of rock and angst and just a very listenable album. Makes me want to go listen to more of their music. I will also listen to this album again.
It was just fine. I just didn't love any songs and got kinda bored through the middle. Song 2 is great though.
That’s the first time I ever even paid attention to the fact that song 2 had lyrics besides woo hoo, let alone with they were. I like it! Got some weezer vibes in some of the others, wish I guess isn’t all that surprising, by 1997 irony had become ironic again after its moment in the serious sun earlier in the decade. Like, is she so great? Maybe. Kinda. But also maybe not? There is a wryness to it all that I really like. Also, so many different sounds! Little Depeche Modey on death of a party, some slimmed down punk on Chinese bombs, some nirvana guitar sounds on I’m Just a Killer. And what to even say about Strange News and Essex dogs?! Eclectic. A ride. An eclectic, wild ride. What an album.
Decent Blur album. 7/10
Fine. One good song, the rest is average.
I remember buying this album based entirely on the strength of Song 2, then being sorely disappointed by the rest of the album. So it's time for a revisit. Time to listen to it with unbiased, matured ears. It still sucks. There's some ok songs but most are boringly mid to terrible.
I kind of like Song 2, Country Sad Ballad Man,
Blur innit
A stunner of an album that I never truly explored. beyond Song 2 which is hilarious sentence to write out of context.
Beetlebum - good production but I’m not sure if I’m going to like this album. His high pitch singing is taking me out of it. Song 2 - ooo I know this one! Party! Country sad ballad man - back to an album that sounds like hs band kids made as a passion project before school Look inside America - this song makes me want to rate the album a 1 Essex dogs - I got nothing out of this song :( It feels unfair to give this a 2 when the production is good, but I just don’t like it and I have to judge within 1001 great albums.
When this came out, it was all about Song 2. I never even heard the rest of the album. Only later when I started to listen to Gorillaz, I checked back on Blur. Parklife was a bust for me and so is this. It's not bad, but it gets weak in the second half and goes on for way too long.
Big fan of blur but do favour a couple of their other albums to this one Still a brilliant record nonetheless, masterminded in the secluded corners of Reykjavik
Can’t say blur have ever really clicked with me - maybe I’ve not give them enough of a go. Obviously some big tunes on this album and did enjoy it overall. 3.5/5
Woohoo
You shouldn't spend more than 2 minutes with Blur. The song “Song 2” is good, but the rest is average.
Fun album with a few good tracks aside form Song 2.
Interested to hear this album. Obviously know Song No.2 but other than that, nothing else, never listened to this album. Yeah, only song after 4-5 tracks in, this is alright. Not my style of pop rock.
I will preface this by saying I don't actually hate this band, it's just like football hooligans choosing a side. It's all for the love of the club and respect for the game. With that being said, me and Liam Gallagher would gladly jump this band. (I'd just watch) Anyways, First track is good. Straight up Beatles appreciation -- who would've thought? Song 2 is a great song. It's really funny too how much alike Liam and guy from blur sound alike. This third song is another great example of a song that could also be an oasis song. They really were feeding off of each other. Even some singles released closely together resemble each other. And only one of those bands sold more...ending of third song is sick. Every new song that starts makes me think of oasis. So I'll stop with that. But song 4...was that young Liam that started singing? I'll be back after the rest. As you were, mate. Theme from Retro is cool but to me it's an odd choice for the album. Also really thought for a second they put a theme song they wrote for a show on a record and was quite confused. End of record is some filler. Overall today I've moved dildos, porn VHS tapes, met a scientologist, and listened to a Blur record. The world must be ending. 3.5/5
Oh Damon. This one could have been better. As a huge Blur fan this one stuck to a predictable formula to stay relevant. A few standout tracks but for the most part this is what happens when your feud with the Gallagher overshadows the songwriting. (Middle of the Road, indeed!) Oh Flimsy Steve. Song 2 may have been one of the most popular tracks of all time though, which, good job lads, but what the fuck is Beetlebum? Justine should have knocked you on your ass for that one. Otherwise a fairly unremarkable record with a couple of fun bright spots but listen to Parklife or The Great Escape instead for the better Cool Britannia sound. Or just listen to Oasis 😈
Song 2 is an essential Jock Jam™. The songs are all over the place here but that keeps an hour of material fresh.
Was excited for more brit-pop, but this ended up being all over the place and inconstant in sound and feel. I recognized Song 2 and have always enjoyed it. Super funny to learn it was their parody of American Grunge, only to chart alongside those they were making fun of. Theme from Retro was probably my favorite track; pure organ based psychedelia. All in all, it was tough to enjoy because it felt like it never became cohesive; lo-fi punky garage one minute, singer/songwriter man with guitar the next, some brit pop sprinkled in here and there, etc. Had some good tracks but really fell flat as a album. Then it moves into You're So Great; a lo-fi singer/songwriter trip to boredom. Really wish they'd pick a style. Chinese Bombs - punky lo fi garage, nice. Just a Killer for Love lo-fi fun, experimental. Liking more than not liking. Hate the acoustic IDK even know the term for it. WEirdo experimental parts are cool.
Partly heard before Saved 8/14 Top track: Song 2
Generic rock , nothing too exciting here for me
My favorite Blur album, and one of my favorite British albums of all time. Beetlebum lived in my brain for a whole summer, and overall the whole album is guaranteed to put me in a good mood so…… 5 wholly deserved stars.
Eindelijk weten waarom het song 2 heet lol
Noisy
Song 2 is an unquestioned banger. The rest of the album is decent but it does fall off in the second half. I liked it more than Parklife but I remain somewhat indifferent on Blur.
that gorillaz guy sounds really congested beetlebum
He got his head checked by a jumbo jet, I honestly never knew what Damon Albarn was saying there and finally looked it up. It always sounded like jumochet, I just thought it was a doctor of some sort, guess I’m dumb. This is much better than most Brit Pop, could have been a 4 but ran a bit long 3.5 stars
Song 2 is a fine track but just not very interesting. If I based my entire thoughts on that song, I wouldn't give this band another look. But the rest of the album feels like Gorillaz and I dig the sound on quite a few of the tracks. Need to look deeper in their other catalogue but this album was pretty solid.
O hit é muito grande, e vocal deixa a sensação de não entender porque não toca gorillaz.
Classic album. Nearly perfect.
Blur started off really good. For me, a great balance between catchy melodies and riffs and some experimental sections. But there were some parts especially in the middle of the album that dragged a bit. I do like Damon Albarn's voice and songwriting. At its best points, it was really good for me. Just wish it could have kept that same momentum. I'd give this a 3.5 if I could
Good album. I do prefer Parklife greatly to this. This album has some great mid tempo songs but the punk songs and slow psychedelic songs don't work as well for me.
Song 2 is a banger. But everything else is so bland on this album. This is definitely one of those bands I “don’t get.” Sorry. 2/5
it was ok, i know some of the songs and it made me nostalgic for all those times me and my friends wanted to be cool and listen to blur in the early 2000s, but apart from a few of the songs i like, i wouldn’t listen to the album again….
SUCH good britpop. feels of the moment, but also timeless. good solid album
Irgendwie nicht. Gleichzeitig langweilig UND irritierend.
Blur > Oasis
There's certainly good stuff here but a lot of it sounds like a demo. Doesn't hit the same highs as PARKLIFE.
This album feels like the late 90s. I had a neighbor in the dorms that would play Song #2 on repeat for hours. Fun times. I do like "I'm just a killer for your love"
zamn!!!
It's okay
I don’t have a score yet, but I hope these guys are all rich from licensing Song 2 to every-damned-thing for 25+ years now.
Hay una famosilla chula El resto sin mas
blur by blur. Song 2. The rest were also in the same style and enjoyable to listen
Blur: Are Shite
Front loaded with bangers. Resolves into eminently forgettable studio noodling.
I don't like blur
#147. It's decent enough, I suppose. Song 2 and On Your Own are pretty good, but the rest is kinda forgettable, for the most part. 3/5: acceptable Song added to playlist: Song 2 I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Best
3 great tracks is enough for a 3 today.
Blur Blur. Listening was kind of blurry, the song seemed very similar. Best song was.Nowhere Fast. Nothing really stands out. (1.9*s)
Woohoo! Haha This is another album that's kinda all over the place. There isn't a whole lot of cohesiveness. It is good to have variety in the songs (I've docked people for being too one note] but this is just a hodgepodge.
This album does not have as many gecs as it should but it’s still the second best blur album so that’s nice.
Song No. 2 is considered the standout hit but "Death of a Party" is the high water mark in my opinion. Having gone backwards in Albarn's discography, I can appreciate the album in a way that I don't think I would have when I was younger.
great album, but i'm biased towards anything Damon Albarn is a part of. you definitely get the early gorillaz sounds here and there throughout the album. top 3: death of a party, I'm just a killer for your love, essex dogs. honorable mention: song 2... still hits!
boring
Not totally my jam, but still cool
Day54 - other than song2 i wasn’t crazy about this one
A welcome and necessary change for Blur, but I do wonder if this album is notable and innovative enough to be in the 1001. Some great tracks, and a few filler tracks, so only a 4 from me.
Only ever heard Song 2 from Blur before. A few good songs but nothing really stood out.
my favourite band when i was 10 and i still love them
This sounds like a lot of modern grunge in a great way. Pretty much every song on here was delightful.
Listened to this just a day after "Gorillaz" (also a Damon Albarn project), and for some reason I preferred that one. It's hard for me to articulate why. There's a lot of creative stuff in "Blur," just less so. Also not a huge fan of the final song "Essex Dogs," which drags on a few minutes too long without going anywhere.
Great album. Didn’t really appreciate how good it is.
4.5 out of 5. Really enjoyed this! Death of a party prolly my favorite. I already have liked a few blur songs so I expected to really like this album also.
kind of crrepy, hard to study with, but overall really good music, would listen again
i liked on your own and beetlebum. the end was just ok. almost didnt finish.
4.5
Blur. Bien el tema principal "Song 2". El resto un poco más flojo.
Kind of a mess. I liked 'Looking in America' a lot, however. Amazing track.
one hit wonder
Disc 2 was niet echt nodig geweest. Begon wel erg sterk
Zeer nice, lekker veelzijdig. Kon het niet echt in een hokje plaatsen
A lot of fun. Nice shift in Brit pop
Song 2! Except apparently this is nothing like the rest of the album, let’s see. Have to agree, all very different from song 2, which is unreal how hard it goes. The rest of the album was ok, 3*. Highlights: beetlebum, song 2
Solid 90's rock
If you remove song #2 nothing stands out
Better than expected
pretty much not the best sound to listen to. Few high points but the record sounded similar from start to finish
Reminiscent of David Bowie, it's the good rock and roll and well worth the listen. You'll likely know Song 2, but there is more here to explore and enjoy.
Album was pretty solid, but it's not lost on me, and surely not lost on the band, that the best song, and their biggest hit, was meant to be an ironic aping of a sound outside their norm.
Meh. Not terrible just not that good. Some interesting sounds and songs, but overall not that appealing to me.
woulda given a 4 if it wasn’t so bloody long
It’s got that one song!
sounded modern, unique, enjoyable
Would that they could go back to rocking this hard. M.o.r. Sounds an awful lot like a green day cut
Classic. Blur always kills it. Great relisten
The first two songs had it a solid 3…. Kind of declined from there….
I had high hopes after hearing the first two songs and then it went downhill. Mundane and depressing
Once again, I think Blur do disappoint a bit on the album front. You're kicking off with a classic in Beetlebum, and the other singles on the album are great too, but outside of those it's a bit meandering. I do admire them switching things up a bit and trying different things creatively, but there's not enough outside of the big hitters.
Kinda cozy, even with the weird sounds/ instrumentations. I liked M.O.R. and Death of a Party
Alright. I didn't listen all the way through tho
Really enjoyed this. familiar with a few songs and surprises I didn’t know the band.
Great! Already knew and liked beetlebum and song 2, the other songs were good too but less memorable
Enjoyed, need to listen again
Ok
Guter alternative rock
Meh. A couple good songs- Song 2 was obviously a big hit. You’re So Great is ok. The rest is just boring, noisy and/or annoying. I’m actually surprised Damon became as successful as he is based on this album. Interesting to read that this album represents a sound change for them. Parklife would be a much better album to include on this list
fuck blur
Song 2 carries this, along with a few other stand outs. Again, I feel like this project has a small 'debut album' problem, as I definitely enjoyed Parklife far more. 3/5
Would inappropriately mosh pit on this, 4/5
I had no inkling of who this band was until the track became "Song 2". Highlights: "Death of a Party"; "Look Inside America";
Though I think Pulp’s This Is Hardcore is the better - in fact the *best* - Britpop is dead album, between that album and Blur you have a pretty definitive statement of intent from two bands who benefited from that label and also were determined not to get trapped by it. “Beetlebum” sets the stage immediately with its woozy, burned out on excess tone and lyrics, signaling a break with their previous sound and a more personal lyrical style. The nods to Pavement and similar American acts abound, but on this listen I was struck by just how much of Bowie is laced throughout this, most obvious on M.O.R. which is a deliberate homage to him and Brian Eno, but also on “Strange News from Another Star”, which from the title on down sounds like something Bowie would have recorded circa his time in Berlin. A thrilling record, both within the context of Blur’s discography, which it represents such a sharp break from, and as a record in isolation. “Song 2” may have been overplayed to the point of cliche, but that first blast of distortion still hits like a freight train.
Blur is the fifth album by the English rock band Blur. This indie/alternative/art rock album marked a transition for the band away from Britpop, since they had become bored of it and their audience shared this feeling as well. The change allowed this album to be more popular in the US, while staying on top of the charts in the UK. Critics loved the mixing of Britpop and American alt/indie rock because the band was able to highlight the best parts of both. Blur is certified gold in Australia, Denmark, & the US and platinum in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, & the UK. This was a good album that starts out hot with tracks "Beetlebum" and "Song 2", but there's also flashes of greatness in the rest of the album's tracks. The band Blur tried something new for this album and it paid off. I recommend this album to any fan of alternative or indie rock.
2 stars for Song 2. 0 stars for the rest of this rubbish.
nüt wahnsinnig speziells, aber no vibig
Why is song 2 called song 2? xD
First song is the best 3.3