Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I've listened to and enjoyed their "Brit-pop" albums, but hadn't heard this one before. I think I was put off by "Song No. 2" which was really over played. There were some nice songs on this one, and I really liked some of the guitar work
3.75
Song 2 is an absolute classic rest of the album solid but not mind blowing
songs waren hit or miss
Great record.
Beyond the songs I already knew (Essex Dogs was an exception) there wasn't much on this that genuinely stood out. Fair amount of noise generated, betcha it felt more rebellious and exciting back in the day.
Was okay… call me a normie but I much prefer Gorillaz
I enjoyed this album more than I expected to. It isn't as interesting as other selection from the Album Generator lately, but it moves along nicely and is easy to listen to. I'm not 100% convinced it should be on this list. Song 2 deserves a better name.
Eh, not my favorite. I like Song 2 but only because it reminds me of going to hockey games growing up.
Not a fan
I like Blur. Musically, they are better than Oasis but they do lack something. This album is kinda 30% belters, 70% filler. The fillers are presented very well and the effort is appreciated. Their best of album from about 2000 is wall to wall banger. Listen to that instead.
I love Blur, but outside of a couple of notable highlights, the album as a whole doesn't live up to their earlier 90s work. 3/5
Just not all that. Neither as clever-good as Pulp nor as epic-good as Oasis. And don't even go \"modern-day Kinks,\" as that's just an insult to the Davies (and an illustration of dodgy taste, generally). There are moments of undeniable quality here but not so many as to justify Blur being so impressed with themselves.
Take this with a grain of salt as I was listening to it on the train and fell asleep for a decent chunk. But for me aside from a couple classics all the songs do kinda... blur together. It's ok but I'm unlikely to think of this album if I'm looking for some to rock to listen to and maybe if it was more interesting I wouldn't have fallen asleep. Favourite songs are beetlebum and song 2 which is by far their biggest hit and for good reason.
I found Blur to be quite overrated... I think this is a bloated album. Can't stand all of the songs where the vocalist is belting them out just no thank you. Saved tracks: You're So Great, Death of a Party, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, Strange News from Another Star
The midway point between two Blurs. I don't ever recall being that in love with this record, I enjoyed it and played it a lot, but I'm never compelled much to go back and listen again over the years. A fan since the first album, I enjoyed the experimentation on the Great Escape, which was critically panned, but well received on this - for me it just feels less...warm. Or maybe it's just that the tunes aren't as good, generally. I've not much time for the 'old' Blur songs here MOR, On Your Own, Look Inside America. They're fine but stick out, out of place. Beetlebum is still great. Song 2 is massively overplayed. Theme From Retro and Death of the Party still manage to sound vaguely Margate Pier underneath the weirdness, the chorus of the latter is the most Great Escape sounding thing here. Graham Coxon the solo artist is announced on You're So Great. The sludgy groove on Just a Killer For Your Love is excellent. A record I admire for the change in direction rather than love for the music on it.
the first two tracks are great but nothing thereafter is quite so engaging
An inventive mix of songs, mostly ok with a couple excellent.
Not their best offering but still quite good.
Some genius tunes and some absolute shite. Blurs career summed up in an album
Generous 3 some complete rubbish on here, saved by some quality singles.
The success of Oasis' (What's The Story) Morning Glory and the increasing tensions within the band led to Blur rethinking their musical direction. Blur (1997) borrows the alternative rock and slightly grungy sounds from across the pond to make something that's cooler and way more appealing to audiences outside of the UK. The result is a wildly successful Blur with a new international hit. It's not bad. I think if Blur did a full commit to songs like Chinese Bombs then we'd be having a different discussion, but most of the album feels like a half-committed attempt to pivot Blur's sound. It's also too long to keep my attention, sadly.
Fine album
Outside of "Song 2", which is the most popular song by a mile on the album, I thought it was alright. Not crazy about it. 6/10.
Song 2 was great, but the rest of the album is quite meh
Sadly didnt really do it for me :( i knew it wasnt going to be more like song 2 cuz i know thats kind of a parody song but i wish it was more like song 2 anyways
Obviously, I remember Song 2, but I had never listened to this entire album before. It’s good, I like it, but not as much as Parklife.
Not the best Blur album but it definitely has it moments and surprises.
One great track and half a good album.
2 Songs
Song 2 is a definite 90s hit, up there with "Teen Spirit" and "Loser" . The songs on the album in the same vein I'm not to fond of. I preferred the moodier songs like "Country Sad Ballad Man", "Death of a Party" as well as the opener. Damon Albarn's is a good vocalist and I'm glad he went on to form Gorillaz.
Decent, kept me engaged
Solid
Huske kje så masse, men va vel et par sanga med kule synthlyda??
Not really my style, but I was happy to hear where Song 2 came from.
I can see why people think blur are really good
It's not bad, but there's a reason you only know Song #2.
Beetlebum and Song 2 are both incredible songs and a huge statement to start the album. While there are some strong ideas throughout, with a great variety of styles and sounds with clear influences from all over the pop and rock spheres, none of them result in a complete song that is quite innovative or interesting enough to stand out
Good. A solid body of work. Only a couple of songs I didn't like that much.
It really is an album that jumps between two ideas. The older Britpop era of Blur combined with the more adventurous new era about to come. It makes the album feel a bit disjointed, and not all songs are strong. On the other hand, Beetlebum might be the best song Blur has ever released.
OK, not really for me
Typically barbed and sour, but rougher and harder-edged, too, adding some grunge to the glammy bits while staying within bounds of vintage Britpop. As with all their records, this is a decidedly mixed bag. Beatlesque opener is quite good and "Song 2" has that hook for the ages, but feels just the slightest bit gimmicky. The inevitable song about America is slightly above replacement level compared to their other Yank takedowns. "Strange New from Another Star" is a highlight. The general sense of experimentation feels jokey and very much in the spirit of taking the piss; a non-impressive percentage of the larks come off, however ("You're So Great" mostly does, while "Theme from Retro" does not, decidedly), causing one to wonder just how seriously to take any cut. Also, the surfeit of songs would have benefitted from a trimming – starting with "Chinese Bombs." One always feels close to liking Blur, but then feels the liking might be sort of beside the point from their perspective. Hence the rounding down from 3.5.
a WOO HOO - bmw clive owen track fuck yea. rest of album was meh
A fine album. Overrated. Song 2 was the only one that I really remembered.
More strong Britpop from Blur, this time with an emphasis on guitar rock. I dug the energy but didn’t quite connect with the songs on a first listen. I’ll have to revisit this one. “Song 2” is great! One of those insanely catchy songs that takes on a life of its own and becomes more famous than the band. I didn’t know that song was by Blur.
Not my jam
Woo Hoo!
Song 4 is a Bowie tune they adapted and somehow made super boring called M.O.R., which stands for Middle of the Road. Middle of the Road should have been the album title; with the notable exception of the woohoo song, it sounds like every other one-word-band-name 90's Britpop act. Best track: Song 2
A great, guitar-driven relic from the late 90s that’s aged quite well. Many have already mentioned the Blur v. Oasis debate here and even as an Oasis fan I have to side with this band - there’s a greater sense of raw feeling, performance, and overall fun to this LP that makes it glide through time a bit better than the sometimes preachy nature of the Gallaghers’ output.
Man, after the first five songs I thought this album was awesome! Trouble was nothing else really came after them. By the end of the album, I was a little bit glad it was over. 'Beetlebum' is a strong opener and of course everyone knows 'Song 2'. But for me, 'Country Sad Ballad Man' is the best song. Outstanding mix and groovy instrumentation. I think the last six songs could be entirely cut from the album, they all just seemed like filler honestly. 'Essex Dogs' is a strange experiment that just doesn't keep one engaged for the 8 minutes it occupies. Overall it is a bloated album that contains a few decent songs. 3/5
Highlights: Song 2, Strange News FromcAnother Star
Unfortunately I read some negative reviews of this album before I listened to it, and I was unable to listen to this impartially. Why do I keep doing that to myself? But like…this was Oasis’ main rival? They’re so dissimilar and Blur isn’t nearly as good. I definitely prefer Damon Albarn as Gorillaz.
While this was the best blur album I’ve gotten, I really hope it’s the last cuz I’m tired of them. Song 2 of course was a standout and death of a party was a cool smiths like song but otherwise I still am not a fan of blur
Some of it sounds a lot like a newer Mott the Hoople. Not bad.
UK pop/rock feeling, can't say much more than that
This album was definitely better than the other Blur album I got. This one felt like it was leaning further away from being Britpop, and that's a good thing for me. It's funny, for someone who likes Gorillaz quite a bit, Blur doesn't seem to click with me as easily. I guess they are different, but still. Most of the songs on this album are okay, with a few duds and a few standouts. My issue is that nothing really stands out to me besides the first two or three songs. I didn't enjoy the album enough to give it a higher rating. My favourite songs were Beetlebum and Song 2.
It's all a blur, man.
An enjoyable album that never really reached the heights I was hoping it would get to. The first two songs, 'Beetlebum' and 'Song 2' are really great, and I also enjoyed 'On Your Own,' but the rest of the album feels a little dull in comparison. Also the only thing I could think after a while was, "Wait, is that the guy from Gorillaz?!" And it is!
Not my favorite.
Getting a little tired of the 90s Brit alternative stuff
Was aiight
Pretty indifferent on this one, just not my cup of tea.
It was ok! It was easy to listen to, but didn’t catch my attention. Still, not a bad album
I liked the more experimental “grunge” sound.
Solid
Blur always kind of lived in the shadow of Oasis. This album tries to stray from their earlier brit-pop albums but imo does nothing of the sorts. Their biggest song on the album (song 2) is iconic with the 90s. The rest of the album is a bit lack luster.
I didn’t really follow the Brit Pop thing, other than being vaguely aware of the rivalry between Blur and Oasis. Aside from Song 2, which was everywhere for a while (and still pokes its head up Now and then) none of this was familiar. I wish this list features more real indie acts (Bedhead? Silver Jews? Mountain Goats? Smog? Given time I could probably come up with a hundred contenders) rather than a third album from this rather mainstream band looking to reinvent itself by way of their sound.
Blur goes Pavement, kinda, and like most of their albums, the highs are great but there are too many lows for me to really enjoy this. I think this is the kinda band that owning their greatest hits would be more than enough for me.
A more exciting sounding Brit pop album, cool guitar sounds and tones, moody and grunge at points, but some songs are blander than others
Woohoo! That song is the most recognizable but I don’t know if I like it. They say it’s a parody on grunge. Hour long album. M.O.R. Isn’t bad. I was skeptical but it ended up being okay.
so this is where that wuhoo song came from
Har nokken bangers, men masse rot
Classically british Fun Just not hugely my cup of tea, but can respect
It's ok. Enjoyable. Not really notable.
3/5 Fit the classic 90s acoustic rock vibe for me. Pretty good, I had no idea that Song 2 was from these guys.
I tried to listen to this attentively, but looking back it's all a blur. Two words that don't seem to go together came to mind: "interesting" and "tedious." How can it be both? I suppose there are interesting moments of '90s alternative experimentation, but that they are lost in an overall tedious experience. "Song 2" stands out on this album, however, as a track that still rocks like it did as a fave 25 years ago (although I only knew it for years as the "woo-hoo" song).
Different than the previous Blur album Modern Life is Rubbish, like a little grit got into the pop confection? “Song 2” has been drilled into my head by a cruise line ad or something, but it is good to hear the whole thing and easy to see why they use that song. Some real variety with a country-ish tune, a cool instrumental, and a lot of other unique tracks. I liked this but not as much as the previous Blur album. I would tend to go back to that one for my Blur fix.
song 2 brings me back to middle school. a lot of nostalgia for that song, and I love it. I hadn't heard the rest of the album... and really enjoyed it. Favorite tracks: song 2 obvi on your own death of a party (The Smiths vibes) 3/5
This music is fine!
Not my favourite album from Blur. It partially marks the end of "Bitpop" It starts off strong but progressively gets weaker.
More brit pop, less noise rock needed.
Ultimately boring to me. Dunno why, just is.
Ill forget about this album in an hour.
Yeah. Alright. But I still don’t like beetlebum.
Non mi è mai piaciuto troppo lo stile dei Blur, ma ho sempre apprezzato molto 'Song 2'. Il tono è più cupo di quanto mi aspettassi
I liked the top half of the record, but then it started to get a little bit tedious and repetitive. Meh. Made me wish I was listening to Squeeze instead, just craving a different kind of British sound today. I want less moody meandering 90's and more zany new wave. It's Friday! I want to have fun! Squeeze should have a record in this list, but I'll be quite disappointed if they don't, especially given the heavily biased UK listmakers influence on the chosen records.
WOOHOO! Was better than I thought it'd be. 3.5 stars
Song 2 carried the whole album imo. Most songs felt as if they all merged into one - probably because this is my 3rd new album today...
Blur's self titled album is an interesting one. For one thing, it's got one of the most recognised hype songs in the world on it, on the other hand, it was jarring to go from Song 2 to Country Sad Ballad Man, mood went way down, and it never really picked back up. I'm really torn with this one, if it wasn't for Song 2 I don't think this album would make the list. That being said I don't think its a bad album, just a little lack-lustre. Best: Song 2 Worst: Essex Dogs
Op zich wel lekkere rockmuziek, maar soms ook wel erg wazig. Soms het gevoel dat The Beatles op steroïden zitten en dan weer een punkrock gevoel :-). Wel lekker gevarieerd. ***
Very much a nostalgic album for me. I have a bizarrely specific memory of driving to Hartland Point with my parents while listening to this. Which isn't to say it's good. Beetlebum is better than I remember; Song 2 is worse, time has softened its grunge punchiness. The rest is patchy as hell, often irritating, and low on ideas. Still better than Oasis though.
remember being underwhelmed by this when it came out despite the great single and awfulness of the prior album. Also, Pavement being upset they were ripped off somehow? Hasn't improved with age, Beetlebum is great, rest meh
Ok album, enjoyed the music
3.5 / 5 Really enjoyed this one. Knew "Song 2" but never knew that was what it was called. Wooo hooo! The rest of the album is really great.
wooohoooo Beetlebum and song 2 are good
3.5 + Some great songs (“Beetlebum”, “Country Sad Ballad Man”) mixed in with mediocre ones (“You’re So Great”, “Chinese Bombs”, “Essex Dogs”). Compared to the highs of “Parklife” and “Great Escape”, I remember this album feeling like a letdown - rougher, moodier, more depressing (all in a bad way) - and that feeling remains.
I think this is a confused album. Blur were looking for a new sound and ended up with several. Post-grunge, indie alternative, britpop etc. I expected to love this and just never did. I'm not sure if a band like Blur would make an album just peddle singles but the filler on this album made it feel as though.
Honestly, give me either the raw Britpop of Parklife or the more experimental rock of 13 - this has the problem of being in the middle. Gotta respect this as a transitional album. Oh, and obviously Song 2 is unimpeachable.
Alot of filler on this. The best stuff is where is sounds like Gorillaz
Fair
This is kinda bussin bruh fr
Bruh
I usually like Blur but this album is not really that good. Besides the first two songs which are great, the rest of the album feels... not up to the task.
Was expecting this to be better, TBH
It's remarkable how deftly the band flirts with and yet ultimately rejects a purely pop quality. Each song teeters on the edge of falling into the catchy pop tune chasm, threatening to fall in, if it weren't for the chaotic and dissonant anchors, holding it back. While not a terrible song, 'Look Inside America' shows what I'm talking about. Compared to every other song on this album, it's quite straight forward. It's nice, but it feels a little flat amongst the crowd. All told though, the album is a better listen than I recall, and with the benefit of hindsight, a noteworthy standout from the "alternative" crowd of the time.
Some classic tracks, and some good variety. Not super exciting though
"Song 2" is an all time classic song. However the rest of the album is pretty lackluster 90s alt rock.
Some decent songs and some pretty weak ones. Song 2 was cool the first 100 or so times I heard it, it does nothing for me now. I'd of rather had a Gorillaz album. A generous 3 I guess.
Decent album. I guess I hadn’t ever listened to much Blur, but it wasn’t as hard as I was expecting which was a nice surprise. Well-written songs and everything, but not 100% my type of music. 5/10
Couple of decent songs
Other than "Song 2", burned in my mind bt FIFA98, I didn't find any song that stuck after the first pass.
Pretty good. Not much else to say about it. 3 stars.
Blur really benefited from moving away from britpop a bit in my opinion. This album takes that aspect and mixes it with more indie rock and alternative stylings to create something much better.
Blur proves once again that the only good song in their discography is Song 2. 5/10
Not the best Blur album, but still listenable. Loved Song #2 when it came out, and it is still and enjoyable song. 3/5
J'ai pas trop fait gaffe
J'aime bien Strange News from Another Star on dirait David Bowie. Sinon dans l'ensemble album OK tier.
« Blur » est à peu près l'onomatopée qui ponctuait mes vomissements pendant l'écoute de ce projet.
Didn’t like it as much as Parklife.
Its Blur
Blur is having a lot of fun on this record, experimenting with the sonic sounds of their poppy guitars. Some of it stands out and some of it is forgettable. Favs: Beetlebum, Song 2
Decent outing from Mr. Alburn! I can see why it made the list. It gets a little long in the tooth and the lyrics are a little unrelatable and navel gaze-y at times, but some of the pure pop guitar moments are undeniably great. Favourite tracks: Beetlebum, M.O.R., You're So Great, Look Inside America
История одной песни на альбоме
Song 2 is super tired at this point, it was a huge hit in the U.S. Doesn't quite have that edge that it used to have. But luckily the rest of the album is much weirder and more interesting than I remembered. Beetlebum seems like the strongest, though, and since it's the album opener, there's less to look forward to later.
Альбом, который уже стал классикой. Есть несколько хитовых песен. В Country Sad Ballad Man чувствуются первые намеки будущего стиля Gorillaz. Несмотря на то, что люблю британский рок - не могу отнести себя к фанатам группы (хотя несколько песен и нравятся у них) и этот альбом подчеркнул это. Некоторые песни показались мне изобретательными и отличными, а некоторые все так же прошли мимо меня. Возможно, стоит ещё раз вернуться к альбому спустя время. Помимо очевидных Beetlebum и Song 2 отмечу Death of a Party, Strange News from Another Star и Theme from Retro.
Britpop
I guess if you’re going to have a Blur album on this list it’s going to be the self titled one. I think The Great Escape and 13 both have better songs. I have once heard that One Week by Barenaked Ladies is the most recognizable first second of a modern pop song. Song 2 is a very close second.
The sound that made them great is lost in their transformation on this album. I couldn’t get behind it.
A great Brit Pop band forsakes Brit Pop in an effort to sound more American and produce an average album that could have been by any of the thousands of alternative rock bands
Meeh
Fundamentally not bad
Very listenable pop music.
I had only really listened to Park Life before this and it was very fun to listen to. Made me definitely want to check out more. But, it's likely I'd need someone else to encourage it, rather than seek it out myself.
I get that this record is pivotal in their career, but it’s hard for me to get it. Beetlebum is one of my fav Blur’s songs definitely and think that there are other hidden gems in the album. I will give it another listen and see how it grows in me.
Salvo Song 2 el resto son un poco extrañas.
WOO HOO
OK album. Would most likely not listen to again. Favourite song off the album: Strange News from Another Star
I never had the respect for Blur while loving a couple of the songs
Well, there is a couple of ok songs but too many fillers..
I really want to like this, and I do really like “Song2”, but even a cool lyric (“when I feel heavy metal”)isn’t enough to push this to a four. Average. 😐
Don't bother having two blur albums on this list. Keep this one, and cut the other.
I always expected them to be a 1 hit wonder group, and while the other tracks on this record probably won't get a lot of repeated plays out of my speaker, Blur shows their value as a key 90s group. The guitar tones and textures are sublime, but the vocals and lyrics leave much to be desired (though I will admit I am no fan of Brit-pop).
Minulla on tämä levy ihan CD:nä, joskus silloin nuorisolaisena tuli hankittua. Yllättävän hyvin palautui vielä laulujen sanoja ja säveliä muistiin, vaikka ei ole varmaan kahteenkymmeneen vuoteen tullut kuunneltua tätä. Vähän sellaista taskulämpöistä ja laahaavaa menoa. Levyllä on tietysti hittibiisi Song 2, siitä plussat. Vanhoilla meriiteillä kolmonen.
Solid alt-rock album, I'll have to relisten to it and see if there were any duds or ones that I missed BEST TRACKS: Song 2, M.O.R., You're so Great WORST TRACKS: Theme from Retro
Solid alt rock, I wish I liked it more than I did. The second half dips in quality a bit, but overall it is very good. I wish I could give it a 3.5/5, but unfortunately I cannot, so 3/5.
Some good songs, and a fair bit of nostalgia. But overall a bit dreary for my tastes
6/10
Finding out I'm not a big blur fan. I've always liked Gorrilaz, but I think I find Damons Blur singing voice is grating honestly. I don't think the singing voice is bad, or that he is a bad singer. Just it isn't for me. I've enjoyed fhis album quite a bit more than I enjoyed Parklife.
I like Gorillaz but this album doesn't do much for me.
I liked the first few songs, but then it sort of faded away.
Beetlebum Song 2
Very good
Full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. I liked Beetlebum, You're so Great, Death of a Party, Look inside America. Strange News from Another Star was pretty nice.
would probably have given it a higher score when younger, beatlebum and song 2 still great, rest sounds like proto gorrilaz
The one song is good.
I liked this album. Had more of the Blur sound that I love than Parklife did.
No 2 always good
not my favourite style of music but a couple of bangers in there. the lead singers voice is really charismatic. it has a certain feel to it, like its rough around the edges but thats what gives it character and this album was a very welcome change of pace compared to all the over produced stuff out right now. feels like im listening to them in a bar live. standout tracks:beetlebum,song2,on your own, death of a party
271221 18:04 3
Country Sad Ballad Man and Song 2 are great. I like Blur....just not all the time.
Alright album that has a few good songs. Song 2 is well known and a good hit and wish more of the album was like that. Some of the other songs fell flat and felt boring. 5.6/10
Outside of the one hit, I didn't vibe with much of this
Only Beetlebum and Song 2 jump out from the track list. Noticably longer after the short and sweet stones album with more filler.
Better than I anticipated.
Song 2 (perhaps the best song) is dissonant vaudeville halfway between Rolling Stones and Sonic Youth. Their traditional melodic sound is delegated to fringe compositions like Strange News From Another Star and Look Inside America. (6/10) Favourite Track: Song 2
All right, this is the third Blur album in 131 albums. This is some serious over-representation on the part of this band and Brit-pop in general, a genre that was only a factor for a small handful of years in the 90s and barely a blip on the overall landscape of music, making me thing that there is a bit too strong of an Anglocentric slant on this list. As far as the album itself, it's probably the best of the three Blur albums on the list (so far... I wouldn't put it past the authors to include the band's entire damn discography), but that isn't saying too much. As I previously noted, Blur feels more and more like a singles band with each new album I hear with not much to say in regards to the deep cuts. Still, the band is better than their contemporaries and rivals, Oasis, so there's that.
The songs here feel full (seemingly two of them packed into the opener, fitting together) while the tracklist avoids bloat. There's lots of sonic variety (I hear chickens, squeaks, swirly digital whoops, many a subgenre reference) in a framework that works well enough for commercials. I'm very glad I glanced at reviews, because "slacker" is the perfect descriptor for the project. Energy levels fluctuate nicely, but the interest level is not-quite-there in the distance recorded music allows for. It's Britpop with plenty of jangle; Could use a little more jingle to sound less demo-y at the back. Great electric guitars.
Song 2...A classic. Love Damons performance
Ihan semi ok levy. Muutama hyvä ja muutama vähemmän hyvä biisi. 2,5* olis tarkka mutta mennään nyt kolmosella.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Song 2, Death of a party
Again, mediocre, maybe eventually I’ll get the hang of this.
Sometimes I think I might like Blur more than Oasis. This isn't something I'm only saying to make the Gallaghers feel bad (although hey, what a nice bonus). I really only knew of Blur before this album showed up on my feed because of Song 2, and even then, it was just because it was overplayed during dull moments of Nebraska Football games. This album made me question why Blur didn't have the success Oasis did in America. Aside from "Wonderwall", I'm not sure Oasis did anything as interesting as this album, although I haven't had a chance to deep dive into the Gallagher Brothers' work outside of their hits. It could just be that I have a perverse appreciation for songs about heroin. The first half of this album is 100 percent perfect, but the second half is a hard pass, so much so that it almost kills all of the goodwill the first half generated (I had a difficult time getting through the last song). There are moments on this album when Blur is trying just a little too hard to be interesting. Sometimes it works. Other times it makes me want to listen to Pavement.
I just keep wanting it to be Gorillaz. Still good.
fuck, do i hate that song. though, weirdly, the rest of the album is actually pretty good. never thought i'd say that about blur, but here we are.
First listen. Knew the one song, "Song 2" The rest seems pretty good. Like to hear more of it.
The album combines Blur's Brit Pop sensibilities with the grunge sound of Nirvana. At times, it works for me, other times not so much. Obviously a lot of people know this album thanks to "Song 2" but that one is vastly different from the rest of the album.
I only knew one song from this album going in (Song 2) which I'd never really been a fan of but was pleasantly surprised by most of the rest of the album. There seem to be a lot of different ideas going on here. Favorite tracks: M.O.R, Death of a Party, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, Strange news from Another Star.
Here's another band I've heard of but (thought I) hadn't heard. Loved the first track Beetlebum. Then Song 2 started and I realized "of course I've heard this." I never knew this was the song name (and band) for the "whoo hoo" song. It's interesting how significantly the style changes between songs. Beetlebum is hugely different from Song 2 and both are different than Country Sad Ballad Man (although the Nirvana influence seems pretty evidence in both of the two latter songs). Then M.O.R. sounds like it could fit with Roxy Music (although this changes later in the song). These guys are all over the place, but I'm mostly enjoying this (Chinese Bombs is a bit of noise, but then I'm Just a Killer for Your Love sounds pretty cool). I'd rate it higher, but I'm having a problem because I have no idea what this band is supposed to be. They are seriously all over the place stylistically. Kudos for variety, but as the Who would sing..."Who are you?"
OK, I listened to it. There was noise. I guess I liked the noise at the time. Feels a lot like another band called Pavement, if I were to go and not listen to anything by Blur ever again I am sure I'd be just fine and would probably forget that they existed.
Not as good as I remember from college, but still a quality album.
solid alt sound from Britain.
Owned album, only ever listened to first two tracks, decent listen.
Interesting listen, liked the energy. I may listen again.
I feel uncomfortable rating this bc i didn't really pay attention to it like that. but mainly most blur albums sound the same to me. never capture my attention beyond being good background music. that 90s alternative sound is very dated.
Never a fan of blur, although this one want too painful
Ah what an actual classic for me. I grew up listening to Blur, and this was nice to bob along to.
Decent alternative brit-rock from the '90s. 7.4/10
Another in the long list of bands whose name I know but know very little of their work (yes, I know, a major benefit of this whole 1001 Albums project is I am finally getting 'round to hearing all these bands!). 'Song 2' is familiar to me now that I hear it again, and I really like it. Great energy and fun. I like most of these tracks. Some really cool guitar work going on here. Nice.
Ich finde es sympathischer als oasis aber mehr als drei sind auch das nicht
mediocre album
I love that one song. A saw a post where a guy was saying that Blur is really good but everyone only knows the one song but I kind of disagree with him.
Not super feeling it, interesting band though
Too much noise
Joa...Ich wusste nicht das dieses SingStar Rock Lied von Blur ist.Ansonsten hat es mich jetzt nicht von der Leiter gehauen.
Tja Blur, vroeger vond ik het niks, teveel Britpop. Nu vond ik het wel een keer lekker om te luisteren, leuke rare uitschieter met Chinese Bombs, lekkere klassieker met Song 2. Kortom een ruime voldoende.
Solid nirvana meets bowie, nothing too crazy.
Started well, went downhill towards the middle but I really liked the last track. ***
Best aardig, maar wordt ook nooit echt briljant helaas
Niet alles even prettig, maar ik houd erg van de stem van Damon Albarn.
Ups and downs for me. I think I could listen again and like it more. Some of the song lyrics were pretty dark. Saved tracks: “You’re so Great”.
alt rock. song 2 v famous
Not too remarkable, kind of a nice progy rocky thing I guess? Probably using that wrong. Funny that I recognized Song 2 (actual song name) almost immediately though, never knew the name.
Far from their best
5.5
Obviously song 2 is the slapper, but I also really liked 'Look Inside America'. Bigger fan of the Gorillaz but still a good band
Solid album. Overrated though. I do not think it deserves all the hype it gets.
6
Solid Brit pop rock album with some unique stuff, obviously created by strong musicians. Doesn’t have as nostalgic a vibe for me as similar records from that time period, which might skew my option slightly more negative. 3.3
as disappointing as the first time I listened to it. and the second. and the third.
Solid album--would probably improve upon re-listening
J’ai bien aime, il y a un vibe qui me rappelle radiohead desfois ? 3.75
Semibängeri Helt jees rock. Vissa bra men vissa sämre låtar
Liked Beetlebum, Look inside America Not a fan of Theme from retro, Chinese bombs or Essex Dogs
Eh. Apart from the 1st two songs, I wasn’t blown away.
I like this album, and I went through a "Blur phase" in probably late high school/ early college. I don't love all the songs on this album but some of them I really do, like "Beetlebum" "Song 2" "Killer for Your Love" and perhaps "Look Inside America" & "Strange News from Another Star." "Essex Dogs" too, I forgot about that song. This, as with all Blur albums, struggles as a whole for me. I prefer Damon Albarn's other projects more - Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and the Queen, and his solo stuff.
Song 2.0 is amazing, but everythng else.... meh
Not bad, pretty chill, but only 1 really memorable track on the album.
Some interesting tracks
Song 2 is amazing, the rest is very meh.
Alternative. Would rather listen to newer albums
very 90's very british
Not bad.
@@@. Ok rock, some nice songs.
Essex dogs.
Difficile mantenere il livello di Song 2
Some great songs. Some filler.
Never listened to much Blur beyond Song 2. Not super overwhelmed with this album, but you can hear a lot of influences on other brit rock bands. Needs more listens.
1997 opening track 5:05mins Blur #1 song on spotify is Song 2 which is 2 min 1 sec long. marked stylistic changes of influenced by american indie bands (like Pavement). recorded in London and Reykjavik Iceland. Song 2 launched fame in US (where they had been unsuccessful)
Good but not really my style
Only got a bit into it. Seemed very vanilla.
It's alright but I'll stick to 'The Best of Blur'
Some songs was nice some was not as nice
Starts off amazing for the first few tracks but doesn't keep it up. Shame.
It’s blur baby!
Own. Fave song “Song 2” not much of Blur fan outside the hits.
It's not bad, but I feel like quite a few of the songs are parodies or just ripping off other genres. This can be successful (they're great anytime they try grunge) or less than successful ("Country Ballad Sad Man"). It's not bad, I just preferred MLIR. Favorite tracks: "M.O.R.", "Chinese Bombs", "Strange News from Another Star"
5/24 Another good British rock album. Standout Tracks: Beetlebum, Theme from Retro, Death of a Party, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, Strange News from Another Star, Essex Dogs
song 2 is here but this album is just ok
Meh, I expected more to be honest. Bold move putting the two best tracks right at the start.
It’s no wonder song 2 was the hit from this album. It’s interesting to see the 90s slacker effort was a thing across the pond too. On your own was the only other track that seemed like a marketable song.
Three pretty good songs and a lot of filler.
This Alternative Britpop album feels like wandering through a half-familiar British town where everything looks ordinary, but every street corner has something slightly off about it. The guitars shift between rough distortion, jangly riffs and noisy textures, while the rhythm section keeps the songs moving with a loose, sometimes awkward energy. Damon Albarn's vocals can sound conversational and detached one moment, then suddenly more melodic or agitated the next. Rather than settling into the polished confidence of straightforward Britpop, the album keeps pulling in different directions, making me feel like I'm never quite sure whether I'm supposed to sing along, laugh at what I'm hearing or just keep walking.
Song 2 is a song of all time for me, but obviously given its origin story, doesn't sound like the rest of this album. Unfortunately, I like Song 2 and not the rest of this album. Rating: 2.5
I like Blur; at least I thought I did. "Beetlebum" is a great opening track while "Song 2"'s pointed jabs at grunge is a unironically a brilliant song. "On Your Own", "You're So Great" and "Death of a Party" are reasonably decent songs on what is otherwise a surprisingly shit album; "Look Inside America" is woeful, as are the penultimate and final tracks "Movin' On" and "Essex Dogs". I expected this to be an easy 3*. The back end of the album is fucking awful though. Would rather pluck bollock hairs of an evening, than listen to most of this again.
Ei niin kiva blyrrilevy, vaikka tässä blyrriläisten paras biisi onkin: songi kakkonen.
boring!
SO many annoying songs on here. Yea, Song 2 is iconic, but that's it...
eh not rlly my thing, didnt find too interesting. sounds like it was more revolutiopnary for bringing these sounds to a popular audience then it being interesting on their own. at least from 202's vantage point. Just a lil too forgettable for good background music.
Outside of Song 2, nothing else really stood out.
Ik weet het niet. Ik vind het zeker niet slecht, maar ook niet per se leuk. Ik voel me er heel neutraal over.
Not for me...just okay. Favorite track: Theme from Retro
It was pretty boring in my opinion, i did not even listen to the whole album, gave up midway.
Nunca me gustó tanto este álbum de ellos. No sé si merece estar acá. Se rescatan igual algunos temas. 4/10
Se ve mucha experimentación en el álbum Se siente nostalgia, energía por montones, felicidad y tristeza, contradicciones interesantes a lo largo del álbum Sin embargo nada en particular resuena tanto después de pasar por Song 2, o sea no se vuelve memorable Definitivamente creo que es de esos álbumes que crecen más en uno mientras más se escuche e incluso en un momento vital que calce
what in the heck is happening in beetlebum i hate it it's scary.. song 2 is banger okay not listening anymore
Nothing caught my attention in this album. Sounds very bland to me. Reminds me of The Strokes in that regard.
Not the best Blur album. Not even the top 3 of the ones that had been released by 1997. I like Blur. I don't like this album. The first 2 songs notwithstanding
One sharp song, the rest bit of a blur
I just can't warm to them. Song 2 is obviously very well known - but the subsequent tracks are completely unmemorable.
Song #2 has been a staple of car commercials for years and I expected to like this album if it sounded like that song. I found this pretty boring and none of it sounded like Song #2.
It's fine, but nothing really excited me (except Song 2, certified banger)
This album contains "Song 2", the deliberately lunkheaded charm of which saves this record from 1-star status but lord almighty, singer Damon Albarn has such a colorless, personality-free voice that nearly every song here has the appeal of a stale biscuit.
Pretty boring, disappointing as I like Damon Albarns music with the gorilaz
remember owning this album through record club got on the strength of song 2 recall being underwhelmed, but that was probably 30 years ago now better than i remembered, but still a far cry from wall to wall bangers 💥beetlebum 💥song 2 💥death of a party
hey, did you check to see if they had any consonants in stock at the big tescos?
Man the first two tracks started off so strong and then it droned on into a forgettable boring atrocity. Shame.
Mediocre album from the late 90s, a mediocre period for alternative rock.
Listen, I know it was probably really important and influential, but I didn’t find a single song on this record that I liked. It was kind of just okay….
At first I was thinking that getting 3 Blur albums in a few weeks was unfairly gonna skew my ratings due to overconsumption. But I was wrong. Their stuff all sounds the same. Even though as I’m listening there’s nothing that really makes me think anything negative about them. And yet I exit each listen not remembering a damn thing about the songs. Their albums are way too long overall and strangely forgettable. Whoo-hoo? Not so much.
Three Blur records in like 2 weeks. I saw the first one and was thinking “oh, I like blur do’ sure.” Now I’m not so sure. There’s a couple good songs, some interesting and creative stuff going on, but mostly just kind of meh. Tough to say if song 2 is my fav of their songs. Maybe. But it was just played so dang much. Regardless, that it was kind of a joke. They sent to the record company thinking they’d reject it and become their biggest hit. Beetlebum is fun. But yeah, the rest of this isn’t very good. 2.5
Blur is just not for me I guess. They never really hit big in the US so I never really got a lot of exposure to them when they were putting out music and now that I am, I just don’t enjoy it.
A few excellent songs let down by a lot of naff ones. Just too long as well.
Lacked a cohesive feel. Liked a few but several weird ones as well.
mid
Not my favorite so far. I understand it was ahead of its time, but definitely not my go to for 90s Brit rock.
Didn't get through it, Blur have highlights but this is a slog. RYM: N Saved a song: N
So boring with only 2 good songs
I feel like the more I listen to Blur, the less I like them. They have a decent greatest hits and some genuinely stellar songs but sometimes they just sound like they're either aping or mocking someone else. Beetlebum aside, I just found this incredibly dull, meandering and lacking cohesion and Damon's voice pisses me off more than it doesn't
Ts was booty ass cheeks
I respect them for moving away from the Britpop sound. But it sounds like they copied someone else’s homework and forgot to change some of the words around.
Tiene un temon el resto ayuda
Of course I’ve heard Song 2, but I was just disappointed in this whole album. The whole thing felt disingenuous and ambivalent.
Song 2 is here. Two minutes of noise rock that became Blur's biggest hit almost by accident. It sounds nothing like the rest of the album, which is mid-90s Britpop indie that mostly serves as filler around it. 2/5 — came for Song 2, found mostly padding.
oh jeez an album by the gorillaz dude man ballad sad country--there's this japanese band called ogre you asshole with an ep from like 2024 called outside of the house and the little synth bit in here reminds me of that. oya does it better, tho. 2 stars what unique characteristics is this supposed to bring to the table? all i hear is the dull drone of mediocrity, which is something that i am not in a mood to tolerate more than 5.5 tracks worth of.
Two blur albums in a week! And this was the worse of the two
Just when I thought this Britpop crap couldn’t get any worse, they abandon the “pop” part and make a bunch of repetitive “alternative” music.
I like Blur. I've always been around this album, I've known it existed, I've had Blur songs in heavy rotation for the past 20 years. I've probably listened to this album somewhere in my past and then shrugged and put it aside. I gave it another listen. This album sounds like a really tired band unable to string their exhausted ideas into songs. I know I've listened to it before, or tried to, but nothing here resonates with me. Some of it's straight up grating and boring.
Outside of “Song 2” this album is mostly just a big nothingburger.
Pretty bad, instruments were almost in tune with each other, and they almost sound good
I wish I liked this, but I would be grossly misrepresenting my feelings on this if I said otherwise. I get that blur was going for something a bit less commercial and differnt from their norm, and I appreciate that. However, really doesn't work for me. I think the first 2-3 songs work well, but agter that it really became a chore to power through. I'm curious as to how differnt the other blur albums are as I hope to enjoy them more. Overall, really struggled to connect with this and I found the instrumentation at points to be very unpleasant to listen to. First 2 songs are fire tho, that saves it a fair bit for me. Whatever, I like 'Song 2' the most, I'm basic I guess. Fav Track: Song 2
A varied selection of pretty unique sounding tracks, but nearly all of them suck. The vocals are interesting at first, but they get real annoying real fast.
Highlights: Bettlebum, Song 2 2.8
Didn't quit like it really
chill. mellow.
Glad Albarn eventually started Gorillaz, he’s 3 albums short of figuring it out here. Song 2 is fun and overall it’s ok but I was fine never hearing this.
One-hour album, and only the first two songs are great. Blur are at their best when they're being quirked up and British.
There's something about late blur that I just can't stand. It's like they're trying desperately to be edgy and experimental and it's just falls falt. 13 manages it to an alright standard - in fairness - but beyond just you get records like this. Full of shlock that runs out it's welcome very quickly. Some odd redeeming tracks but overall a bit of a messy one.
The first two songs have élan, impulsion. The rest are unremarkable. The vocals are uninspiring and not helped by the distorting effects. I don't have a lot of patience for music like this but I do respect the artistry and craftsmanship. Also it's toooo loonnnnggggg
not really for me, it was okay
Beetlebum and Song 2. The rest didn’t cut it for me