Blur

Favorite Track[s]: Beetlebum Song 2 Death at a Party

I like: Song 2 On Your Own

The first two tracks were great; the rest was rather average.

Technically admirable, but after a while I find Albarn's schtick a bit tiresome. It feels a bit forced and try-hard for the sake of catchiness, getting duller on repeat listens rather than revealing anything more.

Song 2 is great!

It's got that one on it.

Great album that Ive heard before many times!

Imagine if David Bowie was punk rock. This has punk vibes to it but it is a "happy punk" if you will

Fucking love the 90s. I dont care what you say. "It's not my problem" - Damon Albarn WOOOO-HOOOO!

Did not enjoy other than their famous song.

Song 2…

Amazing album ! Wow

Just an okay album. Only a couple of songs grabbed me and it wasn’t the overplayed Song 2 which reminded me of being a kid at a school dance again. Song 2 is the only song I’d heard off this album before. Beetlebum and Death of a Party were best to me. Some interesting sounds but meh.

Underwhelming. Sounds like an album for happy prat’s whose parents paid for their college education. Cool guitar tones. Lame chore changes. Trying too hard to be eccentric and unique. Meh. Never understood the hype 🤷‍♂️ lyrics are as blunt as a buried blade. I see it’s merit though and the sound is full. I like the production and sounds more than the songwriting.

Blur is leuker dan ik wist

Classic Brit pop album. Some classic tracks. Some tracks Bowie would be proud to have written. Lays the blue/Damian sound that evolved and made the band instantly recognizable

Starting tracks are alright but it gets annoying towards the end

A great album. Melodic, quirky and not trying to be anything other than itself. Makes me wanna deep dive their other albums.

Too many different styles and experimental sounds. A couple good songs but the album is 5/10

Decent

A little uneven, but at its best it is excellent.

Alr

2.5

I always preferred Blur over Oasis (who are dreadful) and this album cements that preference; showing progression and a range of musical ideas (something Oasis have never had). There are half a dozen standout tracks; Beetlebum, Song 2 (with Albarn's best John Lydon impression) Country Sad Ballad Man... and that's just the first three tracks.

I love Song Number 2. Honestly the only song of theirs that I know, so I was very exciting to finally hear the album it was from. I'm writing this review the next day and I honestly struggle to remember any of the other songs. They all blur (heh) together. Nothing else stands out or is even remotely memorable. One song doesn't make an album, but it does save it from a 1 star rating.

Blur > Oasis

Sitting in my best friend's bedroom in 1997 feelings.

Joya.

55/100

First five track sound like 90s filler. Hard to get through. "Theme from Retro" thru "Death of a Party" sound like a different album. Way more interesting. You can definitely see the scaffolding for Gorillaz. This album is an incoherent mashup of very boring britpop and something much more brilliant.

"Beetlebum" seems to invoke The Beatles' sound. "Country Sad Ballad Man" is reminiscent of Beck. Is this what the English listen to? I found the lyrics to he mostly immaterial or unrelatible, the music simple, and the vocals boring... what I imagine Jack White's catalogue must sound like. "Strange News from Another Star" reminds one of what Bowie's take on Soundgarden's "Blow Up the Outside World" might have sounded like, and is a nice chuck of gold amongst pyrite.

Pretty mid.

Imo it will always be Blur > Oasis. Classic Blur sound, live Damon's voice and the good guitar riffs on this album. Throughout the album there is a good mix between heavy guitar riffs and slower, more emotional songs. Obviously, we can't talk about this album without acknowlodging the greatness that Blur has achieved with Song 2. Because let's be honest, everyone in the world has heard at least someone chanting that song once, it's just iconic. Anyway, it's a good album, not my most favourite of theirs, but definitely a good one Favourite songs: the punky sounds from Chinese Bombs & I'm just a killer for your love.

One thing I can certainly say in favour of this album is that it’s very eclectic and unpredictable. It doesn’t ‘do it’ for me but is clearly a highly accomplished album

Really liked this album. I have heard Song 2 3,443,679 times on the radio, just today. But have never heard any other songs by Blur. If I had heard this album when it came out and I was a teenager, it very well could have been one of my favorites.

Ble overrasket, blur 2 er banger men var mye bra her

Song 2 is a classic

Typical 90s rock album with a little accent.

Certainly Blur’s most interesting and eclectic album, especially sonically, with shades of electronica and hip hop added into their usual mix of (brit)rock and psychedelia. ‘Song 2’, ‘Country Sad Ballad Man’, ‘Death Of A Party’, ‘I’m Just A Killer For Your Love’, and ‘Movin’ On’ are my faves here.

Fabulous

Ég er alltaf skotinn í Blur, þótt ég sé hrifnari af Britpoppinu þeirra svona heilt yfir. Hér er heilmargt skemmtilegt og nokkur lög meðal þeirra bestu. Sumt er ekki alveg minn tebolli, (Chinese bombs) en þetta er góð plata fyrir því.

While Song 2 and M.O.R are great tracks, I don't think this album would be regular rotation for me.

A blur of music

Wasn't a particular fan at the time. But I love the gorillaz having the same singer makes the blur stuff more accessible for me

Some fun jams, but lots of filler.

Etwas planlos reihen sich die Songs aneinander. Blur kombiniert alles zu einem Chaos aus lärmenden Punk, langweiligen Pop, verstörender Trance und Jahrmarkt-Fiebertraum. Auch die an für sich gute, rohe Produktion, die vocals aus dem Festnetztelefon, können manche der einfallslosen Songs darunter nicht mehr retten. Der Sound der Instrumente ist von Zeit zu Zeit großartig und immer mal wieder blitzt ein interessanter Akkordwechsel auf. Trotz der vielseitigen Instrumentation (Hammondorgel, diversen elektronischen sounds, Slide Gitarren, schwere drum beats) überschreitet das Album über weite Strecken nicht die Schwelle, wirklich interessant zu werden. Viele Songs starten spannend, dümpeln aber irgendwannn nur noch vor sich hin, beispielsweise "Death of a party" oder auch "I'm just a killer for your love". Trotzdem gibt es einige memorable mentions: sad song ballad man ist mit Melodie, Chord Progression und Songstruktur der erste Interessante track, Chinese bombs lockert das träge Album mal kurz mit etwas punk auf und sorgt für Abwechslung. Auch "Look inside America" ist eine unerwartbar schöne songwriting-Achterbahnfahrt. Alles in allem ein schön abwechslungsreiches Album mit Reizüberflutung, weshalb seltsamerweise aber nicht viel hängen bleibt. Trotz mancher eingängiger Refrains, wird kein Song ein wirklicher Banger. Vielleicht wären die einzelnen Tracks auf verschiedenen Alben besser aufgehoben gewesen, wo sie stärker herausragen könnten. Eine starke 3 (3,8)

Hatte bei so einem abgekultetem Album mehr erwartet…? Sounds fand ich durchgehen zu schraddelig-Bandkeller mäßig, aber nicht auf ne dezidiert noisy Art. Songs haben mich auch nicht beeindruckt, hab mir zumindest nichts davon gemerkt, lief so durch.

Einzelne Lichtblicke gepaart mit belangloser Edgyness. Hat sich auf eine Weise sehr unreif angefühlt und vermisste trotzdem die ungefilterte Brutalität der Jugend. Hatte das starke Bedürfnis zu sagen "Bro du bist 30". Am Ende hat Essex dogs für mich das Album total gerettet, weil es viel aufrichtiger wirkt. Die Edgyness ist nicht so aufgesetzt. Hat mich so überzeugt, dass ich eine 2. Chance gegeben habe. Dann konnte ich etwas besser damit connected.

Damon Albarn bevor er gut war Uninspiriertes Geschrammel mit Glimpses of Greatness am Ende des Albums

уфф

That Damon Albarn went on to create The Gorillaz is a testament to the fact that even if you suck early on, you can still amazing things with the right people.

Had Modern Life is Rubbish only two albums ago. This is just so much better in my opinion. Interesting and still achieving the energy Blur puts out without being a 2+ hour slog of noise for noise's sake to be challenging.

Wow what s great record! When I first listened to it I was already amazed but this time it just blew me away!

Decent fun with some cool experimental aspects. Rating: 3.9

Just alright, leaning on the meh side

loved it blur are great

Beetlebum: Really good- 9/10 Song 2: Great groove, lyrics are kinda eh, very catchy- 8/10 Country Sad Ballad Man: Perfect- 10/10 M.O.R: Lyrics are pretty bad, sounds like a normal britpop song to be honest- 5/10 On your Own: Fun song, grew on me as the song went on- 8/10 Theme from Retro: Fantastic Instrumental- 9/10 You're so Great: Great textures, nice to have a more acoustic song- 8/10 Death of a Party: Best song on the album- 10/10 Chinese Bombs: Good song- 9/10 I'm Just a Killer for your Love: Carries on the vibe of the last song, one of my favorite on the album- 10/10 Look Inside America: I know the singer went on to make Gorillaz, but this sounds like if Gorillaz did a 90's alt rock song- 9/10 Strange News from Another Star: One of my favorites on the album- 10/10 Movin' On: The lyrics are very Beck-esk, not as good as some of the other tracks on the album- 7/10 Essex Dogs: Dude really thought he was Jim Morrison, good song though- 8/10 Not a crazy amount of variation in the songs. Overall score (based on average)- 8.6

Still don't like this band. I just see it as a bad proto-gorillas. Song 2 is the only good track on this album. Much like the other blur albums on this list this was painfully mediocre. A strong 2 to light 3

I can see Blur starting to branch out from the Britpop sound with more experimentation, eventually culminating in the Gorillaz sound. Some songs are not catchy but I respect the effort. Outside of the obvious big singles, I enjoyed Death of a Party

Solid three as this is my childhood sing star track - 'song 2'

One grest song does not a good album make. Song 2 is steeped in nostalgia of listening to Much Music's compilation album Big Shiny Tunes 2 in middle school. Other than that song, this whole album is a steaming pile of shit. I almost didn't get through it today. I had to listen in sections because it was just so truly awful. Overall, utter trash. No redeeming qualities. 1 star for Song 2. Favourite songs: Song 2 Least favourite songs: I'm Just a Killer for Your Love, Theme from Retro, Chinese Bombs, Strange News from Another Star, Movin' On, Essex Dogs 1/5

Not interested in this music.

I really hated this album. Blur is not my thing. This album sounded like if the Gorillaz were bad. I literally didn't like one song on it.

Beetlebum and Song 2 are fantastic songs but the rest (forgive me) blurs into a rolling soundscape with not very many highlights. I kind of liked I’m just a killer for your love even though it’s lyrically nonsensical. This album starts off with a bang and ends on a whimper.

Yeah, we've had a lot from Blur already, and I like it. First time spinning all this stuff, though I went through this album twice. I appreciate the adventurous attitude and songwriting, influences are dripping off them and they still sound wholly original, aiming straight for a Brit-pop thing while straining the conventional. I'm all in.

OMG what a chore to listen to. I get that they were trying to do something different after their wonderful neo-Kinks efforts Parklife and The Great Escape, but this album was a misstep.

I enjoyed this. Can't recall what I rated other Blur albums we've listened to but this one sparked nice memories of catching a song like Song 2 on the radio or at a party and how good that felt. Country Sad Ballad Man, M.O.R., Moving' On .... all just brought me back to a simpler time when the biggest question of the day was where am I meeting Jen after work.

worse then oasis but still pretty good

Goid

Apart from the massive "Song 2" - woo-hoo! - and the hit single "Beetlebum", I wasn't overly impressed with this album and found some of the tracks a bit of a dirge.

Genuinely enjoyed it! It wasn’t the perfect album, but it was a good time!

I remember being 17 and working in Pizza Hut and wanting to treat myself to a new album. At the time, I loved Song 2 but hadn’t heard much else so I bought the album to listen as a whole. As a stinky teen, I was disappointed by the album, but then years later I listened again and enjoyed it. So who knows what I’ll think today? Songs I already knew: all of them Favourites: Song 2, Beetlebum, M.O.R. I enjoyed this, but I do see why I felt disappointed in my younger years. This album starts strong and finishes strong, but the middle is notably weaker. I enjoyed most songs, but there are definitely some skippable ones (I’m looking at you, You’re So Great). I’m still a much bigger fan of Damon’s side hustle Gorillaz, but this was still overall a good listen.

This has a video game song I love! Good album overall.

4/14, 29%

Classic, but not really nice 😅3*

I definitely preferred this to Park Life and the more Britpop stuff I’ve heard from Blur. Did kind of just make me want to listen to Pavement, but Song 2 and Strange News From Another Star were quite good.

Hoge hoogtepunten, maar het lukt me niet om hem in een keer door te luisteren

'Song 2' came out the year I was born and other than 'Parklife' and 'Girls and Boys', I didn't know any other songs by Blur. They have such a variety of sounds. Loved opening song 'beetlebum'. 'You're so great' was really feel good, lyrics were so catchy. Psychedelic at some points like in 'Strange news from another star'. The singer sounds a lot like the vocalist in the Gorillaz.

Didn’t enjoy this album.

not only woohoo

This album looks familiar. Came out the year I graduated from high school. This first one sounds like the Beetles funny because the song is called Beetlebum. Pretty good. I'll give it 4 stars

i prefer gorillaz. fav songs: beetlebum, youre so great, death of a party, strange news from another star.

MOREEEEE: I love blur and it’s been like this a long time. I find their music full of passion and just slaps perfectly. As amazing as Oasis are Blur will always be better (+ Damon Alburn is the Gorrilaz man). Beautiful album full of bangers and passion. Would listen again and again.

Love Blur, but this album as a whole is pretty weak

2/5. Hard to be excited for brit-pop/rock, especially one I haven't heard before because you can tell they are all borrowing from each other, and not in a good way. It's not bad, but there aren't any great songs on this one. Mostly boring and same attitude of not caring which feels like they care too much. A hard attitude to pull off right.

Absolutely timeless classic. I had a girlfriend who's brother was Blur crazy before this record was released. I didn't really get it. This album changed that for sure. I saw them live on this tour in Sydney, apparently Tom was at the show too. Graeme using a theremin on stage blew my mind. I'm going to listen to this again now. See ya.

Oh wow. So timely. Been reconnecting with Blur a lot recently. This album was HUGE the year I started uni, in fact it became an obsession of mine. Beetlebum was the song that served as my gateway Blur drug, and Song 2, despite being overplayed, is still a mad headbanger. I saw Blur twice in Sydney in a couple of days, the second concert at the Hordern we managed to catch Dave's drumstick after it flew into the audience during Song 2. I still don't know what happened to that, I had it for years. We managed to blag our way into the after party in Kings Cross, and I sidled up to Graham Coxon at the bar, and what did I say? 'Great guitar Graham'. Damn what a loser. Oh and the album is a real mixed bag, some I love, some I'm a bit indifferent, but as a package and a statement and a disc full of memories, this has to get full marks.

Song 2 is one of those songs that Lisa and I always sing but never remember who sang it so I'm glad it finally popped up for confirmation. We were just trying to find it the other day. Blur is one of the few UK bands I hadn't heard before that I'm learning to like. I enjoyed Parklife and in real life, they just released a new album last week I think so they are still kicking.

Damn, another great album. Everything lately has been either four stars or two. I think we've had a couple from Blur, but this one is the strongest so far. And of course I actually know "Song 2," that's been everywhere for decades. "You're So Great" is such a good love song too, very nonchalant expression of love. The closer was also excellent. Solid '90s rock album, they did a lot right on here. Favorite tracks: You're So Great, Essex Dogs, Song 2, Beetlebum, On Your Own. Album art: Surprise surprise, it's all a blur. Looks to be someone frantically rushing a stretcher through a hospital. Not too memorable, but I like it. 4/5

Album 119 of 1001 Blur - Blur Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Song 2 Has that 90s sounds, for sure. Was quite familiar with Song 2 from the radio and also from commercials, I believe. Good album. Sounds like a lot of others from the time. Some good tunes but none quite as strong as their big hit. Worth a listen but nothing to write home about.

Yet another great album!

Ну чёт вообще никак... 4/10...

Wall to wall banger

Brilliant as always

Decent brit pop! Not a song on here that I'm like "wow gotta add to the daily rotation", but that's show biz

Enjoy Song 2, but the rest was a blur.

I actually enjoyed this album even though I’m not a fan of their hit song.

Wasn't previously familiar and enjoyed it!

I thought the rest of the album was meh next to Song 2. I'll give them that it's diverse, but I was zoned out for a lot of this.

I only knew Song 2 from this band, but I've heard they were the 90's Beatles. So I had my hopes up a little too much. Only the first track sounded Beatle-like to me, and the sort of throwaway Song 2 was the best track. The rest was either kind of boring or heavily distorted. All in all, it was average.

I think this is the third Blur album that I've gotten on this list, which didn't have me super excited when I got it this morning, but I think this is the best one that I've heard so far. This one feels a little grittier than the others, and has the obvious benefit of having their most well-known song. Overall I thought it was a really good listen 4/5

DIG IT. Such a fun mix of feelings and sounds

Song 2 awesome couldn’t get through the rest

For me there is no Blur album that I enjoy from beginning to end. There are some decent songs on this one but the style jumps all over the place and I feel like a few songs could’ve been cut. The album is a mixed bag and doesn’t feel like a ‘journey’. I like Graham Coxon’s tracks but they might’ve been more suited to a solo album. It feels like they just threw everything into this and it is a mixed bag. I do really like what each member brings to the band, I’ve always liked Albarn’s vocals and the guitar and bass tone is really satisfying. I think James is an underrated bass player and I enjoyed his work on this album.

when they changed

Was expecting to be a bit more blown away but 👍

Didn't really like it. Went onto their best of, wasn't really impresssed.

1997 - Indie rock; lo-fi; alternative rock; art rock; experimental rock

Very fond of Song 2🤟

A quirky and interesting album with one known song, it was ok for me but not likely to listen again.

I liked the majority of the tracks, a few less interesting ones. Cool

p good. lob damon albarn.

Chinese Bombs!

biisi 2 copied??.. heard somewhere else... song 6 good too..... Album.. shit...

This is about the same as their Parklife record I listened to on this list as my first album. It's solid British alternative rock for that time, only this one has the catchy Song 2 on it everybody knows. I did like anthem quality of On Your Own, that one was a favorite.

amazingly wonderful. Love the sounds and the vocals sounds a lot like ok computer from what ive heard of it but less dark. I enjoy the fun and more sadder songs on this album. Amazing

Whoehoe!! En we zijn weer in jaren-90-Engeland, bij een bandje dat naar Beatles-status solliciteert. Lijzige stem, krakende gitaren. Best leuk (had ik al Whoehoe!! gezegd?), al lijkt het naar het einde toe of we zijn beland op het Festival voor de Lelijke Muziek (25 en 26 juli in de hele binnenstad van Enkhuizen, komt allen). Ach, ik ben in een gulle bui vandaag.

Yep, een Britpop stem. Er zijn veel ergere voorbeelden. En vaak matcht het ook wel met de muziek. Vooruit, drie sterren.

Battle of the Britpop, deel zoveel. Zoals gezegd ben ik meer van het recht voor je raap geluid van Oasis. Blur is wat te artsy fartsy af en toe, maar dit album verrast me toch weer positief, net als eerder dat album met die trein erop. Het rockt voldoende om niet teveel dat zeikerige Britpoep te zijn. Dat gezegd hebbende, kan ik na 2x luisteren alleen die 1e 2 nrs opnoemen. Dus het beklijft te weinig voor 4 sterren

woo-hoo

Song 2 - Banger woohoo (4) Death of a Party - Decent (3) Everything else meh (1.5-2.5)

I was listening to this while working, so I wasn't being super intentional about the music. Overall I didn't hate this album, but I don't think I particularly liked it. I definitely heard the British roots and liked the rock-ish aspect of it, although it did feel a bit muted overall. I found it very interesting that there was so much drama around the mastering of this album; I expected to be blown away by some unique sound, but I don't think it was really there for me. Maybe it was more influential when some of those sounds/techniques were less common, but I don't know enough about the subject.

It's cool to hear the precursor to the Gorillaz. I feel like there are small glimpses of the randomness, groove, and grit that are to come with Damon's next musical project (Death of a Party sounds like a Gorillaz song). I feel like there wasn't anything in particular that has resonated with me with this album. I don't think Damon's vocals are the strong suit when I listen to his stuff and the production hasn't wow'ed me, so there hasn't been anything great here. I feel like I'm listening to some Trainspotting/ Jason Statham songs.

Pretty sure que ja tinha feito review pra esse album

Musically clever and nuanced with a nice variety from song to song. The risk of going stylistically diverse of course is that you risk sounding unfocused. There's a bit of that happening here, but the album is anchored by some pretty solid songs. Had the band dropped 2-3 of them, this would have been a much tighter album. Fave Songs: Song 2, Country Sad Ballad Man, Beetlebum, Death of a Party, Strange News from Another Star, Look Inside America

Well this was Brit pop bliss. A seminal album I believe but I was unfamiliar. So no real nostalgia for me but I think it's stand up great music

Yeah it's preeeeeetty good.

3.9 Not one of my fave from Blur but still a great listen every time. Fave songs: Beetlebum, Chinese bombs, i'm just a killer for your love

Album #: 192 first impressions: Yeah, I know this band. Song 2 is a certified banger. The rest of this ranges wildly from sounding like a less fun version of that song to basically unlistenable 90's crunchy guitar noises w chaotic drums and extremely disaffected vocals. after listening through: There were a few catchy songs. I can see how this is an album emblematic of the 90's. post-reading reviews/wiki: I always forget Damon Albarn did blur before Gorillaz. It's weird bc I really enjoy Gorillaz usually...I guess he really shines when he's out of that 5-piece rock band kind of mold. Even though a lot of the reviews praise Blur's versatility, it just feels directionless in a lot of spots on this album. relisten?: probably not, other than song 2 ofc, and maybe Beetlebum (which is like a 90's-ified 70's singer/songwriter vibe) & M.O.R.

I enjoyed this Blur record a lot more than the last one I got. I could tell they were moving more towards an indie-rock sound than their previous britpop sound. Of course everyone knows them for “song 2” but there’s a lot more cool songs on here.

I don’t remember ever hearing of this group. I don’t really like this type of music but for some reason the beginning of “Song 2” was really familiar to me. But I don’t know why or where/when. Couldn’t stand to listen to the whole album. Sorry, Blur…

Nice!

It is a middle of the road album. Surprised it is included in the list. Notable Songs Song 2 Death of a Party

Very 90s rock, felt super nostalgic listening to this album even though Song 2 is the only song I’ve heard before

Eh. 3 stars.

Song 2 is a slapper from my youth. Sounds nothing like the rest of the album which is excellent.

Just because you have found a new, well-polished sound, doesn't mean you can just be patting yourself on the back for an hour. All of the intrigue of their earlier albums is gone in favour of something reliable, and totally serviceable, but mostly just knockoff Pavement. If the book wanted something from the art rock era of Blur, they should've went with the album 13, which does something purposeful and innovative with the change in style.

I had a pretty negative reaction to this album. It’s too long, I’m a bit burnt out on this genre, and the lyrics didn’t do enough to hold my attention. That long song at the end felt especially brutal.

this album feels like the best of britpop — blur incorporating some alternative sound into it, and while the two don’t mesh perfectly, it generally works. i tried to ignore how overplayed song 2 is, and it was pretty good. there were some boring moments, but overall a quite good album.

Three stars good but nothing special

Good album, but outside of the first two songs, I feel like this isn’t their best material. ‘Beetlebum’ and ‘Song 2’ are great, though. The other twelve songs are still good, but they don’t reach those heights. I’d say that although those gripes are there, it’s an enjoyable Britpop album, and it deserves a 4.

Some good songs but overall boring and fell flat.

Woo hoo! was fun. The rest was bad.

Solid

A good album, the start of them moving out from under the britpop banner into something more interesting.

- "At least Song 2 isn't on this album" he said 2 days before getting the album with Song 2 on it - Which, to be fair, isn't a bad song at all I've just heard it wayyyyyy too much in my life - Actually really good alt rock, enjoyed this a lot more than the other one

- Marginally better than Parklife - Song 2 is light years better than anything else they’ve done - Still just doesn’t click for me

I enjoyed this album.

Beetlebum is great. I've always hated Song 2 -- even if it's supposed to be ironic, I can't listen to it. Because of that, I haven't listened to this album as much as their first three. It’s a departure from the early albums, but doesn’t sound totally different. I really liked it and probably should have given it more time back in the day.

Best Song: Song 2. I mean, obviously. Really doesn't even feel like the same band. Worst Song: Look Inside America. An example of this (especially British) era's tendency to focus on singing loud and long more than singing well. Overall: Remarkable how one mega hit can raise the estimation of an entire album or band. Beyond the admittedly quite good "Song 2", the rest is just bland, bouncy shout rock. It feels like music that was designed to be sung loudly by a gaggle of drunk bargoers, and the lead singer had the decency to not even try to outperform them.

Classic. Truly brilliant album full of gems! Not a duff track on the album and that’s coming from a massive Oasis fan! Loved this!

as a fan of blur, this isn't my favourite but not a bad album either

OK album, not exceptional and a little too noisy from time to time.

Ok, not really that special. Didn't mind at all when my playlist started when it finished

Listened to this album 3 times now and forgot about it every time. Therefore 3 stars.

Has some cool songs but it's way too incosistent

Not as good as Parklife!

I really wanted to like this, but it just didn't grab me somehow. Song 2 is a real banger, but can unfortunately not make up for the rest of the album which is quite forgettable in my opinion. Interesting how you can see where some of the "old microphone" effects used a lot in Gorillaz comes from as it's quite prevalent here as well. Unfortunately this album has pretty much cemented that I really much prefer Gorillaz to Blur.

That's it, I'm officially tired of 90s britpop, i know this was their step away from the genre but still. Not much to say about this one. Song 2 is good the rest was kinda meh.

The album is fine, but nothing to write home about. Seems like a filler album for this list to pad out getting to the 1,001 number.

Seeping with britpop charm this is an album full of really good songs but only a few truly excellent ones. This album was more important for what it became than what it was at the time. It still sounds pretty good in the modern time as well.

75% of this album’s vocals and instrumentals sounded like a once awkward, prepubescent teen who developed fresh confidence after growing 6 inches over the summer, yet failed to impress the popular girl upon arriving back at school because he’s a late bloomer and his voice is still playing catch-up. What I’m trying to say is this album had some real highs—“Beetlebum” is fantastic and “Strange News from Another Star” more than pleasantly surprised me. But sorry luv, I need the complete package deal if you really want to impress me, because even your angst and newfound defiance towards authority won’t cut it.

Get rid of the last 15 minutes from the album and I think it's a solid 3. I'll still give it the benefit of the doubt because of the very strong start and some gems scattered in between, but a disappointment overall. Came in with high expectations and left feeling underwhelmed.

Beetle Bum was okay, sounded catchy but nothing crazy give that a 3. Really liked Country Sad Ballad Man - 4. But then from M.O.R. to Movin’ On nothing grabbed my attention and I didn’t like most of it. Essex Dogs is a 5 though no doubt about it. Oh also Song 2 is so fucking corny

C+ Beetlebum - 4 Song 2 - 5, it may be corny to some listeners, but this song is entangled with soccer culture, as one of the most memorable FIFA songs of all time. Country Sad Ballad Man - 3 M.O.R. - 2 On Your Own - 2 Theme from Retro - 3 You’re So Great - 2 Death of a Party - 3, sounds like an unreleased Smiths track Chinese Bombs - 1 I’m Just a Killer for Your Love - 2 Look Inside America - 2 Strange News From Another Star - 2 Movin’ On - 2 Essex Dogs - 2 I expected worse based on the reviews. On the day it was chosen for us, I saw it and was somewhat excited. I knew the hits but I was curious for more. It didn't give much more, but its better than these wingbats (woofmeow and Connor Clapton) have said.

A few classics. A lot of dross.

Obviously some bangers, but i think they have some stronger albums

Better than I remember, fuck oasis

Highlights: "Song 2," "M.O.R.," "Death of a Party," "Chinese Bombs," "Strange News from Another Star" The big contradiction of this album: if the guitar is so explosively noisy on this album, beyond New Wave or "Post-Punk" influences and on par with '00s-'10s garage, full of splattered oscillation and warping modulation, then why does it feel so sleepy? Is it because it's hung up on tired Bowie jam cadences? Is it because Albarn's laconic voice is mixed above anything and everything? Excessive runtime diluting the exciting solos and opening hooks that never reappear? Not sure, but except for its hit single, even at its best, this album drags. Maybe the band's stylistic compromise was a good idea, but that alone wouldn't make this a strong or influential album so late in the development of both alt/grunge and Britpop.

Holy 90's.

I do not know anything about this band at all, aside from knowing "Song 2" was a bit radio hit. And then I realized who Damon Albarn after he tried to discredit artists who are not singular writers of their songs because co-writing doesn't count. The dude seems like a bozo. Anyway, this album was a lot more poppy than I thought it would be, I assumed that with the breakout of Song 2 as having an underground (at the time) sound, that rest of the album sounded like that. But no this is just straight pop. There are a handful of songs that feel like they could have been pulled straight from a Kinks record--in a good way. All in all this record was fine.

I am a big fan of early Gorillaz albums, and all throughout this self-titled record by Blur I couldn't hear anything else other than demo recordings from the cartoon-band (plus Song No.2, which is a great addition on its own, from the early days of Fifa, up to gym session yesterday it keeps me company for the better or worse). I have to say, I just really like Damon Albarn's vocal, he is one of those pop/rock singers that I can just listen to anytime, even if the instrumental parts are total garbage - and in case of Blur, they are on the other end of spectrum. I love songs like "Beetlebum" and "Essex Dogs". Both aren't alike, but both have that quality of slow introduction, leading into a bigger or smaller eruption of noise. Great guitar work as always, thanks to the mighty Graham Coxon. Probably this is my favourite Blur album, but still it's not as good as Demon Days. In general, I would give it a weak 5 stars.

This is an old favorite from way back.

Good for the most part. The sound is pretty diverse, so it doesn't get boring. Sometimes it has the feel of weird to be weird, but mostly it's interesting. Essex Dogs sucks ass. I had to skip it.

My wife loves this record and it was one of her faves as a teenager. I didn't really love it though. It's interesting and innovative and to people of my generation definitely historically important. I will give it a 3 but it barely makes it.

While fun and energetic at points, Blur seems to lose a cohesive idea for their sound across this record. Highlights: Beetlebum, Song 2 Lowlights: Country Ballad Sad Man, Chinese Bombs

Barely a 2 star

I love the iconoclastic attitude, and liked the songs that evoked Bowie, but I mostly found this album to be work to get through.

I guess they were onto something with the 2-minute pop single. This got too long pretty quick!

Woo-hoo!

Muy bien disco de pop-rock auténtico inglés con canciones elaboradas y bien construidas, muchas de las cuales muy reconocibles.

Song 2, Death of a Party, Look Inside America and Strange News. I kind of hate this. It sounds like shit sound wise.

I paused the album to listen to rammstein's keine lust. that's a great song. listen to that instead. -55 minutes/5 song 2 oasis is way better

Light-decent 7/10

3.5/5 I was a lot more careful to listen, just listen and read the lyrics this time. I enjoyed the first song the most. It seemed so sad and raw. I think Britpop could grow on me. It might just be a mood thing, or a time to day thing.

Blur aren't my favourite - I was always an Oasis girl - and this hasn't changed that. I felt like this went on too long and some of the tracks were too experimental for my tastes but the hits HIT and that's okay.

Epitome of 3

Cool album, really big in the 90s

Although Song 2 is overexposed, it is still a fantastic song which I'm happy to hear. And I didn't realise how good the rest of the album is. A mix of sharp songwriting and experimenting with textures.

I thought this album was really weird but well put together for being so out there.

Me gustó mucho, me gusta la variedad de sonidos y la mezcla de instrumentos y sonidos del rock con los toques electrónicos y efectos de voz, me dio ganas de seguir escuchando

Very 90s! Much nostalgia.

3.5/5

Beaucoup plus aimé ça que ce que je m'attendais. J'avais peur que ce soit juste du alt rock à la Song 2 pendant une heure de temps, mais c'est beaucoup plus varié que ça. Certaines pièces (comme Theme From Retro) servent clairement de pause dans l'album et ça rend l'expérience meilleure. La finale est très intéressante aussi, en douceur. Certaines pièces que j'ai trouvé plus ordinaire, mais en général solide album. 8/10

medium-low energy generic brit rock with one well-known song. most songs feel low effort and all... blur together. 2.5/5

If there are no second acts in American lives, in great bands perhaps a second life is what makes them great. The Stone Roses, producers of one and a half great albums, could not for the life of them produce a second act. Neither could Britpop premier leaguers Pulp or Suede, the latter refining their sound over the coming decades rather than ever escaping it. Oasis bless them would never admit such a thing was even possible. So it's Blur who produced on this album an act of escapology - adding grunge, lo-fi, even psychedelia to the Britpop template that in the previous album had both peaked and exhausted itself. A fantastic album, one that showed the band could absorb almost any influence and use it to go to new places.

the first two songs are beetlebum and song 2 the first half of the rest tries to stick with that sounds the second half is barely music 3.5

Pretty much the same review I gave Park Life. Good enough but, other than Song 2, not fully memorable. As in hearing a song, knowing you've heard it before, but, for the life of you, you can't remember why.

beetlebum is such a good opener - a little downhill from there - 13 is better end to end so not quite there yet

Song 2 was not representative sadly

Mum: We have OK Computer at home The OK Computer at home:

Alright, I don’t connect much with it.

gave it one star only because zero isn't an option

Opens strong, very strong. And then... leaves you feeling disappointed

they have the cheek to create song 2 as a condescending parody of grunge, but its the only good thing on this album nme thinks this is the 137th greatest album of all time i think nme stinks i think this album stinks too

Woo hoo! I knew someone who created Song 2 from scratch. A fine album

A very pessimistic album. Somewhat lacking the romanticism of other blur records to leave a catchy but bitter taste in the mouth. Still some bangers and i do love the britcore vox

Blur

song 1 is better than song 2

Beetlebum has always been one of my favorites, but this was the first time I had listened to this whole album. I enjoyed every single song, and liked it more that I expected. So many of these tracks are hauntingly charming. Fave track(s): Beetlebum, Song 2, On Your Own, Death of A Party

Yup, this is the album that has that one Blur song that everyone knows. It’s also got a bunch of other good songs though. Would rate it 3.5 if I could, because it’s definitely better than other albums I rated a 3/5 (not reaching a 4 though)

Blur in a more playful mood perhaps influenced by American indie. Not all the tracks work but at least they expanded their horizons a bit. Beedlebum and Song 2 open the set then it is a voyage of discovery. 3.5

Rinky Dink is standout here

Standard Brit Pop fare; decent singles, a bunch of filler tracks, and couple of awesome album tracks (Death of a Party and Essex Dogs)

There were some decent tunes, but the lyrics were pretty clique and it was a stagnant album. There are lots of good synth pads and tiffs though. It deserves to be on the list, but just not my list.

Better than I expected. Some solid hits, especially the first half. 3.75/5

3 keer niks, wat heb ik toch (over het algemeen) een hekel aan punk.

Goed album! Herkende paar nummers maar nooit geweten van wie het was tot nu toe. Favoriete nr.: Look inside America

Boe Boe Boe

Heb het gevoel dat zo veel 90’s muziek langzaam aan wordt vergeten, dit was mega toen nu hoor je het ‘woohoo’-nummer alleen nog als gimmick ergens. Prima album, song 2, Chinese Bombs en Essex Dogs m’n favs

I always thought this was a very solid album, but a bit forced. I like the previous typical britpop albums more. But their next album 13 is quite a bit better, and sounds like a more natural deviation from their initial style. In any case this album is still much better than the Oasis albums on the list, but not as good as the Pulp / The Auteurs / Suede albums from that period.

I quite liked this album, finding it much better than Modern Life is Rubbish and Park Life we were served before.

Very entertaining album, a bit inconsistent perhaps but certainly the best Blur effort.

A satisfying 90s album full of okay songs. Considering Blur were at their prime during my young years I'd have thought this album could bring a twinging nostalgia but nothing. Ready Salted record, less good than their more famous album, and a fair precursor to better material from Albarn's later projects.

Brought me back to some good years

Preferred Blur when they wrote songs. Did nobody tell them grunge died three years previously?

Great album, nice to hear again

The first two songs are awesome. Song 2 is the background music from a childhood viral video that I was in love with, Warthog Jumping in Halo. A lot of this album sounds kind of the same after those first two songs. I enjoy this style of music. It might be too similar for me to listen to while working because a lot of it is forgettable. 3.5 mostly because 12 of the songs are forgettable.

Very good album. Too long, same as many albums of that time. Many very memorable songs. Diverse in styles.

I liked "Beetlebum" and "Song 2" was recognizable, but never a favorite of mine. Blur sounded well-recorded, and the band used some interesting devices for sound effects on the later tracks. Echo effects and strange sounds made the listen both interesting and fatiguing for the long-listen.

Great album really enjoyed revisiting this

Brilliant segue album between „Oily waters“ of the past. Not „The Great Escape“ in total from everything that defined Blur so far but at least a two sided head facing also towards more experimental approaches of the following up Pop-deconstruction on „13“. 4.6

Always have been a fan of Song 2, gets me hyped up every time. The rest of the album was decent.

I swear this generator is messing with me. Yet another 2 consecutive albums from the same artist! Well, at least it's easier to compare and assess the artist's progress that way. Blur in particular seem to actually dive right into the rock territory in the beginning. "Song 2" in particular is an almost metal-ish banger. They do not shy from other areas as well, like punk, art-rock, funk-rock, etc. This isn't necessarily a good thing, however. Because as a result, this debut is quite messy and much less concise than "Modern Life is Rubbish". It has great moments, but as a whole, it sounds like a typical generic pop-rock like most britpop albums do. At least they clearly improved later on.

This collection clearly leans towards a preference for 90's britpop. It's fine. Doesn't exactly move me in any way. I like Damon Albarn's career as a whole. This just ain't memorable to me.

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

An excellent indie britpop classic. There's some heavy bias towards one song in particular for me, but generally this was just great. It felt like both a mixed-bag jam session and a cohesive album. I think this is one of those albums I certainly need to seek out on physical media as it's just a classic. Favourite: Song 2

3.75

Song 2 is an absolute classic rest of the album solid but not mind blowing

Bad. They have their One Hit Wonder song on this album, and it really is the only hit on here. I like this genre but it seems... Lazy? It's just not for me.

I am pretty critical of bands with multiple albums on the list. Not sure if I get anything out of this I don't get from Parklife. Probably could have died without listening to it.

songs waren hit or miss

A lot of different styles on this one. Doesn't feel like an album.

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.

Which mentalists actually thought these were better than oasis?

Was okay… call me a normie but I much prefer Gorillaz

It is a more lo-fi oriented album than their previous two, more pop-rock records, they showed their versatility here. There are some great classics on it (Beetlebum, Song 2), but overall I prefer some of their other works.

More appealing to 2023 me than 1997 me. Almost perfect but Albarn’s mockney accent just grates on me.

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.

woohoo

Not a fan

Besser als erwartet, Shoegaze ist zu hören.

I'm going to tell on myself a bit here. I always told people I was a big Blur fan but secretly had only ever listened to their greatest hits album. But, after hearing a full-length studio album of theirs for the first time, I'm proud to say I wasn't as big of a poser as I thought I was. I really am a big fan of Blur. This did not disappoint. They combine so many genres into one unique sound. It's rock, punk, techno, and new wave all rolled in to one. It's Beatles-esque in a lot of ways but also the foundation of a lot of music that came after. Solid work gentlemen.

Well, this is the fifth album Blur released but it is far from the best. Saying that, Beetlebum is brilliant, Song 2 was ubiquitous in the 1990s and there's probably not many people who've never heard it even now. The stand-out, hands-down track of the album though is On Your Own. I'd forgotten it, but it just slams. Synth, bass, drums (machine?) and different work on the lead guitar adds into some almost spot-on perfect, archetypal Blue vocals. Shows that Blur could hurl out some cracking stuff. There's some dross in here too - country sad ballad man was painful in the 1990s and still is now. Theme from Retro wants to be a blur-ish take on the circus-y bits of Sgt Pepper, but it just comes off as cack-handed. Overall, I'd say this would be a 5 star album from someone who wasn't blur. But because it is blur, four..

Best: Beetlebum Worst: Essex Dogs woooooooohoo

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.

The Britpoppers can keep “Parklife” or “Modern Life is Rubbish”. To me, this is Blur’s finest hour, as their music crystallises into a perfect blend of wry character studies and compact, hooky pop. They also find the right balance of honouring their musical heritage without slipping too much into pastiche… mostly. The fourteen songs here reveal a more mature side to Damon Albarn’s songwriting: no less witty, slightly more introspective, a little more tender. “Beetlebum” is a strong start and worthy single, while “On Your Own” and “Movin’ On” are irrepressible pop-rock anthems. Catchy, direct and anthemic, they are both vastly under-appreciated entries in Blur’s catalogue. Elsewhere, “MOR”, a brilliant propulsive rock song, just about gets away with lifting David Bowie’s “Boys Keep Swinging”, and “Strange News from Another Star” barely escapes Hunky Dory’s shadow. When the mood drops to a chilling temperature, it doesn’t feel too distracting or indulgent: I can mostly appreciate the change in direction and the sophistication in some of the arrangements. “Theme from Retro”, “Death of a Party” and “I’m Just a Killer for Your Love” all convey a dark alienation not a million miles from various new-wave artists of the late 70s and early 80s. “Essex Dogs” is the only one which risks going a little too far astray with its irritating CD-ROM/whirling disc drive sound effects. Theres a very satisfying balance between murky synth lines and crunchy guitar riffs, streamlining the band’s sound very well. The lo-fi production (read: liberal distortion and filtering on vocals) really gives the record some character and helps elevate the songs beyond their bare bones. Take Graham Coxon’s charming solo turn: “You’re So Great”. The recording crackles and hisses away like a weathered analogue tape, and the vocals are so fragile they could shatter on any line, but it wouldn’t work any other way. So in summary, a very solid album. Music shouldn’t be all about rivalries, but it is worth noting that this album veers left of the field in a way Oasis never quite managed. With this release, Blur put an end to the debate of which of the two bands were more versatile, long-lasting and- arguably- talented.

It wasn’t unbearable but I did not like the album as a whole. Beetlebum and strange news from another star are the two standout tracks for me. I will have to listen to more of their discography based on those two songs.

Grunge alternative is just not my vibe.

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

This album does not belong on a "must listen before you die" list under any circumstances - Its really mid. Theres like one top 10 track and the rest is totally forgettable, damon-albarn-fucking-around-on-a-mixer stuff. 1/5

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.

why is it so long?? if they had cut it to the best 11 songs it might have been a 4 because its a fun album with some fun songs but it kept dragging on with the same songs so 2

Blur is band I never will turn off but yet I hardly ever think to listen to. I owned this and Park life and they never got heavy rotation for me. It's good pop rock without going too pop, glad I re-listened to it after many years.

I do not apologize for still loving Song 2, and it’s ubiquity doesn’t diminish my need to listen to it at maximum volume. There are so many good songs here: the stomp of On Your Own, the lo-fi strum You’re So Great, punk rock Chinese Bombs,… I don’t love all of Blur’s output, but this album is full of good tunes. Graham Coxon has some good solo records, too.

Song 2 is great even if it was overplayed for a while. The rest of this album works for me. I thought it was funny reading the wiki that it was influenced by Pavement.

I like Blur. I like this Blur album. This is one of my most played albums my senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Always happy when Blur comes on.

First two songs were bangers, the rest of the album was kind of a... blur...

Favorites - Song 2, Movin’ On. Album is a solid 3.5 or 4.

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.

At a time when I seriously thought Blur were going to either call it a day or deliver another Brit Pop follow up to Great Escape, they go head and release what is my second favourite album of theirs. Definitely their most ambitious and successful album. Sure Song 2 got a flogging but it is a fun tune which is world's away from Country House but a natural sequel to Popscene.

Not really a twang fan

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.

Close to a 5

Couple of moments but generally shit. And I fucking hate Beetlebum. Shame as I really like blur.

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.

Not blur’s best but a good listen

Fine album

I have listened to a lot of Blur, but never to this album all the way through. It's a very good album and I think it deserves a place in the book because it shows a change in their sound from the previous work. Especially notable for the change in lyrical style that is full fleshed out with "13."

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

I don't like these guys because the drummer was rude to Nardwuar once.

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

Can a song with a sharp opening riff be a hit even if the lyrics are mockingly nonsensical? If you think it can, yell “Yoo Hoo!”

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.

Damon Albarn has a great voice but I prefer his latter day material with the Gorrilaz. I must also admit that I'm getting annoyed with all the Brit-pop on this list, so this will probably unduly influence my rating of this album. Beetlebum is a good opener and Song 2 undeniably has a catchy hook, but the rest of the album doesn't grab my interest at all.

Decent, kept me engaged

- fun - 7.5/10