Blur

Solid

Blur ditched their Britpop roots for some indie rock.

Huske kje så masse, men va vel et par sanga med kule synthlyda??

The first two songs were quite good, after that the album got increasingly annoying with every track. 2/5

Not really my style, but I was happy to hear where Song 2 came from.

Eclectic brit pop. Beatles, bowie

I can see why people think blur are really good

Needs more song 2's so 2 stars

It's not bad, but there's a reason you only know Song #2.

Back in like, ‘95 I would have identified as the world’s biggest Blur fan, but by ‘97 - after The Great Escape and getting a flat and some decks, I lost all interest in Indie and was all about trying to mix Trip Hop. Shame, it seems like this might have been one of Blur’s best albums but I was busy elsewhere at the time. His voice kind of goes through me now though, so can’t go higher that a 4 without the emotional weight attached to their earlier stuff.

good!

Skemmtilegt og skrýtið á köflum. Indíið alveg að gera sig.

Liked it!

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

I didn’t give this one enough time but I liked what I heard.

adoro

Lots of fun to already hear Gorillaz in the mix

This was great. I've listened to a couple of songs by Blur, but didn't hear the similarities with Gorillaz and make the connection that there is an overlap in members. I went on to listen to all of the Blur albums and it was fantastic.

Blur makes an indie rock record. Specifically, a Pavement record—there are moments on this that sound like all kinds of 1995’s Wowee Zowee (I see now, reading the album’s wikipedia page, that this influence has been confirmed by the band). I think this is the moment Blur distinguishes itself from that whole Brit Pop scene (much the same way Radiohead did this very same year.) It’s the first time I can hear hints of Gorillaz in Damon Albarn’s songwriting choices; he (and the band) is (are) experimenting more with non-rock, instruments and production choices here. For instance, “Theme From Retro” and “Strange News from Another Star” sound very much like they could have been on a Gorillaz concept album (the latter even would be quite at home on a Bowie album!). It’s a long record. It kind of passes in a blur. Which I like. I bought it used on CD from Amoeba years and years ago but never really listened to it. The liner notes reveal almost nothing about the piece. There are no album credits or lyrics. Even the song titles on the backside are easily missed. The backside features an image of the band amongst sulfur fields in Iceland; but it’s all clouded by a thick bank of haze. The rest is an orange blur left in the wake of some hospital patient being rushed down a hallway and out of sight. I’ve read Albarn’s lyrics are especially potent on this record, but I didn’t necessarily pay them close attention (in part because I couldn’t read along in the liner notes.) I expect I might like this album more over time. For certain, the influences they draw from and direction they take with this album are more in line with my tastes, traditionally. But for whatever reason, at this moment, I much prefer Parklife.

I unexpectedly, quite unexpectedly, LOVED this album!

Not as good as the other album

Good. A solid body of work. Only a couple of songs I didn't like that much.

Surprises in here

While this album may have had some impact when released, it is entirely unremarkable and certainly does not belong amongst the top 1001 albums.

Meh

Ugh. Didn’t like it then - don’t like it now

Very cool, like the variation of energy, style, instrumentation etc, yet consistency and edginess throughout. was thinking hmm this sounds familiar OH WAIT gorillaz…. 8/10

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

Better than Oasis...

Simply Lively Good ol' Blur

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.

it says a lot that the song done entirely as a joke on the of-the-moment alternative rock is one of the better alternative rock songs of its era blur albums are like episodes of seinfeld. they're not really about anything, and nothing really happens. that's completely alright, because damon albarn is really good at putting together an album that doesn't say much, doesn't do much, but is still really enjoyable. it's kind of wild that blur was pitted up against oasis back in the day, but none of these songs other than song 2 are the cultural staples that songs like wonderwall and don't look back in anger are today. there's no one playing beetlebum or on your own on an acoustic guitar at a party, even though both of those songs are better than wonderwall blur is cool. they've always been cool, and they'll probably be cool forever. there's a very kinks-ian "i don't care" kind of attitude to so much of their music, but they're a little more innovative than their equally pompous predecessors.

Va marcar el punt d'inflexió en la carrera de Blur. Acostumats que estàvem als hits brillants i estiuencs, van sorprendre amb un disc complicat, experimental -dins el pop, rebuscat i complexe. Al seu moment em va decebre i va servir perquè perdés la pista de la banda en els anys que els hi van quedar fins la dissolució. Ara, però, cal dir que és un disc que creix i que conté música més interessant, com a disc complet, que la qual havien editat fins aquell moment. Requereix el seu temps i paciència, però la conclusió final és que cal admetre que és un treball brillant

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.

Excellent experience. "Song 2" is a modern classic. It's catchy and raucously fun and so memorable. If you were alive in the 1990's or ever watched atleast 5 movies from the 90's (because I wager that 1 in every 5 had this song in it) then you heard this song and thought it was sick. Unfortunately I don't think any other song on the record comes even close to it. "Beetlebum", the opener, is funny and definitely interesting and is the second-most played song on the album, but doesn't capture that magic that "Song 2" does. "Theme from Retro" is trippy in both writing and production. It sounds cool and is a nice contrast from the first 4 tracks as it sounds nothing like them while also remaining consistent inside their overall sound. "Death of a Party" is also similar- as it stands out with some sounds that are foreign to the rest of the record but not so far that it is an unwelcome contrast. Overall I enjoyed it. 4/5 I think? Maybe like a 3.9. It sounds great and is dynamic, but man am I just constantly reminded that nothing on the record comes close to one single song. Is that a bad thing? That a solid band happened to write an incredible song? That sounds like a good thing right?

Not my jam

4 stars. I would like this album on vinyl. Surprising amount of good songs

9/10 there’s some really, really good moments here I did get a little bored with the pop but I really loved it for the most part

Yet another band I hadn't heard much from, except for the radio hit "Song 2". I liked it - solid 4/5.

Crapola. Picture yourself in the 90s, the neo-British invasion in full swing, only so much oasis you can take, and here comes the anti-oasis, and there is a used cd of the British band who created one of the most iconic rockin songs ever, and you are like, yeah, $5 for more music that sounds just like that song, count me in!!! This would not be the last time such happened to me, and I hereby condemn all artists who similarly tricked me.

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

Blur is the prime example of how most Britpop actually sucked, but record labels couldn't help themselves after Oasis hit it big. A full fucking hour of this shit. And fuck Damon Albarn - Gorillaz fucking sucked too. 1/5.

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.

Wish I could say WOOHOO to this album, but what a snooze fest. One memorable track, but was bored the rest. Nothing popped out memorable at all

It is a great shame that Song 2 has been added to every sports broadcast in the world ever because it's a great song that's been ruined by overplaying. That said I love Blur and pretty much everything they've done. This album was a bit of a shift from the previous 3 and shows a little more maturity which I like. Solid effort 4 stars.

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

I love this album definitely blurs best one of their longest but the only one that doesn’t drag for a minute. Obviously (like most albums) the album is known for a couple of hits starting with the 1,2 punch of the drowning beetlebum followed by song 2 a mockery of grunge that actually sounds like the best grungy song of the 1990’s. M.O.R (like what it stands for) is a middle of the road track that stolen so much from David Bowie that blur had to add him as a writer. On your own is the ultimate party with one of the catchiest choruses on the album. All of this happens within the first 5 songs so on the surface level this could be seen as front loaded but some of these non singles really make this album special in particular : You’ve got the beautiful you’re so great filled to to the brim with little crackles and pops like it’s been on a record player. Death of a party provides a dark side to the album that only gets more prominent as time goes on, with a riveting bass line and a darkly memorable hook. Strange news from another star reminds me of early 70’s David bowie and serves as my personal favourite track; the track ends in a rampaging march intro the punky moving on before going into the spoken word closer Essex dogs a very off putting but unique song. The other tracks certainly each provide a new layer to the album and blurs career going away from a greater but catchy Britpop singles act to a dark album track act showing their verity in a consistent album definitely deserves a 5!

A brit-pop band I never could get into. It's in keeping with what I know of them, but there's something about the lyrics and vocals and slick production I just don't appreciate.

Boring as britpop - isn't that a saying? ;-) Well, at least Blur is better than Oasis, they do occasionally make a good song

Zzzz

Highlights: Song 2, Strange News FromcAnother Star

Song 2 Beetlebum, country sad ballad man, on your own, death of a party, Essex dog MOR, theme from retro, strange news from another You're so great, Chinese bombs , movin on I'm just a killer for your love La guitarra y los recursos sonoros son impresionantes

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

2.5. Kind of mediocre, vocals aren't great, music isn't really inspiring. Not a lot to recommend this album - feels like they're on autopilot. Standouts: Song 2, Death of a Party, Essex Dogs.

Some of it sounds a lot like a newer Mott the Hoople. Not bad.

massa

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.

Blech. Very generic.

Damon Albarn is still a fave

Brilliant, really reminds me of being a teenager back when it was out. Some big hits (in the UK at least), including song 2, but i think some of the lo-fi low key tracks are my favourites.

bien! te amo damon 8/10

This album actually sucks 2 for song 2

SHITE LIIIIIIIIFE

Not surprised that this band never really took off, but I'm glad that the Gorillaz got all the attention they deserve. Other than Song 2, which is an iconic 90's song, the rest of the album is quite bland, monotone, lifeless, and simple. Not a fan at all.

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!

I like Blur. This is more of the same however more mature and perhaps with half an eye on the Gorillaz? What else is there to say.

Not my favorite.

Getting a little tired of the 90s Brit alternative stuff

Pretty Bland

This apparently marks a departure from Britpop into a more alternative/indie rock influence. I like it better than the Britpop I’ve heard, so I’d say that change was a good move. Good variety, from Beatles influenced Beetlebum to the harder hitting, almost grungy Song 2, to the weirdness that Albarn would later take into Gorillaz. Great balance of experimentation while maintaining good songwriting. However, the second half of the album does slip quite a bit. Ultimately, the weaker second half knocks it down to a 4/5. Top Tracks: - Beetlebum – Chill and interesting track. - Song 2 – Highest energy and rockiness from the album. - Theme From Retro – Interesting space/psychedelic rock almost instrumental. - You’re So Great – Nice acoustic love song. - Death of a Party – Spacy track about the damage done by partying lifestyle.

uh uh

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 see it now!

I liked the more experimental “grunge” sound.

Blur maakt mij altijd wel wat blij. Hun muziek is zeer gevarieerd, en tof om te luisteren

Sapatos.

Solid

This is 1000 times better than that twee stuff they farted out when Britpop was a thing. (In England, mind you. Here in Oz we liked Oasis, but Blur and Pulp? Nah.) It rocks in places, there is homage paid to psychedelic Beatles, and a couple of tracks score quite highly on the weird shit-o-meter. Great stuff. Much better than I thought it would be. Woohoo!

Liked

Loved the album! Surprisingly, haha. I have somehow missed out on the entire second wave of brittish invasion. Only associated it with oasis, a band I can't stand unfortunately (or not). Had heard of song 2 of course but the entire album I'd actually good. Didn't care too much for Chinese bombs though.

1 good song, the rest was just really loose and jumbled noise to me.

Song 2 is superior to everything else on this odd album

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.

WOO HOO

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.

Nella sfida tra Blur e Oasis, vincono gli Oasis

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.

Good songs here and there, but nothing phenomenal.

Not bad, but pretty generic. Damon did greater song/experiment with Gorillaz

With Song 2, Theme From Retro, You're So Great and Death of a Party, we would have had a strong and wonderful EP. Instead, we get a long winded and never ending, boring 1 hour album.

A more exciting sounding Brit pop album, cool guitar sounds and tones, moody and grunge at points, but some songs are blander than others

Went by in a blur. Some nice guitar sounds, but I’d like less studio experiments, more songcraft.

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.

A couple catch tunes.

Much less cheeky-chappie than their other albums, and better for it, even if it's not quite as catchy.

so this is where that wuhoo song came from

Good tunes, stagnated a bit towards the end

Two very good songs. Love Damon. Otherwise, much uninspiring sound to the rest of the album

It was the first time my daughter heard this album. She really dug Song #2.

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.

Like it

Beautiful

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).

I was more drawn to the earlier tracks than the later, in general. Even so, it held on for a four.

I like this album a lot. I can hear the old school influences like David Bowie and The Beatles and more contemporary bands like Pavement. But I'm also getting a stronger, more specific POV from this band than on Modern Life is Rubbish, which I liked but couldn't love. After yesterday's Aretha, I'm feeling stingy with my 5s but I'd give this a solid 4.5 if I could.

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!

I like the new direction Blur went on this record. This along with Parklife are probably their best albums. I would say something like 3.7 but gonna round up because Blur is awesome. 4/5

I really like blur but this album did not grab all the way through. I wanted to give it at least a three but overall I think I only really liked like three songs so 2 stars.

Not my favourite album from Blur. It partially marks the end of "Bitpop" It starts off strong but progressively gets weaker.

I'm sure Blur has a fanbase because there are two albums from them on this list. But, the fact is, they're a one-hit-wonder. The thing with one-hit-wonders is that their "one hit" stands out. Blur has "Song 2" and it's the only song like it on the album. Nothing else is even close to matching the energy. I know the band meant it as a joke track but the joke is on Blur. "Song 2" is 10x better than anything else in their catalog. I don't understand why we have an album by a one-hit-wonder on this list. The fact that there are two albums by Blur is unfathomable to me.

Simple, really: This is Blur's best album. And, by extension, I'd argue this is the all time winner of the Britpop battle. P.S. The joy that Song 2 used to bring me back when I played FIFA 98 - Road to World Cup!

First time I’ve heard anything besides song 2. Always been a Damon Albarn and this was more of what I like

It's a good Blur album. Much more of a logical progression than the radical departure I remembered at the time. A move towards more lo-fi sounds, and a rejection of britpop for sure, but some songs would still have fit the Great Escape or Parklife. Still, as a thirteen year old, I remember the guy in my record shop convincing me to get Brighten The Corners by Pavement instead - he said it was the album Blur had failed to make with this, and he's probably right - it is the better album.

More brit pop, less noise rock needed.

Ei ihan hölmö, mutta kokonaisuus tuppaa ehkä jäämään hieman hitin varjoon. Jos tästä tosissaan alkaisi tykkäämään se vaatisi toistoja, tai ehkä toisen levyn bändiltä, jolla ei oo megahittiä. 2/4

Puuh bändillä on ainakin kolme tosi hyvää levyä ja sitten tämmöinen keskinkertaisuus listalla. Mut ehkä tää on niitä brittitekijöitä, joilta ladottu puolet diskografiasta listalle.

Vähän tylsä

Ultimately boring to me. Dunno why, just is.

So why was the blur/oasis thing even a thing? This album is fkn gold. Also how did we not know Damon albarn was gorillaz. I have a 2 disc version of this with some great bonus stuff, definitely gonna dig it out again. I recently read that when Malkmus left pavement the other guys were largely relieved cos they weren’t that good at being musicians, I wonder how the rest of blur feel post blur. Didn’t know I’d been missing this one, it’s not faith no more’s the real thing, but it’s certainly one of the greats

Really enjoyed this one.

This music did not touch me. I have no connection or reference point to it.

Loving brit pop at the moment and this is another classic

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

Este es un disco fundacional para mí. Beetlebum fue una obsesión y Song 2 una canción inescapable durante ese año.

Удивительно странный, но очень классный альбом.

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...

Lyssnade i Gif-Sur-Yvette. Gillade det inte först men efter 2 lyssningar tyckte jag att det var rätt bra!

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. ***

Too screams and technoy - hard on the ears

A classic, but not all of it holds up. The singles still carry the whole thing though

Sometimes I’ll listen to an old album like this and wonder why I’ve only heard one song from it. In this case I know exactly why. The only good song is the one I’ve already heard (Song 2).

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.

I thought it was going to be good, bud in the end it was all just a big blur

Just alright. They’re no oasis that’s for sure.

I’m usually an Albarn hater but I have to give this one to him

Possibly the best Blur album, depends what you like. It's not as Brit Pop as Parklife/The Great Escape but I think it sounds a lot better - musically more substantial. Beetlebum is a fantastic opener, Song 2 is overplayed to death but if you squint, you can still see the appeal. Other highlights include the mournful Death of a Party, Strange News From Another Star, Coxon's bittersweet solo 'You're so Great' and the Bowie aping On Your Own. It's a bit of a bridge to the far more experimental 13 and Think Tank, plus you can see elements of Gorillaz in some of Damon's vocals. It could just be the sweet spot between everything they've done and everything they'd go on to do.

woo hoo

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

Not my favourite Blur album but still lots to enjoy, and a key change in direction in their career. On paper this is one of their more stylistically uniform collections - an American-style guitar album without the lavish Britpop arrangements. But the variety of weird sounds and styles Graham Coxon coaxes from his guitar is impressive (see Essex Dogs and Death of a Party for two great examples). There's scuzzy lo-fi blues, punk, melodic balladry, singalong pop and two classic singles in Beetlebum and Song 2. Lovely stuff.

On your own definitely was one of my favourite Blur songs and no denying Song 2 (even though I definitely did when it first came out). I just find Damon's voice annoying.

favs: - strange news from another star - beetlebum - country sad ballad man - you're so great - death of a party - song 2 - m.o.r.

Ok album, enjoyed the music

Probably my favourite Blur album, love song 2 since the days I used to play FIFA 98 Road to the World Cup.

Konstigt och, från en ovan Blurlyssnare, oväntat. Men också: fan vad bra! Jag läser mig till att Blur ville ta sig bort från britpopen, mot ett mer amerikanskt indierock-sound. Denna ambition, framåtrörelse, experimentlusta, samtidigt som det brittiska i grunden finns kvar, banar väg för ett fantastiskt och unikt album. Lite speciellt med flera "parodilåtar". Song 2 som parodi på grunge och Country Sad Ballad som parodi på en countryballad. Båda bra, Song 2 bäst. Efter Theme from Retro får albumet - ofta genom att sakna ned - upp farten på riktigt. You're So Great, Death of a Party, Essex Dogs är briljanta. Chinese Bombs, Strange News from Another Star är bra. Beetlebum är MYCKET bra. Bästa låt: BESLUTSÅNGEST men väljer ändå den morbida alkoholkärleksförklaringen You're So Great. Delad andraplats till Death of a Party och Essex Dogs.

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.

Seems like a band short on ideas, yet they managed to find Song 2 in among it all and that's obviously a classic.

Had never listened to a Blur album before (although obviously know quite a few of the singles). Song 2 always transports me back to 1998 and playing the world cup Fifa game (think that was the one where they had the indoor mode too)? Overall, though, decidedly underwhelmed. Maybe there's a better Blur album out there (there must be, surely?), but if there's not then I've no idea how Blur vs Oasis was even close. 2/5.

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.

Don't believe the hype.

This album starts out like an all time classic. Side 1 is non stop excellence...with some of the best power pop mixed with some stellar psychedelica. Side 2 is less successful as the songs are just not as memorable. All in all an excellent album 4 🌟

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.

A band really hitting their stride with this album. A brave move away from Brit-Pop that really delivers.

Alot of filler on this. The best stuff is where is sounds like Gorillaz

Fair

My favorite Blur album, some good memories with this one although it gets weird towards the end. Beetlebum and Song 2 are songs for the ages

Skulle fått en trea om de bara varit lite vänligare mot en viss kanadensare… #justsayin Nä men annars också så ja feelar att dehär har int såsen ja minns att flera gånger under albumet tänkte ja att dehär sku kunna gå hårt om de bara hade lite mer twang Eller typ just på dom mer ”hårda” sångerna så nåde dom int rikit fram så att säga att de funka bättre me dom mera mellow yellow sångerna

This is kinda bussin bruh fr

Bruh

Song 2? More like Album 2 (out of 5(rating))

It's good

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

Worth it for Song 2 alone

Good first listen. Enjoyable. I know the one song, the rest was new. 2.5/5

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

More eclectic and willing to experiment than MLIR, and I really feel it benefited from it. I can even hear some underpinnings of what would become Gorillaz sounds in here. Not to mention Damon Albarn really comes out as a great songwriter. Great record.

Blur is on top of very interesting sounds here, and there are some fun memorable moments

"Song 2" is an all time classic song. However the rest of the album is pretty lackluster 90s alt rock.

Out of all of the "Britpop invasion" trash that never really took off, this is probably the best. I appreciate the radical style change as well as the emotion and feel of the album. Still not a great sound, not much 'new' about it, not very catchy for 'pop' and, apparently, still today, overhyped. The Brits have done great things in music, but this whole thing was a low point for that whole damn country

i didn’t like a single song on this album… sorry. actually maybe one but it was so unmemorable and amidst all the other terrible noises it does nothing to redeem itself. it sounded like they chunked a whole bunch of god awful noises together to make a song. just no.

Disappointing. I really loved Parklife - lots of varied melody and creativity. This one can only be described as abrasive; in music and vocals. The ubiquitous "Song 2" has always been a bit obnoxious outside of a sporting chant and unfortunately it's probably the most catchy of the lot. I don't have anything creative to add - maybe would add boring. Pass on this, focus on their earlier work for sure. 3/10 2 stars.

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.

WUHOOOOO

really enjoyed this. good album and will listen again

Meh.

4/5

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

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO goes the sound of 25% of Europe's post covid football stadiums when a goal is scored. at least it isn't the fucking can can, ay Bayern you bunch of lederhosen bumming cunts. It's going the same way as 7 nation army though, hard to listen to as a song thanks to football getting it's soulless mits on it. The album drops off a bit of a cliff after a very strong start. Thank God it's not the cor blimey cheeky cockney chappy allbran on this one.

A slow motion plane crash that should have been prevented before the inevitable 9/11 tragedy...

Blur innit. WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! ST PAULI! ST PAULI! ST PAULI! ST PAULI!

WOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! ST PAULI! ST PAULI! ST PAULI! ST PAULI! Sorry, drifted off there, it's good that one though innit? The rest of the album is great too. Blur's best in my humble opinion.

Really enjoyed this, song 2 brought me back to fifa 98 days

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.

7/10 liked this way more than i've liked any other britpop album thus far. it had good energy and leaned a lot more into classic alt rock sounds, with interesting lyrics

4/10. Despite the fact that I read the title of the first track, I thought the guy was saying "Pedo Bob" for the first few verses. Otherwise, the album was long, uneventful, and quite forgettable.

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

always a favorite

Espeso

2 stats for No. 2

This a very light 3. Every song starts off strong af and then doesn’t go anywhere.

I had Blur up against Oasis in my head early on, before I understood anything about the Britpop thing in the 90s. And I always dug this sound a little more. Whereas Definitely Maybe loses me after a couple songs, this one carries me all the way through. Very different sounds, but this is the one I gravitate to more. In this case, the most known song on this album - Song 2 - is maybe my least favorite. And I like it a lot. Mostly I like the mixtape feel of it - how different each song is from the others. They all have their own little personalities. Love it.

In retrospect, this was a load of old pump, wasn't it? The most half-finished, half-baked sounding album encountered on this app so far, despite it dragging on for an hour.

This could be revisionist history, but I think this album came out right at the time I started to piece together some things about alternative radio, such that upon hearing the Woohoo Song, I immediately understood there would not be a single other Woohoo Song, or anything remotely like the Woohoo Song, anywhere on the rest of this album. And so I never bothered to listen to it… UNTIL NOW. I was right.

This album is better than it should be

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.

je pensais pas mais mal de crâne un peu

Amazing musicianship and very coherent throughout. I do however find the lyrics and vocals a bit lackluster. Raw and dirty guitar-riffs, basslines and electronics with the occasional slower acoustic break makes this a definite staple of the genre.

« Blur » est à peu près l'onomatopée qui ponctuait mes vomissements pendant l'écoute de ce projet.

Ce groupe est branché sur courant alternatif, proposant des chansons exceptionnelles, suivies de chansomns absolument incomprehensibles. Malheureusement, l'electricien sensé passer au studio pendant l'enregistrement de l'album pour fixer ce problème d'approvisionnement electrique n'arrivera jamais à temps, ce qui nous empêche de profiter d'un album régulier.

Good album, def a few songs that I didn’t realize blur did! Smooth rock I guess, with some upbeat tracks

I just love blur. And I've always loved Damon albarn. The story of how song 2 came about is very funny. Really their most breakthrough stuff in the us market at least. But this album is delightfully weird.

This is an incredible album. Song 2? I had no idea!

Didn’t like it as much as Parklife.

Sticks in you like a burr. Bull-at-a-gate kind of energy, which I enjoyed very loudly on a road trip

Blur finally react to rather than against American indie rock and move on from Britpop. Not all the experimenting works, but the result is still pretty great on the whole.

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 the only song I liked. The rest just seemed to whine on and on. I would put blur in the one hit wonders mix.

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.

Man, I have really slept on this band, this album slaps. I also learned something new today (i.e. Gorillaz)

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

Great album. Blur's struggle with genre and identity resulted in a sprawling album that goes beyond Britpop. Though the Britpop style still shines through at various points, this album is more fluid and incorporate more aggression and emotion than their previous work. The punk influence and emerging indie rock influence can be clearly heard.

This album was difficulty to listen too. I can not believe that this album should be on this list or that this band influenced music some how. I thought "Song 2" was an Offspring song. It was the only song I recognized or could understand, but this is not saying much as I though it sucked then and now.

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.

Nisu Oasis. Šta da im ja radim

Jedan od najpoznatijih album Blura nakon Parklifea, a ja ga baš nisam detaljno ni preslušavao jer sam se cijelo vrijeme vraćao na Parklife, Modern Life is Rubbish i 13. Uglavnom, ako ikoji album od njihovih prvih šest najmanje zvuči na britpop, to je ovaj ili 13. 13 zvuči puno bolje od ovog albuma što se tiče kvalitete, ali kod ovog albuma volim taj lo-fi/slacker rock stil, zvuk. No ni to ne može namiriti da dođe do ocjene što sam dao onim albumima koje sam prethodno spomenuo. Nije čista četvorka, ali je bliže četvorci nego trojci. Izbacio bih čak 3 pjesme i bilob puno bolje. Zašto nema jebenih pola zvjezdice? Ovo je godina kada je britpop umro. (vjeruje se da je zbog smrti Princeze Diane te godine znantno potopio britpop). Možda je to ona na coveru u kolicima/s. Parklife > 13 > Modern Life is Rubbish > *Blur s/t* > The Great Escape > Leisure > itd.

Opet nakon slušanja mi se mišljenje nije ni pomaklo na tu peticu. Stvarno album jeben, svaka pjesma kida, nemam šta reć osim da ko da mi nešto fali da to bude 5/5 album, šteta.

Enjoyed this immensely - was hoping Song 2 wouldn't be one of the best songs on the album though, but it was. Death Of A Party the highlight. Some late Beatles vibes too. Can hear where The Vines got it.

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

It was all a blur

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.

Fab! Classic. Loved it!

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.

Varied and interesting, exploring way outside the box i'd put them in.

Salvo Song 2 el resto son un poco extrañas.

it was a blur

Woooohooo

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

Uneven in places, but some excellent tracks and overall a very good album!

Well, there is a couple of ok songs but too many fillers..

90s nostalgia

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.

WOO HOO

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).

A classic

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.

Blurin huonoin levy, jota en ole ikinä ymmärtänyt. Bändi on ainakin itselleni aina elänyt hittibiiseistä, ja ne taiteellisemmat pläjäykset ovat olleet aina täysin yhdentekeviä tai jopa ärsyttäviä. Normaalisti hittien tai edes rock-biisien osuus levyllä on ollut merkittävästi suurempi, mutta tällä levyllä asetelma on kääntynyt päälaelleen. Ainoa omien Blur-suosikkieni listalle mahtuva kappale tältä viritelmältä on mainio Beetlebum. Toivottavasti listalla kuullaan vielä jotain aidosti merkittäviä Blur-levyjä.

This thing is paced…horribly? Song 2 is good enough to carry this further than it deserves but whew this felt interminable

It was hard to not get the idea of "proto-gorillaz" out of my head in the first few listens. Some tracks just felt like stuff Damon would go on to tackle later under the moniker. However this album and Blur are far from what we would come to know. Tight grooves and riffs spice up the album in between the main chunk of the tracks. It's very easy listening with more to appreciate on each listen.

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.

Love

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.

Surprised by this one. If you can look past the FM rock snore fest singles there’s a lot of experimentation on this album, particularly towards the latter half.

Beetlebum Song 2

+0.5 punktu za Song2

Very good

a little too much "noise"

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

Sulky from losing the Britpop wars but making tons of cash in the process, they embraced American alt-rock. And heroin. But mostly alt-rock and came up smelling of roses. The uni-browed Mancs looked on. Best Tracks: Beetlebum; Song 2; You're So Great

Probably my favorite Blur album so far. Can't go wrong with Song 2. Couple other bangers. A couple "experimental" which were eh

The one song is good.

Song 2!

Britpop was huge in the mid-90s and you even though the big bands all had their own distinctive sound, you could tell they were all Britpop. But something changed just a few years later with Pulp's This Is Hardcore and Blur's self-titled. It suddenly took a much darker, less optimistic turn, taking inspiration from not only the alternative music of the 90s, but also still the 60s they already tried to emulate, and the 80s use of synths and electronic. Blur's self-titled is changes its style to something interesting yet melodic, if perhaps a bit abrasive. Starts off with the Beatlesesque psychedelic "Beetlebum," then onto the parodic "Song 2". I was shocked when I heard "Song 2"; I grew up with the song and had no idea Blur wrote this until yesterday, but I did find the punk chorus, grungy guitar, and nonsensical self-deprecating lyrics pretty funny. As a general theme, I love the lofi sound, complemented by static vocals and distorted bass. I heard "On Your Own" with the synths and back vocals is like the predecessor to Gorillaz... I didn't even know Gorillaz is by the same lead vocalist. I give points to innovation, but I wasn't a big fan of a lot of the songs, especially in the latter half. The only thing I like about "Chinese Bombs" is the title reference to London Calling... too much distortion. My least favorite on the first side is "M.O.R." which sounds a lot like their former music, but also it's pretty generic. Another weakness is that it's not terribly coherent, switching between all sorts of styles that it's a bit difficult to keep up with. If you're into a lofi mood or want to pick out some great tracks, this album will do it. Otherwise, it's outstanding in songwriting, production, and innovation. Favorite Tracks: Beetlebum, Death of a Party

amazing production

I liked this album. Had more of the Blur sound that I love than Parklife did.

Did not know blur was so deep. Of course song 2 was the highlight.

whoo-hoo. whoo. hoo.