Blur

This was a slog, 1 star if it didn't have Song 2 and Essex Dogs.

Ehh

Pretty decent, feels a bit bloated but not bad by any means.

Blur always edged out Oasis for me - more art-school mischief, less pint-glass bravado. When they veered into American indie territory, chasing Pavement and Sonic Youth, things got deliciously strange. Still, Britpop never fully caught me until The Libertines showed up and set it on fire with poetry and ruin.

It’s alright. It’s very average

Sounds like a Gorillaz knockoff.

This didn't do much for me.

Besides the hits this really didn’t do that much for me

Some bangers but as a whole I don't love it. 3.5 realistically but landing on a 3

It's pretty good, energetic and engaging but at the same time the sort of experimental, too cool for you vibes that they bring, special Albarn, make the record. While the obvious standout is "Song 2", I really liked the second half of the album, which has a more laidback vibe with songs like "Look Inside America" or "Strange News from Another Star".

WOO HOO!

Yeah I dunno, its Blur again, Song 2 the obvious hit since we've all heard it a million times, I liked beetlebum alright, maybe better than parklife, but the rest just confirmed I don't like blur too much

Man, and I thought this band was good. Suppose I liked Song 2 and Death of a Party because I've heard them before. The rest is a snooze fest. Actually couldn't get through most of the songs. Much prefer their album "The Magic Whip" from the 2010s.

83/1089 having listened to one album each from Oasis and Blur (Morning Glory and Blur respectively) i think i can say that i’m team Oasis. I think Blue has some cool moments and maybe higher heights in some ways but as a whole Morning Glory is far superior. i found that a lot of these songs sort of blended together and weren’t what i was expecting/hoping for from Blur Essex Dogs was a really cool track to end on, very vibes-based and prog, i wish more of the album had given me this kind of experimentation faves: Song 2 of course, Essex Dogs, Movin’ On, Death of a Party 62/100

Gorillaz demo album

Song two was the only song I knew and the only song I enjoyed. After the record was done Spotify played a bunch of recommended artists based on this record. I liked all those songs better than this record.

It's got that "wee hoo!" song we all know. Otherwise pretty cool 90s rock with a punk/grunge flavor, some acoustic stuff. It's got some stranger stuff on there too, a little experimentation with sounds and things.

Pretty mid song wise. I still like Song 2 and enjoyed Strange News From Another Star which I don't know if I had heard before. Very Artic Monkeys vibe going on. Cover: 5/5 good composition and very emo style appropriate for the album.

I spent at least one point in every song thinking "is this song over yet?"

How did I not know it was just called “Song 2”? This album didn’t really feel cohesive. Some songs were fine, others were less so. Not a bad listen, but not one I will come back to.

It is an album made up almost entirely of perfectly fine movie soundtrack pieces. The phrase "workman like" occurred to me many times while listening. They are clearly skilled musicians, I'm not sure why they felt they had to make this album but it does seem to have happened under some form of duress. The cover also feels contrived, 2/5.

Not their best but still good

Pretty decent I guess. Surprising I hadn't listened to this already, although I am not a particularly great fan of britpop. A good listen, some really good tracks.

o supriza foarte frumoasa, iconic albumul as putea spune, chiar 10/10

The fact that this album was included makes me think the book came out about the same year. One hit wonder.

Bang bang bang bang BANG

Not totally for me, but I can appreciate it

I bought this CD off eBay in 2011. Solid, enjoyable, but I don’t think it transcends. Still disappointed they didn’t bring Del the Funky Homosapien in for a feature.

Never got into the whole Britpop craze - the closest I came was enjoying the Oasis albums. Or maybe loving the Trainspotting soundtrack - yeah, that's probably it. I did/do like "Song 2" but mainly when it's blasted at sporting events. The rest of this didn't bother me as much as I expected it to. And obviously it hasn't changed since 1997, so I suppose I have. (I considered the possibility that I have grown, but that seems unlikely.) I am finding, however, with a lot of these albums I like them for about 4-5 songs but then get tired of them and like them less by the end of the album. I wonder if that is related to the way our consumption of music has changed in the streaming age where we can call up any song any time we want and we are mainly listening to playlists and not albums. Do I just not have the attention span for an album that I used to? Whatever the case may be (maybe it's just because it's Friday afternoon,) I dare say I like this album.

I think this album really lets blur down. They have so many hits but this just doesn't help, it just lacks everything and after the 4 or so albums before it's a complete let down. It's also just boring. What is it trying to be.

Album was a bit all over the place. Some juvenile sounding stuff, some slower songs, some more poppy. Overall not too bad b

Not as good as the other album of theirs that was on here but maybe I just wasn't paying attention. Also Song 2 sucks and the Ottawa Senators suck. Just to make it clear.

Lets goo

Gott stöff!!! elska damon albarn íslandsvininn

It is a good album, I realy liko the secondy music in the album...I don't remenber when but i listening the secondy yet. But in geral it's good to listening and relex.

Pretty standard Brit-rock with some really good guitar tones throughout. “Song 2” is one of the most famous rock songs ever, so that definitely counts for something. Best Track: Song 2

Not really for me but I guess I can appreciate the cultural impact.

Nice! What a great eclectic bunch of rock songs. I’ve loved Song #2 since I was a wee child. It may be a little nostalgia but that song will never fail to pump me up! A few of the songs don’t really land for me but still an overall fantastic outing for Blur. 8/10 Favorite tracks- “ Beetlebum” “Song #2” “On Your Own”

Chatinho chatinho

Each song here on its own, except for Song 2, would get about a 3-4 on its own. This album is a great example of an album being more than the sun of its parts. The album avoids repetition while feeling cohesive. I didn't get bored listening to it, but it also didn't feel like too much. The parts worked together well and I think it deserves a 5.

I'm slightly disappointed, but still I am glad I finally listened to this album after wanting to for a long time. Song 2 is honestly one of my favorite songs ever, so I was hoping to find some similarly amazing songs on this album, but that really didn't happen. Sure, a couple songs stood out over the rest along with Song 2, like M.O.R and Death of a Party. Most of the songs, however, just felt... there. The album is pretty long. I feel like a couple songs could have been kept for the deluxe version. Altogether, would listen again and probably will listen to most of these songs again, but as a whole, probably not.

It was ok

I honestly completely forgot because I listened to this yesterday and a lot happened, but I remember thinking it was great and was a 4 star album!

otro mas que es pura cabilla

Favourite Track: Beetlebum, death of a party

Damon Albarn owes an awful lot to Bowie (a lot of artists do but some make it more obvious). Also didn't realize THAT song was by Blur or called Song 2. A fine record and a decent record, but I think I prefer Damon as a cartoon

Isch no cool. Het sehr gueti derbi u ou söttigi wo me kennt.

Song 2

Good stuff. Just doesn’t get me excited enough for anything more than good.

Meh. A pretty high chaff to wheat ratio. I'm not into this much. It would've gotten a higher rating if I'd never listened to it.

Hipster bowlshit

If I’m being honest with myself, it was a lot better than I think I wanted it to be.

Some very radio friendly tracks but otherwise didn’t do it for me then nor now

Nostalgia brings the score up I guess.

A bit of an old childhood favourite this one. I remember thinking how different it felt when it came out, especially compared to their previous output. In hindsight, there’s a fair bit of filler in between the good tracks but this still holds fairly well

2 stars all day and twice a day on Sundays.

There are a couple of good tracks on this album, Song 2 being by far the best.

Already rated this and didn’t like it. Too abrasive but I liked some of the songs

The album starts out super strong and maybe slows down as it goes (the last 3 tracks aren't exactly as interesting...) but overall it's good and you can hear some of the tracks that will make the DNA of Gorillaz.

It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a fun listen. Some songs are very memorable, others, well, aren't. All in all a 3.5/5 album.

I really liked this band. Several good songs. Music was good too. Remind me of the Kinks.

I kind of assumed that this was Blur's debut album considering how messy and all over the place it was. Damon Albarn went on to do much more interesting stuff with Gorillaz. 2/5

Fun one. Song 2 of course!

Really enjoyed the first half of this album. The second half drops off a but for me and feels a little uneven, but still a solid 90s album. Highlights: “Country Sad Ballad Man” and “On Your Own”

Nothing great here

It’s 90s britpop. Song 2 is song 2, m any to be a jok but a very catchy one at that. I did like MOR, but other than that (and I know they’d hate this) it just sounds like oasis.

Favorite tracks: You’re so Great

Yeah its got a couple of good tracks but the rest is kinda boring guitar white noise to me.

blur’s music has been such a comfort to me this year. i’ve really grown to love all of their albums, and this one is no exception. i wasn’t crazy about it on first listen, but i’ve come to appreciate the genre/sound range that they cover on this project. it really showed what they were capable of at that point in their career, and catapulted them past britpop. my favorite song is Look Inside America, which could very well be my favorite song of theirs period. i also love Beetlebum (might be their best song), You’re So Great and Death of a Party :)

Meh, mediocre to me.

Everyone knows the "one song" off this album. I'm more familiar with Blur's catalog, but I have never listened to this album in it's entirety until now. Glad I did.

Better than Parklife. Still fairly boring.

This is the kind of album you'd buy for one track and then spend months trying to convince yourself you liked the rest of it so you didn't feel ripped off. To their (dis)credit, Blur does a pretty good job here of capturing the esthetic I hated most about 90s music: that noisy, lo-fi alternative garage sound with overbearing drums and simple-yet-flawed guitar riffs that sounded like a couple teenagers jerking around after school. I'm kinda tired of handing out 1s, though... and we HAVE had so many worse things on this list... so, since I was able to get through this twice without rage quitting, I guess I can justify tossing it a generous 2.

I think this album only was justified to be on this list because of one Song 2. And i don’t think that song is good enough carry that weight.

Song 2 hits like a stone, but that's all. 6/10

cool stuff

Ich komme mit der Stimme überhaupt nicht zurecht.

Wow, never been too crazy on Blur, didn’t like their debut and enjoyed Magic Whip quite a bit but why the hell did I never listen to this one cus it’s phenomenal.

Not totally classic blur but an interesting step into experiments, especially from Coxon. The bangers are there, (Beetlebum, Song 2, On Your Own), some classics (Killer For Your Love, MOR, Death of a Party), some good freakouts, some out and out weird ones (Theme From Retro, Essex Dogs) and a Coxon solo effort seemingly dropped in from a different record entirely. Not listened to it end to end in a long while. I enjoyed it. Except the pointless "hidden track" obviously.

Too abrasive. Liked some of the songs a lot though. Didn’t listen to the last 1/4

not for me but one song was good

Some great songs on this album

I recognized the first two songs. The rest was mediocre. Death of a Party gave me Air vibes. Low 3.

im a blur enjoyer. and just britpop in general

6/10 - I think I knew like 2 songs. Gave the smiths vibes for some of the songs especially death of a party

Blur give us another pretty good but not great album

Sounds like a (good) tribute band to several other bands/artists. I hear The Beatles, Bowie, Nirvana, the Monkees, & others. It’s not bad, but I just don’t hear anything influential — just a lot of influences. A 2.

A bizarre inclusion. Good record. But kinda a boring, meandering, and uninteresting entry in a great Blur catalog. 2.5/light 3 is my real score. Nothing to dislike; but they have some awesome records, so there’s really no reason to waste time with this one.

Pretty good.

Good mix of Nirvana style grunge and poppy boy band sound. I can see why it's in the mix

Upper end of three, but got a little boring after a while.

I’ve heard one of their songs before. It was cool to listen to but tbh I didn’t finish

It was alright. Good album, probably won’t listen to most of the songs again. Kind of dense. Favorite songs were Beetlebum and Strange News from Another Star.

Interesting listen. Really good run to start, then there were a few I wasn't too crazy about. Some parts of the instrumentals reminded me of Portishead. Not as crazy about this as Albarn's other stuff

I love their music. 4/5

I don't get it. They were one of the biggest band in the UK in the 90's. How?

This is dogshit. Incredibly bland and mildly annoying. Not sure i can bring myself to fini. sh it

Never really got along on with Blur, but it’s probably still a 3/5. Seems like the only rating I’ve been giving out. It's not as good as Madvillainy.

Didn't like it when it came out, don't like it now

Need to give it another listen soon and will

Great one two opener but dont feel the rest of the album lives up to it

Me gustó, muy sólido Nota: 3.8

blur

More Brit Rock, WOO HOO! You’ve heard “Song 2”, even if you've never known that was the name of the song. It's their biggest hit and probably the only thing you know about Blur. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is pretty unremarkable 90s brit rock. I'm not going to wade into the details of Blur changing their sound for this record or what bands they chose to "take influence from" for their new sound. You've never heard their old sound anyway, so who cares. This list seems pretty insistent that brit rock is very important and that we should listen to every big record from the genre. Sadly, I don't see what this is bringing to the table that isn't covered by The Boo Radleys and Oasis before it, or Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand after it (all albums I've reviewed from this list so far). It doesn't feel like a step forward for anything, just a 'status quo' brit rock record that managed one monster hit single. I didn't need to hear this before I died.

Classic 90s rock sound. Very distinct vibes from Blur. Not my favorite, but it’s good for what it is.

Simon's favorite! :)

Way too fucking long and all the songs sound the same.

Good …

Really enjoyed the first two songs but didn’t really like the rest of the album

liked the other blue album way better this one wasn’t good at all

No jaa, Song 2 taas loistaa ja pomppaa joukosta, mutta muuten sellaista vähän quirkyä rokkia mikä ei kauheesti iske. Ei taaskaan huonoa, mutta en löydä oikein mitään erityisen hyvääkään. Parhaat: Song 2, Strange News From Another Star

Great album! Finally an album that feels like I've been missing out by not having heard yet. While I don't really like the singer's voice and some of the songs aren't exactly my cup of tea, it was an awesome listen to a solid collection of very well put together experimental songs. The name fits the vibe for sure.

Eh. Some good songs on here no doubt, just didn’t love this in its entirety.

Great britpop

This was kinda fun - hadn't really listened to Blur previously. 3.5ish

No private session used for Spotfiy. I like Blur a lot, more than I like Oasis, but let's not go there, leave it alone. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the songs on this album, there are a lot of great ones, including Song 2 that finally gave the band much deserved attention in the US.

Very jammy in an Oasis covers Zeppelin kind of way. Song 2 is a classic riff and it's neat to see what else was around at the time. I think a lot of it is kind of meandering, none of the lyrics super jumped out to me but I think I'm listening to music differently now that I play it so much. I think Damon Albarn is sort of a syllable/melody first writer (evidenced by Gorillaz IMO) and I have never really listened to Blur but I can see where other music of his comes from. All the songs have a vibe that gets the message across.

Much better than I remember as a teen. Very multilayered.

i like the most when there isn't guitar and it sounds like gorillaz

Like two great songs, but otherwise felt really unfinished.

As a guitarist this offends me

Not bad. Not really my cup of tea either

Not Blur's best album but a still late-90s classic.

One of the greatest and most recognizable songs of all time in Song 2. Absolutely legendary and almost 30 years later, the song is still fantastic and you can't help but rock out to it....which apparently immediately outs me as an American. I had no idea they were this huge in the UK. For other confused Americans out there, the lead singer and chief song writer for Blur, Damon Albarn, also created The Gorillaz. This self-titled album was basically a rebirth after they almost broke up. They wanted to evolve from the Britpop scene and this album was a huge risk that paid off. It's harder, more experimental, and often times quite dark like in Death of a Party. Overall it's a great rock album and a great example of a already popular band reinventing themselves and ascending to new heights.....which we have seen so many times and is what separates legendary artists from the the status quo. It's a big risk. Much easier for a solo artist than a band.

After only knowing Song 2, I expected a little more from this band. After the first couple songs it's pretty uneventful. 2/5

The narrative that Blur suddenly turned into an English Pavement is well trodden. But the album name says it all, after three albums of characters, some more biographical than others, they just wanted to be themselves.

Had heard of them, but hadnt really checked them out so this was a pleasant surprise. I generally liked the music. Its nothing incredible but its nice. I dont see what all the hype around Song 2 is about. Not to say i dont like it, i do. Maybe not as much as everyone else. Anyway, solid album. 4/5

Song 2- 🌟 (star of the album) Song 2- 💕 (enjoyed) Country Sad Ballad Man, Theme from Retro- 👎(did not enjoy) Bettlebum, M.O.R, You're so Great - 🤷‍♀️ (eh)

Me gusta mucho Blur, aunque este no es mi albúm favorito. Siempre me ha gustado más Parklife o The Great Escape. Que por cierto el documental Blur: to the end fue genial.

Aaah, ça c’est plus dans mon secteur! J’ai toujours trouvé cet album là intéressant dans leur discographie, parce qu’on sens le début de la transition d’Albarn vers Gorillaz, surtout sur On Your Own (qui est soit dit en passant un BBB (Big Badass Banger)). Parlant de Bangers, à part Beatlebum et l’usé Song 2, y’a pas tant de hit à se mettre sous la dent, la deuxième moitié de l’album est plus une vibe qu’un tapis de danse. J’aurais bien aimé que The Great Escape, qui selon moi représente le meilleur que ce que Blur peut offrir, soit présent sur la liste, mais je peux me consoler avec Parklife

Oh man, "Song 2" took me right back to the days of playing FIFA 98 on our family PC! Just for unlocking that amazing memory, I’ll give this album 4 stars! The rest of the album didn’t do much for me, but that nostalgia is hard to beat!

I was previously familiar with "Song 2" from this album. It's a good song, and much of the rest of the album isn't bad either. It doesn't really grab me much either after one listen. I would listen again, but not necessarily excited to do it right away.

It’s ok, fine vibes

They are topmost among those post-Smiths very English smarty bands that I feel I should like more than I do. The first two songs are five stars, but the rest struggle to stay in focus for me, and I feel I should apologize for feeling such a way, which is peak Britpop, earning this just above average.

Despite being a fan of Damon Albarn, this was the first time I’d listened to Blur. This is a surprisingly eclectic and very British mix of sounds and styles. “M.O.R.” brings Beatlesque power pop while “Chinese Bombs” sounds like first-wave English punk. “On Your Own” sounds like a group sing-along at the pub. ‘Theme From the Retro” recalls early Pink Floyd, while “You’re So Great” wouldn’t be out of place on a Guided By Voices LP from the same era. Things start to take on a demo/outtake quality the deeper into the album you get, and while this may be worth revisiting, Gorillaz to my ears sounds eminently more fresh and vital.

I think I like the regular britpop Blur rather than this "we just discovered Pavement" record. Good thing there's another 2 Blur records on the list!

Song 2 is etched into my brain for no other reason that it was one of the first easily findable files on the internet when the MP3 first came along. It's also great riff and catchy tune.

It would be cool if Song 2 was the 3rd track

Never able to get into Blur. Not bad, just nothing there for me.

my least fav of the good Blur albums, not disgustingly British enough

I'm all good with it. Solid 2/5

This was too enjoyable, dude should stick to making uninteresting cartoon music.

The only Blur album I got when it came out. Such a fun album. I bought it because of Song 2, but it’s the other songs I enjoy more now.

It probably says something when the best song on your nearly hour long album is a two-minute song that goes “Woo-Hoo” constantly. Every sports arena in the world thanks Blur for their service because of those two minutes. Outside of Song 2, the rest of this is hit-or-miss. There some other good songs here, but nothing I’d go crazy for. I think there’s potential that I see Blur as more than a one-hit wonder. But that potential’s not really here. Favorite track: Song 2 Other hits: M.O.R., On Your Own, You’re So Great, Beetlebum

As an American who was only familiar with "Song 2" before this challenge, I was immensely looking forward to digging further into Blur and hopefully finding some gold. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up particularly enjoying this album. It feels like Blur is trying to poke fun at different rock trends across the tracklist, but the lack of context made it hard for me to tell whether or not I should be taking anything seriously and I tried to just enjoy the music for what it is. There are a few tracks I thought were decent, but I didn’t come away from this album with a new favorite from the band ("Song 2" unfortunately reigns supreme, for now) and I spent most my listen itching to move on to something else. Highlights: Song 2, Theme from Retro, You’re So Great, Look Inside America

Insufferably pretentious. At their best when mocking their betters.

I love this album. My first real foray into Brit pop rock, and at the time I was all for it. I still come back to it occasionally. If you look at the songs outside of Song 2, it was almost like a window into what Damon Albarn would do with Gorillaz later on. I know it didn't really land that well with American audiences, but I found it, and I'm glad I did.

Hell yea, a Blur album I haven't dived fully into. This is going to be a great pleasure! The music video for "Beetlebum" is perfection. I need to go down the rabbit hole of Sophie Muller's music videos considering I've already seen hers for "Venus Like a Boy" and this album's following track "Song 2". About that second song, Pavement is one of the bands I have seen in concert most and story behind Blur's impersonation of their great American counterparts is great lore. Great too to follow up a Bowie album with "M.O.R." which alludes to Eno and Bowie's experimenting with identical chord progressions on Lodger. The third and final Sophie Muller music video for the album is for "On Your Own". I'd rate it over her "Song 2" effort but even that one is great. In love with how this song ends. Holy shit "You're So Great" is such a Guided By Voices song, I love it. Go Graham Coxon! Give your best impersonation of an American doing an English impersonation. Previously I had probably only heard the 3 singles that were included on Blur's The Best of compilation, so "Death of a Party" is my standout among the rest. Fantastically sad song. Nothing against the rest of the album but it doesn't inspire me to write much. Glad the boys got to experiment I guess. Not a bad time to bring up the Theory of Side A which I will lightly define as the phenomenon of full LP releases rarely having enough material to make side B even half as good as the first side. This album fails miserably and I'm such a full album listener it probably means I'll play this one a lot less. Hopefully I'll remember to put "Death of a Party" on a playlist, the one perfect track on the last side. "Essex Dogs" is a nice closer though. Ultimately my ranking averages out to a 4 based on 4 perfect tracks and a few more really great ones.

I liked the first song? Then it kinda went downhill

Fun but a little long. Favorite Song: Theme from Retro

Las primeras canciones están guays, pero luego va en decadencia poco a poco haciendo que pierda el interés

Song 2 is the big radio hit.

Fun Listen

So long

Classic 90s album. Nuff said!

Blur have a reputation for being more of a singles band than an albums one. This does nothing to break that. Beetlebum and Song 2 are great but there’s also a lot of weird experimental sounds that didn’t need to make the final cut

I just didn’t vibe with this at all (would accept partially because of my preoccupied mental state) so maybe 1/5? I just didn’t care for it

I like Blur. A lot. This album was the last one I purchased, and I remember why. There are songs that are too experimental, there are songs that are just noise… and the there are songs which are so wonderful it hurts to have them alongside the rest of the album.

Enjoyable, listening to it after a long long time. Only criticism is maybe Albarn’s vox are a bit lame here and there

Really strong start. MOR and On Your Own are arguably my two favourite Blur songs, and the opening two tracks are solid. However, the rest didn’t really do it for me. It felt quite long and uninspiring at times. One of those albums where a number of 9-10/10 songs are watered down by an equal number of 5/10’s, averaging it out at a solid 7-8/10

There's a lot more variety here than I was expecting. Didn't like most of it though.

I kind of blur in the 90s. Maybe I was a bit young but have picked it up since I really really enjoy it but it’s just not quite top drawer. Some songs are a clear five but others felt like they were slightly obscure

Nostalgic

Solid.

Love a bit of blur. Helps me to concentrate bizarrely, given their name.

WOOHOOO

Song 2 is a 5* song and there were a few other decent listens too, but overall I found the album quite mid tier

Wat een vet album! Staan een paar pareltjes op :-)

Not my usual genre... So it is very hard for me to rate fairly ..musically it sounds like seventies funk meets 90's rock. If you gravitate towards that...it is a clear winner!

Song 2 felt familiar. Rest was a bit hectic.

Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🛌🍃🟧 Production (2012 Remaster): 🙄🤔🤷 Music: 🎸🕑🇬🇧 Rating: 🚑🚑(🚑)/5

Meh. 90's music just isn't for me.

7/10 - very good britpop, song 2 being the obvious highlight

This is fine but the album feels really inconsistent. There's no overarching theme, it feels like a bunch of random ideas that got turned into songs. It's not bad but I don't think it's particularly very good. It feels like they were musical tourists and just pulled from everywhere they were visiting. Song 2 is so high school coded for me. It's the only song that feels 'polished.' Anyway, I'm not likely to revisit this.

I've been on a real Oasis kick lately and Damon Albarn's grunge tourism is not doing it for me right now.

It was fine

Wooohooo!

The music is fine but I lost a lot of respect for Blur when I watched them bully Nardwuar during one of his interviews.

At first it was a 2 but then I heard Curtis playing it again and was like okay this is alright… so 3 it is.

I sometimes feel like these albums get put on because they have that one song that everyone knows. There were some good ones on this album but most just felt like random.

Wasn't my vibe

Oh Blur. I remember being 12 and screaming woo-hoi in a futsal competition in school and I was the only one who knew the reference (trying to be the cool kid and failing hard at that age). Aathough I never listened the whole album before I was familiar with the singles. I feel the first 5 songs are qute strong and display well the sound of this time in Blur's career that I feel is their best, and the sound that they are known of. There are a lot of different ideas in the album and I do appreciate them, although the album is cohesive the second half is not as good as the first. 4/5

Of course I knew Song 2 was a banger. I first got introduced to Damon Albarn through his other project Gorillaz. He's incredibly talented, and I love how Gorillaz let him try new things out that didn't necessarily fit Blur. So it's cool to finally circle back to actually hear what the band was that didn't match the sound of the newer work he wanted to release as Gorillaz. But M.O.R. was pretty great too. On Your Own is too. A few songs in, and it's clear that Blur has a distinct vibe from Gorillaz, but yeah it's still unconventional. Some of the songs just felt like they were another genre just for the sake of it, despite that they weren't bad songs. The songs weren't bad at all. The album however didn't flow, didn't have a theme. So that kind of holds it back, but it IS new/unique and well made. I would listen again but probably wouldn't recommend it except to fans of Damon Albarn.

Each song feels a bit different, but I wouldn't call them okay to listen to. British rock all around. Notable tracks: Death of a Party, On your own

Jury out

Interesting what they did with Disc 2 being the live versions, I liked that. Actualy music: I only liked 2 songs (the obvious ones)

1997 brit alt rock. Wish I knew them when listening to the strokes back in the day. Post punk.

Good, just not for me

Listening to this album just reinforces my previous understanding that these guys were a one hit wonder. And they didn't even have the creativity to give it a name--both the album and the one hit, Song 2. Without that song, this album would have been a 1/5. Really just twangy whining. This was a terrible era for rock, the late 90s, and bands in the U.S. and U.K. often just sounded like bland, watered down versions of early 90s powerhouses. This has no business being on this list--I could have very happily died before listening to this album.

So cool. Each track is rife with unique, exciting sounds. It’s a pretty long album with some challenging cuts, but it was interesting and ever-changing. It demanded my full attention, and it didn’t let go the whole way through. I’m glad I heard this one today. Will definitely revisit. 7.5-8/10 Standouts: Beetlebum Song 2 Death of a Party

Vintage Brit-pop… a fun listen for the most part.

song 2, M.O.R., youre so great, Chinese bombs are good, the rest are boring

Blur published great records, but I'm afraid this one is NOT one of them - despite its high ratings. The opener „Beetlebum“ is brillant, catchy and yet rough, but the rest of the records contains plenty of noisy crap and medieocre tracks, that are instantly forgettable. Which is why I decided to give this record away many years ago and give Parklife and/or The Great Escape an additional spin instead.

Can hear the grunge influences. Soundgarden or Judas and Mary Chain in places. Guilty of not listening to the albums over best ofs and compilations. A fascinating album with incredibly high highs and self-indulgent lows. One of those albums that should be shorter. Can an album with so many skippable songs be a 4/5? Or should you rank it as tho it's the sum of its best 4 or 5 tracks?

I love Blur but I felt that this had a few stabs out tracks and others were filler. Overall good.

Meh, it was very hit or miss.

This was a good listen! I’ve been having a major Oasis phase and though I do see some parallels… this feels a little more flat. Some of the production is incredible, like On Your Own. Essex Dogs was an interesting way to cap off the record as well. Damon has such a unique voice I immediately recognized it when I started listening. I’ve only heard his gorillaz work! Overall, it was decent. On a better day I might lean closer to 4 but I think a 3 is justifiable.

Not a fan

Standardni Blur album, u smislu da ima sve od vrhunca britpopa i srodnih žanrova do pjesama za koje je upitno ko je odobrio. Bitno je da ima Beetlebum, u dugom nizu njihovih fenomenalnih pjesama jedna od najboljih, a i još nekih stvarno dobrih. Sveukupno je dobar utisak. Prolijeće u sekundi što je uvijek dobar znak.

Blur by Blur: 8/10, A very strong opening, an okay middle, and a great ending. As the first album I got in the 1001 albums generator, this is a great way to start it, with an album from a band that I already enjoy, but this is the first time I've heard it in full. Admittedly, I am a massive Gorillaz fan and don't expect Blur to live up to the strength of Damon's work after their original breakup. As a shift away from britpop and more into heavier rock sounds, Blur's self-titled shows immense capability in how effectively they could completely change their sound. Song 2 is the big hit here, and the only song I'd heard from it before, and it perfectly encapsulates the post-britpop alt-rock style they landed on. Essex Dogs is probably my new favorite here, as it shows a crazy level of technicality and ability to experiment in unexpected ways, reminding me at times of some softer Nine Inch Nails songs. I look forward to exploring more of Blur as they really seem to have a versatile sound and a deep dive is well overdue for me.

This had one song that was good the rest was a “blur”, ahhh get it But seriously was shit

Good if retrospectively unexceptional?

This does like 8 genres and usually worse than an actual artist in the genre But lowkey this probably should have a higher rating I just hate music this morning

this listening experience was a fever dream

Song 2 is the second track and is undeniably catchy. Didn't really vibe with the rest of the britpop though

One of Britpop's classic

I’ve never been a particular blur fan as always found the way Damon Albarn sings to be very annoying That said, this was much better than I remembered it being A decent lofi scuzzy album this

Not very interesting, the sound blends together. The end is a bit more expetimental, so more interesting, but barely. Melodies are not that strong too..

Good balance of power pop, arty stuff, and on occasion surprisingly raw.

Good album. I really like "Song 2". Not sure how these guys ended up being compared to Oasis.

It’s ok

Now we're talking! Finally an album I already have. This opens with my favourite Blur song of all time - Beetlebum. This song is transcendental. I love these songs. Death of a Party is such a lekker vibe. Essex Dogs is ahead of its time. This album still sounds fresh and full of ideas. I can now hear how it’s influenced current bands - especially the guitars. Alex Turner heard Chinese Bombs and decided he wanted to be in a band. I guess I should say something about Song 2. I'm very pleased that Blur have this big crossover hit that's also a rock banger. And they've never tried to recreate that magic in a bottle moment. Respect them for that, plus a whole load of other things that probably have nothing to do with this self titled album! Damon Albarn is one of the greatest frontmen and musicians and musical visionaries. He doesn't get enough credit. I've loved him for over 30 years and listening to them as an older person makes me emotional. Blur got even better after this - Think Tank is my favourite Blur album - so gotta save my 5 stars for that masterpiece.

The album starts great with Beetlebum and Song 2 but is mixed after that.

Blur moving away from traditional britpop and going for a more original sound worked out surprisingly well for them, being one of maybe like two britpop bands who didn't just die with the genre.

Surprisingly sarcastic. Clearly went over my teenage head

Well, I did like this one. I like Blur and I like Gorillaz and here we find Damon Albarn nodding his head in both directions. A drop in quality towards the end. I give it 4.

Worthwhile as a warm-up to the far suprerior Think Tank, but seriously did not dig this. Why does it feel like Damon isn't trying to sing? Pandering to the American market methinks - successfully at least.

Mid 3 Best song: beetlebum Damen and the boys show here why they're a quintessential "best of" band. Bold choice putting the 2 bangers right at the front. Rest of the album has far less effort in production but is p good, but it gets worse in second half

A very solid album. From the opening track ‘Beetlebum’ through to the absolutely rocking (albeit short) ‘Song 2’ and beyond - this puts to rest any notion of Blur as anything short of excellent.

You're so great and I love you.

Gutes Album, aber ein paar Stücke hat man inzwischen so oft gehört, dass es sich ein bisschen erschöpft hat.

disappointing. i really expected a bit more.

This album is definitely not a blur. Every song is curated to make you feel something by the end of it. The melancholy eats you at some parts and you just have to take it. It’s probably the realest music I’ve heard in a long time. There are both slow and upbeat songs tied together with lyrics to make you think about the world and yourself.

Woohoo! The band who's most famous song is called "Song 2". This album has a wide variety of musical flavors, from punkish rock bangers to zoned out cinematic passages. One thing though is the album feels like your drunken English uncle who happens to be talented at music threw it together. Sometimes I have no clue at all what the vocalist is trying to get across. Decent overall.

Not my thing

**Just noise, most tracks sound alike

Can hear the influences and the contemporaries of Blur throughout the album. Certainly an album that embodies the 90s British rock/punk sound.

Couple good songs

not my jam

An interesting bridge to 00s indie rock, but not one I personally enjoy

this album sounds so derivative of other popular rock that came before it. song 2 sounds like its trying to be nirvana. strange news from another star sounds like its trying to be bowie. why dont I just listen to them instead?

Not as experimental as 13, but there's like 3 skips. 7/10

2.8

I knew a few of the singles, but I went into this album expecting to be bored. Man, this album rocks. Blur showing here just how varied and textured they are as a band. There’s some obvious early signs of Gorillaz here, alongside songs sounding like The Fall and early Pink Floyd. Just a great showcase for the band being much more than their early Britpop sound.

Look, I could have gone my entire life without hearing this album. It's alright, just not hooky enough for me to want to listen to it again. Nothing to grab me. Beetlebum was interesting. M.O.R. was good. Song 2 brought back memories. Outside of that, nothing notable. My Rating: 2/5

I think the algorithm has a thing for Damon Albarn. Sheeezus. This one has a few great songs and you can feel them pushing away from BritPop, but I am still not won over.

Meh. I remember the impact of this album, but listening today it did carry through like it once did. There is no denying the impact of Song 2, but the remainder of the album did not have much extra to offer.

Too much mediocre Brit Pop!!

warbly, screechy, whiny, noisy, harps??, cringy. It's not a 1 star album since I did make it through listening to all of it, but it is a significantly low value of 2 Whoo-hoo! That's over.

Woo-hoo!

Blur: Blur: This is actually pretty damn solid. Pretty unique and inspired, and the quality of the songs is just high overall. Fun and creative listens, and despite the length it wasn't really boring. They're not like catchy or something like that, but this was pretty cool and I'm glad to have listened to this. The songs could be a little more dynamic, if that makes sense? It doesn't quite jump at you, but its all rather good so thats just a nitpick to explain why this isn't some uber high ranking. 8.25/10

*1997. *First time listening to this album all the way through. Starts strong with Beetlebum, Song 2, and Country Sad Ballad Man, then falls off. *Really wanted to like this, but just didn't hit. Didn't hate it either though. *Anyone who says Blur is better than Oasis is a pretentious contrarian. *Will try giving it more listens. RATING - 6/10

Early 2000s British rock, first half of album was solid, second half was uneventful. Lot of overdriven guitar and other noises and sounds.

Ya era hora. Que puedo decir. La gente, la crítica musical y los fans de la banda han dicho en numerosas ocasiones que este fue "El álbum que mató al Britpop" y menos mal porque menuda puta mierda de género. Este álbum hizo de Blur todo lo que sus compañeros de escena no fueron capaces (a excepción quizás de Pulp) es un soplo de aire fresco y actualiza un montón el sonido de la banda. Quiero decir, ¿Sabes lo buena canción que es Beetlebum? y por no hablar de los momentos tan tan guays que hay a lo largo de todo el album. Hay veces en algunos momentos en los que he llegado a pensar si realmente estaba escuchando un album de lla 90 y no un trabajo más actual. Asi de bien ha envejecido. Este album iba a ganar el Grammy a menor album en 1997, pero le ganó "OK Computer", asi que lo entiendo perfectamente.

Première partie très cool, deuxième partie rompiche

Do I even like rock music anymore? Definitely not this kind of rock music. This album just seemed to go on and on and on and on...Even Song 2 wasn't the joyous harkening back to my youth that I had anticipated.

Besides Song 2, this all is very very boring Best Song: Song 2 Rating: 4.0/10 Stars: 2/5

Beetlebum is the only good Blur song.

I wasn’t a fan of the Brit Pop thing back in the day. I was still stuck in my narrow-minded metal or die mode. Tho I was beginning to grow a bit. By the time Blur’s self-titled album had come out, they’d already been to the mountain top & were on the way down. So, they changed their style and became less Brit Pop and more U.S. Indie Rock. You can also hear that this Blur album is the precursor to what the Gorillaz would be in the future, as Blur’s lead singer Damon Albarn would form that band about 15 years after this album. I can see why Blur caused such a sensation. This album is very good. Song 2, or the Woo-Hoo song, is brilliant nonesense & On Your Own is built around a great riff, but is a bit annoying, which you need in rock ‘n’ roll sometimes. I loved Song 2, of course, Beetlebum, Death of a Party and You’re So Great. I highly recommend listening to this album.

4/10

i'm such a fuckin yank. Damon Albarn's voice in this context rather than Gorillaz is jarring to me lol. this is honestly a pretty well-rounded album. a lot of studio fuckery and experimentation that gives each track its own flavor. perhaps all the American indie rock influence piped into this made it easier for me to latch onto than britpop. deserves to be one of the 1001? i mean if you're dead set on having 3 Blur albums this one does have its own character and importance. but i would lean on Parklife and probably 13 as the only inclusions. but if you choose this over 13 i won't be mad

Blur – Blur (1997) | Britpop / Alternative Rock | Avg: 6.69 | Favorite Song: “Beetlebum”* Blur marked a turning point for the band, shedding the bright, cheeky nature of Britpop in favor of grittier textures and more introspective songwriting. Blur is a mixed but fairly rewarding experience. “Beetlebum” comes out on top, and it’s easy to see why—it’s emotionally charged, melodically rich, and sets the tone for a darker, more mature Blur. Tracks like “Song 2” and “Death of a Party” also show up well, bringing that fuzzed-out edge without losing cohesion. However, I'm not as high on those as others are. The back half of the album seems to lose me a bit, with a few dips into the 5 or even 3 range. That kind of inconsistency is expected with a transitional album like this one; there’s experimentation and moodiness, but not every idea lands. Still, there’s a lot of charm in the record’s looseness. When it works, it really works, and even when it doesn’t, the band sounds like they’re breaking free of a formula. Blur may not be as polished as earlier records, but it makes up for that with depth and rawness.

For song 2 only

Cuando me piden dinero, wuu huuu

This was an album with music played by people.

I had to unblock Blur from my Spotify just to listen to this. I'll be generous and give it 2 stars because of Song 2.

What's the deal with every band eventually saying 'this song almost didn't make the album, but XYZ said it was a hit...and I guess they were right'? I'm sure it is true sometimes, but do bands really have no idea what could be a hit or not? Anyway, Blur supposedly wrote Song 2 as a pisstake of Nirvana, and it is of course their biggest song ever. Blur has always been a good to great band, but this album is where they kinda slipped a bit, imo. Still good, but they did better work both before and after this one. For the record, my Britpop list goes 1. Pulp >>>>>> 2. Blur > 3. Suede >>> 4. Oasis, so I don't know how that factors into this rating. It's not a 4, but better than a 3 too, so...I guess it is a very high 3. :shrug: :whoohoo:

I could see blur being one of my favorite bands if I was born 10 years earlier.

got a touch monontous but on the whole pretty solid and Damon Albarn can seemingly do no wrong.

I expected this to come it at a 3 but it didn't. Was never a fan outside of Girls and Boys.

The more I listened to this the more it grew on me.

Decent. I like some of the songs. No one can understand the impact of Song 2 though. It was everywhere. Blur is one of those bands that has some songs I absolutely love, and the rest I find ok.

Oh, wow. Song 2 was actually the second song on the album. Whaddayaknow?

After listening to this album, it feels like it was made with the intention of being a rock album that explored uses of machine or alienlike noises to make something new. Some songs feel more typical and imo, balance the experimental elements towards appealing to those new to these sounds. Personally my favorite parts were the beginning and end of the album, as the middle seemed to me like a lot of noise and I had a hard time feeling musicality. Definitely a well produced album, though some of the choices with mixing, especially with vocals and the effects, did seem a bit unorthodox. Maybe the album was going for an unsettling vibe partially, but I think either way it isn’t a casual listen but rather an experience for certain states of mind. My favorite songs were beetlebum, song 2, look inside america, amd strange news from another star. Once I looked back breifly to remind myself, I think the fade outs were where most of my issues with the album lie though, worth another listen sometime.

I didn't listen to Song so Song 2 was kind of confusing

A bit too dry for my taste - something I'd listen to in a car while driving, rather than what I'd listen to in my alone time. Still, fine.

Oh banger, big fan, have previously listened! 8/10

così così

Not great, but not terrible. Not an album I would choose over something else to listen to anytime soon

Got some good stuff but a little drav

Beautiful music

Song 2 is awesome. Very fun. The rest of the album is fine, but forgettable.

прикольно! парк лайф конечно круче был, этот какой-то более странный и меланхоличный что ли, и это все при гаражном звуке

In all honesty, not being British has limited my awareness of Blur as a band. They have 1-2 songs on the radio here, they never caught my attention outside of "Song 2" which freakin' rocks! Everything else I heard was down tempo and meanderingly boring. I bought their greatest hits cd years ago, and sold it, only had 3-4 songs I'd want to hear more than once. Outside of that I remember the tabloid beef with Oasis as being their biggest thing here in the states, two bands I never gave a shit about so that wasn't of interest either. Standouts for me... "Beetlebum" was enjoyable, must've been a hit somewhere as it has 90M listens. "On Your Own" is a solid track, good energy kind of song, coulda been a Gorillaz song. I enjoyed "Death Of A Party" as well, that one is very Gorillaz-esque. "I'm Just A Killer For Your Love" has a good rock groove. I'm not sure how they became a global sensation and on every cover of every music magazine in the late 90's. They're good but not great. 3 stars, the warts like "Essex Dogs", "Chinese Bombs", & "Strange News..." were too much to overlook.

Hur mycket jag än älskar popperfektionen på Modern life... eller den lågintensiva ironin på Parklife så är det hit jag återvänder oftast och det är den här plattan som åldrats allra bäst. Glöm Song 2 för ett ögonblick, för det är dom lite bökiga och trasigt vackra låtarna som bär det här albumet, redan första singeln och albumöppnaren Beetlebum sätter tonen. Punkiga energiutbrott, dit man kan räkna Song 2 som i sin albumkontext låter mycket mer rimlig, bryter av förtjänstfullt. Men det är stommen av det bökiga och trasigt vackra som imponerar och allra klarast lyser Strange news from another star, vissa dagar Blurs bästa stund nånsin i min bok. En stark fyra! Lyssna också på Bob Hund - Omslag: Martin Kann, Smog - Wild love, Smog - Julius Ceasar

När Blur glömde skriva melodier. Med undantag för Death of a party.

När albumet kom, var känslan att Blur till slut vunnit kriget mot Oasis (även Shity-fansens debut krossar allt annat de båda antagonisterna producerat). Hur står den sig då idag? Nja, precis som Blur i övrigt känns det lite småtråkigt så här 25 - 30 år senare. De två inledningsspåren håller fortsatt hög klass, men totalt sett är det lite intetsägande. Det mals på utan att riktigt rycka tag i en. Närmare till ett lägre betyg än ett snäpp uppåt.

Kanske blurs bästa album. Många starka låtar. Tramsigheten som fanns på Parklife och The Great Escape, som idag känns rätt tröttsam, har nästan helt försvunnit. Fin variation mellan låtarna från punkiga Chinese bombs till spöklika Death of a Party.

Tem uma ou outra mais ok, mas o Blur pra mim até hj sempre bateu na trave, nunca atinge o softspot do que eu gosto

enjoyed this one bought back memories

Standout Songs: Song 2 M.O.R. You’re So Great Chinese Bombs Movin’ On This album is honestly kind of boring and a chore to get through. Outside of a couple of the faster paced songs, it’s just so… mild. It’s not bad. Some sections of this album just seem to drag a bit, making its 56 minute run time feel like 2 hours.

I can see myself coming back to relisten to a couple songs here and there, but not the album in full. It's missing the energy they had in Song 2

Good album...but just to remember: oasis is way better

I don't think I've ever listened to this album all the way through. In the war between blur and Oasis - I liked Pulp. Don't get me wrong, I think Beetlebum is a brilliant opener, On Your Own and M.O.R feel more like the blur that I remember and enjoyed, along with tracks like Movin' On it's fun and playful, they don't seem to take themselves too seriously. I think it's a great experimental album for blur but I'm not sure that I wouldn't skip this and probably go straight to 13 which I think best melds their love of US underground with their britpop roots. This album for me is at times not experimental enough to be interesting and not nostalgic enough to be draw me back in. So many 4 and 5 stars in blur's catalogue but for me this is a 3. It's decent but that's about it. Except for Song 2, I can't stand Song 2 - not because it's particularly bad but because it's so overplayed and I'm tired of hearing it everywhere.

Strong start here but it gets ethereal and whispy after that. Loses it luster for me. I've liked Parklife and the one with the train on it much more. This one just isn't that great to me. Listenable but not worth revisiting. Also song 2 is a bop but it reminds me of middle school basketball cause it was warm ups for the whole time I played ball. Weird blast from the past, good song though

Song 2 is the hit of the album. Huge late nineties hit. The first half of the album has that late nineties alt/indie pop rock sound - a notable shift from the early to mid nineties as we transition into more Britpop influenced radio songs. The second half of the album is a little harder sounding - more like Godsmack-ish - heavier distortion effects on guitar, more use of noise. There’s a lot of influences on this album - Sex Pistols, Oasis, Velvet Underground/Lou Reed all come to mind. Other notables include Country Sad Ballad Man, Death of a Party, Look Inside America, Movin’ On.

2.5. Beetlebum and Death of a Party are good songs. Wasn't that into the rest of the album though.

Long live Britpop.

Song 2 was a good song I knew I also liked 2 others. One being death of the party

Album almost as yummy as Damon albarn

Oh another British pop-rock album. Yawn.

Pretty good

An interesting return, but Oasis is just more interesting im sorry.

Correcto, sin más. Entiendo a la gente a la que le guste Blur, pero a mí no me termina de convencer y mira que lo he intentado varias veces. Además, puede que Song 2 sea la canción que más me guste y ya está muy trillada. 2'5/5

Nice to see Song #2 in its natural habitat but the rest of the album felt like a grabbag. 2.5

I saw someone talking about Oasis the other day and someone else said “you seem like more of a Blur guy” and that’s the rudest fucking thing I’ve ever seen someone say on the internet. Extra star for song 2, the rest of it is mind numbing.

there was two songs on this that i found somewhat enjoyable, which was two more than expected

Song 2!!!!!!! And then a bunch of generic rock

Not bad, but really bounced off me

Blur has an album that is nearly an hour long! They have more songs than Song 2 after all. But actually, this is a pretty solid album. There is another song I know by them that isn't on this album... Blur had a second album! Who knew. I'm going with 3.