Blur

OK rock

Some interesting, Gorillaz-like songs, but overall falls a bit short compared to Parklife, the other Blur album I've listened to from this list. 13, if I remember correctly, may have been better too. Still, Song 2, Death of a Party, Strange News from Another Star and Essex Dogs were great. 3.65*, rounded down.

The best to ever do it. Made Jazz that was accessible to the masses

Was excited to listen but was disappointed.

It was fine

blur!! listened to some songs by them before, initial response - nice vibe, pretty long but good for background music, 3/5, not completely my vibe; country sad ballad man - have heard before, don't love the irritating sound effects but its alr, lyrics and voice pretty good, except when it gets high..

Ohhhh, it’s THAT song. I recognize that song. Such an iconic “WOO HOO.” I’m actually surprised to see this album came out in ‘97 - but after listening to it, it definitely sounds like the 90s. A lot of sleeper songs in between the cool songs.

Love the singles but never been convinced by any Blur album I've listened to in full. This is no exception.

A bit too much Too long Too much freaky sounds

Blur lives up to its name and all their songs kind of run together in my mind. They’re more a sound than a collection of hits. I’m glad that DA used this to go on to make the great Gorillaz albums, and I’d look for a Blur greatest hits album, but record by record they’re not pulling me in

I remember first hearing their first single Girls and Boys and didn’t really like it although there was something different about it. When this album came out, Song 2 was everywhere, and I absolutely loved it. As a whole the album is solid but doesn’t have enough to keep me coming back.

Brit Pop jamz.

Is it as good as Parklife? No but it's still a pretty good album. Favorites: Beetlebum, Song 2, M.O.R.

Nit bad

I’d like to give half stars. Specifically, this would be 2.5 from me. I appreciate the Bowie references here, but this was a musical era that I skipped. I might have just been busy raising little kids, but I wasn’t listening to a ton of popular music in this time frame. It was a little shouty in places, an approach that puts me off, a la Oasis. Some good songs, including the one I had already heard, that everyone has heard. I’m ok with the 3 star rating.

meh 3/5

Song 2 and Beetlebum are great but the rest of the album didn't make any impact on me.

Released at the tail end of Britpop, this album saw Blur finally move away from their blinky-blimey, mockney pretensions and shift into a more post-grunge, indie style. Ironically, their shortest track Song-2 was the one that finally made an impact in America and it’s probably the best thing on here. The rest is mostly ok, with the most interesting part for me being the 8 minute experimental track Essex Dogs which reminded me of David Bowie from this era.

Good singles. Not a standout album.

It's starts well but those two opening tracks also highlight the problem with the album - each song is essentially a simple riff that often doesn't really go anywhere. There's plenty of experimental sounds but they don't really add much value. I'm sorry to say I was a bit bored by the end of it all.

I recall listening to this a bunch of times when it first came out. Relistening today, I only remembered Beetlebum and Song 2, which are still great, but zero nostalgia of anything else.

Hmm. This is intriguing. I like some of the jangly indie rock and more upbeat tracks. I also like the gauzy soundscapes they can create. The singer’s aggressively British accent detracted for me, and there were no standout songs on an admittedly-distracted listen, except for the ubiquitous “Woo Hoo!” number, which I shamefacedly added to my like playlist. I’d be up for another listen and re-consideration, if not for the relentless gauntlet of daily albums…

Not bad. Couple songs to enjoy.

british indie pop classic. not much more apart of Song 2... 3/5

meh

Music for brit blokes.

At first I didn't know who they were and then I listened and now I know who they are

It was better than I expected given the whole "Song 2 was a joke" thing.

It's fine. Love the fuzz bass in Song 2, but the rest is just fine.

I am enjoying this album more than I thought I would. Not a worldbeater but solid.

A lesser known blur album for me minus the hits. Nothing major stood out, but still a good listen.

Twee-est grunge ever

Beetlebum and song2 are the best by far on this album, look inside america i liked too. The second half was otherwise not too remarkable.

Woo-Hoo everyone, Woo-Hoo This is a pretty good album. I own it and have listened to it more than once. Obviously everything on the album is overshadowed by Song 2. It always sounded gimmicky to me, but the gimmick worked. Probably 95% of the people who bought this album bought it for that track not to mention it being everywhere in popular culture for years after. Woo-Hoo

3 out of 5. The second half really loses me, but overall I give this album a 'so-so.'

Yeah good

Some good songs some okay songs, Beetlebum and Song2 are classics. Could get a beer to those songs.

🦍 Golira Starts off very strong, but falls off a bit.

I like song 2. I’d like this album more if more songs sounded like song 2. Was gonna give it a 4 but they have a song making fun of America so they lost a star. One of the thickest English accents I’ve heard in music.

Some great tracks on here but inconsistent. Some of the more experimental stuff is not my favorite stuff from them. The stand out tracks are some of my favorites from Blur, Beetlebum, On your Own, MOR. Others are easily forgotten.

Some fantastic memories!

Song 2 is about the only song worth listening to here. The rest is just a Blur!

I really like this album. I was only familiar with one of the songs. I loved hearing all of the other songs. The last song Essex Dogs is so good!

Mostly forgettable. I could see the origins of some really great work with the Gorillaz later. Nothing I really disliked, but nothing exciting after Song 2.

No strong feelings about this album. Only familiar with Song 2. I'd listen again though.

Not bad, not exciting. The whole album was kind of, fittingly, a blur.

First Listen - Have heard of Blur before Yooooo its song 2 holy fffuuuuu

Sounded a bit generic but not in a bad way, definitely no The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

I've known the song Song 2 for most of my life due it it being a radio song but I had no idea it was by Blur and I had no idea it was called Song 2. Overall this feels like a pretty forgettable album but I thought the experimental nature of the album was interesting. There was quite a bit of variety in the album too with some songs sounding like other 90s artists.

Why more Blur?? Why more British indie?? This one is fine. I liked the acoustic songs. I think its mostly on the list because of Song 2, which frankly, isn't a good song. Its not a song that anyone chooses to listen to. Its just a song that shows up in commercials and instagram clips and sports games. And if I'm being honest, I didn't hate this. Its fine. I didn't mind listened to it. I could probably even grow to really enjoy this, but mostly its kind of meh to me.

Song 2 natürlich super, aber der Rest hat mich nicht abgeholt. Fand das Album insgesamt eher meh

It was alright

Die meisten Lieder haben mich nicht wirklich gecatcht, auch nicht vom Vibe her. Sie sind also im Grunde genommen nur im Hintergrund gelaufen, ohne dass ich groß darauf geachtet habe. Die Live-Versionen der Lieder habe ich dann auch gar nicht fertig gehört.

77% Best: Song 2; M.O.R.; I’m Just a Killer for Your Love; Movin’ On Must-Hear? Not quite

En we hebben weer eens een FIFA soundtrack entry te pakken. FIFA 98 om specifiek te zijn. Toen mensen nog de échte Ronaldo bedoelden als ze het over Ronaldo hadden. Song 2 dus. Het blijft een vet nummer ook al heb je hem vrijwillig of onvrijwillig sowieso te vaak gehoord inmiddels. De rest van het album is een stukje minder legendarisch wat mij betreft. Een stukje lekkere indie rock naar de mens toe. Een soort Fontaines DC uit de jeugd van de millenials. Wat dat betreft maakt het algoritme het me de laatste dagen wat makkelijker, maar het had ook wat goed te maken na Missy Elephant. Het album is een tikkeltje aan de lange kant en met zo'n ellenlange galmtrack als 'Theme from Retro' doe je mij totaal geen plezier. Ook wordt het naar het einde toe af en wat te noisy en te kunstzinnig voor me, bijvoorbeeld bij 'Chinese Bombs'. Dit zorgt ervoor dat ik toch weer uitkom op een 3 voor Blur. Ik vind Blur wel leuk maar liever in iets kleinere porties.

Quite dull in hindsight. As to why you would take such an over saturated influence as American indie for your primary source on an album is sort of baffling. Is it some insane hubris whereby you are thinking "oh, we can show the Americans how to do this better?" 2.5*

Outside of Song 2, which remains as anthemic as any nonsense song ever written, Blur's self-titled, maybe more so than any other record in their discography, hints at Damon Albarn's growing need to expand beyond the bounds of what Blur was. The dingy sounds that would come to define large swaths of the first Gorillaz album start to leak out here, 4 years before its release and a couple of years before it was recorded. In that way *Blur* is fascinating as a document of both a band and its frontman in periods of transition.

Really prefer Damon Albarn in Gorillaz over this 90's Brit-rock. Didn't hate or love this one. Standout: Beetlebum

A mid album for me. There are some bangers, and some I’d skip past. Definitely some catchy tunes though.

More enjoyable than expected. Quite eclectic too. 3.5

Growing up in the 90s, it was impossible to miss Song 2. I taped the album from a friend. I don't remember much, so this is mostly a new listening experience. Beetlebum Song 2 Country Sad Ballad Man M.O.R. On Your Own Theme from Retro You're so Great Death of a Party Chinese Bombs I'm Just a Killer for Your Love Look Inside America Strange News from Another Star Movin' On Essex Dogs

still such a hit and miss band for me

Decent. Not great but decent

OK.

Not too remarkable or memorable.

“Song 2” was good, high energy song. The rest of the album was pretty underwhelming.

ordinary

This was their, ‘let's let Graham do one’ after the laddy, celebrity, smash hits cover that was The Great Escape. Beetlebum has the lovely contrast between moody verse and sweet sing along chorus. Song 2 is the one everyone learns how to play, fun riff. Your poor man's Teen Spirit. Obviously they weren't entirely serious about this one. Ballad Man has a cool slacker rock malaise to it. MOR doesn't do much for me. I put On Your Own in the same box as It Could Be You, feels like the emphasis is on churning out a poppy number, rather than having good words or interesting instrumental turns in it. You're so Great, has an edgy demo like purity about it. Reminds me if Beck's One Foot in the Grave. I love Death of the Party. It's my favourite on the album. Really depressing account of a party and not having fun there. Interesting sounds and atmosphere created, and still manages to have a bit of a hook. For me, every track after this blends into a lackluster durge. Not a world beater of an album, but still pretty darn good.

Interesting

Its another blur album, its good but parklife is so much better just listen to that instead

Blur songs are consistently solid but it is rare that I feel moved by them.

It's good. Not sure why I don't like blur more, while I love Gorillaz.

You're So Great is quite an interesting song. Sounds almost like a Modest Mouse track or an early Radiohead demo. Look Inside America is just Country House isn't it? I don't think this is really a great album. It's ok, kinda like most of Blur's other stuff. But at least compared to their Britpop contemporaries this album is evidence of evolution to a new sound, some experimentation. Fave Tracks: Beetlebum, Song 2, Death of a Party, Essex Dogs 3.3/5

Meh

+1 Beetlebum, +1 Song Two, Average rest of album

Fyrstu tvö lögin eru classics. Restin not so much.

Ákveðin vonbrigði. Farið að hægjast á Blur vélinni þarna. Besta lagið stolið frá Botnleðju.

Not bad. A few songs I've heard before and liked but didn't know the name of. Went on a drive with Sam today and got beef nihari. I wasnt very good at conversation but he didn't mind. Punkish party jams.

I loved Beetlebum and Song 2 is a primary school CLASSIC but, none of the rest of the album ever got its hooks into me. I'll always pick them over Oasis in the Great Debate and I really appreciate their style and creativity.

Nothing too exciting.

Pretty good! I came into this album knowing a couple songs by Blur, but only Song 2 from this album. With that being what I knew, I was expecting a bit of a different sound. It's still great, just not as upbeat as Song 2. A much more mellow sound throughout that makes me think of Cage the Elephant. Although I could do without the echo track and sudden discordant noises, overall enjoyable

It feels like an awkward spot between the Life trilogy of albums (Modern Life, Parklife and The Great Escape) and 13. There are great moments in here(Beetlebum, Song 2 and On Your Own), but I feel like the album suffers from experimental stuff that wasn't their forte. A good first step from Damon Albarn into the path that would lead to Gorillaz, but as a whole the album feels uneven. 6/10

Meh, this was long winded. Pretty fun, but as an album it needed to be about half as long to get its point across. This album reads more like a deluxe, but is merely a standard. As if bonus tracks were included.

I mean, no matter what, Song 2 is a banger. Can't take that away. The rest of the album isn't bad, but it's not really above the way either. On Your Own is the other real standout in my opinion. Leaving in the mid-range.

I only knew Song 2, and honestly, I'm really tired of hearing that one, even if it is a 90's classic. Beetlebum is amazing, it has such a Beatles sound. Death of a Party reminded me a bit of the Smiths. I also hear a lot of Bowie's influence throughout this whole thing.

I feel although they are decent band they got too much hype amd are overrated. Have a few CDs and when Inlisten to them it desnt feel as it did when they came out. They were looking to promote new bands and they pushed this one as superstars that didnt deliver to their potential. Album is Ok still hold sup but nothong spectacular

TWO Blur albums so far and no Doors?? How much Blur do I have to endure!?

3.5 kind of liked it more than expected

I've always hated Song 2 and the vibe it gave off. When I started listening to the album, I thought "well this might be better than I thought it would be". I was kinda wrong, but also kinda right. Song 2 is the worst song on this IMHO, but some of the songs were really enjoyable. It's just not really my genre overall, but I won't have nightmares (or sweet dreams) about Blur.

Blur's self-titled is their first attempt at evolving their sound and moving away from britpop. As such, this album feels more like a mish-mash of different styles than a coherent listen, with some parts being more successful than other. Although I'm not a huge fan of the more lo-fi sound they went with here, I don't hate anything about this album and actually like most of the songs. But its inconsistency definitely bring the experience down. 7/10

I don't particularly love it or anything, but it's a perfectly serviceable album.

En del sjyssta låter med bra energi men inga mästerverk. Ingen särskilt minnesvärd skiva. "Song 2" är ju en klassiker och har en bra "hook" men i övrigt är det inte en så stark låt. 3 av 5.

unfortunately does not break my streak of midly enjoying but not rly Getting damon albarn projects. something ab the songwriting on his stuff tends to slip right off me...tho they at least tend to have some good soundscapes, i can appreciate the flirting with louder and scuzzier guitars thru this album. this record is situated in an interesting historical place, a high-pressure attempt to keep up the band's trajectory after a contentious last album, internal tensions, and britbop essentially dying. the style reorientation here seems v smart, and ultimately allowed the band to finally break through in america, but just Knowing The Information only helps me so much when im missing so much of the context. wish i had more to say about the actual experience of the record, but moderate pleasure (and admiration even moreso, its rare a desperate course correction was this obviously successful) that just kinda falls out of my hands afterwards is all ive got for now

- Do not dislike anything here, but nothing stands out either. Every track should be in the background of a 90s coming-of-age drama, specifically b/c it does not draw attention to itself. - Knew "Song 2" (who doesn't). "Strange News from Another Star" and "Movin' On" were pretty good. - 3 stars for being pleasant, I guess?

This is like Oasis for me, some good tunes, but i really do not get the hype over any of it.

Soulless and derivative.

I was looking forward to giving this album a listen until I saw that ghoulish, ghastly runtime. Gorillaz were the first band that I really got into and while their music isn't in my rotation anymore I still have a great deal of respect for the Albarn-centric tracks from the band. Forgive me for being one of the unwashed masses that compares Gorillaz to Blur, but I do think it's interesting to look at some of these tunes as proto-Rillaz tracks. There are a few musical curios and unorthodox sounds peppered throughout this album that really do remind me of the Kong Studio-ers, especially during the Demon Days phase. "Death of a Party", "Movin On" and "Essex Dogs" are particularly reminiscent of this. I'm ashamed to say this, but I think I greatly prefer Albarn as a solo-musician when compared to his more collaborative ventures. This goes for everything that was released with his name before and after the debut of Gorillaz. I think he especially thrives when he is working with a low-fidelity, underproduced sound (i.e. self-titled Gorillaz and The Fall). Anyways, on to talking about the album at hand as it's quite interesting. I can't think of another non-American band that has aped this kind of washed out, abrasive indie sound. Pairing that sound with the off-key, quirky vocals of Damon Albarn works surprisingly well and is quite endearing. That being said, I think this sound is very indistinct and restrictive, which is especially damning during the second half as the album continues to pile on some very unambitious 5+ minute songs that sound near-identical to one another. Still, for what it is, it's perfectly listenable. Maybe I'm going crazy, but I recall there being a Blur song that was entirely instrumental with a short repeating melody that progressively gets quicker and segues into a barrage of clattering percussion. I'm going nuts trying to find that song - I can hear it in the back of my mind. It's probably from a Blur-adjacent band

Song 2 has such a ballsy bass tone. crazy that a song just over 2 minutes could be so fucking sonically COMMANDING. Chinese Bombs is also another strong track. There is a lot of experimentation in sonic landscapes on this album, but a lot of the low tempo stuff just doesn't do it for me.

I mean, it’s fine. I thought Parklife was a much better listen personally

Song 2 is all you need.

Decent.

It grew on me. Especially liked Essex Dogs

Why am I transported to 6 different memories and feelings on this album. It must be good and also kind of confuses me.

Meh. 3

It had its moments and its time in the sun for sure but I think the only standout track is Song 2 which is pretty unfortunate. Blur I know has better albums and songs than this one. I wasn't moved.

Favorite Track: Song 2

Listened Before? N Pretty good 90's alt album. Of course, Song 2 is well known and that's about all in the US. I enjoyed the first 5 songs or so and then it started to wear on me. It's fine I guess. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Beetlebum

Very moody, very grungy. Liked a lot of this, but not all.

Big fan of Song 2 and Beetlebum, as well as Death of a Party, but the sound starts to get repetitive and I lose interest.

This was okay. The Gorillaz are definitely better.

Noise Rock electro

I liked this one a good bit when I was a teen. Now I think I'd rather listen to the influences that set Blur in this direction, but I do appreciate hearing a band try to stretch themselves a little. I think I appreciate the lead guitar more than I did as a teen, when I would have just thought "guitar fill, ok sure". When I was 15 or 16 the instrumental after Essex Dogs (pretty cool track itself, always dug the shifting tempo) totally blew my mind. I'd never heard something sound so melodic and so obviously out of tune with the standard scale at the same time. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Blur goes brrr.. it’s fine.

Song 2 is a classic, but I feel like I'm missing something with Blur.

Old-school Britpop. To be in elementary school again!

Parents played a lot of Blur when I was a kid - Song 2 always irks me a bit just cos it's a bit of a shit track IMO but there are some good ones on here before Damon Albarn climbed all the way up his own arse.

Not as good as Parklife, but I still enjoyed some tracks. However, the album kept shifting directions stylistically. I would love one track, then despise the next. If it were more consistent, I would give it a higher rating.

Decent album, has Song 2, Damon Albarn hates we all remember Song 2

While this album finally led them to breaking through in the US, Parklife for me is their best album that shows the depth of their talent. Still top tier Blur.

Middle school me loved Song 2. Grown up me still does. I actually don't think I've ever heard this whole album though so it will be interesting. I feel like 'Oasis or Blur' was the 'Beatles or Stones' of the 90s. After listening I think I might be team Oasis here. I like this album but other than Song 2 I don't feel like it really has much to offer. It's fine. 2.5/5 rounding up.

Indie rock

7/10

To be honest I was kind of bored listening to this. 6.5/10 Fave track: Song 2

Better than my other Blur album here on this list, Modern Life Is Rubbish. Song 2 carries a lot, the rest is somewhere between quite ok and forgettable. Still not enough for 4.

Forgotten grunge, Song 2 is an unheralded gem

This album is good but too long

S'okay. It's got decent instrumentals and vocal work, but overall just didn't feel cohesive or noteworthy. 'Song 2' hard carries this album though. So simple, yet so good!

Quite a solid album that doesn't have a single song that I would listen to on its own. Ofc Song 2 is a banger and no amount of commercials can change that, but I want to point out Strange News from Another Star, it's cool in a different sense

This feels dialed in but at the same time the hooks are there. It’s not a terrible album but it’s weird to think they used to battle it out with Oasis, like both bands were seriously on the same musical plain. I really can’t pin down what I don’t like about this album. Again, it has the hooks, it flows well, lyrically it’s not just pieced together I guess. I just don’t feel “it” when I’m listening. It was a wise choice for Damon to put most of his time into Gorrilaz

I remember this being big when I was in high school. Song 2 was the only one I knew and it’s the only song on here that I like. The rest of the album didn’t do much for me.

If you shuffled this album and asked me to guess the artist of every song, I’d guess 14 different bands/singers. Which is fun, but you can’t expect me to like all of it.

I’d only ever heard the two opening singles on this, both good songs. The rest of the album doesn’t live up to the same standard. Overall not a bad album but not sure it’s a classic

Never listened to this album beyond the iconic Song 2, but I liked it way more than I was expecting. Though they did themselves a disservice putting Beetlebum first I think, that was underwhelming. I'm such a huge Damon Albarn fan and it's cool to hear his early evolutions here, which honestly are not very different than they are now, distorted mic and all. I probably won't seek this out, but I would listen again. almost a 4 3.4/5

Enjoyed this more than 'Parklife'. I like the variety of sonic palettes they use and pop-minded structures. Fun but not sugary. They're a band looking forward and around them, but I don't know what it says about them personally as musicians.

I didn't care for the first half this album. It had the song 2 that live heard a bunch but meh. The last 4 tracks though I really enjoyed. Especially Moving On and Essex Dogs

Felt like something I would’ve enjoyed listening to on CD in my car in the 90s. Not terrible but it sounds like a moment in time I completely missed.

Not their best by a long shot - still enjoyable though! Song 2 is still a kick ass tune

I love Blur, but i've always found this album a bit hit and miss. Beetlebum and Song 2 are up there with the greatest album openers, but there are a lot of fillers. Ideally I'd give it 3.5 out of 5

I only knew the track "Song 2" because, obviously, it's popular. Good album, good songs, overall 3 stars.

Would listen again

started off good and then i lost interest. i didn’t hate it or anything, kinda wish i could give it a 2.5 tho. but i’ll be nice

The album start off on the strongest foot possible with it's two best songs, Beetlebum and Song 2, the most successful demonstration of the musical styles that Blur will be blending on this album, their classic Beatles and Kinks inspired pop on the chorus of Beetlebum, and the new American lo-fi indie and alternative rock ala Pavement on the fuzzy and loose guitars of Song 2. However I feel this album still falls into the trappings of most Britpop albums of the era- It's simply too long with too many songs. A tight 10 song tracklist would have done this album a lot of good, and the removal of uninteresting tracks like M.O.R, You're So Great, I'm Just a Killer for Your Love and Theme from Retro would make it more focused. There were still other tracks that I enjoyed such as Country Sad Ballad Man, On Your Own and the fantastic Death of a Party. Essex Dogs could stay as well for the great song name. Although I did like it overall, if you turned it off after the second track, and you would have already enjoyed the best this album has to offer (with the exception of the mentioned Death of a Party). I think I just prefer Damon Albarn pretending to be a monkey as opposed to pretending to be a Man. It's getting a 3. I'll never love Blur. Great album cover though.

Better than previous ones. Getting away from the britpop sound thankfully. 2.5/5.

Rock with indie elements, experimental - Definition of hit or miss, some tunes are fantastic while others are forgettable, some vocals are great while others are jarring, some instrumentals really hit the spot while others are just repetitive - Beetlebum and Death of a Party are standout tracks

definitiv ein tolles album von blur. ob es das beste von ihnen ist bezweifle ich, die zweite hälfte fällt dann stark ab. „Song 2“ mag ich noch immer!

It was okay

Song 2 was of course the stand out, but the rest of the album kind of pleasantly blended together. Solid soft rock

Good album.

I enjoyed listening to this and despite never listening to Blur before, I could instantly clock the britpop/90s indie vibes. Songs had some good variety and will probably listen again.

Lo mejor y lo peor, o por lo menos demasiado experimental y aburrido, de Blur en un solo álbum. Del cañonazo de Song 2, el buen arranque de Beetlebum solo salvo M.O.R. y On your own.

3.5

Another delightfully strange one! I love finding a song I’ve heard all my life in the full context of the album. There were some hits for e, and some that didn’t quite land. 3.5/5

The late 1990s British scene had a sound. You could take many of these songs and place them on Radiohead’s The Bends, the Verve’s Urban Legends or Oasis Be Here Now, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. Luckily I like all those albums, and this one too. #2 Song is a classic which you couldn’t escape when it came out, and some local radio still cycles regularly. Country Sad Ballad Man feels misplaced yet right in the pocket of this album. As the album progressed it seemed to get weirder, Blur thought this might be their only shot to pay homage to all of their influences. Overall this album is a bit of a time capsule, but a pretty good one!

This album was better than I remembered. I'm not even sure I ever even checked the whole album out back in the day. Of course "Song 2" was inescapable and is still a stadium anthem staple. "Death of a Party" caught my ear and reminded, that yeah, this is the Gorillaz guy. Damon Albarn is sort of underrated when you stack up what he did with Blur and then Gorillaz. This is a definite listen again album for me.

I'm not cool enough for Blur

American Indie Rock rather than Britpop. But Brit flavour is absolutely there. Some plain weird songs. A bit all over the place. Kind of falls off after a couple of songs.

the gap between the bangers and the snoozers is wide indeed

Never liked Blur, put I think that Graham Coxon is an incredible guitar player.

Well, I guess this is the first of three Blur albums in this collection (for me at least)--I hope they're as interesting as that number would imply. I'm vaguely familiar with their earlier "Parklife" album, but I don't think I've heard anything from this album before aside from the impossible-to-escape "Song 2" single from yesterday (which I still enjoy, oddly, perhaps because it's just long enough to avoid getting annoying). It seems weird that they opened up the album with a sort of Beatles-inspired sound ("Beetlebum"), and then abandoned this immediately afterward for a kind of all-over-the-map alt-rock sound through much of the rest of the album. I'm hard pressed to call out much of anything else on this album as particularly distinctive or worth another listen and I was disappointed that all of the videos from this album are remarkably uninteresting; the track "On your own" has some potential, as does the weirdly Cure/Gorillaz mashup "Death of a party", and I also enjoyed the David Bowie-inspired "Strange news from another star". I'm sorry to have gotten this as the first Blur album, as I suspect I would have a different opinion if I'd listened to the (chronologically) earlier albums first. I get this sense largely because the Wikipedia entry suggests that this album marked a big departure for them from their earlier Britpop style; it'll be interesting to see how the other two Blur albums stack up. And I'm quite disappointed in not enjoying this album more than I did, as I *really* enjoy Damon Albarn's Gorillaz experiments, and can't really see any of that here (with the possible exception of "Death of the party").

I thought I would like this more than I actually did. The first two songs are excellent but they really put all of their eggs in those two baskets. “Blur” unfortunately debuts at the bottom of my Britpop Power Rankings.

Blah not great but you get an extra star for Song 2

Beetlebum 3.4 Song 2 3.4 Country Sad Ballad Man 3.1 M.O.R. 3 On Your Own 3 Theme from Retro 3.2 You're So Great 3 Death of a Party 3.3 Chinese Bombs 3.1 I'm Just a Killer for Your Love 3.4 Look Inside America 3.2 Strange News from Another Star 3 Movin' On 3.5 Essex Dogs 3.6 Score: 3.228571429

Maybe it's because I wasn't a teenager in the late 90s, but on the scale of terrible (one star) to fucking amazing (five stars), this album ranks a "fine, but just fine." And that's not a fine like "damn, she's FIIIIINE" ranking. Honestly, the whole thing was kind of a ... blur.

Bisschen enttäuschend Nach den ersten zwei gibt es keinen flashy catchy song mehr

I hated this Blur album way less than the last one. Still didn’t like it, but found some value.

Mehhhhh nothing really stands out other than Song 2

The two all-time banger "Beetlebum" and "Song 2" are standing out! But although I´m into Britpop that´s it basically for me. worst: "Theme from Retro", "Movin' On", "Essex Dogs" 2,5

Beetlebum and Song 2 are great tracks. Rest was better than I was expecting 3/5

some good ol’ rock with crunchy guitars and bri ish vocals. quite enjoyed this one.

Flashes of alright but then they’d get turned on by dumb vocals or gross guitar screeches. Meh.

Some good and some bad for me. Will I listen to again: 30%

Good

Good singles, mid filla

Feel like a Brit after this one innit

Sounds kind of like the backtrack to a 90s tv show/rom com in like the moody montage. Wait I've totally heard \"Song 2\" before. Growlers inspiration for sure "Song 2" "Theme from Retro"

This was better than I was expecting, but depending on the song, it's still very much whiny mid-90s British rock. Not sure if I would gravitate towards this album again. I don't know what it is, but I I feel like I should have liked this more than I actually did.

Best britpop album on this list so far. Overall an enjoyable listening experience.

More wide-ranging than I expected from Blur, but still not my favorite style.

sono rimasta sorpresa nello scoprire che Song 2 (WOOOO-HOOOO!!!) è dei Blur. l'avrò sentita milioni di volte senza mai connettere (WOOOO-HOOOO!!!). in ogni caso, mah. carino ma niente di spettacolare.

Massi.. fa il suo e lo fa bene

Good old brit rock/pop.

david bowie but 90s

A pretty decent brit pop album.

Seemingly lost in the shadows between Oasis and radiohead. Song No 2 was the one that caught me years ago but I bought the wrong album. Even if I had gotten the right album it still would been a bit of a bait and switch. I enjoyed their use of Bowie in MOR but the rest of the album was a bit uneven. Some songs lean into a more standard indiepop vibe while some almost come close to the noisy emotion of Sonic Youth, but they never seem to decide on which they want to be more and kind of fall into a middle ground.

Pretty standard rock of it’s time. I’ve heard Song 2 entirely too many times.

I like the album but don’t consider it essential. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-blur-by-blur?r=4ztyq&selection=bbc48d58-a937-40df-be24-7363e117987d&utm_campaign=post-share-selection&utm_medium=web

blur is a weird band. i really like Damon Albarn but i don’t love blur. a lot of the vocals and instrumentals are just a touch too harsh overall for my liking. the second half of this record really starts to understand itself better i think with some more psychedelic leanings than the first. overall okay

Never listened to a lot of Blur beyond the couple of singles. I thought it was good!

This feels like all the pieces are there for something great but it never really gets there. I wish it was better; or maybe I wish I liked it more.

Funny to get Gorillaz followed by Blue. Solid album, not many notes.

Song 2 might be Blur's best song but this isn't Blur's best album.

OK

Very middle of the road. I didn't dislike it per se, but it certainly inspires apathy

Not bad. But if rather listen to the Gorillaz!

Too bad, the album starts very promising with Beetlebum, smashes the best track in your face with Song2, and then falls off immediately. Every now and then, you'll listen up briefly, because a few good ideas and sounds give you hope for more, but everything remains mediocre. Each additional song blurs out into irrelevance.

One great song. And then it's just a blur. I like Damon better as a monkey.

Pretty good tbh 6-7/10

Didn't quite connect with this one. More hard rock / unpleasant instrumental sounds. Might revisit it as I develop my palate for rock

one has to chew through a lot of derivative britrock filler to get to enjoy the (comparatively) more thoughtful and listenable meat of this record. i did like hearing early hints of what albarn might achieve with gorillaz

Seems like a 2 1/2 for me but will be generous and begrudgingly award Blur a 3. I’m hearing something akin to a band that’s trying too hard. Gimmicky, derivative perhaps. Still some decent hooks, though. The good hooks are oftentimes lost in sound effects and such that detracted from my listening experience.

This was ok, but I don’t really understand why the Blur v Oasis thing happened at the time - they seem completely different to me.

Eh. Some great songs but the overall songwriting is not as strong as parklife

I was only familiar with "Song 2", which is decent but maybe overplayed. Besides that, the only song I liked was "Death of a Party". The song "Beetlebum" was borderline.

Inconsistent. A reminder of why the album format isn't always great given it felt like a fair amount of this might have been filler. That said, 'Song 2' is a banger and a handful of tracks were reminders of the fun places Damon Albarn ended up going with the Gorillaz.

Some great songs on here... however it's shockingly my first full listen to this album and a LOT of it just felt like an experimental jam session.

„Song 2“ ist eine Stilikone der Zeit und der Generation und ein Song der die Band charakterisiert. Die restlichen Songs sind bandtypisch und anstrengend. Sie stilistisch im Einklang aber kein Song kommt annähernd an das Zugpferd heran. Etwas besser als der Rest sind „You so Great“ und „Look inside America“. Deswegen fehlt dem Album etwas zum Überdurchschnittlichen.

It's fine. I like some of the songs if they come on individually, but the album doesn't hold much for me as a singular experience. I don't think I'd actively put this album on, but I wouldn't necessarily immediately skip the songs.

This was some sort of Stange News from Another Star. I guess I’ll be Movin’ On.

I listened to this in two chunks. Really liked the first half. Didn’t enjoy the second.

Okay!

Uninspiring British pop-rock. Good musicians. Hate the vocal. Boring.

While there are some timeless classics on this album, the rest doesn't really stand up on its own and all blends together.

It was fine

Fun album with some peppy songs. Nothing really stood out to me as something I'll listen to again.

Solid britpop, indierock, damon albarn

No está mal, pero lo recordaba mejor. Inicia con dos trancazos y luego no es tan parejo. Pero no me la pase mal.

“Song 2” was pretty good but that’s about it

It was not bad at times. 2.5

Solid stuff without unnecessary twists.

Not bad, not great. A bit weak if you take out Beetlebum and Song 2

It was fine good beats 2/1001 6/10

Overhyped much? Well yes but they're not alone. In the end I don't really care about Blur or their music.

A couple of good songs but quickly got boring. Can hear some Gorilaz sounds in this album.

Kinda cool but not my style

This is sorta sweet. Ambient enough to entertain me, and not techno buzzy. I wouldn't change the station if I heard it on the radio. 3 stars

This album is kind of blah but in the best way possible. I really liked Essex Dogs. It was worth it just to hear that song

Not bad at all. With the classic Song 2 on it plus a few other good songs, makes for a solid album. Trails off a little by the end of the album though.

I knew the one song. Overall I didn't mind this one but they kinda fade together after a while.

This sounds just like the other Blue album we listened to. Ok, nothing special. Bit boring.

Meh

Solid album with some good tracks but feeling on the 3 side of 3.5 for me.

3.5

this is the first Blur album I've listened to from front to back. I didn't really connect with it, and I think that's for two reasons. first of all, I don't have the context of their previous work leading up to this, which features a much more specific Britpop sound, rather than this album's more general alternative rock palette. and second of all, I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy. it's interesting to see which UK artists manage to make an impact here in the States and which ones don't. our knowledge of the music of the British Isles tends to be pretty scattershot for that reason; Blur didn't really manage to catch the mass attention of Americans until this, their fifth album, six years into their career. is it because they started listening to American "college rock" bands and writing more American-esque songs on this one? well, Oasis made a huge splash with their sophomore album two years before this, and even well before that, there's a well-documented history of Americans being fascinated by a "British" musical aesthetic that dates back to the Beatles and the Kinks. for Blur, I think it may have something to do with how their sound and lyrical attitude reflect a particular kind of English cynicism, one that I don't get much out of since I've never even set foot in the UK, whereas we Yanks tend to prefer a general sense of optimism out of our British pop bands. undeniably, this album feels like it was written for a more international audience; the main way the Americanisms of this album come through, for me, is in this album's rough-around-the-edges presentation. there's still some polish and refinery on display on songs like "Beetlebum" and "M.O.R.", but most of the parts of this album that excite me are ones that start to feel a bit like they're breaking down. Blur were particularly influenced by Pavement when they wrote this batch of songs, and the best moments here definitely feel like they were recorded in view of a shrine of Stephen Malkmus. sonically, I think this record exists in a really cool nineties rock middle ground between the noisier sounds of American indie bands and the sophisticated arrangements of Britpop acts. which is why it pains me to say that I didn't really connect with this album that well from a compositional perspective! I like the opening two tracks, but everyone does. I don't really get as excited about any of the other songs here apart from the last two, and by the time they come on, the album's already over! there's a lot of neat sounds and good songs in the middle (some that remind me of the future sounds of Damon Albarn's Gorillaz), but none of them really blow me out of the water or catch my attention in any big way. there's a couple older Blur albums left on this list, and I hope that listening to them deepens my appreciation of what the band put together here. I appreciate the craftsmanship on display here, but I think having more of a familiarity with where these guys were coming from musically might make this make more sense. as it stands right now, I thought this was good, but not great. strong 6/10.

back half is much better

There's some interesting stuff here but it doesn't quite come together to make a great album. Some highlights were Death of a Party and the Bowie-esque Strange News from Another Star. I also enjoyed the opener Beetlebum. I was a little surprised to see Song 2 is such a massive hit; it didn't really stand out from the rest of the album.

Wooo Hoooo!

The album starts off pretty hot. The indie style seems like a great choice for them, but I also never listened to a Blur album before. It starts off with a band, but kind of slowly fades. After the first 6 or 7 songs, you've heard everything that you need to from them. The only song in the back half that really does anything for me is Look Inside America, but I always end up enjoying European songs criticizing America. Save yourself 45 minutes by just listening to Song 2, You're So Great, and then something else randomly chosen from the album, and you've heard everything important. Favorite Song(s): Song 2

Really varied album, some great songs, some not so great. Probably a bit too long. I’m going to keep listening to see if it grows on me. Highlights: Song 2, Death of a Party, Strange News From Another Star, Essex Dogs.

Not a very fun album for me. Similar thoughts to the Oasis album that I listened to a while back, but instead of sounding phoned in it just sounds uninteresting. I can’t quite pin why. The instrumentals were strange in a way that I probably should have enjoyed, but it didn’t hit like that. Oh well. Standouts: Song 2, M.O.R., and Death of a Party.

Mere interessant end alt andet britpop vi har haft indtil videre, men en time er langt for et album der brænder sine bedste numre af helt i begyndelsen

Sjovt lyt, lyder overhovedet ikke som det jeg ellers forbinder med britpop scenen

I've only ever heard Song 2.... Now I know why. Beetlebum was fun, but the rest is pretty weak? I like the style though.

Song 2. Song 2. Song 2! WOOOOO HOOOO I like this album. But ... So, we have Beetelbum, Song 2 and then Country Sad Ballad Man. Not a bad way to start an album, at all. But then it all tails off a bit. This is cool, tho, and just shows the breadth of Damon's creativity. A solid 3 stars.

I like Song 2, Song 5, Song 7 and Song 8! The rest is mixed and for me it tails off badly from Song 9 onwards. This is Blur going alt-country, sounds like Wilco in places but they did it better. Just listen to 'Misunderstood'

I like Blur a lot, saw them at Wembley in their comeback tour last year which was amazing, but I’d be lying if I gave this anything above 3. Beetlebum and Song 2 are brilliant, but the tracks that follow don’t live up to them at all. Modern Life Is Rubbish, Parklife, The Great Escape, and their 2023 album The Ballad Of Darren are all better than this.

One of those albums where you realise why you only know one song from it. But overall not terrible.

Thought I would like this more than I did.

I am probably more in the Britpop camp when it comes to Blur. This is a decent album but the first half is a lot stronger than the second which I found tails off a bit. Says a lot that the 4 singles are in the first 5 tracks, I guess

I liked the hits but there's some rubbish on here.

Brit Pop…my average nemesis…

Woohoooo

As an American, I'm a casual Blur fan as they were little more than "Song 2" on this side of the pond. That being said, this is a solid record overall. Certainly a staple for 90s Brit-pop/power-pop. I know Song 2 wasn't their typical sound, but beyond just the wall of guitar and quiet/loud production, there's something in the writing of that song that isn't found anywhere else in their catalog that I've found.

Not convinced on this album, think it needed a bit of an edit. The placement of Beetlebum and Song 2 right at the start is strange too. You go from pop singles into indie navel gazing. Who is the album written for?

ouvir. Britpop em geral é chatinho, mas o albarn é criativo. E tem aquela música do "UHU!!! " Uns timbres, fuzz e tal. Uma chance. Ouvir.

meh

WOOO HOOO

Couple good songs, rest was a blur haha get it

3.5

Not bad, but not that engaging either. Low 3.5 stars

Somewhat derivative but moderately enjoyable.

There's a lot going on in this album and it has infectious energy. Beetlebum, Song No.2 and Essex Dogs were standout tracks for me.

Blur - Blur (1997) Esperado. Nada surpreendente, a sonoridade é legal, e já era esperado, um bom álbum. Melhores músicas: N/A Piores músicas: N/A 3/5

Pretty cool stuff aside from Song 2, which honestly seems like a weird fit with the rest of the album, solid song just so wildly overplayed. I'm really digging the rest though, kind of an interesting alternative sound going on. Gets a little boring and one-note as it goes on.

Blur's Song 2 was recorded as a joke but it ended up being their greatest hit. The rest of the songs on the album are a bit meh, nothing too exciting but not too bad either.

A few good songs

it’s rock and I like it. Is it my favorite? no. But plenty of bangers. Deserves more attention from me

Fine britpop but not as good as their other albums

Didn’t get through all of this one. Not much to say other than a interesting Beatles tribute song into the Woo whoo song that feels like it was ahead of its time

This is not my genre.

fun.

Well, guess Oasis won Britpop

Blur have some great songs, but at other times, Damon Albarn’s whining singing voice is too much for me.

I’ve been using an overly broad definition of Britpot for these reviews, there’s way too much of it and most of it pretty mid. It’s nice to get an actual OG of the Britpop scene from the 90’s. it’s still not for me though.

It’s ok

Very Blur-y, quality Brit pop.

I enjoyed it, but some of the stuff that wouldn't be in a 'greatest hits' is a bit of a miss.

Solid, been a minute since I’ve heard (3.5/5)

I tried to like this but it was just ok. I’ll take Oasis over Blur any day.

Wooo-hooo. Well at least for the first half of the album. 3.3

Good

It's alright, but didn't really catch my ear

It was good but just a little too long

nothing too memorable (Besides song 2) but nothing too off-putting. Getting a 3 due to the rating needle's inertia rather than any deep thought about this album.

Blur is hit or miss for me

Very good. Enjoyed listening to for the first time.

Notable tracks: Beetlebum, Song 2, Strange News from Another Star

“Blur” is how I’d describe this album. A long, boring, uninspired, and ultimately forgettable blur. Not bad per se, but I’m struggling to understand why I should care about this album. I finished it and immediately forgot everything I’d just heard. Even attempts to do something somewhat interesting like (rather blatantly) channeling Bowie on Look Inside America and Strange News from Another Star fall mostly flat. But some credit given for trying. A couple cool tracks, but ultimately this album is a low 3 for me and one I don’t plan to revisit. 3/5 Highlights: Beetlebum Song 2 Look Inside America Strange News from Another Star Essex Dogs

There is some interesting stuff on here. But you know how it goes when you try something new sometimes some parts don’t work. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

Decent hip album

I love Blur & Gorillaz (All the Damon Albarn bands). But this is not my favorite album.

6/10. I did like a lot of it but was inconsistent for me and got bored at certain parts.

song 2 is annoying af but this has its moments

Durchschnitt!

The transition from britpop to indie rock, and yet most of it sounds very much the same... Song 2 remains a banger and the official celebration music of your favourite hockey team scoring a goal 25 years later

Gorillaz have made some of my favourite albums of all time, and I have never heard a Blur album in full before, so when this album loaded I was eager to listen to it. However, the experience ended up being somewhat disappointing. While there were good songs sprinkled throughout the tracklist, the deep cuts were very bland and forgettable. The overall sound of the album was pretty bland too. There weren’t really any tracks I disliked, but I don’t ever see myself returning to this album.

I don’t remember much from this album when it came out other than song two, but not the best. I like the Gorillaz more now.

6/10…abwechslungsreicher als so manch anderer brit rock/poo

Yeah this album seems iconic and definitive for that 90s grungey pop-punk sound. Hard to believe there was a world where Song 2 didn’t exist. Fun album I will return.

Woo hoo

Woohoo! Can sort of hear 2000s alt starting to develop here