Choice Blur B-sides

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I never bought too many Blur singles on UK import and was wondering which ones might be worth seeking out - based on the strength of the B-Sides. Seriously, they've released about a million singles. Any suggestions?

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Thursday, 10 March 2005 00:52 (twenty-one years ago)

search "Blur" holmes!

― Aaron A., Thursday, 10 March 2005 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mace" is great, from "Popscene." But there's almost too much to choose from...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 March 2005 00:58 (twenty-one years ago)

All Your Life, the b of Beetlebum isn't bad (if you like Beetlebum and Blur-do-Beatles-inna-ramshackle-stylee type stuff).

― David Merryweather (DavidM), Thursday, 10 March 2005 01:01 (twenty-one years ago)

POX Blur B-sides

"All Your Life" ("Beetlebum")
"Get Out Of Cities" ("Song 2")
"Ultranol" ("The Universal")
"Black Book" ("Music Is My Radar")
"One Born Every Minute" ("Country House")
"All We Want" ("Tender")
"Theme From An Imaginary Film" ("Parklife")
"Inertia" ("There's No Other Way")
"Money Made Me Crazy" ("Out Of Time")
"Tame" ("Stereotypes")

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 10 March 2005 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

The verse of "All Your Life" sounds a LOT like the verse from "Oh! You Pretty Things." And the chorus is really similar to "On Your Own," which itself is rather like a couple Mott The Hoople songs. But oh man, do I ever love "All Your Life." Overall Blur POX choice for me.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 10 March 2005 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

"Maggie May" is a lotta fun.

― Aaron A., Thursday, 10 March 2005 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mace"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 10 March 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh fuckit, Ned beat me to that one. I quite like "Daisy Bell" as well.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 10 March 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"Dizzy"

― Aerodynamic (Aerodynamic), Thursday, 10 March 2005 04:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"Rednecks!"

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 06:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Peach
Never Clever
Young & Lovely

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Thursday, 10 March 2005 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Garden Central
People in Europe
Tame
No Monsters in Me
The Man Who Left Himself
Sing
Never Clever
Tender (Cornelius Remix)
Battle (U.N.K.L.E. Remix)
Trade Stylee (Alex's Bugman Remix)
Bustin' + Dronin'

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Search for the gig where they did only b-sides...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 10 March 2005 11:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Man, that B-sides gig was amazing. Hot as heck, but amazing.

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha, that was the gig when one of Terris and the wrong 60ft doll invited me back to their hotel! (I got on the nightbus and went home instead)

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 10 March 2005 13:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Has that singles box they released years ago come down in price on the used market? It was fairly expensive, but had just about every single and b-side through 13. I paid too much for it, but it's really pretty wonderful.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 10 March 2005 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

So who did a B-side gig first, Blur or Suede? ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 March 2005 13:50 (twenty-one years ago)

suede. theirs was in the post 'coming up' era ('97 i think)
blur's was as 'best of...' was coming out ('00?) a good 3 years
later i reckon.

best b side is '7 days' of of one of the 'music is my radar' cds.
it was dome for a radio1 session in 92 but never released until then.

― piscesboy, Thursday, 10 March 2005 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I got that box for £30 from an auction site that was 'starting up'. Didn't last long!

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, the b-sides gig used to be available as streaming video, which I taped on my minidisc. But I didn't catch the 1st and last tracks....

But I got Keith Allen shouting for "Parklife"... and a quick "My Sharona"...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Swallows in the Heat Wave. Nearly their best b-side ever, even though it's a pretty serious Pavement rip.

― sigh patrol, Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's fair to say that Blur are a better B-sides band than A-sides.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't agree with that. Even with a bunch of strong b-sides, the majority of their best material is still concentrated on the proper albums.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Slightly misread that, but still - I would certainly argue that Blur is one of the most consistently great singles bands of the 90s. They had such a strong run, that greatest hits album is super tight, even if they omit "Popscene" and "Stereotypes."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 10 March 2005 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, and though there are a fair number of classic b's, there are four awful to just OK b's for each good one.

TS: "Rednecks" vs. "Alex's Song"

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Come on! Rednecks is GRATE!!! It's nearly as good as People In Europe!

― Masonic Cathedral (kate), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

um.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

hmmm.. This Blur b-sides box may be just the answer I'm seeking. I was always a little disappointed that they never released a straight b-sides comp, as many eventually do. Does the box span the Think Tank singles?

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I was always a little disappointed that they never released a straight b-sides comp, as many eventually do

They actually did, in Japan, home of two separate proper comps -- Collectors Edition and Bustin' and Dronin' (if I have the names right). The art in the first one is a scream.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 March 2005 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Does the box span the Think Tank singles?

Nope. Goes halfway through the "No Distance Left to Run" b-sides.

And while the set is quite easily my most prized possession, I wouldn't wish what I had to go through to get it on anyone.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned, do you write for AMG? I think I've seen yer name around there. I live in Ann Arbor, so I cross paths with AMG writers from time to time.

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i don't suppose there's anybody that could hook a brother up with a killer Blur b-side comp or something...

i've made various attempts at putting one together myself, but Blur singles are about impossible to find in shops around here and slsk is very hit or miss for getting quality version.

― jonviachicago, Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I could do that, but I would send it via YSI or g-mail, not regular mail.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Many good ones have been mentioned, but I would add French Song off of, I believe, the Tender single. A really fun instrumental that stands out from much of the meandering nonsense of the 13 era.

― D. Bachyrycz, Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Ned, do you write for AMG? I think I've seen yer name around there.

Been a freelance writer for them for six years now, yup.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Also- Magpie and Peter Panic. They're both Parklife era, but I'm not sure their respective a-sides.

― D. Bachyrycz, Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

You'd think I'd have something to say here, but I don't! Never really been a fan of any of the B-sides. My fave Blur tracks remain the big singles and the noisy ones from 13.

I am going to be revisiting some of these, though, on your recommendations.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 10 March 2005 17:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I always personally found their baggy-lite "I Know" from the "She's So High" single.

― hector savage, Thursday, 10 March 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

twelve years pass...

Threadneedle Street is really good!

― Shat Parp (dog latin), Thursday, 28 September 2017 09:59 (eight years ago)

Innit! Entirely made up from words found in a copy of the Financial Times.

― piscesx, Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:03 (eight years ago)

ah, of course it was. always overlooked that one, but sonically it's pretty great. love a Blur b-side. A few months back I sequenced all the Great Escape b-sides into one comp and it made for a surprisingly coherent (albeit bleak AF) listen on a par with the mother album

― Shat Parp (dog latin), Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:08 (eight years ago)

The best thing from those sessions IMO is Cross Channel Love which pops up on the box set. Amazes me it was never recorded or finished properly. Although there's a hint of The Universal in it.

― piscesx, Thursday, 28 September 2017 10:39 (eight years ago)

All Your Life
Get Out of Cities
Magpie
Never Clever
Day Upon Day
French Song
Bone Bag

― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Thursday, 28 September 2017 11:25 (eight years ago)

Been enjoying Magpie too.

― Shat Parp (dog latin), Thursday, 28 September 2017 13:15 (eight years ago)

Cross Channel Love sounds a bit like 'A Song' from the Charmless Man EP too

― Shat Parp (dog latin), Thursday, 28 September 2017 13:17 (eight years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.