BLUR SELF-TITLED ALBUM POLL (1997)

Cheers Bimble - FFS!

I look about 67
Am 40.
Noodle Vague has Hull connections, yes? Not sure I know him. We probably 'hung' at the same places. I avoid cliques and scenes though - prefer being a solitary, 'fuck you' punk rocker ;-)
Where you from out of interest> somewhere in Da States? Dallas gets a mention? Austin is one of my favourite places over there

What the fucks 'the chatz' - is it another ILX secret;-)

Fer Ark - Cardiacs: Classic or Dud?

They're my absolute favourite band of all time and I recommend the lot. Start with the early stuff, cos that's the best way to do it AND you'll reconnect with what you saw. On Land And In The Sea is IMO their best early-period record, by a nose from A Little Man... . Let me know how you get on with them!

Aw, you're a nice guy, Fer Ark. I'm in Seattle as of the last ten years. Don't really want to be anywhere else, even lovely California! I lived in Dallas, Texas for two miserable years. I regret I never visited Austin while I was there, a town I had much respect for without ever being there. Houston was okay cause there's the beach & palm trees.

Re: "the chatz" it's not an ILX secret you just have to sign up with stupid ass AOL messenger in some form (known as AIM) and then you can chat with people in real time from all over the world if you want, etc. It's an instant messenger program. But I don't mean to intrude, I know a lot of folks don't really understand what any of that means, or even like to chat online. There are other IM programs, too. Herman Neuname from Scotland told me that mostly only Americans use AIM for it, but ya know...whatever chat mechanism works is my philosophy.

so this was a Blur thread then??? Oh my goodness. How have we drifted away.

Also the Bimbobulator needle is coming close into the red now, alcohol consumed is reaching a pleasing peak, etc.

Nice one Bimble - aren't music and alcohol so fucking ace?

I loved Austin for the food, vibes and the rich, rich music history. The fact that I met Jeff Pinkus and King Koffee was a bonus too. Went through all sorts of weirdness in Texas. Huntsville was creepy. We went to the museum of Capital Punishment there and stood outside of death row.What a dork.
Been all over the States - three big, lucky road trips- but never the North - Seattle or Boston

Just Got Offed - will check out the Cardiacs properly and report back. Thanks for the info

Wasn't 'Country House' a pile of shit?

I bought this record again a few months ago, thinking that I couldn't really survive the next few days unless I heard 'you're so great' once more, but it was 'strange news from another star' that I ended up listening to over and over. It's such a woozy, sad little song: I suppose it's trying to 'do' Bowie and not really succeeding but I think the not succeeding is what makes it so affecting -- that kind of faux-naïf over-fragile voice Albarn puts on, the clumsy space noises, the odd snare-drum outro.

nice one, c sharp

See the thing is, I think "Look Inside America" takes "The Universal" one step forward. Da ya know what I mean? And I love "The Universal", but...

"and the whole world could have passed through me, but I don't know if it means much to me"

vs.

"when the days they seem to fall through you/well just let them go"

I mean god, I just stagger at all the gorgeous Brit brilliance.

I'm swooning now. There's not an American band on the entire Northern American continent, Canada and all, who could have been like Blur.

STRINGS, man. That's what the Yanks can't get their arses around ever, is STRINGS! BRITISH TRADEMARK STRINGS IN THE MUSIC YO! How I love them.

See now I don't think "Song 2" is bad necessarily. But if you ask almost any American the probabilty is they will say "oh Blur, they were that band who did the 'Woo-hoo' song" it's terrible. That's all they know Blur for is "Woo-hoo". I'm serious. SO MANY CLUELESS FUCKS WHO MAYBE BUY OR DOWNLOAD 10 ALBUMS A YEAR TOPS.

You know, when the Brits say they can't stand Oasis because of te Oasis fans...or the Americans say they can't stand the Dave Matthews fans, that's what I mean. Give me a break.

I any American to have just a bit of knowledge of the Kinks for one, you know? I get TIRED of being an anglophile in a country of people that don't necessarily GET the British aesthetic and by that I mean I'm sorry to group UK all together cause I know some English hate Scots etc. hate Wales I don't care. That's where all the fucking bloody good music comes from is those places. This Yank says don't knock any o' 'em.

Right, then. I probably should cool it with the beer for the moment, I've said me peace.

Look, you guys are going to make me play 13 again I might never get out.

"Blur" surely has it moments in spite of the obvious steps in the wrong direction, certainly.

"Beetlebum" is one of their best ever singles and a marvellous attempt at doing what The Beatles were doing cirka The White Album. I would have preferred them to copy "Revolver" or "Sgt. Pepper" era Beatles instead, but this sounds really good too. Almost better than the White Album, which is the most overrated Beatles album after all :)

"On Your Own" is another great typical Blur song, only with more electronics added. It is sort of where I have always wanted pop music to head: a compromise between electronica's use of modern technology and classic pop's uncompromised use of the classic pop songwriting format melody-wise.

"Look Inside America" is also classic Blur, not unlike "Magic America" except I like the latter song's lyrics way better ;)

"Country Sad Ballad Man" is obviously very different for a Blur song (at least it was then), but is otherwise a nice and good nod to what Beck and Eels were doing at the time.

"You're So Great" is Graham Coxon doing what he would perfect on "Coffee & TV". I was not so found of Coxon at the time, blaming him for Blur's new and IMO misguided direction, but this is a good pop song nonetheless.

"Death Of a Party" is somewhat darker, but out of all of Blur's "dark" new songs, this is the one I like best at all. Has some of The Specials left even though the Specials influence isn't as obvious as on "Great Escape" tracks such as "Fade Away".

"Strange News From Another Star" is also nice for partly the same reasons as "Death Of a Party".

But then, there are also more tracks that I dislike here. I mean, OK, "Chinese Bombs" isn't that much worse than "Globe Alone" or "Bank Holiday", and if it was a one-off it wouldn't matter. But then, there were even a couple of singles that were really not good at all. I have already mentioned "Song 2", but I am hardly impressed by "MOR" either, thinking "Look Inside America" should rather have been the fourth single.
And then, "I'm Just a Killer For Your Love" is really, really annoying and repetitive as well.

So "Blur" was a step in the wrong direction, although still a great album. I will probably rank it as their fourth best album, way behind the classic 93-95 trilogy, but slightly ahead of the also somewhat patchy debut.

Missed out "Essex Dogs" Geir.

I missed out on a number, but I don't really like any of the rest much.

xxpost

Geir is my hero tonight, just for one night only. Standing room only. Holy shit I'd forgotten about "Magic America".

Yes! "You're So Great" is the GIANT COMBAT BOOT TO CRUSH COFFEE & TV SURRENDER NOW I REPEAT SURRENDER NOW

Death of A Party = Specials, yes! Now I wouldn't have thought of that, cheers.

I've grown tired of the Bank Holiday love here, folks. But then countries with bloody Bank Holidays ALREADY GET MORE HOLIDAYS THAN MOST AMERICANS SO FUCK RIGHT OFF ETC

heheh just kidding ;)

Geir wrong at the end. "13" & "Blur" are the only albums worth saving of them, really. I even got tired of Parklife, I'm sorry to say. Parklife vs. 13 FITE!!!!!!

I MEAN I WILL START THE BANK HOLIDAY UNDERAPPRECIATION SOCIETY AND THEN WHERE WILL YOU BE FUCKERZ?

Woah, I just dug out "The Sky Is Too High" and instantly got transported back to Summer 1998. It was sunny there. THe air smelt fresher.

I always thought "Moving On" and "MOR" were dreadful and let down an otherwise fantastic record.

i love the production on this. shame the songs arent all up to par. and i hate the fucking choir and the oh so trembly ballads.

i love the production on this. shame the songs arent all up to par. and i hate the fucking choir and the oh so trembly ballads.

Wrong album

I just wanted to give props to Alex's Duran Duran-y bass part in "On Your Own". That is just too much.

It's like that little tiny bit of "Girls & Boys" to put the cream in your coffee. Or tea. But not TV.

oops. i was thinking of 13.

Does anyone else here besides me think "Strange News From Another Star" is Bowie-esque?

Bowie should have covered that shit. Oh yes.

Maybe a little bit, but there is no one Blur track more blatantly Bowie-esque than "Entertain Me" anyway.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

this is their best album, i think.. i really love graham coxon's guitar sound (influenced by pavment??).. i read he used distortion pedals with nearly-dead batteries to get those nasty sewage-guitar type sounds

I'm so ashamed to admit I finally sold the Parklife CD I could just about hang myself on the gallows right this minute. But I rationalized it at the time you know - "I've been there done this". RONG.

But YET I've still got the Leisure CD in my stacks??? There is no justice in this world!

Yes, yes, yes I know the 13 love. I love it too but I'll only go back to 13 when I've finished gobbling up several other albums and two scrumptious CD-R's of B-sides.

THIS POLL HAS NOT ENDED YET PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTES THANK YOU :)

Okay, woah, woah, woah. Doesn't the first part of "Theme From Retro" remind you of the first part of Dead Kennedys' "Holiday In Cambodia"????

your points are intriguing but irrelevant, since Song 2 is the answer... COME ON OF COURSE IT IS!

I think the one-way ILX discourse of "lol limey retards" needs a reversal, at times.

even limey retards know this one, tho.

limey retards and only limey retards

"limey retards" is redundant, amirite? :)

I'm willing to bet that every song will get a vote except "theme from retro" and the bonus.

Theme From Retro is probably in my top 5 album favourites. Shame if it gets 0.

Dear Americans, Song 2 is rubbish. You are all cheap thrill-junkies with no feel for the possibilities of music. Thank you! :)

Hahaha LJ to the rescue again in a single bound!

poor, poor, poor.. ouch Song 2

All I know it's it's fucking 6:45 AM here and I was just about to fall asleep at last when Parklife the title track came on and wowowow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Great, that "Death Of A Party" somehow got 6 votes, thought I was the only one who voted for it.

shocked no one voted for "country sad"! good track.

That was the main thing I noted, too, Zeus, that "Death of A Party" placed so highly. I was really pleased about that.

Blimey, lots of love for "Country sad" but no votes!

Although I never liked it much.

huh!

this album is still good. On Your Own is top 5 Blur

as a transitional album, it shows Blur experimenting with new influences and certain songwriting hallmarks that Damon would later capitalise on further.

Songs like 'I'm Just A Killer For Your Love' and 'The Death Of A Party' are proto-13, proto-Gorillaz, although I didn't realise it at the time: swampy, downbeat and groove-based without much in the way of lyrical depth.

I never need to hear Song 2 ever again.

MOR was a strange choice of single: other than some cool guitar FX, it's wholly unremarkable. Moving On is also unnecessary filler.

P much everything else is worthwhile though. Definitely the start of a sound I would find myself enjoying less, but retaining Damon's interest in pop melodies which he would later shake off

"you're so great" is the best song coxon ever wrote

I really like Coffee + TV personally

One of the criticisms I've heard leveled at Blur is that they were bandwagon jumpers, and often late to the party with it. That, or that they were merely a jumble of influences with no ideas of their own.

Even if this were the truth, it misses the point. I don't think Blur's core audience in the 90s really gave much of a shit. If anything, Leisure opened me up to shoegaze. Parklife opened me up to bands like Wire. Great Escape was a primer for getting me into the second Specials album. I'd not bothered with Pavement until I heard the self titled album. I was young with a library card and a copy of Select magazine. Hearing these influences which I didn't realise were influences all on one CD was perfect.