Blur: Classic Or Dud

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I am busy busy busy so I will throw a tasty chop to the ILM wolves. Blur! 90s po-mo pop chameleons or insufferable wank?

― Tom, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I would say Dud on general principle. But like their arch-rivals O***s not hopeless, which means some decent singles along the way. To The End, Beetlebum and Girls & Boys are quite allright.

― Omar, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

All things considered? DUD.

While they have produced some great pop songs, I would argue that they have failed to created one consistently great album (even the Best Of fell short of the mark). You could probably make a good cd-r worth of their music, but considering the number of albums they have put out that's hardly a glowing endorsement. Modern Life is Rubbish *probably* comes closest, but even that's far too problematic to warrant classic status. Parklife, which is the one that normally gets bandied about when talking about classic albums, is killed by too many little england-isms.

And just like the little girl from nursery rhymes: when they are bad...they are *horrid*. So, so bad that they cancel out the good:

Everything Damon has ever said.

The smug and irritating character songs.

The Country House video.

Bang.

The sad "take us seriously indie kids! We were never serious about wanting fame and fortune!" noodling of the last couple albums.

They *do* change from album to album, trying to anticipate what trends will catch on with the kids like any good marketing student would. This is not a crime; Bowie was great at it during the 70's, Madonna in the 80's and they were both classics. But with Blur it always reeked of desperation a bit too much.

And yet despite all this I do own some of their albums. Go figure.

― Nicole, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

They're great fun when they feel like it, especially on Parklife and Blur. The Great Escape I found insufferable and Modern Life Is Rubbish is completely dull in-one-ear-out-the-other stuff for me, though I suspect that it's just one of those albums that don't travel well. I'm still on the fence about 13 - some great songs, lots of experimental jackoff.

Not living in the UK, I'm not exposed much to Damon Albarn's alleged bad personality, but his easy-target songs do grate - we get it Damon, you're SO superior to Americans, people who like the US, and middle-class normals. Jerk.

― Patrick, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Bowie didn't really second guess what would be popular, he only really managed to capture Kids attention once (Ziggy), Let's Dance was baught byt he kind of people who might buy david gray albums. but, blur; 'to the end' perhaps justifies them forever for me, i with more of Parklife could be more like that. using clichés of frenchness to make english laziness seem all the more ludicrous "it looks like we made it to the end..." to make it sound like such a struggle! plus Parklife was perhaps the last popular guitar album that was laden with inventiveness, novelty, varied arrangements.n much more imaginative, of course, than the made to measure Oddball records of recent, but 'no distance left to run' was still quite gorgeous. oh, and 'the great escape' never happened.

― matthewjames, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Everyone thought Damon A wanted to be Ray Davies at one point, but the career path he was really following is David Bowie or David Byrne. He wants to be a pan-artistic polymath I think. But the reason David Byrne is taken seriously is because he's specialised, and the reason David Bowie is taken seriously is mostly because he's rich. Damon is probably quite rich but he's still too mired in the grubby world of pop for his non-pop ambitions not to be seen as a bit silly.

It's also the case that he's obviously quite good at doing pop (cf the Greatest Hits), so when he doesn't do pop but does other things worse you get annoyed.

― Tom, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I'll come to Blur in a while, ut I just want to ask Matthew James - were you in a band with Nick Grant in Reading circa 1990?

― Dr. C, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

While we're on this topic... "Parklife", the song, was a huge hit in the UK, right ? Maybe even a # 1 ?

If that's the case, I think I need some explanation... I mean, I don't dislike the song, in the context of the album it's a cute diversion, but it's SO not a single - just some dork babbling about getting an enormous sense of well-being from something or other, with a blah undistinctive chorus. It's not even silly enough to be a real novelty song. What is the appeal of it ?

― Patrick, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

i have no idea due to no air-play in the US but..song 2 was good the first couple times I heard it. and then it was annoying.

― Kevin Enas, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

re David Bowie vs Damon Albarn:

If Bowie is taken at all seriously it's because of the startling, inventive things he did with pop in the 70's, not because he's rich - after all Rod Stewart is also rich. BTW what *are* Damon Albarn's extra-pop aspirations (other than sub-Sting do-gooding)?

re 'Parklife':

I can't stand the song, but its mass appeal does boil down to it having a very strong chorus (admittedly a very retro-British one), plus the novelty of Phil Daniels' voiceover.

re Blur in general:

The thing I've always disliked most about them is the air of smugness that seems to pervade everything they do. That and the fact that the chord sequences they use generally don't move me.

― David, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I like em fine I guess. One wish though...

"Dear Damon, Please stop with the "la la la" thing. It gets on my last damn nerve. Thanks a bunch.

Sincerely, K"

― Kim, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Even when Blur have made good records, I could be repulsed by their personae, their air of self-satisfaction, their smug metropolitan bandwagon-jumping. I find them a band easy to like and impossible to love.

The Great Escape includes some of their most execrable songs ever along with, frustratingly, two of their best: "The Universal" and "Yuko and Hiro" move me no end. But in retrospect it quite amazes me that that album was hailed at the time as a great leap forward from the parochialism of Parklife; what were all those cheesy little character sketches about, then?

They're essentially a singles band and therefore the Greatest Hits is their best album. At best, they've given us "For Tomorrow", "To The End", "End Of A Century", "The Universal" and, at a pinch, "Beetlebum". I love all the above, though "Tender" always did make me sick. I adore "This Is A Low", and I think "Trouble In The Message Centre" is OK as far as tongue-in-cheek cod-Numan goes, as well. But, in the final analysis, DUD.

― Robin Carmody, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

it is interesting how the tide has so completely turned against the great escape. i'd rank it as their second best album behind 'modern life is rubbish'. they started off quite dud proclaiming the death of baggy by making a baggy record???? then inexplicably they became quite vital and interesting and then death came quickly when damon decided pavement were not, in fact, crap. or was it mr. coxon and his desire to be lee renaldo? so they once again are dud.

― keith, Monday, 26 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Re: What's so special about Parklife

Parklife may sound a bit twee now after Britpop exploded everywhere, but the fact that it was SO different in 1994 made it a hit (only #10 though - the biggest hit off the album was Girls & Boys at #5).

I was 14 when Parklife came out. I remember so clearly what the common room stereo was playing beforehand - Nirvana, Lemonheads, Smashing Pumpkins, even Guns 'n' Roses, NOTHING that had any relevance to what was going on with me or anyone I knew.

Parklife is the first new album I really remember having an impact on me; at last, you didn't have to sit in your room and slash your wrists to be cool, you could just go to the park with your mates and feed the pigeons (and sometimes feed the sparrows too). I also believe Girls and Boys is responsible for kickstarting Britpop, as without that disco beat no song had a chance of hitting in 1994, although I suspect something else would have come along anyway (Common People maybe?)

Blur are also really the only band who managed to be political and say it in a popular way (you could perhaps say Pulp and Manics, but I would say Blur are better known outside of the indie scene than those two). It's no surprise that Damon hid himself away during the height of Britpop, seeing as everything he was saying ironically on Parklife had been embraced and celebrated.

It's a shame that they went inside themselves for Blur and 13 and stopped writing about what was going on in the world. We need more bands like early Blur, who write about not only what's happening, but also how to deal with it. My biggest disappointment about Kid A was that Thom doesn't seem to have progressed at all from OK Computer; in fact, he's just withdrawn even more. It feels like we're right back in 1993 again.

― John Davey, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Impossible to love, difficult to like, yet I can't really call them a dud, not after 'This is a Low', 'Tracy Jacks', 'Yuko and Hiro' 'he Thought of Cars' and the last two albums.

I nave nothing good to say about their career up to Parklife, which I half like, but can rarely sit through. 'The Great Escape' sounds oddly clean and dated, yet apart from the whiff of self parody mixed with ripping off the Kinks TOO much ('Charmless Man', for example), it's an album that I still enjoy.

For me it got interesting round about 'Blur' and '13' is, apart from 'Tender is the Night', magnificent. Sure, there's nothing here that hasn't been done before, but the run of tracks 7-13 from 'Battle' to 'Optigan 1' is just plain classic.

So classic it is.

― Dr. C, Tuesday, 27 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

How are Blur's songs political?

Anyway...reasons for being classic: "For Tomorrow". "Boys & Girls". "This is a Low". "Parklife". "Country House". "To The End". "Tender". Alex James's looks. "Pop Scene". The video for "Song 2", which features Damon being satisfyingly hurled against a wall repeated.

Reasons for being a dud: Damon Albarn.

Hrm.

― Ally, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Re: Damon in "Song 2" video -- he is? Now I almost wish I'd seen it at some point.

I stick to my belief that _The Great Escape_ is actually their best album, because they looked like Japan circa 81 or so on the back cover. That's reason enough, really. Then they had to go and record a bad Pixies/Bush rip-off. Dear god in heaven!

As for all the purported greatness of _Modern_/_Parklife_ and its 'trenchant' observations, etc. -- hm. It's just a bunch of XTC songs with "Girls and Boys" standing out as the exception to the rule. And I *love* XTC and all that, I'm just noting that I can't feel too attached to what Blur did with it per se. _English Settlement_ feels younger than _Parklife_ ever will.

Blur's May 1992 show at the Palace in LA was fantastic and the best of the three times I ever saw them; they seem to have gotten steadily worse on that front over the moons. The funniest thing, though, was that when Damon ambled out on stage, his gait, open shirt and haircut made me think of Morrissey. And right after I thought that, about half the people around me started calling out, "Morrissey!" He looked annoyed.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Has anyone noticed that "M.O.R" from 'Blur' is a TOTAL rip-off of 'Boys Keep Swinging'? I played it last night and I can't believe I never noticed this before.

No doubt everyone else spotted this ages ago.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

It's no surprise that Damon hid himself away during the height of Britpop, seeing as everything he was saying ironically on Parklife had been embraced and celebrated.

But don't you think that had more to do with Oasis overtaking them in terms of sales and as a cultural phenomena? I sincerely doubt that that Damon would have hid himself away had the Great Escape sold more records than What's the Story (Morning Glory). That's part of what makes Damon so annoying, he tries to cover up Blur's failings with talk of high-minded ideals that don't really exist.*

*I don't really believe that Blur selling less records than Oasis is a failing, but I will bet a dollar to a donut that Damon did at that time.

― Nicole, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I'll come to Blur in a while, ut I just want to ask Matthew James - were you in a band with Nick Grant in Reading circa 1990?

in 1990 i was nine years old. i haven't ever been to reading, and i don't know who nick grant is. do i look like him, or something?

― matthew james, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

::But don't you think that had more to do with Oasis overtaking them in terms of sales and as a cultural phenomena? I sincerely doubt that that Damon would have hid himself away had the Great Escape sold more records than What's the Story (Morning Glory). That's part of what makes Damon so annoying, he tries to cover up Blur's failings with talk of high-minded ideals that don't really exist.

You're right; I didn't make my point very well. It just seems to me that Parklife has been misinterpreted over the years. Damon's ambiguous criticisms were taken as celebrations, which perhaps explains The Great Escape's more direct approach on songs like He Thought Of Cars, Best Days and The Universal. But who wanted to hear any miserable shit like that in the autumn of '95?

This doesn't make The Great Escape a good album or What's The Story a bad one. I just appreciate Blur's attempt to say a little with their 60s/70s influences, rather than just celebrate them as Oasis do. If they fail to achieve their ambitions, so be it, but I think there's enough worthwhile and enjoyable songs here and there over their albums to justify their existence. The fact that Damon's an idiot doesn't really bother me.

― John Davey, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Losing the Britpop battle was was a good thing for Blur. I reckon it allowed G. Coxon to have more influence on the sound of the next records than the Albarn/James axis. Of course no doubt Damon would claim that he had been into into squalling guitar noise and electronica the whole time anyway.

Most of the discussion has centred on 'Parklife'/'Great Escape'. What does anybody else think of 'Blur' and especially '13'?

― Dr. C, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I love them to death, and own literally every recorded song. Sad, yes. However, it's just one of those bands I got attached to early on that fits my personality, and I sort of love them for their shortcomings too. Perhaps being American a lot of the social and class issues people have with them doesn't rub off on me. Yes, Damon Albarn wants to be Ray Davies and Bowie ("Bugman" = "Suffragette City", "MOR" = "Boys Keep Swinging", "He Thought Of Cars" =...), but the Beatles wanted to be Chuck Berry. Rock and Roll has continually been built on and advanced by people wanted to be other previously influential artists. However, I think Blur has gained most of their attention with merit, due to Albarn's songwriting knack on the piano and Coxon's guitar playing. The lush tart vs. dad duality of the rhythmm section just made them more interesting. The fact that they're still going and selling records and putting out best ofs means that they're "classic", despite whatever people might say. Sorry, you might think they're crap, but they're going to be forever mentioned and written about as the biggest british pop band of the 90s.

― brent d., Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Biggest British pop band of the 90s? Are you sure? By what criteria?

― Tim, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

DUD DUD DUD DUD DUD! song two is one of the most iritating songs ever (next to the equally iritating Smells like teen spirit), they have jumped more musical band wagons than i can remember, and to top it all off they are responsible for the Gorillaz.

― Nick Greenfield, Monday, 2 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I've knowingly heard maybe 5 Blur songs in my life: "Parklife" as a snippet on Beavis and Butthead, "Country House" because they used to play the video every once and awhile, "Girls and Boys" because they always play it at this one club called "Popscene" in San Francisco, though I have no idea whether I've ever heard the song "Popscene", "Tender", "Coffee and TV", which is one of the best singles of whatever year it came out, and "Music is My Radar" which is projectile gorilla shit. Oh yeah, and "Song 2", which I actually like. So I like maybe half of the ones I've heard. Nothing they do is as dull as the typical Oasis song, their "rivalry" being pretty much the only context in which I think of Blur.

― Kris S., Monday, 2 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The last two albums have been loathsome, but much of the earlier stuff was quite pretty. 'Clover Over Dover', 'Yuko and Hiro', 'Blue Jeans' and others I've forgotten are still great songs, I think. That said, I have't really listened to any of them in ages. Maybe I should.

― Ally C, Monday, 2 April 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

I'll say this, this thread has been very eye-opening. So fascinating, seeing all the cultural baggage that goes along with this band and their success. Someone said "All of a sudden it was cool to go in the park and feed the pigeons. You didn't have to sit in your room and slit your wrists to be cool." Interesting. Were there really kids in Britain who listened to Nirvana and suddenly became morose, and then when Blur hit the charts they suddenly perked up? Sounds quite odd, doesn't strike a chord with my adolescence. For me and my friends growing up (in the 90s), you liked the music you heard and disliked the music you heard, based on your own attitude and interests. Yes, there's an element of wanting to like what everyone else does; but I can't imagine us conforming our attitudes to match the current chart atmosphere.

As for me, a benighted American youth with almost no knowledge of British pop culture beyond a typical obsession with Black Adder, Red Dwarf and Monty Python -- I really like Blur. Their songs sound good to me. I like their (metaphorical) love affair with Syd Barrett, with Pink Floyd or solo. I think all their albums, except for the first (which I've not heard) are quite good, verging on great. "Tender," "It Could Be You," and "Coffee & TV" are particularly sublime, in my estimation.

BTW, what's "pomo" or "po-mo" ?

― Jack Redelfs, Sunday, 23 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Po-mo = POstMOdern.

― Michael Daddino, Sunday, 23 September 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

REVIVE. I'm listening to all of my Blur material (all albums, singles box and rare track mp3's), so I dug up this little C/D thread.
In the light of the new album release & the exit of Graham Coxon, what are your current opinions on one of (IMHO) the greatest British bands of the 90's?

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Thursday, 29 May 2003 21:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

Some classic singles, several dud albums. Go figure. Even in the hey day of Britpop, Different Class shat all over everything they were doing - politically, musically and lyrically. And when they went in their 'weird' direction with the self-titled 1997 LP I thought they were sooper-dud. And the new song stinks. It's not very good.

― Calz (Calz), Thursday, 29 May 2003 21:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

the britpop trilogy is their creative zenith. gets better with each album, great tunes, witty lyrics etc (although i agree with calum that damon doesn't touch jarvis as a wordsmith.)

apart from that: the debut is dog-food, the self-titled fifth is patchy, but with some good tunes. 13 was spoiled by orbit's over-elaborate production. the new one is a step back in the right direction, but not back to their best.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 May 2003 22:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

I bought their singles box set back when it came out and have listened to it not once. I'm not sure what this says about my opinion of the band. I suspect it says I had more money than sense though.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 29 May 2003 22:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

you'll get value for money out of it yet. play "for tomorrow" first, then through all the Modern life/Parklife/Great Escape singles. its great.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 May 2003 23:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Sing" is nice.

― Matt K, Friday, 30 May 2003 01:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

The new rekid is great. 13 is great. parklife is great. Blur (the rekid) was ok. they are pretty good actually. in fact still interesting after all that time makes me like them. Are they insufferable twats. probably but if thats a reason for not liking someones music then 98% of the music industry is in trouble.

― gallantseagull, Friday, 30 May 2003 05:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

Some of their best tracks are buried as b-sides on singles. That's why the singles box is such a good buy, it has a full 4 albums of great rare songs, an entire live album (and a remix album, for those who care for it). So, ESOJ, don't dismiss it before taking a good listen to it, you might be surprised. Killian is OTM, and some of the Leisure b-sides (along with Popscene) are grate as well.

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Friday, 30 May 2003 07:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

fair call. there are quite a few big bands that put amazing stuff out on their b-sides, Radiohead being a perfect example. Interestingly, Gay Dad's b-sides were good too..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 30 May 2003 10:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'm with JP, there are a slew of great B-sides on them singles. Up until the band decided to suck for a while.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 30 May 2003 13:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Until I hear of Blur writing a "Living Dead" or "My Insatiable One" I'll take Suede as the world's finest B-sides band everytime.

― Calz (Calz), Friday, 30 May 2003 16:10 (9 years ago) Permalink

Ned is OTM. 90% of the real great Blur b-sides are from the first half of their career.
Suede has a great bunch of b-sides indeed, can't wait for Sci-fi Lullabies vol. 2...

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Friday, 30 May 2003 17:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

know there's not a lot of love for this band on ILX, but has anybody revisited 13 lately? just listened to "caramel" for the first time in years and was struck by how superior it still seems to virtually everything i've been listening to lately.

no i haven't just been listening to crap, thanks snarkers.

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 5 January 2006 04:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah, "caramel" is probably my favorite song on 13. also, i'd like to know why "trailerpark" get's so much hate on ILM.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Thursday, 5 January 2006 04:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

I keep saying that "13" was Blur making their "Kid A" before Radiohead made theirs, but nobody agrees with me.

("13" >>>>>>>>>>>>> "Kid A", obv.)

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 5 January 2006 06:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

hmmm... not a whole lot of love for 13 - there's a good four or five songs on there, but a whole heap of bad ones. Also, can't stand "Tender" - an eternity of tedium.

― Wogan Lenin (dog latin), Thursday, 5 January 2006 13:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Optigan 1" and "Coffee and T.V." are the two best songs on 13.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:07 (7 years ago) Permalink

i dread a point when "battle" wont completely destroy me.

i wish mr coxon would get back to some of the guitar work he was up to at that point...

― bb (bbrz), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Caramel" and "Bugman" are beyond fabulous.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

Bugman is fucking great. So are Coffee & TV and Swampsong. After that it gets a bit sprawling - everything goes on twice as long as it needs to and outstays its welcome. Mellow Song, Battle and Trailerpark would be fantastic if someone chopped a couple of minutes off of them.

Blur are probably the most consistent guitar band of the last decade (or fifteen years, whatever).

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:57 (7 years ago) Permalink

Nah, they still suck. I prefer Pavement.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 5 January 2006 22:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 544 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

c'mon dude, this is condescending

― stop swearing and start windmilling (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:10 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

All that has needed to have been said on this matter has been said. Moving on...

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:18 (8 months ago) Permalink

Bizarrely apt, given that they were on Food Records don'tcha think!? :D

As a Smash Hits reader I knew the name of their label, it was all too much for my fragile eggshell mind

― Supper's Burnt (PaulTMA), Tuesday, September 11, 2012 10:02 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hahahaha!!!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:20 (8 months ago) Permalink

Blur took off heaps late in Aus. I remember being stoked to find Parklife in a cut-out bin for $10, in 1994 ffs.

― * The "no hands" rule can be compared to socialist tax policies (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

(CDs were easily $25-30 back then)

― * The "no hands" rule can be compared to socialist tax policies (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:26 (8 months ago) Permalink

When did they start taking off in Aus? Around the time of Blur/'Song 2' or even later than that ('Coffee & TV')??

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

"full of them"

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

Song 2 went berserk here (iirc Great Escape picked up some momentum, though I can't think why or off the back of which song)

― * The "no hands" rule can be compared to socialist tax policies (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:54 (8 months ago) Permalink

so yeah, commercially it was Song 2

― * The "no hands" rule can be compared to socialist tax policies (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 22:56 (8 months ago) Permalink

Ah, I had a feeling it would have been 'Song 2'!

Which incidentally is one of the few Blur songs I could actually say that I'm utterly sick of.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 23:05 (8 months ago) Permalink

I came for the good looks as a teenage girl, stayed for the badass music.

I had my iPod on shuffle the other day while cleaning and Hollywood Lives (? Come rescue, rescue me..) by Suede came on and I was happy my husband wasnt around to mock them. I still enjoy the occasional tune from time to time, but I get embarrassed trying to convince friends to listen to them in the year 2012. Sorry, Suedeheads. I have been lovingly busting out the Blur box on weekends of late. Look Inside America with that scratchy vinyl sound... So lovely.

― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 01:03 (8 months ago) Permalink

i love blur but damon's lyrics legit embarrass me on look inside america

"drink pepsi, good for en ARR gy" - lol, line does not work dude

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 01:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

i think hes a naturally talented writer of melodies and tunes but has to struggle hard with lyrics, esp verses, and sometimes just gives up

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 01:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

Haha yes, definitely. I haven't really tried to foist blur on anyone either - but the music & vocal delivery goes down a little easier. The lyrics were not always perfect but the vibe was usually well done.

― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 02:48 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah they def kicked ass at vibe

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 02:49 (8 months ago) Permalink

Hmm. That awkwardness always sounded quite deliberate to me. Def one of the things I dig about his vocals!

― mr.raffles, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 02:49 (8 months ago) Permalink

it was kind of formative for me listening to blur when i was young, its the first time i remember thinking about a band i liked "wow, i wouldnt have let that lyric pass"

xpost its obv deliberate, doesnt make it a good lyric!

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 02:51 (8 months ago) Permalink

well, it ain't poetry, but...it's elevated by the performance and melody to me! :)

― mr.raffles, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 02:54 (8 months ago) Permalink

Well, it's like "Bad Head", the song/tune/etc is all fine, but by verse two he's just repeating verse one with some of the words switched round, and ends with getting "a touch of flu", I think "Damon, why did you bother? Oh yeah, that's right, you didn't!"

― Mark G, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 08:24 (8 months ago) Permalink

Beery slurs

now life's a

Blur

― Supper's Burnt (PaulTMA), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 23:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

I completely agree that lyrics aren't Damon's strong point. For me the most fascinating aspect of his songwriting is the way that he manages to weld catchy melodies to unorthodox chord progressions. I think, overall, his keyboard playing is the most underrated thing about him in the sense that I very rarely hear it being talked about - the aforementioned 'Badhead', for example, and the harpsichord on 'Clover Over Dover'...

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 13 September 2012 16:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

agreed

― Only milkmen burnley have (Nasty, Brutish & Short), Thursday, 13 September 2012 16:51 (8 months ago) Permalink

When the first LP came out I had a job writing ad copy for an American music mag - and they gave me a tranche of Damon's lyrics as if they were GREAT ART, to help me write the Blur-b. MegaLOLs shared with the boyfriend at the time about the Geeeenius of Damon as I declaimed lyrics down the phone in 'grade school teacher recites poetry' voice.

― ella fingerblast hurls forever (suzy), Thursday, 13 September 2012 16:56 (8 months ago) Permalink

Please more britpop era salacious gossip and hearsay. Wife and I getting much lols from stories about Damon being a tit.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 13 September 2012 17:48 (8 months ago) Permalink

Re: the aforementioned "drink pepsi" line - that line has always rankled with me, and it annoys me further that it happens so early on, during the mood-setting intro bit of the song. However I do genuinely like the Annie Hall bit later on.

And if Suzy is talking about Leisure there, yeah, his lyrics were epically bad on that. Here's a quote from Select's big song-by-song Blur feature from '95:

In 12 songs, the word "you" appeared 82 times; he used "day"/"say"/"play" rhymes on a shameless 35 occasions.

And of course, there's "Kazoo, kazoo, you are mine / Why do you turn your back on me?"

― TechYes, Thursday, 13 September 2012 18:25 (8 months ago) Permalink

The first time I listened to Leisure I got one of the worst horrible splitting headaches I've ever had in my life, and I blame it at least in part on the lyrics.

― NR’s resident heavy-metal expert (Nicole), Thursday, 13 September 2012 19:17 (8 months ago) Permalink

hes gotten miles better at fitting his words into nice-sounding lines. in fact, i would say hes now good at it. i always found it weird that he tended to be better at it with choruses than verses. no one has ever been worse at it than the manics imo

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Thursday, 13 September 2012 21:24 (8 months ago) Permalink

Best lyrical moment on "Leisure," courtesy "Slow Down":

"Aaaaa...aaaa...aaaaaaahhh
Ooooo....ooo....ooooooo"

Admittedly that was always during the part of the song where I assumed they were parodying Ride, which seemed spot on.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 13 September 2012 21:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

haha i never mind lalas or oohs. im a huge ride fan also

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Thursday, 13 September 2012 21:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

I don't mind Leisure's lyrics so much because he's so obviously not trying.

Turrican OTM about Albarn's keyboard work. As a young enthusiast I'd boggle at his credits -- the range of them.

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 September 2012 21:49 (8 months ago) Permalink

i find it really really interesting that damon and brett had this (perhaps one-sided) half subtextual half explicit fight going over who was more gay? it kind of blows my mind. "i'm gayer than brett anderson" as a brag from the lead singer of one of the most popular bands in the world. totally just generic old macho one-upmanship, but interesting that that's the form it took

― the most astonishing writer on ilx (roxymuzak), Friday, 14 September 2012 01:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

I felt, in retrospect, all of the Suede album was about Justine going off with Damon and Brett doing a "yeah, he's so pretty might fancy him myself" winding-up..

― Mark G, Friday, 14 September 2012 06:08 (8 months ago) Permalink

so did Brett ever experiment with men or were his claims part of his shtick?

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 14 September 2012 12:39 (8 months ago) Permalink

he described himself as "a bisexual who's never had a homosexual experience" bitd iirc

― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:01 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah that's what I'm referring to

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

so did Brett ever experiment with men or were his claims part of his shtick?

If the Love & Poison book is anything to go by it's a resounding no.

― controversial cabaret roommate (Nicole), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

I have that MM issue around where he said that, I should dig it up.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 September 2012 13:39 (8 months ago) Permalink

tbh always got the impression that brett's "bisexuality" was similar to girls who 'lez up' in front of dudes but aren't actually remotely lesbian. brett always seemed attracted to playing with most pedestrian ideas of congression (cf having junkie chic models in their early videos) which is why they've been mostly zzzzz to me

― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:57 (8 months ago) Permalink

on a related note, saw bernard suede in my local supermarket a few weeks ago, he has a very brett haircut

― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:58 (8 months ago) Permalink

(ps above when i wrote congression i meant transgression)

― Trad., Arrrgh (stevie), Friday, 14 September 2012 13:58 (8 months ago) Permalink

I think I saw Brett in PadStation about 6 months ago. Nice suit, totally normal looking.

(Wasn't sure at the time, but he had the 'ohno he's seen me, oh oh' look about him, but hey whoever...)

(then I saw him interviewed on some "the way we were" type show, and it was definitely him)

― Mark G, Friday, 14 September 2012 14:16 (8 months ago) Permalink

Well, he's a new dad as of about two months ago.

― ella fingerblast hurls forever (suzy), Friday, 14 September 2012 16:20 (8 months ago) Permalink

Think Brett was just trying to express a kind of "well, who can say if one is 100% straight" statement but it just came out like "i'm a twat"

― Supper's Burnt (PaulTMA), Friday, 14 September 2012 17:51 (8 months ago) Permalink

The cover of the issue that comment appeared in:

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 September 2012 17:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

From an interview just last year...

When you said you were a bisexual who has never slept with a man was it more about empathy with your fellow man?

Brett Anderson: That’s exactly what it's about. In fact that statement - which has come to haunt me, was taken completely out of context and I was actually talking about songwriting and how I use my imagination to go within other people's bodies. I'm basically a writer, but people always think songs are written in the first person and I'm a writer of fiction sometimes.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 14 September 2012 20:12 (8 months ago) Permalink

"People call their dongs 'inflatable ones,' yes?"

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 14 September 2012 20:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

It's alright Brett, nobody actually believed you.

― Mark G, Friday, 14 September 2012 20:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

And also wrt to the magazine cover that Ned posted above, from a Cash For Questions interview with Q Magazine in 1999...

How much would you pay for the negatives of that first Suede picture with you in the stripey top and Justine wearing the tracksuit bottoms?

Brett: Ha ha! Why, have they got it? Is that from a photographer? I don't think that photo is that bad. There are some worse ones. There's a cover of the Melody Maker where I was with the girl from Silverfish, and I'd pay quite a lot for those negatives.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 14 September 2012 20:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

I don't think I realized until just now how much Brett looks like a floppy-haired version of Pete Campbell.

― controversial cabaret roommate (Nicole), Friday, 14 September 2012 20:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

The one time i saw Suede play, a couple New York boys went onstage and kissed Brett.

I think I've already mentioned the Blur show where I dry-humped the guy in front of me for an hour... He was a real 'power bottom.'

― kizz my hairy irish azz (Dr Morbius), Friday, 14 September 2012 20:19 (8 months ago) Permalink

I don't think I realized until just now how much Brett looks like a floppy-haired version of Pete Campbell.

More like 'tall Peter Tatchell':

― ella fingerblast hurls forever (suzy), Friday, 14 September 2012 21:07 (8 months ago) Permalink

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