Blur tracks poll - the RESULTS thread

So the story goes that the whole group took E before performing this track for the first time on Top of the Pops. I think I saw a repeat of it on TOTP2 a few years ago, but couldn't see any telltale saucer eyes or gurning (though, iirc he was hitting himself on the head with a tambourine - not strictly a sign of anything in particular).

it's so snotty and bratty and pre-teen rather than the studied cool of the bulk of the Baggy bands, musically too it's like being jumped up and down on by a 12 year-old who's been drinking Relentless all day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyUYCjN2Tng

"High Quality" hahaha...

http://www.dispatch.com/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/business/stories/2010/06/16/china-wednesday-art-gg08sl60-13-china-labor-woes---xeh802---large.jpg

21. Yuko & Hiro
(9 votes, 1 first place, 190 points)

Lovely.

I don't think I voted for this. Probably a mistake.

Don't tell Noodle Vague, he'll hunt you down.

nah i'll let you off.

this song never ever fails to make me cry. it may have been called "Japanese Workers" but really it's the global experience of dying under capitalism in 5 minutes. and it's got those synth gongs.

and obv i was that 1 first place. robbed.

Not robbed.

That one person that had their number one choice not even in the chart was robbed.

the song was robbed, not me

Me again. First time I heard this song I thought it was a joke – "lol blur has done an end-of-album lolz" type thing. How wrong I was. This song blossoms over time like nothing else on the album.

On the vinyl pressing of TGE, the solitary gong at the end of the song flows straight into the run-out groove, rather than going on for about 30 seconds. Consequently the Ernold Same carousel reprise is cut completely.

btw I really want to do exactly what Mr Brutish-Short has done here (right down to an image preceding each result) but with XTC songs. Has it been done? I couldn't find anything.

Yup, Dizzy was robbed! I named my cats Yuko & Hiro in high school, so I'm happy to see this one get a first place vote! Anyone have any idea what is sung at the end? Is that Japanese? French? It's so indistinct..

btw I really want to do exactly what Mr Brutish-Short has done here (right down to an image preceding each result) but with XTC songs.

I had the same though, except it was about Pavement, but then I realized I'm a big enough Pavement fan to care. I'd vote if someone else ran it, though.

I realized I'm a big enough Pavement fan to care.

idgi, wouldn't that make you the ideal person to run it?

Oops, I left out a very important "not" in there.

ahh righto

Daavid - Blur are well known among fans for their bsides. I treated their singles as mini events as a kid. They were the kind of band, like the Boo Radleys who I love for similar reasons, who used bsides to let off creative steam by experimenting, and a lot of fucking around and being silly. This let me into their world, their mindsets as much as big hits and albums. They were also highly prolific; often being forced to leave perfectly great songs off of albums to make room for slightly less good songs. God knows why something like young and lovely might be left off modern life.

Oh that was a response I started writing hours ago btw stupid iphone

often being forced to leave perfectly great songs off of albums to make room for slightly less good songs. God knows why something like young and lovely might be left off modern life.

I get why that happens. If it interrupts the flow of the album, or in some cases merely the narrative, it's out. For the life of me I can't think where Young & Lovely (cheers to the people who posted links & the youtube upthread btw) could be slotted into MLIR without buggering it up.

An album like Think Tank, on the other hand, is such a random munge of styles and themes that you could stick anything anywhere and nobody would notice.

http://thewholesalesupply.com/images/LCWM.jpg

20. Trouble In The Message Centre
(8 votes, 1 first place, 193 points)

one for the 'great demos' thread this one; the demo wipes the floor with the finished version.

Blur need to release a rarities anthology stat.

I wasn't a fan of Trouble In The Message Centre at the time - it sounded too eighties and new wave. Now I love it for this exact reason. Must've been a bit of a risk doing eighties pastiche so close after the fact.

Great song, although it didn't make my 22 - not sure how that happened!

and obv i was that 1 first place. robbed.

I checked my ballot and voted Yuko & Hiro number one as well, so either one of our votes wasn't counted or the points posted should say two number ones.

Delighted to see Trouble in the top twenty, it was my number one.

xp: Yes, you're right - and don't worry your vote has been counted.

Correction: Yuko & Hiro (2 first places)

http://www.wildflowersofstrathclydepark.org.uk/Largepictures/clover_white.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/06/10/article-1025065-0309CCF60000044D-4_468x298.jpg

aaaaaaaahahahahahahahahaha

19. Clover Over Dover
(7 votes, 2 first places, 196 points)

A truly gorgeous song.

Of the songs that got three or more votes, Clover Over Dover got the highest average score per voter. Those that like it, really like it.

I've only ever been to Dover twice (ferries) but this song still invokes very strong memories of Dover. The whole album is weirdly evocative like that.

Wow yeah, I do love it. I didn't think I loved it as much as I do 'til I put it on after I'd voted, while reminiscing about something else, and the combination was so overwhelming that I had to back and amend my ballot. So one of those #1s is mine.

http://drinkhealthydrinks.com/images/sweet-tea-sugar.jpg

YES

18. Chemical World
(9 votes, 205 points)

oh

(sugary tea, you see?)

Ah, see I thought it was <REDACTED>

I love Chemical World. Hope I voted for it - can't remember!

http://www.currybet.net/images/blog2008/08/20080831_present-day-lcd1.jpg

xp I was trying to think of what will probably end up #1 on this board and I assumed it would be Chemical World! Can't wait to see the rest!

17. Best Days
(10 votes, 216 points)

Quite surprised by how much of 'Great Escape' has made it. 'Best Days' is ace especially when damon slightly speeds up as we get into the chorus.

I think this is my favourite on Great Escape. Such a sad and delicate melody, even for Blur. Didn't Graham write or sing this one?