blur

April 25, 2003 4:21 AM

blur are back. My favourite band since seeing them play in a pub in Leicester, blur release their 7th album next month. They "invented" Britpop, then reinvented themselves when the backlash began, and it's lovely to still have them around. Something I've grown with and recognise as I stare at another edition of Top of the Pops, understanding nothing of the karaoke-cover-pap in the charts today. If you're going to see them in London next month, I'll be the one at the back with a pint in my hand and a contented smile on my face (too old for this jumping around at the front lark)...
posted by jontyjago (35 comments total)

Better yet, Radiohead are about to drop one.
posted by nthdegx at 4:30 AM on April 25, 2003

Madonna too.
posted by Ljubljana at 4:39 AM on April 25, 2003

Have heard the Radiohead one - very good.
posted by monkeyJuice at 4:41 AM on April 25, 2003

interesting new blur album, not the same without coxon but some tracks yield pure class the more you listen.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:57 AM on April 25, 2003

Which pub did they play in Leicester?
posted by twine42 at 4:59 AM on April 25, 2003

and to be quite frank, blur easily outclass both radiohead and oasis and any other brit band of this and the last decade .
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:01 AM on April 25, 2003

What Sgt. Serenity said. Glad to hear that they're back. "Leisure" remains one of my favorite albums to this day. When it came out, I thought that album was better than practically everything I heard by the Stone Roses, who had a tremendous following at the time. I never could quite understand why Blur didn't break through big in the States until that annoying Whoo hoo song ("Song No. 2") was released.
posted by psmealey at 5:08 AM on April 25, 2003

blur easily outclass...any other brit band of this and the last decade

don't be ridiculous.

[/my favourite band is better than your favourite band]

oh hang on - are you using the tried and tested trick of saying the opposite of what is actually true? i hope so.
posted by nylon at 5:10 AM on April 25, 2003

Here is a review for those who like to read such things.
posted by psmealey at 5:14 AM on April 25, 2003

I've been a long time fan, and I really like "Think Tank." Many songs off it are really nice. I am very very stoked about the new album, of course I even liked "Don't bomb when you're the bomb."
posted by riffola at 5:18 AM on April 25, 2003

They played the Princess Charlotte on a tour to promote She's So High back in October 1990. It was a good place to see bands (and still may be) - I also saw the Boo Radleys around the same time (and lots of others now sunk into obscurity - The Shop Assistants anyone?)

You lot seem to have had more luck getting hold of the album than I have - I've only tried through kazaa once but all the tracks were garbage... As a true fan I will obviously buy it too ;o)
posted by jontyjago at 5:23 AM on April 25, 2003

"radiohead and oasis" - three words that should never appear together in a sentence, unless it is one that begins "two bands that could not possibly differ more in terms of quality are..."

also, is "brit band" a term important only to people outside of britain? i think so.
posted by nthdegx at 5:28 AM on April 25, 2003

I couldn't find it either (though I did find hail to the chief) - I'll be at the back of the Astoria too......
posted by brettski at 5:29 AM on April 25, 2003

I'm glad the fans here think "think tank" is a good effort; I'm quite anxious about it, really, after seeing this head in Q: "Coxon is out, bongoes are in: Has blur lost it?" This line from the linked review only raises that worry: "Make no mistake, even if bassist Alex James and Dave Rowntree are along for the ride, this is the sound of Damon run amuck, a (perhaps inevitable) development that even voracious Blur supporters secretly feared could ruin the band — and it has."
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 5:30 AM on April 25, 2003

Well, I used to love Blur but I absolutely hate the uninspired mess that is "Think Tank". Interesting, no?
posted by soundofsuburbia at 5:36 AM on April 25, 2003

yep, shop assistants , edinburghs finest as i remember.
we're having a discussion about proper music here people, which easily excludes radiohead.
ok , it does sound in places as though 10cc have broken into the studio but theres some lovely stuff on there: "good song " ,"ambulance", "sweetsong" , and "jets" are great stuff , should have released it before the war tho.
posted by sgt.serenity at 5:57 AM on April 25, 2003

I'm gonna "me too" soundofsuburbia and the AllMusic reviewer on this one. Ok, well, not "hate", but it doesn't "do it" for me. Damon Albarn's solo album, indeed.
And ditto for the new Radiohead album. Thom Yorke's (third) solo album, indeed.

My two fav bands of all times falling apart. Sigh. Guess that's called "moving on".
posted by XiBe at 6:00 AM on April 25, 2003

Finally motivated to log in

we're having a discussion about proper music here people, which easily excludes radiohead.

Is a ridiculous statement The bends could well be the best album of last decade.

But built on the music of Brit pop - Blur...etc
posted by Samuel Farrow at 6:07 AM on April 25, 2003

ach well, the fall and stereolab are releasing new material this year , so im fairly chipper !
Its seems to me as though coxon is on some weird syd barrett trip, now a new syd barrett album , that would be a post to write about !
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:09 AM on April 25, 2003

As I seem to be the only person in the world who hasn't heard Think Tank yet I can't truly comment but let's not forget bits of Blur and most of 13 are not that easy to listen to, at least at first.

I'm hoping it's a grower...
posted by jontyjago at 6:10 AM on April 25, 2003

sgt.serenity: Or better yet! A new Syd Barrett disc featuring Coxon and Aggi! Oooh.. *orgasm*
posted by soundofsuburbia at 6:16 AM on April 25, 2003

Has Blur ever really topped Parklife? I gave this one a chance... had a few drinks and listened to it walking around Manhattan. Meh. I loved Blur and saw them live several times, but... without Coxon?

(I wonder if the new Stereolab w/out Mary Hansen (who was tragically killed this year) is going to make me too sad to listen.)
posted by n9 at 6:33 AM on April 25, 2003

Sgt. Serenity, you're Mark E Smith posting under a psuedonym--just admit it!
posted by dhoyt at 7:15 AM on April 25, 2003

Unfortunately, blur are shite
posted by sinical at 7:43 AM on April 25, 2003

hmm... Mogwai does speak the truth...
posted by The Michael The at 8:49 AM on April 25, 2003

he's a foot taller than me you know.
plus im handsome.
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:56 AM on April 25, 2003

hmmm..mogwai dont exactly set the heather on fire do they? fuckin weegies.
posted by sgt.serenity at 8:58 AM on April 25, 2003

I heard the new blur album a few months ago and at first I didn't get it, but if you stick with it and give it a few listens I bet you'll really dig it. I think it's the best thing they've ever done! it's like...well, the gorillaz meets blur. but it's good, trust me.
posted by mcsweetie at 9:17 AM on April 25, 2003

My favorite Scot band that doesset the heathers on fire.
posted by dhoyt at 10:41 AM on April 25, 2003

hmmm people get so uptight about change. d'y'really want a band to sound exactly the same for every album? i like that radiohead and blur have majorly changed their sound with each album.
posted by kv at 10:50 AM on April 25, 2003

Q Magazine has the album up to listen to.
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 1:25 PM on April 25, 2003

if y'all are into blur, may I suggest The Dears?
posted by mcsweetie at 9:27 PM on April 25, 2003

I heard the new blur album a few months ago and at first I didn't get it, but if you stick with it and give it a few listens I bet you'll really dig it.

Kind of like smoking. ;)
posted by dobbs at 9:29 PM on April 25, 2003

Any word on whether they recorded the album in Iceland?

And I thought the Beatles invented, er, popularized Britpop.
posted by sillygwailo at 12:41 PM on April 26, 2003

didn't alistair campbell invent britpop
posted by johnnyboy at 6:23 AM on April 28, 2003