The Blur Bitch Project
(I'm not actually going to bitch very much, I just wanted to have a clever magazine-style title.)
Starting yesterday I decided to limit my discman intake for the rest of the week to every Blur album, in order. Just regular albums-- no Best Of or Bustin' & Dronin' (I don't have them, anyway). Thoughts halfway through:
--If you combined the best bits of Leisure and Modern Life is Rubbish, you'd have an album on par with the rest of their discography, possibled called Modern Leisure is Rubbish. Which is not to say either of those albums are bad. Rubbish in particular sports several amazing songs, such as "Chemical World," "For Tomorrow," and "Popscene" which is easily the best song not on the Best Of collection.
--I've never loved Parklife quite as much as its Britpop bretheren Different Class or even Morning Glory, and I think I've figured out why. It's not because it's top-heavy, although it is, like almost all of their albums. But it finishes well, too: tracks 13-16 are pretty good to great. Read that again, though: tracks 13-16. This is, I think, my problem with the album (if you can call it a problem). It's sixteen tracks long. It's overlong like they're Smashing Pumpkins or something. If you chucked the three or four of the weakest tracks, maybe some of the feyest and Englishest stuff like "Clover Over Dover" or "Trouble in the Message Centre" or "The Debt Collector," you'd have a rock-solid masterpiece. As it is, it's easy to tune out toward the end of the album and miss "This is a Low," one of their best songs (or at least, it was for me for a long time).
--I'm only partway into The Great Escape and I haven't heard it in awhile, but I'd swear it's just as good as Parklife in a lot of ways. It has the same squshiness around the middle and the same widespread songwriting genius. I don't understand why Blur and the UK music press (who are both probably insane in their own ways) are so down on it.
--We know this, but Blur is uncommonly good at releasing their best songs as singles. So their Best Of, then, is uncommonly strong, even though it omits a handful of equally good singles. But they're still more than a singles band! Excellent non-singles include "Globe Alone," "Bugman," "Bank Holiday," "You're So Great," "Look Inside America" and "Magic America," "Ambulance," "Cowboy Song" (fine, Rob) and "Battery in Your Leg."
--My favorites as albums are the self-titled album and Think Tank. I think Thirteen is really cool, but more in theory or a little bit at a time or in a very particular mood than very often or all at once. Once Think Tank came out, it became easier for me to admit to myself that it's hard for me to listen to Thirteen all the way through.
--I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I can't freaking believe Allmusic only gives Think Tank two stars. They give almost everything at least three stars. It might be their most even-handed album.
Starting yesterday I decided to limit my discman intake for the rest of the week to every Blur album, in order. Just regular albums-- no Best Of or Bustin' & Dronin' (I don't have them, anyway). Thoughts halfway through:
--If you combined the best bits of Leisure and Modern Life is Rubbish, you'd have an album on par with the rest of their discography, possibled called Modern Leisure is Rubbish. Which is not to say either of those albums are bad. Rubbish in particular sports several amazing songs, such as "Chemical World," "For Tomorrow," and "Popscene" which is easily the best song not on the Best Of collection.
--I've never loved Parklife quite as much as its Britpop bretheren Different Class or even Morning Glory, and I think I've figured out why. It's not because it's top-heavy, although it is, like almost all of their albums. But it finishes well, too: tracks 13-16 are pretty good to great. Read that again, though: tracks 13-16. This is, I think, my problem with the album (if you can call it a problem). It's sixteen tracks long. It's overlong like they're Smashing Pumpkins or something. If you chucked the three or four of the weakest tracks, maybe some of the feyest and Englishest stuff like "Clover Over Dover" or "Trouble in the Message Centre" or "The Debt Collector," you'd have a rock-solid masterpiece. As it is, it's easy to tune out toward the end of the album and miss "This is a Low," one of their best songs (or at least, it was for me for a long time).
--I'm only partway into The Great Escape and I haven't heard it in awhile, but I'd swear it's just as good as Parklife in a lot of ways. It has the same squshiness around the middle and the same widespread songwriting genius. I don't understand why Blur and the UK music press (who are both probably insane in their own ways) are so down on it.
--We know this, but Blur is uncommonly good at releasing their best songs as singles. So their Best Of, then, is uncommonly strong, even though it omits a handful of equally good singles. But they're still more than a singles band! Excellent non-singles include "Globe Alone," "Bugman," "Bank Holiday," "You're So Great," "Look Inside America" and "Magic America," "Ambulance," "Cowboy Song" (fine, Rob) and "Battery in Your Leg."
--My favorites as albums are the self-titled album and Think Tank. I think Thirteen is really cool, but more in theory or a little bit at a time or in a very particular mood than very often or all at once. Once Think Tank came out, it became easier for me to admit to myself that it's hard for me to listen to Thirteen all the way through.
--I'm probably getting ahead of myself, but I can't freaking believe Allmusic only gives Think Tank two stars. They give almost everything at least three stars. It might be their most even-handed album.