"Their second album "Modern Life Is Rubbish" established Blur as the heir to the archly British pop of the Kinks, the Small Faces, and the Jam, but this follow-up revealed the depth of that transformation. Relying more heavily on Ray Davies' seriocomic social commentary, as well as new wave, "Parklife" runs through the entire history of British pop, touching on psychedelia, synth pop, disco, punk, and music hall along the way. Albarn intended these songs to form a sketch of British life in the mid-'90s, and it's startling how close he came to his goal; not only did the bouncy, disco-fied "Girls & Boys" and singalong chant "Parklife" become anthems in the U.K., but they inaugurated a new era of Brit-pop and lad culture. But "Parklife" is a thoroughly modern record, that bends genres and is self-referential (the mod anthem of the title track is voiced by Phil Daniels, the star of "Quadrophenia"). An epoch-defining record." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Met extra CD met 16 tracks van vnl. singles uit die tijd.
"This fifth album abandons Britpop by bringing the weird strands that always floated through Blur's music to the surface. "Blur" may superficially appear to be a break from tradition, but it is a logical progression, highlighting the band's rich eclecticism and sense of songcraft. Certainly, they are trying for new sonic territory, bringing in shards of white noise, gurgling electronics, raw guitars, and druggy psychedelia, but these are just extensions of previously hidden elements of Blur's music. What makes it exceptional is how hard the band tries to reinvent itself within its own framework, and the level of which it succeeds. There might be dark overtones to the record, but the band sounds positively joyous, not only in making noise but wreaking havoc with the expectations of its audience and critics." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Deze 2012-editie is verpakt in een fraai doosje en bevat een extra schijf met 18 aanvullende tracks, afkomstig van de van het album getrokken singles, soundtracks en meer.
"As Blur commenced recording on their seventh album, things got a bit weird. Tensions between vocalist/songwriter Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon reached a boiling point following Albarn's success with his dance-oriented side project, Gorillaz, which was at odds with a newly sober and somber Coxon, whose solo records were doggedly designed to appeal to small audiences. The breaking point was Albarn bringing Fatboy Slim in for production work in Morocco, leading toward Coxon's departure and the turgid mess that is "Think Tank". Given the Gorillaz and Fatboy Slim (who only produced two tracks) connections, it's easy to assume that Albarn is pushing Blur toward dance, which isn't strictly true. Still, there's been a shift in approach. Blur now borrow modern dance's fondness, even reliance, on atmosphere over song and structure -- which is kind of ironic, of course, since the group have always excelled at song and structure in the past." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Speciale editie met 14 track bonus disc.
"De Britpop-trekken zijn zo goed als verdwenen, de band klinkt avontuurlijker, experimenteler en minder Engels dan ooit. De CD is fragmentarisch (van lofi tot psychedelica) en veroorzaakt een hallucinerend droomgevoel. Spannend!" (Raymond Rotteveel, Oor) "Plaat die meer aansluit bij de sound van Amerikaanse bands als Pavement dan bij collega-Britten." (Volkskrant) Deze 2012-editie is verpakt in een mooi boxje en bevat een extra schijf met 14 songs, voornamelijk afkomstig van singles die van het album zijn getrokken.
"At the time of this 1991 debut record, Blur was loosely lumped in with Britain's Manchester Sound; a kind of '60s-psychedelia-meets-dance-music scene. Unlike others in the genre, however, Blur parks most of the disco influences at the door in favor of hard-edged pop. Leisure's most accessible moments, like the singles "She's So High" and "There's No Other Way," blend captivating, fluid melodies with hypnotic, psyched-up instrumentation. More experimental moments like "Repetition" and "Bad Day" are reminiscent of early, Syd Barrett-led Pink Floyd; the dreamy atmospheres firmly anchored by sparse, chunky guitar riffs. Blur will appeal to those who don't mind having their fond recollections of the '60s fused to modern, guitar-driven pop." (Roch Parisien, Allmusic) Deze editie is verpakt in een fraai boxje en gaat vergezeld van een extra CD met 16 bonus tracks: remixen, extended versions, demo's, live-versies en alleen als B-kant verschenen songs.
"In the simplest terms, "The Great Escape" is the flip side of "Parklife". Where Blur's breakthrough album was a celebration of the working class, drawing on British pop from the '60s and reaching through the '80s, "The Great Escape" concentrates on the suburbs, featuring a cast of characters all trying to cope with the numbing pressures of modern life. Consequently, it's darker than "Parklife", even if the melancholia is hidden underneath the crisp production and catchy melodies. The music bristles with invention throughout, as Blur delves deeper into experimentation with synthesizers, horns, and strings; guitarist Graham Coxon twists out unusual chords and lead lines, and Damon Albarn spits out unexpected lyrical couplets filled with wit and venomous intelligence in each song. A vibrant, invigorating record." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Deze 2012-editie, in een fraai boxje, gaat vergezeld met een tweede CD met 18 aanvullende songs (waaronder live-versies van album tracks), afkomstig van singles en meer.
Single uit 1997. Het titelnummer komt van het album "Blur". Het nummer '2' uit zich in de tijdsduur (2:02), het aantal coupletten (2), refreinen (2) en bruggen (2) in het liedje. Het groeide uit tot een van dé anthems van de hoogtijdagen van jaren '90-britpop. Deze single bevat drie extra songs, die nergens op albums te vinden zijn: "Get Out Of Cities", "Polished Stone" en "Bustin' + Dronin'". Gek genoeg is er een Japanse 'rarities- en live-CD' onder die laatste titel, waar dat bewuste nummer dus mooi níet opstaat (wél "Song 2" overigens).
"Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated "Leisure" for traditional pop. On the surface, "Modern Life..." may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason this is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Deze fraaie 2012-editie gaat vergezeld van een bonus-CD met 19 vooral van singles afkomstige tracks.
Zeer exclusief livedocument van populaire Britpoppers. Prima geluidskwaliteitje! "Wat opvalt is dat de joligheid, de cynische ondertonen en de serieuze, gevoelige momenten van de CD's ook live voortreffelijk naar voren komen." (PM)
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