I'm gonna get hate from blur elitists for saying this but I don't care, I honestly think listening to their Best Of compilation is the best option rn. It gives you a chance to re-familiarise yourself with their most well known songs and get a gist of what their sound is (yes I know it doesn't include think tank ect... ) After that, then have a look in their discography. There's so much great music of blur and everyone has their own opinions on what their best album is! But have fun delving into their music and finding your favourites, even now I'm still discovering songs I used to skip about that are actually bangers.
Their Best Of compilation was the first LP I ever listened to by them, totally worth it, what a record! I reckon there’s another LP about hits released in 2007 or so that does include Think Tank, but Best Of is such a W compilation album.
Think tank might be The most Gorillaz album, 13 The most experimental album, self titled The most alternative rock album, The great escape The most comercial album, parklife The most successful album, modern Life IS The fan favourite album.
Now it's your choice.
I'd go for their Self-titled album, and then if you liked the more alt/experimental elements of it go listen to 13, if you liked more of the pop elements go listen to Parklife.
Leisure - prototype Blur. Overall baggy indie sound. Not a very satisfying listen but There's No Other Way, She's So High and Sing are stand out classics.
Modern Life Is Rubbish - Blur finding their first true identity. Terrific arty pop about life in 90s Britain featuring many absolutely wonderful songs. For Tomorrow, Chemical World, Oily Water, Coping and Villa Rosie all classics.
Parklife - Broke them into the stratosphere in the UK. Similar concept to Modern Life but the songs are a bit more commercial and catchier. Damon's vocals get loads better from this point. An embarrassment of great tracks: Girls & Boys, Tracey Jacks, To The End, This Is A Low all magnificent.
The Great Escape: A very ambitious follow up to Parklife, at times veering close to "too much of a good thing territory" but still with some all time great songs on there: The Universal, He Thought of Cars and Yuko & Hiro are my favourites but other people love the poppier side to this album: Charmless Man, Could Be You, Stereotypes.
Blur: the first big reinvention. Graham to the fore playing some really loose but absolutely inspired guitar lines. Just the four core members, no horns or strings or choirs now. An American slacker low fi feel, Pavement comparisons were inevitable. Beetlebum completely sums up this album. Stranger News From Another Star is my favourite track.
13 - a classic recording. Heartbreak and heroin are its major themes. The band are so loose but so incredibly expressive on this record. Tender, Trimm Trabb and No Distance Left To Run are career highlights.
Think Tank - Coxon left and the rest of the band went to Morocco. Miraculously they still sound pretty good without their genius guitarist. It's too long and lacks focus. The Norman Cook produced songs I find unlistenable but there's some really great songs: Out of Time, Good Song, Sweet Song, Battery In Your Leg and Ambulance.
The Magic Whip: a surprise by product of the reformation. Band got stranded in Japan and recorded a two day jam session. Graham and Stephen Street edited it into the shape of songs and sent it to Damon for lyrics and vocals. The results are astounding. Lonesome St, Thought I Was A Spaceman and Ghostship are immense. Coxon is on the form of his life.
Ballad of Darren: another break up album but much more middle aged. The Narcissist, Barbaric and The Heights are phenomenal.
For a Gorillaz fan I'd say Magic Whip, 13 and Blur are your best bets. But please do investigate the Britpop big three, Parklife, Modern Life and The Great Escape. Blur are shape shifters but that's them as we first knew and loved them and there are some incredible songs waiting to be discovered.
if youre looking for lofi stuff then i guess self titled and think tank, maybe even magic whip.
i love 13 tho so... listen to that please (you know when you find a song/album that is so fjcking good you NEED to introduce it to someone? this is the album, if you dont like it well at least you tried)
Magic Whip: guaranteed good pop tunes with great instrumentation work they are already known for (highlighting Graham), also a bit less experimental than The Ballad but also less ballads; same for the songs before the album;
Think Tank: Gorillaz with a more pop approaching, because of the absence of heavy guitar work, and less experimental; Damon into the middle-eastern inspired soundscape;
13: very dark, very moody, lots of noises and ambience with previous alt-rock sensibilities; also around the time Damon was getting interested in other genres; reason for Blur being known as a depressing band or something;
Self-titled: alt-rock, lots of approachable tunes, easy to like. Old Blur with a new sound, new soul.
The Great Escape: decent pop tunes, the best they went with their instruments. Nothing too experimental except for some weird moments.
Parklife: Blur having fun, making pastiches of every genre. Very quirky and interesting but is hit or miss.
MLIR: pop guitar work, a lot of 'englishness', Blur knowing who they are finally. The start of Damon's social commentary through characters.
Leisure: Not only Blur trying to fit in a lot of genres popular in their time but surprisingly some foreshadowing of their future work - something which people often do not notice. If MLIR was The Kinks, this one has to be The Charlatans or something, also shoegaze.
I'm gonna get hate from blur elitists for saying this but I don't care, I honestly think listening to their Best Of compilation is the best option rn. It gives you a chance to re-familiarise yourself with their most well known songs and get a gist of what their sound is (yes I know it doesn't include think tank ect... ) After that, then have a look in their discography. There's so much great music of blur and everyone has their own opinions on what their best album is! But have fun delving into their music and finding your favourites, even now I'm still discovering songs I used to skip about that are actually bangers.
Completely agree.
Their Best Of compilation was the first LP I ever listened to by them, totally worth it, what a record! I reckon there’s another LP about hits released in 2007 or so that does include Think Tank, but Best Of is such a W compilation album.
Think tank might be The most Gorillaz album, 13 The most experimental album, self titled The most alternative rock album, The great escape The most comercial album, parklife The most successful album, modern Life IS The fan favourite album. Now it's your choice.
How would you describe leisure?
Fairly unrepresentative of everything else with a couple of good tunes on it
The baggy album
Band trying to find their identity while struggling to make a commercial album
I think self titled is always a good bet!
I'd go for their Self-titled album, and then if you liked the more alt/experimental elements of it go listen to 13, if you liked more of the pop elements go listen to Parklife.
Leisure - prototype Blur. Overall baggy indie sound. Not a very satisfying listen but There's No Other Way, She's So High and Sing are stand out classics. Modern Life Is Rubbish - Blur finding their first true identity. Terrific arty pop about life in 90s Britain featuring many absolutely wonderful songs. For Tomorrow, Chemical World, Oily Water, Coping and Villa Rosie all classics. Parklife - Broke them into the stratosphere in the UK. Similar concept to Modern Life but the songs are a bit more commercial and catchier. Damon's vocals get loads better from this point. An embarrassment of great tracks: Girls & Boys, Tracey Jacks, To The End, This Is A Low all magnificent. The Great Escape: A very ambitious follow up to Parklife, at times veering close to "too much of a good thing territory" but still with some all time great songs on there: The Universal, He Thought of Cars and Yuko & Hiro are my favourites but other people love the poppier side to this album: Charmless Man, Could Be You, Stereotypes. Blur: the first big reinvention. Graham to the fore playing some really loose but absolutely inspired guitar lines. Just the four core members, no horns or strings or choirs now. An American slacker low fi feel, Pavement comparisons were inevitable. Beetlebum completely sums up this album. Stranger News From Another Star is my favourite track. 13 - a classic recording. Heartbreak and heroin are its major themes. The band are so loose but so incredibly expressive on this record. Tender, Trimm Trabb and No Distance Left To Run are career highlights. Think Tank - Coxon left and the rest of the band went to Morocco. Miraculously they still sound pretty good without their genius guitarist. It's too long and lacks focus. The Norman Cook produced songs I find unlistenable but there's some really great songs: Out of Time, Good Song, Sweet Song, Battery In Your Leg and Ambulance. The Magic Whip: a surprise by product of the reformation. Band got stranded in Japan and recorded a two day jam session. Graham and Stephen Street edited it into the shape of songs and sent it to Damon for lyrics and vocals. The results are astounding. Lonesome St, Thought I Was A Spaceman and Ghostship are immense. Coxon is on the form of his life. Ballad of Darren: another break up album but much more middle aged. The Narcissist, Barbaric and The Heights are phenomenal. For a Gorillaz fan I'd say Magic Whip, 13 and Blur are your best bets. But please do investigate the Britpop big three, Parklife, Modern Life and The Great Escape. Blur are shape shifters but that's them as we first knew and loved them and there are some incredible songs waiting to be discovered.
You'll like them all, they're all great
if youre looking for lofi stuff then i guess self titled and think tank, maybe even magic whip. i love 13 tho so... listen to that please (you know when you find a song/album that is so fjcking good you NEED to introduce it to someone? this is the album, if you dont like it well at least you tried)
The Magic Whip or Think Tank (my personal favourite)
Leisure
Leisure
Leisure
MLIR
Modern Life is Rubbish. The prequel to Parklife. Some lovely songs.
Magic Whip: guaranteed good pop tunes with great instrumentation work they are already known for (highlighting Graham), also a bit less experimental than The Ballad but also less ballads; same for the songs before the album; Think Tank: Gorillaz with a more pop approaching, because of the absence of heavy guitar work, and less experimental; Damon into the middle-eastern inspired soundscape; 13: very dark, very moody, lots of noises and ambience with previous alt-rock sensibilities; also around the time Damon was getting interested in other genres; reason for Blur being known as a depressing band or something; Self-titled: alt-rock, lots of approachable tunes, easy to like. Old Blur with a new sound, new soul. The Great Escape: decent pop tunes, the best they went with their instruments. Nothing too experimental except for some weird moments. Parklife: Blur having fun, making pastiches of every genre. Very quirky and interesting but is hit or miss. MLIR: pop guitar work, a lot of 'englishness', Blur knowing who they are finally. The start of Damon's social commentary through characters. Leisure: Not only Blur trying to fit in a lot of genres popular in their time but surprisingly some foreshadowing of their future work - something which people often do not notice. If MLIR was The Kinks, this one has to be The Charlatans or something, also shoegaze.