blur

[Reznor2112]

While waiting for HTDA to stream from Coachella, I opened to these guys playing their song "This is a Low". Suffice to say, I am obsessed now.

Never really got into the Gorillaz, but I loved The Fall.

Where should a new fan start If the aforementioned song caught my fancy the way it did?

Thanks

[Kid Charlemagne]

13 is the best album ever

[Blackbookpress1984]

if your really, REALLY, into blur, they just recently released a discography box set complete with every album, and a bunch of extras for each all tied into one pretty litee box set.

http://www.discogs.com/Blur-Blur-21-The-Box/master/460605

[frankie teardrop]

seconded on 13. they have some great material on most of their records, but 13 is really where it gelled best for me as an entire record. i always liked them better when they were either really experimental (william orbit produced) or scott walker-y (the universal & this is a low). 'wear me down' and 'sing' from leisure are great shoegaze-inspired numbers, too.

try this on for a top-of-my-head introductory/best-of comp. not in chronological order, just for kicks:

blur- the sad bastard jams
1. beetlebum
2. luminous
3. girls and boys
4. coffee & tv
5. the universal
6. trimm trabb
7. death of a party
8. sing
9. young and lovely
10. i'm just a killer for your love
11. to the end
12. stereotypes
13. peach
14. m.o.r. (aka lodger in a box)
15. inertia
16. he thought of cars
17. wear me down
18. tender
19. swamp song
20. for tomorrow
21. badhead
22. this is a low


just pulled out of my ass, so excuse any omissions. ps- avoid think tank. it's a terrible record.

[Aladdinsanity]

Concerning the subject of heartbreak, Richard Pryor once said; "Men try to hold it in like it don't hurt, and walk around and get hit by trucks."

That's a broken heart I can say I've experienced myself. However, I can only imagine that being utterly hilarious in how much it pales in comparison to the broken heart that penned "Caramel".

[frankie teardrop]

yeah i wanted to include pretty much all of 13 on the above, but had to draw the line. 'caramel,' 'no distance left to run,' and '1992' really seal the deal though, as far as breakup songs are concerned.

[liquidcalm]

avoid think tank. it's a terrible record.
Disagree! Think Tank isn't their best, but Ambulance, Out of Time, Battery in Your Leg, Good Song... great tracks. Just doesn't quite gel as an album.

Agree on 13 being fantastic though, I also loved Under the Westway and Fool's Day if you get a chance to grab em.

[Jord]

I got into blur alongside a lot of other 90's stuff a few years ago, recently bought 13. Battle changed the way I thought about the band and their music, I've never heard anything so brilliant.

[Frozen Beach]

Think Tank is a great album that no one should avoid. It's like Gorillaz had a baby with Blur. Good Song and Caravan might be my favorite Damon related songs ever.

[Highly Psychological]

I like their early singles too, There's No other Way and She's So High both from 1990. Way more psychedelic. I dont think Blur like their first album very much. They were forced by their record label to emulate the sound that was big at the time like The Stone Roses and Ride.

I really like the self titled album 'Blur' from 97 the one with Song 2 on it. People compared it to Pavement at the time oddly.

Girls and Boys is a great song too.

This band in 1995 in the UK were so fucking big its insane. Sold millions upon millions of albums. And yes they were better than Oasis. Hope they finally get round to recording a new album.

[Reznor2112]

I dont have a broken heart, I just like the way "This is a Low" sounds, during the chorus especially. haha Thanks for all of the advice on what to start with!

[simonn]

While waiting for HTDA to stream from Coachella, I opened to these guys playing their song "This is a Low". Suffice to say, I am obsessed now.

You started out with a goodie - that's my favourite Blur song! No one's mentioned Parklife - which for a new fan would be a good visit as well, if more poppy than that mentioned elsewhere. Some great 'album tracks' on there - Trouble in the Message centre/London Loves to name but 2,as well as the obvious hits of the title track/Girls and Boys/End of a Century. Topman was played on my commute in this morning actually.

[lloyd_dhr]

13.
Then go back and listen to 'Modern Life Is Rubbish'. Their two masterpieces as far as I'm concerned.

[Dra508]

, I just like the way "This is a Low" sounds, during the chorus especially. haha i can't agree with you more. Damon rips out that chorus like he was singing about losing the love of his life. Funny, that the lyrics don't seem to be about that. Though I've read some interpretations that's its about addiction. Whatever- I just like the song.

[xmd 5a]

Haven't listened to this band in ages. "There's No Other Way", "On Your Own" and "Music Is My Radar" are my picks. Wish they did more stuff in the vein of the latter especially. Such a beast of a track.

[Reznor2112]

Does anyone happen to have a copy of the No Distance Left To Run documentary DVD (NTSC) they would be willing to sale or trade? Amazon only has some for sale from Japan starting at $120 and up, same with the 2 on ebay.


After listening to them for almost a year, I've really fallen in love with this band.

My favorite albums at the moment are Leisure and The Great Escape, but I do agree that 13 is amazing.

[Santos L Halper]

New Album Coming April 27! (http://pitchfork.com/news/58542-blur-announce-new-album-the-magic-whip-share-go-out-lyric-video/)

First Single: Go Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp1ks7PTzng

[armogi]

Finally!!!

[Reznor2112]

http://cdn.wmgecom.com/production/media/catalog/product/cache/292/image/460x/62defc7f46f3fbfc8afcd112227d1181/l/p/lp.png

Tracklisting:
1. Lonesome Street
2. New World Towers
3. Go Out
4. Ice Cream Man
5. Thought I Was A Spaceman
6. I Broadcast
7. My Terracotta Heart
8. There Are Too Many Of Us
9. Ghost Ship
10. Pyongyang
11. Ong Ong
12. Mirrorball

[Santos L Halper]

Thanks for posting the Tracklisting and Cover Art!

[simonn]

So happy that they're finally releasing a new album. Think Tank was not a fitting end to the bands recording career (album-wise). Very much looking forward to this! First singles not too shabby either!

[richardp]

This new track isn't quite blowing me away yet, which is bumming me out.

[Reznor2112]

This new track isn't quite blowing me away yet, which is bumming me out.

Play that shit loud! Funky ass jam...lovin it!

[Reznor2112]

The more I listen to Go Out...it could really be a Queens of the Stone Age song.

[richardp]

It finally clicked last night, and now I'm really digging on it.

[LaneSax]

thanks to this thread, I decided to listen to 13. An album I have ignored since the day it was released.

Must say it is growing on me. Really like Caramel and Trimm Trabb besides the obvious stand outs.

[armogi]

thanks to this thread, I decided to listen to 13. An album I have ignored since the day it was released.

Must say it is growing on me. Really like Caramel and Trimm Trabb besides the obvious stand outs.

to me it is their masterpiece, that's where I started and I still love the record, not a single bad song there.

[Reznor2112]

New BADASS single - "There Are Too Many Of Us"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQQObIQ63T0

[LaneSax]

good tune that, enjoyed it more than Go Out

[LaneSax]

another song Lonesome Street is streaming on Spotify

[Reznor2112]

Did anyone by chance record the YouTube stream of their concert performing The Magic Whip in full today via the Beats by Dre YouTube channel?

[Gray Grimez]

Private message sent..

[The Doctor]

Private message sent..

May I have a PM as well?

[Reznor2112]

Private message sent..

Many thanks for the mp3


Does anyone also happen to have a video recording of the stream? Thanks!


EDIT: For anyone not wanting to hear the new songs live first....

http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/blurs-new-album-the-magic-whip-worth-the-wait-first-listen-review

[armogi]

the video is on dime now, for those who are registered.

I'll gladly take the mp3 too please :)

[LaneSax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo55vzpL85w

[Reznor2112]

Best music video ever

[armogi]

looks like we have a surprise today...

[LaneSax]

looks like we have a surprise today...
did it leak?

[Charmingly Miserable]

I'm really liking it! Good stuff!

[Jord]

It's been streaming this week on iTunes. Absolutely fantastic album, Ghost Ship is one of my favourites, such a jam. The crown goes to Thought I Was A Spaceman...it really blows my mind. So beautiful, especially when it all kicks off in the middle and then when Graham's vocals come in, truly magnificent.

How they can just jam for 5 days in a studio and manage to sculpt this sort of material out of it is just insane.

[binaryhermit]

At the risk of getting flamed, the new album kinda reminds me of early Gorillaz. That's not a bad thing.

(And yes, I know that the lead singer of Blur is the same guy who is behind Gorillaz.)

[Frozen Beach]

lol Anthony Fantano aka Theneedledrop reviewed the new Blur album, but it turns out, it actually wasn't the new blur album, it was the fake leak that leaked weeks ago. He removed the video.

[armogi]

not sure if any of you got a chance to listen to the bonus track, it sounds a lot like a 13 era material, i'm really digging it

[frankie teardrop]

i just got back from seeing blur in a 500 capacity venue in NYC, for an impromptu free show. it was one of the best concerts i've ever seen. the energy in the room was thick with love and adoration- the band were much tighter than they used to be (so i'm told at least). when they rocked, they tore the roof off...and when they played slower songs, they were chill-inducing. there were backup singers and plenty of graham coxon freakouts to go around.

the set was the entire new record (minus ice cream man), and then a three song encore of beetlebum, trouble in the message centre, and song 2. song 2 actually felt *heavier* than seeing swans...

[LaneSax]

not sure if any of you got a chance to listen to the bonus track, it sounds a lot like a 13 era material, i'm really digging it
I like how it gets heavy and more upbeat at the mid 2 minute mark

[botley]

i just got back from seeing blur in a 500 capacity venue in NYC, for an impromptu free show. it was one of the best concerts i've ever seen. the energy in the room was thick with love and adoration- the band were much tighter than they used to be (so i'm told at least). when they rocked, they tore the roof off...and when they played slower songs, they were chill-inducing. there were backup singers and plenty of graham coxon freakouts to go around.

the set was the entire new record (minus ice cream man), and then a three song encore of beetlebum, trouble in the message centre, and song 2. song 2 actually felt *heavier* than seeing swans...
YOU LUCKY SON OF A BITCH.

I dig this new blur record.

[LaneSax]

good record this!

I find myself enjoying Go Out a lot more.

Stand outs for me are Lonesome Street, Ice Cream Man, I Broadcast, My Terracotta Heart, There are Too Many Of Us and Ghost Ship

[LaneSax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gypc_n5knq0

[xmd 5a]

The new album is fantastic. I had zero expectations because I was skeptical about Blur being a thing in this decade, but they've managed to put out some of their best work ever. "Thoight I Was A Spaceman" and "There Are Too Many of Us" are jaw-droppers.

[LaneSax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0qA38h9w3o

[LaneSax]

just picked some of the blur albums I been neglecting. Was lucky enough to find the remasters for a good price

must say Think Tank and Modern Life is Rubbish deserves to be discussed more in a positive way.

[LaneSax]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtS9_0d8Xa4

[Reznor2112]

New documentary: New World Towers

Trailer:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGc8d-WDvm4

Blur (http://pitchfork.com/artists/409-blur/?utm_campaign=search&utm_medium=site&utm_source=search-ac) have announced New World Towers, a documentary about the band's activity over the last few years featuring live footage, interviews with the band, discussion of their 2015 LP The Magic Whip, (http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20539-the-magic-whip/) and more. It will be released in select UK theaters on December 2, with an international release soon to follow.