Album #96 : Blur - Blur

Blur

Blur (1997)

1997's self titled album marked a turning point for Blur. To that point they had been content to make quintessentially English pop about quintessentially English things - people, places, stereotypes and idioms. Guitarist Graham Coxon, though, was sick of this musical approach. He was developing an interest in American alternative rock and lo-fi sounds, in particular the work of Pavement. Consequently, when he took more of an active role in the band's approach, the group's dynamic changed.

Surprisingly, Damon Albarn, the head of the group, went along for the ride.

The result was this album, which is frankly unlike any Blur release before it. Forget the Kinks style pop explorations of Parklife, because this album sizzles with pure, raucous energy.

The Album

Coxon's love of lo-fi music translates to a number of songs on Blur. These tracks, with their fuzzy guitars, rough mixing and low, hollow-sounding vocals are some of the more interesting cuts on the record, though for fans of Blur's poppy pop, they may be a struggle to listen to. Country Sad Ballad Man is the first, with Albarn's echo-drenched vocals barely heard amongst a backdrop of washy guitar noise that is scarcely melodic. You're So Great is all Coxon, his loud acoustic guitar combined with a heartfelt lo-fi warbled vocal, with a splash of solo electric guitar matching the warbly sound. The crackle to the recording gives it a 'lost' feel, as though it were something from the '40s just recently discovered. Chinese Bombs is short, punchy and dominated by those buzzy guitars.

While those three tracks are defined by their lo-fi quality, other tracks are produced to a higher standard but still feature aggressive, fuzzy guitar and bass. Song 2 was penned as a parody of the grunge aesthetic, with its booming riff and nonsensical, almost incoherently screamed lyrics. It's also rather a catchy tune. I'm Just A Killer For Your Love is more grunge; an almost atonal 'melody' created by bass and guitar (Coxon, for extra effect, adds some wah to the buzzsaw guitar sound), and vocals that sound as though they were recorded through a megaphone. M.O.R is one of the more raucously rocking tracks on the album, even if the melody is a straight rip of David Bowie's Boys Keep Swinging (hence the Bowie/Brian Eno co-songwriting credit), closely followed by Movin' On with its crunchy riffs and dissonant keyboard swells.

However, the album is not just lo-fi adventures and angry alternogrunge. There are nods to three classic English groups of the 60s. Firstly, there's the simply brilliant Beetlebum, with its Beatlesesque harmonies in the chorus; secondly, Look Inside America, despite its title, owes a debt to the guitar pop of The Kinks; and finally, the sprawling Strange News From Another Star takes elements of early Barrett-era Pink Floyd (with some Bowie's Space Oddity thrown in for good measure). All three are cracking tunes.

Then, there's a collection of four tunes that see the band flexing their experimental muscle. On two tracks, Blur go full-on space rock, and while they aren't the best tracks on the album, they are at least sonically intriguing. The best of the two is On Your Own, which is the most un-anthemic singalong anthemic singalong you'll ever hear. Minimal drums and maximum vocals encourage crowd singing....but the spacey synthesiser splashes throughout don't. Meanwhile, Theme From Retro is the sort of song that The Flaming Lips would make their trademark years later. From start to finish it's a real trip - synth strings abound, supported by Hammond organ and Alex James' bass, while Albarn lets fly with some rambling vocal nonsense. It's texturally lush and incredibly interesting.

On the semi-industrial Death of a Party, the group fuse together keyboards with a deeply intoxicating bass line. That industrial feel comes from the occasional crunchy buzz of the guitars. At other times, the song (as was accurately postulated by a writer for Pitchfork) reminds you of the Gorillaz sound that Albarn would explore years later. Lastly, there's the album closer, Essex Dogs, which is a tough, tough listen. It's essentially Coxon wringing a collection of cacophonous sounds out of his Telecaster while Albarn spouts free verse over the top. The band's rhythm section (James and Dave Rowntree) keep time during all this nonsense. Yet you get the sense that this is what the band were aiming for - that it was supposed to be tough to listen to - and if so, it worked. It's an old-school sonic exploration in the space-jammy Pink Floyd mould, so I enjoyed it immensely.

The Verdict

Blur have written more enjoyable, more poppy songs than any of the ones on this album (save maybe Look Inside America). However, in my view, this may well be the band's best work, even if it lacks a unifying artistic theme as can be found on the also quite excellent Parklife. On Blur, the group are deliberately heading away from the sound that made them popular, and doing it with style and panache. 

This album shows that Blur were far more than just popsters. They were mature, adventurous, talented musicians and songcrafters. Additionally, there's barely a bad song on Blur, and it covers a broad spectrum of sounds and influences.

The challenge has certainly been set for tomorrow's Oasis album!

My rating: ****

Standout Tracks

Beetlebum

Strange News From Another Star

You're So Great

Tomorrow, Oasis' 1997 release, and similar extension/departure from the established norm, Be Here Now. Is it really as bloated as people say? Is it truly, in the words of Noel Gallagher, "the sound of five blokes, on coke, in a studio, not giving a fuck"? We'll find out tomorrow!