Blur

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Blur · After the success of Parklife, The Great Escape brought a setback. Oasis outsold them commercially and the band came to be seen as a fake middle-class group. The mood within the group was tense. Guitarist Graham Coxon was listening to American indie rock such as Pavement and proposed a different course. Damon Albarn felt the same was needed and asked producer Stephen Street for a barer sound. Recording began in June 1996 in London and continued in Reykjavik in Iceland. For the first time the group jammed together in the studio, which Coxon found exciting.

The album was released on 10 February 1997 on Food Records. It sounds more aggressive and more emotional, and the lyrics are more personal. The label and the music press feared that the young fans would drop away, but the album and the first single Beetlebum went to number one in England. Song 2 made the band bigger in America than ever before. Most critics praised the change of style and Albarn's lyrics.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Beetlebum (2012 Remaster)5:05Apple Music ↗
2. 2Song 2 (2012 Remaster)2:01Apple Music ↗
3. 3Country Sad Ballad Man (2012 Remaster)4:50Apple Music ↗
4. 4M.O.R. (2012 Remaster)3:27Apple Music ↗
5. 5On Your Own (2012 Remaster)4:26Apple Music ↗
6. 6Theme from Retro (2012 Remaster)3:37Apple Music ↗
7. 7You're so Great (2012 Remaster)3:36Apple Music ↗
8. 8Death of a Party (2012 Remaster)4:34Apple Music ↗
9. 9Chinese Bombs (2012 Remaster)1:25Apple Music ↗
10. 10I'm Just a Killer for Your Love (2012 Remaster)4:12Apple Music ↗
11. 11Look Inside America (2012 Remaster)3:50Apple Music ↗
12. 12Strange News from Another Star (2012 Remaster)4:03Apple Music ↗
13. 13Movin' On (2012 Remaster)3:43Apple Music ↗
14. 14Essex Dogs (2012 Remaster)8:10Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

See also

• Blur

Sources

1. Wikipedia (en): Blur (band
2. timeout.com
3. Wikipedia (en): Song 2
4. Wikipedia (en): Parklife (song