šŸŽµ How Good Are They Really šŸŽµ Blur

never got on with Blur at all, 2/5.

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First band i properly got into, after hearing thereā€™s no other way on the radio.

First non-local band gig i went to (mile end, with sparks, cardiacs, boo radleys andā€¦erā€¦ dodgy)

Massive part of my life. Still listen to them often. Like think tank and the magic whip (sorry theo). Pretty much every album has at least one clunker, but their variety is something thats kept me with them the whole way.

Looking at that list of singlesā€¦ pretty amazing really.

Can only be a 5.

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did you watch the documentary they did on the reunion/recording of the magic whip?

Yep! Its no starshaped though

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Best single is going to be tough. Some great ones over the years - not many do soaring melancholy like Damon.

For Tomorrowā€™s a strong contender - Modern Lifeā€¦ was a soundtrack to my first big relationship and hearing that again instantly takes me back to being 15 again.

Of the other albums Blur and 13 were excellent; Parklife has some great moments but I think the production dates it; Think Tank is often gorgeous and often irritating - the worst excesses are probably from trying to do it without Coxon tbh; and Magic Whip was a great way to bow out. Works better as a whole than any songs in isolation. Glad they ended on a high rather than a patchy note. No interest in Leisure or Great Escape.

Excellent band and I think by and large their back catalogue still stands up well - strong melodies, some great lyrics and Grahamā€™s always been able to mix up the noisy and the melodic. 4 or 5.

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Quite surprised by this tbh Slickster.

Donā€™t like them that much past the singles, but about 10 years ago when they headlined Glastonbury they were incredible. They finished with The Universal and it seemed like the greatest song ever written, then as the crowd filed away everyone sang the ā€œOh my babyā€ hook from Tender and it was glorious, they get a 5/5 just for that really

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Very nearly made the song poll multiple choice just so I could vote for For Tomorrow and Tender btw.

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Up there with the best singles bands that Britain has produced. Wouldnā€™t really go back to any of their albums but itā€™s never been difficult to make a playlist of 20 or so great songs to listen to, and you can swap out those out for others. Reunion shows were great fun but the Magic Whip was a bit of a damp squib. Overall a solid 4/5 ā€“ could have used a real classic album to be a band for the ages.

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I saw them at Reading 91, and they were dreadful. Really really bad. Off the back of that, I took against them and more or less ignored Leisure and Modern Life. Then my little brother bought the Parklife album and played it incessantly. You may be thinking, Dear Reader, that this sparked a Damascene conversion and that I, previously cynical and prejudiced, was won over to the clever pop tunes and witty observational lyrics. No I fucking was not. Horrendous record. And then of course, Country House and The Great Escape were even more thoroughly dreadful.

At this point, itā€™s a nailed on 1/5, but I did find things to like in the Blur and 13 albums, which is an interesting side story in itself - how many bands do you only start to like on their fifth album? Fair play to them for developing and moving on.

So I guess musically I give them a 2/5 and regret not finding space above to mention how much I hate Damonā€™s voice. But then I remember them soundtracking adverts for privatised industry and dock a point. 1/5.

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God I remember how perfect this was.

Theyā€™ve stood the test of time for me. 4/5.

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He also loves bananas and brick walls (based on the 10 minutes I spent watching him taking photos of brick walls and eating bananas in Manchester)

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Not quite as terrible as Oasis/5

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They were never a band I loved, and I actively disliked things like Country House, but I saw them play a full set at Primavera, and itā€™s hard to deny that they have made a lot of really lovely and very fun songs, and are one of those bands who can take a crowd of die-hard fans and the indifferent along with them.

I saw them a month or two back playing a three-song set in Leytonstone and they were so good.

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A weird one for me this just because Iā€™m a certain age so the music has been a pretty big part of my musical life.

There are certain songs that really do my head in (including Tender which I know everyone loves) and then the odd song that seems great but even those I wouldnā€™t actively choose to listen to (my better half still plays them on occasion so I do hear stuff). 95% Iā€™m just agnostic about though, itā€™s just Blur and I donā€™t care either way.

2 seems a bit mean but donā€™t think I can push it to 3.

13 is an all-timer. Best 3 song run to close an album ever (no I do not include Optigan as a song, thanks). Very good fun live, their music has very very good points along the spectrum of inwards-facing slow tunes to indie disco staples. One of the first bands that ā€œgot me intoā€ music, a five from me.

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Iā€™ve always wanted one of these but I do not actually agree with the sentiment

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Iā€™ve always wanted one that says Mogwai are shite

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Always thought this was a shits move by Mogwai.

Even weirder when they tried to resurrect the feud that Blur had declined to engage in first time around ten years later. I like Mogwai, but they looked a bit pathetic here.

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A weird band in that I like or even love most of what Iā€™ve heard but have never had the slightest desire to listen to any of their albums and I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever actively chosen to listen to any of their songs. 3/5

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