I have had a burn of 13 by Blur for a reasonable length of time and very rarely play it.
However when I saw a copy of the CD in my local charity shop for 50p the completist in me kicked in..
I obviously then felt compelled to give it a listen. To me it is a combination of some pretty good pop songs such as the two singles featured below together with the virtually unlistenable such as Bugman.
Released in 1999 when the band were beginning to show the signs of cracking. Strained relationships, the split between Damon Albarn and Justine Frischmann and Graham Coxon's drinking all played their part.
Coxon left shortly thereafter and there was then a hiatus until 2003's Think Tank
They wanted to go in a more electronic direction leading to longtime producer Stephen Street being replaced by William Orbit.
From a completist point of view only The Magic Whip to go. I shall hold out until I can pick it up for 50p!
Blur - Tender
Blur - Coffee & TV
I love Bugman - though I agree the two above are more ear-friendly. The last great Blur album, I think.
ReplyDeleteNot sure The Magic Whip is worth 50p...
I also love Bugman, though the two tracks you posted remain high points of Blur's career. The rest of the album is patchy, but I wouldn't call any of it "unlistenable".
ReplyDeleteMinor Blur is still streets ahead of most other music at the time, for my money.
ReplyDeleteTender is a beautiful song. If you like blatant Spiritualized rip offs. Which I kinda do.
ReplyDeleteSwc.
I think this album defines the word 'patchy'. Coffee and TV is good, good riff and tune etc. I'm not sure Tender is as good as it thinks it is.
ReplyDeleteI have this on cassette! I can safely say it is the last new cassette I ever bought. I had been buying CDs for many years too when I bought it. I think I got it on cassette because I was doing a lot of decorating around the house at the time and had a portable cassetee player for company I can always relate albums to particular rooms in the house where I listening to them while decorating. Blur's 13 = our bedroom in the loft.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of non standard formats for Blur releases - I have a copy of Coffee & TV/Bugman as a jukebox 45. Right at the death of vinyl jukeboxes I think only about 500 were pressed.
I'm pretty ambivalent about Blur (I hear it troubles them greatly) but I do rate Tender. Er, that's it. Note to self: Only comment if you have something illuminating to say
ReplyDeleteComment away Spence. I look forward to waking on a Saturday to read your late night musings
DeleteI love this album. Graham had clearly been listening to a lot of Pavement records when he was coming up with the music for those songs considered to be less accessible.
DeleteBugman is a cracking piece of music.