Showing posts with label blur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blur. Show all posts
Saturday, 25 May 2013
Early Blur acoustic
Here's a treat for you, ladies and gents, from the depths of Youtube. I've never seen an acoustic performance in front of such a huge audience.
Friday, 25 December 2009
My Favourite Releases This Decade
I haven't really had time to consider whether these are my definitive favourites of the decade - turns out being busy doesn't rest at Christmas. However, these are the very favourite releases I came up with, the ones that have weathered best over time in my CD collection.
The Libertines - The Libertines (2004)
I have often said that Up the Bracket (2002) was the better Libertines album. I still agree with myself there, because it shows the Libertines for all the potential they had, all the pace and energy and raw talent they had as young men, where the eponymous second album is more a window to the fractured romance and the imminent collapse of the band. For all that, there is something lasting, something honest and original about The Libertines. While the chords are recycled from 60s beat pop and later punk, the words are decidedly more intelligent than much of the pointless punk-rock released in the early 00s. Amidst many others, wry references to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, old classic comedy series The Likely Lads and Rudyard Kipling novels, show The Libertines' very British heritage, and literary intelligence. Opener 'Can't Stand Me Now' is one of the most hailed and beloved post-punk gems of this decade, tearing open and bearing to the world the tethered hearts of frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barât. Their tale is not only perfect fanfiction material, but also much more serious, warning of the dangers of hard drugs and the risks of a friendship as frenzied and intense as theirs was. The Libertines tells the final chapter of the story so perfectly, it just cannot be ignored. Aside from being a romantic historical record, The Libertines is more importantly a collection of really good punk rock songs, with the stylish guitar playing of Carl Barât, the unusual voice of Peter Doherty and the skilled and powerful rhythm section of John Hassall and Gary Powell forcing the music along. This is an album to be young to, no excuses, and one I have sought solace and escape in for many years.
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse (2004)
2004 looks to have been a good year for music. 20 years into their career, Sonic Youth were still releasing amazing albums. Sonic Nurse is one of their most atmospheric releases, though all their albums have an atmosphere of their own. The artwork of Sonic Nurse sums up the atmosphere very well - warm and dark, ambiguous and slightly disturbing. 'Pattern Recognition' is textured and intense, with Sonic Youth's traditional noise guitar in the background. The feel changes at track two though, with a much more mellow and rich sound coming through, lyrics considered and melancholy. The threat of an explosion of Sonic Noise never leaves though, with gently pounding guitar and drums insistent throughout the album, briefly losing control in shrieky 'Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream', and then coming to beautiful and unsettling fruition in the not-to-be-listened-to-late-at-night thriller 'Paper Cup Exit'. Throughout the album, the listener feels as if they are caught in some perfect balance, which could be tipped at any point, as brittle as it is expansive and all-consuming. This mood could be created by the very rich timbre of the guitars, the threatening lyrics or the precise use of silences and dynamics. Whatever it is, I chose Sonic Nurse over excellent predecessor Murray Street (2002) and more radio-friendly but brilliant follow-up Rather Ripped (2006) because I can get lost in Sonic Nurse and never find anything I'd want to change, or skip, and the atmosphere is so wonderfully crafted.
Babyshambles - The Blinding EP (2006)
Every track on The Blinding is... blinding, if that is excusable. The lo-fi rambling and ranting that makes up endearing first album Down in Albion (2005) is nowhere to be seen on the EP that followed, being replaced by eclectic and polished indie delights. Every track is worth mentioning. Sexually charged 'The Blinding' is probably about heroin, and it's power to make you 'happier than you've ever been'. The song's angry but captivating chords can only be played loud; the sultry bassline teases you, walking you gradually but decisively to the police car of the chorus: there the chords are more subdued, worried, as the questions come into the lyrics. "What will you do if she runs out of time for you?" But no! You run and escape, with a scream and a guitar solo that sounds like scrapyard metal being torn through rust, but tunefully. And so the cycle repeats, straight into the unexpected richness and tenderness of 'Love You But You're Green'. The lyrics are wonderful, talking of angered imaginary lovers in a fuzzy past. 'I Wish' changes the mood again, the ska-reggae impossibly bouncy and summery, boasting the fabulous, stubborn Pete Doherty line "It's not the same old story. It's new to me." which is, despite protestations, a very good point. 'I Wish' openly admits to the writer's smoking crack, his empty wallet, his lacklustre approach to life on drugs. But it's unbelievably happy with it, and summery because of the offbeat major chords. 'Beg, Steal or Borrow' is like a preview of the second Babyshambles album, but still has its place on The Blinding, upbeat and uplifting, yet with a melancholy tint to the lyrics. Finally: ah, 'Sedative'. From start to finish, 'Sedative' is a work of art, the chords perfectly rounded, the voice perfectly off-key, the tempo ideal, the gently undulating guitar an escape I could only have dreamt of before hearing this song. I've gone on too much about this EP. You get it.
Blur - Think Tank (2004)
The last album Blur recorded together, I have probably summarised Think Tank pretty well in my Rough Guide to Blur at The 405 (plug plug), so I shall try and explain why I chose it as one of my favourite releases of the decade instead. This album manages to be summery and uplifting as well as sad, in almost every song. That juxtaposition of emotions seems to be what I look for in music: I like it when you can rise above being miserable and look in on it, escape it, rather than wallowing in it, which is what typically sadder music offers. Think Tank is definitely about more than introspection though. 'Crazy Beat' is a crazy beast, a dancefloor filler and a rocker. 'We've Got a File On You' is an unexpected bit of shouting to wake you up, 'Brothers and Sisters' a quirky, sultry commentary on the State of Things, and several of Blur's best beautiful tender love songs are on this album. Maybe I love Think Tank because it never fails to make me feel like the sun's shining.
I can see that's a very mainstream top 4. The Libertines are generally regarded as a typical knocking-on-the-door-of-twenty-year-old's favourite band, Blur sell to adoring millions all over the world, Sonic Youth have their lower portions firmly on the thrones of revolutionary rock royalty, and Babyshambles are famous for dubious Dohertian reasons. The point is, these bands are big because they deserve it. There are plenty big bands who don't: I'm not plugging Coldplay or U2. I genuinely believe that these are amazing albums, and I'm not giving my decade's favourites to some little band just because no-one's heard it, so no-one can argue. No, these albums are fantastic, if a little quieter than I expected my favourites to be, on average.
I have often said that Up the Bracket (2002) was the better Libertines album. I still agree with myself there, because it shows the Libertines for all the potential they had, all the pace and energy and raw talent they had as young men, where the eponymous second album is more a window to the fractured romance and the imminent collapse of the band. For all that, there is something lasting, something honest and original about The Libertines. While the chords are recycled from 60s beat pop and later punk, the words are decidedly more intelligent than much of the pointless punk-rock released in the early 00s. Amidst many others, wry references to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, old classic comedy series The Likely Lads and Rudyard Kipling novels, show The Libertines' very British heritage, and literary intelligence. Opener 'Can't Stand Me Now' is one of the most hailed and beloved post-punk gems of this decade, tearing open and bearing to the world the tethered hearts of frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barât. Their tale is not only perfect fanfiction material, but also much more serious, warning of the dangers of hard drugs and the risks of a friendship as frenzied and intense as theirs was. The Libertines tells the final chapter of the story so perfectly, it just cannot be ignored. Aside from being a romantic historical record, The Libertines is more importantly a collection of really good punk rock songs, with the stylish guitar playing of Carl Barât, the unusual voice of Peter Doherty and the skilled and powerful rhythm section of John Hassall and Gary Powell forcing the music along. This is an album to be young to, no excuses, and one I have sought solace and escape in for many years.
2004 looks to have been a good year for music. 20 years into their career, Sonic Youth were still releasing amazing albums. Sonic Nurse is one of their most atmospheric releases, though all their albums have an atmosphere of their own. The artwork of Sonic Nurse sums up the atmosphere very well - warm and dark, ambiguous and slightly disturbing. 'Pattern Recognition' is textured and intense, with Sonic Youth's traditional noise guitar in the background. The feel changes at track two though, with a much more mellow and rich sound coming through, lyrics considered and melancholy. The threat of an explosion of Sonic Noise never leaves though, with gently pounding guitar and drums insistent throughout the album, briefly losing control in shrieky 'Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream', and then coming to beautiful and unsettling fruition in the not-to-be-listened-to-late-at-night thriller 'Paper Cup Exit'. Throughout the album, the listener feels as if they are caught in some perfect balance, which could be tipped at any point, as brittle as it is expansive and all-consuming. This mood could be created by the very rich timbre of the guitars, the threatening lyrics or the precise use of silences and dynamics. Whatever it is, I chose Sonic Nurse over excellent predecessor Murray Street (2002) and more radio-friendly but brilliant follow-up Rather Ripped (2006) because I can get lost in Sonic Nurse and never find anything I'd want to change, or skip, and the atmosphere is so wonderfully crafted.
Every track on The Blinding is... blinding, if that is excusable. The lo-fi rambling and ranting that makes up endearing first album Down in Albion (2005) is nowhere to be seen on the EP that followed, being replaced by eclectic and polished indie delights. Every track is worth mentioning. Sexually charged 'The Blinding' is probably about heroin, and it's power to make you 'happier than you've ever been'. The song's angry but captivating chords can only be played loud; the sultry bassline teases you, walking you gradually but decisively to the police car of the chorus: there the chords are more subdued, worried, as the questions come into the lyrics. "What will you do if she runs out of time for you?" But no! You run and escape, with a scream and a guitar solo that sounds like scrapyard metal being torn through rust, but tunefully. And so the cycle repeats, straight into the unexpected richness and tenderness of 'Love You But You're Green'. The lyrics are wonderful, talking of angered imaginary lovers in a fuzzy past. 'I Wish' changes the mood again, the ska-reggae impossibly bouncy and summery, boasting the fabulous, stubborn Pete Doherty line "It's not the same old story. It's new to me." which is, despite protestations, a very good point. 'I Wish' openly admits to the writer's smoking crack, his empty wallet, his lacklustre approach to life on drugs. But it's unbelievably happy with it, and summery because of the offbeat major chords. 'Beg, Steal or Borrow' is like a preview of the second Babyshambles album, but still has its place on The Blinding, upbeat and uplifting, yet with a melancholy tint to the lyrics. Finally: ah, 'Sedative'. From start to finish, 'Sedative' is a work of art, the chords perfectly rounded, the voice perfectly off-key, the tempo ideal, the gently undulating guitar an escape I could only have dreamt of before hearing this song. I've gone on too much about this EP. You get it.
The last album Blur recorded together, I have probably summarised Think Tank pretty well in my Rough Guide to Blur at The 405 (plug plug), so I shall try and explain why I chose it as one of my favourite releases of the decade instead. This album manages to be summery and uplifting as well as sad, in almost every song. That juxtaposition of emotions seems to be what I look for in music: I like it when you can rise above being miserable and look in on it, escape it, rather than wallowing in it, which is what typically sadder music offers. Think Tank is definitely about more than introspection though. 'Crazy Beat' is a crazy beast, a dancefloor filler and a rocker. 'We've Got a File On You' is an unexpected bit of shouting to wake you up, 'Brothers and Sisters' a quirky, sultry commentary on the State of Things, and several of Blur's best beautiful tender love songs are on this album. Maybe I love Think Tank because it never fails to make me feel like the sun's shining.
I can see that's a very mainstream top 4. The Libertines are generally regarded as a typical knocking-on-the-door-of-twenty-year-old's favourite band, Blur sell to adoring millions all over the world, Sonic Youth have their lower portions firmly on the thrones of revolutionary rock royalty, and Babyshambles are famous for dubious Dohertian reasons. The point is, these bands are big because they deserve it. There are plenty big bands who don't: I'm not plugging Coldplay or U2. I genuinely believe that these are amazing albums, and I'm not giving my decade's favourites to some little band just because no-one's heard it, so no-one can argue. No, these albums are fantastic, if a little quieter than I expected my favourites to be, on average.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
A Rough Guide to Blur
Having finally bought 13, I decided I could probably kick off my Rough Guides with A Rough Guide: Blur. Blur were/are: Damon Albarn: lead vocals, keyboards, some guitar. Graham Coxon: lead guitar, backing vocals. Alex James: bass, occasional vocals. Dave Rowntree: drums.
For most British indie fans, Blur defined the 1990s. Though Oasis too were at the top of the game, they just sounded like the 1960s on ecstasy (instead of LSD), so I don't think they deserve the legacy. Blur do. Starting off as Circus, then Seymour, the band changed its name to Blur on the advice of Food, the record label it signed to. Blur were a leading band in the movement Britpop, but developed over time into a more experimental, arty band - this may have alienated lo-fi punk guitarist Graham Coxon and caused him to leave in about 2000, which eventually triggered their split, after 2003 effort Think Tank. Blur influenced scores of modern bands, as well as spawning Damon Albarn's Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and The Queen and Graham Coxon as a solo artist. Back together again after 10 years, Blur may release another album, but recent media reports suggest that this comeback was just a nostalgia trip, and will finish as suddenly as it started.
Leisure (1991)
Blur made six albums. What? They made seven, you say? No, no. It was definitely six.
Leisure is the forgotten Blur album. It is forgotten by choice rather than careless error. Blur, who kicked off and lead the masses in Britpop later on, strolled onto the music scene with this repetitive, slightly lazy album. It sounds like The Stone Roses or The Happy Mondays, though it doesn't have the charm of being new and original. The world was still trapped in the indie dance confines of Madchester, and 'baggy', and Blur did nothing to combat this.
This is in retrospect. At the time, listeners weren't to know of Damon Albarn's later lyrical prowess, and Graham Coxon's later guitar brilliance, so they enjoyed the wholesome, innocent pop of She's So High and There's No Other Way without disappointment. Undoubtedly, There's No Other Way was an anthemic gem, and parts of Leisure showcased Damon's sultry vocals to full effect, and showed Blur's ability to inject emotion into tracks which other bands would fail miserably with (Wear Me Down, Sing, High Cool).
Popscene (1992)
Although only a one-track release, Popscene was definitely a musical turning point for Blur. It was a dramatic change, unlike their later slow evolution. Popscene featured a fanfare, stylish guitar ornamentation, and a shout-it-out chorus, drawing on influences like The Kinks, but also with strains of British punk. It seemed to be part of a calculated effort to be more 'English', after a destructive and unrewarding American tour. Popscene was Blur's first piece of Britpop, and arguably, the start of Britpop as a genre. It remains a fantastic track, angrier than anything from Leisure, and revealing Damon's first go at social commentary: 'Everyone is a clever clone, a chrome covered clone am I, and in the absence of a way of life, just repeat this again and again.'
Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
This is the first Britpop album Blur made: it combines social commentary with great music seamlessly. They slid out of the confines of repetitive trance indie and embraced unusual chords, a lo-fi sound and the first of Damon Albarn's very eloquent lyrics. For Tomorrow has it all: the detached melancholy which Blur became known for shines through beneath a perfect pop song, with a 'la la la' chorus but some fine observations on modern England in there too.
Other great tracks on the album include sensitive song Blue Jeans, about Damon's girlfriend Justine Frischmann of Elastica, upbeat but disdainful Villa Rosie and Sunday Sunday, and a lot of interesting, miserably loveable characters in various other tracks, including Colin Zeal, the uptight man caught in the rat race, the disillusioned Miss America, and the bitter Julian with pressure mounting on him. A moment of historical importance on the album is Star Shaped, a more personal track describing Blur snapping out of recent discontent and getting their dreams together: their career was to take off from there, giving the song meaningful resonance.
Parklife (1994)
Album number three exceeded all expectations. After a slow start to their career, and a sudden reinvention, could Blur escape the negative press they'd had from not being Nirvana copyists? Parklife silenced the doubters. Often hailed as Blur's best album, Parklife certainly contains fantastic pop songs: the famous tongue-twister Girls & Boys stands next to title track Parklife, and possibly their most beloved and beautiful song, This Is A Low. The album is more electronic than their previous effort, though it retains its deliberate Englishness: This Is A Low is a whistle-stop tour around Britain, Clover Over Dover a melancholy reference to the famous Dover cliffs, Bank Holiday celebrating the typical British tradition of...celebrating.
Though the most remembered effort, and certainly the one that catapulted Blur to fame, I don't find Parklife as fulfilling a listen as I'm told I should. The merry-go-round electronics are lost on me, Graham Coxon's distinctive guitar sound stifled under unnecessary polish in places. However, there is beauty in the innocence of this album. After Parklife, after a lot of bright lights came into the equation, Blur lost the youthful simplicity in Parklife and previous albums. I'd say it's an essential Blur album, either way: it marked their rise to fame, contains some of their best and most popular songs, and definitely defines what most people think of as Blur.
The Great Escape (1995)
Maybe the fame went to their heads. Maybe Blur felt under pressure to recreate the success which surrounded Parklife, but whatever possessed them, it made them write The Great Escape. There are some good songs on this album, but it sounds like it hates itself. Not clear enough? The songs are sung without Damon's usual soul, and the social commentary almost parodies itself in places: Dan Abnormal and Ernold Same are amongst the many tired descriptions of tired characters.
Even then, Blur cannot stray from writing catchy tunes. Graham Coxon's guitar skills are brought to the fore, and there are some moments which are a lot of fun: the risqué middle section of Mr Robinson's Quango ("I'm wearing black French knickers under my suit, got stockings and suspenders on, I'm feeling rather loose"), the punk madness of Globe Alone and the uplifting quirkiness of It Could Be You. Country House made a commercial splash. Also, of course, this album bred The Universal, somehow infinitely sad and infinitely uplifting at the same time, and destined to be the background music on adverts for decades to come.
Offering the opposite perspective, some people love The Great Escape - they like the classic tunes without getting bogged down in the 'soul' or the subjective charm of the album. And I can't have disliked it at first: it got me into Blur.
Blur (1997)
Perhaps The Great Escape was the last Britpop album Blur made. Speculation as to why this album is self-titled usually leads back round to the fact that this is a much more personal album, with less commentary and more reflective lyrics: see Beetlebum, You're So Great and Look Inside America. If the previous album sounded tired and like it was retreading old ground, this sounded like a rejuvenation of Blur, but still with a lot of darkness between the lines. Beetlebum is said by some to be about Justine Frischmann's heroin addiction, the fast punk of Song 2 (probably their most famous and successful song) is lined with anger, and lots of the middle tracks are slower and more morose than ever before.
This album uses electronics in a different way to those before it, the slurping sounds in I'm Just A Killer For Your Love a good example: they are less merry-go-round and childish than earlier in their career. Essex Dogs was a pointer as to where they were going next, musically. Blur bridges a gap between the light-hearted but lethargic Britpop of The Great Escape and the new directions of13, rather than standing out as a great album in its own right. However, it did spawn Song 2, Blur's first major US hit, live favourite Beetlebum and Graham's first lead vocal track You're So Great (charming in its boyishness, but somehow lacking, like much of Graham's later solo material.)
13 (1999)
To end the nineties, and end Blur as we knew it, they released 13. To me, 13 sounds like Damon's album, with Graham fighting for the lead where he used to share it so well. 13 is experimental and by no means Britpop. It uses those more adult electronics glimpsed in the self-titled, but much more, and with much more precision. Graham's punk guitar (which defined Chinese Bombs, Song 2 and Movin' On on the previous album) is in competition with Damon's preference for distorted electronic sounds and strange new auditory experiments. The new Blur sounds like it has four different directions, four people pulling four different ways. This was probably true: the band was made up of a politician and family man, a pilot and farmer, a world music buff, and probably most worringly, a hopeful solo artist in Graham.
I really like 13. It doesn't have as many singalong moments or big choruses as Blur would usually have (minus famous break-up singalong song Tender), but it has a gritty quality and an intensity they've never had before. It could be because there is so much going on in every track: they have all really learnt to play, loudly, and with electronics and distortion layered over the top, the texture is forever changing and drawing you in. The lyrics are almost entirely abstract or reflective, leaving behind social commentary. Graham's only lead vocal track, Coffee & TV, reveals that underneath all Damon's new direction, Graham is stifled and wanting to get out.
Get out is exactly what he did. By 2000, Blur and Graham Coxon were two separate artists. The band played some shows as a threesome, with Damon Albarn expermenting (albeit not with flair) on a guitar, and Alex James and Dave Rowntree just ploughing on - the band went to record Think Tank in South America and Morocco and Graham never turned up. Alex James was the closest to Graham in the band since he and Damon's friendship had become tense, and he remembers feeling that the band's balance was in jeopardy.
Think Tank (2003)
Not content with their six albums, Blur released their Best Of with unheard track Music Is My Radar in 2000. It lacks simply because they made a great seventh album in 2003 and it's not represented. If you want a compliation album, this year's Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur is probably the CD to go for: they have chosen the tracks and it is definitely a greater compliation. It also contains Popscene, which is quite hard to find otherwise.
Books
There is a well-publicised Damon Albarn biography - Gorillaz and other fables or something - but I don't recommend it. I got about thirty pages in, and despite being very interested in Damon's life, I couldn't get any further. It was dry and dull, packed with facts which you couldn't possibly remember all of, and very little analysis or style. If you were writing an essay on Bohemian upbringing, maybe you'd like it. After reading it, you can quote facts about what his music teacher thought of him for the rest of time, but it's not a fun read.
Bit of a Blur by Alex James, on the other hand, is a fantastic read. It doesn't fill you in on the technicals of the music in depth, but it does give you a few hundred page analysis of various types of alcohol, and girls, and it does so with wit and humour and charm. You may think he's an arrogant git, and you may well be right, but I've read this twice and it still makes me laugh and come out with gooey motherly 'awwww's every few minutes. It is history as well, remember. There are still facts (when he can remember them).
Any other Blur books are uncharted territory for me. By all means explore. There is a world of Blur at your fingertips, and I hope I've made it a little more accessible in this colossal block of heartfelt writing.
For most British indie fans, Blur defined the 1990s. Though Oasis too were at the top of the game, they just sounded like the 1960s on ecstasy (instead of LSD), so I don't think they deserve the legacy. Blur do. Starting off as Circus, then Seymour, the band changed its name to Blur on the advice of Food, the record label it signed to. Blur were a leading band in the movement Britpop, but developed over time into a more experimental, arty band - this may have alienated lo-fi punk guitarist Graham Coxon and caused him to leave in about 2000, which eventually triggered their split, after 2003 effort Think Tank. Blur influenced scores of modern bands, as well as spawning Damon Albarn's Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and The Queen and Graham Coxon as a solo artist. Back together again after 10 years, Blur may release another album, but recent media reports suggest that this comeback was just a nostalgia trip, and will finish as suddenly as it started.
Leisure (1991)
Blur made six albums. What? They made seven, you say? No, no. It was definitely six.
Leisure is the forgotten Blur album. It is forgotten by choice rather than careless error. Blur, who kicked off and lead the masses in Britpop later on, strolled onto the music scene with this repetitive, slightly lazy album. It sounds like The Stone Roses or The Happy Mondays, though it doesn't have the charm of being new and original. The world was still trapped in the indie dance confines of Madchester, and 'baggy', and Blur did nothing to combat this.
This is in retrospect. At the time, listeners weren't to know of Damon Albarn's later lyrical prowess, and Graham Coxon's later guitar brilliance, so they enjoyed the wholesome, innocent pop of She's So High and There's No Other Way without disappointment. Undoubtedly, There's No Other Way was an anthemic gem, and parts of Leisure showcased Damon's sultry vocals to full effect, and showed Blur's ability to inject emotion into tracks which other bands would fail miserably with (Wear Me Down, Sing, High Cool).
Popscene (1992)
Although only a one-track release, Popscene was definitely a musical turning point for Blur. It was a dramatic change, unlike their later slow evolution. Popscene featured a fanfare, stylish guitar ornamentation, and a shout-it-out chorus, drawing on influences like The Kinks, but also with strains of British punk. It seemed to be part of a calculated effort to be more 'English', after a destructive and unrewarding American tour. Popscene was Blur's first piece of Britpop, and arguably, the start of Britpop as a genre. It remains a fantastic track, angrier than anything from Leisure, and revealing Damon's first go at social commentary: 'Everyone is a clever clone, a chrome covered clone am I, and in the absence of a way of life, just repeat this again and again.'
Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
This is the first Britpop album Blur made: it combines social commentary with great music seamlessly. They slid out of the confines of repetitive trance indie and embraced unusual chords, a lo-fi sound and the first of Damon Albarn's very eloquent lyrics. For Tomorrow has it all: the detached melancholy which Blur became known for shines through beneath a perfect pop song, with a 'la la la' chorus but some fine observations on modern England in there too.
Other great tracks on the album include sensitive song Blue Jeans, about Damon's girlfriend Justine Frischmann of Elastica, upbeat but disdainful Villa Rosie and Sunday Sunday, and a lot of interesting, miserably loveable characters in various other tracks, including Colin Zeal, the uptight man caught in the rat race, the disillusioned Miss America, and the bitter Julian with pressure mounting on him. A moment of historical importance on the album is Star Shaped, a more personal track describing Blur snapping out of recent discontent and getting their dreams together: their career was to take off from there, giving the song meaningful resonance.
Parklife (1994)
Album number three exceeded all expectations. After a slow start to their career, and a sudden reinvention, could Blur escape the negative press they'd had from not being Nirvana copyists? Parklife silenced the doubters. Often hailed as Blur's best album, Parklife certainly contains fantastic pop songs: the famous tongue-twister Girls & Boys stands next to title track Parklife, and possibly their most beloved and beautiful song, This Is A Low. The album is more electronic than their previous effort, though it retains its deliberate Englishness: This Is A Low is a whistle-stop tour around Britain, Clover Over Dover a melancholy reference to the famous Dover cliffs, Bank Holiday celebrating the typical British tradition of...celebrating.
Though the most remembered effort, and certainly the one that catapulted Blur to fame, I don't find Parklife as fulfilling a listen as I'm told I should. The merry-go-round electronics are lost on me, Graham Coxon's distinctive guitar sound stifled under unnecessary polish in places. However, there is beauty in the innocence of this album. After Parklife, after a lot of bright lights came into the equation, Blur lost the youthful simplicity in Parklife and previous albums. I'd say it's an essential Blur album, either way: it marked their rise to fame, contains some of their best and most popular songs, and definitely defines what most people think of as Blur.
The Great Escape (1995)
Maybe the fame went to their heads. Maybe Blur felt under pressure to recreate the success which surrounded Parklife, but whatever possessed them, it made them write The Great Escape. There are some good songs on this album, but it sounds like it hates itself. Not clear enough? The songs are sung without Damon's usual soul, and the social commentary almost parodies itself in places: Dan Abnormal and Ernold Same are amongst the many tired descriptions of tired characters.
Even then, Blur cannot stray from writing catchy tunes. Graham Coxon's guitar skills are brought to the fore, and there are some moments which are a lot of fun: the risqué middle section of Mr Robinson's Quango ("I'm wearing black French knickers under my suit, got stockings and suspenders on, I'm feeling rather loose"), the punk madness of Globe Alone and the uplifting quirkiness of It Could Be You. Country House made a commercial splash. Also, of course, this album bred The Universal, somehow infinitely sad and infinitely uplifting at the same time, and destined to be the background music on adverts for decades to come.
Offering the opposite perspective, some people love The Great Escape - they like the classic tunes without getting bogged down in the 'soul' or the subjective charm of the album. And I can't have disliked it at first: it got me into Blur.
Blur (1997)
Perhaps The Great Escape was the last Britpop album Blur made. Speculation as to why this album is self-titled usually leads back round to the fact that this is a much more personal album, with less commentary and more reflective lyrics: see Beetlebum, You're So Great and Look Inside America. If the previous album sounded tired and like it was retreading old ground, this sounded like a rejuvenation of Blur, but still with a lot of darkness between the lines. Beetlebum is said by some to be about Justine Frischmann's heroin addiction, the fast punk of Song 2 (probably their most famous and successful song) is lined with anger, and lots of the middle tracks are slower and more morose than ever before.
This album uses electronics in a different way to those before it, the slurping sounds in I'm Just A Killer For Your Love a good example: they are less merry-go-round and childish than earlier in their career. Essex Dogs was a pointer as to where they were going next, musically. Blur bridges a gap between the light-hearted but lethargic Britpop of The Great Escape and the new directions of13, rather than standing out as a great album in its own right. However, it did spawn Song 2, Blur's first major US hit, live favourite Beetlebum and Graham's first lead vocal track You're So Great (charming in its boyishness, but somehow lacking, like much of Graham's later solo material.)
13 (1999)
To end the nineties, and end Blur as we knew it, they released 13. To me, 13 sounds like Damon's album, with Graham fighting for the lead where he used to share it so well. 13 is experimental and by no means Britpop. It uses those more adult electronics glimpsed in the self-titled, but much more, and with much more precision. Graham's punk guitar (which defined Chinese Bombs, Song 2 and Movin' On on the previous album) is in competition with Damon's preference for distorted electronic sounds and strange new auditory experiments. The new Blur sounds like it has four different directions, four people pulling four different ways. This was probably true: the band was made up of a politician and family man, a pilot and farmer, a world music buff, and probably most worringly, a hopeful solo artist in Graham.
I really like 13. It doesn't have as many singalong moments or big choruses as Blur would usually have (minus famous break-up singalong song Tender), but it has a gritty quality and an intensity they've never had before. It could be because there is so much going on in every track: they have all really learnt to play, loudly, and with electronics and distortion layered over the top, the texture is forever changing and drawing you in. The lyrics are almost entirely abstract or reflective, leaving behind social commentary. Graham's only lead vocal track, Coffee & TV, reveals that underneath all Damon's new direction, Graham is stifled and wanting to get out.
Get out is exactly what he did. By 2000, Blur and Graham Coxon were two separate artists. The band played some shows as a threesome, with Damon Albarn expermenting (albeit not with flair) on a guitar, and Alex James and Dave Rowntree just ploughing on - the band went to record Think Tank in South America and Morocco and Graham never turned up. Alex James was the closest to Graham in the band since he and Damon's friendship had become tense, and he remembers feeling that the band's balance was in jeopardy.
Think Tank (2003)
Think Tank is Damon Albarn's album for ideas, and Alex James' and Dave Rowntree's album for form. The bassist and drummer had got very good by then, but were always in the shadow of unwilling star Graham Coxon for talent. Now, Alex's eloquence on the bass and Dave's precision as a drummer (on the tracks he plays on) can be heard through the mix.
Without the aggression and tension on previous albums, the thing which Damon excels at can be heard best: the lyrics. Damon's lyrical skill is sometimes elusive, because he doesn't use florid language or heavy metaphors, he writes eloquently and simply and sets the words to the exact melody they need. There are hints of his politics on Think Tank in Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club and We've Got A File On You and, between softer numbers, electro punk rock to sustain your interest: We've Got A File On You and Crazy Beat, which is a perfect indie dance-floor classic. Sultry Brothers & Sisters commenting on drug use (which Blur had been very familiar with in the past) is a highlight.
What am I saying? Think Tank is one long highlight, in my opinion. It sounds like Damon breaking free of Graham, a very miserable notion which leads to a great sound, and at the same time it sounds complete. It's made for the summer, every chord evoking the beautiful scenery in which it was made (especially Out of Time, which has taken on South America, in the background noise and the music itself). Blur were at the end of the road though. Alex was right: a band is a very careful equilibrium, and this couldn't work for more than one album.
Blur didn't explode in a public supernova argument, band members didn't die suddenly, and the public didn't knock them from their podium after a bad album. Blur just fizzled out. The drink and merriment had been deserted, because though it had once bound them together, it now tore them apart. Blur gave way to new projects, including cheese-making and law school and folk music and Chinese opera. Over the next few years, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn slowly reconciled, and they had a triumphant return this year. Lyrics bounced back from exalting crowds, roofs were raised, cheers reverberated around venues, and then the trees of Hyde Park. They headlined Glastonbury. Maybe there is a future for Blur, maybe there isn't, but it's certain that their legacy is now undeniable.
How to Buy Blur
If you are planning on buying/downloading all of the albums, I wouldn't suggest you take them out of order. They track a steady development (even more so than long standing bands like Sonic Youth) and all have some great moments on. However if you just want the general Blur 'thing', I'd suggest you buy Parklife and Modern Life is Rubbish, as well as 13 and Think Tank because they are great albums despite not being Britpop as such. The Great Escape and Blur are optional, though both have classic tracks on them. Leisure - well it's up to you, but it's no real loss if you miss it out. In my opinion.
Not content with their six albums, Blur released their Best Of with unheard track Music Is My Radar in 2000. It lacks simply because they made a great seventh album in 2003 and it's not represented. If you want a compliation album, this year's Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur is probably the CD to go for: they have chosen the tracks and it is definitely a greater compliation. It also contains Popscene, which is quite hard to find otherwise.
Books
There is a well-publicised Damon Albarn biography - Gorillaz and other fables or something - but I don't recommend it. I got about thirty pages in, and despite being very interested in Damon's life, I couldn't get any further. It was dry and dull, packed with facts which you couldn't possibly remember all of, and very little analysis or style. If you were writing an essay on Bohemian upbringing, maybe you'd like it. After reading it, you can quote facts about what his music teacher thought of him for the rest of time, but it's not a fun read.
Bit of a Blur by Alex James, on the other hand, is a fantastic read. It doesn't fill you in on the technicals of the music in depth, but it does give you a few hundred page analysis of various types of alcohol, and girls, and it does so with wit and humour and charm. You may think he's an arrogant git, and you may well be right, but I've read this twice and it still makes me laugh and come out with gooey motherly 'awwww's every few minutes. It is history as well, remember. There are still facts (when he can remember them).
Any other Blur books are uncharted territory for me. By all means explore. There is a world of Blur at your fingertips, and I hope I've made it a little more accessible in this colossal block of heartfelt writing.
Monday, 6 July 2009
10 Songs I Love Right Now - 6/07/09
Blur - Caravan
Caravan wasn't the standout song when I first heard Think Tank: Crazy Beat and Brothers and Sisters were my instant favourites, but Caravan is a grower and I've had it on repeat lately. Beautiful simplistic melodies gently chug along over sprinklings of keyboard, and typically eloquent Damon Albarn lyrics sung in a heavy, faraway voice make this song perfect for drifting away into.
Sucioperro - Liquids
The recent Sucioperro album, Pain Agency, is a proper experimental rock album, pulling out the stops on instrumental skill and raw emotion. Liquids is the opener and it has it all: riffs that Sucioperro will be offered serious money for by whoever makes Guitar Hero, angsty lyrics, little quiet sections with really weird guitar runs in, a melodic section at the end, aggressive drumming. Played back to back with Conception Territory's strange cowbell solos, you're going to go on some serious trip.
Ali M Forbes - Under Her Sails
So, Envy & Other Sins split up this week, to the great disappointment of their fans, who are a lot more sympathetic than their ex-record company. Ali's first demo is this song, as yet unreleased, but a lovely ditty with xylophone and acoustic instruments. It's pretty. Hear it here.
Sonic Youth - Walking Blue
I was always a fan of Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, and I tend to love his songs best on their recent albums. He writes intense lyrics and sings them in rich, deep tones. This song is the same, with gorgeous percussion (I think it's a metal thing you scrape?) and nice chord progressions. Also a fan of What We Know, similar, but driven more by bass.
Stiff Little Fingers - Doesn't Make it All Right
Laid-back punk-ska track, made good by the fiddly bass part and the vocals - anti-prejudice lyrics are sung with a mixture of anger, disdain and exasperation, until it builds up into a percussion-and-mantra-powered punk song at the end.
Dirty Pretty Things - The Weekenders
A Dirty Pretty Things B-side, this track is just a daft Didz Hammond-ish retelling of the end of a relationship ("I showed you nearly all my heart and you showed me the door"), but it's done with nice guitar parts and upbeat chords. And Carl Barât's voice in the chorus is delicious. But that's just a given.
Blur - Popscene
It's deservedly on their new getting-back-together-and-making-a-lot-of-cash CD, Midlife, deservedly because it's a fantastically mad track, padded out with a brass section. This track is credited with giving birth to Britpop. It's certainly a lot of fun, I'll give it that.
The Coral - Who's Gonna Find Me
The Coral are fantastic at vocal harmonies, and that's what I love about this track: that and the slightly Hawaiian slides on the guitar. Pretty simple in structure and lyrics, this track is nothing to get excited about, really, but it's the sound of (a slightly angsty) summer and I'm temporarily addicted to it.
Yeti - Till The Weekend Comes
My favourite from 2008 album The Legend Of Yeti Gonzales so far, Till the Weekend Comes is a relaxed and slightly melancholy pop tune. Four-part harmonies and a day off: it's about as free as I ever feel these days. Don't Go Back To The One You Love is my second favourite, with cinematic lyrics describing some kind of thrilling escapade through the wilds of America, as well as containing Yeti's usual precise harmonies. There's a nomad in his mustang and everything.
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Specials are back together! The Specials! Despite a patchy Glastonbury performance, The Specials are back in full force, most still jumping round that stage, Terry Hall still staring intently into the crowd with an intimidating expression on his face. This song doesn't need justifying. It's fucking ace.
Leave me a comment if you'd like, if you agree or disagree with the above. Always open to debate.
Caravan wasn't the standout song when I first heard Think Tank: Crazy Beat and Brothers and Sisters were my instant favourites, but Caravan is a grower and I've had it on repeat lately. Beautiful simplistic melodies gently chug along over sprinklings of keyboard, and typically eloquent Damon Albarn lyrics sung in a heavy, faraway voice make this song perfect for drifting away into.
Sucioperro - Liquids
The recent Sucioperro album, Pain Agency, is a proper experimental rock album, pulling out the stops on instrumental skill and raw emotion. Liquids is the opener and it has it all: riffs that Sucioperro will be offered serious money for by whoever makes Guitar Hero, angsty lyrics, little quiet sections with really weird guitar runs in, a melodic section at the end, aggressive drumming. Played back to back with Conception Territory's strange cowbell solos, you're going to go on some serious trip.
Ali M Forbes - Under Her Sails
So, Envy & Other Sins split up this week, to the great disappointment of their fans, who are a lot more sympathetic than their ex-record company. Ali's first demo is this song, as yet unreleased, but a lovely ditty with xylophone and acoustic instruments. It's pretty. Hear it here.
Sonic Youth - Walking Blue
I was always a fan of Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, and I tend to love his songs best on their recent albums. He writes intense lyrics and sings them in rich, deep tones. This song is the same, with gorgeous percussion (I think it's a metal thing you scrape?) and nice chord progressions. Also a fan of What We Know, similar, but driven more by bass.
Stiff Little Fingers - Doesn't Make it All Right
Laid-back punk-ska track, made good by the fiddly bass part and the vocals - anti-prejudice lyrics are sung with a mixture of anger, disdain and exasperation, until it builds up into a percussion-and-mantra-powered punk song at the end.
Dirty Pretty Things - The Weekenders
A Dirty Pretty Things B-side, this track is just a daft Didz Hammond-ish retelling of the end of a relationship ("I showed you nearly all my heart and you showed me the door"), but it's done with nice guitar parts and upbeat chords. And Carl Barât's voice in the chorus is delicious. But that's just a given.
Blur - Popscene
It's deservedly on their new getting-back-together-and-making-a-lot-of-cash CD, Midlife, deservedly because it's a fantastically mad track, padded out with a brass section. This track is credited with giving birth to Britpop. It's certainly a lot of fun, I'll give it that.
The Coral - Who's Gonna Find Me
The Coral are fantastic at vocal harmonies, and that's what I love about this track: that and the slightly Hawaiian slides on the guitar. Pretty simple in structure and lyrics, this track is nothing to get excited about, really, but it's the sound of (a slightly angsty) summer and I'm temporarily addicted to it.
Yeti - Till The Weekend Comes
My favourite from 2008 album The Legend Of Yeti Gonzales so far, Till the Weekend Comes is a relaxed and slightly melancholy pop tune. Four-part harmonies and a day off: it's about as free as I ever feel these days. Don't Go Back To The One You Love is my second favourite, with cinematic lyrics describing some kind of thrilling escapade through the wilds of America, as well as containing Yeti's usual precise harmonies. There's a nomad in his mustang and everything.
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Specials are back together! The Specials! Despite a patchy Glastonbury performance, The Specials are back in full force, most still jumping round that stage, Terry Hall still staring intently into the crowd with an intimidating expression on his face. This song doesn't need justifying. It's fucking ace.
Leave me a comment if you'd like, if you agree or disagree with the above. Always open to debate.
Monday, 29 June 2009
Blur @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall, 24/06/09
It took me a while to register that this was actually happening when four of my idols sauntered onstage last week. I haven't recovered from the initial shock. There had been a complicated preshow bar system with all sorts of inside-queueing and confusion, so when I got to the front and saw four brilliant people all together on one stage, it was dreamlike. It was the best place to be to witness the brilliance of a Blur reunion first hand.
Two supports, local band Tukazon and Klaxons-esque electro-rock band The Magistrates, had kicked it off. Neither were exceptional, but neither got boring as they only had twenty minute sets. Blur came on at the early time of quarter to nine, to frenetic pogoing as the opening chords of She's So High rang out in the 5000-capacity venue. The crowd were fantastic: stadium-worthy singalongs and mass jumping ensued.
Alex James stood like a prize on the right hand side of the stage, posing coyly for photographs, flicking his hair and moving his hips. They'd all lost weight for the tour and looked at their youngest and best for years. Damon Albarn's energy was contagious; after the subdued poise of The Good, The Bad & The Queen, suits and hats aplenty, he seemed pleased and relieved to be back on a stage where he could charge around, stage dive and berate the crowd for not singing loudly enough. At one point he changed shoes because he was slipping around everywhere, to a crowd chant of "Damon! Damon!" that soon turned into a round of all the band members' names.
The setlist was vaguely chronological, with tracks from the shunned first album Leisure, the underrated second album Modern Life Is Rubbish and the famed third album Parklife played near the beginning. The first pause for breath came during Badhead, the crowd surprisingly nonchalant considering the song's delicate charm. The full setlist can be found here, two encores and all. Highlights of the night for me were Beetlebum, which was epic live, especially with that sultry bassline, Sunday Sunday with its manic second half, Parklife, which was sped up to a ridiculous tempo and punkified beyond recognition (Phil Daniels never turned up, sadly), Tender for the crowd participation, This Is A Low for the pure rapture, and of course, The Universal.
The Universal was just superb. It was the final song of the night, after Blur playing almost 2 hours, and the band buzzed with the most amazing positive vibe: they got a standing ovation on the balcony, and at the end, the whole band just stood without their instruments, grinning and lapping up the applause they fully deserved. It was fifteen years ago again, four men youthful and vibrant (despite the thinning hair and wedding rings), four kindred spirits, back together to have another go at it. Thank fuck.
I got a plectrum and Dave's signature afterwards, though teetotallers Alex James and Graham Coxon left early, and Damon rushed out, rightfully shattered after a fantastic gig. Really worth the wait, considering I never thought it would happen. I hope for a bright and Blurry future.
9/10
Two supports, local band Tukazon and Klaxons-esque electro-rock band The Magistrates, had kicked it off. Neither were exceptional, but neither got boring as they only had twenty minute sets. Blur came on at the early time of quarter to nine, to frenetic pogoing as the opening chords of She's So High rang out in the 5000-capacity venue. The crowd were fantastic: stadium-worthy singalongs and mass jumping ensued.
Alex James stood like a prize on the right hand side of the stage, posing coyly for photographs, flicking his hair and moving his hips. They'd all lost weight for the tour and looked at their youngest and best for years. Damon Albarn's energy was contagious; after the subdued poise of The Good, The Bad & The Queen, suits and hats aplenty, he seemed pleased and relieved to be back on a stage where he could charge around, stage dive and berate the crowd for not singing loudly enough. At one point he changed shoes because he was slipping around everywhere, to a crowd chant of "Damon! Damon!" that soon turned into a round of all the band members' names.
The setlist was vaguely chronological, with tracks from the shunned first album Leisure, the underrated second album Modern Life Is Rubbish and the famed third album Parklife played near the beginning. The first pause for breath came during Badhead, the crowd surprisingly nonchalant considering the song's delicate charm. The full setlist can be found here, two encores and all. Highlights of the night for me were Beetlebum, which was epic live, especially with that sultry bassline, Sunday Sunday with its manic second half, Parklife, which was sped up to a ridiculous tempo and punkified beyond recognition (Phil Daniels never turned up, sadly), Tender for the crowd participation, This Is A Low for the pure rapture, and of course, The Universal.
The Universal was just superb. It was the final song of the night, after Blur playing almost 2 hours, and the band buzzed with the most amazing positive vibe: they got a standing ovation on the balcony, and at the end, the whole band just stood without their instruments, grinning and lapping up the applause they fully deserved. It was fifteen years ago again, four men youthful and vibrant (despite the thinning hair and wedding rings), four kindred spirits, back together to have another go at it. Thank fuck.
I got a plectrum and Dave's signature afterwards, though teetotallers Alex James and Graham Coxon left early, and Damon rushed out, rightfully shattered after a fantastic gig. Really worth the wait, considering I never thought it would happen. I hope for a bright and Blurry future.
9/10
Sunday, 17 May 2009
10 Songs I Love Right Now (6) - 17/05/09
Libertines are my favourite band, and I Got Sweets is my favourite B-side at the moment, along with Half-Cocked Boy with its sumptuous chords in the chorus. I love I Got Sweets because it is jazzy, breaking into a walking bassline and instrumental solos in the middle. It's proper music, this, and Carl's voice couldn't be more attractive. I've been over-listening to Eight Days A Week (Beatles Cover) too. Let's hope this reunion happens, which their gig in London last night seemed to make more imminent.
The film The Boat That Rocked brought this song back to my attention. I've always loved it, however simple the chord progressions are. The lyrics about the taxman 'taking all my dough' work in the recession - it's a very miserable song lyrically, but it's so relaxed and manages to be uplifting at the same time.
Paper Cup Exit starts quietly, with repetitive drums and then a soft guitar riff. It seems like a 'skip' track until the unnerving verse comes in, with slightly discordant guitar chords against Lee Ranaldo's severly underrated, rich voice. After the crypic lyrics 'I don't mind if you sing a different song, just as long as you sing along', it drops to an edgy, almost scary riff. From there, it gets more and more tense. This track is haunting, but in the most amazing way.
Carcrashlander - Coast To Coast
On CarCrashLander's album Mountains On Our Backs, this wasn't a standout track to me, at first. I loved Quoting Dead Comedians and Capillary Webs. They're still good, but this proved to be a more elusive gem, with catchy lyrics and melodies that got trapped in my head, but were subtle enough not to get on my nerves.
Wolfmaaaan! You're giving me the hump, maaaan! I don't know why this track is quite so memorable, or catchy, or sexy, but it is. There is a long drum solo at the end too that sounds almost like African fusion - it's a great track, and I can see why it was a live favourite back in the Down in Albion days.
This is a track filled with such sincere-sounding tenderness, with such well-chosen words, it is impossible not to fall in love with it. Building up slowly from a simple drum beat, through soft sprinklings of guitar, to the soaring chorus, 'I just want to be, darling, with you', it is intoxicating. And it helps me sleep, which for once, is not damning.
Django Reinhardt - Minor Swing
If you can spell his name, Django is a brilliant find - I found him because he is said to have influenced Carl Barât's guitar playing style very much, which I can see. So surprised was I to hear a song from the soundtrack to the Johnny Depp film Chocolat, that I went and downloaded it straight away. Minor Swing is exciting, jazzy, displays musical virtuosity and reminds me of Johnny Depp, which has to be good.
After getting over the inital shock of hearing my stereo singing 'Oh! Listen to me! I'm on the stereo!' I found this to be a great song. The vocals are very American, which would usually put me off, but this time added to the lilting feeling of the song, with its lo-fi but uplifting edge.
The first thing I thought when I heard this was 'Man, he can play guitar!' Graham has mastered the fine art of finger picking here, or at least showcases it to its full advantage for the first time. It's a great track, very simple and repetitive rhythmically, but energetic, well-played and very danceable (it may not be in the dictionary, but you know what I mean, right?)
Marmaduke Duke - Je Suis Un Funky Homme
The album (Duke Pandemonium) is thrilling enough before this track comes on, but this comes like the cherry on a particularly delicious cake. Daft and excellent in equal measure, Je Suis Un Funky Homme is a wonderful slice of experimental dance pop - that high-pitched organ and those mad vocals...it's a musical delight.
Thursday, 14 May 2009
A 405 Update and Other Bits & Pieces
My first ever very positive review has gone up on The 405, a review of the CarCrashLander album Mountains On Our Backs. I decided to give it 8/10, for reasons you can find out if you read the review. That 'job' is going quite well, I've reviewed quite a few things already, and I'm about to submit a Graham Coxon single review, which is also very positive. I must be mellowing with age, or I've just been inundated with great music.
While on the topic of Graham Coxon, can anyone actually translate his Twitter updates for me? He has so many injokes with himself I can barely understand a word of it. That doesn't matter though, really. What matters is that he's got even more fantastic at the guitar for this current album The Spinning Top, which is out now. I reckon he's picked up an acoustic tenderness from Peter Doherty, judging by the single. If I had the money, I'd buy it. However, I've spent that money on going to see Blur in Wolverhampton; at least he profits.
I heard a snatch of Frank Zappa yesterday, one of the artists I really should know about and listen to, but don't. A few weeks ago I reviewed Marmaduke Duke's new album, saying I'd never heard anything like it. Well, now I have, and Frank Zappa did that stuff decades ago, so I'd like to mention that in retrospect. The nod for originality I gave Marmaduke is not quite so deserved, especially as if Zappa did experimental electronics in that style, someone else probably did too. My fault entirely for being too young to know Zappa first hand.
While on the topic of Graham Coxon, can anyone actually translate his Twitter updates for me? He has so many injokes with himself I can barely understand a word of it. That doesn't matter though, really. What matters is that he's got even more fantastic at the guitar for this current album The Spinning Top, which is out now. I reckon he's picked up an acoustic tenderness from Peter Doherty, judging by the single. If I had the money, I'd buy it. However, I've spent that money on going to see Blur in Wolverhampton; at least he profits.
I heard a snatch of Frank Zappa yesterday, one of the artists I really should know about and listen to, but don't. A few weeks ago I reviewed Marmaduke Duke's new album, saying I'd never heard anything like it. Well, now I have, and Frank Zappa did that stuff decades ago, so I'd like to mention that in retrospect. The nod for originality I gave Marmaduke is not quite so deserved, especially as if Zappa did experimental electronics in that style, someone else probably did too. My fault entirely for being too young to know Zappa first hand.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
The 405 - A Recommendation
I am now on the writing team at The 405 (click here) and my first two reviews are online now. One is a retrospective review of Blur's Parklife, and the other is a review of rockers Hundred Reasons' new album, Quick The Word, Sharp The Action. There is also an interesting debate over whether The Libertines should get back together starting up at The 405 Debate.
The 405 (and yes, this is a plug) is an excellent review site, looking at art, books, film and music, which is just about to turn 1. It's really worth a look, and worth favouriting if you ask me. I wouldn't have offered my writing 'services' did I not think it was a brilliant site. Go on...
The 405 (and yes, this is a plug) is an excellent review site, looking at art, books, film and music, which is just about to turn 1. It's really worth a look, and worth favouriting if you ask me. I wouldn't have offered my writing 'services' did I not think it was a brilliant site. Go on...
Saturday, 7 February 2009
10 Songs I Love Right Now - 3/02/09
This is a great one to kick off with. The riffs in this song are turbo-charged, and there are loads of them. Besides this, the great lyrics: "So they say you're a troubled boy, just because you like to destroy all the things that bring the idiots joy, but what's wrong with a little destruction?" And it has a la la section! No pop rock song can be complete without a la la hook. Oh, this song - how can it not give you an angry high?
This song takes a while to get going, starting with those sultry chords and characteristic raw guitar noise, and then the brittle vocals, atmospheric and unsettling. It's repetitive and absolutely mesmerising. It builds up half way through, until suddenly it rocks out into this maddeningly irresistable chant of "You got your dirty boots!" over the backing and then fades out into soft, gentle strumming. Heaven.
The Clash - The Guns of Brixton
I couldn't decide whether to include this or London Calling, but everyone knows London Calling, so I decided to put this in instead. It's dark and it was so new when they released it - this fusion of reggae and rock, with those almost comic sound effects and samples. It captures a moment in time so perfectly; seventies London, down and outs being hunted down by the racist police, taking sides to survive.
Of course, the Babyshambles versus Dirty Pretty Things debate...I'll just add my two pence. Pete had the talent and the poetry, while Carl had the passion and the technical skill, in my opinion, although of course it's more complex than that. Neither follow-up band is good as The Libertines, but Babyshambles are better than Dirty Pretty Things. It's sad to think that the latter are gone now, as they did have something, but not quite the something that Babyshambles have. Take this track, Fuck Forever. He is just a master of choruses, no? This is not to be mistaken for background music; asymmetrical bar layouts, out-of-tune shouting and most of all, great great lyrics.
Parklife gained Blur their fame, though it is a little clean for me. This song is a standout though. The slightly on-edge synths and Damon's mocking, neutral tone. The chorus I especially love about it. The harmonies just work so well, and the way he puns on misery and mystery, and the last line which always trails so poignantly into the next chord sequence...
The Drop is not the best on the album Random Acts of Intimacy in my opinion, but it seems to be the one I'm listening to most. The beautiful guitar playing throughout, and the lovely lyric "The days fall slow, like summer rain" I just want to listen to over and over again. When it breaks down at 2:50 as well, into a softer quieter bit - that's pretty. Very pretty.
A'Rebours is a deliciously upbeat track, especially that bassline which comes in at the very start and dominates the rest. I love bands who make liberal use of tambourine. Also here, I know this is cheating, but I'd like to say 8 Dead Boys is worth a nod. It's Hellishly angry, clearly a jibe at former bandmates of Peter Doherty, but the guitar licks are very well-played and the emotion in it is so wonderfully breakable.
The Stranglers - No More Heroes
Yes I've been raiding my mum's CDs again, and yes I liked it. No More Heroes is a synth-punk masterpiece damning idolisation - or is it the words of a dissolute young man who has found all his heroes to be fools? A young man whose heroes have failed him? Of course it is told from a disdainful third person view, making it even more sneeringly great.
Is there anything happier than a ditty driven along by typical chords and a metronome? It's one of the little things I can never pin down, why a happy song like this sounds so happy - is it the major chords, the lyrics about friendship, the unusually great singing for Pete Doherty, or the little drum solo at the end? I don't know, but it really is so uplifting, and if you like the Don't Look Back Into the Sun side of the Libs, really check this out. "I'm still lining them up and knocking them down with you." ♥
This is my soothing choice - a soft, eerie folk song with a twist, it starts calmly, slowly, with instruments humming and an inverted dialogue of whispering in the background. It's the bass and the fiddle which do it for me: they are at odds, spooky, and give the relatively regular melody of the song a real edge. Looking for a more upbeat, political Levellers song? No? Well I s'pose you should be. See Social Insecurity.
I had the audacity to put way more than 10 song references in there. Oh well. I love all of them. Take a look, as ever, they are all worth a listen or ten. Hope you're having a good 2009 so far, wherever you are.
10 Songs I Love Right Now - 28/09/08
Biffy Clyro - Buddy Holly (Weezer Cover)
I actually heard this cover before I heard the original. I assumed that the original would be pretty out there too; I went looking for it and found a sweet American pop song. Biffy have magically transformed this track into something very impressive. Built around ridiculously complex time signatures and shifting melodies, this is an amazing musical masterpiece. Then the Scottish voices singing the lyrics over the brilliance, following the original tune but fitting it very loosely around the backing just make the song what it is. They made it better. Obviously I'm biased, Biffy being my favourite band, but seriously, this would be a good cover either way.
Envy & Other Sins - Help Yourself
This song is so damn happy. I bought it on the Prodigal Son single at a gig in Stratford, a self-released venture by Envy & Other Sins which didn't really get anywhere, but which is really quite brilliant. Two days afterwards I fell madly in love with them on stage at Birmingham ArtsFest, and for days after that I was playing Help Yourself on repeat in blissful retreat from the world around me, and for that time I was happy. So it's a happy song for me now, very happy.
I can't explain my love for this song very well, it's all emotional. For a start, it's my dad's music, which brings an element of guilt into it for me, but I can't deny how great it is. It's a love song with quite melancholy lyrics (when translated from Portugese) but the tune and the rhythm is so uplifting and cheerful. It makes me want to skip down the street, it's so beautiful and carefree.
Radiohead - Planet Telex Ah Radiohead. I suppose I'm late to discover Radiohead - it's not my fault I was born at the wrong time! This song is everything at the moment, eerie and sad but also perfect for encapsulating everything I feel. "Everything is broken." It's a dreary lyric, but it fits my mood - the rest of the words are generic enough to capture hundreds of people's feelings, but specific enough to feel like they apply to me only. It's set to very moving music too. My Iron Lung is also capable of this, the funk-rock heaviness towards the end giving me something to mosh to in my front room. Love.
This song is a bit dull to be honest. It's a twisted love song with sweet but predictable melodies and very little lyrical or rhythmic interest. But it's sexy, I suppose, the sleepy, deep vocals compelling and disobedient; the song is gorgeously morose and angsty, and when I don't want to hear something happy and I don't want to hear something sad, it's the perfect compromise. Damon's voice always gets me too. It's special.
Flight of the Conchords - The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)
I don't know, this song is just hilarious. The lyrics are hilarious and very cruel ("You're so beautiful like a tree or a high class prostitute, you could be a part-time model but you'd probably sitll have to keep your normal job"), but beneath them there's a very sweet tinge to this song which makes anyone with half a heart go 'awwwww'. He really seems to want to be with this girl, just has no tact whatsoever. It's cute and sweet and outrageously funny.
Biffy Clyro - Stress on the Sky
I love everything about this song. I love its name and its lyrics and the cover of the album it is on (Blackened Sky) and its screamo patches and quiet patches, its intro and its beautiful harmonies, and most of all I love the quiet, considered riff after about a whole minute of heavy guitar and aimless shouting. This song is tied to a very depressed few months in my existence, and whenever I listened to it, it took the world off my shoulders and made me sink into bliss for 4 minutes. The need for that has passed now, but I cannot help but feel a ridiculous attachment to the beauty of it.
This song is a very pretty melodic slow one about the mundanity of modern life (Blur's favourite topic) but I find it more attractive than others they have done of the same type. It brings up images of a failing relationship, going so well, so much love being lost to a tide of boredom and repetition. The chorus has such lovely harmonies and melancholy sweetness. It's an emotional sigh of a song.
It's mostly the intro to this song which makes it great. It's sexy and raw and the whole track is upbeat without being too upbeat to listen to when you are miserable. It's simple but attractive, and best of all, I can play it on my guitar!
Marmaduke Duke - The Beaver and the Rabbit
Finally, Marmaduke Duke. Simon Neil's side project, I was bound to like it really. This song is angry and it doesn't fit into any of the usual structures songs have. There's no time signature that you can stick to, it's always morphing, the guitar work is simply amazing, and while the screamo bits are almost TOO experimental, it works. Stunning moments of harmony puncture the very hard and rough tune and it's impossible to listen to it without an open mouth.My 10 tunes of right now, explained.
Go and listen, go and explore, they are all mind-blowing.
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