Damon Albarn (Sort Of) Confirms Blur Will Record New Album In Hong Kong
Bands have formed, released albums and broken up in the time Blur has spent deliberating whether they will or won't record a follow-up to 2003's sans Graham Coxon swan song Think Tank. Has Damon Albarn finally made up his mind this time? Certainly sounds like it: at a concert in Hong Kong last night, Albarn reportedly announced the cancellation of an upcoming Japanese tour leg, adding: "So we have a week in Hong Kong, and we thought it would be a good time to try and record another record."
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Now, I know, a week doesn't seem like much time to record a new album… especially one with such towering expectations… but ...
It's been a whirlwind year for fans of a little-known London rock band called Blur—reunions, BRIT Awards performances, new album rumors/confirmations/denials, new singles, Twitter Q&As, Olympic closing ceremony performances, etc. Then again, it's been something of a whirlwind career for Misters Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and David Rowntree—undoubtedly one of the most essential, creatively accomplished English rock groups of the '90s, Blur evolved out of the post-Stone Roses Madchester scene, quickly flourishing into Britpop poster children (and easy Oasis rivals) before deconstructing their sound yet again, incorporating American indie rock, electronic, dub and even musique concrete influences on later records.
How or even whether the band will decide to continue following their Olympics closing ceremony gig in Hyde Park on August 12, they've left one hell of a back catalogue behind them, culminating but hopefully not concluding with a pair of new singles, "Under The Westway" and "The Puritan" (check them both out above). In honor of Blur's rightful resurgence… plus their upcoming career-spanning box set Blur 21, out July 30 in the U.K…. I've compiled a semi-definitive list of the 21 greatest Blur tracks to date. Disagree? You probably should! Hit up our comments section below.
Without further ado, here's our Top 21…
No. 21 "Battery In Your Leg" Think Tank (2003)
"This is a ballad for the good times / and all the dignity we had…"
No. 20 "Under The Westway" Single (2012)
"There were gray skies in my city today / Everything was sinking, said snow would come on Sunday…"
No. 19 "Charmless Man" The Great Escape (1995)
"He talks at speeds / he gets nosebleeds / He doesn't see his days are tumbling down upon him…"
No. 18 "Battle" 13 (1999)
"See me walk on down to adorn myself / It's a new song glory / What do you think of now?"
No. 17 "Oily Water" Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
"It's only an early morning dream / and the whole world will be alright…"
No. 16 "Good Song" Think Tank (2003)
"TV's dead / and there ain't no war in my head / And you seem very beautiful to me…"
No. 15 "To The End" Parklife (1994)
"What happened to us? / Soon it will be gone forver…"
No. 14 "Chemical World" Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
"It's been a hell of a do / They'll be putting the holes in…"
No. 13 "Beetlebum" Blur (1997)
"And when she let's me slip away / She turns me on / All my violence is gone…"
No. 12 "Coffee And TV" 13 (1999)
"Sociability is hard enough for me / Take me away from this big-bad world and agree to marry me…"
No. 11 "Parklife" Parklife (1994)
"It's not about your 'Vorsprung Durch Technik,' you know…"
No. 10 "Tender" 13 (1999)
"Love's the greatest thing that we have / I'm waiting for that feeling to come…"
No. 9 "There's No Other Way" Leisure (1991)
"You're taking the fun out of everything / I don't wanna think at all…"
No. 8 "Song 2" Blur (1997)
"All of the time, but I'm never sure why I need you…"
No. 7 "Girls And Boys" Parklife (1994)
"Street's like a jungle / So call the police…"
No. 6 "Bad Head" Parklife (1994)
"I might as well just grin and bear it / It's not worth the trouble of an argument…"
No. 5 "Sing" Leisure (U.K. Version) (1991)
"I can't feel / 'cause I'm numb / So what's the worth in all of this?"
No. 4 "Popscene" Single (1992)
"In the absence of a way of life / just repeat this again and again and again…"
No. 3 "The Universal" The Great Escape (1995)
"When the days, they seem to fall through you / Well just let them go…"
No. 2 "This Is A Low" Parklife (1994)
"And into the sea / Goes pretty England and me…"
No. 1 "For Tomorrow" Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
"London's so nice back in your seamless rhymes / But we're lost on the Westway / So we hold each other tightly / And we can wait until tomorrow…"
Agree? Disagree? Did we leave off any of your all-time Blur favorites? Hit up our comments section below with any/all praise/grievances.
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