"13" by Blur- C or D?

their best record.

the arrangements are the real problem. They're far too showy, way too much going on in each track. blur don't have the lightness of touch to make textural music (although the better moments on think tank suggest they might be developing it - graham's departure may have helped). They're best off writing colourful, quirky pop. Pretty moments - like the start of "Mellow Song" - are smothered and not properly developed. supposed classic blur singles "tender" and "coffee and tv" are poor - none of the playfulness of the britpop heyday.

"no distance left to run" is the only great moment..."caramel" is nice, too.

I still think it has quite a tremendous middle section (1992 -> BLUREMI -> Battle -> Caramel -> Trailerpark), although "1992" can't compare to "Sing," "BLUREMI" can't compared to "Bank Holiday," etc.

There is. Just one though. :-)

I was lucky enough to hear this again recently by accident, at a friend's house. I still say it was their masterpiece, flawed as it is. I know Parklife is a formidable foe, but something about 13 satisfies me in a modern way, at times I think they were way ahead of their time with this one. What's that song where the drums echo a lot and draw you into their own universe?

BATTLE, INNIT?

I mean some might say even New Order and Giorgio Moroder should get out of the way for that song...but *ssssshhhh*

Look I really do have coherent things to post on other threads, but this album won't let me.

TRIMM TRABB IS UP NEXT!!! CHRIST ALMIGHTY GOD.

bimble OTM, it's one of the finest albums of the 90's. Standouts: Bugman, 1992, Battle, Caramel, Trimm Trabb, but I actually like every single song. Even BLUREMI's grown on me.

It was in Pitchfork's original '100 best of 90's' list, but when they came around to revision it was cruelly excised... :(

There are times when even Can would cower...
But all the naive Blur fans who don't know things like Can are just out in the cold aren't they?

They can have their Gorillaz.

"13" was wrong, wrong and nothing but wrong. Not that their most recent effort was particularly good either, but...

Today, in reality, the good old Blur have changed their name and the new name is Kaiser Chiefs. They represent what Blur should have been.

Dud. This was the first Blur album I really disliked. Some good tracks (Tender, Coffee, Trimm Trabb), but most of it sounds like Albarn and Coxon out-do each other in pretension.

geir, how old are you? the only people i know who repeat the same bullshit statements over and over are about 80 years old. it's called alzheimer, you know. or maybe you don't believe the crap you post yourself and you try to convince yourself. i doubt you'll ever persuade anyone else here...

btw i used to love 13 when it came out. it seemed so huge. like a 70s concept album or something. have to listen to it again. and to modern life is rubbish as well. there is a kind of englishness to it i adore. all other blur albums except the first one i'd rather never listen to again.

Coffee and TV, Trimm Trabb, Caramel, Mellow Song, Battle. The rest was horrible amusical cloying shite.

Music Is My Radar seemed to do it better than half the tracks on 13, I feel. I like it, but I'm not blown away. C&TV always annoyed me.

"Coffee & TV" was the last great Blur song. It wouldn't even have been among the highlights on "The Great Escape" though.

Today, in reality, the good old Blur have changed their name and the new name is Kaiser Chiefs. They represent what Blur should have been.

-- Geir Hongro, Saturday, 19 May 2007 12:15 (6 hours ago) Link

EWWWWWWW!
wrong.

:(

oh geir

where is hueg jagger post about this

Coffee & TV always annoyed me, too, actually. I've never understood why so many like that one. It's simplistic to the point of being banal.

I kind of like it within the album, as a brief break from the weirdness, but wouldn't have picked it as a stand-alone hilight. Cute video, though!

fuck me when the guitars build and build throughout '1992' and then Albarn starts singing falsetto, that, my friends, is brilliance.

There is nothing brilliant on "13" other than the chorus of "Coffee & TV", which almost sounds like the good, old mid 90s Blur.

Coffee & TV is pretty much the only Blur song I like. It's all in the "We could start over again".

They have never written a better song than "Country House". Sadly, their own unjustified hatred against that song is the reason why most of what they have made afterwards has been so disappointing.

Bumper sticker: Do Not Rebel Against The Country House!

Mark E. Smith would approve.

tender and coffee and tv are great, I don't remember a thing about the rest.

So typical, try Can.

"Caramel" got me through a recent tough patch well, I really love that song.

jagger to thread

yeah, where is that rascal hiding

Hahahah!