The line, "He's got morning glory, and life's a different story" is often believed to be directed to Oasis, but the song was recorded before Oasis finished, let alone released their album.
I don't know for sure but I've always assumed Oasis's What's the Story, Morning Glory? is a reference to Harry Nilsson's Morning Glory Story from the 60s. sooooooo Blur could be referencing that too
I like the way they think that "morning glory" is a reference to Oasis. Morning glory is a well used british phrase. This record was released 2 months before 'whats the story morning glory'
Thing I find interesting is that the rivalry was blown up so big, small thing people were forgetting, Owen morris (Oasis producer) and Stephen Street (blur producer) were close friends they worked together for Johnny marr and the the etc, Owen was talking to stephen when he was working on "morning glory".
Still better blur to check out. If you haven't heard the 'Universal'. That is a truly classic song. If a little over played but it is a great one. Also check out; For tomorrow, Beetlebum, End of a century, Pop scene. Chemical world, Out of time. They've got some really great stuff. Way more diverse than Oasis. I found Oasis a bit ploddy - some of their stuff has grown in me over the years. But can't get too excited by them. blur, suede, The manics and Supergrass, were way more exciting to me and have all aged well musically.
I might add Chemical World, On your Own, M.O.R. Tender, Battle, Trimm Trabm, Out of Time, Sweet Song, Thought I was a Spaceman, Mirror Ball. I got into Blur quite late, somewhere around 99 after my dad died and I was in a dark place, and Tender was the song that got me hooked, I realized that the first 3 or 4 records where quite Ironic, sarcastic, and having a good laugh at society but in a clever way. If you pay attention, they are quite critical and even laugh at themselves, their fellow Britpoper, by the time they got to the 4th album they began to take things more seriously and got very interesting in another way. Hope you give yourself the chance of exploring their catalog if you do you are in for a treat.
Coffee and TV, The Universal, End of a Century, There’s no Other Way, Tender, Song 2, Beetlebum, This is a Low are all great songs by Blur. But you know, I still want you to review the Lightning Seeds - Marvellous, or Perfect, or Life of Riley (studio versions).
Blur's bassist, Alex James moved to a farmhouse in the Cotswolds (so he now lives in a house, a very big house in the country) to become a Cheesemaker. Talk about foreshadowing.
Blur had some anthems, check out "for tomorrow" or "girls and boys" at glastonbury, they could be the anthemic band but they were inspired by the kinks and xtc who had a fun/satire element to them. They got inspired by american indie bands like pavement and husker du at some point so you ended up with songs like "charmless man"
The Universal - Blur is one of my favs of theirs. I was a fan - Seen them in th 90's and they put on a good show. Was the first time I ever seen a frontman climb all over the stage... I was defo a bigger Oasis fan though.
Damon Albarn is the guy from The Gorillas. One of the biggest albums of the 1990's was 'Parklife' by Blur. In fact, Parklife is a cracking tune (featuring actor Phil Daniels from a brilliant film, Quadrophenia). Also, how can you pass up 'Song Two'. Banger!!!!
@@danielcollinson4456 hmmm..... but I get it. It had a very broad british accent and was just packed with cultural references which probably needed to be identified with in order to understand and enjoy it. Probably felt to them like those very southern country and western songs do to brits where you just have no shared reference in order to enjoy it.
I don't think the morning glory was a reference to Oasis . I checked the release dates of both songs . Blurs album came out on the 14th August 1995 the Oasis song came out 18th September 1995 the albums also came out in the same order Blurs 11th September 1995 and Oasis 2nd October 1995 and they didn't record in the same recording studio so my guess is it's just a coincidence .
The build up for "whats the story morning glory" was massive, Damon even made a joke in nme about nicking the album title because it was know for a while. Stephen Street who was blur's producer made a comment how the uk music press destroyed friendships between blur and oasis (they knew each other, had mutual friends etc) it was fine until nme and melody maker etc started printing banter as if it was serious.
@@lewisb85 It doesn't actually bother me what the real truth is mate I saw Oasis live at earls court and they were shite . the verve were support and their sound was miles better . Oasis sound was the worse I've ever heard and the twat Liam kept walking off stage because of other twats in the crowd with stupid green lazar pens . Blur I only liked one or two songs but after that concert I don't think I bothered listening to Oasis again apart from champagne supernova that's the only track I like of theirs now and haven't listened to any of their solo stuff .
Blur experimented with all types of genres, that's the best bit about them, from Rock to even classical! Yes I suppose they was the fun band but trust me they had some absolute belters but unfortunately you had a mishap the first time. I didn't realise it later in life that Damon Albarn was probably the biggest influence on me as a adolescent from they the style of clothes I wear today. Coffee and TV was voted the best video in the 90s decade. It's a brilliant video to react to however there are many many belters that all sound different. My all time favourite blur song is End of the century a mellow rock tune that's just a bloody masterpiece
Damon is so underrated, I think we'll look back one day and view his body of work as genius. For me Blur was the sound of the 90's, Damons Gorillaz project was groundbreaking, who would have conceived of putting Mos Def with the legend of Bobby Womack and the guy from Blur? Stylo is still one of my most favourite Gorillaz tracks. And then there are all Damons other side projects and his multi-generational super group The Good The Bad and the Queen, putting the bassist from the Clash with the guitarist from the Verve and the fantastic afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.
I’ve been a fan of Blur for 30 years and they’re incredible live. The earlier records haven’t aged that well but they are immense musicians especially Graham Coxon lead guitarist. Their last album The Magic Whip imo was incredible. If you can react to any of their live performances on Jools Holland
My wife was at school with Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon in Colchester and performed in the school play with them. Graham's father still lives round the corner.
The Universal, Girls & Boys and Music is my radar. All by Blur And if you get the chance time travel back to 1976 and live in the UK until 2000 as I think they were the years that saw the best of UK Indie.🤓🕛😉
Blur's greatness lies in their obscure album tracks. Their pop stuff is good but it wasn't until I started delving into their back catalogue that I found a beautiful band with songs for days.
Blur had a real mission to push back against the grunge invasion that was being imported from The States (which was great in its own right) and wanted to make hits that had a sort of British slant and boy did they do that to fabulous effect. Brilliant.
As much as I like both bands I was always more Blur than Oasis. Oasis stuck to what they knew whereas Blur were not afraid to experiment with their music. Preferred Ash over both of them
Blur were a were/are (?) a very satirical band who embrace(d) sardonic social commentary in their lyrics. They became determinedly British in response to touring the U.S. and the huge U.S. dominance of music at the time. It does not translate well or have a larger global resonance due to a defiant artistic stand. They were/are very much in the vein of The Kinks in that manner. To them it became a case of not attempting to write songs about universal touchstone emotions and instead encapsulating Britishness. In turn they were happy to say to the world “take it or leave it”. Parklife and The Great Escape were the albums on which they expressed this most. To use modern parlance it was their UK minutia “Era”. I love those two albums and the videos they made for them. They very much encapsulated a time and place, and by and large you had to be there, or at least understand the context to be in on it. 😊❤
Damon Alban is now Icelandic. He has had a second home here for about 20 years and decided to become Icelandic short time ago. His latest music project involves the landmark mountain Esja in Reykjavik and the seasons changing. He is a very innovative musician.
I think when they first reacted to a Blur don't they said they already knew the song Song 2, I think that was Blur's big hit in the US. You're so right though that Country House isn't their finest hour, but it was full of British cultural references at the time and just a bit of fun, as was Parklife. I don't think Song 2, even though it's a great song, is that representative of Blur as a band.
I think they were pretty good from the start, one of their best songs being There's No Other Way, but they matured, adapted, changed as time went on, not having great songs at the start and tailing off, so I can see where you're coming from.
@@mattpotter8725 I mean Sing is a pretty outstanding song, and it's just from their first album. They've surely matured their sound over time, though they've always had that depth in them. Just not really on a singles level
There's a lot of English humour in the video, very reminiscent of The Benny Hill Show when they are chasing the girls (lads have and page 3 girls) near the end.
In our house I liked Blur and my brother liked Oasis but not competitively, we like both just each had a slight preference to our group. You should definitely listen to the recorded version of Parklife 🙂
My opinion: Oasis had their heads stuck up their own arses and always thought they were much better than they actually were whilst Blur didn't take themselves seriously and for a long time didn't realise how much talent that had...check out Gorrilaz, Blurs next project..it's is sublime...Oasis never moved on...
Matt Lucas was playing a nod to an old English comic called Benny Hill in this video who had a hit with the song Ernie the fastest milkman in the West, in his TV he would often chase and be chased by groups of girls, the blonde nurse is former glamour model and page 3 girl Jo Guest, it's probably the most British video ever. Blur do have some very good songs and I'm shocked at you categorising them as the fun band, at the time these were considered to be the more serious musicians between these and Oasis and many viewed Oasis as a glorified tribute band, anyway Charmless Man, Tender, Coffee & TV, Girls & Boys, Beetlebum, The Universal & There's no other way are other songs I would recommend checking out & in that order
The guy playing the businessman in the video is Dave Allen, father of the singer Lily Allen…just in case you weren’t aware. Morning Glory is common U.K. slang for the unbidden erection that the male of the species are known to wake up with. It’s a term far older than either Blur or Oasis. I would also add that having chatted in person to both Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon in the early/mid 90’s, they were both really nice blokes, Graham also being quite shy and sweet.
It's worth noting in the "battle of the bands" fight for number 1 this actually beat Roll With It.... Oasis were a massive behemoth with the release of Definitely Maybe and What's the Story and were very much a cultural phenomenon for a few years but that's were they peaked and it was very much one or two great tracks an album after that - Blurs body of work has stood the test of time better as they evolved and experimented more album after album... and they have a greater influence in not only music but wider media and art since.
Blur sound more like The Kinks than 60s 'rivals' The Beatles. Kinks wrote quirky observations of British life. The Kinks were also a major influence on Paul Weller. Noel Gallagher also has the highest respect and goes to the Kinks albums for songwriting inspiration. Check out The Kinks 'Waterloo Sunset', 'Dead End Street', 'Sunny Afternoon', 'Dandy', 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion', 'Lola', 'Picture Book', 'Village Green', 'Afternoon Tea'...loads of brilliant songs!
Fun track and video. The pretty blonde nurse is Joanne Guest, a very famous Page 3 model. I'm not a big Blur fan but Park Life is an all time classic and Song 2 was used as a walkout tune for UFC fighter Michael Bisping. It bangs.
Great to see you doing britpop reactions again, check out Republica - Ready to go and Elastica - Connection (Both of which have female lead singer) and more Happy Mondays please 🙏 (R.I.P PAUL RYDER ) 👍🏻
heres some good blur tunes, tracy jacks, end of a century,bank holiday, jubilee, this is a low, beetlebum, on your own, the universal, theres no other way, charmless man and many others!
Being an oasis fan I must say, definitely this is my favorite song by blur, they were an amazing band and never understood this nonsense battle between both bands and their fans. Country house is a masterpiece, perphaps their best song along with the universal which you guys should react, it’s another masterpiece.
Morning glory is a common phrase used in the UK, so not so sure it is a rip off from Oasis, it just rhymes with Jackonory which was a children show from the 60s and 80s
Nope...that is not Oasis reference...morning glory is common phrase for Brits...and also this song came out months before that morning glory Oasis album...
You should do “End of a Century”. It’s a poignant song, it’s slightly ballady but not too much. And still has that cynical Blur view point. Kind of bounces along in a positive kind of way, which is why it was a single, whilst holding on to the feeling of being disconnected. Which is kind of Blur’s whole thing. So it would be a great song to react to to better understand what their whole deal is. And hey, it’s fun and catchy too - have at it fellas! 😊
For the whole battle of the britpop I never really took a side, although I did prefer blur it didn’t mean I disliked oasis. I really like both, blur is just more my style. If you guys or anyone else wants to try out any more blur songs I’d recommend coffee and tv, girls and boys, song 2, bang, and charmless man. They really have a diverse discography, and experimented a lot.
Absolutely, they have so much uniqueness in each and every one of their songs, and every album had a completely different vibe. Totally a band that it’s worth checking out a few songs, because they have something for everyone.
Often interesting musical choices with Blur. Also, I think the Blur vs Oasis thing has been much magnified by nostalgia encouraged by the media. A lot of young people at that time were getting off their faces in clubs listening to dance music, rather than caring which Brit Pop guys they liked most.
Just to clarify the "He's got morning glory, but life's a different story..." line... Country House by Blur was released in August 1995. What's the story (morning glory) by Oasis was released in October 1995. Make of that what you will. p.s. Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty Five were written by George Orwell, Not Orson Welles.
Glad you guys have had a rethink about Blur, but you've really only scratched the surface. They're much more than a "fun band"; although they made their name with satirical songs like Parklife and Country House, they have many more arrows in their quiver. You MUST check out the following songs... The Universal To The End Tender End Of A Century This is not a request; it's a prescription! 😁
The Universal, Tender, Coffee and TV and Song 2 might give you an idea of how diverse sounding their music sounds. A lot of people didn't get into the newspaper hype of Oasis vs Blur and just enjoyed the heady days of fab British music. 👍
Never got massively into Blur but two songs by them that I never hear people talk about that are definitely worth a listen are Beetlebum and You're So Great - the second is a lot more mellow but nails that feeling of being hungover and ill but held up by being in love (also features two of the most criminally underrated guitar solos ever)
Skip all the songs from their Britpop era directly to their experimental era. Essex dogs from the self-titled album or Caramel from the album 13, for instance. Compare it to Country House and you won't believe it's the same band
Song was Big when it came out, The guy in the suit is Keith Allen ( Lily Allens dad ) one of the members, Bassist Alex James did actually escape to the country to run a farm & become a cheese maker.
Blur are an excellent band although there are better Blur songs out there. Coffee and Tv is good as well as the earlier songs like Popscene, For Tomorrow were good. There is a dark side to Blur too with drug abuse. This Charmless Man Beetlebum is about Brett Anderson from Suede (when Damon was dating Justine Frischman, Brett's ex) and the song Beetlebum is apparently written about Justine being on smack.
Beetlebum is about Damon's own heroin addiction actually (which Justine had as well, in fact the song has a sentimental undertone to it). And I'm not sure if Charmless Man is really about Brett. The lyrics seem to reference the typical yuppie liftestyle, if anything. I could be wrong though
Blur were the musicians, oasis were the attitude or the era, Spencer and Daniel, just keep up the content, one of the best at it!! Genuine to the core.
If we're comparing Brit Pop bands to British Invasion bands then while Oasis were undeniably Beatlesque, Blur, with their quirky, quintessential Britishness, are more like the Kinks.
Oh don't get it wrong, Blur can both get fun (and drunk) on stage like Oasis, and they can get serious and depressing in studio (with prime examples like Beetlebum, No Distance Left To Run, To The End and, more niche, Best Days, He Thought Of Cars and Battery In Your Leg) like Oasis. Only better.
A who's who of mid 90's British pop culture here. You recognised Matt Lucas, the businessman is Keith Allen ( actor and father of singer Lily Allen and Alfie Allen who played Reek/Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. The blonde girl is British pin-up model Jo Guest and another of the girls was model Sara Stockbridge.)
You really should try their more serious music. Bettlebum, The Universal, For Tomorrow, Coffee and TV, No Distance Left To Run, Trimm Trabb, This Is A Low, Sing.
Personally I like both - Oasis do what they do brilliantly, but Blur have way more variation in musical style. But if you want to hear Blur actually rock out properly, check out "Song 2" ...
Loved Blur and saw them live 3 or 4 times, never liked Oasis. Many of these songs were absolute Dickensian satire, they were art school students from mixed backgrounds and knew the juxtaposition of the privileged and the not so, and rather than showing off the wealth of their deserved success, happily turned it into a mocking commentary of the times. They are pure UK, hence their humour and wry observation about England in particular at the time.
Try to find Blur doing their song "Pop Scene" live with a horn section.👍 Matt Lucas, with his comedy partner David Walliams, did a host of sketches as different music celebrities called "Rock Profiles". Funny stuff before their "Little Britain" days.👍
The line, "He's got morning glory, and life's a different story" is often believed to be directed to Oasis, but the song was recorded before Oasis finished, let alone released their album.
Yeah the "morning glory" is about something that often happens to a man during sleep that you wake up with. Let's say waking up a bit stiff 😉
Morning glory means 'morning wood', so, yeah ...
I don't know for sure but I've always assumed Oasis's What's the Story, Morning Glory? is a reference to Harry Nilsson's Morning Glory Story from the 60s. sooooooo Blur could be referencing that too
@@randyrandelman1878 Nilssons track is Mourning Glory - a song highlighting homelessness. I doubt either band are referring to it.
@@dellafenton2417 we're both wrong! it's Mournin' Glory Story. like I say no idea if oasis were referring to it, it's probably quite unlikely.
I like the way they think that "morning glory" is a reference to Oasis. Morning glory is a well used british phrase. This record was released 2 months before 'whats the story morning glory'
Thing I find interesting is that the rivalry was blown up so big, small thing people were forgetting, Owen morris (Oasis producer) and Stephen Street (blur producer) were close friends they worked together for Johnny marr and the the etc, Owen was talking to stephen when he was working on "morning glory".
They were talking about how the press ruined friendships with this “oasis v blur” thing.
@@lewisb85 that whole 'fight' was crap. It pretty much spoilt the whole thing. Damon Albarn didnt seem happy it happened either.
Still better blur to check out. If you haven't heard the 'Universal'. That is a truly classic song. If a little over played but it is a great one. Also check out; For tomorrow, Beetlebum, End of a century, Pop scene. Chemical world, Out of time. They've got some really great stuff. Way more diverse than Oasis.
I found Oasis a bit ploddy - some of their stuff has grown in me over the years. But can't get too excited by them. blur, suede, The manics and Supergrass, were way more exciting to me and have all aged well musically.
"Universal" has a great music video too with a Kubrick reference. I think Great Escape is the album the guys would like.
Love universal video a take on a clockwork orange.
Don't forget Pulp!
I might add Chemical World, On your Own, M.O.R. Tender, Battle, Trimm Trabm, Out of Time, Sweet Song, Thought I was a Spaceman, Mirror Ball.
I got into Blur quite late, somewhere around 99 after my dad died and I was in a dark place, and Tender was the song that got me hooked, I realized that the first 3 or 4 records where quite Ironic, sarcastic, and having a good laugh at society but in a clever way. If you pay attention, they are quite critical and even laugh at themselves, their fellow Britpoper, by the time they got to the 4th album they began to take things more seriously and got very interesting in another way.
Hope you give yourself the chance of exploring their catalog if you do you are in for a treat.
I agree. ’Universal’ is the one to go with. I feel it’s their best song and performance overall.
Coffee and TV, The Universal, End of a Century, There’s no Other Way, Tender, Song 2, Beetlebum, This is a Low are all great songs by Blur. But you know, I still want you to review the Lightning Seeds - Marvellous, or Perfect, or Life of Riley (studio versions).
Blur's bassist, Alex James moved to a farmhouse in the Cotswolds (so he now lives in a house, a very big house in the country) to become a Cheesemaker.
Talk about foreshadowing.
And ironically 'needs to cut down on his cheese-life mate, get some exercise'. After seeing him on TV last weekend 😆. He's a cool guy though.
@@mrfarr1980 to be fair... So do I!
I went against my northern brothers and always vouched for Blur, Modern Life Is Rubbish is an absolute gem.
Never understood the stupid North and South divide on Blur and Oasis. Good music is good music.
leisure too, such an underrated album of theirs
Blur had some anthems, check out "for tomorrow" or "girls and boys" at glastonbury, they could be the anthemic band but they were inspired by the kinks and xtc who had a fun/satire element to them. They got inspired by american indie bands like pavement and husker du at some point so you ended up with songs like "charmless man"
Defo Kinks, not Beatles
Don't forget The Cardiacs - I'd go so far as to 'inspired by' does go far enough.
@@richardanderson8696 Cardiacs were inspired by XTC, well both bands were close friends so more influencing each other.
@@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek you're thinking of Oasis surely...
The Universal - Blur is one of my favs of theirs. I was a fan - Seen them in th 90's and they put on a good show. Was the first time I ever seen a frontman climb all over the stage... I was defo a bigger Oasis fan though.
I was gonna suggest this for their next song too. Bit more serious and maybe it was used for adverts in the US too
Damon Albarn is the guy from The Gorillas. One of the biggest albums of the 1990's was 'Parklife' by Blur. In fact, Parklife is a cracking tune (featuring actor Phil Daniels from a brilliant film, Quadrophenia). Also, how can you pass up 'Song Two'. Banger!!!!
I loved parklife and still do. Not sure if i prefer it over 'boys and girls' or not....its a fine line
They already did a reaction to park life and they hated it!
@@danielcollinson4456 unreal.
@@danielcollinson4456 hmmm..... but I get it. It had a very broad british accent and was just packed with cultural references which probably needed to be identified with in order to understand and enjoy it. Probably felt to them like those very southern country and western songs do to brits where you just have no shared reference in order to enjoy it.
@@simonwatson5299 it was a bad live version of it so I don't blame them
The guy in the bowler hat is Keith Allen, a well known British actor and Lilly Allen’s dad.
I don't think the morning glory was a reference to Oasis . I checked the release dates of both songs . Blurs album came out on the 14th August 1995 the Oasis song came out 18th September 1995 the albums also came out in the same order Blurs 11th September 1995 and Oasis 2nd October 1995 and they didn't record in the same recording studio so my guess is it's just a coincidence .
The build up for "whats the story morning glory" was massive, Damon even made a joke in nme about nicking the album title because it was know for a while. Stephen Street who was blur's producer made a comment how the uk music press destroyed friendships between blur and oasis (they knew each other, had mutual friends etc) it was fine until nme and melody maker etc started printing banter as if it was serious.
"Morning glory" has always been a common saying way before either song anyway!
@@lewisb85 It doesn't actually bother me what the real truth is mate I saw Oasis live at earls court and they were shite . the verve were support and their sound was miles better . Oasis sound was the worse I've ever heard and the twat Liam kept walking off stage because of other twats in the crowd with stupid green lazar pens . Blur I only liked one or two songs but after that concert I don't think I bothered listening to Oasis again apart from champagne supernova that's the only track I like of theirs now and haven't listened to any of their solo stuff .
Blur experimented with all types of genres, that's the best bit about them, from Rock to even classical! Yes I suppose they was the fun band but trust me they had some absolute belters but unfortunately you had a mishap the first time.
I didn't realise it later in life that Damon Albarn was probably the biggest influence on me as a adolescent from they the style of clothes I wear today.
Coffee and TV was voted the best video in the 90s decade.
It's a brilliant video to react to however there are many many belters that all sound different.
My all time favourite blur song is End of the century a mellow rock tune that's just a bloody masterpiece
Yes sadly. Blur have done some some amazing music. To the end, the universal, there's no other way. Worth a listen
True but universal now always reminds me of the british gas advert, lol
@@clarelawton4653 I know. Like the Halifax adverts with oasis lol
Try song 2 guys.
@@carolinestirland3126 👍
@@carolinestirland3126 They know Song 2. They expected all Blur to be like that, which it isn't, it's not all Country House or Parklife either.
The 'countryman' in the video is actor/comedian Keith Allen (Lily and Alfie Allen's dad).
The guy in the video is Keith Allen, father of singer Lily Allen & actor Alfie Allen (aka Theon Greyjoy).
Damon is so underrated, I think we'll look back one day and view his body of work as genius. For me Blur was the sound of the 90's, Damons Gorillaz project was groundbreaking, who would have conceived of putting Mos Def with the legend of Bobby Womack and the guy from Blur? Stylo is still one of my most favourite Gorillaz tracks. And then there are all Damons other side projects and his multi-generational super group The Good The Bad and the Queen, putting the bassist from the Clash with the guitarist from the Verve and the fantastic afrobeat drummer Tony Allen.
Should do The Universal or Beetlebum if you want what really made Blur stand out
Song 2 and coffee and tv are my two favourite songs by blur
I’ve been a fan of Blur for 30 years and they’re incredible live. The earlier records haven’t aged that well but they are immense musicians especially Graham Coxon lead guitarist. Their last album The Magic Whip imo was incredible. If you can react to any of their live performances on Jools Holland
I never had a dog in this fight as I wasn't into music back then, but for me, "Universal" is the best song by either band
Only remember this because he mentions my favourite author, Honore de Balzac.
My wife was at school with Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon in Colchester and performed in the school play with them. Graham's father still lives round the corner.
I wish I had been so lucky
Charmless Man is one of my favorite songs by Blur, has a good video to boot.
The Universal, Girls & Boys and Music is my radar. All by Blur
And if you get the chance time travel back to 1976 and live in the UK until 2000 as I think they were the years that saw the best of UK Indie.🤓🕛😉
100% agree
Blur's greatness lies in their obscure album tracks. Their pop stuff is good but it wasn't until I started delving into their back catalogue that I found a beautiful band with songs for days.
I love all the styles of Blur but 13 is their masterpiece
@@robsdianten1 I agree. 13 is such a beautiful album.
I've just bought a ticket to see Blur at Wembley Stadium in July & I'm so excited!!!
@@gavinjohncarter lucky you!!! I live in South America so I'm not able. I can afford a ticket but the travel is very expensive 😔
@@robsdianten1 Well if you start swimming now, you'll make it in time & I can smuggle you into the concert in my pocket.
Blur had a real mission to push back against the grunge invasion that was being imported from The States (which was great in its own right) and wanted to make hits that had a sort of British slant and boy did they do that to fabulous effect. Brilliant.
Woohooooo!!! You've probably had a billion suggestions for other blur songs already but, I reckon "No Distance Left to Run" is a cracking tune.
As much as I like both bands I was always more Blur than Oasis. Oasis stuck to what they knew whereas Blur were not afraid to experiment with their music. Preferred Ash over both of them
Any album that starts with a TIE fighter flyby can't be bad.👍
Girl from Mars still makes me air guitar
of the two bands from the same town Ash and Therapy? have to say i preferred therapy? screamager was a banger!
Ash are great.
Seeing them in September- "Free All Angels" in full with Charlotte Hatherley back on guitar!
Blur were and are great, but this song isn’t one of their best, as roll with it wasn’t oasis best.
Blur were a were/are (?) a very satirical band who embrace(d) sardonic social commentary in their lyrics. They became determinedly British in response to touring the U.S. and the huge U.S. dominance of music at the time. It does not translate well or have a larger global resonance due to a defiant artistic stand. They were/are very much in the vein of The Kinks in that manner. To them it became a case of not attempting to write songs about universal touchstone emotions and instead encapsulating Britishness. In turn they were happy to say to the world “take it or leave it”. Parklife and The Great Escape were the albums on which they expressed this most. To use modern parlance it was their UK minutia “Era”.
I love those two albums and the videos they made for them. They very much encapsulated a time and place, and by and large you had to be there, or at least understand the context to be in on it. 😊❤
Damon Alban is now Icelandic. He has had a second home here for about 20 years and decided to become Icelandic short time ago. His latest music project involves the landmark mountain Esja in Reykjavik and the seasons changing. He is a very innovative musician.
“oh so they were the fun band!” …wait till you hear 13
Tender is a great Blur track. They even had Liam guest sing on it at a live gig once.
Actually it was Noel who sang it live with Blur relatively recently
They’ve reacted to a version of it already I think
Liam sing with blur haha you must be crazy mate, Noel at teenage cancer trust sang it with Damon and Paul Walker on drums.🤭
Blur got better with age. Check our 'Song 2' and 'Coffee & TV' (Country House really wasn't their finest hour)
I think when they first reacted to a Blur don't they said they already knew the song Song 2, I think that was Blur's big hit in the US. You're so right though that Country House isn't their finest hour, but it was full of British cultural references at the time and just a bit of fun, as was Parklife. I don't think Song 2, even though it's a great song, is that representative of Blur as a band.
I think they were pretty good from the start, one of their best songs being There's No Other Way, but they matured, adapted, changed as time went on, not having great songs at the start and tailing off, so I can see where you're coming from.
@@mattpotter8725 I mean Sing is a pretty outstanding song, and it's just from their first album. They've surely matured their sound over time, though they've always had that depth in them. Just not really on a singles level
There's a lot of English humour in the video, very reminiscent of The Benny Hill Show when they are chasing the girls (lads have and page 3 girls) near the end.
Blur were all about social satire, pulling apart bits of English culture with a dose of humour. Oasis were just a traditional rock n roll band.
In our house I liked Blur and my brother liked Oasis but not competitively, we like both just each had a slight preference to our group.
You should definitely listen to the recorded version of Parklife 🙂
My opinion: Oasis had their heads stuck up their own arses and always thought they were much better than they actually were whilst Blur didn't take themselves seriously and for a long time didn't realise how much talent that had...check out Gorrilaz, Blurs next project..it's is sublime...Oasis never moved on...
^^ this
Absolutely.
Alex James wore an Oasis shirt on top of the pops when they beat Oasis to #1 with this, which was great 🙂
Matt Lucas was playing a nod to an old English comic called Benny Hill in this video who had a hit with the song Ernie the fastest milkman in the West, in his TV he would often chase and be chased by groups of girls, the blonde nurse is former glamour model and page 3 girl Jo Guest, it's probably the most British video ever.
Blur do have some very good songs and I'm shocked at you categorising them as the fun band, at the time these were considered to be the more serious musicians between these and Oasis and many viewed Oasis as a glorified tribute band, anyway Charmless Man, Tender, Coffee & TV, Girls & Boys, Beetlebum, The Universal & There's no other way are other songs I would recommend checking out & in that order
Guys , George Orwell wrote both Animal Farm and 1984, not Orson Wells, love your reactions
Been watching your videos a lot and this band is from my home town Colchester !!
lil known fact.. The business man in the suit is the father of the female singer "lily allen"
The guy playing the businessman in the video is Dave Allen, father of the singer Lily Allen…just in case you weren’t aware.
Morning Glory is common U.K. slang for the unbidden erection that the male of the species are known to wake up with. It’s a term far older than either Blur or Oasis.
I would also add that having chatted in person to both Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon in the early/mid 90’s, they were both really nice blokes, Graham also being quite shy and sweet.
Check out "ON YOUR OWN"...now that's a vibe!!! Trust me
Yes 👊🏻
It's worth noting in the "battle of the bands" fight for number 1 this actually beat Roll With It.... Oasis were a massive behemoth with the release of Definitely Maybe and What's the Story and were very much a cultural phenomenon for a few years but that's were they peaked and it was very much one or two great tracks an album after that - Blurs body of work has stood the test of time better as they evolved and experimented more album after album... and they have a greater influence in not only music but wider media and art since.
The actor playing the business man is Lilly Allen’s dad, he was big in the 90’s, always played a hard man.
Blur sound more like The Kinks than 60s 'rivals' The Beatles. Kinks wrote quirky observations of British life. The Kinks were also a major influence on Paul Weller. Noel Gallagher also has the highest respect and goes to the Kinks albums for songwriting inspiration. Check out The Kinks 'Waterloo Sunset', 'Dead End Street', 'Sunny Afternoon', 'Dandy', 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion', 'Lola', 'Picture Book', 'Village Green', 'Afternoon Tea'...loads of brilliant songs!
Fun track and video. The pretty blonde nurse is Joanne Guest, a very famous Page 3 model.
I'm not a big Blur fan but Park Life is an all time classic and Song 2 was used as a walkout tune for UFC fighter Michael Bisping. It bangs.
Charmless Man is another fun one, but I love Coffee and TV (a deeper, chill song).
I watch this reaction almost 3-4 times a week lol
Great to see you doing britpop reactions again, check out Republica - Ready to go and Elastica - Connection (Both of which have female lead singer) and more Happy Mondays please 🙏 (R.I.P PAUL RYDER ) 👍🏻
@@Dorian_B_73 and echobelly
heres some good blur tunes, tracy jacks, end of a century,bank holiday, jubilee, this is a low, beetlebum, on your own, the universal, theres no other way, charmless man and many others!
Being an oasis fan I must say, definitely this is my favorite song by blur, they were an amazing band and never understood this nonsense battle between both bands and their fans. Country house is a masterpiece, perphaps their best song along with the universal which you guys should react, it’s another masterpiece.
Animal farm and 1984 were by British novelist George Orwell. Orsen Welles was the American Director probably most famous for Citizen Kane.
Morning glory is a common phrase used in the UK, so not so sure it is a rip off from Oasis, it just rhymes with Jackonory which was a children show from the 60s and 80s
I know you guys didnt really "get" Parklife, but if you can check out the performance of it at Glastonbury festival. The whole place goes off.
Nope...that is not Oasis reference...morning glory is common phrase for Brits...and also this song came out months before that morning glory Oasis album...
You should do “End of a Century”. It’s a poignant song, it’s slightly ballady but not too much. And still has that cynical Blur view point. Kind of bounces along in a positive kind of way, which is why it was a single, whilst holding on to the feeling of being disconnected. Which is kind of Blur’s whole thing. So it would be a great song to react to to better understand what their whole deal is. And hey, it’s fun and catchy too - have at it fellas! 😊
liam gallagher said that beetlebum is his favorite blur song and it’s also one of my favorites so you guys definitely need to check that song out!
Song 2, Beetlebum, The Universal and There's No Other Way are some of their best tracks too.
the guy in the bowler hat is the actor Keith Allen, Lilly Allen's dad
Play song 2 play song 2 … play song 2 … banging tune
Also the Video is Directed by Artist Damien Hirst
Coffee and TV is my jam when it comes to Blur
The original vocal on Parklife is also actor Phil Daniels.
For the whole battle of the britpop I never really took a side, although I did prefer blur it didn’t mean I disliked oasis. I really like both, blur is just more my style. If you guys or anyone else wants to try out any more blur songs I’d recommend coffee and tv, girls and boys, song 2, bang, and charmless man. They really have a diverse discography, and experimented a lot.
Absolutely, they have so much uniqueness in each and every one of their songs, and every album had a completely different vibe. Totally a band that it’s worth checking out a few songs, because they have something for everyone.
Often interesting musical choices with Blur.
Also, I think the Blur vs Oasis thing has been much magnified by nostalgia encouraged by the media. A lot of young people at that time were getting off their faces in clubs listening to dance music, rather than caring which Brit Pop guys they liked most.
Just to clarify the "He's got morning glory, but life's a different story..." line... Country House by Blur was released in August 1995. What's the story (morning glory) by Oasis was released in October 1995.
Make of that what you will.
p.s. Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty Five were written by George Orwell, Not Orson Welles.
Glad you guys have had a rethink about Blur, but you've really only scratched the surface. They're much more than a "fun band"; although they made their name with satirical songs like Parklife and Country House, they have many more arrows in their quiver.
You MUST check out the following songs...
The Universal
To The End
Tender
End Of A Century
This is not a request; it's a prescription! 😁
"They're the fun band."
* laughs in 13*
The Universal, Tender, Coffee and TV and Song 2 might give you an idea of how diverse sounding their music sounds. A lot of people didn't get into the newspaper hype of Oasis vs Blur and just enjoyed the heady days of fab British music. 👍
Never got massively into Blur but two songs by them that I never hear people talk about that are definitely worth a listen are Beetlebum and You're So Great - the second is a lot more mellow but nails that feeling of being hungover and ill but held up by being in love (also features two of the most criminally underrated guitar solos ever)
Skip all the songs from their Britpop era directly to their experimental era. Essex dogs from the self-titled album or Caramel from the album 13, for instance. Compare it to Country House and you won't believe it's the same band
You need to listen to coffee and tv. That is THE blur song
Song 2 guys , short and sweet !!!!!!
Song was Big when it came out, The guy in the suit is Keith Allen ( Lily Allens dad ) one of the members, Bassist Alex James did actually escape to the country to run a farm & become a cheese maker.
You should check out the Coffee and TV music video by Blur. 💕
Blur are an excellent band although there are better Blur songs out there. Coffee and Tv is good as well as the earlier songs like Popscene, For Tomorrow were good. There is a dark side to Blur too with drug abuse. This Charmless Man Beetlebum is about Brett Anderson from Suede (when Damon was dating Justine Frischman, Brett's ex) and the song Beetlebum is apparently written about Justine being on smack.
Beetlebum is about Damon's own heroin addiction actually (which Justine had as well, in fact the song has a sentimental undertone to it). And I'm not sure if Charmless Man is really about Brett. The lyrics seem to reference the typical yuppie liftestyle, if anything. I could be wrong though
Love Coffee and TV! Was used in the Cruel Intentions soundtrack, which has a lot of great chill music.
this was my wee brothers favourite song before he died. Will always be special to me
Blur were the musicians, oasis were the attitude or the era, Spencer and Daniel, just keep up the content, one of the best at it!! Genuine to the core.
My personal favourite of them is Beetlebum. Great song.
You guys should listen to Beetlebum for the next Blur song
"SONG 2 " BY BLUR WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!
Try tender either from Glastonbury or the official live video, a different side to blur.
If we're comparing Brit Pop bands to British Invasion bands then while Oasis were undeniably Beatlesque, Blur, with their quirky, quintessential Britishness, are more like the Kinks.
Oh don't get it wrong, Blur can both get fun (and drunk) on stage like Oasis, and they can get serious and depressing in studio (with prime examples like Beetlebum, No Distance Left To Run, To The End and, more niche, Best Days, He Thought Of Cars and Battery In Your Leg) like Oasis. Only better.
Song 2! You will know it for sure.
You guys need to listen to Beetlebum by Blur. It’s a masterpiece
Love you guys! Check out Song 2 by Blur.
Guys. Please listen to 'song 2'. You already know it I guarantee you. Keep up the good work
Definitely more "Kinksy" than "Beatley".
A who's who of mid 90's British pop culture here. You recognised Matt Lucas, the businessman is Keith Allen ( actor and father of singer Lily Allen and Alfie Allen who played Reek/Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. The blonde girl is British pin-up model Jo Guest and another of the girls was model Sara Stockbridge.)
'Blur is a fun band'
ha! try listen to Beetlebum, their self titled album or even better, 13.
Love "tender" , "coffee and TV", and Song 2 to name but a few. Check more out of them. I was 10 in 1996 and that time in music was cracking!
You really should try their more serious music. Bettlebum, The Universal, For Tomorrow, Coffee and TV, No Distance Left To Run, Trimm Trabb, This Is A Low, Sing.
Personally I like both - Oasis do what they do brilliantly, but Blur have way more variation in musical style. But if you want to hear Blur actually rock out properly, check out "Song 2" ...
Loved Blur and saw them live 3 or 4 times, never liked Oasis. Many of these songs were absolute Dickensian satire, they were art school students from mixed backgrounds and knew the juxtaposition of the privileged and the not so, and rather than showing off the wealth of their deserved success, happily turned it into a mocking commentary of the times. They are pure UK, hence their humour and wry observation about England in particular at the time.
i love blur
Tender live at Glastonbury is as good as it gets..
Try to find Blur doing their song "Pop Scene" live with a horn section.👍 Matt Lucas, with his comedy partner David Walliams, did a host of sketches as different music celebrities called "Rock Profiles". Funny stuff before their "Little Britain" days.👍
Oh Rock Profile was great...especially Bucks Fizz...or the Fizz I should say. Far better than their later stuff. All so funny.
CHAMPAGNE!!! You haven't got the range!!