Blur - Parklife
I’ve been thinking about music movements in my lifetime and what my nieces and nephews will ask me what I saw, where I was etc. I don't think I'll have an aray of tales tbh but who knows.

I was already an odd kid, listening to all sorts of music. I was 10 or 11 when I first heard the Great Escape which led me to Parklife thanks to my friend's cool older sister. Cliche but this is probably my favourite Blur album. I had this on repeat as a kid. I had a cassette taped copy until I could buy a CD. It’s a perfect pop indie album. At such a young age, the lyrics certainly made an impression. I had not really heard “pop” songs about suburban neighbourhood life before. I was impressed by Damon’s ability to world build and paint a picture lyrically. Some of the English references went over my head a bit back then but at times it did feel somewhat similar to my little suburban town. Back then, I think I was too young or naive to appreciate how important Girls and Boys was. I just remember thinking – finally a song for everyone who likes everyone.

Blur and Britpop are having a bit of a come back with the kids. Not with my nieces though.

This vinyl copy is from the Blur anniversary box set my partner bought me for my 30th birthday.

I can still listen to this album in my 40s and enjoy every moment of it.

#vinyl #nowplaying #nowspinning #music #blur

Appropriately titled record for this week's political events. Democrazy was completely canned when it came out in 2003 with criticism of both the DIY sound but also Damon personally for choosing to release this. Over 20 years later, this vinyl only EP with it's spectacular packaging has been getting a lot of appreciation. Recorded during Blur's US tour for Think Tank, several of the songs on this would feature on later albums and become hits including I Need A Gun, which turned into the Gorillaz song Dirty Harry. Half a Song 20 years later became The Ballad on Blurs latest album.

Maybe it's because I was listening to a lot of DIY and outside folk stuff in the early 2000s that I found something quite intimate about this record and couldn't understand all the negativity. But then as a long time Blur stan perhaps I was biased.

The raw demo of Half Song is heartbreakly exquisite and the full version on The Ballad is just stunning, one of my favourites.

#Democrazy #blur #Damonalbarn #Gorillaz #vinyl #records #music #coffeeandvinyl #nowplaying #nowspinning