Blur Blur Vinyl LPLabel: Food FOOD LP 19, Parlophone 7243 8 55562 1 0Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold Country: UKReleased: 1997Genre: Rock, Brit PopSide 1Beetlebum Song 2 Country Sad Ballad Man M.O.R. On Your Own Theme From Retro You re So Great Side 2Death Of A Party Chinese Bombs I m Just A Killer For Your LoveLook Inside America Strange News From Another Star Movin On Essex Dogs Blur is the fifth studio album by the English rock band of the same
name, released on 10 February 1997 by Food Records. Blur had previously been
broadly critical of American popular culture and their previous albums had
become associated with the Britpop movement, particularly Parklife 1994 ,
which had helped them become one of Britain s leading pop acts. After their
previous album, The Great Escape, the band faced media backlash and
relationships between the members became strained.Under the suggestion of the band s guitarist, Graham Coxon, the band
underwent a stylistic change, becoming influenced by American indie rock bands
such as Pavement. Recording took place in London as well as in Reykjav k,
Iceland. Drummer Dave Rowntree described the music on the album as being more
aggressive and emotional than their previous work. Producer Stephen Street
claimed that lead singer-songwriter Damon Albarn had started writing about more
personal experiences while Coxon revealed that listening to his lyrics it was
clear to him that he d obviously gone off his head a bit more .Despite worries from Blur s label, EMI, and the music press that the
change in style would alienate the band s predominantly teenage fanbase and
that the album would flop as a result, Blur, as well as lead single,
Beetlebum , reached the top of the UK charts and the album was
certified platinum. The album also reached the top 20 in six other countries. The success of Song 2 led to Blur becoming the band s most
successful album in the US where the Britpop scene had been largely
unsuccessful. The album received positive reviews from most music critics, many
praising the stylistic change as well as Albarn s improved songwriting.