As a US fan who’s been down since their Leisure days, I quite a few of these (“This is a Low” and especially “Trimm Trabb”) and can’t fathom a few others (to me, Think Tank was built out of a few good songs and spiteful hubris that Graham had left.) I like that Michael (loved ya on MST3K, by the way) refused to let Blur be defined by their hits, but there are other deep tracks/b-sides that make a case for Blur as *that* kind of a band. How about “Magpie,” a Parklife era b-side that features one of Graham’s best guitar riffs, an absurd but lovable punk breakdown, and Damon cribbing a William Blake poem? How about showing some love for the latter half of Modern Life is Rubbish, like the My Bloody Valentine-ish “Oily Water” or the would-be finale “Resigned’? (A hidden aspect of the band’s greatness is not necessarily writing great closers, but great penultimate songs — “Resigned,” the aforementioned “This is a Low,” “No Distance Left to Run.”) I always had a soft spot for “Sing” as well, and am psyched US fans will finally get to hear it on Leisure as it was meant to be. But really, going back to the old albums (or the new box set, as I hope to do soon!) to investigate the validity of these choices is worth any kind of affront taken to song placement or selection, so well done.
As a US fan who’s been down since their Leisure days, I quite a few of these (“This is a Low” and especially “Trimm Trabb”) and can’t fathom a few others (to me, Think Tank was built out of a few good songs and spiteful hubris that Graham had left.) I like that Michael (loved ya on MST3K, by the way) refused to let Blur be defined by their hits, but there are other deep tracks/b-sides that make a case for Blur as *that* kind of a band. How about “Magpie,” a Parklife era b-side that features one of Graham’s best guitar riffs, an absurd but lovable punk breakdown, and Damon cribbing a William Blake poem? How about showing some love for the latter half of Modern Life is Rubbish, like the My Bloody Valentine-ish “Oily Water” or the would-be finale “Resigned’? (A hidden aspect of the band’s greatness is not necessarily writing great closers, but great penultimate songs — “Resigned,” the aforementioned “This is a Low,” “No Distance Left to Run.”) I always had a soft spot for “Sing” as well, and am psyched US fans will finally get to hear it on Leisure as it was meant to be. But really, going back to the old albums (or the new box set, as I hope to do soon!) to investigate the validity of these choices is worth any kind of affront taken to song placement or selection, so well done.