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I've never been a huge fan but I've got friends who see this as the Second Coming!!...

The Narcissist

It's OK, I guess. The cartoony backing vocals bug me. It's like they want people to remember that Graham Coxon is in the band still. Saying that, it seems to be something of a grower & has quite an anthem chorus. Yeah, yeah. Whatever

It’s a really good song. Maybe not Blur at their greatest, still cool though. Except the backing vocals, like you said. 30% of the time, they’re perfect. The rest of the time unnecessary, and highlights some of the cheesier lyrics.

Come at a weird time for me though. This song has hit me, feels really personal in a way songs rarely do for me.

sal paradise wrote: ↑

Fri May 19, 2023 3:42 am

...Except the backing vocals, like you said. 30% of the time, they’re perfect. The rest of the time unnecessary...

Exactly. If they'd dialled them back a bit the song would be much easier to listen to.

It's a pretty good Blur song and it feels really personal. I am with Sal, 30% of their stuff is great and the other stuff well...I feel like it's not for me

I like it. Really like it's lyrical content.

(Of late I've been on a kick about light, ie. polarized light and quantum entanglement ... weird stuff! Even as I type, I'm thinking if a mirror could solve the riddle ....)

Anyhow, pretty neat song subject which also brings to mind Thomas Aquinas' IpseLux, Buddhist themes of mirrors, even Disney stories of who's most beautiful.

Had to look up the acid (drug addiction) reference to mirrors. Still unsure of what it means.

I just recently discovered the music by Gorillaz .... Great, great stuff.

WRT this particular song, I like the clean guitar, 80s beat and background keyboards. Not crazy about the generic drums at the beginning, but by the end they are rocking out.

I bet this song live punches it up a bit. Good song.

PapaB wrote: ↑

Sat May 20, 2023 1:43 am

Had to look up the acid (drug addiction) reference to mirrors. Still unsure of what it means.

Without looking up the lyrics or the song’s meaning… acid could be thought of as a mirror to the soul, and the universe. Plus there’s the whole Huxley doors of perception stuff.

Very cool Sal. Very cool. Hey I posted a message for you on the photo thread. Happy belated Bday. Nice camera!

I think the song's okay, and have no problem with the lyrics or backing vocals, but it doesn't make me feel like I did when I first heard Miss America, Blue Jeans, Far Out, Coffee & TV, or Tender. Well, they have to start (again) somewhere, I suppose.

As for the contentious BVs, I've only heard it on the radio and to me it sounded like Damon's low vocal predominated. I seriously doubt they'd shoehorn G Coxon's voice into something as a commercial consideration - I imagine their songs develop more organically than that.

They've been on the news here (Scotland) a lot because the LP's cover image was taken at Gourock Lido. A nice spot on a summer's evening by all accounts, but we're not quite there yet.

My favourite Blur song is Song 2, which was just them being totally non-serious and making fun of grunge or whatever.
Not a big fan of their other stuff.
This song is ok. I do love his voice. Maybe I should give Blur another chance after all these years.

Edit: words

sal paradise wrote: ↑

Fri May 26, 2023 3:35 am

Guardian: Blur 20 greatest tracks

It's really quite funny how badly I overlooked Blur.

I guess it made sense, kinda. I was a bit jaded by the whole Britpop thing, having been hugely obsessed with the Grunge movement. When I did give Britpop the time of day (and being from the North) I was firmly in the Oasis camp.
To be fair, looking back on them both, Blur are way more eclectic in their styles of songwriting. Like way, waaaaay more! Oasis had that formulaic British Indie Rock thing going, sure, but I see them almost as one trick ponies these days, even though they do that one thing very well.

My wife's a massive Blur fan (being 4 years younger than me, Britpop was her thing) and she's overjoyed that I'm slowly working may way through their material, starting from the beginning.

sal paradise wrote: ↑

Fri May 26, 2023 3:35 am

Guardian: Blur 20 greatest tracks

Thanks for posting. I’ll get to reintroducing myself to their work.

I’m eager to give this a listen. Thanks for posting! For those of you who haven’t heard it, the album Parklife is pretty amazing with more than a few stylistic twists, funny lyrics, and some gorgeous melodies.