Take Me Away From This Big Bad World

Originally sent 12/10/02

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Blur was the greatest British guitar band of the '90s. I'll take on anyone who claims that Oasis was better. The Gallagher brothers may have been bigger in the states, but they couldn't compare with Blur in terms of originality and all around talent. Oasis and all the other British guitar bands wouldn't have even been considered for major release if Blur hadn't paved the way with Parklife in '94.

Originally seen as part of the dying Madchester scene with their '91 debut Leisure, Blur, headed by Damon Albarn, took great pains to grow beyond that musical style and forge a unique sound that continued to change with the times.

My favorite song of their more recent releases is "Coffee and TV" from the album 13. Not only is this tune subtly charming but the video that goes along with it is an instant classic. Too bad this kind of thing doesn't make it on to MTV anymore.




(Note: If interested, Albarn recently has joined up with an eclectic group, including Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads, and comic creator Jamie Hewlett, to create a virtual/cartoon band, called Gorillaz. It is an Alt Rock/Rap group that pushes the envelope of what it means to be a band. Gorillaz is created, produced and even tours internationally as a group of animated characters (2-D, Murdoc, Russell and Noodles)... and the actual performers are very far behind the scenes. Their single "Clint Eastwood" was a huge hit in 2001, and the entire album is worth checking out.)