every now and then, be it frequent or on occasions, something or someone happens just at the time you appear ready, yet ill-prepared for it or them or both. that i know makes little sense but, look you see, i would wager some coins that you know precisely the kind of thing i am speak of.
in recent times, a chance 75p purchase of Automatic For The People led me to discover, to the surprise of many who knew me at the time no doubt, that i really rather like REM. now, at the least - the music says something to me in the present which it most decidedly did not in the past.
and, looking back to the past, as opposed to looking back at the future, Blur. their album 13, to be precise, hence the title of this blog posting i write.
a personal perspective / history / opinion of Blur? surely. There's No Other Way came out, and Blur proudly proclaimed themselves with it to be a semi-decent Inspiral Carpets tribute band, or if you like some sort of precursor to The Bluetones. The notoriously tricky second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, came along, and it wasn't so much "difficult" as it was "just plain sh!t". then they went away, Oasis came along, London-centric journalists were determined to champion virtually any London band as being a "better lads band than what them Northerners have", Parklife released to a huge cheer of mock-cockney banter, dire music that was packaged well sold tres well.
i had zero interest, bar a couple of songs, then. and then the 13 album came along, or rather specifically the (i think lead) single Tender. at the time, it was precisely what i wanted and needed to hear, and i could not care less that the band who did it was one that i would not normally give coins of money to.
there was none of this download nonsense back then, and so a dear friend - one that i have only actually spoken to on the phone once and have not ever met - sent me the CD single. Danna, if you by any chance read this, thank you once again and yes of course i still have it.
what's the above picture of moi with my (considerably) better half got to do with things being a Blur, the ngle Tender or anything 13 related? everything and nothing i suppose; i just thought i'd put it in just in case, and who knows it might be of some relevance.
are Blur still going? hard to say. no band or artist seems to officially retire or quit and stay that way (except, weirdly, REM) any more, unless death pretty much makes it conclusive. i have no doubt that the Blur will reconvene as and when the circumstances say that it is appropriate to do so, be those circumstances entirely monetary or otherwise.
other than Tender, is 13 any good? why, yes. there's some smart songs on there, if not ones quite so good as that. on the whole, though, 13 has had more better patches than poor ones.
right, that shall do for now, then.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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