comparison with blur 13 (how much blur's music has changed) (Modern Life Is Rubbish - Blur)

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Product:	Modern Life Is Rubbish - Blur
Date:	24/05/01 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: soft punk, catchy tunes, damon's vocals

Disadvantages: maybe too british for some

reflecting on all the changes Blur's music has gone through since this record was produced has given me the desire to re-visit it.
Blur's music has changed so astonishingly that it is virtually impossible to hear any simmilarities between this album and 1999's effort- 13. It is almost like comparing two different bands. Two different bands of different genres.
On the one side you have the blur who produced blur 13- a spaced out, contempory, ultra modern, completely alternative, experimental and artistic band.
And on the other side you have the blur who produced modern life is rubbish- a uniquely british, punk influenced, heavily based guitar band but no less less artistic.
Modern life is rubbish opens with the sublime track 'for tomorrow'- it is almsot the perfect opening track for the album. It screams out british to the listener, illustrates Damon Albarn's unique vocals and is alive with soft indie guitar rifts.
In contrast 13 opens with the Gospel influenced 'tender,'Damon's voice is more honest and almost more mature.
Differences are evident from the very start and the albums continue to distance themselves even further as each album continues to go down completely different avenues.
Modern life is rubbish explores soft catchy punk music in the form of narrative songs such as 'colin zeal' and 'pressure on julian' and songs based on blur's cynicalism of america and their certain attitues to things- for example 'miss america' and 'villa rosie.'
The album also has its rock n roll, heavily guitar based 'chemical world.' and strange seymour piano codas.
13 goes on to explore a completely different style of music, something almost uncategorizable but in no way ever even hints at the softest form of punk. Its spaced out and the sound is certainly more optimistic and expressive. Tracks such as 'battle', '
;trimm trabb' and 'caramel' stand out for their brilliance and complete alternativeness.


modern life is rubbish was the album which layed the foundations for blur's all successful britpop album 'parklife'
Who knows what 13 has prepared blur for.....Damon says there's one more album to come and I'll be counting the days....

is modern life is rubbish better than blur 13 or is blur 13 better than modern life is rubbish?
I know what I think but it'd be unfair to say, after all they're much too different...

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