Blur: The Best Of

Blur: The Best Of

2000

Food/Virgin/Parlophone Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing:  Disc 1: 1. Beetlebum  2. Song 2  3. There's No Other Way  4. The Universal  5. Coffee & TV  6. Parklife  7. End of a Century  8. No Distance Left to Run  9. Tender  10. Girls & Boys  11. Charmless Man  12. She's So High   13. Country House  14. To the End  15. On Your Own  16. This is a Low  17. For Tomorrow  18. Music is My Radar

Disc 2: 1. She's So High  2. Girls & Boys  3. To the End  4. End of a Century  5. Stereotypes  6. Charmless Man  7. Beetlebum  8. M.O.R.  9. Tender  10. No Distance Left to Run


This is a greatest hits compilation with an extra disc that features a live show recorded at Wembley Arena in 1999...They probably should have waited one more album to do this, since their next release would be their final album 2002's "Think Tank." As a result, this feels a bit incomplete, but there was another "hits" album called "Midlife" that was released in 2009...



I haven't heard it but the track listing looks interesting...Seems to feature more album highlights than the strictly singles "The Best Of."

Despite all their wonderful singles, I think Blur  were a true "album band" that had a good ear for song sequencing. and as a result these songs are best enjoyed within the context of their albums...For example, I think any of the band's albums would be a better introduction to their work than this compilation....But this works fine when you can't decide what Blur album to listen to...and the bonus live disc is cool...





From their debut album "Leisure" we have "She's So High" and "There's No Other Way." I've never much cared for the madchester/baggy sound on "Leisure." The lyrics are overly repetitive, the melodies are blehhh...I usually skip these...



Blur's second album "Modern life is Rubbish" is where the band finds their groove...They only include one track from the album, the jangly epic "For Tomorrow" which usually has me la-la-la-ing all day...For some mysterious reason they don't include "Popscene."


 

Predictably, "Parklife" is well-represented...We have "Boys & Girls," "This is a Low," "To the End," "End of a Century," and the title track... I've never been that hot on "Boys & Girls" but the other songs are all among the best the band has ever recorded, but inexplicably, they're also the ones that suffer the most from being removed from the context of their original album...I would have tossed "Clover Over Dover" or "Tracy Jacks" on here just to keep things interesting...



"The Great Escape" is represented by "The Universal," "Charmless Man," and "Country House." As much as I like "Country House" I would have swapped it for "Stereotypes." They also include the grand orchestral pop-song "The Universal," which is their best single... It feels lackadaisical and ambitious which can be tough to achieve...The pinnacle of the Brit-Pop movement...



...aaaand we're onto Post-Brit-Pop..."Song 2" "Beetlebum," and "On Your Own" all hail from 1997's self-titled album..."Song 2" has been a bit overplayed for my liking, but the other two still hold up..."M.O.R" would have been nice, though..Bu it's not a big deal, because it's on the live disc...



There are 3 songs from 1999's "13,"    "Coffee & TV," "Tender," and "No Distance Left to Run."  "Tender" is an odd song for me...When I listen to it alone, it's so  emotional and beautiful I almost want to cry, but when I listen to it with someone else in the room it strikes me as unbearably maudlin...Does this ever happen to you guys?!?!  What the hell is wrong with me?

On the other hand, "Coffee and TV" is easily one of my favorites! Such a perfect, slightly melancholy, indie-pop song! The sprightly organ-sound at the end is the best  musical moment in their entire discography! Oh,and it has the best video cos it features "Milky!"

"Milky" is so damn cute! I want to be his best friend!

The whole thing ends with the single-only "Music is my Radar." It's sort of a 21st century update of stoned 70's funk...It's nothing Earth-shaking, really, but it is booty-shaking, and sometimes that's good enough...

So let's check out "Coffee and TV" by Blur, so we can see "Milky" again...God, I love this guy!