Are Blur the best British band of the past 20 years?

I agree - best debate here so far

Looking forward to see what Radiohead with the album out this year.

There is an album Ive posted in the download section by Girl Talk - many will disagree but he is a genius. That album ahs 373 (i think) samples on top of each other - including Creep with Ol' Dirty Bastard of the Wu Tang Clan rapping over it. Many artists on there such as Arcade Fire, Rolling Stone, Springsteen, Supergrass and U2 (loads of others) with people rapping over them such as Jay-Z and even hooks by Rihanna and Lady Gag (I'm not a fan of either) and it shouldn't work but it does - I only posted this here because of the Radiohead sample which really stood out for me and the fact more people need to use the download section!!

sound fantastic, will have to check it out

at the same time have you ever heard The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume I by Liam Howlett? - a great mix album where he mixes loads of his fave songs together ...

nah I'll look into it

I've woke up in the weirdest mood, wanting to listen to Coldplay - a band I've never even liked - so much so I've just downloaded all 4 of their albums. Odd. It could be something to do with watch Apples presentation for September where Chris Martin ended it playing Yellow, Viva La Vida and a new song called Wedding Bells - but his voice was awful. What is wrong with me?

Also check out Experience, Music for the Jilted Generation and fat of the Land by The Prodigy, all three albums were genre defining.

Nowt wrong with Coldplay.

Really liked the Prospekt's March EP

Scruff's gonna be all over this thread! And Scruff, ask Bremex to add her cent's worth as well.

the_hound wrote:Also check out Experience, Music for the Jilted Generation and fat of the Land by The Prodigy, all three albums were genre defining.

Nowt wrong with Coldplay.

Really liked the Prospekt's March EP

Did like the alternative version of Lost featuring Jay-Z (even if he is the most hated artist on here, mostly because of Glastonbury 08 I rate him as one of the best rappers ever)

Damon albarn isn't better than john lennon, he's not even a genius in my book.
He's an average singer, Lennon is much better. Everyone goes on about how 'innovative' he is but its nothing that hasnt been done before, just by less famous artists. Whereas the Beatles really were quite innovative in their time, and without them none of todays music would be the same. Blur and Gorillaz won't change the entire face of music like the Beatles did.
Sure, he's written some decent stuff, but a lot of crap as well. In fact, every album I've heard that Albarn has done has been inconsistent. All of Blur's albums have some really crap tracks, and I only like a handful of Gorillaz tracks (although that might just be my personal tastes). But I doubt anyone can listen to a whole Gorillaz album without wanting to skip at least a few tracks. The good, the bad and the queen were like a miserable, dull version of blur and havent heard any of his African projects or Chinese opera.
If a compilation of all his best material was released (like the recent Shaun Ryder one) it would probably be brilliant, but only because there are so many to choose from. Whereas lennon would need 100-odd tracks to cover the very best music he released, I reckon every Albarn track I really like could be condensed into a 30 track album.
Obviously a lot of this is personal opinion taste and opinion, but as far as I'm concerned theres no competition.
Lennon is better.

barnafin95 wrote:Damon albarn isn't better than john lennon, he's not even a genius in my book.
He's an average singer, Lennon is much better. Everyone goes on about how 'innovative' he is but its nothing that hasnt been done before, just by less famous artists. Whereas the Beatles really were quite innovative in their time, and without them none of todays music would be the same. Blur and Gorillaz won't change the entire face of music like the Beatles did.

Sorry mate but I completley disagree with that - The Beatles did, in a way, change music - but if they hadn't pushed rock into the mainstream someone else would have. If The Beatles hadn't been massive back in the 60's less known bands would have been popular - one example I always use is bands like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dPnlHVMOcw so music would have been different because the whole 60s in British music wouldn't have just been the Beatles and Stones but a more diverse group of bands so it is plausable to say that without The Beatles music could have progressed quicker, yes they were a great band and I do love them but sometimes, in my opinion, they're effect on music is overrated

Also it is unfair to say that The Beatles inspired most bands because if, for example, Noel Gallagher/Damon Albarn had been alive in the 60's he would have still had the same amount of talent and could have still made it massive and changed music himself, they did take a lot of inspiration from artists who came earlier such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experiences etc. but if he came around first he would have been inspired by the music from the 50's and even earlier that inspired those bands and others - just because the Beatles were the first massive rock band doesn't mean without them rock would have died

Another thing that really annoys me - and I'm not having a go at you for this Barney because you didn't say it, is when people say there will never be another band as good as The Beatles - why not? really - a band could come around this year and would have the advantage of more music to look back at and be inspired by and also a hell of a lot more technology to make more interesting music

barnafin95 wrote:Damon albarn isn't better than john lennon, he's not even a genius in my book.
He's an average singer, Lennon is much better. Everyone goes on about how 'innovative' he is but its nothing that hasnt been done before, just by less famous artists. Whereas the Beatles really were quite innovative in their time, and without them none of todays music would be the same. Blur and Gorillaz won't change the entire face of music like the Beatles did.
Sure, he's written some decent stuff, but a lot of crap as well. In fact, every album I've heard that Albarn has done has been inconsistent. All of Blur's albums have some really crap tracks, and I only like a handful of Gorillaz tracks (although that might just be my personal tastes). But I doubt anyone can listen to a whole Gorillaz album without wanting to skip at least a few tracks. The good, the bad and the queen were like a miserable, dull version of blur and havent heard any of his African projects or Chinese opera.
If a compilation of all his best material was released (like the recent Shaun Ryder one) it would probably be brilliant, but only because there are so many to choose from. Whereas lennon would need 100-odd tracks to cover the very best music he released, I reckon every Albarn track I really like could be condensed into a 30 track album.
Obviously a lot of this is personal opinion taste and opinion, but as far as I'm concerned theres no competition.
Lennon is better.

There is a lot of personal opinion and taste here!



My personal opinion is that they are two very different artists, both musical geniuses in their own ways....

Both help develop and innovate music in their own times, but both were hardly lone voices.

Damon Albarn has always had other music artists assisting him, whether it was Graham Coxon in Blur, Jamie Hewlett in Gorillaz or Simon Tong in the Good, Bad and the Queen.

Also some people forget that Lennon wasn't the Beatles - the Beatles were Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and even Ringo Starr! As a solo artist he had Yoko Ono working with him as well.

Plus both of them were inspired by what came before them, and the other artists around at the same time.

Lennon was quite open about the influence that the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley had on him, and Damon Albarn with Pavement.

The greatest of musical genius of all time is the unknown black slave who first mixed the tribal music he had grown up with in Africa with the church music the Christian missionaries were forcing him to sing in church. That guy laid the seeds for rock and roll, and all modern music.

Also both Barnafin and Eggy are both guilty of the same thing; Barnafin for dismissing other equally influential and if not more so musical artists from the 60s, Eggy for the doing the same for the 90s and 00s.

Don't get me wrong. In LOVE Blur, but none of their albums are 'classics' IMO. More of a singles band for me.

Never liked The Gorillaz stuff tbh, downloaded the new album but wasn't impressed either! But Damon is definitely a fantastic artist though...

Do you really think one of the other 60's bands would have had the same effect as The Beatles eggy? I mean, no one can say for sure either way but I highly doubt it. The hysteria The Beatles caused and what they went on to achieve and the way their music evolved before they split... I doubt any other band at the time could have competed with that.

Where the hell is Scruff at? Bet he isn't even aware of this thread as I'm sure he would have been in here by now!!

I'm not writing off the other 60s bands. I love 60s bands, theres a few I like more than the Beatles. But while those other bands may have innovated just as much as the Beatles, about 5 people bought their records. The Beatles were the reason everyone heard these advancements, and as a result why todays music sounds the way it does. Even if other bands came up with new styles and ideas, the Beatles popularised them.
Dk, it could be argued that Yoko was a hindrance, musically, to Lennon. I certainly think so and admittedly McCartney had a huge part to play, but Damon has always had people around him whereas John embarked on a solo career. Graham Coxon's contribution to blur shouldnt be forgotten. Also, I thought the whole 'Pavement' thing was Coxon's idea?

CloudBurst wrote:Don't get me wrong. In LOVE Blur, but none of their albums are 'classics' IMO. More of a singles band for me.

Never liked The Gorillaz stuff tbh, downloaded the new album but wasn't impressed either! But Damon is definitely a fantastic artist though...

Do you really think one of the other 60's bands would have had the same effect as The Beatles eggy? I mean, no one can say for sure either way but I highly doubt it. The hysteria The Beatles caused and what they went on to achieve and the way their music evolved before they split... I doubt any other band at the time could have competed with that.

Where the hell is Scruff at? Bet he isn't even aware of this thread as I'm sure he would have been in here by now!!

My point wasn't about the hysteria, more the impact they had on music - if they hadn't had all of the hysteria and publicity I feel more bands would have got some of the attention making other varieties of rock music known quicker and maybe moving music on quicker - i could be completley wrong

Yhh don't know if Scruff has viewed 90's section - he needs to add his opinions

I made the point about the Post Rock Blur sound being Coxon's brainchild - you just need to hear his solo stuff to realise that.


John Lennon was often surrounded by other artists too -
The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual supergroup formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 before the dissolution of the Beatles. Among the various other members of the band were Eric Clapton, two more Beatles (George Harrison and Ringo Starr), artist Klaus Voormann, future Yes drummer Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, the Who's drummer Keith Moon, New York band Elephant's Memory, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, Phil Spector, and drummer Jim Keltner.

Could he have had anymore talent helping him?

And Cloudburst - 13 and Blur are classic albums, and some would argue Parklife and Modern life is Rubbish are too!

Don't get me wrong they are good albums, just not what I'd call "classics"

What would you consider as classic albums from the 90s then, Cloudburst?

Could be a new series for misformusic???

Hmmm, I'll have a think and come back to you. I'm gonna listen to the Blur albums today, maybe I never gave them enough of a chance but we will see. Got The Great Escape on at the min, I still stick by my comment that they are def more of a singles band though.

^Agree

Great Escape was the by far their worst album - a Brit Pop parody

Fuck no, not even close.

Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, and the Stone Roses are better.

And Paul weller (if he counts as a band ) and the verve

^ Agree, I didn't wanna make a massive list and they where the first 3 that came into my head.

Fuck reading these 4 pages,noel & liam said in the past that they weren't a britpop band & they weren't.Oasis are the the best band of the last 20 years easily,O.C.S would be close as a band from the U.K. people just dont listen properly to their albums.

Damon is a good songwriter & i love every blur album,the great escape also is my 2nd fave blur album after parklife.