Blur (album)

Blur is the fifth album by Blur. It was released in 1997 and reached number 1 in the UK album chart, while making significant headway in the US with "Song 2" becoming a hit there and earning Blur a gold record in the process. The album's style was a result of them dropping the Britpop direction that had suddenly become unhip in the wake of The Great Escape's release and turning on to lo-fi indie recordings (at Coxon's urging). The album was a hit and proved that Blur could evolve beyond their Britpop roots.

The cover art portrays the blurred image of a nurse pushing a hospital bed.

The song "You're So Great" was the first song written by Graham Coxon for Blur. It was performed solely by him and can be seen as the start of his solo career. The extreme lo-fi recording of the track is typical of songs on Coxon's first solo albums.

In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Blur the 39^th greatest album of all time.

Track listing

All tracks by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree except where stated.

1. "Beetlebum" – 5:04
2. "Song 2"- 2:01
3. "Country Sad Ballad Man"- 4:50
4. "M.O.R." (Albarn/David Bowie/Coxon/Brian Eno/James/Rowntree) – 3:27
5. "On Your Own" – 4:26
6. "Theme from Retro" – 3:37
7. "You're So Great" (Coxon) – 3:35
8. "Death of a Party" – 4:33
9. "Chinese Bombs" – 1:24
10. "I'm Just a Killer For Your Love" – 4:11
11. "Look Inside America" – 3:50
12. "Strange News from Another Star" – 4:02
13. "Movin' On" – 3:44
14. "Essex Dogs" – 11:24

Personnel

• Blur  – Producer
  • Damon Albarn  – Vocals
  • Graham Coxon  – Guitar
  • Alex James  – Bass guitar
  • Dave Rowntree  – Drums
• Jason Cox  – Engineer
• Paul Rostle  – Photography
• John Smith  – Engineer
• Stephen Street  – Producer