Modern Life Is Rubbish [Translucent Orange Vinyl]

by Blur

Overview

As a response to the dominance of grunge in the U.K. and their own decreasing profile in their homeland -- and also as a response to Suede's sudden popularity -- Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated Leisure for traditional pop. On the surface, Modern Life may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. If Damon Albarn weren't such a clever songwriter, both lyrically and melodically, Modern Life could have sunk under its own pretensions, and the latter half does drag slightly. However, the record teems with life, since Blur refuse to treat their classicist songs as museum pieces. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason Modern Life Is Rubbish is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody, from the stately "For Tomorrow" and the punky "Advert" to the vaudeville stomp of "Sunday Sunday" and the neo-psychedelic "Chemical World." Even with its flaws, it's a record of considerable vision and excitement. [Most American versions of Modern Life Is Rubbish substitute the demo version of "Chemical World" for the studio version on the British edition. They also add the superb single "Pop Scene" before the final song, "Resigned."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/27/2023
Label:	Plg / Warner Bros. / Warner Records
UPC:	5054197543296
Rank:	1577

Tracks

Disc 1

1. For Tomorrow
2. Advert
3. Colin Zeal
4. Pressure on Julian
5. Star Shaped
6. Blue Jeans
7. Chemical World
8. Intermission

Disc 2

9. Sunday Sunday
10. Oily Water
11. Miss America
12. Villa Rosie
13. Coping
14. Turn It Up
15. Resigned
16. Commercial Break

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blur   Primary Artist,Vocals
Damon Albarn   Primary Artist,Bells,Casio,Organ,Piano,Solina,Vocals,Melodica,Jupiter 8,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Sleigh Bells,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic)
Dave Rowntree   Primary Artist,Drums,Loops,Timpani,Loop Drums,Percussion,Handclapping
Graham Coxon   Primary Artist,Noise,Guitar,Vocals,Triangle,Percussion,Tambourine,Synthesizer,Slide Guitar,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Kate St. John   Guest Artist,Oboe,Cor Anglais,Sax (Soprano)
Stephen Street   Bells,Drums,Sampling,Percussion,Synthesizer,Handclapping,Peruvian Box Drum
Helen Kamminga   Viola
The Kick Horns   Horn
Roddy Lorimer   Trumpet
Duke String Quartet   Strings,String Quartet
Mae McKenna   Vocals (Background)
Miriam Stockley   Vocals (Background)
Tim Sanders   Sax (Tenor)
Simon Clarke   Baritone,Saxophone,Sax (Alto),Bass Baritone,Sax (Baritone),Baritone (Vocal)
Paul Spong   Cornet
Neil Sidwell   Trombone
Alex James   Bass,Handclapping,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic)
Graham   Tambourine,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Ivan McCready   Cello
Stephen   Drums,Clarinet (Alto)
Roddy Lorimar   Trumpet
Jason   Sound Effects
Louise Fuller   Violin
Dave   Drums,Loops,Timpani
Alex Laipeneiks   Guitar (Bass)
Louisa Fuller   Violin
J. Neil Sidwell   Trombone
Duke Quartet   Strings
John Metcalfe   Viola
Rick Koster   Violin

Technical Credits

Stephen Street   Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer,Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
Steve Lovell   Producer
John Fryer   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Rod Stewart   Composer
Martin Quittenton   Composer
Alan Winstanley   Producer
Damon Albarn   Composer,Musician,Producer,Additional Music
Dave Rowntree   Composer,Musician,Additional Music
Blur   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Clive Langer   Producer
Graham Coxon   Composer,Additional Music,Background Noise
Alex James   Composer,Producer
Frank Arkwright   Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
C.W. Murphy   Composer
Harry Dacre   Composer
John Smith   Engineer,Producer
Simon Weinstock   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Harry Castling   Composer
Clarence W. Murphy   Composer
Kathy Firth   Composer