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Rating: When I heard about the return of Graham Coxon to Blur for a live show (then, given the instant sell-out, a second date was added), I thought the four of them were making the right choice.
Coxon walked away angrily in 2002, in the midst of recording "Think Tank"; the reasons for his departure were never completely clarified: there was talk of a disinterested Coxon, immersed in depression and alcoholism, focused on his solo production which by then already counted four albums, there was talk of a Coxon opposing Fatboy Slim's production in the preparation of the new Blur album and not showing up for recording sessions, there was talk of the other three members letting it be known that the presence in the studio of the guitar prodigy was not welcome, there was talk of a friendship that perhaps never existed.
Much was said, but it never was fully resolved; the fact is that for years Coxon continued with his solo records and the other soul of Blur, Albarn, immersed himself in his various poprockelectronic projects.
Well, let me say, this is the classic happy ending, which on one hand (if they don’t follow up Hyde Park with a new album and new concerts) leaves a bitter taste for what Blur could still do and may not do, while on the other hand might fully satisfy because, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Blur captured in these two live double documents are at the peak of their creativity and cohesion: and if with "Parklife" and "Blur" the four entered rock history and the Pantheon, symbolically this concert crowns them as classics. And I can't imagine a better ending for their story.
An absolutely heartfelt and representative setlist of their multiple souls, not coincidentally performed identically on both dates: there is elegance and refinement in pieces like the exciting and emotional "This Is A Low" (wow, what a solo... ahem... sorry, that slipped out), "The Universal", "To The End", "Badhead", the gospel-country-rock of a stretched-out "Tender", experimentation and psychedelia with "Beetlebum" (wow, what a song... ahem... sorry again, it slipped out again), "Trimm Trabb", "Oily Water", "Out Of Time", "She's So High", "Death Of A Party", the colorful skewed and illuminated rock-poprock of "Parklife", "Sunday Sunday" (and its crazy time changes), "Coffee & Tv", "There's No Other Way", "Chemical World", "End Of A Century", the noiserock of "Song 2", "Advert", "Popscene", "Jubilee". Then there's "For Tomorrow" with a beautiful instrumental coda and the inevitable "Country House" and "Girls & Boys".
Coxon takes the old songs back in hand with unexpected conviction and expressive urgency (re) establishing himself as the true keystone of the sound structures.
Albarn emotional and focused on expressing and interpreting the different atmospheres of the pieces.
Songs that seem as if they were written tomorrow and yet it's been 20 years since the debut of the four from Colchester (in '89 they formed the band).
If the "Live At Hyde Park" represents the conclusion of their story, Blur will remain crystallized at their highest point... while a choir of passionate fans and the echo of "The Universal" accompanies the finale of these splendid two concerts.
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