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Rating:
Back in 2001, I started getting into Blur through an MTV Hits collection from 1995, gifted to me by a cousin who was a radio host in my hometown.
Among the most beautiful songs was Blur's "Country House" set against Oasis's "Roll With It". During the summer, I would purchase "The Great Escape," which contained the mentioned song. And with "The Best Of" on cassette (borrowed from a friend), my adventure with Blur began.
After the summer, I bought the group's first two albums, "Leisure" and "Modern Life Is Rubbish". With the latter, it took me a while to warm up to it—but perseverance would lead me to realize it as the "album of my heart" (the same would happen with another great album ten years later, "Think Tank").
When I visited London as a tourist in 2008, I unknowingly celebrated the 15th anniversary of this niche masterpiece: indeed, its complicated history explains why it is now considered a fundamental album of the group (though not by the mainstream public), making it a niche work indeed.
I've often had a penchant for albums that are well-made but fail to achieve major success: they have a magic that many successful albums often lack (and "Parklife" has episodes that aren't thrilling ("London Loves" and "Trouble in the Message Centre") but sound good within the album.
The first album of the Britpop trilogy was born at a particular time for the group and England: Blur was returning home from a disastrous U.S. tour, and some members, including Damon, were disillusioned both personally and culturally: England was in a stalemate, with the recent end of Thatcherism and a music scene that was no longer innovative.
So Damon thought of rebelling against the cultural Americanization of the country, being influenced by Nirvana's grunge, among others, by reclaiming the "debris" (as he called them) of British culture and music.
Culturally, there was a reclaiming of soccer, pub drinks, the Sunday lifestyle, etc. Musically, they traveled back decades with music hall, the Specials' ska, the Kinks, and so on. The aim was to recreate an Englishness that was, of course, merely ideal as it could no longer be reproduced in the current reality.
"Modern Life" reached David Balfe (from Food, a sub-label of Emi) who didn't want to send it to stores because it would be a commercial suicide. More songs were needed. So, the two singles "For Tomorrow" and "Chemical World" were born.
Once in the stores, "ML" didn't climb beyond 15th place, infuriating Balfe. But Damon tried to convince him that it was a good result. At the beginning of the album's promotional tour, the public didn't give the group much acclaim, but after a few months, approval started to come in.
And "For Tomorrow" still deserves acclaim today! Just its beginning is an entire program, culturally, on the youth of the time: "He's a 20th century boy/with his hands on the rails/trying not to be sick again and/holding on for tomorrow" ("He's a 20th-century boy/with hands on the bars/trying not to feel sick again and/holding on for tomorrow").
A great masterpiece and video instant classic, in black and white of tourist London and the mixed crowd singing "la la la". How I lived it! When I was on Tower Bridge and saw the Thames in the distance, imagining Damon floating. Or at Primrose Hill (one of the song's locations) where I walked on the ground where some in the video flew kites and in a bustling street, I snapped a photo of a bus displaying "Westway" (a highway) on the display. At the National Gallery imagining some of them coming out of the staircase.
But the best of all was one evening with the metro to Gloucester Road and up to Emperor's Gate, a small square of affluent people. After taking some photos, I rushed back to the metro shouting "Jim stops and gets out the car/goes to a house in Emperor's Gate..."*. MAGNIFICENT.
With "Advert", the songs made with the addition of special effects of machines begin as read in the beautiful and unrepeatable album booklet, a small work of art. "Advert" is one of those peculiar tracks often found in this album. One day in London, I hummed it on the subway train returning to the hostel—and I lived it!
"Colin Zeal", "Pressure on Julian", and "Coping" follow the same trend. "Coping" has a bit of '80s synth-pop vibe and is marvelous in Albarn's performances at Blur concerts of that time, along with "Advert" and the expansive and ear-splitting "Oily Water". "OW" is one of the masterpieces to keep aside: Damon's voice is a little overshadowed by the music, but it's fantastic, especially if we imagine Damon with a somewhat dazed expression (I highly recommend checking out the Rock Music Hall concert in Koln on YouTube: unbelievable stuff).
"Blue Jeans" set on Portobello Road, I brought it to the famous market of the celebrated August 16th of "The Good the Bad & the Queen" (see my review): an enjoyable song, while "Chemical World" today, compared to 2001, doesn't thrill me excessively (and I never liked the video).
"Sunday Sunday" is another great song about English Sunday traditions. When I "shouted" it (so to speak) on the route from Piccadilly Circus (near the hostel where I was staying) to St.James's Park, there was almost no soul around (but it was wonderful). Great video and fantastic steel guitar played by Graham.
"Miss America" is the last great track: written after the American tour, it's another masterpiece for how Damon's voice stands over a slightly background music, a bit languid and sleepy. Is it still possible to talk about "art" in the '90s? Listening to "Miss America", yes.
"Resigned" exists in "Modern" without saying anything exceptional, and the interludes of "Chemical World" and this one fit well like the intermissions of First and Second Half in films broadcasted by Rai many years ago.
To conclude: "MLIR" enjoys small-scale success as will similarly happen (but worldwide) with another masterpiece 10 years later, "Think Tank", which, instead of speaking only to the English people, seems to extend its reach to the entire (Western and globalized) world. Even in 2003, a culture in decay...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 For Tomorrow (04:19)
He's a twentieth century boy
With his hands on the rails
Trying not to be sick again
And holding on for tomorrow
London ice cracks on a seamless line
He's hanging on for dear life
So we hold each other tightly
And hold on for tomorrow
Singing
La la, la la la
La la la la la la la la (x3)
Holding on for tomorrow
...oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...
She's a twentieth century girl
With her hands on the wheel
Trying not to make him sick again
Seeing what she can borrow
London's so nice back in your seamless rhymes
But we're we're lost on the Westway
So we hold each other tightly
And hold on for tomorrow
Singing
La la, la la la
La la la la la la la la (x3)
Holding on for tomorrow
Trying not to be sick again
And holding for tomorrow
She's a twentieth century girl
Hanging on for dear life
So we hold each other tightly
And hold on for tomorrow
Singing
La la, la la la
La la la la la la la la (x3)
Holding on for tomorrow
Jim stops and gets out the car,
goes to a house in Emperor's gate,
Through the door and to his room,
Then he puts the TV on,
Turns it off and makes some tea,
Says Modern Life Is Rubbish I'm
Holding on for tomorrow,
Then Susan comes into the room,
She's a naughty girl with a lovely smile,
Says let's take a drive to Primrose Hill,
It's windy there and the view's so nice,
London ice can freeze your toes
Like anyone I suppose
I'm holding on for tomorrow...
02 Advert (03:45)
it is six oclock on the dot and i am half way home
i feel foul monthed as i stand and wait for the underground
and a nervous disposition does not agree with this
I need something to remind me that there is something else
you need a holiday somewhere in the sun
with all the people who are waiting
there never seems to be one
say something, say something else
advertisements are here for rapid persuasion
if you stare too long you lose your appetite
and a nervous disposition does not agree with this
you need fast relief from aches and stomach pains
03 Colin Zeal (03:16)
Colin Zeal knows the value of mass appeal
He's a pedestrian walker, he's a civil talker
He's an affable man with a plausible plan
Keeps his eye on the news, keeps his future in hand
And then he...
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
While sitting in traffic, Colin thinks in automatic
He's an immaculate dresser, he's your common aggressor
He's a modern retard with a love of bombast
Keeps his eye on the news, doesn't dwells on the past
And then he...
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
And then he...
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
Looks at his watch, he's on time yet again
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
He's pleased with himself, he's pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
He's pleased with himself, he's so pleased with himself
He's so pleased with himself, ah ha
He's a modern retard, he's terminal lard
He's an affable man, with a carrotene tan
Because Colin Zeal's ill
Colin Zeal's ill
Colin Zeal's ill
'Cos Colin Zeal knows
04 Pressure on Julian (03:31)
Only the magical transit children sing, sing the lullaby bah, bah, bah,
Sitting on the pavement sucking on a long straw, it's colorful,
It's colorful, but it washes you out
Here is my violence and here is the excuse,
I learned it all but only second hand
Falling into walls well, what is it with you,
you'd never know never know, never know
We planned it all this way, we planned it all this way
Pressure on Julian
Swimming in yellow pissy water, sand getting in between the ears,
No blood in head in this bloody weather, irate people with
Yellow tongues
Only the magical transit children sing, sing lullaby bah, bah, bah
Falling into walls, well what is it with you, you'd never know
Never know, never know.
[OVERVOICE] There was pressure on Julian, pushing trolleys in the car park from b to a then back to b, pressure on Julian, he keeps passing out, poor little snout, the birds are singing at night, pressure on Julian
Falling into walls well, what is it with you, you'd never know,
Never know, never know
There was pressure on Julian, pushing trolleys in the car park from b to a then back to b, pressure on Julian, he keeps passing out, poor little snout, the birds are singing at night, pressure on Julian
06 Blue Jeans (03:54)
Air cushioned soles
i bought them in the Portabello road
on a saturday
i stop and stare a while
a common pastime when conversation goes astray
and don't think i'm walking out on this
coz she don't mind
whatever i say
whatever i say
i don't really want to change a thing
i wanna stay this way forever.........
blue, blue jeans
i wear them every day
theres no particular reason to change
my thoughts are getting banal
i cant help it but i wont pull out hair another day
you know it's to be with you
07 Chemical World (03:45)
The pay-me girl has had enough of the bleeps
So she takes the bus into the country
Although she got herself rosy cheeks
She didn't leave enough money to pay the rent
The landlord says that she's out in a week
What a shame she was just getting comfy
Now she's eating chocolate to induce sleep
In a chemical world, it's very, very, very cheap
And I don't know about you
But they're putting the holes in, yes, yes
It's been a hell of a do
They've been putting the holes in, yes, yes
Peeping Thomas has a very nice view
Across the street at the exhibitionist
These townies they never speak to you
Just stick together so they never get lonely
Feeling lead, feeling quite light-headed
Had to sit down and have some sugary tea
In chemical world, in a chemical world
It's very, very, very cheap
And I don't know about you
But they're putting the holes in, yes, yes
It's been a hell of a do
They've been putting the holes in, yes, yes, yes
I don't know about you
But they're putting the holes in, yes, yes
It's been a hell of a do
They've been putting the holes in, yes, yes
And now she's found about you
But they're putting the holes in, yes, yes
Well I don't know about you
They've been putting the holes in, yes, yes
Until you can see right through
Until you can see right through
Until you can see right through
09 Sunday Sunday (02:38)
Sunday, Sunday here again in tidy attire
You read the color supplement, the TV guide
You dream of protein on a plate, regret you left it quite so late
Together the family around the table, to eat enough to sleep
Oh the Sunday sleep
Sunday, Sunday here again a walk in the park
You meet an old soldier and talk of the past
He fought for us in two world wars
and says the England he knew is no more
He sings songs of praise every week but always falls asleep
For that Sunday sleep
You dream of protein on a plate, regret you left it quite so late
Together the family around the table to eat enough to sleep
And mother's pride is you epithet, that extra slice you will soon regret
So going out is your best bet, then bingo yourself to sleep
Oh the Sunday sleep
10 Oily Water (05:00)
Lead in me and me in water
Dangling in my word
I swallowed too much oily water
It keeps slipping down my spine
In a sense of self decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
My head is full of suspicion
I'm coming home sometime
I've swallowed too much oily water
It keeps slipping down my spine
In a sense of self in decline
Lying on my back
It's only an early morning dream
And so the whole world will be alright
12 Villa Rosie (03:55)
Practice doesn't make perfect when you're interbreeding
Speaking drivel can it get confused with heavy breathing
Mixing drinks at water holes get snarled up in the suburbs
Meandering through this and that you are suspected of vagueness
When work is done, go to Villa Rosie every night (we're waiting)
So form a queue at villa Rosie every night (so tasty)
Across the common every day you come across the fine line
But wearing boots can prevent the leeches in the long grass
Eating between meals stifles the appetite is it healthy
Coming home that nagging doubt there in your belly
And all the while at villa Rosie every night (we're tasting)
A sweeter life at Villa Rosie every night (so tasty)
All losers come to Villa Rosie every night (we're waiting)
So form a queue at Villa Rosie every night (so tasty)
Don't break your back at Villa Rosie every night (we're tasting)
A sweeter life at Villa Rosie every night (so tasty)
13 Coping (03:24)
Primal evil what am I
Tongue-tied until the day I die
There's no love made with mermaids
It's just distraction or so they say
And I'm too tird to care about it
Can' t you see it in my face my face
When I feel this strange can I go through this again
It's a sorry state you're getting in
The same excuse is wearing thin
There's no self control left in me
What was not will never will be
And I'm too tired to care about it
Can't you see it in my face my face
When I feel this strange can I go through this again
14 Turn It Up (03:21)
Kazoo, kazoo you are mine, kazoo kazoo every time
Turn it up, turn it off, turn it in (x4)
Anyway you choose, anyway you choose at all
Sometimes you get too much, some days it all gets too much
Kazoo, kazoo you are mine, why do you turn your back on me?
Turn it up, turn it off, turn it in (x4)
Anyway you choose, anyway you choose at all
Some days you do too much, some days it all gets too much
Kazoo, kazoo you are mine, kazoo kazoo every time
Turn it up, turn it off, turn it in (x4)
15 Pop Scene (03:14)
A fervoured image of another world
Is nothing in particular now
And imitation comes naturally
But I never really stopped to think how
And everyone is a clever clone
A chrome coloured clone am I
So in the abscence of a way of life
Just repeat this again and again...and again
Hey, hey come out tonight
Hey, hey come out tonight
Popscene, all right
I'm leaving town to run away
Right into your twisted arms
No queues and there's no panic there
Just dangling your feet in the grass
My lack of natural luster now
Seems to be losing me friends
So in the abscence of a way of life
Just repeat this again and again...and again
Hey, hey come out tonight
Hey, hey come out tonight
Popscene!
Hey, hey come out tonight
Hey, hey come out tonight
Popscene, all right
Hey, hey come out tonight
Hey, hey come out tonight
Popscene!
68 When the Cows Come Home (03:49)
Good morning
Wake up
Wake up with purpose and polite efficiency
Stuff vitamin pills down your health guarantee
A kiss and cuddle with a lucky girl
You get fed and watered
Makes your hair curl
And when the day draws in
You put on a record
Put on something gentle
And wait for the cows to come home
Wake up a little voice says
To you eagerly
You musn't let yourself sink financially
Don't listen to the accusation that you're tight
You could be the first man on your street to get it right
And when the day draws in
You going to go into waltz time
For once it was a good time
Wait for the cows to come home
All your life
Ha da de da da
Ha da de da da
Ha da da de da
Ha da de da da da
Wake up with purpose and polite efficiency
So you get fed and watered with good company
And when the day draws in
You go into waltz time
For once it's a good time
Wait for the cows to come home
All your life
- Flequi
69 Peach (03:56)
Chemical Eats
Best part of the peach
You're always the way you are
What of that going to close you in
You got a gaping hole in your head
Id let the birds nest there instead
Aha aha aha aha
A gun in your pocket
And hair in a locket
Around your neck
From the girl you once loved
where is she now, you've gone crazy
You've got a gaping hole in your head
I'd let the birds nest there instead
Aha aha aha aha
You've got a gaping hole in your head
I'd let the birds nest there instead (x4)
Aha aha aha aha
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Other reviews
By charles
"If you have to spend euros on a Blur album, it certainly shouldn’t be for this one, perhaps the worst album of the Colchester band."
"‘For Tomorrow’ is one of the best tracks, concentrating all the characteristics of early '70s British rock, with a catchy 'la-la-la-la-la...' chorus that engages the listener from the first listen."
By temi
"Tracks like 'For Tomorrow,' 'Chemical World,' and 'Sunday Sunday' are quirky, or at least they were at the time, and surprised most of the English audience."
"This album has left a mark, and today’s bands testify to it: the first albums of Kaiser Chiefs, for example, seem a bit copied from this one."
