Blur
Parklife

THE REVIEW

Being a big fan of the Gallagher Bros. has always made Blur my arch-enemies; sure, I found myself shouting "Whoo Hooo!" too, but I hated them anyway. Two days ago, I went to my trusted (original) CD dealer and glanced at the Blur CDs; "maybe..." says the little man in my brain... "yeah, come on!" I say. I choose "Parklife" because I like the cover, because it costs 10 EURI unlike the others, and because it was released the same year as "Definitely Maybe"...

The first listening in the car (from the store to home) was delightful: I managed to listen to the first three tracks; "Girls & Boys" is a blatantly pop dance-like song... irresistible! "Tracy Jacks" flows amidst a "damn it" to that moron who didn't give me the right of way and a satisfied expression of joy that the song puts on me! "These Blur aren't bad, eh Ste!" says the little man in my brain while underneath Damon sings about "the end of the century."
Here I am at home... I resume from track 4 "Parklife": spoken verse over a melody that oozes British from every pore, especially in the chorus. I enjoy the fast rock of "Bank Holiday" which so far is the only track that allows me to make a comparison with Oasis; in fact, the following "Badhead" confirms that this virtual battle between the bands doesn't make any sense: the genres are different and I admit with bitterness that the Gallaghers will never be able to range across different sounds as skillfully as their antagonists do.
After the amusing instrumental in the Raul Casadei style of "The Debt Collector" I am surprised by the psychedelic "Far Out": background effects, calm & peace... beautiful! A baroque arrangement, Albarn's peculiar voice alternating with a sensual French... and a refrain that exudes love, romance, and sweetness: it's "To The End." And still rhythm! Lovely those hand clap effects during the verse... the voice reminds me of Peter Gabriel, but in the end, "London Loves" doesn’t quite do it for me!
In the rock of "Trouble In The Message Centre," there's a hint of the 80's, but especially in the pop of "Clover Over Dover." “La la la la" couldn't be missing and here they are, punctual in the chorus of the charming "Magic America"; "Jubilee" leaves little impression on me: yes, it's nice and fast, enjoyable overall, but the only thing that strikes me is the effect of those fake guns that everyone must have handled as a child, absolutely brilliant!
It takes almost three-quarters of an hour to get to "This Is A Low": it's the melancholic last page; slow, at times sad, with an enjoyable distorted solo... it's one of the best moments of the album. And the finale "Lot 105" is the jolt you don't expect, the one that wakes you up: a pub choir, to be sung with friends in those situations of pure fun!

Well, this album forced me to take a step back and also appreciate the music of Blur which is totally different from that of Oasis and, I reluctantly admit, even a little smarter... the little man in my brain says so too.