As the 1990s had drawn to a close, so had Blur’s time with Food Records. Although this is technically not the last release by Blur themselves, Food Records had requested that the band release a greatest hits compilation. It came at the right time and situation, especially given that as the 2000s had dawned, the commercial popularity of Blur was seemingly a thing of the past in the new millennium. Although this by no means is a perfect compilation listening experience by most accounts, it is mostly seen as a decent compilation release that covers the highlights of the band’s meteoric rise to fame. This was especially a given when a rivalry ensued with fellow Brits Oasis, of which the two bands literally hated each other, was a given in the 1990s. Of course, Oasis had their own meteoric rise to fame in the 1990s, which is best documented elsewhere but was an essential part of Blur’s history as well. The point though is that, before Blur deteriorated internally and Gorillaz became singer Damon Albarn’s new project as this became apparent, this was seen to be an essential release of Blur’s varied and interesting discography. With the iconic artwork done by artist Julian Opie, this is a good starting point for Blur’s musical career. Let’s explore this album and we shall hear what it sounds like.

Beetlebum begins with some cool palm-muted guitar and launches into a Grungy and melodic song that sounds really cool. This song is often perceived to be about multiple things, from Oasis’s apeing of The Beatles and the nature of that band to heroin use that Damon Albarn had experienced, most likely the letter. Whatever the lyrical intention of this song, this is a good and punchy melodic Pop/Rock piece that sounds really fantastic, to this very day. Indeed, the music is thoroughly good here, and it sounds interesting musically, and refreshing as well to hear. There are some very trance-based keyboards as well to accompany this mainly guitar-driven song. Nonetheless, this is a Pop staple from 1997, which itself was an amazing year of music from the UK. A very interesting and melodic song with some very good vocals from Damon Albarn. An extraordinary and legendary song by Blur that sounds very, very good. If you need a good dose of Britpop from 1997 in five minutes that isn’t Oasis, look no further. A very good listen, the outro is beautiful and sublime to listen to. A very wonderful piece of music, with some strange electronic sounds to conclude this song with. A very good listen from start to finish.

Song 2 is a legendary song by Blur, centred around the concept of the number two. It begins with some awesome drumming and launches into a catchy guitar riff. “Woo hoo!” is the catchphrase of the song throughout, and this is a joyous, upbeat and memorable song from start to finish to listen to. A fantastic listening experience from start to finish, this music is cool, calm, collected and very clever. This may have been a British response to the Grunge of Nirvana and similar bands but is irresistibly catchy. A wonderful song to hear, and it runs for two minutes and two seconds. Legendary.

There’s No Other Way – Single Version may be a reference to the final lyrics on The Beatles 1967 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band outro. It begins with some awesome Fender Telecaster riffing and enters into an often unheard and underrated quintessentially Blur song that sounds sweet, genuine and good. A really interesting, short, sweet and Poptastic listen throughout. Some awesome guitar playing is here, and this is real proof that the Fender Telecaster is indeed, an underrated guitar to play. Damon Albarn’s vocals sound quintessentially British and smooth. There are good guitar parts, organs and pseudo-breakbeat drumming here. Reversed guitars are throughout here, and the whole song sounds pleasantly different. A good song, although not Blur’s greatest song, this is a very inspired and different listen. Worth your time and ears, all the same.

The Universal is a song that is designed to be played when humanity achieves world peace, in the very distant future. Sadly, this will unlikely happen for centuries, if the prophecies of either Nostradamus or Baba Vanga are to be believed, if we even make it past the year 2100 on this planet. Musically, this has gorgeous strings, piano, arrangements and music throughout to give us a pleasant glimpse of a future that could work for all of us, if world peace is ever achieved. A gorgeous and pretty song, with a trumpet solo throughout. Unfortunately, as long as religious and political differences remain, we will never achieve this perfect reality. An awesome song: “It really, really, really could happen…” sings Damon Albarn, in the hope that humanity achieves a higher level of existence. If you feel some sadness thinking about all that, you are not alone. A grandiose and excellent song, however. This sounds immortal as a piece of music, all the same.

Coffee & TV – Radio Edit begins with some distorted bass guitar, and sounds really, really weird. It quickly launches into a straightforward Pop/Rock song that sounds pleasant and enjoyable throughout. This is an often overlooked song by Blur, but this doesn’t sound particularly special, either. Damon Albarn sings better than he gets credit here for, and this simple, melodic and bright song sounds very enjoyable. The music is designed to be simple, Joe Bloggs sort of music. Nothing bad nor nothing overly special or significant in this song. A simple life is for some, and this song is designed exactly for that listening purpose. A distorted guitar solo is here, and quite frankly, ruins the song. It doesn’t match it at all, and unless you are a fan of some Grunge Music, that aspect will not appeal musically to you. A fairly ordinary song, sadly. In any case, this one can be easily skipped ahead, if desired. Nothing hugely musically or artistically special to listen to here. The guitar solos aren’t impressive, and this is kind of lame music by Blur, to be honest. Needs a rethink.

Parklife is the breakout hit by Blur. It has some awesome music and sounds to match it. It features a spoken word section by Phil Daniels, an actor. This is an interesting song that takes aim at overweight people and other happenings in modern UK life, and it sounds upbeat and enjoyable throughout. Thankfully, Blur was intelligent enough to feature Phil Daniels on this song as Damon Albarn cannot do a working-class accent, given his middle-class origins. However, this is a cross-cultural and classless song in its purest form. It is radio-ready music with musical embellishments that sound excellent. A winner of a song, but a bit watered down for radio listeners. Still, it sounds good to this very day.

End Of A Century is another song from the Parklife era, with some blissful guitars and interesting lyrics about life back in the UK in the 1990s. To be fair, the UK had been in economic decline for many decades since the dismantling of the British Empire had begun in earnest at the beginning of the 20th century (a problem that continues to this day). Even so, this song encapsulates a good musical listen about some of the things that people supposedly would get up to at the time. A simple and enjoyable song, with a trumpet solo throughout. There are a ton of sexual references throughout, and this does sound surprisingly adult as a result. A good song but again, unlikely to be Blur’s best. All the same, this is a good but not a great listen.

No Distance Left To Run begins with some weird guitar riffs that sound unpleasant. This quickly launches into a weird song about a breakup in a relationship, and it sounds dreary, awful and pathetic, to be fair and honest. Nothing overly special here, although if you are experiencing a breakup, you may want to hear this song. Still, this is very, very ordinary. Obviously, not the best compilation release by any given measure by such a successful and interesting band as Blur. This song can be easily skipped ahead, and it reeks of an awful and insincere musical message throughout. It’s barely okay, and even Damon Albarn’s singing cannot save this song from mediocrity. It finishes up after three minutes of torture.

Tender is a seven-minute-long piece of music that begins with a radio-processed recording of guitar parts. This sounds a bit different, just like Blur intended themselves to be. It quickly launches into a sweet and indeed, tender sounding guitar-driven ballad. This sounds interesting musically. Damon Albarn sings a good song about being sweet and romantic to a partner, although this is a bit emotionally exaggerated here. Some gospel vocals are thrown into the mix here, and Damon Albarn about love being the greatest thing. Which it probably is, depending on your view. A good listening experience, but all the same, this is a very patchy compilation listening experience by Blur. It is clear that this was probably hastily put together and a very uninspired collection of songs. You’d be better off listening to one of Blur’s main albums instead. A good listen, but not truly a necessary listen here. This is a fairly forgettable song from the group which could have easily been traded for a better song on this compilation. The guitar playing is good, but aside from that, this isn’t the best listening experience one can come across. It’s a good song but nothing hugely special. It just sounds a bit repetitive and lame musically. In any case, if you are prepared to skip ahead, please do so. This doesn’t need to be seven minutes long and is a bit too much like Primal Scream here musically. If you are still with us by this point, this song is rather disappointing. Blur has done much better than this, and the music is a bit too simple to be taken seriously as well. It finally finishes after well over seven minutes long, a fairly repetitive and boring listening experience.

Girls & Boys is another hit from the Parklife (1994) era. It begins with trancey keyboards and launches into an interesting Pop song with some good bass guitar playing. This is a very interesting song about more contemporary British ongoing events in the 1990s and references unusual sexual interests in the chorus. It is difficult to believe that this sort of music was played on the radio at the time as a result, as it references bisexualism throughout. Of course, there is nothing really wrong with that (if you are straight or not) but it was much more of a taboo subject back in 1994 than it is decades later on. A fun and singalong song that is very tongue-in-cheek and witty, this is one of Blur’s better offerings as a band. Very catchy and musically interesting to listen to, this sounds different and very catchy. This is one of the better picks from this compilation, and it points out how good the parent album of this song was. Simple, enjoyable and poptastic. A very good listen.

Charmless Man is a good song to spruik on your friends with its lyric lines as a joke. It begins with reversed piano and quickly launches into an upbeat and interesting Pop Music tune that has some interesting lyrics about a man that totally lacks appeal in a social situation. Humourous, witty and clever, it also mentions mass murderer Ronnie Kray in the lyrics. Although a good song, its lyrics make very little sense throughout. A good listen and very singalong, it sounds perfectly oddball and bizarre in its musical intent. Weird, wacky and oddball to listen to in all seriousness, this sounds so unusual and different as a song. It has an interesting set of music and guitars to match, and the song itself is completely wacky to listen to. It only makes sense if you can listen to this song with a good sense of humour. Interesting nonetheless.

She’s So High – Single Version is a rarity in Blur’s canon. It begins with crunchy guitar riffs and enters into a mellow and very 1990s-sounding Rock song. It has a trippy keyboard to match. This is likely a song about shared drug use but sounds gloriously enjoyable and beautiful throughout. Not as good as some of the better songs by Blur, but good nonetheless. Seemingly, this compilation is a missed marketing opportunity for the better bits of music by the band. Quite frankly, this compilation could have picked a far better set of songs throughout. There are reversed guitars and interesting sounds throughout, but nothing hugely special here. Again, this sounds a bit naff musically. A slightly disappointing and dated listen throughout, there is nothing hugely special to listen to here. If this song is to be taken literally, it is a very ordinary set of lyrics. It’s okay but not phenomenal to hear.

Country House is actually a song about the band’s manager. It begins with a descending intro and launches into a great singalong song that was a core song of The Great Escape (1995) album. It is pleasantly listenable and sounds Poppy and accessible. Some intelligent lyrics are present throughout this song, referencing some pill-popping and morning erections. An acquired taste of a song, this is a very good listening experience for this compilation. The music is enjoyable and quintessentially British, with a neat, clean Fender Telecaster guitar solo. Enjoyable but nothing overly serious. It breaks down into a song section referencing the desire to blow one’s brains out in a singalong harmony section, before returning back to the chorus. Quirky and different, this was a major hit single at the time. “He doesn’t drink, smoke, laugh. He takes herbal baths in the country…” references an alternative lifestyle outside drugs and alcohol that one can take if they desire to. A good listen.

To The End begins with a xylophone and launches into a very weird addition from the Parklife (1994) album that, really points out that Blur left the choice of songs to their record company for this compilation, rather than picking songs by themselves. Which is really a pathetic move. This is an okay song, but it is about breaking up and it makes for an awkward addition to this compilation. Even so, it is an okay listen but there were better songs from this era and the parent album that the band could have chosen so. The French spoken parts and chorus are fantastic, however. A good breakup song but it sounds a bit optimistic for that. There are some melodic strings and fairground organ throughout, which adds some musical flavour in the solo section here. Damon Albarn puts in a great vocal throughout as well. A good song but why on earth this is on this compilation is somewhat of a mystery.

On Your Own is a slightly better addition to this compilation. It has keyboards and Grungy guitars galore that actually sound quite good to listen to. A very melodic and interesting listen throughout, with some great cut-up sounds and good singing from Damon Albarn. One cannot still shake off the feeling that this compilation is a big missed opportunity by Blur to cement their status as a band. If the group had decided to create a better-crafted mixture of songs than essentially B-Grade songs chosen by their recording company, this would have gone down a lot better. This is a good song, and the remix of it was fantastic, but it is a disappointing listening experience out of context. A simple and catchy Pop song nonetheless, this music is a good Pop Music piece from 1997. It seems out of place on this compilation, once again. It does sound fairly interesting, however, with its good melodies and garbled electronics at the end. Different.

This Is A Low is again, an awkward choice for this compilation. It begins with some good acoustic guitar riffs and electronic-based sounds, launching into a soulful and sweet song from the Parklife (1994) era. One may want to know exactly why this compilation was released in the first place by this point, as it neither has most of the best of Blur’s music nor flows particularly well. In any case, this is a good song with some excellent multitracked guitars throughout. This is also a good example of what the 1990s had to offer musically other than Grunge, and it sounds very decent for the music within. If anything, it is also fairly clear by this compilation that the Parklife album was Blur’s best album, and one may be best off listening to that album from start to finish, instead of this jumble of random songs by Blur. In any case, this does sound intricate and good musically. A reassuring listen to hear if you are on your own and need musical reassurance, this is a very beautiful song to listen to. Interesting, the outro is fairly Psychedelic.

For Tomorrow – Visit To Primrose Hill Extended fades in with some acoustic guitars, and launches right into a surprisingly good song with some random 1990s references and sounds that are melodically well-structured and pleasant throughout. This music is very deep and interesting, and the harmonies and music throughout are very decent to listen to. This strange song about seasickness is quirky, but in any case, it is a good addition to this compilation. Blur, given their artistry and musical basis, was best as an album band, however. Even so, this does sound enjoyably and peculiarly different as a song. The music throughout is a bizarre situation described in the lyrics but is matched by pleasant and singalong harmonies throughout. There is a brass solo section in the second half as well, adding to the British and quirky nature of this music. A good tune, and a better choice on this compilation of songs by Blur. It may go on for six minutes, but it redeems itself by being a good piece of music as such. It has an extended solo and singing section, reminiscent a bit of The Beatles legendary song Hey Jude. Very cool, all the same. Worth hearing for what this is. It fades out at the end.

Music Is My Radar is the final song on this compilation, and should have been instantly removed in retrospect. It sounds like a bunch of weird sound effects based on pastiches, and not really a decent-sounding song at all. This is an unappealing, pathetic and boring listening experience that does not sound impressive. The compilation has effectively ended by this point in time anyway. It is a combination of weird melodies and sound effects. It is extremely difficult to enjoy this song. To be fair, you should instead go and listen to the band’s main albums instead of this atrocious song. Their albums had a much more consistent flow and feel musically, and this sounds like utter garbage. This compilation was likely one of the final nails in the coffin for Blur, and although the band had great musical moments, this is definitely not one of them. The fuzz bass guitar is awful, the melodies are uninspired and this is a pathetic piece of music. It sounds absolutely horrid throughout and is nowhere near as good as an average DJ mix, for example. A good example of why you should avoid this compilation, and thoroughly unimpressive. Like fingernails down a blackboard. Seriously bad.

This is not a serious recommendation that one can give to the band Blur. Which is both sad and unfortunate. Blur were a much better band than this compilation could ever suggest. Instead of listening to this trash, seek out their main albums, such as the legendary releases like Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995) or Blur (1997). Only if you are a hardcore Blur fan otherwise should you even consider listening to this poorly thought-out mixture of songs. Everyone else should steer well clear of this release.

Not the best of Blur.

4/10