Back in May 1993, Blur's second LP was just a moderately successful album by a declining indie band that only just reached number 15 in the charts. 21 years later and it's now regarded as a sea change in British music and the beginning of an exciting era. 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' came at a difficult point in the band's career. If they didn't get this one right, there's every chance that they would have been dropped by their label and probably unable to evolve into the legends they would soon become. In a musical climate dominated by American grunge, Blur reinvented themselves as the musical embodiment of pure Englishness. Combining Bowie with Syd Barrett and The Kinks with The Jam, yet still not being bogged down in imitation, the second album suggested that Blur had found an identity of their own. There were big singalongs like 'For Tomorrow' and 'Sunday Sunday', excitingly noisy punk moments like 'Advert' and the brief insanity of 'Intermission', as well as sumptuously lovely tracks like 'Blue Jean' and the wondrous, melancholic closer 'Resigned'. Read an article I wrote in 2013 about the album HERE.
Great song! Coincidental that you posted this today and tweeted me the link as I was, honest to God, in the middle of listening to this album when you did. I've always loved this song, it's such a beautiful and understated way to end such an epic album.
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