Modern Life Is Rubbish [1993]

[Kailey]

Discuss the songs, cover art, inside booklet, etc of Blur's second album, "Modern Life Is Rubbish".

[indiescribe]

MLIR is my favourite Blur album. I'm sure I will have plenty to discuss in the future. I have always been puzzled why there are so many people who loathe 'Villa Rosie'.

[marilynroxie]

I don't know either! It seems I notice more of the Syd Barrett influence on tracks here as well - and also I love "Miss America"!

[deansodisco]

I'm not a fan of Blur at all, but this is an absolutely superb album.

Starting with the brilliant For Tomorrow, through to the very end, I generally can't stand Blur so to be able to enjoy all of it is really high praise!

[notsomanicnow]

Was this the first 'Britpop' album, though no-one knew it at the time?

I remember the novelty of 'Intermission' and 'Commercial Break'.

'For Tomorrow'. It's a tough call, but possibly Blur's greatest single, if not greatest song?

A retired person I know has the album cover picture framed on his kitchen wall. He doesn't know Blur, its just that he loves old steam engines (it s the 'Mallard' on the cover) and being a bit world-weary he indeed thinks that "modern life is rubbish".

[tracyjacks]

Its my favourite, a classic that sounded like nothing else at teh time really, i don't think Blurs guitars have ever sounded better either.

[headphones]

I think before this album, Blur did a quick US tour, and fans in the states just didn't really think much of them, just figured they were a quick copycat Happy Monday/Stone Roses rip off. Nirvana was everywhere, and the band were getting reminded how that they were making tunes that maybe weren't for the US market. I think their record company were expecting greater things from them that Leisure wasn't going to stand a chance of delivering. I'm sure Damon knew that it was either time to write better tunes, or the game was over when they had just started. And I think he saw that the UK was almost the 51st state of the US when there were shopping malls with american brands selling everything from Burger King to Starbucks, and he may have wondered what it all meant, and what could he find to write songs about but what else? The country he knew and loved. And yes, you can detect a Ray Davies/Syd Barrett observation on some of the songs. I think Oily Water was a shoegazer tribute to My Bloody Valentine. Popscene was probably how things were in the charts, and how the latest bands were rising in the sales charts. I could try and unravel the meanings of many of the songs, but won't. It surprises me that this album didn't do that well here in the states or the UK, but make no mistake, it's part 1 of Blur's trilogy. Better tunes, tours, and times were ahead, but a band from Manchester was hot on their heels and lurking around the corner to take it from them.

Oh yeah, there was a old Select Magazine I have with Blur on the cover where Alex & Graham were at a gig they were doing soundcheck for. Damon & Dave were back at their apt they were sharing and were due to arrive later. With soundcheck completed rather early, and plenty of time to kill, they decided to have a few drinks! When Damon & Dave arrived, they joined in, and they got so blitzed, that Dave forgot to setup his drum kit. Damon told the crowd "We're going to sound like s***, so you may as well go home", and proceeded to play, well, drunk....

2 days later Graham & Damon are walking in London, and a van pulls up next to them. A bloke rolls down his window and says "Best gig we ever saw Mate!!!"

I always love that story...

[oldschoolindie]

Seen as it's the 20th Anniversary of 'Modern Life Is Rubbish', we're holding a special Anniversary party at Old School Indie this week (Saturday 11th May) at O2 Academy 2 Islington, where we'll be playing every single track from the album at some point during the night...mixed in with all your favourite Britpop classics from the likes of Pulp, Suede, Elastica, etc.

More details here - www.facebook.com/events/185497384936189/