Blur
November 6th 2007 20:30
Alongside the likes of Oasis and Suede, one of the biggest bands during the Britpop movement of the mid-90s was Blur.
Formed in the town of Colchester, Essex in the very late 80s, the popular band was made up of frontman and vocalist//keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist/vocalist Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.
During the peak of the Britpop movement, Blur developed an intense and fierce rivalry with Oasis led by the Gallagher brothers. Battles were fought and won/loss on the album and singles charts with Parklife and "Country House" respectively, but the band's biggest success was yet to come.
In 1997, Blur launched their self-titled fifth album to great critical acclaim both locally and in the US, which was no mean feat for a Britpop band. Incorporating American alternative rock and lo-fi influences, the album's first single "Beetlebum" went straight to No.1 upon its release and its second single "Song 2" became a world-wide hit, peaking at No.6 on the US Modern Rock chart.
A world tour ensued for the band but a change in the direction of their music coupled with the departure of long-time producer and collaborator Stephen Street saw the band's popularity dip.
The demise of the Britpop movement plus in-band feuding also took its toll on Blur which meant that their subsequent albums 13 and Think Tank never quite managed to scale the same heights as Parklife or Blur.
The band finally parted ways in 2003, instigated by the departure of the influential Graham Coxon, and despite persistent rumours of a reunion and work on a new album, nothing has yet to materialise.
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