3/9/2023 0 Comments Parklife sort![]() ![]() ![]() Although that's sometimes one of the criticisms of it that his voice grates after a while, through the whole album he sings in a very British accent, again making it clear that this is a British album, and meaning that he bucks the increasing trend of many singers, in, whether subconsciously or not, slipping into an American accent in their songs. Although it sounds as if I'm making this point excessively, it's also important to focus on Damon Albarn's accent at times on this album. These talents that he possesses make it even more surprising that his solo career has been a comparative failure, but on this album he really does come into his own. This song also showcases the fact that Graham Coxon is a hugely underrated guitarist by many people, with his skills at devising very catchy riffs, as well as being willing to remain in the background when the time is right, evident at several points on the album. From pure pop moments, it takes in more arty, complex songs, as well as even reaching into punk influences, on songs such as Bank Holiday, which is a chaotic stomp through the idea of a bank holiday weekend, where the narrator is already looking to going back to work. The album also takes in a great range of styles. They're not doing anything that hasn't been done before, but they're doing it with a great degree of wit, and making it relevant for the 1990s. And herein lies the great talent of the band. Featuring British actor Phil Daniels on lead vocals, this is a wonderfully ironic satire of English suburbia, with the targets of the song all being things we can identify with, whether they're the "joggers who go round and round and round", or "the gut lord marching". The synthesised pop tones of this song in particular make it a very strong opening track, as well as immediately letting you know what the album's all about. Girls & Boys pokes fun at the annual British exodus to Greece in lines such as "Following the herd down to Greece", while talking about sexual confusion, in the chorus which is made to be sung by the exact group of drunken holiday makers, in spite of it's tongue-twisting nature. Let's take the example of the two massive singles from this album, in Girls & Boys, and the title track, Parklife. Albarn, taking the approach of an artist to his music, succeeds in creating a series of characters here, that speak more loudly than mere words about what real, everyday life is like, although rather than being a social commentary in the heavily cynical mood of bands such as Radiohead, this is largely a fun album, in spite of regularly employing a cynically humorous tone. ![]() It effectively not only blasted Blur well and truly into the public eye, but also serves as a genuinely era-defining album, and tells you what it was like to be of a certain class, and living in London during this time. However, although it's now regarded as not having aged well, which, in large parts, it hasn't, this says something about its effect at the time. Parklife was Blur's third album, following on from the previous year's Modern Life Is Rubbish, and the largely forgotten debut album, Leisure. And, of course, there's no denying that much of the conflict between these 2 bands stemmed from the famous "North/South divide" in Britain, adding yet more edge to fresh releases from each band. Oasis were the more hard rocking anthemic band, indebted to The Beatles, while Blur were more of an arty pop band, following in the footsteps of The Kinks and The Small Faces, in being so resoundingly British that it's untrue. Both Blur, and arch rivals Oasis, dominated the movement, competing with each other for chart placings, and for the hearts of fans, in spite of being two very different bands. However, at the heart of this movement were two bands that were evidently head and shoulders above the rest. The era of Britrock, with bands such as Supergrass and Pulp dominating the radio waves was in full swing, and it seemed that feel good, resoundingly British music had simply taken over. Looking back at the mid-1990s British music scene now, it all seems quite odd. The Band: Damon Albarn (Vocals, Guitar, Other Instruments) ![]()
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