For a short time in mid-‘90s Britain, there was a war. Not with tanks and guns and planes, but with guitar, bass, drums, and the human voice. The battlefield was Britpop, and the two sides were Oasis and Blur.
I don’t know exactly how the conflict started—whether it was the bands themselves, the fans, or a media frenzy that generated the spark that set off the conflagration. But even I heard about it at the time, all the way across the pond in America.
Being a typical Yank, my reaction was “Oasis and who?” I felt I’d heard of Blur but couldn’t quite put a finger on exactly who they were. (Retrospective listening proved that I had, indeed, heard the song “Girls & Boys.”)
I think it’s safe to say that—at least from a sales and fame point of view—Oasis won that war, although Blur may have emerged victorious from a few skirmishes. But the conflict itself seems rather artificial to me, mostly because the two bands feel quite different.
Oasis was all about simplicity, a group of working-class toughs who kept things big and bold and full of ego. They made a louder noise, one that translated to more U.S. success.
The college-educated boys in Blur were more self-critical and witty and, at least for a time, more UK-centric. Blur couldn’t decide what sound they wanted, it seemed, starting off indebted to the baggy Madchester scene, then going Britpop, later shifting toward American-style, neo-psychedelic alt-rock and easing into electronics and world music.
At least in America, Blur has never become the household name that Oasis was (and perhaps still is).
Yet, as much as I like Oasis’ stuff, if I had to choose one album by either band to keep above all others, that honor would have to go to a Blur album.
Playlist 1
Playlist One kicks off with the album that represents the best of Blur’s Britpop days, the excellent Parklife (1994). The rest of the playlist highlights their other releases before and after Parklife that show off their Britpop prowess. Great listening for social gatherings as well as daily activities.
Playlist 2
Playlist Two, the one I really love, shows a more American-influenced sound. It blends the lo-fi, alt-rock of Blur (1997) and the spacey, melancholy, neo-psychedelia of 13 (1999), to my mind their best album. This one is better for solo listening, with the lights turned low.
Cover Art:
- Parklife (cover and inner sleeve): Source, Discogs.com, Fair use.
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