13 by Blur

Pros: Tender, No Distance Left to Run, a few others...
Cons: A whole bunch of forgettable garbage...

No band is ever exempt from releasing a bad album—including uber-popular British alt-popsters Blur. Their albums are unpredictable with some being incredible, others being fine, and still others being genuinely and disappointingly forgettable. One ...

Pros: Some outstanding songs, and most of the experimentation works
Cons: Some of the experimentation really doesn't work

Never let Graham Coxon do the artwork. Just look what happens. Such cover art might remind musical historians of The Smiths first LP, with its perfect shot from Andy Warhol’s Flesh to symbolise the tortured contents of the ...

Pros: Blur Go In Search Of Pastures New.
Cons: Unfortunately They Hit Upon Foot And Mouth Ocasionally.

Much was made of Blur's foray into US alt slackerism. While many viewed it as a contrived attempt to become the British Pavement, it nonetheless pushed Colchester's finest into mainstream American consciousness. This was an achievement that 'Parklife',...

Pros: "Tender"
Cons: Just about everything else

Blur's 6th album opens with one of the single most beautiful things they've ever recorded, the nearly eight-minute single "Tender," which, with it's acoustic strumming and stomping beat, feels like a sort of campfire song. A gospel style chorus kicks...

Pros: Blur explores the boundaries of Britpop electronica, Lush sounds, Vibrant vocals and lyrics from Damon Albarn, Classy album cover based on the painting by guitarist Graham Coxon entitled Apprentice
Cons: Sloppily over-produced in places...

Imagine for a second that by some weird fantastical twist, David Bowie was transported from Trident studios in 1972 (during his Ziggy Stardust… sessions) and into Mayfair Studios where he began to sing the line "Give me insane, give me space...

Pros: Lots of different styles of songs: No song sounds the same, and they're at the height of creativity.
Cons: Not the same Brit Pop sound that fans might be used to from their earlier albums.

This is an incredible, masterful, eclectic work, by one of my favorite British bands.
Every song sounds incredibly different from the rest on this album, showing all sides of Blur's talent.
Track 1 is what first caught my attention, spurring me...

Pros: ”13” will fix your car and get rid of the way you smell
Cons: WHAT?? WANNA GET BEAT UP REAL GOOD???

As vomit-worthy clichéd as this sounds, there are records that have become part of my life. The immortal beauty of ”Rubber Soul” was my childhood; ”Darkness On The Edge Of Town” provided my entry into puberty; and Public Enemy’s ”Fear...

Pros: Albarn's vocals are strong, as always, and the tunes "Tender," "Coffee and TV," and "Trailerpark" are standouts.
Cons: The rest of the album meanders a bit as Blur adjusts to both a new producer and to their own musical experimentation.

They've been called "...the best British group since The Smiths." They've been compared to the likes of Oasis and Wire. And, on all of their albums except for their latest, "13", Blur has collaborated with producer Stephen...

Pros: Experimentation, stunning vision on half the songs
Cons: Experimentation, lack of direction on half the songs

Gospel choirs, intensely atmospheric works, and oddly innovative song structures. Could this really be Blur? Yes, everyone's favorite British band has returned again with an album that no one could have guessed would be created by a band, only a few...

Pros: mature, artistic, experimental. some incredible tracks.
Cons: unlistenable in parts?

13 represents a major departure from any of BLUR’s previous albums, and a huge step toward artistic maturity. Before 13, non-fans (myself included) probably didn’t think much about this alternative band from Northern England. BLUR was known above all...

Pros: Lots of experimental tracks that work
Cons: A couple of experimental tracks that don't work

So-called "experimental" albums almost always receive a distinctly frosty reception from the press; take R.E.M.'s "Up" and Radiohead's "Kid A" for a start. "13" was no exception, effectively described by critics as "alright, but nothing special".
...

Pros: One Good Song
Cons: All The Others Aren't

I can't believe that I almost bought this CD. I first saw Blur on MTV. My first impression was that they looked really cool and sounded great. I really wanted to buy their CD.

Then a couple days later I'm at my friend's house listening to some...

Pros: great album
Cons: tender

Blur's latest album and to me probably the best.I'll start with the worst news first. The first song is Tender.This however much a good song it may be at first is good, but on this album i find it drags on to much. it lasts for a tedius 7 minutes 50...

Pros: Fully realized songs, great lyrics
Cons: a few fully unrealized songs

This is the best Blur album yet! But it is also the most different. Most of the songs are drawn out, slow and revolve around the breakup of singer Damon Albarn and Elastica frontwoman Justine Frischmann. The first single, "Tender" is the...

Pros: different
Cons: mellow

i love blur their albums always have such a blend of music on them its hard not to love im not sure what song #11 is called but its wonderful its on album 13 i got this album about 2 months ago and i learned it in the first week(with the exception of the...