Modern Life Is Rubbish

by Blur

Overview

As a response to the dominance of grunge in the U.K. and their own decreasing profile in their homeland -- and also as a response to Suede's sudden popularity -- Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated Leisure for traditional pop. On the surface, Modern Life may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. If Damon Albarn weren't such a clever songwriter, both lyrically and melodically, Modern Life could have sunk under its own pretensions, and the latter half does drag slightly. However, the record teems with life, since Blur refuse to treat their classicist songs as museum pieces. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason Modern Life Is Rubbish is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody, from the stately "For Tomorrow" and the punky "Advert" to the vaudeville stomp of "Sunday Sunday" and the neo-psychedelic "Chemical World." Even with its flaws, it's a record of considerable vision and excitement. [Most American versions of Modern Life Is Rubbish substitute the demo version of "Chemical World" for the studio version on the British edition. They also add the superb single "Pop Scene" before the final song, "Resigned."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/16/1993
Label:	Food/Sbk
UPC:	0077778944225
Rank:	29907

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blur   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dave Rowntree   Primary Artist,Drums,Loops,Timpani,Loop Drums,Percussion,Handclapping
Graham Coxon   Primary Artist,Noise,Guitar,Vocals,Triangle,Percussion,Tambourine,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Synthesizer,Slide Guitar
Damon Albarn   Primary Artist,Solina,Vocals,Melodica,Jupiter 8,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Sleigh Bells,Moog Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Bells,Casio,Organ,Piano
Kate St. John   Guest Artist,Oboe,Cor Anglais,Sax (Soprano)
Graham   Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Tambourine
Ivan McCready   Cello
Stephen   Drums,Clarinet (Alto)
Roddy Lorimar   Trumpet
Jason   Sound Effects
Louise Fuller   Violin
Dave   Drums,Loops,Timpani
Alex Laipeneiks   Guitar (Bass)
Louisa Fuller   Violin
J. Neil Sidwell   Trombone
Duke Quartet   Strings
John Metcalfe   Viola
Rick Koster   Violin
Simon Clarke   Sax (Alto),Bass Baritone,Baritone,Saxophone,Sax (Baritone),Baritone (Vocal)
Duke String Quartet   Strings,String Quartet
Mae McKenna   Vocals (Background)
Paul Spong   Cornet
Neil Sidwell   Trombone
Alex James   Bass,Handclapping,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic)
Stephen Street   Bells,Drums,Sampling,Percussion,Synthesizer,Handclapping,Peruvian Box Drum
Helen Kamminga   Viola
The Kick Horns   Horn
Roddy Lorimer   Trumpet
Miriam Stockley   Vocals (Background)
Tim Sanders   Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Damon Albarn   Composer,Musician,Producer,Additional Music
Dave Rowntree   Composer,Musician,Additional Music
Blur   Composer,Engineer,Producer
Clive Langer   Producer
Graham Coxon   Composer,Background Noise,Additional Music
Harry Dacre   Composer
John Smith   Engineer,Producer
Simon Weinstock   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Harry Castling   Composer
Clarence W. Murphy   Composer
Kathy Firth   Composer
John Fryer   Mixing Engineer,Mixing
Rod Stewart   Composer
Alex James   Composer,Producer
Frank Arkwright   Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
C.W. Murphy   Composer
Stephen Street   Mixing,Producer,Mixing Engineer,Digital Remastering,Remastering Engineer
Steve Lovell   Producer
Martin Quittenton   Composer
Alan Winstanley   Producer