Parklife

"Parklife" was the third studio album from Blur. Released in 1994 it marked a strong upturn in both the popularity of the London band and the quality of the songs they produced. " Leisure " was good but lacked the punch needed to make it super duper great, while " Modern Life Is Rubbish " was let down by several tunes that sounded too similar to one another. But "Parklife" was where the band really found its mojo, and the timing couldn't have been any better. Oasis would hit the scene that same year . A Britpop battle was on the horizon. The appeal of "Parklife" is that it's an album that gets stronger and stronger the more you hear it. One playthrough and there's a tune that gets stuck in your head. One more and another one gets in there. Soon you'll find yourself listening to the album "just one more time" just to find out if your ears will fall in love with any particular tune. This will happen quite a few times, trust me. So onto the highlights. Two of the best tracks on the album are two classic pieces that have been played numerous times on the radio and on music channels, GIRLS AND BOYS and PARKLIFE. The former is a disco-ish track about being on holiday, having fun and trying to get laid; and while the latter is more spoken than sung it's a true blue cockney anthem that will make every Londoner stand up, salute and generally feel proud of where they come from. Both songs are upbeat, bring back fond memories of the 90's, and are simply great. Also on the list of "must hear" songs we have TRACY JACKS, a lively piece of light rock about a middle aged guy going through a mid life crisis. The faint use of violins in the background adds to its liveliness and makes it worth several plays. TO THE END appears to be about being immature and drunk. The delicate mixture of rock and classical make it a good night time listen. Also we have LONDON LOVES, a rock tune where the drums and guitars work beautifully in tandem while talking about a rich man and his liking of speeding around London in a flashy motor car. TROUBLE IN THE MESSAGE CENTRE is pretty good as well, mainly because -well to me at least- the old-school techno sounding notes in the verses are reminiscent of a SEGA Mega Drive video game. CLOVER OVER DOVER is about suicidal man planning to jump off the cliffs of Dover, but wants to make sure he's wrapped up any loose ends in his life before doing so. Despite the depressing story this is another tune that grows on you over time due to its decent blend of instruments. The way lyrics come out in the chorus is rather appealing as well. Meanwhile MAGIC AMERICA -which is about wanting to live in the land of Stars & Stripes- is a winner due to its strong energetic drum beat; and the way the lyrics in the chorus segments are sung, like CLOVER, are pretty good. "He wants to go to ma-gic A-me-ri-ca" is a line you'll be singing for a while after you've stopped playing the album. In terms of bad songs we have BANK HOLIDAY. It has a really fast tempo and is overloaded with lyrics about stuff to do on a bank holiday. I think the message is bank holidays are short, so make the most of them and do as much fun stuff as possible, just like the layout of the song. It's a clever idea in theory, but in terms of execution it just doesn't work. FAR OUT is just bland from start to finish; while THE DEBT COLLECTOR sounds like something you would hear on a 1950's merry-go-round with its use of trombone and clarinet. It's good...if you're about 200 years old. The good news is this trio of bad songs don't last very long (THE DEBT COLLECTOR is the longest at 2:10), so if you insist on listening to them out of curiosity at least you won't be tortured for long. Overall "Parklife" is a high quality album worthy of 5-Stars and the purchase, and not even the content of the previous paragraph can lower that score. Oh, one more thing: Read the review title out loud in a cockney drool and you'll understand what I was trying to do. Clever, ain't it?

As the album that made Blur the defining Britpop band, it's also the definitive Britpop album. As an exploration of working class Britain to doolalling over the thoughts of Magic America and Bank Holidays, and just overall over-the-top pop harkening back to the four boys in mops, it's one to own. 1. Girls and Boys: A fun, jumpy opener that kicks off by telling you Blur is in it for the entertainment, with an added touch of social commentary thst is the unifying concept of the album. 2. Tracy Jacks: No idea who Tracy Jacks is, but I'm guessing she's some young lady with a lust for life, albeit she's runs around naked, and thinks being normal is overrated. Great cowbell beat and an all round catchy number. 3. End of a Century: The first understated acoustic number on the album is a nice little Beatlesque song. Not much else to say really. 4. Parklife: oooohhh Everyone knows this one. Phil Daniels from Quadrophenia has the perfect accent to accent (no pun intended) and critique words that reflect working-class Brits. Everyone should be bobbing and singing along to this one. 5. Bank Holiday: Punkish, brief number that justs hits you with furious guitar, noise and talk of BBQs. 6. Badhead: This lament to a love floating away is definitely the most poignant the band has offered. We need something distinct after this to break the soft mood. I know, hows about... 7. The Debt Collector:... A drunken instrumental! Perfect for brass bands who can't take themselves too seriously. 8. Far Out: BLUR DOING A PINK FLOYD RIPOFF?! I'LL BE... amused. :) Bassist Alex James takes vocal duties to very accurately pay tribute to one of Psychedilia's defining artists, Syd Barrett. These guys are chroniclers of all things poppy, and this quick one shows. 9. End of a Century: All I say for this is please tell me what language the woman is whispering in and what's she saying. 10. London Loves: 11. Trouble in the Message Centre: Here is the menacing one. If Damon Albarn was a phone operator, the world would be a bit more ummmmmm, interesting. 12. Clover over Dover: Nice bit of gentle harpsichord. The best bands embrace the future, but don't embracing the past every once and a while. 13. Magic America: Magic America my arse!! Don't go if you want to meet people who don't even what, WHAT the United Kingdom is. Mind you, the food looks plentiful. Oh yeah the song. Just bloody listen to it. Don't listen to me. What do you think I am, a critic?! 14. Jubilee: Just your typical Sex Pistols thig-fest nicely done. Should be the Diamond Jubilee No. 1. 15. This is a Low: Epic way to finish the album, as swirls of guitar and soaring choruses bring this suberb album to a closer. 16. Lot 105: Oh what have we here? Something to break the mood after that big finale. Bit like Red Hot Chili Pepper's cover of They're Red Hot off Blood Sugar Sex Magik, only even more demented if that be possible.

During a time when Oasis and Blur where rival's, it would be hard to say 'who was your band'. For me, Blur have always stood out among other Brit-pop and Indie groups for something quite unique. They're very clever guys! Parklife may have well paved the path for the album 'The Great Escape' in that they both focus on the stereotypes of modern day England. Parklife captures this in an fun and energetic way, starting the album with the song everybody's heard, Girls and Boys! I remember it more from the psycadelic video (in typical early 90's fashion) but the lyrics ground under-age sex. The lead song of course, Parklife, is one of the highlights of the album. The lyrics are so simple, you'll wonder how it could become so catchy. Phil Collin's does a brilliantly funny job taking the lead vocal (now Kevin Wicks in Eastenders!) for this song, and add's the funny slant by his pronounciation of the words, and of course, another great video! London Loves is one of the more mature songs of the album, which is nicely placed in the second half of the album, along with a couple of other fillers. One thing you wil notice, like The Great Escape, is that Blur liked to include short snappy tracks to link songs - Bank Holiday is an axample at just 1 minute 42 seconds, and of course, the rather fun Debt Collector, with its trumpet sound that you can just imagine a short, tubby man collecting money! And then of course, the final track Lot 105, is a jolly little number. While this may not show the signs of your average mature brit-pop band, it demonstrates how fun it is when we look at our daily lives. Though I feel The Great Escape sounds a little fresher with more stand out tracks, this is deffinately the funnest outing from Blur. And if your fed up with Noel Gallagher's random lyrics (though some of his stuff is good) then this is for you.

It came in good quality and it works but the only problem is that it was over packaged, it was originally packed inside a large box, the. Was on smaller case box, just a waste of cardboard

A quasi-concept album about Britain and its Americanisation, Parklife is the peak of Blur, coming as the second part of their Britpop trilogy, after the poorly received (commercially at least) Modern Life Is Rubbish and before the decent The Great Escape. It also came out in the same year as Oasis' debut album shook the world's foundations and the Blur vs. Oasis battle began. Funnily enough, unlike the Beatles vs. Beach Boys rivalry thirty years earlier, both bands produced their greatest work before even beginning their competition, Oasis with their debut and Blur with this masterpiece. Countless elements of Britain and its people are explored across this album's 53 enthralling minutes; monarchism in 'Jubilee;' everyday proletarianism in the title track; fashion trends and subcultures, as well as millenial interest in 'End Of A Century'; bank holidays on...well, 'Bank Holiday'; taxation and debt on 'The Debt Collector.' No stone is left unturned. And from this concept/theme you get some of Blur's finest songs. The title track is famous thanks to Phil Daniels, but really not one of the standouts here. The elegaic 'Badhead,' with its chiming guitar and tasteful brass, is lovely, while 'Tracy Jacks' addresses stereotypes (better than the other Blur song of that name) with the line 'I'd love to stay here and be normal but it's just so overrated.' ] Throughout, Albarne's cockney - or mockney depending on who you ask - voice and Graham Coxon's always dazzling guitar work hold everything together beautifully, and despite Coxon's apparent dissatisfaction with it, this is truly an album to be proud of, the jewel in Blur's crown.

There comes a time when you have to make a decision. Parklife, the single was played time after time near to the time when I first joined a hospital radio station. Everybody loved it; everybody played it. I've always adored the record. However, it's never been in my collection, until I decided to look for it, at long last, and grab a copy whilst it might still be available. And, as is the norm with me, I come across this gem of an album quite by accident. "Oh well; it's Blur! Gotta be good if Blur recorded it!" was how my thoughts went. And isn't it just :) Two discs, full of amazing songs that I just can't get enough of. This is a cracking 2 Disc version. Known here as the Special Edition; I'd do yourself a favour if I were you!

From the euphoric uniqueness of “Girls and Boys” through joyful “London Loves” to the weirdly touching “To the End”, the 1994 Parklife remains the masterpiece or intelligent Britpop. So very British that it did not score a major success elsewhere, the album nevertheless captures the very special atmosphere of life on the Isles in the first half of 1990s. So much so that the inventive music combined with lyric vignettes creates indelible impressions. What’s even more impressive, the group (and its frontman Damon Albarn) did not stand still after Parklife success, went to reinvent themselves many more times. Yet, this time capsule is just about unsurpassable.

A landmark 90s album, here beautifully packaged on heavy yellow vinyl. The sound quality is superb, and I'm sure you already know how great the music is. As a dyed-in-the-wool rock fan of bands form the 60s and 70s I had pretty much given up on new music til I heard this album. Shades of the Who, Kinks, Bowie et al throughout, but with a modern twist. I made do with the CD for years but thought I'd treat myself to the vinyl version, and it looks beautiful in my collection.

Excelente produto. Recomendo

Parlophone always make great reissues. Any fan of Blur should get this release for a crisp sound.

Le meilleur album de blur

La historia más conocida y mítica del Britpop, fue la real pelea de talento y egos entre Blur y Oasis, las dos bandas inglesas más sobresalientes y talentosas de mediados a finales de la década de los noventas del siglo pasado. Parklife, el tercer álbum de Blur, fue lanzado con algunos meses de diferencia a Definitely Maybe, el álbum debut de Oasis y ambos discos se consideran obras puntales no solo del britpop, sino del movimiento sociocultural que revivió a la clase obrera de Inglaterra bajo la bandera de la “Cool Brittania”. Parklife es un disco que retrata la melancolía de la juventud clase media británica a través de la visión irónica, sarcástica y mordaz de las contradicciones que existen entre el esforzarse para acceder a mejores niveles de vida y, por otro lado, el estar casi al borde de la pobreza en un estado que virtual congelamiento, donde elegir no es opción cuando esta simplemente significa repetir y vivir la misma vida que tus padres al ritmo de refrescantes tonadas pop encadenadas con ritmos duros y riffs de guitarra electrizantes, consolidando el estilo musical de Blur y que tiene su contraparte en el electrizante, duro y a la vez elegante, disco debut de Oasis, quienes embelesan a la clase obrera inglesa con su imagen dura y rebelde que canta exactamente sobre los mismos tópicos que Blur, pero desde una perspectiva más sucia y roquera. Comparaciones aparte, ambos álbumes son ejemplos perfectos de como el arte puede reflejar la época que le toca vivir y volverse referencia clásica sin siquiera pretender aspirar a ello. Un excelente disco que bien merece un lugar en la colección de ustedes. ¡Óigalo recio!

Das ist ein absolutes Sammlerstück, dass in keiner Blur Kollektion fehlen sollte. Super verarbeitete Platte!