According to http://www.blurtalk.com/ anyway.


For those who don't know, Graham Coxon the lead guitarist has left the band and they will go without him and not getting a new guitarist. The new album is titled Think Tank and the first single will be Out of Time.

Who else here loves Blur?

Here;s how I'd rank their albums:
1. Parklife
2. Blur
3. (tie)The Great Escape
3. (tie)13
5. Modern Life is Rubbish
6. Leisure

my ranking:

1. Parklife
2. Modern Life is Rubbish
3. The Great Escape
4. Leisure
5. Blur
6. 13

1. Parklife
2. The Great Escape
3. Blur
4. 13
5. Leisure

The new album is okay, but just didn't jump out at me. There's a song on it called "Crazy Beat" that's a little odd. The album as a whole is a little slower and darker than I would have expected from them. Kind of reminds me of Radiohead (but not as good).

Who knows, after a few listens it may grow on me though.

-g
###

I just heard "Out of Time", supposedly the first single. Pretty nice song.

The whole album has been leaked.

http://www.antarius.com/ben2/Blur-Think_Tank/

However some songs are apparently mislabeled.

My rankings:

1. Parklife (one of my favorite albums ever - every song is great)
2. The Great Escape
3. Modern Life Is Rubbish
4. Leisure
5. Blur
6. 13

Sadly, I think my Blur fandom days are over. I have really not liked their last two albums.

so, i've heard a few of the songs from this album. i'm split. two are very good and the other two are mediocre, IMO.

my breakdown so far:

excellent: "Out of Time", "Sweet Song"
mediocre: "Crazy Beat", "Battery in Your Leg"

anybody else heard the album yet? i am REALLY enjoying "Out of Time", one of their best songs ever, IMO.

under two weeks to its official release!!
-di doctor-

I've heard the album and I think it's a piece of crap. Blur are not what they used to be, and with Coxon's departure the end is in sight...

I love Blur, but their last two album have been extremely mediorce IMO. With two or three really good songs on them (each).

Daytripper....I fully agree with you.

Does anyone know why Coxon left the band?

horrible, one of the worst of the year. Coxon left because he got smart and realized what direction the band was going and Albarn left him go (that's the idea the media has gotten out). Coxon did not like this 'new sound' and everyone decieded it would be better to part company.

I like the new album. But then again, I'm a big Blur fan. I heard the whole album a while ago and I thought it was good. Not great, just good. I'm still getting it on release day.

I'm a big Blur fan as well, but "13" was way overrated (the album has never grown on me) and gathering from what others have stated in this post, I could care less about this new release.

haven't heard it yet, but I saw a mag with a one star review.

whoa... one star? that's gotta smart.. i have heard the entire album now. it's a very mixed bag, for me. some of the songs are dogs, others are lilies, though.
-di doctor-

Wasn't the magazine Blender? Taking a review from Blender seriously is like taking Maxim's reviews seriously (especially since they by the same people and are very similar).

I do have to admit though that I have a bad feeling about this album. Coxon's departure immediately sends up a red flag. I just hope that Blur haven't turned into Gorillaz.

This is the first time I've read bad things about the album. I love it and most other people I've talked to things its great. I wasn't expecting anything after Graham's departure, but I was surprised.

Rolling Stone gave it 4 stars.
Allmusic.com gave it 2 stars.

actually, Blender gave it two stars...
-di doctor-

Finally heard the first single (on '120 Minutes' the other night). Um...er....not quite sure what to think of it. Yet. Honestly, my first impression was, what a mess. But it could grow on me. Again, I love early Blur.

Been a Blur fan since their first CD and I've seen them in concert many times. With Coxon's departure, it feels like the Beatles with George Harrison.

I noticed that the CD is going to be released in two versions--with Explicit Lyrics and a "cleaned-up" version. To me this is never a good sign--a sign of artists who are only in it for the money instead of creating music that has something to say.

As far as Coxon's departure, it was reported in several British music mags that Coxon had developed a dependency on alcohol and the band had told him to sober up or they wouldn't work with him anymore. Rumors, hearsay, a different version of what really happened? Who knows? (I heard the same story about Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. Catch the DVD of "If I Should Fall From The Grace Of God" the documentary about Shane. Good stuff at a good price.)

I just got the limited edition today. I've listened to about 5 songs so far. I know there's a hidden song but it's hidden BEFORE track 1 and I can't access it via my computer. Anyone able to play it using Musicmatch Jukebox?

Anyway, I'll post my review of the album later tonight.

Here are some scores from some magazines and websites:

Rolling Stone 4/5
Allmusic.com 2/5
Pitchforkmedia 9/10
NME 8/10
Spin Magazine 10/10
Mojo 9/10

The allmusic review was posted a lot earlier than the others and the reviewer might have had a bad copy.

Anyone else got Think Tank today?

I'm a pretty big Blur fan, but the AMG review is the only one I can find myself agreeing with.

What's the difference between the limited edition and the regular besides the price going up $2 from $11.99?