Blur - 13 (Live Blog)

After a conversation with the NESF a few weeks ago I've decided to live blog the Blur album 13. For those of you that don't already know it is my favorite Blur album, if not my favorite album period. I'm not going to go too much more into it since you're going to be getting a play-by-play. I've also included Youtube clips so that you can listen along if you'd like. Youtube clips suck. You'll have to have the album. You should have it anyways. This is a bit of experiment so I'd love to hear your thoughts. If all goes well it might turn into a regular feature.


Track 1 - Tender

0:20 Alright Blur, if you want to start off slow let's do it.
1:22 Break out the choir!!!
1:50 Yes it is. Yes it is! I feel like I should be in a church pew.
2:15 This guitar rift is hypnotic.
2:57 I really hope they hired an actual baptist choir for this track.
3:50 If I ever meet the girl that did this to Damon I'm not sure if I'd thank her for inspiring such great music or if I'd punch her in the jaw.
4:55 Gotta turn this up.
5:50 This choir is getting more intense by the second.
6:20 We're all waiting
6:40 The harmony is perfect.
7:12 I don't want this to ever end.

Track 2 - Bugman
0:01 I don't know if I should turn it down a bit or crank it up.
0:10 Okay I've got to blast this, we're kickin' it up into overdrive.
0:31 We've traded the choir for rockin' distorted guitars.
1:06 Catchy "na na na"s.
1:24 Who or what is Bugman?!?!
1:54 This is turning into a jam track. Lots of drive but no definitive path.
2:40 Oh, I will.
3:23 Great fade out return.
3:50 Toning back the distortion. Great guitar work.
4:11 Hold up! How'd we end up in outer space?
4:25 You know what, I don't care, I'm just glad I'm here.

Track 3 - Coffee and TV
0:14 This is the closest thing to the Brit Pop roots so far.
1:12 Not blowing me away like the first two tracks, but still very solid. Anyways I need a break.
1:47 Definitely radio friendly single material
2:16 I could use some coffee myself.
2:50 Great line: "agree to marry me so we can start over again".
3:47 Very light hearted music for such depressing vocals. Works well.
4:52 I guess blur gave up on 3 minutes tracks. It's for the best.
5:23 Organ outro FTW

Track 4 - Swamp Song
0:06 Is that water or aliens?
0:11 Definitely aliens.
0:20 Okay, this is going to get real good real quick.
0:40 Bringing it out of the background.
0:46 Space brain?
1:10 Faint back vocals are creepy, in a good way.
1:35 Perfect song for prefunkin' on a Saturday night!
2:32 Distortion is back. Did it ever leave? I can't remember.
2:57 Desperate pleas to the world.
3:21 "Stick it in my veins!" If I could, I would.
3:43 "La la" screaming. This isn't your fathers pop music.
3:53 Maniacal laughter. Fits perfectly but I have to question whether someone is being tortured.
4:21 Classic trail off.

Track 5 - 1992
0:13 Time to chill out again.
0:36 I'd punch her.
0:59 Very haunting.
1:07 Now even more so.
1:40 Very minimal sound but extremely effective.
2:10 Good use of the "wah".
2:36 Love the whistle.
3:05 It's like being dragged into a black hole full of bees.
3:20 Pulling the vocals back and the wah forward - clutch.
4:30 Crashing and spiraling.
4:45 It's starting to break apart.
5:17 This track should really be listened to alone. Just let it absorb you before it seeps into your pores.

Track 6 - B.L.U.R.E.M.I
0:04 Do do do do do...
0:19 YAY!
0:32 Great beat.
0:46 Duck voice!
1:01 Reminiscent of "Chinese Bombs" or "Bank Holiday".
1:18 Are we on Sesame Street?
1:40 Doesn't matter, it's all in good fun.
1:55 !!!
2:06 Why E M I?
2:15 Dropped back into another killer outro. Nice let down.

Track 7 - Battle
0:10 I think we've left Sesame Street and are back in outer space.
0:40 Imagine being lost in nothingness with only a space suit.
1:35 If you've even been in a relationship that all you do is fight you'll understand - this is the moment you gave up.
2:20 Nice add of grunge.
3:06 Everything is going wrong in space. I can see the metallic debris.
3:24 BATTLE! Love the accent.
3:58 Mellowed out, but no sign of stopping.
4:22 Did we just lose our deflector shields?
5:18 We most certainly did. Nothings protecting us for the echo.
5:52 Can't tell if I'm floating away or if I just spontaneously combusted.
6:09 Screeching bliss, another side effect of the missing shields.
6:35 Cue the organ for the wrap up.
6:42 This must be the rescue anthem.
7:30 Genius. Pure genius.

Track 8 - Mellow Song
0:22 Living up to the title. Seems more orthodox than the last few tracks.
0:41 Guitar and vocals, that's it. Maybe the band didn't make it?
1:08 Add in some kind of flute? Perhaps it was found in the Battle. Perhaps not.
2:00 There's the rest of the band. Glad they were left behind.
2:05 Complete with space flute!
2:27 Is that a xylophone? Sure, why not.
2:33 Zoning out a bit, still very mellow.
3:12 I want one of those flutes.

Track 9 - Trailerpark
0:24 Down tempo dance thing, I could get to this.
0:30 Always love a good freestyle.
0:47 Bob your head.
0:56 Sorry bro, that sucks.
1:09 Drop the beat.
1:32 Pick it up.
1:57 You want to know where the Gorillaz came from? Listen to this.
2:42 I could listen to this for hours.
3:20 Drop it again.
3:51 Bring it back car chase style! YAY!!!

Track 10 - Caramel
0:16 We're lost in space - again.
0:47 Disoriented
1:51 Great back chanting.
2:20 RIP Brit Pop
2:34 Right here.
3:00 Simple and eerie.
3:09 Get in there cymbals.
3:52 Picking up.
4:02 Quickly.
4:22 Time no longer hold sway here.
5:10 Okay I wouldn't hit her.
5:36 Beautiful.
6:22 WOW!
6:40 Strolling through the wreckage.
7:04 Actual cars! Red line that shit!

Track 11 - Trimm Trabb
0:08 Is that her address?
0:30 I'm going there.
0:42 You got more style that you know what to do with.
1:15 I don't know what Trimm Trabb is but right now I feel like I have it too.
1:30 We all do from time to time. Some more than others.
1:55 This beat is addictive.
2:03 Flash boys? Who are they?
2:11 I don't want to go back.
2:31 Okay so I'll hit her, but only once.
2:54 Turn it up a notch.
3:26 Perfect vocal effects.
3:30 Back to a sort of normalcy.
4:10 Best track so far.
4:35 It's clambering onto itself.
4:52 The sounds are attacking each other.
5:10 So massive it's collapsed upon itself much like a black hole. Apparently we haven't made it back into the atmosphere yet.
5:20 Nice mumbles.

Track 12 - No Distance Left to Run
0:07 Good. I needed something a bit more mellow.
0:39 I feel like I just broke up with someone.
1:06 Slight snare and cymbal. It's all we need with this guitar.
1:31 The chorus is dragging me into an abyss.
2:20 Beautiful lyrics. Painful eloquence.
2:49 Perfect vocal pitch. The agony.
3:15 Speechless.

Track 13 - Optigan 1
0:05 We're back in space again, but it seems like we're about to land.
0:43 Very soothing instrumental. Like coming down from the best day of your life. If heroin was like this everyone would be a junky.
1:48 The sounds ebb and flow like a calm cerulean sea.
2:20 And with that it's over. Master piece.

Like I said, hit me up in the comments and let me know what you think of the format. I actually enjoyed the project so I'm definitely going to do it again. Mostly I'd like to know what you liked and didn't like so I can fine tune the process. Next up: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.