13 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 March 1999 | |||
Recorded | June–October 1998 | |||
Studio | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 66:50 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Blur chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from 13 | ||||
|
13 is the sixth studio album by the English alternative rock band Blur, released on 15 March 1999. Continuing the stylistic shift away from the Britpop sound of the band's early career, 13 explores experimental, psychedelic and electronic music.
Recording took place from June to October 1998 in London and Reykjavík. The album marks a departure of the band's longtime producer, Stephen Street, with his role being filled by William Orbit, who they had chosen after the release of the remix album, Bustin' + Dronin' (1998). Relationships between the band members were reported to be strained, with members frequently missing from the sessions. Lyrically, the album is significantly darker and more innovative than Blur's previous efforts, being heavily inspired by Damon Albarn's breakup with long-term girlfriend, Justine Frischmann, which followed an increasingly strained relationship. This album was the last for over a decade to feature the original line-up as Coxon left the band during the 2002 sessions of their next album Think Tank (2003), before returning for The Magic Whip (2015).
13 was released on 15 March 1999 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one, making it Blur's fourth consecutive studio album to reach the top spot. The album was later certified Platinum. 13 also reached number one in Norway and charted within the top 20 in many other countries. The album produced three singles – "Tender", "Coffee & TV" and "No Distance Left to Run" – which charted at number 2, number 11 and number 14 respectively on the UK Singles Chart. 13 met with favourable reviews and received a nomination for the Mercury Prize, as well as for Best Album at the 2000 NME Awards.
Blur's previous studio album, Blur (1997), had seen the band move away from the Britpop movement and take on a more alternative rock-influenced direction, primarily under the suggestion of guitarist Graham Coxon. The press and the industry had feared that the change in style would not be taken well with the public, and therefore the album would be commercially unsuccessful as a result. Despite these concerns, Blur was an unexpected success, particularly in America, where the album was certified gold. However, the band still wanted to innovate, so they decided to embrace a different sound. Bassist Alex James stated, "I think you just have to keep changing. That sort of thinking was, sort of, key." [8]
The band's leader Damon Albarn had been in a long-term relationship with Justine Frischmann, of the Britpop band Elastica. Their relationship was highly publicised, the couple being described by John Harris as "proto-Posh and Becks for the indie-rock constituency." [9] However, their relationship became strained over time, stated reasons including Albarn's desire to have children as well as Frischmann's continued friendship with ex-boyfriend Brett Anderson of Suede, who had shared a musical rivalry with Albarn. [10] Albarn's lyrics and attitude had reflected this in the eyes of the other band members, with Coxon pointing out, "I didn't have much of a clue that things were going wrong between Damon and Justine but it was probably easy to guess." [8] After one last holiday together in Bali in late 1997 in an attempt to rekindle their relationship, the couple finally split. [10] [11] Albarn later commented, "That relationship just absolutely crashed. I mean, it really was a spectacularly sad end." [8]
After his breakup, Albarn started sharing a flat with artist Jamie Hewlett whom he had met through Coxon. [12] [13] Around this time, Albarn had started to broaden his musical output. Whilst he was working on 13, there were various reports that he and Hewlett were working on a secret project, which turned out to be Gorillaz, a virtual band. [14] Albarn also started working on film soundtracks, including Ravenous , Ordinary Decent Criminal and 101 Reykjavík . [15] [16]
13 is Blur's first album without longtime producer Stephen Street. Instead the band "unanimously" decided that they wanted electronic music artist William Orbit to produce the album after being impressed by his remix of their track, "Movin' On", included on the remix compilation, Bustin' + Dronin' (1998). [12] [17] Albarn commented that "it was such a personal thing going on, we needed to have someone who didn't really know us". He also described Orbit as being "like a psychiatrist". When asked if his replacement had come as a shock, Street stated, "I just think they wanted to stretch out a bit more and, having made five albums with me, the best way to do that was to work with someone different who would approach the project in a different way. I understand that perfectly and certainly wasn't offended. I did five albums with the band and I must admit I thought each one would be the last because they were bound to want to try something new." [17] Albarn described the decision to not work with Street as "difficult", going on to say "he'll be forever part of what we are, and ironically, he gave us the tools we needed to go it alone." [18]
Tension in the studio ran high during the recording sessions. In Orbit's words, "There was a battle between Damon's more experimental direction, and Graham's punk one, and Graham prevailed. If that tension had been growing on previous LPs, it came to a head here." [19] "Things were starting to fall apart between the four of us," drummer Dave Rowntree later revealed. "It was quite a sad process making it. People were not turning up to the sessions, or turning up drunk, being abusive and storming off." [8] "I had songs," Alex James remarked. "I played them to William. He liked them. But I was sulking. I didn't play them to the others... Now I know how George Harrison felt." [20] Coxon admitted, "I was really out there around 13, which made for some pretty great noise but I was probably a bit of a crap to be around." [8]
"1992" had originally been recorded as a demo in 1992 and was lost until Albarn found it again on a tape six years later. "Mellow Song" was demoed as a jam session known as "Mellow Jam" that was later included as the B-side of "Tender".
13 sees the band moving further away from their Britpop past into more cerebral and denser musical territory. Some of the songs, however, are evocative of songs from their previous efforts, such as "Bugman", "Coffee & TV" and "1992". "Bugman" has an industrial rock sound. The instrumental closer "Optigan 1" was created using an Optigan optical organ. The album is in the style of a loose concept album, much like other Blur albums, in this case about life and relationships. Much of the album was inspired by Albarn's breakup with Elastica singer Justine Frischmann. Two of the singles, "Tender" and "No Distance Left to Run", describe Albarn's love for Frischmann and his struggle to move on. The album features several short hidden tracks at the end of songs, stretching the playing time out; examples of this are "Coffee & TV", "B.L.U.R.E.M.I.", "Battle" and "Caramel", the latter of which features two hidden tracks. The album is named after the band's recording studio as well as the number of tracks on the album (bar the hidden tracks).
The cover is a portion of an oil painting by Graham Coxon called Apprentice. The album's singles also have cover art by Coxon. The numbers 1 and 3 have been painted so they also form the letter "B" – revealed on the back cover to be for Blur. This was not present on the original Apprentice, nor was the "shine" on the figure's head, which appears on 13. These additions were made long after the original Apprentice, which was painted in 1996. The band's logo does not appear on the album in any form, aside from a sticker on the CD packaging. The logo is also absent from the single covers.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100 [21] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [22] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [23] |
The Guardian | [24] |
The List | [25] |
NME | 6/10 [26] |
Pitchfork | 9.1/10 (1999) [27] 9.5/10 (2012) [28] |
Q | [2] |
Rolling Stone | [29] |
Spin | 8/10 [30] |
USA Today | [31] |
13 holds an overall approval rating of 79 out of 100 on online review aggregator Metacritic based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [21] Tom Doyle of Q called 13 "a dense, fascinating, idiosyncratic and accomplished art rock album", [2] while an enthusiastic Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork stated that "Blur have finally found a sound to match their name." [27] PopMatters ' Sarah Zupko praised Blur's new musical approach and wrote that "proving they have the goods of a truly exceptional band, Blur has done what the greats have done before them—evolved." [32] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called the album "their sloppiest, most playful set, spiking the mix with church organ, electric piano and shambling drum loops." [29] Record Collector 's Jason Draper described 13 as a "masterpiece" that stands as arguably the band's "greatest work". [33]
In a more mixed assessment, Heather Phares of AllMusic felt that "the group's ambitions to expand their musical and emotional horizons result in a half-baked baker's dozen of songs, featuring some of their most creative peaks and self-indulgent valleys." [22] Keith Cameron of NME concluded that 13 was "Blur's most inconsistent and infuriating statement thus far. Infuriating, because divested of four solid-gone clunkers 13 could pass muster as the best of Blur." [26] Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honourable mention rating, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure", and remarked that "halfway there, it sits down in the middle of the road and won't budge." [34]
The music video for the hit single "Coffee & TV" cemented Blur's reputation as a cult band in the US with its protagonist Milky. The video gained heavy airplay on many modern rock channels in America.
13 was nominated in the Album of the Year category at the 2000 NME Awards, losing to The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips. [35] [36] [37] 13 was also nominated for the 1999 Mercury Prize, being Blur's second album to receive a nomination. The award was eventually given to Talvin Singh for OK . [38] [39]
The album is ranked number 773 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd edition, 2000). [40]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eye Weekly | Canada | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 19 |
Metal Hammer | UK | The 200 Greatest Albums of the 90s[ citation needed ] | 2006 | * |
Melody Maker | UK | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 2 |
Mojo | UK | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 22 |
NME | UK | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 19 |
Pitchfork | US | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 10 |
Top 100 Albums of the 1990s[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 82 | ||
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | US | The Best of 1999 [41] | 1999 | 1 |
Q | UK | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | * |
250 Best Albums Q's Lifetime (1986–2011)[ citation needed ] | 2011 | 98 | ||
Rolling Stone | Germany | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 3 |
Select | UK | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 11 |
Spin | US | 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)[ citation needed ] | 2015 | 96 |
Village Voice | US | Albums of the Year[ citation needed ] | 1999 | 45 |
All lyrics are written by Damon Albarn, except where noted; all music is composed by Blur
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Tender" (lyrics written by Graham Coxon and Albarn) | 7:40 |
2. | "Bugman" | 4:47 |
3. | "Coffee & TV" (lyrics written by Coxon) | 5:58 |
4. | "Swamp Song" ( [note 1] ) | 4:36 |
5. | "1992" | 5:29 |
6. | "B.L.U.R.E.M.I." | 2:52 |
7. | "Battle" | 7:43 |
8. | "Mellow Song" | 3:56 |
9. | "Trailerpark" ( [note 2] ) | 4:26 |
10. | "Caramel" | 7:38 |
11. | "Trimm Trabb" | 5:37 |
12. | "No Distance Left to Run" | 3:27 |
13. | "Optigan 1" (instrumental) | 2:34 |
Total length: | 66:50 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "French Song" | 8:21 |
2. | "All We Want" | 4:33 |
3. | "Mellow Jam" | 3:56 |
4. | "X-Offender" (Damon/Control Freak's Bugman Remix) | 5:38 |
5. | "Coyote" (Dave's Bugman Remix) | 3:50 |
6. | "Trade Stylee" (Alex's Bugman Remix) | 5:58 |
7. | "Metal Hip Slop" (Graham's Bugman Remix) | 4:16 |
8. | "So You" | 4:11 |
9. | "Beagle 2" | 2:54 |
10. | "Tender" (Cornelius Remix) | 5:23 |
11. | "Far Out" (Beagle 2 Remix) | 3:58 |
12. | "I Got Law" (demo [note 3] ) | 2:43 |
13. | "Music Is My Radar" | 5:29 |
14. | "Black Book" | 8:31 |
15. | "Caramel" (remix; Japan exclusive bonus track) | 4:54 |
All tracks produced by William Orbit, except "Trailerpark" produced by Blur and "I Got Law" (demo version) produced by Damon Albarn
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
|
Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988. The band consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Their debut album, Leisure (1991), incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released the albums Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995). As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a widely publicised chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed "The Battle of Britpop".
Damon Albarn is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is the frontman and main lyricist of the rock band Blur and the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz.
Parklife is the third studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 25 April 1994, by Food Records. After moderate sales for their previous album Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife returned Blur to prominence in the UK, helped by its four hit singles: "Girls & Boys", "To the End", the title track and "End of a Century".
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter who came to prominence as a founding member of the rock band Blur. As the group's lead guitarist and secondary vocalist, Coxon is featured on all of Blur's studio discography. He has also led a solo career since 1998, producing and playing all instrumentation on his solo albums. As well as being a musician, Coxon is a visual artist: he designed the cover art for all his solo albums as well as Blur's 13 (1999).
Think Tank is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 5 May 2003. Continuing the jam-based studio constructions of the group's previous album, 13 (1999), the album expanded on the use of sampled rhythm loops and brooding, heavy electronic sounds. There are also heavy influences from dance music, hip hop, dub, jazz, and African music, an indication of songwriter Damon Albarn's expanding musical interests.
The Great Escape is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Blur. It was released on 11 September 1995 on Food and Virgin Records. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and charted in the top 10 in more than ten countries around the world. Less than a year after the album was released, it was certified triple platinum in the UK. The album received near-universal acclaim on release.
Blur is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 10 February 1997 by Food Records. Blur had previously been broadly critical of American popular culture and their previous albums had become associated with the Britpop movement, particularly Parklife, which had helped them become one of Britain's leading pop acts. After their previous album, The Great Escape, the band faced media backlash and relationships between the members became strained.
Gorillaz is the debut studio album by English virtual band Gorillaz, released on 26 March 2001 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and June 19, 2001 in the United States by Virgin Records. The album reached number three in the UK and number fourteen in the US, and the top ten in several other countries. Gorillaz has sold over seven million copies worldwide. The album's success earned the group an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Successful Virtual Band", and spawned the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House", and "Tomorrow Comes Today".
Justine Elinor Frischmann is an English artist and retired musician. After forming Suede, she co-founded the Britpop band Elastica before retiring from the music industry and pursuing a career as an artist.
Blur: The Best Of is a greatest hits compilation album by English Britpop band Blur, first released in late 2000 and is the final Blur album by Food Records. It was released on CD, cassette tape, MiniDisc, double 12" vinyl record, DVD and VHS. The CD album includes 17 of Blur's 23 singles from 1990 to 2000, plus non-single, "This Is a Low". A special edition of the CD version included a live CD. The DVD/VHS version contains the videos of Blur's first 22 singles. In 2000 the album, which has had enduring sales, hit number 3 in the band's native UK, and hit the US charts at number 186. The cover is by artist Julian Opie. The painting of this Blur album can be found at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England.
"Beetlebum" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It was released on 20 January 1997 as the lead single from the band's eponymous fifth album, Blur (1997). Written about Blur frontman Damon Albarn's experiences with heroin, the song features Beatles-influenced music and a mood that Albarn described as "sleepy" and "sexy". Despite fears of the song's uncommercial nature, the single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Blur's second track to top the chart. It has since appeared on several Blur compilations.
"Coffee & TV" is a song by British rock band Blur. It was written by the band's guitarist, Graham Coxon, who also sang lead vocals rather than frontman Damon Albarn. The song appears on Blur's sixth studio album, 13 (1999), and was the second single released from the album on 28 June 1999. The lyrics describe Coxon's struggle with alcoholism and the song's video, featuring a sentient milk carton searching for Coxon, won several awards. Commercially, "Coffee & TV" reached No. 11 in the United Kingdom and No. 26 in Ireland. It was a major hit in Iceland, where it peaked at No. 2 in September 1999.
"Tender" is a song by English rock band Blur from their sixth studio album, 13 (1999). Written by the four band members about Blur frontman Damon Albarn's breakup with musician turned painter Justine Frischmann, the song was released in Japan on 17 February 1999 and in the United Kingdom on 22 February as the album's lead single. "Tender" became Blur's 11th top-10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, debuting and peaking at number two the week after its release. It also reached the top 20 in Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and Spain.
"No Distance Left to Run" is a song by English rock band Blur from their sixth studio album, 13 (1999). It was released as the third and final single from the album on 15 November 1999, reaching number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. It is widely understood to refer to Blur vocalist Damon Albarn's split from long-term partner Justine Frischmann.
Elastica were an English rock band formed in London in 1992 by guitarist/singer Justine Frischmann and drummer Justin Welch after their departure from Suede. The band was stylistically influenced by punk rock, post-punk and new wave music. The band's members changed several times, with Frischmann and Welch being the only members who remained in Elastica from its formation to its dissolution.
"Girls & Boys" is a song by English Britpop band Blur, released in March 1994 by Food Records as the lead single from the group's third studio album, Parklife (1994). The frontman of Blur, Damon Albarn wrote the song's lyrics with bandmembers Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, while Stephen Street produced it.
The discography of English rock band Blur consists of nine studio albums, six live albums, five compilation albums, one remix album, two video albums, four extended plays, 35 singles, 10 promotional singles and 37 music videos. Formed in London in 1988, the group consists of singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist/singer Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Three years later, their debut release, the Madchester and shoegazing-tinged Leisure (1991), peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart. Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993) inaugurated the Britpop phase of their career. Its multi-Platinum follow-ups Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helped the band achieve mainstream popularity in Britain; every Blur studio album from Parklife onwards has topped the British charts.
"End of a Century" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. Released in November 1994 by Food Records, it was the last single to be released from their third album, Parklife (1994). The song reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, considered a disappointment by Andy Ross of Food. Damon Albarn later stated that "End of a Century" may not have been the best choice for the album's fourth single, and that "This Is a Low" would have been a better alternative.
The Magic Whip is the eighth studio album by English rock band Blur. It was recorded in Hong Kong and London, and released by Parlophone on 27 April 2015 and Warner Bros. Records on 28 April 2015. It was the band's first studio album in 12 years since Think Tank (2003), marking the longest gap between studio albums in Blur's career, and the first in 16 years since 13 (1999) to have featured the original line-up. The album also marks the return of the band's longtime producer Stephen Street following Blur (1997).
The Ballad of Darren is the ninth studio album by English rock band Blur. It was released on 21 July 2023 by Parlophone and Warner Records. The album's songs were written by frontman Damon Albarn in 2022 while on tour with Gorillaz, and composed by Albarn and the rest of the band. It was produced by James Ford at Studio 13 in London and Devon. It is Blur's first album since The Magic Whip (2015), and their shortest album, with a runtime under 40 minutes. The album's artwork features a 2004 photograph of a man swimming alone in the Gourock Outdoor Pool in Gourock, Scotland, taken by Martin Parr. Its title refers to Darren "Smoggy" Evans, the band's longtime bodyguard.