"Crazy Beat" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Blur | ||||
from the album Think Tank | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 7 July 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2002 | |||
Studio | Studio in Marrakesh, Morocco | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:15 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Blur singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Crazy Beat" on YouTube |
"Crazy Beat" is a song by English band Blur from their seventh album, Think Tank (2003). The song was written and produced by band members Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree in Morocco, with Norman Cook also serving as a producer. It was first serviced to alternative radio stations in the United States on 17 March 2003, by Virgin Records, while being commercially released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003, by Parlophone, including the songs "The Outsider" and "Don't Be" as B-sides. A three-chord song, "Crazy Beat" is a dance-pop and electropop track which draws influences of big beat and nu metal into its composition. Lyrically, it praises the effects of music and clubs on crowds.
"Crazy Beat" received mixed reviews from music critics, who generally compared it to the band's previous single "Song 2" (1997); while some felt the song was an interesting track, others saw it as "cartoonish" and out of place on Think Tank. In the United Kingdom, "Crazy Beat" peaked at number 18, while attaining lower positions worldwide. In the United States, it became Blur's first single since "Song 2" to enter the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it reached number 22. Two music videos were released for the song. The first was directed by animation collective Shynola and features the band performing in a pub as a green audio waveform comes to life, while an alternative version was directed by John Hardwick and shows four women performing a dance routine. Blur performed "Crazy Beat" on some televised shows and live concerts.
Recording sessions for Think Tank started in November 2001 in London with the absence of guitarist Graham Coxon, who had been battling alcoholism and depression, thus failing to turn up to the initial sessions. [1] He eventually left the band in 2002 after he had a "mental breakdown" during these sessions. [2] [3] The remaining members of Blur decided to carry on recording, travelling to Morocco to continue developing the album, with the intention to "escape from whatever ghetto we're in and free ourselves by going somewhere new and exciting". [4] The decision was influenced by a visit by vocalist Damon Albarn to the country. [5] The band settled at Marrakesh, where they built a studio together, which "brought everyone closer". [6] Bassist Alex James later admitted, "It was a real hassle to go to Morocco. We had to get all scruffy with customs because they wouldn't let us import our gear into the country. It was a struggle and it cost a fucking fortune", adding that it was "well worth it." [7] Musician Norman Cook, commonly known as Fatboy Slim, was invited to collaborate on the project, as he was a "really nice injection of fresh energy at a point in the proceedings when we needed one, and he fundamentally understands music", according to James. [7]
The villa the band had rented in Marrakesh provided several venues for recording. Hiller recalled that the drum sound for "Crazy Beat" is just the effects of a room made of a marble floor, tiled walls and a concrete ceiling, which provided a "really banging reverb". [5] "Crazy Beat" was first conceived in a different way, with Albarn describing its first version as a "really bad version of Daft Punk". However, the band and the production involved "got sick of it and then put in that descending guitar line over it to rough it up a bit". [8] He later resumed the track as "just a bit of fun we had with Norman", as one of the "few moments where we just let our hair down and got dumb" while recording Think Tank. [9] During these sessions, Cook also produced "Gene by Gene", another track present on the record. [5] In 2015, Albarn declared that he regretted including "Crazy Beat" on Think Tank, rather than a song titled "Me, White Noise", attributing his decision to outside influences at the time; the latter was actually on the record, hidden as a prologue thanks to a digital chicanery which revealed the track if the CD was rewound. [10]
"Crazy Beat" was commercially released on 7 July 2003 in the United Kingdom, by Parlophone. [11] The release included two songs as B-sides: "Don't Be", recorded by the band in Marrakech, which was included on the CD version of the single, while "The Outsider" was featured on the 7" vinyl format. The DVD version for the single included both tracks, in addition to the music video for "Crazy Beat", as well as an exclusive animated version of the video storyboard, while the CD single included an enhanced section with the alternative video for the track. [12] The single's cover art features a satirical portrait of the British royal family by English graffiti artist Banksy; the mural was painted on a building in Stoke Newington. In September 2009, workers sent by Hackney London Borough Council painted over most of the mural with black paint, against the building owner's wishes. However, a crowd gathered and stopped the workers to stop before destroying the artwork completely. [13] In the United States, Virgin Records serviced the track to alternative radio stations on 17 March 2003, as the lead single from the album in the region. [14] Additionally, "Crazy Beat" was used in a commercial for clothing company Levi's. At the time of its release, the band thought that the song did not represent the sound of Think Tank entirely. [9]
"Crazy Beat" was written and produced by Blur, with Cook also serving as a producer. [15] Musically, it is a dance-pop and electropop track [16] [17] which is based on "rowdy" three-chords. [9] Reviewers also noted the influence of big beat [18] [19] and nu metal into its composition. [20] It also features a "big rock beat and fuzz-punk guitar", along with a "pounding percussion". [21] [22] According to Bram Teitelman of Billboard , the song is "one of the most guitar-driven songs of the enduring act's career" and noted that it was not representative of the rest of Think Tank, which found the band "dabbling in world music". [23] Lúcio Ribeiro from Folha de S.Paulo wrote that it was "the rock track of the record". [24] For The Observer 's Kitty Empire, "Crazy Beat" was a "raw rock tune" with "dancefloor dynamics" added by Cook. [25] It was seen by Steve Lowe of Q as Blur's take on "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (1969) by The Stooges. [18]
"Crazy Beat" starts with a "trademark Fatboy Slim drum loop" and vocodered vocals which repeat the track's title, [26] [8] before shifting into "classic Blur, with deep, grumbling guitar and ferocious analog drums." [21] Some journalists likened the vocodered voice to that of cartoon character Donald Duck; [24] [27] Jeff Elbel of Paste also commented that it resembles Rick Dees' "Disco Duck" (1976). [21] During the chorus, Albarn shouts "yeah yeah yeah!". [18] [27] To many reviewers, "Crazy Beat" was reminiscent of Blur's "Song 2" (1997), [28] [29] [30] as well as works by The Clash. [31] [32] Lyrically, it praises the effects of music and clubs on the people, in the "best music makes the people comes together style". [33] The lyrics also namecheck the Central Intelligence Agency. [22]
"Crazy Beat" received mixed reviews from music critics. According to Nigel Williamson from Uncut , the song "bears the unmistakable cartoon signature of Fatboy Slim." [34] Steve Lowe from Q deemed the track as "the album's prime Fatboy Slim moment", and stated that it was "surely a hit". [18] Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club noted that the song "sounds like a deranged midget", and described it as a "poundingly ingratiating track". [28] John Lamb of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead described it as "pulsating", and wrote that it would "fill any listener's novelty fix". [35] The Independent staff thought that "Crazy Beat" was a "second cousin" to "Song 2", pointing out its "ironic swagger". [29] Also calling it a cousin to the aforementioned track, Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald described the track as "highly infectious meaty beaty big and bouncy". [36] Bram Teitelman of Billboard stated that "the combination of Cook's production and the aggressive guitar riff gives 'Crazy Beat' a shot of adrenaline, and it seems destined to follow in the footsteps of 'Song 2' as a fixture at sporting events." [23] Jeres from Playlouder said that it "packs a punch, and has lots of strange squelchy devil belches for your entertainment". [37]
Kitty Empire from The Observer commented that the song was not "Blur's finest hour, nor Norman Cook's, but it will reassure Blur-watchers (and the record company) that the band haven't entirely disappeared up Albarn's world music collection." [25] Classic Pop 's Steve Harnell described it as "airhead fun", but felt that Think Tank's high points were "mostly found elsewhere". [38] For NME 's Alex Needham, the song "sounds like four old yobs making an exhibition of themselves in a disco". [39] According to Andy Greenwald of Spin , the "escapist laddism" present on the track felt forced and hollow. [40] Sharing a similar opinion, Sam Bloch from Stylus Magazine said that the song had a "hollow commercialism". [41] Rob Brunner from Entertainment Weekly dismissed "Crazy Beat" as a "cartoon-voiced throwaway that’s neither deranged nor danceable". [42] For his part, Stereogum 's Ryan Leas felt it was "one of Blur’s lowest moments", and "a cartoonish retread of ideas they achieved better elsewhere"; [43] Jeff Elbel of Paste also deemed "Crazy Beat" as "cartoonish". [21]
Alexis Petridis from The Guardian called Cook's tracks on Think Tank, including "Crazy Beat", as "cluttered-sounding collaborations" which "fall short of their ambition", as well as "a disappointment". [44] Devon Powers of PopMatters described it as an "energetic, punked-out rocker", although "as much as this song might appeal to the neo-DIY set — complete with its jumpy chorus and lively melody — Blur are anything but". [45] John Murphy wrote for musicOMH that "Crazy Beat" "sits somewhat jarringly on the album"; he went on to say that it was "basically a Fatboy Slim remix of Song 2", and while it would probably be a commercial success, it "doesn’t sound quite right sat between the gorgeousness of Out Of Time and Good Song". [46] For Slant Magazine 's Sal Cinquemani, the song "ultimately sound[s] out of place" on the album. [31] In a similar vein, Gareth James from Clash panned it as a "'hit-by-numbers' brash nonsense" which was "glaringly out of place" on Think Tank. [47] Ben Gilbert from Dotmusic condemned the track, pointing out its "lazy, predictable, sub-'Song 2' primal noise and pointless, throwaway chorus", and asserting that it was "Think Tank's weakest moment by some considerable distance". [48] Similarly, The Line of Best Fit 's Thomas Hannan described it as a "sub-'Song 2' abomination". [30] Julian Marshall wrote for BBC Newsbeat that "Crazy Beat" "[has] aged badly", and sounded like a novelty hit. [49]
In the United Kingdom, "Crazy Beat" debuted at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart for the week dated 19 July 2003, before disappearing from the chart two weeks later. It later returned for a run of two weeks, totalling five weeks on the chart. [50] Outside of the United Kingdom, the song attained lower positions; in Scotland, it reached number 26, [51] while peaking at number 41 in Ireland and 20 in Sweden. [52] [53] In the United States, "Crazy Beat" reached number 22 on the Alternative Airplay chart, compiled by Billboard; it became Blur's first appearance on the chart since "Song 2", as well as their last until "The Narcissist" (2023). [54] [55] In Canada, the single also peaked at number 30 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart. [56] Across the pan-Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, the track peaked at number 63 for the week dated 26 July 2003. [57]
Two music videos were created to accompany the single's release. The first was directed by animation collective Shynola in late March 2003 at Ealing Studios in London and premiered through MTV's website the following month. [8] It was also sent to rotation on MTV2 in May 2003. [58] The visual sees the band performing the song in a pub as a green audio waveform comes to life while vibrating in time with the music. [59] An alternate video was directed by John Hardwick; [12] it shows four women performing a dance routine to the song, wearing matching brown dresses and blonde wigs.
Although MTV reported Blur was annoyed to play the song on television shows at the time of its release, [9] "Crazy Beat" was performed on Top of the Pops , [60] Headliners [61] and Supersonic . [62] The song was also played during a series of shows supporting Think Tank in 2003. [63] [64] [65]
|
|
Credits and personnel are adapted from the Think Tank album liner notes. [15]
Chart (2003) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [71] | 102 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [56] | 30 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [57] | 63 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [72] | 98 |
Ireland (IRMA) [52] | 41 |
Scotland (OCC) [51] | 26 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [53] | 20 |
UK Singles (OCC) [73] | 18 |
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [54] | 22 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 17 March 2003 | Alternative radio | Virgin | [14] |
United Kingdom | 7 July 2003 | Parlophone | [11] |
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".
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 Remote Part is the third studio album by Scottish rock band Idlewild, released on 15 July 2002 by Parlophone. As they were becoming increasingly aware of their label's interest in them and their demos, the band's musical direction was being steered by guitarist Rod Jones. For the first half of 2001, the band recorded songs with producers Stephen Street and Lenny Kaye. Due to the uneven nature of the songs done between tours, they spent some time reworking 20 tracks in the Scottish Highlands. They recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, RAK Studios in London, and Sawmills Studios in Cornwall with producer Dave Eringa. Described as an alternative rock and indie rock record, it lacked the punk rock elements of their previous work.
"Country House" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur. It was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, The Great Escape (1995), on 14 August 1995 by Food and Parlophone. Released on the same day as the Oasis single "Roll with It" – in a chart battle dubbed the "Battle of Britpop" – "Country House" reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. The song is the band's best-selling single, with over 540,000 copies sold as of May 2014. Its music video was directed by Damien Hirst and nominated for Best Video in the 1996 BRIT Awards.
"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.
"Song 2" is a song by English rock band Blur. The song is the second song on their eponymous fifth studio album. Released physically on 7 April 1997, "Song 2" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number six on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"M.O.R." is a song by English rock band Blur from their eponymous album. Released on 15 September 1997, "M.O.R." reached number 15 in the UK Singles Chart on its release as a single in September 1997. Worldwide, it reached number 45 in New Zealand and also charted in Australia, Canada, and the United States.
"Parklife" is a song by the English rock band Blur, released in August 1994 by Food and Parlophone as the third single from the band's third studio album, Parklife (1994). The song contains spoken-word verses by the actor Phil Daniels, who also appears in the music video, which was directed by Pedro Romhanyi.
"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.
"Out of Time" is a song by British band Blur from their seventh studio album, Think Tank (2003). The song was written and produced by band members Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, with Ben Hillier also serving as a producer. After being premiered via BBC Radio 1 on 3 March, it was released as the album's lead single on 14 April 2003, by Parlophone. The song became the band's first release without guitarist Graham Coxon. It is a pop ballad featuring acoustic guitars and bass, as well as a Moroccan orchestra. Lyrically, it deals with a civilisation that has lost touch, with Coxon's departure being referenced in the lyrics.
"Clint Eastwood" is a song by English virtual band Gorillaz, released as the first single from their self-titled debut album on 5 March 2001. The song is named after the actor of the same name due to its similarity to the theme music of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The song is a mix of electronic music, dub, hip hop and rock. The verses are rapped by Del the Funky Homosapien, portrayed as a blue phantom in the video, while the chorus is sung by Damon Albarn.
"Girls & Boys" is a song by English rock 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 Universal" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur and is featured on their fourth studio album, The Great Escape (1995). It was released on 13 November 1995 by Food and Parlophone as the second single from that album, charting at number five on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 in both Iceland and Ireland.
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.
"On Your Own" is a song by English rock band Blur. It was released as a single on 16 June 1997 from the band's fifth studio album, Blur (1997). It charted at number five on the UK Singles Chart. Although it was not released under the Gorillaz name, Damon Albarn, frontman of both musical projects, has since referred the song as 'one of the first ever Gorillaz tunes'.
"Stereotypes" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur and is the opening track to their fourth studio album, The Great Escape (1995). It was released on 12 February 1996 as the third single from that album, charting at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. It also charted in Australia, peaking at number 95 on the ARIA Singles Chart in June 1996. The accompanying UK B-sides—"The Man Who Left Himself", "Tame" and "Ludwig"—demonstrated a dramatic change in style for Blur, being stark and raw, foreshadowing the stylistic shift that would realize itself on their eponymous follow-up album.
"Charmless Man" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur and is the fourth track on their fourth studio album, The Great Escape (1995). It was released on 29 April 1996 in the United Kingdom as the fourth and final single from that album, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart and also charting in Australia, France, Iceland, and Ireland.
"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).
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)