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| Leisure | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 August 1991 [1] | |||
| Recorded | May 1990 – March 1991 | |||
| Studio | Battery (Willesden, London) [2] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 50:16 | |||
| Label | Food | |||
| Producer |
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| Blur chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Leisure | ||||
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Leisure is the debut studio album by English rock band Blur, released by Food Records on 26 August 1991.
The original version of "Sing", entitled "Sing (To Me)", was recorded as a demo in late 1989 under the band's former name, Seymour, and can be heard on the ultra-rare promo-only single which was released over a decade later in February 2000 and on the first of a 4-disc set with rare material in the Blur 21 box set.
The cover photograph was taken in May 1954 [7] [8] by Charles Hewitt, for a Picture Post fashion feature on bathing hats, "Glamour in the Swim". [9]
The album was released on 26 August 1991 in the United Kingdom by record label Food. It was released in the US a month later with a different track listing: this version is frontloaded with Blur's three UK singles, and the song "Sing" was replaced by "I Know", previously an A-side with "She's So High" (see track listings for exact changes). The Canadian version has the same track listing as the UK version.
Leisure peaked at number 7 in the UK Albums Chart. [10] The album was certified Gold in the UK. [11]
As part of the album's 21st anniversary, Leisure was remastered and reissued along with the band's other studio albums on 30 July 2012. [12] The album was reissued a second time, on coloured vinyl, on 26 August 2016. [13]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| Drowned In Sound | 8/10 [15] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− [17] |
| Pitchfork | 5.8/10 [18] |
| Q | [19] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [20] |
| Select | 5/5 [21] |
| Smash Hits | 8/10 [22] |
Leisure received mixed reviews from the British music press. [23] A highly enthusiastic David Cavanagh wrote in Select magazine that "The four Blur boys have guaranteed themselves a hefty leg-up in the being-taken-seriously stakes with the thrills they've carved into the grooves of Leisure." He concluded that "Leisure, in short, is one of those happy occasions when the hype is dead right." [21] Q magazine's Paul Davies rated the album four out of five stars, and felt it fulfilled the early promise Blur showcased: "This latest bunch of floppy-fringed pop cadets in baggy clothing should consummate their burgeoning pop romance in fine style", Davies elaborated, "for Leisure is a substantially stocked treasure-chest of hit singles just waiting to happen." [19] Alexis Petridis however, stated that "on the evidence of this album, they don't appear to know what they're doing and as a result make appalling mistakes all over the place". He also described the lyrics as "bad". [24]
In a 2007 interview, lead singer Damon Albarn expressed distaste for the album, describing it as "awful" and being one of the two "bad records" he has made in his career (the other being Blur album The Great Escape ). [25] Albarn further expanded on the album's recording in 2014, explaining that "it wasn't a particularly happy experience" and suggested the band were too keen to please the record label by capitalising on a sound that was popular at the time. [26] The band rarely played tracks from the album live in later tours, with only the singles "There's No Other Way" and "She's So High" being frequently included in setlists. [27]
"Sing" was included on the Trainspotting soundtrack in 1996. In 2008, Coldplay announced upon the release of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends that "Sing" provided a starting point for "Lost!". [28]
All tracks are written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She's So High" |
| 4:45 |
| 2. | "Bang" | Stephen Street | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Slow Down" | Street | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Repetition" | Street | 5:25 |
| 5. | "Bad Day" | Street | 4:23 |
| 6. | "Sing" | Blur | 6:00 |
| 7. | "There's No Other Way" | Street | 3:23 |
| 8. | "Fool" | Mike Thorne | 3:15 |
| 9. | "Come Together" | Street | 3:51 |
| 10. | "High Cool" | Street | 3:37 |
| 11. | "Birthday" | Thorne | 3:50 |
| 12. | "Wear Me Down" | Thorne | 4:49 |
| Total length: | 50:13 | ||
All tracks are written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She's So High" |
| 4:46 |
| 2. | "There's No Other Way" | Stephen Street | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Bang" | Street | 3:37 |
| 4. | "I Know" |
| 3:32 |
| 5. | "Slow Down" | Street | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Repetition" | Street | 5:25 |
| 7. | "Bad Day" | Street | 4:24 |
| 8. | "Sing" | Blur | 6:00 |
| 9. | "High Cool" | Street | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Come Together" | Street | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Inertia" | Blur | 3:48 |
| 12. | "Mr. Briggs" | Blur | 3:59 |
| 13. | "Fool" | Mike Thorne | 3:16 |
| 14. | "Birthday" | Thorne | 3:50 |
| 15. | "Wear Me Down" | Thorne | 4:50 |
| Total length: | 61:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Know" (Extended Version) | 6:31 |
| 2. | "Down" | 5:59 |
| 3. | "There's No Other Way" (Extended Version) | 3:59 |
| 4. | "Inertia" | 3:49 |
| 5. | "Mr Briggs" | 3:59 |
| 6. | "I'm All Over" | 2:00 |
| 7. | "Won't Do It" | 3:20 |
| 8. | "Day Upon Day" (Live) | 4:14 |
| 9. | "There's No Other Way" (Blur Remix) | 4:57 |
| 10. | "Bang" (Extended Version) | 4:26 |
| 11. | "Explain" | 2:45 |
| 12. | "Luminous" | 3:14 |
| 13. | "Berserk" | 6:43 |
| 14. | "Uncle Love" | 2:31 |
| 15. | "I Love Her" (Demo) | 3:36 |
| 16. | "Close" | 3:03 |
| Total length: | 65:06 | |
Weekly charts
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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".
Modern Life Is Rubbish is the second studio album by the English alternative rock band Blur, released in May 1993. Although their debut album Leisure (1991) had been commercially successful, Blur faced a severe media backlash soon after its release, and fell out of public favour. After the group returned from an unsuccessful tour of the United States, poorly received live performances and the rising popularity of rival band Suede further diminished Blur's status in the UK.
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.
"Bang" is a song by English rock band Blur, released on 29 July 1991 as the third single from their debut album, Leisure.
"Popscene" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur, released as a non-album single on 30 March 1992. Despite its relatively low chart placing, it has since become critically praised and regarded as one of the pioneering songs of the Britpop genre.
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Bustin' + Dronin' is a remix compilation/live album by the band Blur. It was originally only released in Japan but was also released in limited quantities in the UK and the US, and being released only on double-CD format. The first disc featured all the remixed songs from the band's eponymous album, Blur. After five albums with the same producer, Food Records turned the songs from Blur over to other producers for remixing. The band later chose William Orbit to produce their sixth studio album, 13. The second disc featured their live at John Peel's live session called "Peel Acres". Due to its low key, limited release in the UK, Bustin' + Dronin' only reached number 50 on the albums chart, though it is the only import release by the band to chart in the UK.
"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.
"She's So High" is a song by the English rock band Blur. It was released as a double A-side single with "I Know" on 15 October 1990 as the band's debut single. It is the first track on the band's debut album, Leisure, released in 1991.
"There's No Other Way" is a song by English band Blur, released on 15 April 1991 as the second single from their debut album Leisure. "There's No Other Way" peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart. It was also their first charting song in the US, reaching number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also reached number five on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks.
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"Chemical World" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur, included on their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), and released in June 1993 by Food Records. The song was written by the band and produced by them with Stephen Street, Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley and Steve Lovell. It peaked at number 28 on the UK Singles Charts as well as number 27 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
"Sunday Sunday" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur, included on their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993). It was released on 4 October 1993 by Food Records as the final single from that album, and charted at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart. This is the highest-charting single from the album ; the record company thought the original album contained no singles, and had the band write the other two singles specifically for single release. The band's original name, 'Seymour', is credited as guest performer on the CD1 single, due to the B-sides being recordings from that era.
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"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.
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rolling stone blur album guide.
| Studio albums | |
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| Live albums | |
| Compilations | |
| Singles |
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| Other songs | |
| Video albums | |
| Related groups | |
| Related articles | |
