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''Blur'' is the eponymous 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'' (1994), 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. Under the suggestion of the band's guitarist, Graham Coxon, the band underwent a stylistic change, becoming influenced by American indie rock bands such as Pavement and Sonic Youth. Recording took place in London as well as in Reykjavík, Iceland. Drummer Dave Rowntree described the music on the album as being more aggressive and emotional than their previous work. Producer Stephen Street claimed that lead singer-songwriter Damon Albarn had started writing about more personal experiences while Coxon revealed that listening to his lyrics it was clear to him that "he'd obviously gone off his head a bit more". Despite worries from Blur's label, EMI, and the music press that the change in style would alienate the band's predominantly teenage fanbase and that the album would flop as a result, ''Blur'', as well as lead single, "Beetlebum", reached the top of the UK charts and the album was certified platinum. The album also reached the top 20 in six other countries. The success of "Song 2" led to ''Blur'' becoming the band's most successful album in the US where the Britpop scene had been largely unsuccessful. The album received positive and mixed reviews from most music critics, many praising the stylistic change as well as Albarn's improved songwriting. ==Background== Despite Blur's previous album, ''The Great Escape'' being released to positive reviews, and entering the UK charts at number one, the album's success was left in the shadows compared to ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' by Britpop rivals Oasis which went quadruple platinum in the US.〔Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "('Country House' song review )". Allmusic. Retrieved on 16 June 2008.〕 Blur became perceived as an "inauthentic middle class pop band" in comparison to the "working class heroes" Oasis, which made lead singer-songwriter, Damon Albarn feel "stupid and confused".〔''Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop''. Passion Pictures, 2004.〕 Bassist Alex James later summarised, "After being the People's Hero, Damon was the People's Prick for a short period ... basically, he was a loser—very publicly." An early 1996 ''Q'' magazine interview revealed that relations between Blur members had become very strained; journalist Adrian Deevoy wrote that he found them "on the verge of a nervous breakup".〔 Guitarist Graham Coxon, in particular, began to resent his bandmates; James for his playboy lifestyle and Albarn for his control over Blur's musical direction and public image.〔 In February 1996, when Coxon and James were absent for a lip-synced Blur performance broadcast on Italian television, they were replaced by a cardboard cutout and a roadie, respectively. Blur biographer Stuart Maconie later wrote that, at the time, "Blur were sewn together very awkwardly."〔 Coxon struggled with drinking problems and, in a rejection of the group's former Britpop aesthetic, made a point of listening to noisy American alternative rock bands such as Pavement.〔Harris, pg. 259–60〕 In the 2010 documentary on the band, ''No Distance Left to Run'', Coxon stated that he was getting more influenced by American guitarists as "a lot of them were doing very interesting stuff with guitars and I needed to be nourished. I suppose as a guitar player and there was none of that happening in English music although English music was now more popular () I started listening to more stuff from the States from smaller labels."〔''No Distance Left To Run''. Pulse films. 2010〕 Although he had previously dismissed it, Albarn grew to appreciate Coxon's tastes in Lo-fi and underground music, and recognised the need to significantly change Blur's musical direction once again. "I can sit at my piano and write brilliant observational pop songs all day long but you've got to move on", he said.〔 He subsequently approached Street, and argued for a more stripped-down sound on the band's next record. Coxon, recognising his own personal need to, as drummer Dave Rowntree put it, "work this band", wrote a letter to Albarn, describing his desire for their music "to scare people again."〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Blur (Blur album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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