MM Vol 1 - 067 - Blur

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Number 067

Blur

"Song 2"

(1997)
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Genre:Alt Pop

Song 2 belongs in The Definitive 1000 Songs of All Time. It has to be one of the shortest modern day Number 2 hit. Song 2 pumps like an adrenalin boosted noise fest and as soon as its starting to take off the song ends. "Song 2" was originally the track's working title (Damon Albarn stated at its debut live performance at the RDS in Dublin in June 1996 that "This one's called 'Song 2', 'cos we haven't got a name for it yet"), but it ended up sticking. Coincidences surrounding the number two eventually became associated with the song: it was the second track on the album, was the second single from the album to be released, and reached #2 in the UK singles chart and is approximately two minutes and two seconds long.

The Great Escape, for all of its many virtues, painted Blur into a corner and there was only one way out -- to abandon the Britpop that they had instigated by bringing the weird strands that always floated through their music to the surface. Blur may superficially appear to be a break from tradition, but it is a logical progression, highlighting the band's rich eclecticism and sense of songcraft. Certainly, they are trying for new sonic territory, bringing in shards of white noise, gurgling electronics, raw guitars, and druggy psychedelia, but these are just extensions of previously hidden elements of Blur's music. What makes it exceptional is how hard the band tries to reinvent itself within its own framework, and the level of which it succeeds. "Beetlebum" runs through the White Album in the space of five minutes; "M.O.R." reinterprets Berlin-era Bowie; "You're So Great," despite the corny title, is affecting lo-fi from Graham Coxon; "Country Sad Ballad Man" is bizarrely affecting, strangled lo-fi psychedelia; "Death of a Party" is an affecting resignation; "On Your Own" is an incredible slice of singalong pop spiked with winding, fluid guitar and synth eruptions; while "Look Inside America" cleverly subverts the traditional Blur song, complete with strings. And "Essex Dogs" is a six-minute slab of free verse and rattling guitar noise. Blur might be self-consciously eclectic, but Blur are at their best when they are trying to live up to their own pretensions, because of Damon Albarn's exceptional sense of songcraft and the band's knack for detailed arrangements that flesh out the songs to their fullest. There might be dark overtones to the record, but the band sounds positively joyous, not only in making noise but wreaking havoc with the expectations of its audience and critics. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [All Music]
For more Blur see Number 775 @ The Definitive 1000 Songs
For David Bowie see Number 634 @ The Definitive 1000 Songs

This song has a crowbarred rating of 80.5 out of 108 pts

Lyrics to the song

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Tags:Blur, 1997, Alt Pop, David Bowie, YouTube, Music Video, Rolling Stone Magazine, Crowbarred, New Zealand, Crowbarred Unleashed, The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time, Mellow Mix Volume 1

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