- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: BLUR SPEAK ABOUT THEIR NEW ALBUM 'BEETLEBUM'
- Date: 10th February 1997
- Summary: LONDON (FEBRUARY 10) (RTV) ALEX JAMES SAYING I DON'T THINK IT'S A GRUNGY SOUND. IT'S QUITE A GRITTY SOUND. WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE VISCERAL, STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART, STRAIGHT TO THE HEART OF (EXPLETIVE) ROCK MUSIC (ENGLISH) GUITARIST GRAHAM COXON SAYS I WANTED TO MAKE A JAZZ ALBUM BUT I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH AT IT YET
- Embargoed: 25th February 1997 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON AND LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA9CS7RPZPAIEP9DYUZZLGF9EKF
- Story Text: Britpop stars Blur launched their new album on Monday (February 10) -- refusing to talk about "stupid" things like the continuing debate in Britain about drugs.
Instead, the band preferred to talk about their album - the simply-titled "Blur".
The album is the Essex band's first in more than a year, following the damaging "battle of the bands" with arch-rivals Oasis.
Singer Damon Albarn has spent much of the intervening period in Iceland and has dropped his cheeky persona in keeping with the band's new darker and stripped-back sound.
The album's first single "Beetlebum" has already soared to the top of British charts and it's predicted the album will do the same.
"Blur" was recorded in London and Iceland. At Monday's news conference, Albarn conceded the resulting album was "surprising".
Bass player Alex James said: "You always go in and grit your teeth and play really hard. When you listen to it, you think 'what on earth have you done'?" Albarn said the main difference with this album was that the band had played live a lot more.
"We didn't go back and reassess things," he said. "We just left them as they were. We're just one of those bands that has a lot of different sides to us and it just takes a lot of time to get it out." In 18 months since their last album "The Great Escape", Blur have re-made themselves as a grungier guitar band but that description doesn't sit well with James.
Guitarist Graham Coxon joked: "I just wanted to make a jazz album but I'm not good enough at it yet." Blur's history can be traced to 1980 when Albarn and Coxon met at school in Essex, east of London. Alex James joined when he moved to London to study. Dave Rowntree was the last member to join the band first known as "Seymour." After playing a dozen or so gigs, they renamed the group "Blur.".
Their first release was the single "She's So High", followed by "There's No Other Way" which saw Blur work for the first time with producer Stephen Street.
"Leisure" was Blur's debut album, released in 1991. It went to number 7 in Britain but was to be outclassed by "Modern Life is Rubbish".
"Parklife" was released in 1994, went to number 1 and earned the band four Brit Awards.
Then came "The Great Escape" which shot straight to number 1.
Now they're back, promoting the new album and dodging questions on most other topics.
On drugs, Albarn wouldn't be drawn: "I don't think people in our position should take a view." His stance is at odds with Oasis leader Noel Gallagher, whose outspoken remarks comparing drug-taking to having a cup of tea sparked furious debate in Britain.
On the upcoming British election, Damon said music wasmuch more interesting. He did, however, say he would support the Labour Party.
The band dodged claims that the launch had been upstaged by Monday's cancelled wedding of Oasis singer Liam Gallagher to Patsy Kensit. James scoffed: "That's a stupid question." Blur also announced they will headline this year's V97 festivals in Chelmsford and Leeds on August 16 and 17 - the first large scale concerts they have played in Britain for nearly two years.
The band will tour Europe in April and May, and alsointend to spend more time trying to crack the American market. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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