Not one to take a comment lightly, this is a defense of Blur in the unending Blur vs. Oasis feud. Dona, consider the gauntlet thrown. Regardless of commercial success, Blur has been and will always be the superior band, for the following reasons.
Variety. Unlike Oasis, who have stagnated since Definitely Maybe and What’s the Story Morning Glory?, beginning with 1991’s Leisure, Blur has consistently evolved and experimented with new songs and styles. Girls and Boys, She’s So High, Parklife, The Universal, these are but a few of the genre-jumping hits Blur has attained over the years. The band experienced their biggest success with Song 2, possibly the song least indicative of their overall sound. This same band brought you Think Tank, one of the best albums of this decade, containing songs ranging from the quiet and peaceful Sweet Song, to the boisterous Crazy Beat, to the highly experimental opening track Ambulance, Blur has shown more range on a single album than Oasis has shown in their entire career. No, the faux-Indian Hindu Times doesn’t count. The Beatles called, they want their sitar back.
An Expanded Presence. Blur’s legacy has spread beyond the band itself. Damon Albarn, one of the most brilliant musicians today, is the creative force behind the world’s first (good) virtual band the Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad, and The Queen, along with numerous other side-projects. Even what little I’ve heard of Graham Coxon’s solo material is gold. Beyond Oasis, what is there?
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen – Herculean
The Live Show.
[youtube Efj4WwNPcFA]
Considering the most relevant thing happening to Oasis in the last ten years is Noel getting tackled at the Toronto Virgin Festival, that certainly says something their live show. I’m not condoning tackling British musicians, but it certainly added some much needed emotion to the performance, didn’t it? The band looked bored out of their minds!
[youtube d-UxlvKGZcE]
Here’s a clip of Blur playing Tender live in Paris. What’s this? Some audience interaction? Some emotion?
The Attitude. The Gallagher Brothers have built their reputation on slagging other bands, getting wasted, fighting each other as well as their fans. While I’m sure Blur has gotten into scuffles themselves, they’ve hardly been publicity addicts. You have drummer Dave Rowntree who has made a run for parliament, bassist Alex James who has converted his 90s cocaine habit into the BBC documentary Cocaine Diaries: Alex James in Colombia. As for the others, I’m a firm believer in letting the music do the talking, something Oasis forgot long ago while releasing tripe like Lyla.
The Milkman.
This alone cements their greatness. Anyone who has the sense to work with Garth Jennings of Hammer and Tongs, director of countless classic music videos and feature films such the underrated Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow, clearly is worthy of greatness. Does Oasis have some sort of camel for a mascot? I THINK NOT.
Add all this and a reunion to come this year, and you have in me one happy Blur fan.
Of course, we could all just listen to Pulp and be done with the whole matter.
14 Comments
clap clap clap clap clap!!!*
i’m at work right now and am applauding you and getting weird looks. very well written dude, and to be honest, i agree with you on a lot of the points…until i have more time, you shall receive a defense. it’s not that i don’t LIKE Blur, I LOVE BLUR. but…I love Oasis more.
more to come…thanks for writing this, this totally made my day Kevin!!
— dona, January 3, 2009Debate is cool. Until the rebuttal arrives, let’s enjoy some of the bands which succeeded no doubt because this original Blur/Oasis feud became so popular:
Menswear – Daydreamer
[youtube tmBoEUG4-aM]
The Auteurs – Show Girl
[youtube hpw-Zmh22wI]
Boo Radleys – Wake Up Boo!
[youtube WumSB0vZ5l8]
Suede – Animal Nitrate
[youtube XaEc_5abpfA]
a Oasis vs Blur-post in 2009? Come on…
— Jah, January 4, 2009Glad you enjoyed it Dona, I was worried it wasn’t going to be taken in the tongue-in-cheek manner I was aiming for.
Jah, apologies, you may enjoy my upcoming Rolling Stones vs. the Beatles post. Or Kanye vs. Lil Wayne, or whatever the kids listen to these days.
— Kevin, January 4, 2009jaja actually i read the entire thing in a tongue in cheek manner and i think that’s why i enjoyed it so much…=)
— Dona, January 4, 2009Ahaha, great. Lovin’ it. I don’t think a blog site would be complete without this argument!
And that Pulp song is pretty much my favourite song ever (my lastfm profile is proof to that fact). Kudos, my friend.
— Sabrina, January 5, 2009as a blur fan, i’m in full agreement. but i must say, the early-oasis (def maybe/morning glory era) b-sides have consistently trumped the generally lacklustre blur ones.
— dan, January 5, 2009I haven’t delved into the B-Sides of either band all that much, but I will say that Acquiesce is one of the best songs Oasis has ever done.
— Kevin, January 5, 2009I think Ca Va Cool needs a survey sidebar (i.e. what is your favourite Oasis song?). I’ll see what I can do.
— Daniel, January 6, 2009honestly, i think all of oasis’ stuff before heathen chemistry, kicks ass. oasis should have stopped past heathen chemistry but all the other EPs are amazing including the b-sides that dan is talking about…AH a rebuttal is in order…soon soon. school as started up again =(
— dona, January 6, 2009p.s. a poll for the favorite oasis song would be near impossible to choose…
— dona, January 6, 2009Although I love both Blur and Oasis, I think we’re overstating their greatness a little bit. The first two Oasis albums are masterpieces (especially the first), but since then they’ve
given us nothing but some decent albums (some poor) and a few great singles. Oasis is still around and I could care less. And even though Blur had more consistent output, I’m sure a reunion would contribute nothing more than stir up nostalghia. I think a Blur reunion right now would be about as relevent as the release of Chinese Democracy.
My favourite Oasis song is Live Forever. Acquiesce is a close second.
— Daniel, January 6, 2009amen.
You and I are gonna live for-everrrr.
— Sal, January 6, 2009i have a huge list…on the top of my head, slide away, live forever, married with children, talk tonight, going nowhere, underneath the sky, acquiesce, masterplan, she’s electric! she’s got a family fullll of eccentricss she’s done things i’ve never expecteed and i neeeeeeeeeeed more teeeeeeeeeeeiiiime! uh-oh…=)
— Dona, January 6, 2009
