Things were not looking good for blur in the early 90s. Debut album Leisure had been a moderate success but a disastrous US tour, the changing tides of British music and the potential of being dropped by their record label put them in a rough spot. With that in mind, the band went back to work with XTC’s Andy Partridge in the producer’s chair. Things did not go as planned and they soon parted ways with Partridge. In stepped Stephen Street who had worked on their first album, and that’s when things started to change.
Preceded by stand alone single “Popscene” the year before, Modern Life Is Rubbish was released in May of 1993. As a direct reaction to the American grunge sound, blur retreated back into their British roots for an album inspired by The Kinks, Small Faces, The Jam, etc. Record boss David Balfe sent the band back looking for a single which singer Damon Albarn dutifully provided with the snappy “For Tomorrow”. Cruising around London with a chorus of “la la la” and the bright vision of, “And so we hold each other tightly/And hold on for tomorrow”, the band was looking towards the future.
Two further singles followed. Layers of Graham Coxon guitars powers “Chemical World” and oompah of music hall sounds lifts the mundane retelling of British life of “Sunday Sunday”. With all three singles barely scraping into the top 30, other potential singles were not released. “Advert” is a punk rock take on the drudgery of 9 to 5 working life. “Star Shaped” is a wide eyed cheery pop song and “Blue Jeans” has more in common with the sound of tracks off Leisure but with the hopeful lyric, “I don’t really want to change a thing/I want to stay this way forever”. The mention of Portobello Road on the track puts the heart of this song straight into the west end of London.
The band then touches on character a profile on “Colin Zeal” that would become a mainstay of future song themes. Dave Rowntree’s drums are more prominent on “Oily Water” and the elastic bass playing of Alex James provides a deep groove throughout. Modern Life is Rubbish is the start of a trilogy of albums centered on English life that was later perfected on Parklife and had ran it’s course by the end of The Great Escape. While down and out, blur managed to put together an album that helped usher in the Britpop era that they would help rule over for the next several years.
The jump in quality of the extra material on disc two over the Leisure B-Sides is remarkable. Several of the songs appear on the North American version of Modern Life Is Rubbish including the “Popscene” single that while it missed the UK top 30, it is considered a foundational song in the Britpop movement. The disc is filled with quite good British indie rock songs including “Mace”, the 60s influenced “Young and Lovely”, and “When The Cows Come Home” that continues the sound and themes of the main album. “For Tomorrow (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)” version is a treat. The second half of the six-minute version adds a brass band section that creates a new groove to the song. “Chemical World (Reworked)” is a jangly guitar take on the single and their version of the classic “Maggie May” is a knees up good time, the joy is infectious.
Modern Life Is Rubbish – 9/10
Expanded Extras – 7/10
