Product Description

Greatest hits collection from one of the UK's best-loved bands, which demonstrates their ability for consistently writing super-catchy, radio-friendly singles. Features all their biggest tunes, from the debut album 'Leisure' right up to 1999's '13'.

Track Listing

1. Beetlebum
2. Song 2
3. There's No Other Way
4. The Universal
5. Coffee & TV
6. Parklife
7. End Of A Century
8. No Distance Left To Run
9. Tender
10. Girls And Boys
11. Charmless Man
12. She's So High
13. Country House
14. To The End
15. On Your Own
16. This Is A Low
17. For Tomorrow (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended)
18. Music Is My Radar

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1752 in Music
• Released on: 2000-10-30
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Scanning the tracklisting of Blur's greatest hits album it's hard not to reach the conclusion that the band are a little embarrassed by their earlier and even mid-career work. Opening with the chart one-two of "Beetlebum" and "Song 2" (from their eponymous creative watershed album of 1997) rather than the baggy groove of debut single "She's So High", the band's desire to accentuate their more recent efforts is obvious. Running order aside, it's hard to fault the 18 tracks which chart the life and times of one of the country's smartest, most inventive bands. From the tuxedoed ballad "The Universal", through cartoon Britpoppery of numbers like "Parklife" and "Country House" to the freshly recorded indie-isms of single "Music Is My Radar", their searching intelligence, deft hooks and willingness to sweep the board are never less than admirable. --Mike Pattenden

Customer Reviews

The Best Of The Best
This is a truly comprehensive CD, containing all the band's hits, from the
electronic-sounding "She's So High" to brand-new indie-ish song "Music Is My Radar", this album contains some classic stuff. "Girls And Boys" and "Parklife" are both sparkling gems of Brit-pop, as is "Country House".
"Charmless Man" is an insanely catchy tune and the four tunes taken from
their eponymous 1997 effort are all present and correct. There is also some obscure stuff, like the ballad-like "To The End", the country-ish "Tender", and the lounge ballad "The Universal". The only negative note I can make about this album is that the new song isn't really that good and there is the unexplainable abscence of two classics from Modern Life Is Rubbish, "Sunday Sunday" and "Chemical World". That aside, this is a great disc to pick up for true-blue Blur fans.

Not exactly comprehensive.
It is tradition with a Best Of that it will be, according to many or most, complete nonsense and not by any means a 'Best Of.' This can be for any number of reasons, be it the lack of your favourite track or, in the case of this compilation, the eschewing of chronological order. However, controversy aside, a lot of Blur's finest moments are included here.

Blur would be better off with two discs because they tried not to repeated themselves and so are a bit varied for this album. But their disparate sound is represented pretty well from all quarters; 'Song 2' and 'Beetlebum' sum up the White Album-ish eclecticism of their self titled album; Parklife's title track, as well as 'End Of A Century' and the elgaic 'This Is A Low' are included; for some reason, 'Tender' is here, alongside the brilliant 'Coffee And TV', both from the 13 album; the glorious 'The Universal,' my personal favourite Blur song, is here; early singles 'She's So High' and 'There's No Other Way' make appearances; and there is even an utterly worthless new song closing the album.

Almost all the songs here are Blur pinnacles, but the songs that were missed out either in exchange for the new song, other songs or the lack of a second disc, are many - 'You're So Great,' 'Sing,' 'Death Of A Party' as well as countless others, and most importantly extraneous single 'Popscene' are all absent. This is not, therefore, strictly speaking, all the Best of Blur. Maybe in a few years there'll be a Very Best Of Blur, and in the meantime this will do. But if you only buy one Blur album, this probably shouldn't be it - get Parklife or Blur instead.

A really nice surprise
I was too young to really understand what all the fuss was about when britpop was around so I brought this CD so I could hear for myself. I have to say that I was really surprised when i listened to it. Each song sounds different from the catchy and well known Parklife to slower songs such as Tender. To be honest I couldn't name a favourite track because I like them all. The lyrics are great and although I do like some of Oasis's stuff I think Blur have the edge because the lyrics are better. I love the dig at oasis in Country House. I think this is a good staring point for anyone who wants to explore britpop.