I talked about my favorite Oasis tracks in my previous Thursday Vibe List. I did mention that I am more of a Blur fan despite Oasis’ popularity in the Philippines.
I can talk all day about my favorite Blur tracks but one of the reasons why I love Blur is their music videos. They take their songs to a different level with their music videos. It’s well thought out and very creative.
I’ve listed down my favorite Blur music videos. This was a difficult task. So, here are my favorite Blur music videos.
Parklife
Directed by: Pedro Romhanyi
Released: 1994
Album: Parklife
Let’s start the list with a bang! The video stars Phil Daniels (who did the spoken poetry parts in the track) and Damon Albarn as salesmen. Other band members feature in the video playing various characters, like Alex James (in drag) and Dave Rowntree as a couple.
Parklife, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, is an important track that defined Britpop. In my opinion, you can’t list down Top Britpop songs without mentioning Parklife (or any Blur tracks). Contrary to what British people think, the song isn’t about the working class but rather a sarcastic take on what Graham Coxon dubbed as the park class.
“A lot of people thought it was a celebration of Englishness, but it was actually very sarcastic. The Parklife single wasn't about the working class, it was about the park class: dustbin men, pigeons, joggers – things we saw every day on the way to the studio [Maison Rouge in Fulham]. It epitomises what Blur were about – having fun and doing exactly what you want to do.” - Graham Coxon from an interview on the Guardian
This is what was exactly shown in the music video. It’s almost a mockery of the park class. If you listened to only the song, you would think it’s celebrating Britishness and the working class but it’s sarcasm towards what the band sees on the way to work, the park class.
As previously mentioned, Parklife celebrated its 30th anniversary. In line with that, the band shared unseen moments during the shoot. You can check it out here.
The Universal
Directed by: Jonathan Glazer
Released: 1995
Album: The Great Escape
Yes, you are reading it right. This music video is directed by Jonathan Glazer, the same director who gave you Virtual Insanity (another favorite music video) and the movie, Zone of Interest.
The Universal is my favorite Blur song and music video. If you’re a film buff, you would instantly recognize that the music video pays homage to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange.
The video also pays homage to another Kubrick film, 2001: A Space Odyssey specifically scenes that feature a giant speaker shaped like a golf ball which we see at the beginning and some points in the video. It echoes the monolith featured in the Kubrick film.
The band dressed up in all white as the Droogs with Damon donning eyeliner similar to Alex DeLarge. The bar scene in the music video mimics the movie’s opening scene where we see Alex and the Droogs drinking the drug-infused milk. The band plays in the bar to “bizarre characters”. Aimee Ferrier of Far Out Magazine explains this better:
“The setting mirrors the movie’s opening scene, where the delinquent gang sip drug-infused milk in the Korova milk bar. However, Blur becomes the bar’s entertainment as they perform their track to a bizarre cast of characters. The band appear to be the only characters aware of the corrupt nature of society, reflected in the song’s lyrics, whereas everyone else carries on mindlessly.”
Ferrier further explains that the “drugs” these characters take prevent them from seeing the accurate depiction of reality which is a metaphor for the general public’s acceptance and compliance rather than taking control of their own lives.
“The drugs these characters have taken prevent them from seeing the true nature of reality, acting as a metaphor for the submission and docility of the general public, paying no mind to Albarn’s efforts to encourage them to take control of their own lives.”
You can read more about The Universal here.
Coffee and TV
Directed by: Hammer & Tongs (pseudonym of director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith)
Released: 1999
Album: 13
Aside from Song 2, Coffee and TV is one of the most popular songs of Blur, at least in the Philippines. Its music video makes no exceptions. This music video won several awards in 1999 and 2000 - NME and MTV Europe Awards. It’s been named on numerous lists of best videos of all time.
The video follows an animated milk carton, aptly named Milky, who searches for Graham Coxon, his missing person’s face is plastered on one of its sides. Along the way, Milky meets and falls in love with another milk carton, and encounters a string of challenges. Milky was able to locate Graham’s whereabouts – rehearsing with the band. Graham leaves rehearsals to go home.
Along with The Universal, Coffee and TV is also my favorite Blur track and its music video is my favorite video of all time. I never forgot it since watching it for the first time on TV in 2000. I mean, the plot is camp and weird, how could you not forget it?
Girls and Boys
Directed by: Kevin Godley
Released: 1994
Album: Parklife
This song is the type of song you would play on a road trip with friends. It has a holiday vibe to it. It’s no wonder that the song features people on holiday. The video features Blur performing against a bluescreen while various videos of people on holiday are played in the background. If you’re a Filipino who frequents karaoke bars or rooms, this video is similar to videos played when you sing your karaoke song. All that is missing are the lyrics that highlight as you sing. I love it!
Lonesome Street
Directed by: Ben Reed
Released: 2015
Album: The Magic Whip
The video features a man (Philip Hui) dancing to the song. At some point in the video, he is joined by a female dancer (Betty Lam), and then when the curtain opens they are joined by more dancers (Phoenix Fly Line Dancing Group of San Francisco).
I am reminded of the Lonely Boy music video of The Black Keys. However, in Lonely Boy the dance routine works with the song. In Lonesome Street, the dance routine doesn’t vibe with the track but at the same time, it makes sense. I love the vibe of the video. While it doesn’t feature the band, it still feels like a Blur music video. It’s camp, weird, and features a quite charming character similar to Milky (at least for me).
I enjoyed doing this. It did make me miss the good ‘ol MTV where they air music videos 24/7. I reconnected with songs I hadn’t listened to for a while. Maybe I’ll do another of this. We’ll see ;)