Blur - The Best of Blur (2000)

Blur, one of Britain's premier bands, presents all the videos from the band's 10 year history in chronological order, including their biggest U.S. hit, "Song 2." Songs: She's So High, There's No Other Way, Bang, Popscene, For Tomorrow, Chemical World, Sunday Sunday, Girls And Boys, To The End, Parklife, End Of A Century, Country House, The Universal, Stereotypes, Charmless Man, Bettlebum, Song 2, On Your Own, M.O.R., Tender, Coffee And Tea, No Distance Left To Run.

Blur- The Best of

For many, blur were the band of the nineties. Not many, at least not in America, but theirs is still a devoted following. The DVD is a very nice collection of all their videos up until No Distance Left to Run, with top-rate film transfer and sound quality throughout. The early videos are fun to watch because they're so unbelievably dreadful. The later ones are fun to watch because they're occasional great, frequently entertaining videos. I recommend it to slightly-more-so-than-average fans of blur, but not really to anyone else. July 3, 2007

A good sense of humor

I like bands with a good sense of humor, bands that don't take themselves too seriously. Blur is one of them, most of the time. Some of the earlier ones are kind of silly, but the later videos are pretty good. I especially like Parklife, Charmless Man, Beetlebum, On Your Own, M.O.R. and Tender. If you like Blur, you'll like this. January 27, 2006

Blurry (!)

Yeah, I don't know why I used that as my title, but anyway. This DVD, which I bought a few days ago really grows on you. When I got it, all I knew was....
* 'Country House'
* 'Girls And Boys'
* 'The Universal'
* 'Parklife'
... but watching this is fantastic! The video for 'Coffee + TV'... no wonder it won best video of the year! And, probably most people don't know this but, you know that song? "Wooo who!" It's called 'Song 2' and it's on here! I didn't even know it was a proper song!

The DVD itself doesn't have any special features or even a decent booklet, but what it does have is great lil' music videos. Some of the songs are a bit naff, but even they have good videos! 'Bang' is a good one, so is 'Charmless Man' and the classic 'The Universal'.

Overall, this is a DVD ANY music fan should have. Everybody, no matter what age, must've heard or know a Blur song! September 10, 2005

These videos are so bad, I would just use them to...

From boorish to just plain bad, Blur does it all. In Stone Roses banked baggy like "She's So High", "There's No Other Way", and "Bang!" all swirly lights and additive dissolves, Damon Albarn manages to make a utter fool of himself with a ridiculous haircut and even more ridiculous smug lip synching mug.

Other videos come off as cheap, cheesy, under funded, art school schlock. The Damien Hirst assisted "Country House" is bad. Just plain bad down to its brainless bimbos in dress up and pancake lighting. "Boys and Girls" is a green screen tragedy. "For Tomorrow" mixes one of the few admirable moments of film with strobing, low frame rate video.

I must sing the praises, however, of "The Universal" one of the worst Blur songs with one of the best videos. The lush beauty of Clockwork Orange gang Blur in heaven preaching their inane gospel to a 1984 mass through a 2001 bubble speaker is the only saving grace that makes the DVD worth the plastic it's printed on. The case and booklet remain excess baggage.

This DVD makes me sad. Pretensions and ego abounds doing nothing for aesthetic. A few of the videos are just live concert footage dubbed over with studio tracks, the lowest of the low. Others may look okay but concepts are hackneyed or art house rip-offs. Even the talented David Mould couldn't save this blundering boat from sinking. Ugly, cheap, and painful to look at, Blur may not be the worst band to ever exist but they certainly have some of the worst videos. May 3, 2005

Homebrewer

I was amazed the day I ran into this DVD! I have been one of, if not the biggest fan of Blur! I listened to Blur, when no one had even heard of Blur. I used to tell people, that Blur was going to be the 'Next Beatles'. Well they didn't become the next Beatles, but they put out some incredible music over the years! I have almost every CD blur ever produced (Except for some of their Imports and rare CD's that were only available in Europe). When I first heard the CD 'Leisure', with songs like 'She's so High', 'There's no other way', 'Bang' & 'Birthday'. I just knew we were in for a real treat with Blur and I knew they were going to be around for awhile (And they have been, since they produced 'Leisure' in 1991 & 'Think Tank' in 2003).

On this DVD you get the following tracklist:

1) She's So High - From the CD 'Leisure' & it made chart position #48

2) There's No Other Way - From the CD 'Leisure' & it made chart position #8

3) Bang - From the CD 'Leisure' & it made chart position #24

4) Popscene - From their single CD & it made chart position #32

5) For Tomorrow - From the CD 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' & it made chart position #28

6) Chemical World - From the CD 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' & it made chart position #28

7) Sunday Sunday - From the CD 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' & it made chart position #26

8) Girls And Boys - From the CD 'Parklife' & it made chart position #5

9) To The End - From the CD 'Parklife' & it made chart position #16

10) Parklife - From the CD 'Parklife' & it made chart position #2 & it won best music video(Brits Awards '95) & best video(NME Brat Awards '95).

11) End Of A Century - From the CD 'Parklife' & it made chart position #19

12) Country House - From the CD 'The Great Escape' & it made chart position #1 & was nominated for best video (Brit Awards '96)

13) The Universal - From the CD 'The Great Escape' & it made chart position #5 & was voted The Top Ten Videos of '95 (The Chart Show)

14) Stereotypes - From the CD 'The Great Escape' & it made chart position #7

15) Charmless Man - From the CD 'The Great Escape' & it made chart position #5 & participated in The Edinburgh Film Festival '96.

16) Beetlebum - From the CD 'Blur' & it made chart position #1

17) Song 2 - From the CD 'Blur' & it made chart position #2 & was Nominated Best Group Video (MTV US '97) & (NME Brat Awards '98).

18) On Your Own - From the CD 'Blur' & it made chart position #5

19) M.O.R. - From the CD 'Blur' & it made chart position #15

20) Tender - From the CD '13' & it made chart position #2

21) Coffee And TV - From the CD '13' & it made chart position #11 & was winner's of Best Music Video (MTV Europe '99) & (NME Carling '00).

22) No Distance Left To Run - From the CD '13' & it made chart position #14

Since this DVD was made in 2000, it doesn't have any videos from 'Think Tank'. But it's an amazing DVD either way, for any fan of Blur (Actually I'm amazed if everyone doesn't already own this DVD!) I have watched this DVD so many times, that I will probably go ahead & purchase a couple more copies, in anticipation of wearing this one out. If you are still reading this review, Stop! Click on the 'Purchase ASAP Button', so you can watch Blur the way Blur should be watched! If you didn't know it, Blur's frontman Damon Albarn went on to create 'Gorillaz' the creators of the smash hit 'Clint Eastwood'. As always folks, I'm leaving you with some lyrics from the band.

Sitting in a SDT, waiting for an underground trail. To rumble undemeath my teeth. Bang goes another day, where it went I could not say. Now I'll have to wait another week. When all is said and all is done. What was said was never done. Don't panic! It's not really worth your while. Bang goes another year! In and out of one ear. Everybody's doing it, so do it too!

I got my head checked, by a jumbo jet. It wasn't easy but nothing is. No. When I feel heavy metal, and I'm pins and I'm needles. Well, I lie and I'm easy. All the time but I am never sure, why I need you. Pleased to meet you.

You got to get it together, you're shooting at me. You're just a teenage industry, why are the C.I.A. having fun? They think you're clever 'cus you've blown up your lungs. But I love to hear that crazy beat (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!) Gets the people dancing on their feet (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!) And I'd love to live in paradise. I love my brothers on a saturday night yeah. Crazy beat, Crazy beat, Yeah Yeah. I'm on my mobile and I'm talking to the President. I got to get him for the money I've spent. Trying to get him to party with me. And even offered him Ecstasy!
April 2, 2005

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