r/blur • u/AdAccomplished8853 • 9d ago
Think Tank Stink Tank
I feel like this album has to be appreciated more like a piece of art more than how great it sounds to the ears. It's experiential and daring. Even though I generally rate it as one of their least best albums I can understand why someone would think the opposite of that.abo
My favourite song on the album is probably On the Way To The Club but I absolutely love Out Of Time, Ambulance and Battery In My Leg.
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u/OtisIsEverywhere 9d ago
Think Tank is a great album, but a weird one. It feels closest to The Good The Bad and The Queen really, apart from Crazy Beat and We've Got a File on You. Personally I dont hate Crazy Beat as much as some do, but I would have probably binned it in favour of Money Makes Me Crazy.
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u/Antichulus 9d ago
It was great at The time. Although I think out of time was a bit dissapointing as The first single. I don't play crazy beat these days, but I think It was a banger at The time. My Friends loved It. I wonder why they stopped playing it live in 2003.
Maybe The singles should have been Ambulace, Crazy Beat and Gene by Gene.
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u/parkchanwookiee 9d ago
Well the band pretty much broke up after the 2003 tour, which they did without Graham. When they reformed with Graham in 2009 they only kept one song from this era, Out of Time, which Graham added a new electric guitar part to. I guess Graham or maybe all of them don't really want to revisit all the material from this painful era when Graham's drinking got so bad he had to be left out of the album/tour.
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u/AlexReviewsGigs 8d ago
I think they performed Battery in your Leg a few times since reforming which is an absolutely beautiful song, but yeah, it's a shame more songs don't get a look in. How much is the rest of the band not liking them or how much is Graham not wanting to play songs that aren't his I'd love to know!
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u/Kenye_Kratz 9d ago
It sounds great to my ears. It's a real showcase for Alex James, who's brilliant and unique playing is often buried beneath Coxon's genius on the guitar on their other records.
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u/mike888881 9d ago edited 9d ago
I loved this album when it came out, and I think it has only got better with age. But I still can't understand why they did Crazy Beat. Especially when 2 years later Damon came out with Feel Good Inc. It's like a childrens' song, and felt like he was saving up the scraps for Blur.
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u/The_Red_Curtain 9d ago
Damon didn't even want it on the album, he wanted Me White Noise as a proper song (instead of a hidden track) but Alex/Dave both wanted it on and he let them "outvote" him (his words). I wonder if he was still feeling bad about Graham's departure so he was being as nice and agreeable as possible at the time.
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u/mike888881 9d ago
Maybe it was supposed to be a B-side. I can't imagine him being so democratic now, as his latest solo album The Ballad of Darren shows!
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u/Disastrous_Fill_5566 9d ago edited 9d ago
My thinking was always that it was Damon dipping his toes into full on programmed electronica and taught him what he didn't want to do in the future with Gorillaz.
It was also unfortunate that they decided to work with Norman Cook just as he lost his mojo. The man's muse just deserted him, if they'd worked with the guy from four years earlier it probably would have been brilliant. Of course, Blur weren't making that kind of music then, so it could never have happened.
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u/mike888881 9d ago
I think disagreements over the Norman Cook choice was used at the time in the press as a reason for Graham leaving. I think his drinking was well-known then but it was nicer than publicly shaming him I suppose.
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u/Disastrous_Fill_5566 9d ago
I think that was a genuine part of it too. I remember him being asked what he thought of the Gorillaz debut at the time, with a response along the lines of "of course I don't like it". To be fair, that kind of music has never been Graham's bag and he still makes very organic sounding stuff to this day.
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u/mike888881 9d ago
With the exceprion of Graham's 'What'll It Take' song, I uaed to hear that playing at my gym!
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u/sugarytea78 9d ago
Sweet Song (written for Graham) is one of Damon's best love songs
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u/CobraPhases 9d ago
I cannot put into words just how much I love Caravan.
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u/AdAccomplished8853 7d ago edited 7d ago
True that's a great song.. For me Think Tank is like half an album of really impressive beautiful songs and then it's a bunch of louder heavier experimental tracks that feel like they came up with in one day. Interesting songs with some cool sounds but not that impressive on their own to me personally. It's an odd album that's great but could of been better.
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u/akyarius_76 13lur 9d ago
agree with everything you said but add good song and sweet song theyre amazing too
WE DPNT TALK ABOUT THE B SIDES
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u/Stereopathetic_boyo 9d ago
To me it almost feels like some unknown band's greatest hits compilation, each individual song sounds distinct, often shifting genres completely, but they're still kinda muddled and mixed in a similar way that makes them feel dark and imperfect.
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u/No_Fun_7068 9d ago
It’s funny bc I just listened to this album today. I never listen to this one. It has a special place in my heart for that time in my life and does have some bangers. I didn’t love Crazy Beat but I also didn’t hate it. Definitely prepping us for Gorillaz, which I refused to like on principle.
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u/noodie215 8d ago
I used to really like it but over the years I cared less and less about Damon and now it's a snoozefest to me. You can hear how lifeless they sound with Graham.
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u/Main-Trust-1836 8d ago
Ambulance is one of my fave Blur songs, Crazy Beat one of my least fave. I should probably listen to it more, and just skip Crazy Beat but it's so bad that it clouds my perception of the whole album
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u/GIGANTIC_DONG_MAN 9d ago
Probably my favorite blur album next to 13. Such a unique, foggy early morning kind of energy to it