Fair play tobble - CDwow is the way to go alright. I use CDwow a lot -they have a link up with that new Ryanair Online shop which is giving further discounts at the moment. It's a shame they only really specialise in new releases Anyway, whether 13 or 20 euros, the question still stands...are Blur worth a look or am I going to be disapointed as usual.... ------------------------------------ Currently Listening to.... (The exceptional but quite mental) Lift to Experience - Texas Jerusalem Crossroads

A mighty question indeed about the Blur album. But what's this with Uncut magazine choosing an album of the month that's not alt-country (or whatever you want to call it) in flavour? Has there been a coup in the editorial team there? Or has Damon Alburn gone all Ryan Adams or Bonnie Prince Billie in his later years? tobble ------------------------------------ Currently Listening to.... the sound of my office's air conditioning.

in fairness to uncut, it's not always alt-c. stuff that's lauded, i rem. cornershop got LP of the month for 'handcream..' for example...then again, lucinda williams got last month's vote ahead of the white stripes and yo la tengo...but her's is a super album from what i've heard of it...and bonnie prince's album is the record of the year so far, def...i have to say music from all kinds of sources are given detailed reviews and praise in uncut, even if ryan adams or whoever does get the album of the month maybe unjustifiably ahead of them...i'm thinkin' of people like boards of canada, el-p/cannibal ox, black box recorder etc. who have all gotten great reviews...my gripe w. uncut at the moment is that they've only released one CD of new music so far this year... anyways, i bought 'think tank' coz of the uncut review and coz i like the single (and i like the artwork)...have only listened to it twice so far and i'm impressed if not moved by it...it's more of a brain than a heart album at the moment for me...the production is novel and there's a lot going on, but i'm not yet convinced that the songs are there to make it a truly great album...ambulance and sweet song are my immediate favourites, but got to warn you, you'll be sick to the gut of hearing a song called crazy beat in a month's time coz it's def going to be a single and fatboyslim has a hand in the production of it...it's big beat, catchy as hell and pretty great right now but mark my words, we'll never hear the end of it when it's released...it'll be all over daytime radio and every bar in town and you'll be SICK of it very soon! just on vent my spleen's points re. blur's history, they are one of the v. best pop singles bands ever...and even 'parklife', i think, has aged well, although most would disagree with that i guess...i can still listen w. a pricked ear to songs like 'london loves', 'tracy jacks' and 'to the end' and marvel at their pop genius... and just thinkin back to the whole blur-v-oasis nonsense...look at them now...at least blur are still making music for all the right reasons, still experimenting and trying to make the best music they can, keeping things fresh...oasis meanwhile.........shudder!!

You're dead right about the Oasis V. Blur thing....as much as Damon Albarn gets up my nose from time to time they've done so much more quality music - to be able to turn their collective hand from perfect pop tunes like 'Popscene' and 'Bank Holiday' to some really beautiful songs like 'This is a Low', 'For Tomorrow' and 'No Distance Left to Run' - I still think that video Star Shaped is very funny, it follows them on tour when they are playing Glastonbury years ago, they look so young, Damon's wearing a two-tone suit and big doc martins and Graham Coxon's all Jarvis cool in black rimmed shades....I haven't heard anything off the new album bar the single. Do you think Coxon's demise is apparant? Didn't he play on a couple of tracks? Think I read he said he thought the whole thing was a pile of s**te.

no, Graham Coxon only plays on the last track of the album: "Put A Battery in Your Leg". It's a beautiful riff he plays, though. A great song too. A few of the songs on the album are really good, i think, but there's a few arty experiments which just sound lazy. And one penky tune like "Bank Holiday" which is crap. Coxon's solo albums are really good. I think him and Jonny Greenwood are the two best guitarists of recent times, but Coxon is more subtle in his genius, whereas Greenwood is more bombastic. Although I love that thing he does when they play Morning Bell live, when he hits the strings in an out-of-sync, but still in-time rhythm. very cool.

'penky' = punky

I like Coxon..he has that quiet geeky cool thing going on... and he used to look rather tasty in his stripey (sp?) blazers, might be a bit too posh for me though...Ha ha ha!

From what I've read recently, you are quite likely to find him passed out in a gutter in Camden which doesn't sound too posh to me at all! As a matter of fact, I was in Camden a few months ago on a Tuesday evening and it looked more like Baghdad than the bohemian arty enclave it used to be. Coxon's solo stuff is interesting, quite folky in ways. However, his vocals are weak and I think he needs a singer to do justice to his patently tortured muse.

i actually think coxon's voice is deadly...even on 'coffee + tv'...deadpan delivery rules sometimes!

Actually, Coffee & TV is my fav Blur song, the guitar work is fantastic. Coxon's delivery is quite deadpan alright and is fine for the odd tune here and there but a whole album becomes hard work. Sadly, this seems to be the rock many a guitar legend perishes upon - ditto for Johnny Marr and John Squire (of course, Coxon's work is far more interesting musically that the rot the other two have produced as solo offerings)