Blur, for Monday Lunch – recorded at the Brixton Academy in 1997 and broadcast by BBC Radio 2.
Many people will most likely agree the 90s were an extraordinary decade for Music. Of course, many people also swear their decade had the best music and everything after it was pale by comparison. – I know people whose Musical life ended somewhere around 1965; everything after it being a dull-as-dishwater imitation.
For my part, I will say the 90s offered a lot of hope and a lot of excitement. And as much as I cringe at the really corny label of “Britpop”, it was music confined to that genre that offered something new and interesting and a shot of adrenalin to what was becoming a somewhat nondescript musical landscape.
Blur were one of the pioneer bands turning a decade on its head. Hard to say who got there first, but it doesn’t matter – all I remember was a flood of new music that made me want to hear more and discovering bands that would make a huge difference.
In all fairness, Blur and the initial beginnings of “Britpop” got started in the late 80s, but at least in America things didn’t get rolling until the 90s, unless you had a good import connection.
At the time, Blur were a revelation – grabbing snatches of Mod and Psychedelia of the 60s as a stepping off point. Going for the vibe rather than the direct quotation. It made for engaging listening. And even though this concert comes along at a relatively late period for the band, it keeps the initial spirit intact despite an eventual hiatus.
Enjoy lunch – crank it up – Monday will be over soon – four more days to go.
