On this day in 1997, Blur released their eponymous fifth studio album which, taking somewhat of a departure from their Britpop beginnings, arrived with the blaring anthem, Song 2 which sent them rocketing up the charts around the world.
The fuzz-driven single made Blur the band's most successful album in the US where the Britpop scene had been largely unsuccessful to date. Embracing the sound of American indie/alt-rock was spearheaded by guitarist, Graham Coxon whose love of bands like Pavement can be clearly heard in the album’s hooky guitar licks; and reinforced by Albarn’s more personal and emotional approach to lyric writing.
It was a gamble that more than paid off! While we all patiently await the return of live music festivals, let’s remember the good old days of Glastonbury festival where this head-tearing rendition of Song 2 conjures the loudest “Woo-hoo” you’ll likely ever hear. Enjoy below.
Blur | 'Song 2' [Glastonbury]
Despite becoming a runaway success, bassist, Alex James once told NME that they didn’t really put too much thought into the track, saying, "I remember having a really bad sweaty hangover that day…It sums up ‘Song 2’. We didn’t think about it at all."
Not bad for a hungover day at work!
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