Sono lontani ormai i tempi in cui Albarn & Co. saltavano e “strimpellavano” sulle allegre note di Parklife...
Il britpop e il suo sound sono distanti e niente di chiaro riusciamo a vedere in questo insolito lavoro della band inglese, in quanto la sua complessità è inutile, improduttiva e insignificante, a tratti persino noiosa.

13 è un album senza idee dal quale possiamo però apprezzare la natura inquieta e vitale della bruttezza che lo anima, la quale di certo non è il sintomo di una precoce senilità di Albarn: quella di 13 è una bruttezza necessaria, di passaggio.
Qualcosa di ascoltabile non lo troviamo certamente tra i ritornelli di Tender o di Coffie&Tv, ma tra i dolenti “passi” di No Distance Left to Run, Bugman e forse Caramel…sinceramente non ricordo altra canzone degna di essere citata tra queste righe, ma due parole vanno spese per William Orbit (produttore) che sicuramente ha dato un forte contributo ad alimentare la voglia di sperimentazione dei ragazzi dell’ Essex.

Onore ai Blur, però: hanno saputo abbattersi, azzerarsi, per ricominciare da capo. In quest'ottica, la bruttezza di 13 potrebbe essere la forma d'arte più onesta e intensa degli ultimi anni(?!?).

Elenco tracce testi samples e video

01   Tender (07:40)

Tender is the night
Lying by your side
Tender is the touch
Of someone that you love too much
Tender is the day
The demons go away
Lord I need to find
Someone who can heal my mind

Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
That we have
I'm waiting for that feeling
I'm waiting for that feeling
Waiting for that feeling to come

Oh my baby
Oh my baby
Oh why
Oh my
(x2)

Tender is the ghost
The ghost I love the most
Hiding from the sun
Waiting for the night to come
Tender is my heart
I'm screwing up my life
Lord I need to find
Someone who can heal my mind

Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
That we have
I'm waiting for that feeling
I'm waiting for that feeling
Waiting for that feeling to come

Oh my baby
Oh my baby
Oh why
Oh my
(x2)

Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
That we have
I'm waiting for that feeling
I'm waiting for that feeling
Waiting for that feeling to come

Oh my baby
Oh my baby
Oh why
Oh my
(x2)

Tender is the light
Lying by your side
Tender is the touch
Of someone that you love too much
Tender is my heart you know
I'm screwing up my life
Oh Lord I need to find
Someone who can heal my mind

Come on, Come on, Come on
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
Come on, Come on, Come on,
Get through it
Come on, Come on, Come on
Loves the greatest thing
That we have
I'm waiting for that feeling
I'm waiting for that feeling
Waiting for that feeling to come

Oh my baby
Oh my baby
Oh why
Oh my
(goes on until end fading away)

02   Bugman (04:47)

I am an ex offender
They let me out in the Summer
I think I was in a coma
I didn't know what to do
Oh no

You go hang around go round
I'll watch myself hang on
Look out for the Bugman
You go hang around around
I'll watch myself hang on
Look out for the Bugman

I got no sent of existence
I know the nodding dogs
I go out in the city
I stay away from the bugs
Oh yeah

You go hang around around
I watch myself look out
Look out for the Bugman
You go hang around around
I watch myself hang on
Look out for the Bugman

The bu uh uh ug man

I go out in the city
I stay away from the bugs
Oh yeah
la la la la la oh oh...

I go out in the city
I go out in the city

I stay away from the buh uh bugs...

03   Coffee & TV (05:58)

Do you feel like a chain store
Practically floored
One of many zeros
Kicked around bored

Your ears are full but you're empty
Holding out your heart
To people who never really
Care how you are

So give me coffee and TV, easily
I've seen so much, I'm going blind
And I'm braindead virtually
Sociability is hard enough for me
Take me away from this big bad world
And agree to marry me
So we can start over again

Do you go to the country
It isn't very far
There's people there who will hurt you
'Cause of who you are

Your ears are full of their language
There's wisdom there you're sure
Till the words start slurring
And you can't find the door

So give me coffee and TV, easily
I've seen so much, I'm going blind
And I'm braindead virtually
Sociability is hard enough for me
Take me away from this big bad world
And agree to marry me
So we can start over again

04   Swamp Song (04:36)

05   1992 (05:28)

Going into business
An agreement of your bombast
You'd love my bed
You took the other instead
But don't you feel low
I was being oblique
And you'd love my bed
You got the other instead

What do you owe me?
The price of your piece of mind
You'd love my bed
You took the other instead

06   B.L.U.R.E.M.I. (02:53)

Group using a loopOf another pop group
Group shooting a hoop
And starving it up in to the soup
Cos I'm of regular features
And Adidas trainers
Completing the cycle
Until the teenage maniacs
Can bring it on back

B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I

Group using a loopOf another pop group
Completing the cycle
Until the teenage maniacs
They'll bring it all back

B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I


B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I
B L U R E M I...

07   Battle (07:42)

Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh

Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh

Completion Serch
Here I love the blow
See me walk on down to
Adorn myself
It's a glory
Cos, See me
What do you think of now?

Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh
Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh

Can turn your sights
Kill until sub-zero
See me
Oh it turns you on
All my gawe
It's the end of your
Take your last one now


Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh
Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle, Battle
Battle someone..Oooh

08   Mellow Song (03:56)

09   Trailerpark (04:26)

fist out
fist out for the five
fist out

I'm a country boy I got no Soul
Don't sleep at night, the worlds growing old
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones

fist out
fist out for the five
fist out

I'm a country boy I got no Soul
Don't sleep at night, the worlds growing old
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones
I'm a country boy I got no Soul
Sleep at night, the worlds growing old
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones
I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones

10   Caramel (07:38)

I gotta get over
I gotta get over
I gotta get better
I'm with you forever
I gotta find genius (Caramel)
I gotta get better (Caramel)
I gotta stop smoking (Caramel)
I gotta get better (Caramel, Caramel)
-do doo do do doo-
Where's the magic
I gotta get better
Oh lord give me magic
I'm with you forever
I gotta find my skill (mounts hill ???) (Caramel)
and live by the mountains (Caramel)
I love you forever
I knew I , I knew I
(and you are, and you are..
low, low, low)

11   Trimm Trabb (05:37)

I got no style
I'll take my time
All those losers on the piss again
I dose dose away

That's just the way it is
That's just the way it is

I've got trimm trabb
Like the flash boys have
And I can't go back
Let it flow, let it flow
I sleep alone
I sleep alone

That's just the way it is
Just the way it is
Just the way it is
Just the way it is
Just the way it is
That's just the way it is

I got trimm trabb
Like the flash boys have
And I can't go back
Let it flow, let it flow
I sleep alone
I sleep alone...

12   No Distance Left to Run (03:28)

It's over
You don't need to tell me
I hope you're with someone who makes you feel safe in your sleep.
Being tonight
I won't kill myself trying to stay in your life
I've got no distance left to run

When you see me
Please turn your back and walk away
I don't want to see you
Cos I know the dreams that you keep
That's where we meet
When you're coming down think of me
I got no distance left to run

Ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh

It's over
I knew it would end this way
I hope you're with someone who makes you feel that this life is a life
One that settles down
Stays around
Spends more time with you
I got no distance left to run

I'm coming home
So cold
Home

13   Optigan 1 (02:33)

[INSTRUMENTAL]

14   I Got Law (demo version) (02:41)

Carico i commenti...  con calma

Altre recensioni

Di  easycure

 13 potrebbe senza troppo azzardo essere accostato alle sperimentazioni di band come Mogwai o altro post-rock europeo.

 Un importantissimo esempio di come si possa tentare di essere 'altro' dai canoni del rock senza risultare eccessivamente estremi ma anzi rimanendo incredibilmente comunicativi.


Di  ste84

 "13 è un viaggio su un universo tondo e distorto, un puzzle che assume una sua forma indefinita ma ugualmente unica e, per questo, affascinante."

 "Burgman diventa un gigantesco insetto che ti vuole entrare nell’orecchio e ronza, ronza, e termina con una motosega che ti apre il cranio."


Di  GrantNicholas

 "La sperimentazione attuata in '13' sembra forzata o, peggio, spossante nella sua insistenza."

 "'Tender' è entrata di diritto fra i grandi classici della band, ma non rappresenta l'album in modo completo."


Di  temi

 “13 è l’ennesimo capolavoro dei Blur... Ma bisogna ascoltarlo tante volte per goderne appieno… A tratti spaventa.”

 Coxon descrive l’album come “un trip allucinante al tempo del diavolo”.