13 - Blur > Reviews > Great songs, but a not so good album

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Unmemorable
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great individual songs
Disadvantages:	Tracks do not follow on

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I suppose the best way to review this is to review each song individually. However, this may not be representing the album well because although the majority of the songs are not that special, some are classics.
Tender- Absolutely great song, uplifting, amazing tune and harmony and overall a classic song. If all great albums need classics, Tender helps 13 on its way.
Bugman- Too caught up in electronica seemingly to concentrate on making a good song and in my opinion is wrecked rather than helped by the rather odd background music.
Coffee and TV- another classic. In my opinion it isn't quite as good as Tender but it has got another very good tune with great lyrics.
Swamp Song- tends to go back to the strange background music of Bugman but with it being less it helps to enhance the track rather than to destroy it.
1992- more depressing than the earlier songs but well performed and the mood is expressed excellently.
B.L.U.R.E.M.I.- pure rock and a good single for its genre but not thoughtful enough for my liking.
Battle- much more instrumental and allows Blur to show their artistic side, hits the spot if you are in a rather dark mood but not one to listen to on a nice sunny day.
Mellow Song- exactly what it says on the tin, very mellow and a nice pleasant song but far from spectacular.
Trailerpark- another mainly instrumental piece that is not very original and is not helped by the occasional vocals.
Caramel- very calming and smooth but it isn't going to leave you asking for more, more likely to send you to sleep.
Trimm Trabb- Blur continue in their attempts to be different and after a rather weak start are supported by the vocals which return the song to one that we would expect from Blur.
No Distance Left To Run- one of the better songs on the album as despite the rather dark mood it is still enjoyable and allows you to be a part of the song.
Optigan 1- instrumentals may not be Blur's forte but this is reasonable solid despite being far from spectacular.

In conclusion, it has too many weak tracks and not enough spectacular ones to be classed as a great but is still worth owning if it is only for Tender and Coffee & TV