Ten years ago, long before they were the subject of South Bank Show specials, before Damon Albarn was acting and writing film soundtracks with Michael Nyman and Alex James was wearing women's clothes in Fat Les, Blur unleashed the dreamy psychedelic pop of 'She's So High'.
They may have joined the baggy party a couple of years later than everyone else but, long after the cries of 'bandwagon jumpers' had faded they stuck around, making some of the finest pop songs this land has heard, the soundtracks to many a mood and moving moment.
Whether they were ditching the Madchester mop tops and going all mockney mod knees-up, rediscovering punk, piling on the cinematic strings or opting for the lo-fi approach, Albarn and the boys have always, in popular London parlance "done the business, know what I mean?", creating glorious, timeless pop.
Naturally it's a tad disappointing then, to learn that Blur would rather forget all those gems and look forward to creating shapeless experimental grooves like recent single 'Music Is My Radar' way out there in the left field. Of course, 'artistes' need to stride forward. But actively disowning your previous work of makes those who love it feel like a bit of a mug.
Listen to this 18-track reminder of how great Blur were though and you won't feel so foolish after all. The big life affirming grin that was 'Parklife', the synthy disco bounce of 'Girls And Boys', the Beatles-esque 'Beetlebum', the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' lust for life that was 'Song 2', the tender strings of 'The Universal' - great tunes all!
Fans will have all these already. It's just the thrill of new packaging and new running order (not chronological) that will tempt you to buy this. Saying that, there are a few holes in the tracklisting. 'Popscene' isn't here. Neither is 'Chemical World' or 'Sunday Sunday'.
'Country House' is present though. Possibly very much against Blur's wishes, this song that beat Oasis' 'Roll With It' to the Number One slot in that much hyped stand-off in the heady summer of 1995, is still a very fine and frivolous pop song. Sorry chaps!
Anyone who saw Albarn sulking on Later With Jools Holland and has heard him slagging off pop music recently will know that young Damon finds being a rock star very serious business these days. Shame, because as Blur have proved so often in the past, music is something to rejoice in, to have fun with, to make life that little bit more worthwhile.
by Gary Crossing