Mark

This ^ But I do like Noel for his take on other musicians... On Jack White: "He's supposed to be an indie poster boy but he looks like Zorro on doughnuts." On Kaiser Chiefs: "They sit on an apex of meaningless, and they mean nothing to no one, apart from their fuck-ugly girlfriends." On Michael Jackson: "For him to come over to this country and pretend he's Jesus... who does he think he is, me?" After Robbie Williams told him to suck his dick: "I'd rather suck your manboobs." On Liam: "He's a man with a fork in a world of soup." ...Probably the only artist I do like to hear slag someone off :P

I love Blur for many reasons, but I'll just name three. Firstly, every album is different, and every one is its own island in time. There is no song that would fit on any other, yet, they all sound cohesive under one artist. Every album is progressive from the last, and not one of the seven lets down the set, which is something Oasis can't say. The consistency is staggering; how many bands release songs as good as Tender or Out of Time after their "heyday"? Secondly, they all compliment each other perfectly down to the harmonies and are fantastic musicians in their own right; Graham is often mentioned as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, but he transcends the 90s. How many guitarists have continued to produce fantastic music for as long as him, and be so inventive with it? Clapton, Townshend, Page, Slash, even Johnny Marr are all inferior to his consistency. Thirdly, they mean something. They meant something to 90s society, and those ideas are still prevalent; Girls and Boys' holiday culture is still here, The Universal's fear-of-the-future culture is still here, as is Americanisation and commercialisation. But Damon also has the ability to touch with melancholy. It's rare that a songwriter can display such wit, such ferocity, and yet still touch you deep within. Blur, I feel, will be relevant long into this decade. I love Oasis, I love Noel. But Blur were in fact more like the Beatles than Oasis; they evolved from a pop band into an all-conquering rock quartet, and they never spoilt their legacy. They still haven't, and they continue to age with grace.

I've heard it early, and it is brilliant.

Yeah, I've only ever heard good things. Unfortunately, he never likes me in my dreams though :(.

I have other recurring dreams where I meet Damon and I speak to him, and I'm always really cautious, because I'd imagine he's quite... spiky. I imagine he's not too warm to strangers. I think my conscience is telling me something :lol:

Redemption is exactly the song from The Resistance that carries that depth, and yes you are spot on. <3

There wasn't much at all of depth on The Resistance. Nothing really got me, aside from the symphony. I don't want something that we've heard, I want something in a similar vein to the songs both of us listed. Those are the songs I enjoy most from them, despite all the rock-pomp. I've heard more than two songs, I was privileged to sit through half the album the other week. That's why I said it still sounds like Muse :P People were expecting to hear Skrillex for one, we've heard the words "flamenco" and "choral pop", and the band have made a massive deal out of the decision to "draw a line under everything so far". It's not a big line, is all I was saying.

I had a dream that the four of them were waiting around in the reception of the building I study at for Uni. It was snowing outside, and they were doing a secret gig, and Damon asked me if I was going. I said I was seeing Coldplay. He said "They're shit. You'd much rather see us, wouldn't you?" I thought about it, and I thought, well I do really like Blur, so why not. And then I woke up.

The 2nd Law still sounds like nothing but Muse. Heavily influenced by U2 I'd say, but if you're expecting a radical departure from everything that you've heard before, you'll be disappointed. All I really want from the album is a song with emotional depth. Blackout, Hoodoo or Unintended, please.

Really? How did she manage that? I was the other side. Incredible atmosphere, lovely crowd. All apart from the woman who didn't enjoy everyone jumping in Song 2. Silly cow. Is that the one from the 21 boxset? I got the boxset the other week, it's gorgeous.

Well, calling it "Muse's dubstep song" won't confuse it with anything else will it? :P For all the hype, I can tell you that this album won't be nearly as different as Matt promised.

Couldn't have been all that far away from you! (Also, I see you're the other one who voted for 13 on the poll; well done for being awesome.)

It's not dubstep really. That's just my opinion, it's influenced, but it isn't actually a dubstep song, in the same way that Hoodoo isn't flamenco or Butterflies and Hurricanes isn't classical. People are overreacting. There is music of quality and worth in all genres.

The Puritan wasn't played. A backing track was stopped after being started for what was only a few seconds. Followed by a glaring look from Damon. I thought they'd played it at the wrong point, but they never started it again.

Incredible. Really moving at the end when Damon just looked out, teary-eyed before saying "Goodnight!" and leaving the stage. It really did seem like the end.

Can't say I do. He's a private man, I can't think anyone would know. I did a work experience at Q Magazine recently, and got the train in from the west. I saw the Westway everyday, and I think I've even seen the rooftop from the recent Twitter performances :P Damon was unhappy with Q too - they recently did a feature and "made his shoes too shiny" in the photos :P

They sent them to my Uni address because that's where I thought I'd be in five days time (the time they said it would take to get the tickets). They later changed that statement. Someone could've contacted me about it, they just chose not to. It's reeeally shit. But I guess these things happen. Still getting my money back, one way or another!

Yeah, so I bought tickets for the Sunday Wolves show. Eventim sent the tickets to my address. I waited til the Saturday - the last possible day - to receive the tickets but did not. Rang Eventim. They did not answer, despite their website stating that they should between the times I phoned them. So I couldn't go. Monday morning, I ring Eventim. They sent the tickets to my uni address. I no longer live there, therefore they have no right to sign for my post. Someone did sign for it. So Eventim aren't going to give my money back. Am I the only one who thinks that's wholly out of order? I'm not stopping until I see all one hundred and five of the Queen's good English pounds back in its rightful place of my bank account. Thieving shits.

Blur at Margate played:

It's funny that everyone's disagreed with me over different albums :P On the whole though, I think I'd be pretty level with Metacritic. For what that's worth :/ This time last year though, we had Is This It? released in the early part of the decade. Ten years prior, Nevermind. What have we got this year? Nothing outstanding. Muse certainly won't change that, I fear that for all the bombast, they'll tread water for the rest of their careers.

I like 90% of the albums I named. Just not as much as the old stuff. Which sounds typical hipster but it's true. We haven't had a defining album for a while. It's a bit much to say we'll never get one again, but I just despair at people who think it's their human right to have music for nothing. Of course, there are artists and bands riding high at the moment. I just wish they'd get the attention they deserve.

Just as a point though, when was the last time any rock/indie/alternative band released an album that was as good as their last one? Or just brilliant at all? The Resistance wasn't as good as Black Holes. MX wasn't as good as Viva. Suck It And See wasn't as good as Humbug. Only Revolutions wasn't great in comparison to previous attempts, neither was Valtari, Congratulations, Gossamer, This Is Happening, The King of Limbs, Velociraptor, Contra, Build a Rocket Boys, Tonight Franz Ferdinand, Dig Out Your Soul, Skying, No Line on the Horizon, Surfing the Void... ...Music's so disappointing lately. Sure, there are exceptions. Arcade Fire and Beach House are the ones that stick out in my mind. There's no money in music at all. I don't think Muse have released their masterpiece, and I don't think they ever will. I don't think we'll ever see a classic album again. Let's take what we can from The 2nd Law, it's not just Muse that are declining. (Sorry this is so pessimistic, but the state of music depresses the hell out of me at the moment)

I don't work for NME, though I am a reader/internet user :P I wouldn't take offence of anything anyone had to say about music publications. They're all redundant in the modern world - everyone's a journalist online these days. None of them are good, none of them are relevant. I only buy them to feel part of something, I think.

Nice to see a bit of dubstep won't scare you off. My Facebook feed was jammed with "What have they done to themselves?" comments after the album trailer, like a bad plastic surgery reveal or terrible tattoo.

I can't really give much away at all. There was a bit of it playing in the office I'm currently at (it's a music publication), and what I've said there is what I was told by someone who has heard it all. But as I say, I really shouldn't be spilling anything. Just keep the faith in that it's actually pretty good. By the way, the point of mentioning it's good is not for everyone to prompt questions, because I really cannot answer. I've not heard enough, I don't know which songs I heard, and I've probably forgotten in fairness. The thing to take away though, is that it is good. It's not a massive dubstep flop. Again, keep the faith.