Out Of Time

Amazing Album Artwork From The Past – Cover Of ‘THINK TANK’ By BLUR Released 20 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

5 May 2023

20 years ago today, on 5 May 2003, BLUR released their 7th,
critcially praised album THINK TANK. It topped the UK charts.

Artwork: The cover was stenciled by the British
graffiti artist and political activist Bansky.

Despite Banksy stating that he normally avoids commercial work he later defended
his decision to do the cover, saying: “I’ve done a few things to pay the bills, and I did the
Blur album. It was a good record and the commission was quite a lot of money.

I think that’s a really important distinction to make. If it’s something you actually believe in, doing something commercial doesn’t turn it to shit just because it’s commercial. Otherwise you’ve got to be a socialist rejecting capitalism altogether, because the idea that you can
marry a quality product with a quality visual and be a part of that even though it’s capitalistic
is sometimes a contradiction you can’t live with. But sometimes it’s pretty symbiotic, like the Blur situation.”

SINGLE

ALBUM

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BLUR: Instagram – Facebook

No 1 Albums In The UK This Day In 1971 – 1981 – 1991

Posted on by JL

Classic No 1 albums in the UK this day in, respectively 1971 – 1981 – 1991

Artist: GEORGE HARRISON
25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001
Album: ALL THINGS MUST PAST – debut (triple) LP
Score: No 1 on the UK charts on 19 March 1971 – 50 years ago today

Stream here…

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GEORGE HARRISON: Discography

Band: ADAM AND THE ANTS
Active: 1977–1982
Album: KINGS OF THE WILD FRONTIER – 2nd LP
Score: No 1 in the UK on 19 March 1981 – 40 years ago today

Stream here…

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ADAM AND ANTS: Discography

Band: R.E.M.
Active: 1980–2011
Album: OUT OF TIME – 9th LP
Score: No 1 in the UK on 19 March 1991 – 30 years ago today

Stream here…

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R.E.M.: Discography

Turn Up The Volume’s Top 5 Of R.E.M. Albums

Posted on by JL

1. OUT OF TIME – 7th album – 1991

Pitchfork: “Along with Nevermind, released a half year later, R.E.M.’s Out of Time was the early-’90s major-label ideal: A blockbuster that multiplied the band’s following without losing existing fans.” Score: 8.5/10

Key single: Losing My Religion

Stream full LP here…

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2. AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE – 8th LP – 1992

AllMusic: “Turning away from the sweet pop of Out of Time, R.E.M. created
a haunting, melancholy masterpiece with Automatic for the People.”
Score: 10/10

Key single: Drive

Stream album here..

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3. GREEN – 6th longplayer – 1988

Pitchfork: “Their first major label effort, their first LP to go
double platinum, the first to achieve popularity in the UK.”
Score: 8.5/10

Key single: Stand

Stream full album..

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4. MURMUR – Debut LP – 1983

Rolling Stone: “This band’s darkness is shot through with flashes of bright light. A
restless, nervous record full of false starts and images of movement, pilgrimage, transit.”
Score: 8/10

Key single: Radio Free Europe

Stream LP here…

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5. MONSTER – 9th album – 1994

UNCUT: “These new songs were grounded in the stomp and crackle of ’70s glam rock, with Buck pulling out every effects pedal he owned and Stipe addressing his own celebrity and sexuality.” Score: 8/10

Key single: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?

Full album…

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HISTORY – 23 March 1991

Posted on by JL

23 March 2019

Finally with their seventh album OUT OF TIME Athens rockers R.E.M. scored their very
first Number One LP in the UK. It hit the top spot on 22 March 1991, 28 years ago today. Worldwide 18 million copies were sold of ‘Out Of Time‘ giving the band a massive global status. Here’s the brilliant first single off the longplayer that helped achieve the overall success of the full length…

R.E.M: Website – Facebook – All Albums

BLUR Released Mind-Relaxing Album ‘THINK TANK’ 15 Years Ago…

Posted on by JL

Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…

4 May 2018

Band: BLUR

Album: THINK TANK – their 7th LP

Released: 5 May 2003

NME wrote: “Blur’s creative spark is undimmed, even while their stomach for the pop fight fades. They’ve always known the value of keeping one step ahead, of having a new ‘concept’
for each record, which has always made them objects of suspicion by the rock authenticity police. This time, however, change has been forced on them by the departure of Graham
Coxon. Yet against the odds, ‘Think Tank’ is a success, a record which might not mean much
to The Strokes fans, but after all this time, they still demand to be heard.”
Score: 4/5 – full review here

TURN UP THE VOLUME says: “I had some doubts before this album came out as firing rock/pop guitarist Graham Coxon had left the band at this point. Nonetheless, the smooth, de-stressing and mind-pleasing sonic massage Think Thank was/is just felt delightfully. The record was canned in Morocco and it feels like it happened in a hot, sweaty and relaxing sauna rather than in a proper studio.”

Three Top Tracks: Out Of Time / Brothers And Sisters / Crazy Beat

1/ OUT OF TIME

2/ BROTHERS AND SISTERS

3/ CRAZY BEAT

Album in full…

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BLUR: Website – Facebook – Discography