Blur - The Magic Whip 27th April 2015

It´s not crazy, if you buy a record player sometimes after you bought the vinyl-records.

I did something like that - but 8 years ago. I have never regretted it.

 

I've only listented to it in the car so far, loving it, it's a far more "accessible" album than I was expecting.

As for the sound quality, again only on the car system, but it sounds great compared to other recent releases I've heard.

 

My copy should be waiting for me at home when I get out of work tonight...really can't wait, it's been far too long especially having been a fan since the days when they used to release new music every year back in the 90s! I don't like these long gaps

 

Free concert in Brooklyn this Friday:
http://www.converse-music.com/rubbertrackslive/blur/

 

Wow...I LOVE this record!! Only 3/4 of the way through and it's already one of my favorite Blur albums!

 

The lyrics are:
"Y'all doomed
I need another nation"

 

I picked this up at Best Buy today on my lunch hour. I was surprised to see that it is in stock at all the local BB stores. The one I bought it at rarely has anything I'm interested in buying in stock on the actual release day.

 

$2 off coupon for Best Buy

https://scontent-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/h...44_7188336356195643257_o.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9

 

Picked up a vinyl copy yesterday and have played side 1, 2 and 3 so far. I'm liking this album very, very much. Graham is all over it. What a return.

 

Guys are there two different vinyl variants out there? Discogs doesn't say so but a certain Ebayer claims he had a "sold out edition" that comes on double heavyweight vinyl with download code, poster and art print. Twice as expensive as the other copies.

I just picked up a copy I saw in a shop (couldn't resist), opened it and... found the download card, a really huuuuuge poster but no art print. So... does anybody actually find an art print? Not that I mind too much because the artwork is great, the whole package really nice. And such a large poster...wow!

 

Worth pointing out that a friend of mine bought the vinyl edition with download code, but the download is a less than ideal 160kbps.

 

It was a limited offer: http://warner-music-australia.mysho...gic-whip-12-black-vinyl-2lp-lithograph-bundle

 

Thanks for clearing that up because this Ebayer made it look like not all copies had the poster and the download. I'm perfectly happy with the "regular" edition. And will spin it now for the first time...

 

I seem to be the only Blurmaniac that finds the album a bit disappointing.
But I've only listened to it 4 times. Maybe it will grow on me...

 

I like the mellower material quite a bit but I found the "rockers" to be somewhat underpowered and unfocused compared to the Blur of old... probably a byproduct of the haphazard way the album came together. But you have to admire their Beatlesque ability to never make the same album twice while always being recognizable as themselves, though.

 

Listening now for the first time. Really enjoyable so far. Nice CD packaging, too, semi-OBI strip and all. My local wanted $40 for the 2-LP set and I couldn't quite commit that amount.

 

I felt the same but stick with it. I've been listening to it for the last month and it's certainly a grower

 

How does the cd sound? I can't decide whether I should buy the cd or the vinyl, or both?

 

It's mastered pretty harshly, unfortunately, though not intolerable to me. I'm sure the vinyl sounds better.

So I picked it up yesterday and after two complete listens at this point, I'm definitely enjoying it overall, though I'm still absorbing it. Tracks that I had reservations about previously, like "Go Out", have grown on me and make more sense in context. There's a nice blend of different moods and sounds throughout--some recalling classic Blur like "Lonesome Street", while others recall more recent projects like Gorillaz or Everyday Robots. I enjoy the fish-out-of-water, tourists abroad thematic backdrop, making this a bit of a concept album. The unlikely protracted genesis of this release is kind of unusual--after all Damon's hemming and hawing, it's a minor miracle that it's here at all!--but the reconciliation between him and Graham is heartening and creatively fruitful here.

 

Heads up that us.7digital has the 24/44 version for $12.99.

 

How is the high rez version meant to compare to the standard, dynamics-wise?

 

What a shame CD's are still mastered this way. I think I'll probably buy the vinyl then.

 

Yeah, such a shame. I expect it from some so called current 'artists' but quality musicians deserve better sounding CD masterings. DR6, sadly: http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/view/87815

 

Still waiting for my vinyl copy which I pre-ordered when announced. Hoping it will show up this week

 

I ordered the vinyl from Amazon - usually they're good about getting it to me on release day but it hasn't even shipped yet :/ - and this morning had a digital copy on my Amazon Cloud so I've been listening to that all day.

I love it. It's not as off the wall as "Go Out" suggested it to be but it's a solid album start to finish, one that stands proudly along side the classics in their catalog. I like that there's something for everyone - kind of oddball pop in the vein of "Music Is My Radar" and "The Puritan" in "Go Out", "I Broadcast" and "Pyongyang" (the latter of which is also GORGEOUS), more "classic" modern Blur in "There Are Too Many Of Us", "My Terracotta Heart" and "New World Towers", and a lot of things in between. It doesn't really hold together as a cohesive album as of yet to me, but as a collection of 12 Blur tracks it's pretty top notch.

I am very, very pleased.