Customer Reviews

Happiness in Magazines

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Graham Coxon (ex-Blur guitarist) has turned in a solid effort here, which may make you think of mid-90s Blur (think "Charmless Man" or "Beetlebum"), or maybe even XTC circa "Black Sea". His off-kilter sense of humour shows in lyrics like "People of the Earth" ("People of the Earth, you are not cool/You eat hamburgers and go to school"!), while the guitar playing remains excellent throughout. The better songs here suggest who was really the talent in Blur...

It might be sad, it might not, but the best pure-Blur album since 'Parklife' is probably Graham Coxon's new album 'Happiness in Magazines.' It's a guitar frenzy of 3 minute pop songs that make his contributions to Blur extraordinarily obvious--he wasn't just guitar riffs, he was also melody and movement.

Graham's solo albums up until now have been indie-rock experiments with only a nod or two to his populist past, though you could feel him starting to become comfortable with actually recording "songs" on his last one, 'The Kiss of Morning.' But now that he's officially out of Blur and Damon's smoking a ton of weed and fooling around with drum machines, Graham isn't afraid to cut away the fat and stake a claim to the legacy by hiring Stephen Street to polish up some (dare I say?) "fun" guitar jaunts like the roller coaster melodic "No Good Time" and the driving-rock-yell-the-chorus-from-the-rafters anthems "Spectacular" and "Freakin' Out." And "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" is a 2004 version of "Coffee & TV" that's more fun than the original. Graham's having a lot better time being an ex-member of Blur than he had as a member of the post-Britpop-borderline-art-rock band who recorded '13'--I mean, who would have thought the miserable looking sod would end an album by singing "Life, I love you...?"

Graham one-man-band's it on the majority of tracks but the sound is leaner and punkier than even "Song 2"--his voice has gained confidence and strength and his guitar playing is loud and raucous without being stupid; it reminds you why even NOEL FREAKIN' GALLAGHER said that Graham was one of the best of his generation (hopefully John Squire is paying attention after forgetting to play guitar and attempting to "sing" on his recent solo albums.) Graham is retro without being sad, reminiscent without being cloying, rock that rolls without selling it's soul to the latest trends. 'Think Tank' was a bong load of tomorrow coming today, 'Happiness in Magazines' is an old friend that you didn't realize you missed until he sits down and steals your cigarettes.

Picked this up after reading a rather favorable review in the Washington Post. Initially I felt a little underwhelmed by the effort, feeling that Graham Coxon was in dire need of significant bandmates. But I left the disc in the player for a couple of days and I have to admit the more I hear it the more I seem to appreciate its humor and style. Not quite Robyn Hitchcock meets Rocket from the Tombs. Not mindblowing (but what is these days?) but more than enjoyable.

I got this CD because I just happened to be flipping channels one night and came upon Graham Coxon performing "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery." That led me to buying the CD. I think "Bittersweet Bundle of Misery" is one of the most fun, catchiest songs ever. It's smart and sarcastic and insightful and irresistible! I haven't even gotten to listen to the rest of the CD because every time I put it on I want to keep listening to that song over and over. So while I can't really rate the whole CD yet, I give that song 5 stars. I'd give it more if I could!

I bought this CD when it came out over a year ago, and I still enjoy listening to it. If you like Blur at all, then this CD is a must have. Nice guitar licks, nice tunes. Listen to "Freakin' Out" if you are unsure about whether to get this one. Many songs like "Hopeless Friend" have a classic rock style combined with a more indie sound.

Wow. It's hard to find new music nowadays that stays with you. There is alot of great music out there, but for some reason I don't see myself listening to much of it in 10 years. Until I heard this. I definitely hear the Robin Hitchcock and XTC similarities that the other reviewers refer to, but if you are not a fan of either of those, please don't disregard this album.
Nothing ground breaking here, but the album sounds really... fresh. I can actually say I was transfixed upon first hearing it. That never happens. Some great straight ahead rock songs, with a few really fine ballads (try 'All Over Me') mixed in. An excellent listening experience.

Being in the conglomerate BLUR, Graham was muddled under Albarn's pop. But, out on his own with the same producer (Stephen Street) he proves he can make brilliantly composed and expressive music on his own. I still wish he'd get back in Blur because their music lacks his depth of arrangement, but this and "Love Travels" are just great pop albums with sweet spunky attitude.

The music at first seems a bit odd and garish, yet with a couple listens it seems almost every track reveals care and craftsmanship. My favorites are generally not the singles he chose to release. Pity this album never jumped the pond well enough to establish Graham as the talented pop act he is.

So Im a bigtime blur fan, but I've always avoided Graham Coxon's solo work. However, after reading some of the reviews of this album that talked about how it was sorta like Parklife-era blur, I was interested. After hearing "Freaking Out" on the radio, I was sold.

Well, the album is okay, nothing too special. Some of the bluesy stuff is a tad cringe-inducing. It has its moments, but there is nothing as sublimely amazing as Coxon's guitar work with blur. The whole exercise just a rings a bit hollow for me. It doesn't seem like Mr. Coxon is really giving his all.