When Seymour got a record contract and changed their name to Blur, they dropped their goofy jamming and began to wrote actual songs with the intention to "bag baggy", so they claimed in those early interviews. In retrospect they seem just another record from the shoegazing Madchester scene. Loud guitars and simple lyrics.

The singles "She's So High", "There's No Other Way" and "Bang" are all catchy tunes, and make Leisure worth getting. "Sing", with its droning piano and backwards guitar is kind of hypnotic (in a good way). Others songs that make the album worthwhile are "Slow Down" (for it's psycho middle bit), "Fool", "Birthday" and "Wear Me Down" (for it's churning guitar and lovely harmonies).

There are weak tracks. "Repetition" and "Bad Day" seem to just be made up of a few notes played over and over, which gets annoying. (This was the problem with most of their 2003 album, Think Tank, as well). "High Cool" is a song that doesn't seem to really go anywhere. However, Alex's James jazzy bass gives you something full and interesting to listen to throughout.

The lyrics on this album aren't the deepest compared to the satire of later albums, and there isn't that many words in lyrics, but they get the message across. The childish lyrics of "Birthday", together with the music have brought me to tears.

The production isn't the best, a bit quiet and echoey, and it makes the songs sound a bit similar. Blur have admitted that on this album they didn't know what they were doing in the studio.

It's not one of the better Blur albums, but it's better than Think Tank at least. Any fan curious to hear the early Blur should give it a spin, as well as any fan of early 1990s music.

OK Computer. So many things have been said about OK Computer. Good things. About 80% of those things are true.

Yes, it is emotional and moving music. Thom's vocals, layers of echoey guitar, synthetic choirs, voices and sound effects all add up to make this album an experience. You don't get a lot of albums that are experiences. They capture a future, or 1997s vision of a future, without sounding too futuristic. It's full of warnings, worries, and lots of references to cars. It's not the sort of album you can "rock out" too for very much of, more the kind of album to put you to sleep, but in a positive, relaxing way.

Yes, it is difficult music. It will take a few listens. On the first listen I thought it was awful. It may be the echo. It may be that's theres too much emotion to take in all at once. It may be that you have to get through all the hype that you've heard about it over the years. The most accessible songs are the singles ("Paranoid Android", "Karma Police" and "No Surprises") these are a good place to start.

Yes, it is overrated. It's a pretty mainstream album, and it's not as weird or out there or as revolutionary as people would have you think. It's not a perfect album, either. (Gasp!) Songs like Lucky, Climbing up the Walls and The Tourist, as pretty as they are sound a bit like filler, and ideas used on previous tracks (e.g. Mellotron choirs) are recycled in them, making you think they are a bit short on inspiration sometimes. Some times the echoey production wrecks the songs, particularly the rocking "Electioneering", which doesn't as sounds as lively as it does... er... live.

If you like alternative or heavily moving music, you'll be happy with this. You will be very happy, there's plenty to relate to. If you're after something weird, you will be a bit dissapointed.

This is the Blur album that has and will divide fans. Some are calling it the best album to date, others are calling it lazy, uninspired and choc-a-bloc full of Pro-Tools loops.

Considering guitarist Graham Coxon left, and the Blur boys had to deal with the sweltering heat of Morocco to record the thing, (where drummer Dave Rowntree is reported to have had diorrhea) Think Tank is a fair effort.

The sound of Think Tank? There is a hint of world music, a dash of the Clash's experimental side and a large dose of indie electronica, cheap synths vocoders and all.

Please note, a sound like this isnt for everybody, not even Blur fans, and it doesn't try to be. Damon, Alex and Dave seem to be making music for themselves these days.

There are some really emotionally beautiful tracks on here. "Out of Time", "Sweet Song" and "Ambulance" boast some of the best harmonies Damon Albarn has ever recorded, achieved by recording vocals in the outdoors and through tannoy speakers. There is a warmth in the words that I havent heard anywhere else. Other tracks worth a mention are the fuzzy sounding "Caravan", the upbeat "Gene By Gene" (featuring Fatboy Slim on production) and the trashy "Me White Noise" (a hidden track featuring Phil Daniels from the song "Parklife")

Note there are some of the worst songs ever recorded by Blur on Think Tank. Crazy Beat seems like formulaic attempt at a hit single like "Song 2", borrowing the high pitched voice effects Blur have used in older (and better) tracks like "BLUREMI". "Jets" and "Good Song" are good examples of how loops can be used to make really boring songs. The controversial sax solo at the end of Jets doesnt help.

Graham Coxon makes an appearance on the album closer "Battery in Your Leg", but sounds as if he doesn't want to be there, strumming what seem to be random notes for a solo. Poor Graham.

Fans of 13s sprawling experimentation may feel boxed in listening to this, and Graham fans will feel the void of a certain guitar sound, but there is enough on here to keep Blur fans interested for at least a couple of dozen spins.

(For newcomers to Blur, stick to the Best of or even Blur's self titled album. This isn't Blur in top form as hyped, and they have never sounded like this before as their lineup has changed)