Latest news with #TheBalladofDarren
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Pulp don't mess with winning formula with album that honours their past while not being enslaved by it
All are very much with us today, with a reformed Oasis set to play the most anticipated shows of the summer. Blur's The Ballad of Darren and subsequent tour showed they're far more than just a heritage act pushing nostalgia (a charge that can justly be levelled at Oasis.) And, now, 24 years on from what many thought was their swan song, Pulp have returned with an album that rolls back the years in scintillating fashion. Jarvis Cocker has released good solo material without ever reaching the highs that Pulp managed on a spectacular run of albums, from 1994's His 'N' Hers, 1995's Different Class to 1998's This is Hardcore. More, the Sheffield veterans' eighth studio album, may not quite be at that high-water mark, but it comes close enough. It's the sound of group honouring their own past while not being enslaved by it. It showcases many appealing Pulp hallmarks, including an unerring pop sensibility, artful and engaging arrangements, witty and knowing lyrics and a spirited delivery from Cocker. He's one of the few frontmen who can get away with spoken-worded deliveries, a ploy that works beautifully on the lush, tender Farmers Market. It should also be noted that anyone who was allergic to Pulp back in the day — and there were several — will find little here to convert them. For the rest of us, More is a delight from start to finish. And what a start: Spike Island is inspired by the legendary 1990 gig (in the north-west of England, and not the prison island off the Cork coast) headlined by the Stone Roses in their pomp. It's not the first Pulp song to be written in its honour: Sorted for E's & Wizz was inspired by the phrase that an acquaintance of Cocker's recalled from that Spike Island show. Ultimately, it's a song about Cocker's own need to perform. 'I was born to perform/ It's a calling/ I еxist to do this/ Shouting and pointing.' Relationships have been at the heart of many of Pulp's most enduring songs and so it is with Background Noise, a touching appraisal of what happens when love disappears. It may be a commentary on Cocker's divorce. He has subsequently remarried. The marvellous Tina — as quintessential a Pulp song as you can get — laments missed opportunities, especially that with the titular woman, an old flame from decades ago. On their last studio album, 2001's We Love Life, they called on the legendary Scott Walker as producer. This time, it's the turn of James Ford, one of the most in-demand studio alchemists of his generation, best known for his work with another big Sheffield export, Arctic Monkeys. Ford doesn't mess with Pulp's winning formula and the result is a comeback album that burnishes, rather than detracts from the band's legacy. It's dedicated to Pulp bassist Steve Mackey, who died in 2023 just as these new songs were starting to take shape.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blur don't want to be a band beyond their 'sell-by-date'
Blur don't want to still be a band beyond their "sell-by-date", says drummer Dave Rowntree. The Britpop legends reunited in 2023 for the new album 'The Ballad of Darren' - their first in eight years - and a series of shows, including two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium in the July, for what marked their first UK headline gigs since 2015. And while discussing the future, Dave said he believes they are "quite a way before we're in our dotage", but they would never want to still be onstage when they are unable to remember their lyrics and "wheeled on in our bath chairs". READ MORE: Mastercard to pay out £200million to millions of customers READ MORE: Vegan family issue 'last warning' to neighbours after BBQ row escalates He told NME: "I've just turned 61. When I was 21, the idea of 61-year-olds making albums, touring and being in the charts would have been laughable. I wonder if that's how 21-year-olds feel about me now? There's going to come a time when we're too old to do it, but we'll have probably decided to throw the towel in before then anyway. Nobody wants to go on past our sell-by-date." The 'Parklife' hitmakers are only drawn back to the band when there is a "an interesting idea" for new music and would never get back together just for the sake of it. Asked if there is still a desire to keep going, he explained: "Yes, it takes an interesting idea now to tempt us back into the studio. The last one was Wembley Stadium [in 2023]. You can't say no to that. It was the party at the end of the Olympics in 2012 that got us out before, the Hyde Park shows in 2009 before that. As long as people are coming up with interesting ideas for us to do it again, then I'm sure we'll go for it. "There will come a time when we'll go, 'Is there anything left to say? Is there another good Blur album to make?' I think that'll be quite a way before we're in our dotage and unable to remember the songs when we're wheeled on in our bath chairs. But then, look at The Stones – they're still touring aren't they?" Bassist Alex James recently suggested their future could look like an ABBA-style avatar show - or "respectfully" dipping in and out of playing together. Speaking to Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "We got back together in 2023, made a new record and I think did our best ever run of shows. It's incredible how the music has endured and it was the first time we'd ever got to the end of an album or tour without at least one of us saying 'that's it, never again.' We didn't do many shows and I think that was probably a good place to leave it. There's two ways to go either the ABBA thing and stop at the top and just let it take its own course and make avatars of yourself when you were 27 and beautiful. Or treat it respectfully and dip in and out occasionally and it's a really wonderful thing to be able to step back into – that all those years of playing together is a gift actually. As long as you don't overcook it or annoy the guitar player or singer too much..." Dave was speaking to promote his new photobook, 'No One You Know: Dave Rowntree's Early Blur Photos', set to be published on September 9.
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Blur don't want to be a band beyond their 'sell-by-date'
Blur don't want to be a band beyond their 'sell-by-date' The Britpop legends reunited in 2023 for the new album 'The Ballad of Darren' Blur (Image: PA ) Blur don't want to still be a band beyond their "sell-by-date", says drummer Dave Rowntree. The Britpop legends reunited in 2023 for the new album 'The Ballad of Darren' - their first in eight years - and a series of shows, including two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium in the July, for what marked their first UK headline gigs since 2015. And while discussing the future, Dave said he believes they are "quite a way before we're in our dotage", but they would never want to still be onstage when they are unable to remember their lyrics and "wheeled on in our bath chairs". He told NME: "I've just turned 61. When I was 21, the idea of 61-year-olds making albums, touring and being in the charts would have been laughable. I wonder if that's how 21-year-olds feel about me now? There's going to come a time when we're too old to do it, but we'll have probably decided to throw the towel in before then anyway. Nobody wants to go on past our sell-by-date." The 'Parklife' hitmakers are only drawn back to the band when there is a "an interesting idea" for new music and would never get back together just for the sake of it. Article continues below Asked if there is still a desire to keep going, he explained: "Yes, it takes an interesting idea now to tempt us back into the studio. The last one was Wembley Stadium [in 2023]. You can't say no to that. It was the party at the end of the Olympics in 2012 that got us out before, the Hyde Park shows in 2009 before that. As long as people are coming up with interesting ideas for us to do it again, then I'm sure we'll go for it. "There will come a time when we'll go, 'Is there anything left to say? Is there another good Blur album to make?' I think that'll be quite a way before we're in our dotage and unable to remember the songs when we're wheeled on in our bath chairs. But then, look at The Stones – they're still touring aren't they?" Bassist Alex James recently suggested their future could look like an ABBA-style avatar show - or "respectfully" dipping in and out of playing together. Article continues below Speaking to Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "We got back together in 2023, made a new record and I think did our best ever run of shows. It's incredible how the music has endured and it was the first time we'd ever got to the end of an album or tour without at least one of us saying 'that's it, never again.' We didn't do many shows and I think that was probably a good place to leave it. There's two ways to go either the ABBA thing and stop at the top and just let it take its own course and make avatars of yourself when you were 27 and beautiful. Or treat it respectfully and dip in and out occasionally and it's a really wonderful thing to be able to step back into – that all those years of playing together is a gift actually. As long as you don't overcook it or annoy the guitar player or singer too much..." Dave was speaking to promote his new photobook, 'No One You Know: Dave Rowntree's Early Blur Photos', set to be published on September 9.
Perth Now
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Blur don't want to be a band beyond their 'sell-by-date'
Blur don't want to still be a band beyond their "sell-by-date", says drummer Dave Rowntree. The Britpop legends reunited in 2023 for the new album 'The Ballad of Darren' - their first in eight years - and a series of shows, including two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium in the July, for what marked their first UK headline gigs since 2015. And while discussing the future, Dave said he believes they are "quite a way before we're in our dotage", but they would never want to still be onstage when they are unable to remember their lyrics and "wheeled on in our bath chairs". He told NME: 'I've just turned 61. When I was 21, the idea of 61-year-olds making albums, touring and being in the charts would have been laughable. I wonder if that's how 21-year-olds feel about me now? There's going to come a time when we're too old to do it, but we'll have probably decided to throw the towel in before then anyway. Nobody wants to go on past our sell-by-date.' The 'Parklife' hitmakers are only drawn back to the band when there is a "an interesting idea" for new music and would never get back together just for the sake of it. Asked if there is still a desire to keep going, he explained: 'Yes, it takes an interesting idea now to tempt us back into the studio. The last one was Wembley Stadium [in 2023]. You can't say no to that. It was the party at the end of the Olympics in 2012 that got us out before, the Hyde Park shows in 2009 before that. As long as people are coming up with interesting ideas for us to do it again, then I'm sure we'll go for it. "There will come a time when we'll go, 'Is there anything left to say? Is there another good Blur album to make?' I think that'll be quite a way before we're in our dotage and unable to remember the songs when we're wheeled on in our bath chairs. But then, look at The Stones – they're still touring aren't they?" Bassist Alex James recently suggested their future could look like an ABBA-style avatar show - or "respectfully" dipping in and out of playing together. Speaking to Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "We got back together in 2023, made a new record and I think did our best ever run of shows. It's incredible how the music has endured and it was the first time we'd ever got to the end of an album or tour without at least one of us saying 'that's it, never again.' We didn't do many shows and I think that was probably a good place to leave it. There's two ways to go either the ABBA thing and stop at the top and just let it take its own course and make avatars of yourself when you were 27 and beautiful. Or treat it respectfully and dip in and out occasionally and it's a really wonderful thing to be able to step back into – that all those years of playing together is a gift actually. As long as you don't overcook it or annoy the guitar player or singer too much…" Dave was speaking to promote his new photobook, 'No One You Know: Dave Rowntree's Early Blur Photos', set to be published on September 9.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Blur's Alex James suggests ABBA-style avatar show as he talks future of Britpop legends
Blur's Alex James has suggested their future could look like an ABBA-style avatar show - or "respectfully" dipping in and out of playing together. The Britpop legends reunited in 2023 for the new album 'The Ballad of Darren' - their first in eight years - and a series of shows, including two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium in the July, for what marked their first UK headline gigs since 2015. As for the future of the 'Parklife' band, bassist Alex had two suggestions. Speaking to Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "We got back together in 2023, made a new record and I think did our best ever run of shows. It's incredible how the music has endured and it was the first time we'd ever got to the end of an album or tour without at least one of us saying 'that's it, never again.' We didn't do many shows and I think that was probably a good place to leave it. There's two ways to go either the ABBA thing and stop at the top and just let it take its own course and make avatars of yourself when you were 27 and beautiful. Or treat it respectfully and dip in and out occasionally and it's a really wonderful thing to be able to step back into – that all those years of playing together is a gift actually. As long as you don't overcook it or annoy the guitar player or singer too much…" Elsewhere, Alex said he was thrilled former Britpop rivals Oasis are reuniting for their 'Oasis Live '25' Tour, though he's unsure if he will attend on of the gigs. He said: "I look back at [Britpop] now and just think 'what a brilliant time. Two brilliant bands, if I say so myself, both really at the top of their game. I look back on it now with nothing but just really, really fond memories and I'm so delighted that they're getting back together. I'm not sure I'll be going [to see them] but I'm delighted for them…" Greatest Hits Radio airs Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm.
