Formed as shambolic art-punk four-piece Seymour whilst attending London's Goldsmiths University, the rechristened Blur released their debut album Leisure in 1991, marking them as promising indie upstarts in thrall to the voguish sub-genres of baggy and shoegaze. Following a radical stylistic shift on sophomore LP Modern Life Is Rubbish, Blur became a UK household name in 1994 upon the advent of their era-defining Britpop masterpiece Parklife. A year later, the infamous chart battle with arch-rivals Oasis marred number one single 'Country House'. They changed direction again on fifth album Blur - a grungier affair that yielded the transatlantic smash hit 'Song 2'.
Though guitarist Graham Coxon departed during sessions for seventh album Think Tank, the original foursome reunited in 2009 for a series of triumphant comeback shows, culminating in the unexpected release of 2015's Hong Kong-recorded The Magic Whip. A restlessly inventive group to file alongside other eclectic British artists such as The Beatles, David Bowie and Queen, this book explores every Blur album in detail, including all the singles, B-sides and selected rarities, making this a comprehensive guide to one of the 1990's most successful and iconic rock bands.
Hailing from Rayleigh, Essex, Matt Bishop's career in the music industry has spanned over fifteen years. He was the singer/songwriter of indie rock band Switches, whilst subsequent work has seen his compositions featured in numerous TV shows, movies and adverts worldwide. Currently signed to Sony's Magic Star roster, his latest incarnation as Wonderpop presents an animated musical world of original rock and pop songs written especially for children. Matt lives with his wife Adrienne, daughter Lola and their cat Honey in Crystal Palace, South London. This book is his debut as a writer.
