New producer William Orbit (of Madonna fame) loosens up Blur for their sloppiest, most playful set yet, spiking the mix with church organ, electric piano and shambling drum loops. It's the kind of album you can't wait to play for your guitar-geek pals, as Coxon makes his ax squeal, hum, fizz and even levitate at the end of "1992," a top-notch freakout that almost lets you forgive his recent solo record. Like all Blur albums, 13 has filler: too much studio-improvised headphone goop. But the real songs go places. "Tender" is a gentle gospel sing-along, while Albarn sings some surprisingly sincere heartache ballads (best line: "I lost my girl to the Rolling Stones"). "Coffee and TV" propels a marriage proposal over a warm gush of guitars that sounds like Pavement sitting in with Brian Eno circa Taking Tiger Mountain -- after three or four minutes, your only complaint is that the song has to end. As do the other great moments on 13, "Coffee and TV" gives you the pleasant feeling of getting run over by a hit squad on Vespas: all in all, a smashing time. (RS 809)

Christgau, Robert (2000). "Blur: 13". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved 15 August 2015.In a more mixed assessment, Heather Phares of AllMusic felt that "the group's ambitions to expand their musical and emotional horizons result in a half-baked baker's dozen of songs, featuring some of their most creative peaks and self-indulgent valleys." [21] Keith Cameron of NME concluded that 13 was "Blur's most inconsistent and infuriating statement thus far. Infuriating, because divested of four solid-gone clunkers 13 could pass muster as the best of Blur." [25] Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honourable mention rating, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure", and remarked that "halfway there, it sits down in the middle of the road and won't budge." [33] This draw is conducted in a secure enivironment selecting an identifier which can not be used to access your account and the data is deleted as soon as the draw has been conducted. Blur formed in 1989 as Seymour in Colchester, composed of Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon (1989-2002, 2008- ), Alex James (2), and Dave Rowntree. Eccleston, Danny (March 1999). "There Was No Other Way..." Q. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013 . Retrieved 9 December 2013. Swamp Song" was originally going to appear on the "Tender" single as a B-side, but was put on the album at the last minute.

a b Sillitoe, Sue (August 1999). "STEPHEN STREET: Producing Blur, Cranberries & Catatonia". Sound on Sound. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013 . Retrieved 3 September 2012. Nationwide Mercury Prize". Nationwide Mercury Prize. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011 . Retrieved 11 August 2008. has received accolades from music critics, which ranks it among the greatest albums of the 1990s, according to Acclaimed Music. Some of these can be found below. [39] [40] Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1sted.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p.950. ISBN 84-8048-639-2 . Retrieved 23 September 2022. Gundersen, Edna (30 March 1999). "Blur sharpens focus on '13' ". USA Today. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016 . Retrieved 5 July 2017.Britpop is dead, long live Blur". The Telegraph. 11 March 1999. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018 . Retrieved 2 November 2020. had originally been recorded as a demo in 1992 and was lost until Albarn found it again on a tape six years later. "Mellow Song" was demoed as a jam session known as "Mellow Jam" that was later included as the B-side of " Tender".

a b "Indie soap opera: Justine Frischmann, Damon Albarn and Brett Anderson". The Guardian. April 2003. The album is ranked number 773 in All-Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd edition, 2000). [41] Accolades for 13 Publication When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.Harris, John (13 June 2009). "It's been strong medicine the last few weeks". The Guardian: 1. Archived from the original on 20 June 2012 . Retrieved 2 September 2012. Japanese album certifications – ブラー – 13" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1999年3月 on the drop-down menu was nominated in the Album of the Year category at the 2000 NME Awards, losing to The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips. [34] [35] [36] 13 was also nominated for the 1999 Mercury Prize, being Blur's second album to receive a nomination. The award was eventually given to Talvin Singh for OK. [37] [38] a b c Doyle, Tom (April 1999). "Blur: 13". Q (151): 92–93. Archived from the original on 25 January 2000 . Retrieved 2 September 2018. Masley, Ed (31 December 1999). "The Best of 1999/Pop CDs". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved 31 December 2016.