Leisure (album)

1991 studio album by Blur

Leisure

Studio album by

Blur

Released| 26 August 1991[1]
Recorded| May 1990 – March 1991
Studio| Battery (Willesden, London)[2]
Genre|

* Britpop[3]
* Madchester[4]
* shoegaze[5]
* baggy[6]
* neo-psychedelia[7]

Length| 50:16
Label| Food
Producer|

* Steve Lovell
* Steve Power
* Stephen Street
* Mike Thorne
* Blur

Blur chronology
|  | Leisure
(1991)  | Modern Life Is Rubbish
(1993)

|
|

Singles from  Leisure

1. "She's So High / I Know"
Released: 15 October 1990
2. "There's No Other Way"
Released: 15 April 1991
3. "Bang"
Released: 29 July 1991

Leisure is the debut studio album by English rock band Blur, released on 26 August 1991 by Food Records.

The album draws influences from the Madchester and shoegaze styles popular in the UK indie scene at the time, contrasting with the Britpop sound that the band would later pioneer beginning with follow-up album Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993). It features the band's first three singles, "She's So High", "There's No Other Way", and "Bang", and marks the beginning of Blur's long-running collaboration with producer Stephen Street, who produced the majority of the album's 12 tracks.

Upon its release, Leisure received mixed reviews from critics but was a moderate commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies and earning Gold certification in the UK. While the album has undergone some critical reappraisal in later years, it is most often viewed in comparison to the band's later work.[8][9]

## Content

[edit]

The original version of "Sing", entitled "Sing (To Me)", was recorded as a demo in late 1989 under the band's former name, Seymour, and can be heard on the ultra-rare promo-only single which was released over a decade later in February 2000 and on the first of a 4-disc set with rare material in the Blur 21 box set.

The cover photograph was taken in May 1954[10][11] by Charles Hewitt, for a Picture Post fashion feature on bathing hats, "Glamour in the Swim".[12]

## Release

[edit]

The album was released on 26 August 1991 in the United Kingdom by record label Food. It was released in the US a month later, on 24 September 1991[13] with a different track listing: this version is frontloaded with Blur's three UK singles, and the song "Sing" was replaced by "I Know", previously an A-side with "She's So High" (see track listings for exact changes). The Canadian version has the same track listing as the UK version.

Leisure peaked at number 7 in the UK Albums Chart.[14] The album was certified Gold in the UK.[15]

As part of the album's 21st anniversary, Leisure was remastered and reissued along with the band's other studio albums on 30 July 2012.[16] The album was reissued a second time, on coloured vinyl, on 26 August 2016.[17]

## Reception and legacy

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [18]
Drowned In Sound| 8/10[19]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music| [20]
Entertainment Weekly| A−[21]
Pitchfork| 5.8/10[22]
Q| [23]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [24]
Select| 5/5[25]
Smash Hits| 8/10[26]

Leisure received mixed reviews from the British music press.[27] A highly enthusiastic David Cavanagh wrote in Select magazine that "The four Blur boys have guaranteed themselves a hefty leg-up in the being-taken-seriously stakes with the thrills they've carved into the grooves of Leisure." He concluded that "Leisure, in short, is one of those happy occasions when the hype is dead right."[25] Q magazine's Paul Davies rated the album four out of five stars, and felt it fulfilled the early promise Blur showcased: "This latest bunch of floppy-fringed pop cadets in baggy clothing should consummate their burgeoning pop romance in fine style", Davies elaborated, "for Leisure is a substantially stocked treasure-chest of hit singles just waiting to happen."[23] Alexis Petridis however, stated that "on the evidence of this album, they don't appear to know what they're doing and as a result make appalling mistakes all over the place". He also described the lyrics as "bad".[28]

In a 2007 interview, lead singer Damon Albarn expressed distaste for the album, describing it as "awful" and being one of the two "bad records" he has made in his career (the other being Blur album The Great Escape).[29] Albarn further expanded on the album's recording in 2014, explaining that "it wasn't a particularly happy experience" and suggested the band were too keen to please the record label by capitalising on a sound that was popular at the time.[30] The band rarely played tracks from the album live in later tours, with only the singles "There's No Other Way" and "She's So High" being frequently included in setlists.[31]

"Sing" was included on the Trainspotting soundtrack in 1996. In 2008, Coldplay announced upon the release of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends that "Sing" provided a starting point for "Lost!".[32]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.

UK EditionNo.| Title| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "She's So High"|

* Steve Lovell
* Steve Power

| 4:45
2.| "Bang"| Stephen Street| 3:36
3.| "Slow Down"| Street| 3:11
4.| "Repetition"| Street| 5:25
5.| "Bad Day"| Street| 4:23
6.| "Sing"| Blur| 6:00
7.| "There's No Other Way"| Street| 3:23
8.| "Fool"| Mike Thorne| 3:15
9.| "Come Together"| Street| 3:51
10.| "High Cool"| Street| 3:37
11.| "Birthday"| Thorne| 3:50
12.| "Wear Me Down"| Thorne| 4:49
Total length:| 50:13

All tracks are written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.

Japanese editionNo.| Title| Producer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "She's So High"|

* Steve Lovell
* Steve Power

| 4:46
2.| "There's No Other Way"| Stephen Street| 3:23
3.| "Bang"| Street| 3:37
4.| "I Know"|

* Lovell
* Power

| 3:32
5.| "Slow Down"| Street| 3:11
6.| "Repetition"| Street| 5:25
7.| "Bad Day"| Street| 4:24
8.| "Sing"| Blur| 6:00
9.| "High Cool"| Street| 3:38
10.| "Come Together"| Street| 3:52
11.| "Inertia"| Blur| 3:48
12.| "Mr. Briggs"| Blur| 3:59
13.| "Fool"| Mike Thorne| 3:16
14.| "Birthday"| Thorne| 3:50
15.| "Wear Me Down"| Thorne| 4:50
Total length:| 61:31

* Note: The US and Japan editions of the album have different track listings.

Leisure – 21st Anniversary deluxe edition bonus disc[33]No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "I Know" (Extended Version)| 6:31
2.| "Down"| 5:59
3.| "There's No Other Way" (Extended Version)| 3:59
4.| "Inertia"| 3:49
5.| "Mr Briggs"| 3:59
6.| "I'm All Over"| 2:00
7.| "Won't Do It"| 3:20
8.| "Day Upon Day" (Live)| 4:14
9.| "There's No Other Way" (Blur Remix)| 4:57
10.| "Bang" (Extended Version)| 4:26
11.| "Explain"| 2:45
12.| "Luminous"| 3:14
13.| "Berserk"| 6:43
14.| "Uncle Love"| 2:31
15.| "I Love Her" (Demo)| 3:36
16.| "Close"| 3:03
Total length:| 65:06

## Personnel

[edit]

Blur

* Damon Albarn – lead vocals, keyboards, production on "Sing", "Inertia" and "Mr. Briggs"
* Graham Coxon – guitars, backing vocals, production on "Sing", "Inertia" and "Mr. Briggs"
* Alex James – bass, production on "Sing", "Inertia" and "Mr. Briggs"
* Dave Rowntree – drums, percussion, production on "Sing", "Inertia" and "Mr. Briggs"

Technical

* Steve Lovell – production on "She's So High" and "I Know"
* Steve Power – production on "She's So High" and "I Know"
* Mike Thorne – production on "Fool", "Birthday" and "Wear Me Down"
* Stephen Street – production on "There's No Other Way", "Bang", "Slow Down", "Repetition", "Bad Day", "High Cool" and "Come Together"

## Charts and certifications

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1991–1992)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] | 142
European Albums Chart[35] | 78
UK Albums Chart[14] | 7

### Certifications

[edit]

| Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[36] | Gold  | 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "BPI".
2. ^ http://www.vblurpage.com/articles/stories/select_95/01_shes_so_high.htm [dead link]
3. ^ Savlov, Marc (2 April 1999). "Record Reviews - Blur: 13 (Virgin)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
4. ^ Lachno, James (10 June 2015). "Blur's 20 best songs". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
5. ^ Stafford, James (25 April 2016). "22 Years Ago: Blur Release the Britpop Battle Cry 'Parklife'". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
6. ^ Wisgard, Alex (23 September 2016). "Leisure may be seen as a noble failure, but it wasn't Blur's fault". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
7. ^ Shipley, Al (21 July 2023). "Every Blur Album, Ranked". Spin. Retrieved 16 December 2024. "...songs on Leisure flirt with shoegaze and neopsychedelia less memorably."
8. ^ Starkey, Arun (28 August 2021). "Revisiting Blur's divisive debut album 'Leisure'". Far Out. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
9. ^ Draper, Jason (26 August 2022). "'Leisure': How Blur Became the 'The First Great Group of the '90s'". Dig!. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
10. ^ "Picture Post photographer Charles Hewitt working on a fashion feature... News Photo". Getty Images. 16 March 2012.
11. ^ "Swimming Hats Stock Photo". Getty Images. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018.
12. ^ "Two models wearing ornate 'Viking' swimming caps by Kleinert.... News Photo". Getty Images. 10 November 2003.
13. ^ "Upcoming Releases". CMJ New Music Report. 20 September 1991. p. 66.
14. ^ a b "Blur | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
15. ^ "BPI".
16. ^ Blur 21 at Blur's website
17. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (26 July 2016). "Blur Announce Leisure Reissue". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
18. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Leisure - Blur - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
19. ^ Gourlay, Dom (27 July 2012). "Blur: Leisure (21 reissue)". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
20. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
21. ^ Wyman, Bill (8 November 1991). "Music Review: Leisure (1991) / Blur". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
22. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (31 July 2012). "Blur". Pitchfork.
23. ^ a b Davies, Paul (August 1991). "Blur - Leisure". Q. Bauer Media Group.
24. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City: Simon and Schuster. p. 89. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. "rolling stone blur album guide."
25. ^ a b Cavanagh, David (October 1991). "Blur - Leisure". Select. Emap.
26. ^ Pattenden, Sian (21 August 1991). "Blur: Leisure (Food)". Smash Hits. p. 42.
27. ^ Strong, Martin C. The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, 2003. ISBN 1-84195-335-0. pp.635–635.
28. ^ Petridis, Alexis. "Blur - Leisure". Lime Lizard. October 1991. p. 53.
29. ^ Daniel, Kilkelly (12 May 2007). "Digital Spy – Albarn cusses own albums". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 May 2007.
30. ^ "Damon Albarn - Guitar Center Sessions (Full Interview)". YouTube. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
31. ^ "Setlist.FM - Blur Album Statistics". setlist.fm. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
32. ^ Montgomery, James (9 June 2008). "Coldplay Give Track-By-Track Tour Of 'Viva La Vida,' Explain Handclaps, Tack Pianos And The Number 42". MTV. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
33. ^ "Blur - Leisure - album info". Archived from the original on 15 November 2007. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
34. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 18 May 1992". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
35. ^ "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 41\. 12 October 1991. p. 14\. ISSN 0006-2510.
36. ^ "British album certifications – Blur – Leisure". British Phonographic Industry.

## External links

[edit]

* Leisure at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)
* Leisure at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

Blur

* Damon Albarn
* Graham Coxon
* Alex James
* Dave Rowntree

Studio albums|

* Leisure
* Modern Life Is Rubbish
* Parklife
* The Great Escape
* Blur
* 13
* Think Tank
* The Magic Whip
* The Ballad of Darren

Live albums|

* Live at the Budokan
* All the People: Blur Live at Hyde Park
* Parklive

Compilations|

* The Special Collectors Edition
* Bustin' + Dronin'
* The 10 Year Limited Edition Anniversary Box Set
* Blur: The Best Of
* Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
* Blur 21

Singles|

* "She's So High" / "I Know"
* "There's No Other Way"
* "Bang"
* "Popscene"
* "For Tomorrow"
* "Chemical World"
* "Sunday Sunday"
* "Girls & Boys"
* "To the End"
* "Parklife"
* "End of a Century"
* "Country House"
* "The Universal"
* "Stereotypes"
* "Charmless Man"
* "Beetlebum"
* "Song 2"
* "On Your Own"
* "M.O.R."
* "Tender"
* "Coffee & TV"
* "No Distance Left to Run"
* "Music Is My Radar"
* "Out of Time"
* "Crazy Beat"
* "Good Song"
* "Fool's Day"
* "Under the Westway"/"The Puritan"
* "Go Out"
* "Lonesome Street"
* "The Narcissist"

Other songs|

* "This Is a Low"

Video albums|

* Starshaped
* Showtime
* No Distance Left to Run
* To the End

Related groups|

* Gorillaz
* The Good, the Bad & the Queen
* Rocket Juice & the Moon
* Fat Les
* Me Me Me
* WigWam
* The Ailerons
* The Waeve

Related articles|

* Discography
* Songs
* Awards and nominations
* Rollercoaster Tour

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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