Think Tank (album)

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Think Tank is an album by the British rock band Blur, released in 2003. It represented a major musical change for the group.

Instead of the catchy pop tunes of their early career or the alternative rock Blur made in the late 1990s, Think Tank is filled with brooding, atmospheric, heavy electronic sounds, a testament both to singer Damon Albarn's increasing interest in electronica and his control over the group's creative direction. While Think Tank received generally enthusiastic reviews (notably from Rolling Stone, Q, and Spin magazines), a minority of critics (including the All Music Guide) named it the group's worst album to date. It was still yet another UK # 1 and managed their highest US position (# 56) in the still-inpenetrable American market.

The album was recorded after the guitarist Graham Coxon was asked to leave the band; because of this, it features almost no electric guitar in the style of Blur's earlier albums, largely relying on backing vocals and other instruments to fill the void. Coxon's absence also meant that the album was almost entirely written by Albarn. It was recorded in Morocco with Fatboy Slim contributing to two tracks; supposedly his presence as producer was a contributing factor in Graham Coxon's departure from the group. Coxon's only significant contribution to the record was a guitar line on the last track, "Battery In Your Leg". The album was nominated for Best British Album at the 2004 Brit awards, and won the Q Album of the Year award.

Like Blur's breakthrough album, Parklife, Think Tank is a loose concept album, in that its songs all deal with similar themes without a definite story arc or continuous characters. Most of the songs are concerned with a sense of paranoia and alienation in British club culture. The album is rumoured to have almost been called Darklife. This is probably helped by the secret track, "Me, White Noise", featuring "Parklife" narrator Phil Daniels; "Me, White Noise" can be found by rewinding at the start of "Ambulance".

A special edition of the album was released in a red booklet. The enhanced CD included four live videos. The artwork for the album was produced by the graffiti artist Banksy.

Singles

Three singles were released from the album. "Out of Time," the lead single from the album, is a bass-driven ballad with minimal drums and only acoustic guitar. Its forlorn lyrics complement the music, making it a haunting piece of music. The song was accompanied by an anti-war music video depicting life aboard a United States aircraft carrier. The single reached #5 in the UK.

The second single, "Crazy Beat," was a minor hit in both the UK (#18) and the US (#22 Modern Rock). It contains nonsense lyrics and catchy guitar riffs that are reminiscent of "Song 2." It is one of the two songs produced by Fatboy Slim.

The final single, "Good Song", is a pleasant piece of music which sees Damon sounding like Bono at the end. It was not as successful as the other two singles, only managing to reach #22 on the British charts.

Track listing

1. "Ambulance" - 5:09 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
2. "Out of Time" - 3:52 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
3. "Crazy Beat" - 3:15 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
4. "Good Song" - 3:09 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
5. "On the Way to the Club" - 3:48 (Albarn/James/Rowntree/James Dring)
6. "Brothers and Sisters" - 3:47 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
7. "Caravan" - 4:36 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
8. "We've Got a File on You" - 1:03 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
9. "Moroccan People's Revolutionary Bowls Club" - 3:03 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
10. "Sweet Song" - 4:01 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
11. "Jets" - 6:25 (Albarn/James/Rowntree/Mike Smith)
12. "Gene by Gene" - 3:49 (Albarn/James/Rowntree)
13. "Battery in Your Leg" - 3:20 (Albarn/Coxon/James/Rowntree)

• Hidden track: "Me, White Noise" - 6:48 (Albarn/James/Rowntree/Phil Daniels)

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