The Universal

Single infobox
Name = The Universal


Artist = Blur
from Album = The Great Escape
Released = 13 November 1995
Format = 7" vinyl (jukebox only), cassette, 2 x CD
Recorded = 1995
Genre = Britpop
Length = 3:59
Label = EMI, Food Records
Producer = Stephen Street
Chart position =

• #5 (UK Singles Chart)

Reviews =

• *"All Music Guide"
  ({4|5}/5) [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:9z6xlfaejcqt link]

Last single = "Country House"
(1995)
This single = "The Universal"
(1995)
Next single = "Stereotypes"
(1996) |

"The Universal" is a song by British band Blur and is featured on their fourth studio album, "The Great Escape". It was released 13 November 1995 as the second single from that album, charting at #5 in the UK Singles Chart (see 1995 in British music).

In keeping with the song's science fiction theme, the single's cover art is an allusion to the opening shot of "", and the music video, directed by Tom Van-Haaren, is a tribute to the movie "A Clockwork Orange", with the band dressed up in costumes similar to Alex and his droogs. Both films were directed by Stanley Kubrick.

The song has increased in stature since its release; this is proved by it being voted second best of all Blur singles on blurtalk.com [http://www.blurtalk.com/Vote.asp?pagename=Blur Singles Vote] . In addition, on Rate Your Music the song is often in the Top 25 for 1995 as well as being in the Top 500 of all time.

Music video

A highly-acclaimed music video for the song was directed by Jonathan Glazer. [http://www.mvdbase.com/video.php?id=3747] The band is presented in imitation of the opening scenes from the 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange", in the milk bar. Blur star as the quasi-Droogs, complete with Damon Albarn wearing eyeliner similar to the film. They perform in the bar in all-white.

The bar patrons consist of different groups; a lone female entertains male business colleagues by exploiting their sexual interest in her; two odd men entirely coloured red and blue conduct a stilted (subtitled) conversation; and two male colleagues – one of them in a priest in a vicar's dog collar – become increasingly drunk on cocktails, laughing more and more hysterically until a final shock moment which eventually leads us to seeing the priest planting a kiss on him at the last second of the video.

The golf ball-shaped speaker featured in the video was sold in a charity auction in 1999. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/442694.stm Auction takes Blur back to their roots] -BBC News Online]

Track listings

*CD1
#"The Universal"
#"Ultranol"
#"No Monsters in Me"
#"Entertain Me" (the live it! remix)

*CD2 "The Universal II - live at the beeb"
#"The Universal" (live)
#"Mr Robinson's Quango" (live)
#"It Could Be You" (live)
#"Stereotypes" (live)

*7" and Cassette
#"The Universal"
#"Entertain Me" (the live it! remix)

*Japan CD
#"The Universal"
#"It Could Be You" (live)
#"Stereotypes" (live)
#"Entertain Me" (the live it! remix)

*Note: the 7" vinyl edition was pressed for use on jukeboxes and was not issued commercially.

Production Credits

*"The Universal", "Ultranol" and "No Monsters in me" produced by Stephen Street

References

External links

* [http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2681522 Watch the video] on [http://www.ifilm.com/ IFILM]