ll the quotes that follow are from lenghty interviews conducted in May 1995 with Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree, Stephen Street, Dave Balfe and Andy Ross. The songs appear in the order they were recorded, not in the order they were released. For example, a typical Blur song from late 1991 or early 1992 might sit in the vaults for two years before a home is found for it on the b-side of a 12-inch single or CD. Thanks to Mike Smith and John Smith for chronological guidance.

David Cavanagh and Stuart Maconie are the two writers who've been closest to Blur in their six year history. Cavanagh insisted that Select put the band on the cover in 1991 when most around him shared the "Balfe view" - and he was right. Maconie's abiding Blur memory is of sharing a taxi around Tokyo with them, with Dave Rowntree asleep on top of him and Damon shouting at passers-by through a megaphone. Maconie is now half of Radio One's Collins & Maconie. Both he and Cavanagh now write mainly for Q.