Bustin' and Dronin'

by Blur

Overview

Blur released Bustin' + Dronin', a limited-edition Japanese-only remix album, after completing the supporting tour for Blur. Apparently, this has become a group tradition, since Japanese-only albums appeared after the Parklife and Great Escape tours -- the B-sides compilation Special Collectors Edition and the double-disc Live at Budokan, respectively. The difference this time around was the fact that Bustin' + Dronin' was imported heavily in the U.K. and U.S., because of the success of Blur. Ironically, it's the weakest of the three Japanese albums the group has released and the one least worth acquiring. The main problem is that only a handful of songs on Blur lend themselves to inventive remixes. In particular, the spooky dirge "Death of a Party" and the clomping Mott the Baggy "On Your Own" are ripe for new treatments, and that's why both are here numerous times. Unfortunately, they're not interesting at all, likely because they're not helmed by name producers. Then again, William Orbit doesn't fare that well with "Moving On," and Moby's mix of "Beetlebum" (first released as a B-side to the single) sounds identical to the original, so maybe the key isn't remixers, either. That leaves only Thurston Moore's contemptuous, cacophonous remix of the silly, pretentious "Essex Dogs" and John McEntire's recasting of "Theme from Retro" as a lost cut from Millions Now Living Will Never Die. It might be amusing to hear Moore's cut once, and McEntire's work is genuinely exceptional, but that's not quite enough to make Bustin' + Dronin' worthwhile. And the second disc, a collection of six songs recorded at John Peel's home for broadcast on the DJ's show, is strong, proving that Blur live is a dynamic, intoxicating force, but its release is pointless, since all of the songs were released once as B-sides for the "On Your Own" singles, and once again on the "MOR" single. In other words, the collectors, who are the only ones who need this disc, already own this material twice, which makes its very inclusion puzzling and useless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/23/2022
Label:	Parlophone
UPC:	0190296345111
Rank:	44443

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Blur   Primary Artist
Jeff Parker   Guitar
Damon Albarn   Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards
Dave Rowntree   Drums
Graham Coxon   Guitar
Alex James   Guitar
Cesare   Turntables

Technical Credits

Alison Howe   Producer
Stephen Street   Mixing,Producer
Moby   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Alan Branch   Engineer
David Bowie   Composer
Miti Adhikari   Engineer
William Orbit   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Thurston Moore   Mixing
Adrian Sherwood   Mixing,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Brian Eno   Composer
Damon Albarn   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Dave Rowntree   Composer,Lyricist,Group Member
John McEntire   Mixing,Remixing,Remix Engineer
Graham Coxon   Composer,Lyricist,Cover Art Concept
Alex James   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Group Member
Tom Girling   Engineer,Assistant,Personal Assistant
John Smith   Mixing,Engineer
Julia Gardner   Engineer,Assistant,Personal Assistant
Simon Mundy   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer