This Is a Low

Blur, 1994, from Parklife. Solo by Graham Coxon.

Coxon's short, woozy lead adds a sense of unease to Parklife's closing ballad.

This Is a Low arrives near the end of Parklife as a moment of calm melancholy, and Graham Coxon's short solo gives it a crucial undercurrent of unease. His lead is woozy and slightly off-balance, with bends that seem to sag and phrases that drift rather than drive. It suits the song's strange, beautiful mood perfectly. Coxon was always more interested in character than technique, and this solo shows him at his most expressive in very few bars. Listen for the slightly wobbly pitch on the sustained notes; it makes the lead sound seasick, as if the whole song were rocking gently on the waters it describes.

This Is a Low by Blur is featured in our Britpop (#18) list. The solo is played by Graham Coxon and the song was released in 1994.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Britpop Guitar Solos — #18
• The Best Blur Guitar Solos — #2

Sources