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Crazy Beat

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For 1963 single, seeCrazy Beat (Gene Vincent song).

"Crazy Beat"
SinglebyBlur
from the albumThink Tank
B-side
  • "The Outsider"
  • "Don't Be"
Released7 July 2003(2003-07-07)
Recorded2002
StudioStudio inMarrakesh,Morocco
Genre
Length3:15
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Blursingles chronology
"Out of Time"
(2003) 		"Crazy Beat"
(2003) 		"Good Song"
(2003)
Music video
"Crazy Beat"onYouTube

"Crazy Beat"is a song by English bandBlurfrom their seventh album,Think Tank(2003). The song was written and produced by band membersDamon Albarn,Alex JamesandDave Rowntreein Morocco, withNorman Cookalso serving as a producer. It was first serviced toalternativeradio stations in the United States on 17 March 2003, byVirgin Records,while being commercially released in the United Kingdom on 7 July 2003, byParlophone,including the songs "The Outsider" and "Don't Be" asB-sides.Athree-chordsong, "Crazy Beat" is adance-popandelectropoptrack which draws influences ofbig beatandnu metalinto its composition. Lyrically, it praises the effects of music and clubs on crowds.

"Crazy Beat" received mixed reviews frommusic critics,who generally compared it to the band's previous single "Song 2"(1997); while some felt the song was an interesting track, others saw it as" cartoonish "and out of place onThink Tank.In the United Kingdom, "Crazy Beat" peaked at number 18, while attaining lower positions worldwide. In the United States, it became Blur's first single since "Song 2" to enter theModern Rock Trackschart, where it reached number 22. Two music videos were released for the song. The first was directed by animation collectiveShynolaand features the band performing in a pub as a green audio waveform comes to life, while an alternative version was directed byJohn Hardwickand shows four women performing a dance routine. Blur performed "Crazy Beat" on some televised shows and live concerts.

Background and development

[edit]
The mural used on the cover for the single, designed byBanksyinStoke Newington

Recording sessions forThink Tankstarted in November 2001 in London with the absence of guitaristGraham Coxon,who had been battling alcoholism and depression, thus failing to turn up to the initial sessions.[1]He eventually left the band in 2002 after he had a "mental breakdown" during these sessions.[2][3]The remaining members of Blur decided to carry on recording, travelling to Morocco to continue developing the album, with the intention to "escape from whatever ghetto we're in and free ourselves by going somewhere new and exciting".[4]The decision was influenced by a visit by vocalistDamon Albarnto the country.[5]The band settled atMarrakesh,where they built a studio together, which "brought everyone closer".[6]BassistAlex Jameslater admitted, "It was a real hassle to go to Morocco. We had to get all scruffy with customs because they wouldn't let us import our gear into the country. It was a struggle and it cost a fucking fortune", adding that it was "well worth it."[7]Musician Norman Cook, commonly known asFatboy Slim,was invited to collaborate on the project, as he was a "really nice injection of fresh energy at a point in the proceedings when we needed one, and he fundamentally understands music", according to James.[7]

The villa the band had rented in Marrakesh provided several venues for recording. Hiller recalled that the drum sound for "Crazy Beat" is just the effects of a room made of a marble floor, tiled walls and a concrete ceiling, which provided a "really banging reverb".[5]"Crazy Beat" was first conceived in a different way, with Albarn describing its first version as a "really bad version ofDaft Punk".However, the band and the production involved" got sick of it and then put in that descending guitar line over it to rough it up a bit ".[8]He later resumed the track as "just a bit of fun we had with Norman", as one of the "few moments where we just let our hair down and got dumb" while recordingThink Tank.[9]During these sessions, Cook also produced "Gene by Gene", another track present on the record.[5]In 2015, Albarn declared that he regretted including "Crazy Beat" onThink Tank,rather than a song titled "Me, White Noise", attributing his decision to outside influences at the time; the latter was actually on the record, hidden as a prologue thanks to a digital chicanery which revealed the track if the CD was rewound.[10]

Release

[edit]

"Crazy Beat" was commercially released on 7 July 2003 in the United Kingdom, byParlophone.[11]The release included two songs asB-sides:"Don't Be", recorded by the band in Marrakech, which was included on theCDversion of the single, while "The Outsider" was featured on the7 "vinylformat. TheDVDversion for the single included both tracks, in addition to themusic videofor "Crazy Beat", as well as an exclusive animated version of the video storyboard, while the CD single included an enhanced section with the alternative video for the track.[12]The single's cover art features a satirical portrait of theBritish royal familyby English graffiti artistBanksy;the mural was painted on a building inStoke Newington.In September 2009, workers sent byHackney London Borough Councilpainted over most of the mural with black paint, against the building owner's wishes. However, a crowd gathered and stopped the workers to stop before destroying the artwork completely.[13]In the United States,Virgin Recordsserviced the track toalternativeradio stations on 17 March 2003, as thelead singlefrom the album in the region.[14]Additionally, "Crazy Beat" was used in a commercial for clothing companyLevi's.At the time of its release, the band thought that the song did not represent the sound ofThink Tankentirely.[9]

Composition

[edit]

"Crazy Beat" was written and produced by Blur, with Cook also serving as a producer.[15]Musically, it is adance-popandelectropoptrack[16][17]which is based on "rowdy"three-chords.[9]Reviewers also noted the influence ofbig beat[18][19]andnu metalinto its composition.[20]It also features a "bigrockbeat and fuzz-punkguitar ", along with a" pounding percussion ".[21][22]According to Bram Teitelman ofBillboard,the song is "one of the most guitar-driven songs of the enduring act's career" and noted that it was not representative of the rest ofThink Tank,which found the band "dabbling inworld music".[23]Lúcio Ribeiro fromFolha de S.Paulowrote that it was "the rock track of the record".[24]ForThe Observer's Kitty Empire, "Crazy Beat" was a "raw rock tune" with "dancefloor dynamics" added by Cook.[25]It was seen by Steve Lowe ofQas Blur's take on "I Wanna Be Your Dog"(1969) byThe Stooges.[18]

"Crazy Beat" starts with a "trademark Fatboy Slim drum loop" andvocoderedvocals which repeat the track's title,[26][8]before shifting into "classic Blur, with deep, grumbling guitar and ferocious analog drums."[21]Some journalists likened the vocodered voice to that of cartoon characterDonald Duck;[24][27]Jeff Elbel ofPastealso commented that it resemblesRick Dees' "Disco Duck"(1976).[21]During the chorus, Albarn shouts "yeah yeah yeah!".[18][27]To many reviewers, "Crazy Beat" was reminiscent of Blur's "Song 2"(1997),[28][29][30]as well as works byThe Clash.[31][32]Lyrically, it praises the effects of music and clubs on the people, in the "best music makes the people comes together style".[33]The lyrics also namecheck theCentral Intelligence Agency.[22]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Crazy Beat" received mixed reviews frommusic critics.According to Nigel Williamson fromUncut,the song "bears the unmistakable cartoon signature of Fatboy Slim."[34]Steve Lowe fromQdeemed the track as "the album's prime Fatboy Slim moment", and stated that it was "surely a hit".[18]Keith Phipps ofThe A.V. Clubnoted that the song "sounds like a deranged midget", and described it as a "poundingly ingratiating track".[28]John Lamb ofThe Forum of Fargo-Moorheaddescribed it as "pulsating", and wrote that it would "fill any listener's novelty fix".[35]The Independentstaff thought that "Crazy Beat" was a "second cousin" to "Song 2", pointing out its "ironic swagger".[29]Also calling it a cousin to the aforementioned track, Russell Baillie ofThe New Zealand Heralddescribed the track as "highly infectious meaty beaty big and bouncy".[36]Bram Teitelman ofBillboardstated that "the combination of Cook's production and the aggressive guitar riff gives 'Crazy Beat' a shot of adrenaline, and it seems destined to follow in the footsteps of 'Song 2' as a fixture at sporting events."[23]Jeres fromPlayloudersaid that it "packs a punch, and has lots of strange squelchy devil belches for your entertainment".[37]

Kitty Empire fromThe Observercommented that the song was not "Blur's finest hour, nor Norman Cook's, but it will reassure Blur-watchers (and the record company) that the band haven't entirely disappeared up Albarn's world music collection."[25]Classic Pop's Steve Harnell described it as "airhead fun", but felt thatThink Tank's high points were "mostly found elsewhere".[38]ForNME's Alex Needham, the song "sounds like four old yobs making an exhibition of themselves in a disco".[39]According to Andy Greenwald ofSpin,the "escapist laddism" present on the track felt forced and hollow.[40]Sharing a similar opinion, Sam Bloch fromStylus Magazinesaid that the song had a "hollow commercialism".[41]Rob Brunner fromEntertainment Weeklydismissed "Crazy Beat" as a "cartoon-voiced throwaway that’s neither deranged nor danceable".[42]For his part,Stereogum's Ryan Leas felt it was "one of Blur’s lowest moments", and "a cartoonish retread of ideas they achieved better elsewhere";[43]Jeff Elbel ofPastealso deemed "Crazy Beat" as "cartoonish".[21]

Alexis PetridisfromThe Guardiancalled Cook's tracks onThink Tank,including "Crazy Beat", as "cluttered-sounding collaborations" which "fall short of their ambition", as well as "a disappointment".[44]Devon Powers ofPopMattersdescribed it as an "energetic, punked-out rocker", although "as much as this song might appeal to the neo-DIY set — complete with its jumpy chorus and lively melody — Blur are anything but".[45]John Murphy wrote formusicOMHthat "Crazy Beat" "sits somewhat jarringly on the album"; he went on to say that it was "basically a Fatboy Slim remix of Song 2", and while it would probably be a commercial success, it "doesn’t sound quite right sat between the gorgeousness of Out Of Time and Good Song".[46]ForSlant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani, the song "ultimately sound[s] out of place" on the album.[31]In a similar vein, Gareth James fromClashpanned it as a "'hit-by-numbers' brash nonsense" which was "glaringly out of place" onThink Tank.[47]Ben Gilbert fromDotmusiccondemned the track, pointing out its "lazy, predictable, sub-'Song 2' primal noise and pointless, throwaway chorus", and asserting that it was "Think Tank's weakest moment by some considerable distance ".[48]Similarly,The Line of Best Fit's Thomas Hannan described it as a "sub-'Song 2' abomination".[30]Julian Marshall wrote forBBC Newsbeatthat "Crazy Beat" "[has] aged badly", and sounded like a novelty hit.[49]

Commercial performance

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, "Crazy Beat" debuted at number 18 on theUK Singles Chartfor the week dated 19 July 2003, before disappearing from the chart two weeks later. It later returned for a run of two weeks, totalling five weeks on the chart.[50]Outside of the United Kingdom, the song attained lower positions; in Scotland, it reached number 26,[51]while peaking at number 41 in Ireland and 20 in Sweden.[52][53]In the United States, "Crazy Beat" reached number 22 on theAlternative Airplaychart, compiled byBillboard;it became Blur's first appearance on the chart since "Song 2", as well as their last until "The Narcissist"(2023).[54][55]In Canada, the single also peaked at number 30 on theCanadian Hot 100chart.[56]Across the pan-Eurochart Hot 100 Singles,the track peaked at number 63 for the week dated 26 July 2003.[57]

Promotion

[edit]

Music video

[edit]

Two music videos were created to accompany the single's release. The first was directed by animation collectiveShynolain late March 2003 atEaling Studiosin London and premiered throughMTV's website the following month.[8]It was also sent to rotation onMTV2in May 2003.[58]The visual sees the band performing the song in a pub as a green audio waveform comes to life while vibrating in time with the music.[59]An alternate video was directed byJohn Hardwick;[12]it shows four women performing a dance routine to the song, wearing matching brown dresses and blonde wigs.

Live performances

[edit]

Although MTV reported Blur was annoyed to play the song on television shows at the time of its release,[9]"Crazy Beat" was performed onTop of the Pops,[60]Headliners[61]andSupersonic.[62]The song was also played during a series of shows supportingThink Tankin 2003.[63][64][65]

Track listings

[edit]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits and personnel are adapted from theThink Tankalbum liner notes.[15]

  • Damon Albarn– vocals, songwriter, producer, guitars, programming
  • Alex James– songwriter, producer, bass, backing vocals
  • Dave Rowntree– songwriter, producer, drums, programming
  • Fatboy Slim– producer, keyboards, synths, programming, effects
  • Ben Hillier– percussion, engineering, mixing
  • Jason Cox – production assistant, engineering
  • James Dring – additional engineering, programming

Charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for "Crazy Beat"
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[71] 102
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[56] 30
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[57] 63
Germany (Official German Charts)[72] 98
Ireland (IRMA)[52] 41
Scotland(OCC)[51] 26
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[53] 20
UK Singles(OCC)[73] 18
USAlternative Airplay(Billboard)[54] 22

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "Crazy Beat"
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States 17 March 2003 Alternativeradio Virgin [14]
United Kingdom 7 July 2003
Parlophone [11]

References

[edit]
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