Book excerpt: As with most great bands, it is difficult to remember a time when Blur weren’t a part of Britain’s rich musical landscape. From art-rock origins they went on to make four multi-platinum number one albums and produced some of the finest songs of the modern era: End of A Century, Girls And Boys, Parklife, Song 2, Beetlebum... And it might not be over yet! The Life Of Blur charts their story from shaky beginnings through to the full-blown superstardom of Parklife, The Great Escape and beyond. At the heart of this tale is the complex, sometimes explosive relationship between Blur’s four founding members: Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Dave Rowntree and Alex James. A rich soup of relentless ambition, dogged persistence, fraying tempers and a million clanging champagne bottles, the emotional chemistry that makes up Blur has been just as interesting to watch as the songs the band have produced. Author Martin Power has talked with band’s former managers, fellow musicians, old school teachers and close friends to shed new light on a group once called “the most intelligent, enduring and credible band to emerge from the Nineties”. With a concise critical commentary on their music, rare photographs and a complete discography, as well as shedding new light on the group's various solo activities - including Damon Albarn's Gorillaz and Graham Coxon's one-man assault on the indie charts - this is the definitive account of Blur’s epic journey.