If the Blur vs. Oasis war were ongoing and measured in stature, I dare say, Damon Albarn would have cleaned the Gallagher brothers’ collective clocks by now. Of course, both Noel and Liam would dismiss Albarn’s post-Blur accomplishments with some sort of drunken slur implying that Albarn’s a fey lightweight. Thankfully, Albarn has long since stopped noticing anything the Gallagher brothers have to say, but true fans on both sides of that debate still have pretty firm allegiances. I stand unequivocally in camp Blur, which is obvious to anyone who’s happened upon this site more than once. Now that Albarn’s name has been bandied about for artistic director of the 2012 Olympics in London, the elder Gallagher has probably winced more than once, though he’s likely not to admit it. Musically, I’m fully confident Albarn would rise to the occasion, as his talent and breadth have extended far beyond the realm of pop music, evidenced by his score to the opera, Monkey: Journey to the West. Below is what he and fellow Gorillaz collaborator Jamie Hewlett dreamed up for the BBC’s coverage of the Beijing Olympics: