The Great Escape is the fourth album by English alternative rock band Blur, released on 11 September 1995 on Food/Virgin. The album received glowing reviews and was a big seller on its initial release, reaching number one in the United Kingdom album chart (outselling the rest of the Top 10 put together) and was their first to crack the US charts reaching number 150. Less than a year after the album was released, it was certified triple platinum in the UK.
The album continued the band’s run of hit singles, with “Country House”, “The Universal”, “Stereotypes” and “Charmless Man”. “Country House” was Blur’s first single to chart at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, beating Oasis’ “Roll with It”, in a chart battle dubbed “The Battle of Britpop”.
Review:
In the simplest terms, The Great Escape is the flip side of Parklife. Where
Blur's breakthrough album was a celebration of the working class, drawing on
British pop from the '60s and reaching through the '80s, The Great Escape
concentrates on the suburbs, featuring a cast of characters all trying to cope
with the numbing pressures of modern life. Consequently, it's darker than
Parklife, even if the melancholia is hidden underneath the crisp production and
catchy melodies. Even the bright, infectious numbers on The Great Escape have
gloomy subtexts, whether it's the disillusioned millionaire of “Country
House” and the sycophant of “Charmless Man” or the bleak loneliness of
“Globe Alone” and “Entertain Me.” Naturally, the slower numbers are even
more despairing, with the acoustic “Best Days,” the lush, sweeping strings
of “The Universal,” and the stark, moving electronic ballad “Yuko &
Hiro” ranking as the most affecting work Blur has ever recorded. However, none
of this makes The Great Escape a burden or a difficult album. The music bristles
with invention throughout, as Blur delves deeper into experimentation with
synthesizers, horns, and strings; guitarist Graham Coxon twists out unusual
chords and lead lines, and Damon Albarn spits out unexpected lyrical couplets
filled with wit and venomous intelligence in each song. But Blur's most
remarkable accomplishment is that it can reference the past – the Scott
Walker homage of “The Universal,” the Terry Hall/Fun Boy Three cop on “Top
Man,” the skittish, XTC-flavored pop of “It Could Be You,” and
Albarn's devotion to Ray Davies – while still moving forward, creating a
vibrant, invigorating record.
All Music Guide – Stephen Thomas Erlewine