The Great Escape (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Great Escape | ||
 |
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| Studio album by Blur | ||
| Released | September 11, 1995 | |
| Recorded | January 1995 - May 1995 | |
| Genre | Britpop | |
| Length | 56:56 | |
| Label | Food Virgin Records America |
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| Producer(s) | Stephen Street | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Blur chronology | ||
| Parklife (1994) |
The Great Escape (1995) |
Blur (1997) |
The Great Escape is the fourth album by Blur, released on September 11, 1995. The Great Escape received glowing reviews and was a big seller in its initial release, reaching #1 in the United Kingdom album chart and was their first to crack the US charts (even if at a lowly # 150).
When Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory? outsold The Great Escape, Blur appeared to lose face in their well-publicised rivalry. Nonetheless, the album continues the run of inventive hit singles: "Country House" (their first #1 single, which infamously beat out Oasis' "Roll With It"), "The Universal", "Stereotypes" and "Charmless Man".
The album is in the style of a concept album, that is, most of the songs are linked by a similar theme — loneliness. Ten of the tracks have a distinct reference to being lonely. Damon Albarn subsequently revealed that most, if not all the songs on The Great Escape were about himself, in some form or another (i.e. "Dan Abnormal" is an anagram for "Damon Albarn"). However, dissension over musical direction between Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon would result in a stunning change in style for the next release, 1997's Blur.
[edit] Album history
[edit] Track listing
All tracks written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree.
- "Stereotypes" – 3:10
- "Country House" – 3:57
- "Best Days" – 4:49
- "Charmless Man" – 3:34
- "Fade Away" – 4:19
- "Top Man" – 4:00
- "The Universal" – 3:58
- "Mr. Robinson's Quango" – 4:02
- "He Thought of Cars" – 4:15
- "It Could Be You" – 3:14
- "Ernold Same" – 2:07
- "Globe Alone" – 2:23
- "Dan Abnormal" – 3:24
- "Entertain Me" – 4:19
- "Yuko and Hiro" – 5:24
- Contains an untitled hidden track, which has been rumoured to be called "A World of Difference".
- Japanese release includes "Ultranol" and "No Monsters in Me" (also released as B-sides to "The Universal").
- French release includes "To the End (La Comedie) (with Françoise Hardy)", a comedy of "To the End" (also released as B-side to "Country House"). Another (much less lush) French-language version was released as a B-side to "Parklife".
[edit] Audio samples
- Stereotypes (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- 22 second sample of "Stereotypes" from the album The Great Escape.
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
| Blur |
| Damon Albarn | Alex James | Dave Rowntree |
| Graham Coxon | Simon Tong |
| Discography |
|---|
| Albums: Leisure | Modern Life Is Rubbish | Parklife | The Great Escape | Blur | 13 | Think Tank |
| Compilations: The Special Collectors Edition | Live at the Budokan | Bustin' + Dronin' |
| The 10 Year Limited Edition Anniversary Box Set | Blur: The Best of |
| Singles: See Blur Singles |
| Other projects |
| The Ailerons | Fat Les | The Good, the Bad and the Queen | Gorillaz | Me Me Me | WigWam |
| Related articles |
| Food Records | Honest Jon's | Stephen Street | Transcopic |
