The Great Escape - best album ever?

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I think Blur's Great Escape is not just one of the most underrated albums ever, its one of THE best albums ever. Its the exact same as Parklife, but with even better tunes. I wanted to kiss Daniel Booth when he said the same. Who's with me? Anyone else wanna defend another unfairly dissed album? Like Terror Twilight, for example.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

People dis The Great Escape? Who knew?!

Now, Terror Twilight on the other hand...deserves every dis it receives (and then some).

― paul, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Albums that I can think of that have been been dissed but I like (sort of) include the Chills' Soft Bomb -- but here's the deal -- the album deserves to be dissed because the production and session musicians (Peter Holsapple -- blech -- I'll take Chris Stamey any day) destroy a fine batch of songs.

As for Blur, can't say I've heard anything I liked by them. As for Terror Twilight, can Malkmus go any lower? Oh yeah, I forgot about his solo album. Egads.

― Jack Cole, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Replacements' Don't Tell A Soul, The Pixies' Bossa Nova, DJ Shadow's Private Press, most of Dylan's Jesus records, Belle & Sebastian's Boy w/ the Arab Strap, Run D.M.C.'s Return from Hell, Beck's Midnite Vultures, Neil Young's Broken Arrow, Elvis Costello's Trust, Prince's Parade, Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear.

― J Blount, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Great Escape - best album ever?

No. (Wow, that was easy.)

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Have to say The Great is, in short, not the best album ever. However, I will spring to the defence of Terror Twilight. What is it with nobody liking Deserter's Songs, The Soft Bulletin or Terror Twilight? Alright, so they're not as noisy as their earlier stuff, but why is that such a bad thing? I suspect musical snobbery. If Tonite It Shows, Major Leagues and Waitin' For A Superman aren't three psychedelic classics then I'll eat Wayne Coyne.

― Shane Murphy, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Great Escape - best album ever? No. (Wow, that was easy.)"

The Great Escape - best album ever? Yes (That was even easier)

"What is it with nobody liking Deserter's Songs, The Soft Bulletin or Terror Twilight? I suspect musical snobbery."

Well, duh.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

no matter how many threads i accidentally look at the critical function of 'new' ilm continues to astound me.

― ethan, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought my defence of the Great Escape was admirably plain-spoken, actually : )

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

My favorite Blur songs are "There's No Other Way" and "Music Is My Radar". Everything else is pretty useless.

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Why Dan, those are probably two of Blur's weakest singles. What terrible choices, both. Surely someone else out there knows great pop when they hear it? Come on Great Escape-lovers, rally with me.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

This is another anti-drugs thread, yeah?

― Nick Southall, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

If great pop = "Girls And Boys", I want nothing to do with it.

― Dan Perry, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It is a good album (emphasis on word 'good'), marred by a few songs that could have been sunk in the Atlantic with nobody noticing. If most of the album was like "Yuko and Hiro" and "The Universal," then we'd be talking.

Then they thought they were Pavement. THE HORROR.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"This is another anti-drugs thread, yeah?"

Eh?

"If great pop = "Girls And Boys", I want nothing to do with it."

For 1 thing thats on Parklife, for another thing its one of the singles of the 90's. First gig I ever went to was Blur in Dublin btw. Still ranks among the best.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I used to like Deserter's Songs. I was at one point going to write a huge piece saying wow yeah the Great Escape, underrated album, unjustly maligned etc etc, then I woke up the next day and realised it was apalling. I mean it's got Mr Robinson's Quango on for God's sake, think what you're saying.

The Soft Bulletin? The Soft Option more like.

― Tom, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

great escape was almost universally praised when it came out but six months later after it was clear that oasis had won the war it suddenly turned rotten. i love it, i think they trio of modern life..., parklife and the great escape is as good a run as any band has had in recent times.

― keith, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I was hoping this would somehow turn into an underrated album thread, instead of a Great Escape thread. oh, well. when it came out it was praised in the uk press and acknowledged positively in the american press, generally with the spin of "will this (and/or Oasis, Britpop in general...) break through?" well, it didn't, Oasis (or "Wonderwall" rather) did, and nowadays Great Escape references draw winces and visions of the regrettable "Country House" video. Underrated? - yes, in that it's hardly any worse than most Blur albums. Masterpiece? - no, Great Escape doesn't match up to Parklife doesn't match up to Sound Affects doesn't match up to Something Else by the Kinks.

― J Blount, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The world is already filled with grossly underrated bands, much less underrated albums.. If people started talking about the merits of, say, Ungle Wiggly's "There Was An Elk", as one of many examples, then I might consider shedding a tear for "The Great Escape"

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

SHED A TEAR, Brian, for the vain balding pop star, though. SHED!

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought this would be about the Chills' Great Escape. though it wasn't an album. It's better than blurt. wow great typo; I meant blur.

― elizabeth anne marjorie, Thursday, 2 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Soft Bulletin? The Soft Option more like

Is Tom drunk again?

― RickyT, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

It falls into a category of albums that I call 'crap, but I like it'.I can't disagree with anyone's derogatory comments, about it, but it's sort of good to have around. You can sit there with it on and shout out who's being ripped off at that particular moment - XTC! The Specials! The Kinks! Ian Dury! 38 Special! Steeleye Span! (OK, not the last two.)

Yuko and Hiro isn't crap, of course - it's Blur's best moment by far.

― Dr. C, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

On a sonic level there's quite a lot going on in Country House under close listening -- more than meets the ear as they say. Yoko & Huro and The Universal will remain timeless. When it came out the likes of MM's Paul Lester were proclaiming it some kind of 90's Revolver and on initial listens songs like He Thought Of Cars and the last bit of Entertain Me gave off that 'classic' whiff. I still like it but not as much as in 95, some of it is irritating to me now. I reckon Side 2 of 13 contains Blur's best work.

― David Gunnip, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

yes, side 2 of 13 is good.

― Dr. C, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

first gig I ever went to was blur in Dublin

I went to that too, but in hindsight it was only good because I got pissed and snogged some random girl. I never really fully developed any kind of liking for Blur, sort of half listened to all their albums.

I do find the time to think Damon Albarn is a fucking prick and the other idiot needs to start acting his age, hopefully discovering the maturity to acknowledge he can never have a solo career. Who's left? Alex James? Well he's just a fucking fruitcake.

― Ronan, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"i think they trio of modern life..., parklife and the great escape is as good a run as any band has had in recent times."

Like music to my ears! Couldn't agree more!

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I reckon Side 2 of 13 contains Blur's best work."

Not really, though, when you think about it.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"[F]or another thing its one of the singles of the 90's"

Yeah, it was released in the 90's. So what? Do you mean that "Girls and Boys" is one of the BEST singles of the 90's? Cause that's just so. . . funny. . . BWAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. Ahem. Sorry. That song is awfully annoying. And so are Blur, but whatever.

Kilian, you are making a CLAIM about something 'semi-controversial', I guess. If want to, oh I don't know, change people's minds about the supposed greatness of this record you might want to provide a couple of halfway decent reasons why you think it is so awesome. "The exact same as Parklife, but with better tunes" is not exactly the most compelling reason EVAH.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes indeed, Alex.

Tell me why you didn't like side 2 of 13 Killian.

― Dr. C, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

13 is full of half-tunes, full of electronic effects piled on with no lightness of touch. Blur don't work when they dabble in electronica, they don't have the subtlety. They work best as a quirky art-pop (with emphasis on POP) group.

"The same as Parklife but with better tunes" - I couldn't think of a higher compliment than that. Its true, too.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Yeah, it was released in the 90's. So what? Do you mean that "Girls and Boys" is one of the BEST singles of the 90's?"

Of course that's what I mean! I'd hardly recommend a song on the basis that it was released in the 90's. Its where bawdy lad-rock meets camp-disco fun, and is therefore ace. Havent played it in a while, today could be the day...

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh so your just preaching to the converted. My mistake. Bye.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Dexy's Midnight Runners' second album 'Too-Rye-Ay' is wrongly maligned (in general, not on here) just because it has 'Come On Eileen' on it and is accessible to non-fans. It is, in fact, their best album, better than the 'proper' choice of 'Don't Stand Me Down' and '...Eileen' is a brilliant song with some of the best lyrics ever written. It's just been rendered tedious through over-familiarity. There other two albums will never suffer the same fate, therefore get more props.

― Quigley, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Oh so your just preaching to the converted. My mistake. Bye."

People who already dislike Blur are not gonna be won over by the Great Escape more than any of the other Blur albums, its true - it being the most typicallu 'Blur' album - the quirky characters, Kinks- y melodies etc - but even fans of Blur diss this album, and I feel it's time for re-appraisal. Everyone raved when it came out, the press backlashed when Morning Glory dramatically out-sold it, and now no-one likes it much - but the music deserves better. It is, after all, the same as the highly-praised Parklife, but with better tunes.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

did the press rave over it? if they did it must have been one of the quickest backlashes ever. for me, the album is patchy, like most blur records, some good, some not so. the universal was quite good though

― music snob, apparently, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"did the press rave over it? if they did it must have been one of the quickest backlashes ever. for me, the album is patchy"

I thought they did, but am now not sure! Was only 13 at time of release, but I got the impression that initial reviews much preferred it to morning glory. I know the maker, q, mojo and nme gave good initial reviews.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

How anyone can tolerate "The Universal" or "Stereotypes" is beyond my understanding. Also, "Cunt House" would've been improved infinitely if "Prozac" had been rhymed with "nutsack". I liked the Bowie ripoff though ("Entertain Me")

― dave q, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think The Universal is grate...along with Francoise Hardy's version of To The End.

As for other albums, I seem to be the only person on the planet who likes World of Twist - Quality St & The Soup Dragons - This is Our Art.

― Jez, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

There's a fairly large contingent of Quality Street fans here, jez.

The Great Escape? Never heard it.

― Jeff W, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Certaily one of the whitest albums of the 90's. Blur paid not even a tiny token acknowledgment of the pervailing sounds of the times (jungle, trip hop) and all their studio experiments during 93-95 were were carried out under the strict laboratory constraints of the hackneyed 'classic' white pop lineages from the 60s on.

― David Gunnip, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

'Blur paid not even a tiny token acknowledgment of the pervailing sounds of the times (jungle, trip hop)'

Unlike Bowie, whose 'Earthling' was greeted with universal cheers

― , Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah but who gave a shit about Bowie anyway in 95/96? He should have been put out to pasture in 1980.

― David Gunnip, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I still want to know why people dislike "Music Is My Radar" so much.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Certaily one of the whitest albums of the 90's. Blur paid not even a tiny token acknowledgment of the pervailing sounds of the times (jungle, trip hop) and all their studio experiments during 93-95 were were carried out under the strict laboratory constraints of the hackneyed 'classic' white pop lineages from the 60s on."

These influences need not be constraining if you have a good grasp of classic pop songwriting - as Mr.Albarn does, and it is most evident on this album. His later forays into hip-hop and world music are much less appealing and instinctive anyway.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Great Escape: is a bad album.

― DV, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I still want to know why people dislike "Music Is My Radar" so much."

Its pleasent enough, and certainly less laboured than "13", but I think people go to Blur for quirky pop thrills - and as a tune MIMR doesn't rank among their finest. Love the bit where Damo goes "Ha! Dont stop me now!" though.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I just guessing here, but I doubt that The Great Escape would have been any better (or for that matter any less WHITE!!) with random breakbeats throughout and a Portishead collaboration.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I visit for the "quirky pop thrills", but I stay for the fantastic breakbeats and Portishead collaborations.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I just guessing here, but I doubt that The Great Escape would have been any better (or for that matter any less WHITE!!) with random breakbeats throughout and a Portishead collaboration."

Too true. Criticism for what the album IS is fair, but criticism for not dabbling in certain genres is silly. You might as well criticise a jungle or trip-hop record for not incorporating dance-hall or sixties guitar-pop influences.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

b-b-b-but c'mon now, this is not so mysterious. blur + "less white" "trip hop" (help me jeebuz) = gorillaz, not some hypothetical what- might-have-been. Plus, Parklife is a "rap".

― fritz, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I just guessing here, but I doubt that The Great Escape would have been any better (or for that matter any less WHITE!!) with random breakbeats throughout and a Portishead collaboration" It might have! Nah, it's hard to pinpoint but I think one of the reasons The Great Escape eventually wears thin for a lot of people is the way too shiny sheen on the production. It sounds a bit too sterile. Maybe the songs would have stood up better on a doule album Parklife/Escape opus. In 1995 Kevin Shields hoped that years down the line when the 90's was appraised, a lot of the Britpop would have the same standing in the general scheme of things as the pre Beatles skiffle movement now has - a historical footnote - and that jungle would be remembered as the era's chief sound. Saying that, Shields was a huge Blur fan around the time of the Rollercoaster Tour. On a Isish radio station in 1992 he described them as the quintessential classic English pop band.

But fuck it, generally I still really like The Great Escape.

― David Gunnip, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You're right. I wasn't guessing. I knew the proposed combination would suck.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

despite hating it at the time (it was a suede thing) it has 2 b said that 'fade away' + 'best days' are the bollocks. rest is lousy.

― piscesboy, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

4 the record - 5/5 in select, front cover of mojo emblazoned with the word 'masterpiece' 5/5 in Q (there's maybe 1 or 2 a year of those at best), and a positive jizz-fest from NME.

morning glory on t'other hand famously got an almighty kicking, leading to q actually saying sorry 5 years later, when they decided it was the album of the 90's!!! "a shot in the foot if we're being kind..." they said originally. ho ho ho.

classic southern bias all round; nme's comment was along the lines of 'so we've flirted with a bit of northern rough once again and it's all gone wrong. once again.' disgraceful.

― piscesboy, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The Great Escape - best Blur album ever. That's about it.

― DavidM, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Terror Twilight = Very underwhelming. Never heard the Blur album, quite liked some of their singles, disliked intensly a few of them.

― jel --, Friday, 3 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Best album ever? Hell, it's not even the best BLUR album ever (which I still maintain is LEISURE)...

Silly people, the best album ever is......http:// gs.cdnow.com/graphics/COVERART/AMG/L/88/17/00208817.jpg

― Alex in NYC, Saturday, 4 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Terror Twilight has a few nice songs on it. "Carrot Rope," "Speak See Remember," "Folk Jam." "Major Leagues" is perhaps the most boring track on it. Limp warmed over 70's pop.

― bnw, Saturday, 4 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

great escape is a fantastically depressed album, in the same way 'more specials' is (tho not as good as 'more specials')... i remember thinking it a masterpiece back in 95, though one that was so bleak and close to the bone i didn't play it all that often. now i'll play it and happily skip thru half of it. but 'he thought of cars' still slays me, esp. the live version on that japanese album.

― stevie, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Its the exact same as Parklife, but with even better tunes
As Parklife is Blur's worst album "The Great Escape" is then probably the second worst. I am with my name brother in nyc here. Leisure was a stroke of genius really. Strange that first albums are so often the best ones (especially of bands getting big later on). Take the Cranberries, take the Pumpkins. Gish is so underestimated. It is much better and cleverer than Nevermind which came out at the same time and totally overshadowed Gish. Listened to it last night on headphones. The mix is awesome. Probably in my top 5 of the 90s.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 6 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

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