In the mid-90s, Blur was on an artistic winning streak. Not only were they churning out some of the most challenging and exciting music, they were churning it out with a speed unheard of at the time.

In the time between U2's "Zooropa" and "Pop", Blur released (count 'em) four terrific albums, all of which are better, and will no doubt outlast anything from U2's "ironic" period.

"The Great Escape" released at the height of the Blur vs. Oasis showdown in the fall of 1995 (coinciding with the release of "Morning Glory"), doesn't expand much on the sonic experimentation of it's brilliant predecessor "Parklife." Instead, Blur seem to have put more focus on craft, resulting in an album of "songs". (By contrast, "Parklife" seemed more an album of musical and lyrical "concepts").

There's none of the daring genre-hopping of the previous album. The goofiness quotient is down (they save the carnival instrumental for an unlisted epilogue at the end of the final track), in favor of witty, but poignant lyrical portraits of existential loneliness and isolation. The first single "Country Home" is the spiritual cousin of "Chemical World" (from 1993's "Modern Life is Rubbish"), but where the protagonists of the latter were impoverished prostitutes and peeping toms, "Country Home"s (anti-)hero is a well-to-do "successful fellow" who "doesn't drink, smoke, or laugh, and takes herbal baths".

A sense of suburban boredom pervades the set. "Fade Away" begins with this couplet: "They stumbled into their lives / In a vague way became man and wife". "Stereotypes" declares "wife-swapping is your future", and "Entertain Me" borrows the vibe of "Parklife"'s "Boys & Girls", then subverts it, making it a weekend anthem for someone who's forgotten how to have a good time.

In the gorgeous "He Thought of Cars", a man dreams of escaping his humdrum life, but realizes he has no idea where he would escape to:

"He thought of cars
And where to drive them
And who to drive them with
But there was nothing"

At least Walter Mitty had fantasies.

"Charmless Man" is a shimmying little number about a guy relying on his money, his education, and his family name to distinguish himself. "He moves in circles of friends / who pretend to like him / he does the same to them."

In the same sense "Topman" is a cartoon of a song, reminiscent of super-hero radio show theme songs - complete with a whistled hook and a singalong chorus.

It would be easy to dismiss all of these songs as sourpuss for sourpuss' sake, but "The Great Escape" also has moments of grand redeeming beauty.

"Best Days" is a break-up song that balances precariously between hope and hopelessness ("other people wouldn't want to hear you if you said that these are the best days of our lives"); while "The Universal" suggests that while there probably isn't a god, there might be something that somehow unifies each of our individual experiences... and who knows, it might just be satellite TV or, y'know, karaoke. Its fully orchestrated mock-Broadway chorus conveys a sort of desperate optimism "It really really really could happen / Yes, it really really really could happen", without ever specifying was "It" is. There are days when "The Universal" chokes me up a bit.

But the most beautiful moment on the album comes right near the end in the song "Yuko and Hiro", the story of a couple who live together, but live for "the company":

"I never see you
We're never together
I'll love you forever"

The lyric is simpler than anything else on the album, and the characters seems even more desolate because their isolation is communal. But the song climaxes with a woman singing in Japanese - the sound is bright and angelic and ecstatic - most of all, it's hopeful. All as if to say, we're not as bad as all this - there's hope for this pathetic lot yet.

Despite the grim lyrics, "The Great Escape" is a very listenable and entertaining album. Besides the music, the packaging is probably the best they've ever had. In the foreground of the cover photo are the calves and feet of someone who just dove underwater; when you open up the complete photo, you see the shark swimming just below the surface. The lyric book looks like a collection of vacation brochures, and once again includes the chord changes above the words.

"Parklife" was infused with a giddiness of spirit - it was sonically, lyrically and musically adventurous - even reckless; but the songs and the atmosphere of "The Great Escape" resonate more deeply with me. "Parklife" might be their best, but "The Great Escape" is my favorite.

- - - - -

"The Great Escape" by Blur
Food/Virgin Records
Released 9/11/95

Producer: Stephen Street

Songs: Stereotypes - Country House - Best Days - Charmless Man - Fade Away - Top Man - The Universal - Mr. Robinson's Quango - He Thought of Cars - It Could Be You - Ernold Sane - Globe Alone - Dan Abnormal - Entertain Me - Yuko & Hiro



Recommended: Yes