Is The Great Escape the worst Blur album?

[blurfansince97]

I don't think TGE is their worst album, although it is probably my least favorite.

[tom_cas1]

Great album. Underrated. Although Ernold Same with the dire Ken Livingstone should never have been recorded, let alone included on the ALBUM.

[blurfansince97]

Great album. Underrated. Although Ernold Same with the dire Ken Livingstone should never have been recorded, let alone included on the ALBUM.

Ernold Same is indeed horrible. Probably my least favorite Blur song.

[Rubi]

I think a lot of the negative spin on TGE comes from public perception at the time and the choice of singles.

Stereotypes should never have been a single. It's incidentally one of my favorite Blur songs, but to make it a single put too much pressure on it and thus it's looked back upon as a bit of a misfire. As soon as a song becomes a single and doesn't do well, it is somehow devalued and enjoyed less by fans more so than middle of the road album tracks.

Surprised to see Fade Away get lumped in with the weak moments on the album in some of these comments, really think that's a song that should be brought back into the set should they tour again. Dan Abnormal and Ernold Same are the only weak moments for me...

Stereotypes is one of the best songs on the album, and definitely single material. Albeit it should have been released as the final single, not the third one.

Fade Away by itself is actually a good song, but in the context of the album loses some points, as it shares many elements which I have a problem with.

[Sledge Hammer]

This album has The Universal on which in 2020 sounds better than ever, truly amazing live (as seen on Glasto and Olympics footage), so it cant possibly the worst...

The Universal deserves much more respect than other songs from the time such as the now dated whining bore Wonderwall (which yes I bought at the time but now find unlistenable)

[Rubi]

This album has The Universal on which in 2020 sounds better than ever, truly amazing live (as seen on Glasto and Olympics footage), so it cant possibly the worst...

The Universal deserves much more respect than other songs from the time such as the now dated whining bore Wonderwall (which yes I bought at the time but now find unlistenable)

True, The Universal doesn't get enough recognition as it should.

That being said, you can't call Wonderwall outdated and boring. It's one of those songs whose fame and popularity sort of it make it an outcast amongst fans. Just think about it. Most Blur or Radiohead fans don't really care about Song 2 or Creep. But they're all great songs in their own ways.

[Sledge Hammer]

Yeah fair point Rubi but all the sunshiiiiiine and maybeeeeees just grate on me now, and I was there from day one buying the Supersonic single, I saw Oasis at Knebworth and that was the game changer lol.

From the moment they came on and sang Shitelife and then barely interacted with the crowd, totally confirmed that Blur were better on all counts, live been a massive one!

Prodigy were by the far better band on the day...

Oh and I abs love Song 2! from the first time I heard it to now...2 mins of punk rock grunge stylee Blur blowing away the Country House lol

[Aurangzeb]

New member here. Just relistened to TGE after maybe 10 years. For what it is worth, here is my ten cents:

Song for song I believe TGE is stronger than 13, which is extremely overindulgent. And certainly better than the disappointing TMW.

Stereotypes: Musically one of the strongest things on here. Totally let down by the cringe lyrics. The voyeur style, looking at the lives of the suburbanites, hasn’t aged well.

Country House: It is what it is. I actually quite like it now.

Best Days: Possibly my favourite song on the album. A thing of beauty. The lyrics are interesting given the health issues Damon was experiencing. No need for the trip hop snare.

Charmless Man: Don’t get the hate for this. A fantastic piece of intelligent pop. The lyrics do raise an eyebrow, given the Mockney Yob persona Damon was cultivating at the time.

Fade Away: A low key gem. Only ruined by journalists banging on about the Specials.

Top Man: Pure B side territory. What is this doing on here? Get rid.

The Universal: Blur aiming high and achieving. Perhaps a reflection of the Bacharach re-evaluation going on at the time.

Mr. Robinson's Quango: Absolutely rotten. Keeps up the lyrical sneer of Stereotypes, with the music reaching Blur’s oompah nadir.

He Thought of Cars: Another triumph. TGE had a lot of interesting things going on, making the ‘Britpop by numbers’ reviews seem silly.

It Could Be You: A nice bit of power pop. Pleasantly inoffensive.

Ernold Same: I quite like this for some reason. Musically akin to Anniversary Waltz and other bits of Blur whimsy.

Globe Alone: Lyrically weak but adds a bit of needed punch to the album. Prefer the even more full on live version.

Dan Abnormal: Lyrical shortcomings aside another piece of fun pop. Not sure I like some of the ‘fairground’ production touches but there’s enough going on to keep your interest.

Entertain Me: Like a rubbish Girls and Boys. Utterly pointless.

Yuko and Hiro: A touch heavy handed with the lyrical metaphor, but a nice album closer with some heart.

[Rubi]

Stereotypes: Musically one of the strongest things on here. Totally let down by the cringe lyrics. The voyeur style, looking at the lives of the suburbanites, hasn’t aged well.

What's the problem with the lyrics? I think they're very accurate for what the song is trying to convey.

Best Days: Possibly my favourite song on the album. A thing of beauty. The lyrics are interesting given the health issues Damon was experiencing. No need for the trip hop snare.

Health issues?

Charmless Man: Don’t get the hate for this. A fantastic piece of intelligent pop. The lyrics do raise an eyebrow, given the Mockney Yob persona Damon was cultivating at the time.

I like it a lot as well, and just like with Stereotypes, I think the lyrics are spot on.

[Vorsprung]

There is no worst blur album

[TracyJosh]

Best Days: Possibly my favourite song on the album. A thing of beauty. The lyrics are interesting given the health issues Damon was experiencing. No need for the trip hop snare.

Health issues?


I think it was around the time TGE was being recorded that Damon was saying how he had experienced a mild nervous breakdown and daily panic attacks due to the overnight success the band received after the release of Girls and Boys. He referred to it as a quarter life crises/male menopause brought on by fame and cocaine disrupting his nervous system. Because of this, I really feel TGE is when the introspective songs that actually tackle personal battles started to be written. Man who left himself is a fine example from this session.

[Basil the Bat Lord]

I would say that it’s probably my least favorite, I don’t think Blur has a bad album though.

There are some strong songs on there (Globe Alone, Best Days, Yuko & Hiro and I actually always liked Robinson’s Quango)

But it also has by far some of the most boring Blur tracks ever (Dan Abnormal, Entertain Me, Top Man etc.) which is a big reason I rank it so low in the discography.

[Sledge Hammer]

Entertain Me has one of the best Alex bass lines ever and is a great track about the boredom of going out night after night as we did back in the good ol 90s!

[Rubi]

I never really cared about Entertain Me, but at the very same time I find it rather interesting musically. It's one of those tracks I don't have a problem with.

[Styopa]

I'm also fairly ambivalent about Entertain Me but it does have some nice features particularly Alex's bass line.

In hindight it's also quite an interesting track given the dancey feel of it and the work Damon would go on to do with Gorillaz in the following decade.