Blur: 1 Hidden Gem On Every Album
6. The Great Escape - Yuko And Hiro
If Parklife was Blur’s answer to Born In The USA, a critical look at a nation that found itself mistaken for flag waving celebration, The Great Escape’s cynicism was unmistakable. The album is all about boredom and alienation, the disconnect between the lives we are sold by the media and the ones we actually get to live.
It’s also an album that finds Blur sounding overstretched. At the very peak of their success, the band’s previously successful formula is pushed to breaking point, with frenetic tunes and cluttered production. At times listening to this album is like being stuck with an admittedly, brilliant a funny raconteur, whose done a bit too much coke and stayed slightly too long at the party.
Which is not to say there aren’t incredible moments here. Entertain Me, Best Days and He Thought Of Cars are all highlights proving that even at their least inspired the band was still fizzing with ideas.
Gorgeous closing ballad Yuko and Hiro revisits themes from Starshaped. The protagonist’s misguided commitment to “the company” he work’s for keeps him from the person he loves as the corporate machine encourages him to view his workplace as a surrogate family. The titular Yuko and Hiro are revealed not as the song’s romantic heroes but instead the colleagues with whom the protagonist works and drinks all week.