Blur announces 30th anniversary ’The Great Escape’ vinyl reissue

Blur has announced a vinyl reissue of their 1995 album The Great Escape in honor of its 30th anniversary.

The two-LP package is due out Dec. 12. Along with the original album, the set includes various B-sides and bonus tracks, some of which have never before been available on vinyl.

The Great Escape arrived at the height of Blur’s rivalry with Oasis — the album’s lead single, “Country House,” bested the Gallagher brothers’ track “Roll with It” to grab the #1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart in the infamous “Battle of Britpop.”

The Great Escape also made waves in the U.S., becoming the first Blur album to chart on the Billboard 200.

Blur’s most recent album is 2023’s The Ballad of Darren. The band last performed at Coachella in 2024, which frontman Damon Albarn declared to be “probably our last gig.”

Albarn, meanwhile, is busy with his band Gorillaz, which is currently playing a run of shows in London.

Blur has announced a vinyl reissue of their 1995 album The Great Escape in honor of its 30th anniversary.

The two-LP package is due out Dec. 12. Along with the original album, the set includes various B-sides and bonus tracks, some of which have never before been available on vinyl.

The Great Escape arrived at the height of Blur’s rivalry with Oasis — the album’s lead single, “Country House,” bested the Gallagher brothers’ track “Roll with It” to grab the #1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart in the infamous “Battle of Britpop.”

The Great Escape also made waves in the U.S., becoming the first Blur album to chart on the Billboard 200.

Blur’s most recent album is 2023’s The Ballad of Darren. The band last performed at Coachella in 2024, which frontman Damon Albarn declared to be “probably our last gig.”

Albarn, meanwhile, is busy with his band Gorillaz, which is currently playing a run of shows in London.