Escape Artist [Import]

Garland Jeffreys | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EPIC RECORDS
• ASIN: B000KSG8EY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,207,241 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Vinyl Record

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not his best, but it's close, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Escape Artist (Audio CD)

Years before the release of this album, Jeffreys grabbed lots of attention with GHOST WRITER, AMERICAN BOY AND GIRL and ONE-EYED JACK, which sadly, never made it to CD. Those three albums established him as a singer-songwriter of considerable range and one of the leaders of the late '70s New York City New Wave explosion. The praise was well deserved. His compositions were intensely personal, literate and full of passion. Top NYC studio musicians appeared on the albums, an obvious sign that those guys thought highly of Jeffreys music. His only "hit" was "Cool Down Boy" which got a good amount of airplay, but he never crossed over into mainstream commercial acceptance. This album feature him in a more standard, straight-up rock and roll posture, backed essentially by Graham Parker's band, The Rumour. Some of the tunes are on a very grand "anthemic" scale and the passionate vocals and superb tight sound of the band make them sound like instant classics. The original vinyl album was packaged with a 4-song EP of solid reggae tunes performed by noted Jamaican musicians. Those tunes are included here. Pick this up to hear what little there is on CD of a giant talent and add MATADOR AND MORE to get a decent sampling from the albums noted above. If you luck out, you might find the others in a used vinyl shop. BUY THEM. Jeffreys also had a very early album with Grinderswitch and a self-titled solo album before he recorded GHOST WRITER. If you read the book, Barefoot in Babylon, about the creation of the first Woodstock, you'll come across Jeffreys name as an interesting footnote to the initial idea of the festival. In fact, one might draw the conclusion that if it weren't for Jeffreys, the idea would never have been born . . .

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garland Jeffreys Escape Artist, May 14, 2004

By 

Robert D. Oslan (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Escape Artist (Audio CD)

Escape Artist is no doubt Jeffreys' best rock and roll album. I would dare to say one of the best albums from the 80s. This one is pure pleasure from start to finish! The production is top notch and the cast of musicians is unbelievable! Everyone from members of the Rumour to Roy Bittan and Danny Federici from the E Street Band! Orginally the 10 song LP included a 4 song bonus EP. Thank God the CD was released with those 4 bonus songs which are directly connected to the album's rock and reggae theme. Miami Beach and We the People are reggae killers! There are 2 versions of Christine; one rocks outs while the other is a beautiful ballad (and the only slow song on the album). Here on the CD for some odd reason it's listed as "live version" which leads you to believe it was performed in front of an audience. Perhaps it should say "vocals recorded live" or whatever the case may be. But not "live version" since there's no audience heard. Perhaps the appropriate sub-title should be slow version or ballad. If you see Escape Artist listed it's wise to snatch it up right away even as a used copy since it's now out of print.

Rock on!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jump! Jump! Support Garland's music in the US., June 7, 2003

By 

"joechapala" (Tucson) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Escape Artist (Audio CD)

Garland is one of the most intelligent and facsinating musicians today, just as he was nearly 30 years ago.

I first saw Jefferys perform in 1974 when I was attending Dartmouth College. My friends and I took a road trip to Boston where we caught Garland and Lou Reed performing together--what a show!

I've been buying his recordings since 1978 and I'm proud to say I own everything he has ever recorded. He has been able to change with the times and change as he ages.

Jump, jump and buy anything and everything you can find by Garland Jefferys. You will not be sorry.

The mystery still remains, however. Garland is tremendously popular in Europe, but US record labels have simply not successfully produced and promoted his work. It is more than just puzzling, it is sad.