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Track Listings
| 1. The Road To Hell |
| 2. The Road To Hell |
| 3. You Must Be Evil |
| 4. Texas |
| 5. Looking For A Rainbow |
| 6. Your Warm And Tender Love |
| 7. Daytona |
| 8. That's What They Always Say |
| 9. I Just Wanna Be With You |
| 10. Tell Me There's A Heaven |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
This album, with which the singer reached his commercial peak, reflects Chris Rea's love/hate relationship with the car. The title track is famously inspired by Rea's experiences of the M25, but this is not a simple tract on the evils of the automobile--in 1988, he bought himself a racing car. His vision of hell is the traffic jam that stops you from using all that expensive acceleration. In this sense Chris Rea--the epitome of maturity compared to most in his business--shows himself still very much a rock star. The Road To Hell, despite the melancholy piano riff of the song itself and its Leonard Cohen-ish lyrics, is an optimistic album with a warm, embracing sound. This album is graced with some of Rea's finest creations: the spacey "Daytona", the topicality of "You Must Be Evil" and the catchy "That's What They Always Say". "Texas" is another witty commentary on the need for speed, and like many of the tracks on this disc it has the mellow groove that Rea has made his own. On The Road To Hell, Rea successfully marries the philosophy of the family man with the ethos of a rock star, in a way that many other forty-something crooners can only envy. He also marries a measure of self- expression with real commercial success: his first number one album, The Road To Hell went triple-platinum. --James Swift
Product Description
CHRIS REA The Road To Hell (1989 UK German-pressed 3-track 3 CD single manufactured for the UK market including Parts 1 & 2 He Should Know Better & Josephine La Version Francaise. Housed in its original 3 gatefold card picture sleeve YZ431CD)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The Road To Hell marks the peak of Chris Rea's career on a commercial scale, although in truth it only really contains one hit - the title track. That should not detract, however, as this is a fine, tight album, where all of the songs fit together very well. In a way, you could call it a concept album - Rea's take on the wrongs of the world; the songs flow from anger to despair, to just wanting to get away from the modern world. That said there's still the occasional love song ('Your Warm And Tender Love' and 'Just Want To Be With You'), although here they take on more of an edgier feel than his previous work.
Listening to this album nearly 20 years since its release, I'd say it's aged rather well - modern production ethics abound, while the sheer intricacy of Rea's music is a joy to behold. The slide guitar is there, mainly angry and powerful, together with an abundant array of 'normal' riffing; this is Rea's hard rock album. Keyboards are used well - in moderation, and making the right sounds. This was 1989, and some people had begun to realise what bad keyboard sounds were. Strings are present too, together with some other interesting samples (including radio DJs and one beast of a car!).
It's hard to pick highlights from an album that gels so well, and where the quality is maintained at such a high level. That said, personal favourites are 'Texas' (hear Chris' blues instincts come good in a cracking mid-section riff and outro), 'Daytona' (one of his best songs in my opinion, which builds into an understated epic), and 'Looking For A Rainbow' (starts off as light relief before the pangs of anger and despair float back, to end what would have been a troubled side A).
This is not only one of Chris' best albums, but one of the best of all time in my opinion; Chris has something to sing about, and he puts it across in a powerful and musically complex, yet focussed and disciplined way. It's a tight and honed album which, sadly, seems to have slipped past the critical radar in recent times. Hopefully one day it'll be recognised again for what it is - a magnificent and highly original piece of work. 5/5.
Listening to this album nearly 20 years since its release, I'd say it's aged rather well - modern production ethics abound, while the sheer intricacy of Rea's music is a joy to behold. The slide guitar is there, mainly angry and powerful, together with an abundant array of 'normal' riffing; this is Rea's hard rock album. Keyboards are used well - in moderation, and making the right sounds. This was 1989, and some people had begun to realise what bad keyboard sounds were. Strings are present too, together with some other interesting samples (including radio DJs and one beast of a car!).
It's hard to pick highlights from an album that gels so well, and where the quality is maintained at such a high level. That said, personal favourites are 'Texas' (hear Chris' blues instincts come good in a cracking mid-section riff and outro), 'Daytona' (one of his best songs in my opinion, which builds into an understated epic), and 'Looking For A Rainbow' (starts off as light relief before the pangs of anger and despair float back, to end what would have been a troubled side A).
This is not only one of Chris' best albums, but one of the best of all time in my opinion; Chris has something to sing about, and he puts it across in a powerful and musically complex, yet focussed and disciplined way. It's a tight and honed album which, sadly, seems to have slipped past the critical radar in recent times. Hopefully one day it'll be recognised again for what it is - a magnificent and highly original piece of work. 5/5.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The album which alerted a whole new geneartion of fans to Chris' phenomenal songwriting talent, "The Road To Hell" was, without any doubt, the last great album of the 1980s. Opener "The Road To Hell Part I" is a slow, gentle piece which runs into - and starkly contrast - the following track, "The Road To Hell Part II", a mellow, laid-back, but pensive rock ballad, inspired by a journey around the funky M25 while reminiscing about his mother's death.
The latter is undoubtedly Chris best-known song, but the other tracks are equally good. "Texas" is vaguely reminiscent of Sting's "Brand New Day" (which came out ten years later), while "You Must Be Evil" and "Looking For A Rainbow" effortlessly showxase Chris' undeniable wizadry when it comes to ballads.
All in all, I can't find fault with this album - still sounds fresh nearly 15 years later.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Released in 1989, this is the album that changed Rea's career achieving him mainstream popularity. All the tracks save the last one are superb. The first track builds the listener up nicely for the loud upbeat onslaught of the next eight tracks. The pick of which are the title track, "You must be evil" and "Texas". The guitaring is quite simply first class and the songs are well written. "Road to Hell" is a masterstroke and compares well to other concept albums such as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and The Who's "Quadrophenia". The record however, runs out of steam with the weak "Tell me there's a heaven," Overall though, a modern masterpiece which was deservedly given a gramaphone award by the H.M.V music catalogue.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A real treat!!
Well I was very surprised this album was not available at the iTunes store, once again Amazon came up trumps!
Such an amazing album a real classic. Read more
Such an amazing album a real classic. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Bob
This is Chris Rea at the top of his game. Cracking album
Of all of the albums Chris Rea produced in the 1980's, I would possibly say that this one is the best one. Read more
Published 5 months ago by film fan
chris rea
I like this guy, guitar, ' story ' telling, it's a cd, if you like electric guitar then buy it, listen to a couple of tracks on u-tube, form an opinion and shop around, if you... Read more
Published 8 months ago by stu
Classic album, reminds me of my childhood
I'd been gagging to hear this album again and it doesn't seem to be available to buy online at the iTunes Store or on Spotify either. So finding it for £0. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. G. Manning
The Road to Heaven actually!
Fab album that only gets better when you return to it after an extended break. As a comitted Vinyl fan, I am always a little wary purchasing CD's for albums that I have such strong... Read more
Published on 16 April 2010 by J. Guthrie
thevery first album i became obsessed with
almost by accident i was given atape of this album and upon listening i could not believe what iwas hearing. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2009 by William J. A. Hughes
Another Gem
It's a Chris Rea album... No different to any other - a shockingly frank, revealing, and emotional expose into the mind that created it - Chris Rea. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2006 by Mark Wills
The beginning of the end
This album is the beginning of the end of Chris Rea's success in commercial terms. In my opinion he only did one decent album after it, (Auberge), before losing his way and being... Read more
Published on 29 May 2006 by tigg3r
A very good album
All the tracks on this album are really good, especially road to hell part 2, you must be evil and looking for a rainbow. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2006 by mike
A Huge Disappointment!
Having discovered Chris Rea through compilations and his Greatest Hits albums, this is a huge disappontment. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2005
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