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Product Description
Review
Always beware the senior rock musician who becomes too fascinated with the intricacies of his craft. Chris Rea has already released one album devoted to a guitar, 2008 'comeback' album The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes, along with the whopping 137-track Blues Guitars collection that appeared in 2005 following his battle with pancreatitis.
Santo Spirito Blues, then, follows a similar trusty, hoary old path. The cover art, a painting of a blue guitar that you might find in a Spanish art gallery aimed at English tourists, points to this, as do track titles that are straight out of the canon - Rock and Roll Tonight, The Last Open Road, Electric Guitar, and so on.
As a straightforward homage to blues traditionalism, Santo Spirito Blues can't really be faulted. Rea's playing is exemplary, his songwriting accomplished, the boxes ticked. Yet it's hard not to feel that there's something missing from the endeavour.
Money starts with atmospheric jazz, complete with added vinyl scratches, but becomes lost in bombast, lyrics that run "it's all about the money!" feeling a little too close to the bone. Electric Guitar is in the tradition of songs devoted to the six string, strangely male, and doing a merry dance with lyrical clich�: "Got me a box with a speaker / Gonna make that angel sing", "Every song about a railway track / Every song about not going back", and so on. With the master of modernising the blues, Tom Waits, about to return with a new album, Rea unfortunately strays too far into pastiche.
What's frustrating is that there is one standout track here that shows just what Rea is capable of when he's not overly focussed on playing, and eulogising, the guitar. Alright, so The Chance of Love is remarkably similar to Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing, but it's a pacy, heady track reminiscent of Rea at his 80s best. Crucially, the simple guitar lines and sax allow his greatest asset, that gravelly voice, to breathe. It's a shame that, elsewhere in this album, it so struggles to be heard.
--Luke Turner
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CD Description
Following his sell-out UK and European tour in 2010, and 2009's UK top ten album Still So Far To Go - The Best Of Chris Rea, one of the UK’s foremost singer-songwriters returns with his first new material in over ten years. This brand new studio album features "Dancing My Blues Away", "Never Tie Me Down", "The Chance Of Love", "Rock & Roll Tonight", "Electric Guitar" and "The Last Open Road".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've got to say that I don't usually do reviews, but being a huge Chris Rea fan from the beginning I thought I would give it a go after receiving his latest album The Santo Spirito Blues this morning (Thanks Amazon).
This is Mr Rea's best album for ages. I do think he lost his way a bit after his near fatal illness and his music reflected this. He seams to have got this off his chest now and this latest offering puts him back at the top of his game. There's not a weak track on it. Buy it, it won't disappoint.
This is Mr Rea's best album for ages. I do think he lost his way a bit after his near fatal illness and his music reflected this. He seams to have got this off his chest now and this latest offering puts him back at the top of his game. There's not a weak track on it. Buy it, it won't disappoint.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
"...I'll do happy blues... up-tempo, lots of off-the-wall guitar, to try and shake off the blues."
The above comment is the very definition of Spirito Blues, the latest album from Chris Rea.
And the quote comes from the acclaimed singer songwriter himself, who also happens to be a great six-stringer and one of the finest slide blues guitarists in the business.
Santo Spirito Blues follows the form of most of Chris Rea's releases over the last decade. It's an album rooted in the blues, a road the musician purposely found himself travelling at the start of the Millennium after he recovered from serious illness and an operation with a predicted 50% chance of survival.
The album and its up-beat tempo is typified by tracks such as `Rock and Roll Tonight' with its Stones-esque rhythm and riffing and `Never Tie me Down,' a song for the young man with his life still ahead of him.
It's not a one dimensional album, however, and Rea does deliver a tune or three in amongst the thirteen tracks that's more laid back or slow blues.
The two lightest pieces on Santo Spirito Blues close out proceedings - the smoky blues of `Lose My Heart in You' and the country-blues tinged ballad `I Will Go On.'
The album comes in two flavours.
There's the standard album release reviewed here and a multi-disc set.
The box-set edition is a five disc release featuring three CD's and two DVD's.
The DVD's are two films written and directed by Rea.
One is what is described as "a raw and brutally honest" film on bullfighting, while the other is about a man's journey on a search for the truth in the city of Florence.
The soundtracks to both films are featured on two of the CD's while the other CD is the Santo Spirito Blues album.
The multi-disc version is yet another ambitious and interesting release from Rea (who has in the past recorded and released an 11 CD Blues set) and, having started with a comment from Mr Rea, it's only fitting we finish with another:
"I love creating things and passionately believe artists should be looking to try new ways of bringing what we do to the public. There should be no rules whatsoever and, for God's sake, there are alternatives to TV talent shows."
Amen to that, Chris.
The above comment is the very definition of Spirito Blues, the latest album from Chris Rea.
And the quote comes from the acclaimed singer songwriter himself, who also happens to be a great six-stringer and one of the finest slide blues guitarists in the business.
Santo Spirito Blues follows the form of most of Chris Rea's releases over the last decade. It's an album rooted in the blues, a road the musician purposely found himself travelling at the start of the Millennium after he recovered from serious illness and an operation with a predicted 50% chance of survival.
The album and its up-beat tempo is typified by tracks such as `Rock and Roll Tonight' with its Stones-esque rhythm and riffing and `Never Tie me Down,' a song for the young man with his life still ahead of him.
It's not a one dimensional album, however, and Rea does deliver a tune or three in amongst the thirteen tracks that's more laid back or slow blues.
The two lightest pieces on Santo Spirito Blues close out proceedings - the smoky blues of `Lose My Heart in You' and the country-blues tinged ballad `I Will Go On.'
The album comes in two flavours.
There's the standard album release reviewed here and a multi-disc set.
The box-set edition is a five disc release featuring three CD's and two DVD's.
The DVD's are two films written and directed by Rea.
One is what is described as "a raw and brutally honest" film on bullfighting, while the other is about a man's journey on a search for the truth in the city of Florence.
The soundtracks to both films are featured on two of the CD's while the other CD is the Santo Spirito Blues album.
The multi-disc version is yet another ambitious and interesting release from Rea (who has in the past recorded and released an 11 CD Blues set) and, having started with a comment from Mr Rea, it's only fitting we finish with another:
"I love creating things and passionately believe artists should be looking to try new ways of bringing what we do to the public. There should be no rules whatsoever and, for God's sake, there are alternatives to TV talent shows."
Amen to that, Chris.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Chris Rea - The BBC reviewer thinks this album has something missing? I don't. If you've followed Chris over the years you'll know his first love is the blues, he even said at one point he wouldn't play his old stuff, like "road to hell" again at his concerts. Well he changed his mind and last year I watched a master of his craft doing his thing at the Newcastle City Hall. This album is Chris at his best and the track "chance of love" is being compared to a Dire Straits track...make up your own mind, and I have no doubt Chris would be not be offended by that comparison?
All I have to say is this is Chris Rea doing what Chris Rea does best. He might not agree?
All I have to say is this is Chris Rea doing what Chris Rea does best. He might not agree?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Got it wrong
Bought it thinking it was the full set, unfortunately it was a single CD. Having said that how much should you expect for the money? Read more
Published 2 months ago by RonH
Same old same new
Chris often belittles his rock & roll past and its commerciality. Well, that's what my wife and I loved about him and some of the songs he wrote during that period were truly... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Stephen Laird
Santo Spirito Brilliant CD
One of the best Chris Rea CD for a while. Blues, Rock and Soul excellent. Really enjoyed this purchase and hope he does many more CD's
Published 5 months ago by gill
great music
great foot tapping music,feels like your'e in New Orleans blues club,break out the Jack Daniels add some coke and ice a woman if poss.turn music up loud,HEAVEN.
Published 5 months ago by del
One of his best
I have just listened to what I think is one of the best Chris Rea albums for some time. OK it got a beat and blues purists may say its more Rock'n Roll than blues, but its a foot... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sunseeker
Well up to the mark.
A very good album full of new tracks in the Chris Rea style - well worth downloading. You can't go wrong with this one.
Published 6 months ago by Mr. N. Goward
Yet another brilliant album from Chris Rea.
I have virtually every album that Chris Rea has made and I don't think that he has ever made a bad album. In my view, all of his albums are of a very high standard. Read more
Published 6 months ago by film fan
This is blues
This is blues and performed by a super star. It is a bit diffferent from other cd, that Chris Rea had made. But it is a god way that he perform.
Published 7 months ago by Per Holst Mikkelsen
Great music
Great music by an outstanding musician and all supplied with no fuss straight to my door. I'd recommend the CD and the method of purchase to anyone.
Published 7 months ago by PETE THOROUGHGOOD
Superb
As usual, no complaints with Chris Rea. Superb listening as is usual with this Guy. Can't wait for the next one.
Published 7 months ago by teletone
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