Dancing Down The Stony Road - Chris Rea > Reviews > Raised from the dead to sing the blues

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Magnificent
Disadvantages:	You have to like real music

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Chris Rea has been putting out quality music for over quarter of a century, peaking in 1990 with The Road To Hell. There has, however, always been a feeling that much of his work was a compromise between his genuine musical inspirations and the commercial expectations of record companies. Not to understate the quality of past records. Simply that there was so much more to come.

While at times, such as part of the 1987 release Dancing With Strangers, he has found the bluesy roots in dramatic style, the influences of Ry Cooder, John Lee Hooker and the American Gospel sound have so often been hidden by the need to have a couple of hits from each album.

It took the near death experience of a failing pancreas, combined with the associated multiple surgery, for Rea to finally do what, I suspect, he has always wanted to do with an album. In the circumstances, he has every right to sing the blues. And boy does he do it well here!

The first double album from a long career, Dancing Down The Stony Road finds the man Rea genuinely is. 20 tracks of intense musicianship, stretching from the darkness of Easy Rider through the gospel marvel of Sun Is Rising to the refreshing Give That Girl A Diamond, present what is for me Chris Rea's defining moment.

Every offering on this album is penned, performed and produced by Rea himself. Even the artwork on the sleeve notes has come from the man.

What about the music? Well, it would be genuinely self indulgent of me to review each track individually. I can, however, give an unequivocal recommendation to take 90 minutes out and listen to the lot from start to finish. You will not be disappointed.

From the booming vocal on the opening track, through the Delta Blues sounds of Dancing The Blues Away and Catfish Girl, Rea and his band are on top form. The highlight of the first CD is Slow Dance. That unique voice powering away as layer upon layer of instrumentation is dramatically added to peak in a jamming session that I can but dream to be present at. This is the blues done differently, perhaps better, than ever before. And Chris Rea is a white man!

CD Two continues to grow the impression that while Rea has already sold 20 million records, those sales from now on will be of even better quality. Exquisite guitar licks on top of superbly crafted songs make this, for me, the best album of the new millennium so far.

While I have no idea if Rea is a religious man, or is simply drawing on the faith of the American South, there are numerous references to The Lord, highlighted in the brilliant Sun Is Rising. While no Gospel choir is present, Rea does the job solo; you get an overwhelming feel of a packed congregation letting it all go in a fantastically enjoyable seven minutes of magic. The refreshingly mellow love song, Give That Girl A Diamond, brings Dancing Down The Stony Road to a conclusion. These are merely the highlights. There's a lot more to hear and, personally, another 20 tracks would not go amiss. A trip from the Mississippi Delta, to industrial Chicago with a brief reflection on 9/11 and thoughts on his own recent illness.

This album is simply marvellous. There is not a bad track in the 20 here, the musicianship is faultless and Rea gives his best ever vocal performance. And I say that as one who has always preferred the sound of his guitars. The Fender Stratocasters on fine form here too!

If you have enjoyed Chris Rea previously, you will love this. If you love the sound of slide guitar, you will be right at home with Dancing On The Stony Road. If you appreciate quality music, you will find Rea stalwarts Sylvan Marc (bass) and Robert Ahwai (guitar) at their best, alongside Ed Hession (accordion) and the banjo (yes, really, a banjo!) of Gerry O'Connor. If you have ever enjoyed the blues or gospel, find the £10.99 for this at cdwow.com.

There is a lesson for us all here. If you know you know best, but allow yourself to be constrained, you will never give your best. Throw away the shackles. Do what you believe in. Have faith in your own beliefs and abilities and you will succeed. That’s what Chris Rea has done here.

(Released on the Jazzee Blue label, which I have never previously heard of!)