Fretplay.com Chris de Burgh CD reviews Chris de Burgh guitar tabs Chris de Burgh CD reviews Chris de Burgh tabs Best Moves


Chris de Burgh - Best Moves Audio CD

A fair review of the Chris de Burgh "Best Moves" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Chris de Burgh reviews here, or go back to the Chris de Burgh tabs.

Chris de Burgh Band: Chris de Burgh
Title: Best Moves
Rating:
Release Date: 1985-09-26
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Traveller 2: Every Drop of Rain 3: In a Country Churchyard 4: Patricia the Stripper 5: Satin Green Shutters 6: Spanish Train 7: Waiting for the Hurricane 8: Broken Wings 9: Lonely Sky 10: Spaceman Came Travelling 11: Crusader: The Fall of Jerusalem/In the Court of Saladin/The ...

Great Anthology Of Early Chris DeBurgh
The obvious influences here are Donovan and the Moody Blues, and the songs are very relaxing. BEST MOVES is a great anthology of the early work of British singer-songwriter Chris DeBurgh. This is true even of the more intense numbers such as "The Traveller" and "Spanish Train. " Granted, there are moments that might appeal more to devout Christians than to the average person, and DeBurgh would improve by adding a Steve Miller/Bob Seger influence on the harder-rocking THE GETAWAY and MAN ON THE LINE, but if you want to hear his early work, this is the CD to get.


A solid hits album.
Maybe you even played "In a Country Churchyard" at your wedding. Okay, so if you know anything about Chris de Burgh, you know all the words to "Spanish Train", and you can bawdy down with a boa and a high-volume version of "Patricia the Stripper" when you've had enough to drink. If you already are, or applying to be, a CDB fan, then this album is a must for you. It's got enough to get you moving in the right direction, at least, since there are so many to collect if you are a die-hard. Buy this and turn it up in the car -- at least the cop who pulls you over for speeding to "Spanish Train" will be impressed.


De Burgh's early career
No accident of course, since this compilation was released in 1981, before the successes of songs like "Don't Pay the Ferryman" (from De Burgh's brief period as more of a straight-up rocker), "The Lady in Red," (his soft-rock smash) and "Missing You" (more soft rock). Of all the "Best Of" compilations released by Chris De Burgh over the years, this is the only one that does justice to Chris De Burgh's early career, when he presented himself as more of a storytelling bard than an adult contemporary pop star.

In the 1970s, however, De Burgh favored acoustic and orchestral arrangements, and his songs would often evoke pastoral imagery and/or period moods, with some religious-themed supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. The best known songs from this period are "Spanish Train," "In a Country Churchyard," "The Traveller," the Christmas-themed "A Spaceman Came Travelling," and the jokey "Patricia the Stripper. "

To properly represent this period, any compilation of this period must include "Crusader" (an epic but grossly historically inaccurate art-rock suite). The song is nine minutes long, however, and its inclusion takes up a lot of room on an LP-length collection, which is limited to 40 or 45 minutes. Throw in two new songs (one of which, "Waiting for the Hurricane," fails to leave any impression whatsoever), and that means that a lot of excellent material was crowded out. A perfect collection would have included "The Tower" from "Spanish Train," "Sailor" from "Eastern Wind," and "Carry On" and "The Girl with April in Her Eyes" from "Crusader. "

But, even without those songs, this is still an excellent collection, with the added bonus of a live version of "Broken Wings" that is slightly superior to the studio version. A delightful listen for fans of this kind of music, and the only option for anyone wanting material from De Burgh's early career, but not wanting to spend a fortune on five expensive import discs.


A true convert
It was this album and his even better "Man on the Line" that made me a life-long fan. This album was my first exposure to Chris de Burgh, given to me by a friend who had returned from Germany, where he is much better known. His music seemed to have been written especially for me, but everyone I have introduced his music to has also become a fan--my wife, my college roommate, even my parents (yes, it's music that spans the generation gap).


You can see a complete list of all Chris de Burgh discography, or go back to the Chris de Burgh tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

Search guitar tabs

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
[ Search tabs | Guitar tabs | Bass tabs |
Easy guitar tabs | Guitar solo tabs |
Acoustic guitar tabs | Guitar chords |
How to read guitar tabs ]
Forum topics
Music forums
- Bands and artists - Songwriting and lyrics - Tablature talk - Promote your band
Instrument forums
- Guitar basics - Gear & accessories - Bass guitar
Community
- The pit - Site Feedback - Reviews
[ User survey | About us | Privacy statement ]