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Chris Rea - King of the Beach Audio CD

A fair review of the Chris Rea "King of the Beach" 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 Rea reviews here, or go back to the Chris Rea tabs.

Chris Rea Band: Chris Rea
Title: King of the Beach
Rating:
Release Date: 2000-10-09
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: King of the Beach 2: All Summer Long 3: Sail Away 4: Still Beautiful 5: Bones of Angels 6: Guitar Street 7: Who Do You Love 8: Memory of a Good Friend 9: Sandwriting 10: Tamatave 11: God Gave Me an Angel 12: Waiting for a Blue Sky 13: Mississippi [U.K. Bonus]

A seasoned veteran in top form.
Relax. Sit back. Put on the latest Chris Rea album and feel the gentle sea breezes wash over you. The musical journey that Chris Rea has travelled since he debuted on the scene over 20 years ago with the Light FM standard "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" has been a long and varied one. Light pop, heavy blues, driving rock, reggae, and anything else you can think of has been thrown into the cauldron of Rea's career. Left to simmer for a few years, his muse has emerged with an album of delicate beauty that merges all of these elements. The tone is quiet, but not boring. The music flows gently from start to finish, but there is an underlying urgency that gives it power. A seasoned veteran in top form.


Back to the Beach--Back to His Roots
The strongest tracks on "King of the Beach" are ballads such as "Sail Away," but there is plenty of variety here, including the standout track "All Summer Long. After an interesting, and we suspect not very successful, foray into envelope-pushing experimentation with "Road to Hell Pt 2," Chris Rea is back with a solid set that will please fans of his other work. " Chris' voice is in that strong, rough/tender timbre that sits comfortably against the sterling steel guitar that is his trademark sound. If you liked "On the Beach" or "Auberge," you'll probably love this one.


He's back
This is one of those albums that takes a few listens to really appreciate. After a somewhat disappointing Road to Hell II, Chris Rea is back to what he does best. Each new listen leads me to a different favorite song. Chris's ability to take one of his older songs like Guitar Street and re-invent it is truly amazing. We can all hope his health problems are on the mend and that we can look forward to many more efforts of this kind.


Rea back in his comfort zone
He is a great tunesmith with a legendary voice, and this recording has a reassuring quality that Shamrock, On The Beach and Wired also have. What a pleasant surprise! After driving down a commercial alley for the past 7 or so CDs, this is a return to the Rea glory days.

His CDs do not really need a stand out single, as their enduring value lies in their ability to put one's mind at peace for the entire recording.

I would say that the only weak track is Tamatave, as his Geordie French really doesn't work! On the positives, Sail Away has a similar soporific feel to Just Passing Through, and while Bones of Angels and All Summer Long are beautifully crafted Rea tunes, I would say that my favourite is the foot tapping gem - Who Do You Love.


Totally Rea
This is a beautifully crafted album with at least one track to please everyone who hears it. After the somewhat quirky 'Road to Hell Pt2' the first listen of 'King of the Beach' was like slipping into your favourite slippers. The lyrics are as meaningful as ever and there are few artists who can write a melody like Chris Rea. He still continues to be one of the most under rated musicians of our time. No there is nothing startling about this album, but give it a listen or two and I guarentee you will be humming the tunes all day.


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

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