File Under Blues
eurocrank | Ketchikan, Alaska | 12/09/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Chris Rea is a big star in Europe but practically unknown in the U.S., which is perhaps why his appearance on Elton John's "Duets" album surprised no one over 'there' but everyone over 'here.' Most of his albums are suave 'n' roots, like a Bryan Ferry version of Dire Straits, except that Rea has a gravelly voice (not unlike Waylon Jennings) and plays lots of bottleneck slide guitar (a la Muddy Waters and Blind Willie Johnson). There's been a progression in his songwriting and performing, in my opinion, from his most contemporary-radio material (1979-1984) to his mature, memorable material (1985 on). The watershed album is "Shamrock Diaries" (1985), in which he connected with (maybe even established) his roots in rock, blues, and soul."Dancing Down the Stony Road" is a remarkable record by most standards, perhaps even those of classic blues. These are songs of pain, performed with a great deal of expression -- true blue blues. He voices the agony and the love of life and music he experienced while recovering from a potentially terminal illness. It's his first blues album (and deserves W.C. Handy Awards for every "crossover" category), but it sounds like he's been playing blues all his life.Rea dedicates this album to Charley Patton, Blind Willie Johnson, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Rea's always had a knack for interesting, strong rhythms, so Patton might not come as a surprise, and his slide playing has obvious ties to Johnson's death meditations, but it's great to hear the songs influenced by Tharpe's fierce gospel drive. I'd like to think these artists would be proud to see their names associated with this album.Rea has written songs suggesting bewilderment and sorrow before (cf. 'Nothing to Fear' or 'Gone Fishing'), but nothing so direct as these songs, in my opinion. I cried when I first heard 'Easy Rider'--the pain in the lyrics, the voice, and especially the slide guitar solo. I wasn't prepared for it, and I'm still startled by every song on the album. Perhaps the lyrics sometimes try a little too hard, making leaps I can't quite follow (i.e., looking for sugar to take away the gray). But they do convey an intensely personal experience, much like Van Morrison's lyrics do. It's also a great album with which to consider his other albums, just like "Astral Weeks" and "Moondance" for Van's recordings. If all Rea's roads lead to "Dancing," they're not one-way streets, and I can go back and check them out. I realize that I love "King of the Beach" (one of the great summer albums of all time) and "God's Great Banana Skin" because their hearts beat to the blues you hear in "Dancing Down the Stony Road." Other albums don't, however, like "The Road to Hell, Part 2," which seems like a cynical statement about techno-rock.Probably the most comparable recent album is Dylan's "Time Out Of Mind." Both owe their life to near-death experiences and the blues. I like these albums about the same. I wish Rea the same success . . ."
