Being a North East publication centres us in an amazing world of some of the greatest legends ever to hold a guitar. Of course, something I do not need to do is start name dropping, history has already done that.
But a humble North East lad has been a solid fixture on the music scene for well over 50 years with a whole host of incredible talents in songwriting, vocal power and of course, his guitar style.
In 1988, Chris released an album, ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ which, to me, showcases Chris’s talents and magic in all it’s forms while holding on to the honesty of being somebody firmly connected to his roots.
To hear that Chris is releasing a remastered version on CD on 11th July has filled us with excitement. So much so, I decided to play the original album in my car and head out towards Chris’s home town to really feel the essence of the album. Boy, what a ride!
So the original album begins with the classic ‘Let’s Dance’. You only have to wait a few seconds before experiencing Chris’s signature Slide guitar sound which to me can only be played by the man himself. I’ve heard many try but very few have succeeded. The following year, after the release of ‘New Light Through Old Windows’ Chris of course, released the album which I believe was his Slide showpiece ‘The Road to Hell’. Maybe one day we’ll get into that album.
Moving on to the second track ‘Working on it’ a big track which I would advise to cruise up and down the A19 around Middlesborough and Stockton, windows open, and just feel the energy, the crafted lyrics and more of that ‘Rea slide’.
The third track ‘Ace of Hearts’ is where the album turns to Chris’s wonderful storytelling through his lyrics which comes up again and again on the album. Now I must say at this point, this album released in ’88 was a compilation album of tracks that had become UK and US successes so would say that dedicated fans to Rea’s work would recognise the vast majority of the album and would understand what I’m on about when I speak of his lyric artistry. Try listening to Shamrock Diaries, Windy Town and Steel River to get what I’m on about. The latter track, really feels that Chris is pouring his heart out about his hometown and shows a vulnerability to his music which is just magical. Oh yes, listen out for that slide solo…
It was also great to listen to the classics, On The Beach, Fool, If you think it’s over’ and that festive monster, ‘Driving Home For Christmas’. These complete the portfolio nicely, I believe, of a great album.
So the remastered CD comes out 11th July which we will be getting into as soon as it hits the shops. In the meantime, listen to the original and feel the magic! One day we may connect with Chris for a brief chat, you never know, we live in hope!