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Mr_Blues
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Re: New Single...

Post by Mr_Blues »

tobi777 wrote:Hi all,

guess I'm a bit heretic, too. I always regard a song as a total work of art. The formula: blues = bad production + cheesy lyrics + uninspired guitar playing + simple chords doesn't work for me, either. That's the reason I don't like many highly regarded blues players. I know it's a matter of personal taste and every artists changes slightly over such a long time but nevertheless I'm disappointed with the development of Chris' music over the last years.

If you listen to "I Can't Dance To That" from DWS - a great blues song - you'll hear the difference. Great arrangement, interesting lyrics, more than just three chords (although it may sound simple), clean production, evolving guitar solos, cool drumming, professional recording and so on. Remember this song was recorded in 1987 - an era not particularly famous for great guitar records and -sounds...

His slide playing now all sounds the same. Just loud and scratchy. No precise soloing we used to hear. One reason may be the absence of a really good producer, maybe Chris lost his ability to hear. I'll always try to find good songs on Chris' new records but to be honest I think his heyday was between 1987 and 1993. Melodies and elaborate arrangements are crucial parts of his records and without these ingredients it just sounds all the same.

REAgards

Tobi
"I can´t dance to that, a great blues song".

You´re talking bullshit over there.
Tell you what, real blues don´t need no fancy melodies and too many chords.
Here is example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJQOX_V4o8
Chris should go this direction more than to the way of over produced bullshit.
Too many good words to add here.
I better just sit back and drink beer. :)
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elangelo
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Re: New Single...

Post by elangelo »

Hey Mr. Blues, I'm afraid you're a bit too rude. If you remember Chirs' interview in the Blue Guitars earbook, he said that every song he wrote was a blues song for him, including "I can hear your heartbeat" etc. So Tobi is correct in a way.
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The worst is gone....
Mr_Blues
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Re: New Single...

Post by Mr_Blues »

elangelo wrote:Hey Mr. Blues, I'm afraid you're a bit too rude. If you remember Chirs' interview in the Blue Guitars earbook, he said that every song he wrote was a blues song for him, including "I can hear your heartbeat" etc. So Tobi is correct in a way.
Well, I think correct way would be saying that the songs he has written are bluesy,
I would not go as far as saying that every song that Chris has wrote is blues.
Even Blue Guitars has some songs that doesn´t feel like blues to me.
Too many good words to add here.
I better just sit back and drink beer. :)
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BLUEHOOD71
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Re: New Single...

Post by BLUEHOOD71 »

Gentleman please, We all love Chris for his music and I am sure we all love it for different reasons. My favourite album is Shamrock Diaries because it was the first album of Chris Rea I heard. I am sure everyone else has a different favourite album but it dose not mean someone knows better than someone else because their choice is different. All I can say is love new single not to say others will not. If you do not like it do not listen to it after all I am sure there is pleanty Chris has done that you do like.
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Re: New Single...

Post by Mr_Blues »

BLUEHOOD71 wrote:Gentleman please, We all love Chris for his music and I am sure we all love it for different reasons. My favourite album is Shamrock Diaries because it was the first album of Chris Rea I heard. I am sure everyone else has a different favourite album but it dose not mean someone knows better than someone else because their choice is different. All I can say is love new single not to say others will not. If you do not like it do not listen to it after all I am sure there is pleanty Chris has done that you do like.
This ain´t about someone´s favourite album or song,
this is about the question is every Chris Rea song a blues song or not.
And I feel strongly that all of his songs ain´t blues, not even close.
He sure has blues songs too, but many of the songs are pop/rock with a blues influence.
But it´s false thinking to think that all he ever has done is blues.
Too many good words to add here.
I better just sit back and drink beer. :)
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Re: New Single...

Post by tobi777 »

I just wanted to say that I don't like Chris' last productions and songs too much. I also wanted to explain that blues can be more than just three chords - and imho ICDTT IS a blues song - what else can it be otherwise? I didn't say every song Chris has done is blues. Neither did I intend to insult anybody. So please, mr_blues, watch your language and don't talk to me like that!
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Re: New Single...and Dancing with Strangers

Post by chrisreafan »

Tobi777; just a hint. You can buy at eil.com a press package of DWS, it will cost you, but money is "just pieces of paper flying away".

Full disclosure: i am a fan of Chris Rea since my nephew drove his car with "On the Beach" playing and i was listening. So that's some time ago. For the record.
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Re: New Single...and Dancing with Strangers

Post by tobi777 »

chrisreafan wrote:Tobi777; just a hint. You can buy at eil.com a press package of DWS, it will cost you, but money is "just pieces of paper flying away".
Thanks for that - but I like those pieces of paper :lol:
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Re: New Single...

Post by elangelo »

Well, anyway, I agree, Mr. Blues, please don't be so rude. Everything else is OK, we all have our own opinions.
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Re: New Single...

Post by Jim M »

I also agree we should all try to be cival even when we disagree.
I for one like the song and i'm sure some of you don't -I can live with that (just don't buy it) !
I also don't think EVERY C.R. song is the blues but blues are in the ear of the listener !
I do like most of the "Pop" songs as well .
Until I can write & perform as well as C.R. I for one will enjoy what he gives us !
My advise listen to the songs you like and in my case that's probably 95% of his music.
Imagine this much controversy over 1 song -just wait till his next album offering comes out !
Enjoy
Jim
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chrisrea101
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Re: New Single...

Post by chrisrea101 »

The heart of many of chris's songs are very bluesy ideas, well definatley the chris rea brand of blues, e.g. on the beach, the idea of someone intensly missing a certain person, in a certain time and place, is definately the heart of a blues song, watch how he sings it on the DDSR DVD on the piano, defo a blues type thing - but production and recording didnt make that obvious to me on the early versions of the song.

So I think its wrong to say "all his songs are blues songs", but at the same time the meaning behind many of them are rooted in chris's rich blues influence, and very melachonic. It would be very boring if every artist who sings the blues produces copycat recordings in the style of john lee hooker/ BB king/ muddy waters etc etc....thats why i like chris so much cos so much is straight blues/ a hint of blues..but in his own style.

To he's finished is unfair, just listen to JJ cale so much of his stuff sounds quite samey to me, but no-one says he's past it. I agree with the point made about being spoilt by chris's latest recordings, 127 on BG, 30+ on bluenotes, blue jukebox was a superb album with cracking lyrics.

...in the words of chris "he's still got so far to go"....that to me spells new projects. However one thing i have learned since becoming a massive fan is to take whatever chris says about new project with a pinch of salt, no fireflies, no delmonts etc etc, Im just gonna sit back a take whatever actually gets released.

p.s. I really wouldnt mind a commercial chris rea album, with better production etc, and the new single is growing on me, esp after hearing the longer version.
Jump a train from Chicago
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Mr_Blues
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Re: New Single...

Post by Mr_Blues »

Sorry about cursing words if that made someone sensitive.

Like I said myself few times earlier, Chris has blues songs and then songs with bluesy roots.

But what I think is that half of the people inside this forum don´t know about real deal blues music,
they heard about it first time when Chris turned his route to the stony road. And then they think that
every word about blues said by C.R. is the absolute truth and all of a sudden all his music is blues.
So I think we should be correct about this thing, that´s why I took this as my case to fight about it a bit.

Many times Chris´s songs are not blues in music terms, though the lyrics could be blues.
And I think that music ain´t blues then, it´s maybe bluesy but not real blues.
I mean we gotta draw the line to somewhere between the genres.
Bluesy music can be pop, rock, or whatever as long as it has the roots in it.
I mean, even god [EDIT: Please don't use this word] euro dance/techno/machine made pop bullshit has lyrics with longing,
being blue, hoping for the better in love or whatever, and that for god [EDIT: Please don't use this word] sure doesn´t make it as blues.
And that´s because just about every music style that we know today has born from the blues music.
It doesn´t justify the title blues for everything.

So drawing that line, we should do that.
Too many good words to add here.
I better just sit back and drink beer. :)
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Re: New Single...

Post by Chris »

Hi all,
I wouldn't go as far as (I wouldn't dare it, out of politeness) to even suggest that "half of the people inside this forum" don't know about the blues because - as J.J. Cale sings (in "These Blues" from CD "To Tulsa And Back") - "the blues is not a song you sing; it is a way of life."
One either feels the blues or he/she doesn't. It's as simple as that. One doesn't need to be a musician, know about the chords, riffs etc., to understand the blues. Besides, both melodies and texts are rather simple flowing straight from the hearts and souls.
Chris Rea's songs from his early years, in my opinion, are merely a good material for blues songs and so he seems to say in numerous interviews when he suggests that every of his song can be re-made into the blues.
"Let's Dance" is definitely a blues. I'm grateful to a friend of my who years ago, in Munich, pointed out to this song, saying to me: 'it's a great blues, you ought to listen to it." I guess he knew what he was saying. He is a classical concert pianist.
Best regards to all,
Chris
tobi777
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Re: New Single...

Post by tobi777 »

Mr_Blues wrote: But what I think is that half of the people inside this forum don´t know about real deal blues music,
Maybe I'm one of these persons. Maybe it's not enough playing the guitar for about fifteen years (yes, blues guitar 8) ) and probably hundreds of records I own don't say anything about my musical ken. I'm happy with that sheepish life. :lol:

Still I'm looking for a good definition of the term "blues". Maybe mr_blues would be so kind to explain it to us low-brows? :)

Cheers,

Tobi
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Re: New Single...

Post by Mr_Blues »

tobi777 wrote:
Mr_Blues wrote: But what I think is that half of the people inside this forum don´t know about real deal blues music,
Maybe I'm one of these persons. Maybe it's not enough playing the guitar for about fifteen years (yes, blues guitar 8) ) and probably hundreds of records I own don't say anything about my musical ken. I'm happy with that sheepish life. :lol:

Still I'm looking for a good definition of the term "blues". Maybe mr_blues would be so kind to explain it to us low-brows? :)

Cheers,

Tobi
Guess you´re in that other half then.
And then I shouldn´t have to tell you about it.
Last edited by Mr_Blues on 05 Sep 2009, 18:02, edited 2 times in total.
Too many good words to add here.
I better just sit back and drink beer. :)
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