Road Songs for Lovers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 September 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2017 | |||
Studio | Metropolis Studios | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 58:20 | |||
Label | Jazzee Blue & BMG | |||
Producer | Chris Rea | |||
Chris Rea chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Last Train (Lyric Video)" on YouTube |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
All About Jazz | [1] |
laut.de | [2] |
Louder Sound | [3] |
Polityka | [4] |
Record Collector | [5] |
The Spill Magazine | [6] |
Road Songs for Lovers is the twenty-fourth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released on 29 September 2017 by Jazzee Blue and BMG labels. [7]
Rea stated there was no initial intention to make a new album, but after a bad medical condition in 2016 he started to write new songs which eventually led to a band regroup, and first album release in six years. [8] A semi-concept album, [9] the songs were inspired by traveling on the road to London, seeing couples in cars and questioning the "people's love stories inside cars". [10] According to Rea, most of the songs are about a boy-girl relationship in the car. He has stated that his favorite song is "Last Train", the lyrics of which are not about the typical meaning of the last train which goes home, but taking the last train in a desperate situation without knowing anything about its direction. [8]
The album was released on a double gatefold vinyl LP, and CD edition featuring 12-page booklet. Prior to the album release the song "The Road Ahead" was released on 29 July 2017 as a single for digital download and streaming. [11]
The album release was followed by a European tour with 37 dates which started in October until December, 2017. [12] During the tour he had to have daily three hours long therapy for nerves in his right hand. [13] On 9 December, Rea collapsed during a performance at the New Theatre Oxford, the 35th concert of the tour. [14] He was taken to hospital, with his condition stabilised, [15] and the last two concerts canceled. [16]
Doug Collette, in a review for All About Jazz , gave the album 4/5 stars, concluding that "the sonics of this album, as applied to the tantalizing guitar solo of 'Last Train' and throughout the album, are a reassuring blend of succor and salve for body, mind and soul". [1] Aaron Badgley for The Spill Magazine also gave it 4/5 rating, praising the album for its blend of blues and rock, stating that "young artists would do well to study this one, it really could be a blueprint for how a good rock album should sound". [17]
Andrew W. Griffin rated it 4.5/5, considered "Last Train" to be "delivered in gothic, world-weary style that brings to mind Bob Dylan or Tom Waits or Nick Cave" and praised the engineers, Alex Robinson and Tim Young, mastering. [18] Hugh Fielder writing for Louder Sound commented, "As the title suggests, Rea is on familiar ground once again, but his fans won’t be complaining. After all, the scenery on any road trip is an endless vista of observations and speculations, and Rea’s lyrics can evoke both with consummate ease, drawing you closer as the album progresses. The musical class on this record is, of course, a given." [3]
Hugh Fielder from TeamRock gave it 3.5/5 stars and stated that "fans won't be complaining. After all, the scenery on any road trip is an endless vista of observations and speculations, and Rea's lyrics can evoke both with consummate ease, drawing you closer as the album progresses". [19] Giuliano Benassi for laut.de gave a score of 3/5 and concluded it gives "easy listening for intense concert evenings" and that Rea "still does not lack musical ideas". [20]
All tracks are written by Chris Rea.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Happy on the Road" | 3:46 |
2. | "Nothing Left Behind" | 5:29 |
3. | "Road Songs for Lovers" | 4:13 |
4. | "Money" | 5:57 |
5. | "Two Lost Souls" | 4:46 |
6. | "Rock My Soul" | 4:07 |
7. | "Moving On" | 5:10 |
8. | "The Road Ahead" | 4:16 |
9. | "Last Train" | 6:33 |
10. | "Angel of Love" | 4:29 |
11. | "Breaking Point" | 5:54 |
12. | "Beautiful" | 3:40 |
Total length: | 58:20 |
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [22] | 22 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [23] | 34 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [24] | 30 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [25] | 52 |
French Albums (SNEP) [26] | 188 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [27] | 19 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [28] | 18 |
UK Albums (OCC) [29] | 11 |
Shamrock Diaries is the seventh studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1985. This album represents the beginning of a creative and commercial zenith for Rea. Shamrock Diaries was a huge seller in Europe, reaching the top 20 in several countries including Ireland, West Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and spent forty two weeks in the Dutch charts, peaking at No. 3. The album was also successful in Australia, where it charted in the top 50. "Stainsby Girls" became Rea's first Top 30 single since 1978's "Fool If You Think It's Over". In 1988, Magnet Records was taken over by Warner Bros Records, who re-released Shamrock Diaries with a significantly remixed version of "Josephine". The original version was used in the 2019 deluxe re-issue of the album.
On the Beach is the eighth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1986, and built on the success of the preceding Shamrock Diaries. It reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart, topped the Dutch charts, reached number two in West Germany and No. 4 in New Zealand. It also reached the top 10 in Norway. In 2019, a deluxe remastered version of the album was released.
Lovers Rock is the fifth studio album by English band Sade, released on 13 November 2000 by Epic Records. The album was titled after a style of reggae music known as lovers rock, noted for its romantic sound and content, which frontwoman Sade Adu listened to in her youth. Lovers Rock was seen as a departure from the band's previous use of jazz elements, opting instead for a wider use of musical elements from soul music, R&B, soft rock, folk music, dub, reggae, neo soul and lovers rock. The album's production has been characterised as spare, with simple arrangements and reggae flourishes. A concept album, the lyrics focus on both the positive and the negative sides of love; the album's lyrical content also touches upon political themes.
The Road to Hell is the tenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1989. Coming on the back of several strongly performing releases, it is Rea's most successful studio album, and topped the UK Albums Chart for three weeks. Hailed as a "modern masterpiece", it was certified 6× Platinum by BPI in 2004. The album demonstrates a thematic cohesion previously absent from Rea's work, with the majority of the tracks containing strong elements of social commentary, addressing alienation, violence and redemption. The second part of the two-part title track, "The Road to Hell ", is one of Rea's most famous songs, and his only single to reach the UK Top 10. Geffen Records released the album in the US, adding the 1988 re-recording of "Let's Dance" and different cover artwork.
New Light Through Old Windows is the first compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1988. The album consists primarily of re-recordings of songs from Rea's earlier albums, as well as the new track "Working on It", which peaked at No. 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and was Rea's only No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "On the Beach" peaked at No. 9 on the US Adult Contemporary singles chart, and No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The album reached number five on the UK Albums Chart, charted for over a year, and was certified 3× Platinum by BPI until 1992. It charted in the Top 10 in New Zealand, Australia and West Germany.
The Road to Hell: Part 2 is the fifteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1999, ten years after The Road to Hell. The single released for the album was "New Times Square". There was also a Japanese edition with the songs "Be My Friend" and "Driving Home for Christmas" included as tracks. It reached number 54 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Silver by BPI.
King of the Beach is the sixteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2000. The singles released for the album were "All Summer Long" and "Who Do You Love". The album reached number 26 in the UK. There was also a Japanese version with "Mississippi" and "There’s Only You" included as tracks.
Espresso Logic is the thirteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1993. The US edition of the album has a significantly different track listing, featuring two songs from Rea's previous album, God's Great Banana Skin, which was not released in the US, along with "If You Were Me", a track recorded with Elton John for his 1993 Duets release. The cover art of the US edition is the same as the UK single "Espresso Logic". The song "Julia" was dedicated to his daughter Julia Christina, who was four years old at the time.
God's Great Banana Skin is the twelfth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1992. The album was not released in the United States, though some tracks later appeared on the US release of Rea's following album Espresso Logic. The single "Nothing To Fear" reached number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, and its music video was filmed in Morocco. The album reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart in 1992.
Dancing Down the Stony Road is the seventeenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2002 on his own record label, Jazzee Blue. The album has also been released in Europe by Edel under the shorter title Stony Road with different cover art and only one CD, while the original UK is double CD edition with additional tracks. The album is notable for its change of Rea's previous rock music style to Delta blues and gospel blues. It reached #14 position in UK album charts, and was certified Gold by BPI. A version of Dancing Down The Stony Road was used in the BBC television programme Speed.
The Blue Jukebox is the twentieth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2004 by his independent record label Jazzee Blue. The cover artwork is inspired by Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting. Compared to the Dancing Down the Stony Road (2002) has a smoother and jazzier take on the blues.
The Best of Chris Rea is the second compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1994. The album contains 15 previously released songs plus two new tracks, "You Can Go Your Own Way" and "Three Little Green Candles". The collection notably omits Rea's 1988 Christmas hit "Driving Home for Christmas". The song "If You Were Me" is a duet between Rea and Elton John, originally released on John's Duets album in 1993.
The Very Best of Chris Rea is the third compilation album by the British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2001. The last track, "Saudade", was originally written and recorded in 1994 as a tribute to the Formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna who died in a crash at Imola on 1 May that year. In Portuguese, the word saudade roughly means the feeling, emotions and euphoria of a certain moment in time. It reached number 69 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified Gold by the BPI in 2004.
The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes is the twenty-second studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2008 by his own record label, Jazzee Blue. It comprises three CDs and double 10" vinyl records in an 80-page hardback book. It is the second album of his project, the Hofner Blue Notes (2003).
Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea is a compilation album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released by Rhino Records in 2009. The album reached number 8 on the UK Albums Chart, making it Rea's first entry in the top 10 in ten years since The Blue Cafe (1998), and was certified Gold by BPI in 2013.
Santo Spirito Blues is the twenty-third studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2011 by his independent record label Jazzee Blue and Rhino Entertainment.
"Looking for the Summer" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1991 as the third single from his eleventh studio album Auberge. It was written by Rea and produced by Jon Kelly. "Looking for the Summer" reached No. 49 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks. A music video was filmed to promote the single. It also featured in a diner scene in the 1992 Hollywood blockbuster Basic Instinct.
"That's What They Always Say" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1989 as the second single from his tenth studio album The Road to Hell. It was written by Rea and produced by Rea and Jon Kelly. As the follow-up to "The Road to Hell", "That's What They Always Say" reached No. 83 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for four weeks.
The Zealot Gene is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003), and their first of all original material since J-Tull Dot Com (1999), marking the longest gap between the band's studio albums.
Surviving the Law is the 25th studio album by Scottish hard rock band Nazareth. It was released on 15 April 2022 by Frontiers Records and produced by Yann Rouiller who also worked with Nazareth on their previous albums, Tattooed on My Brain (2018), The Newz (2008) and Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (2014). It is the second Nazareth album to feature vocalist Carl Sentance. Original singer Dan McCafferty had given his blessings to Nazareth's new singer and left the band in 2014 citing health issues.