The Blue Jukebox

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The Blue Jukebox
The Blue Jukebox.jpg
Studio album by
Chris Rea
Released22 March 2004
Studio Sol Studios, Berkshire
Studio Guillaume Tell, Paris [1]
Genre Blues, jazz
Length66:13
Label Jazzee Blue/Edel
Producer Kiadan Quinn
Chris Rea chronology
Hofner Blue Notes
(2003)		The Blue Jukebox
(2004)		 Blue Guitars
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
laut.de Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]

The Blue Jukebox is the twentieth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2004 by his independent record label Jazzee Blue. [1] The cover artwork is inspired by Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painting. [2] Compared to the Dancing Down the Stony Road (2002) has a smoother and jazzier take on the blues. [5]

Contents

Summary

It is Rea's fourth studio album released since the founding of his independent record label Jazzee Blue in 2002 and release of Dancing Down the Stony Road , with which changed his music style from rock to blues oriented after his life-saving medic operation in the early 2000s. [6] [7] [8] It was released with cardboard packaging, matt paper, reproduction of illustrations, and 20-page booklet. [5] [1]

Reception

In The Press joint review with Eric Clapton's Me and Mr. Johnson , the album was given 5/5 stars considering it as "superb fusion of jazz and blues" in which guitar and piano are blended with saxophone among other instruments, highlighting the songs "Steel River Blues", "Restless Soul", "Long Is The Time", and "Hard Is The Road", and it is a "tribute to the influence Ry Cooder's style of guitar work" on his early career. [3] Giuliano Benassi in a 4/5 star review for laut.de considered that "the result is a mix of blues and jazz that goes well with the cover: in fact, it gives the impression of listening to an endless loop in a rainy night of a jukebox. There is no gap filler or inferior material here". [2] Music in Belgium also gave it the same score and concluded "it is an excellent CD with very dark climate. A special mention to the saxophonist who distills his masterful play throughout this album, but all the musicians are excellent". [9] Jörn Schlüter for German edition of Rolling Stone gave it 2/5 stars. [4] A reviewer of The Times commented, "The Blue Jukebox never matches, or tries to match, the raw intensity of Rea's Dancing Down the Stony Road. Instead, we get a smoother, jazzier take on the blues, although still with plenty of grit supplied by Rea's voice and his vibrant slide guitar, which slithers through." [10]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Chris Rea

  1. "The Beat Goes On" – 4:31
  2. "Long Is the Time, Hard Is the Road" – 5:27
  3. "Let's Do It" – 5:01
  4. "Let It Roll" – 4:49
  5. "Steel River Blues" – 4:34
  6. "Somebody Say Amen" – 6:22
  7. "Blue Street" – 4:48
  8. "Monday Morning" – 4:14
  9. "Restless Soul" – 5:51
  10. "What Kind of Love Is This" – 6:37
  11. "Paint My Jukebox Blue" – 4:01
  12. "Baby Don't Cry" – 5:23
  13. "Speed" – 5:05

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for The Blue Jukebox
Chart (2004)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [11] 41
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [12] 40
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [13] 26
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [14] 32
French Albums (SNEP) [15] 133
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [17] 49
UK Albums (OCC) [18] 27

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Rea</span> English singer and guitarist (born 1951)

Christopher Anton Rea is an English rock and blues singer and guitarist from Middlesbrough. A "gravel-voiced guitar stalwart" known for his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty five solo albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart. Described as "rock's ultimate survivor", given his recovery from several bouts of serious illness, Rea was "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with his single "The Road to Hell ". The album, The Road to Hell (1989), topped the album chart, as did its successor, Auberge (1991). His many hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine", "On the Beach", "Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge" and "Julia". He also recorded a duet with Elton John, "If You Were Me". Rea was nominated three times for the Brit Award for Best British Male Artist: in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

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<i>On the Beach</i> (Chris Rea album) 1986 studio album by Chris Rea

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<i>Blue Guitars</i> 2005 box set by Chris Rea

Blue Guitars is the twenty-first studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released on 14 October 2005 by his independent record label Jazzee Blue and Edel Records. The Blue Guitars album, packaged as a box set in the style of an earbook, consists of eleven CDs, one DVD and a full colour book, including paintings by the artist, liner notes and song lyrics. It is an ambitious project about blues music with the 137 songs recorded over the course of 18 months with a work schedule—according to Rea himself—of twelve hours a day, seven days a week. 2007 saw the release of a 2-CD "best of" compilation Blue Guitars: A Collection of Songs, which with individual albums can be also found in digital format.

<i>Dancing with Strangers</i> 1987 studio album by Chris Rea

Dancing with Strangers is the ninth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1987. It became Rea's first major success in the UK, peaking at No. 2 behind Michael Jackson's Bad, and spent 46 weeks in the charts before going platinum. The album entered the Top 10 in six other European countries, and topped the chart in New Zealand.

<i>The Road to Hell</i> 1989 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>New Light Through Old Windows</i> 1988 compilation album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>The Blue Cafe</i> 1998 studio album by Chris Rea

The Blue Cafe is the fourteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1998. The singles released for the album were "The Blue Cafe", "Thinking of You", "Sweet Summer Day" and "Square Peg, Round Hole". There was also a Japanese version with three bonus tracks, "Kyoto Blue", "Ameno Nakano Kiirono Herumetto" and "On the Beach". It was Rea's sixth successive album to reach the UK top ten, peaking at No. 10.

<i>The Road to Hell: Part 2</i> 1999 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>King of the Beach</i> (Chris Rea album) 2000 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>Espresso Logic</i> 1993 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

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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.

<i>Dancing Down the Stony Road</i> 2002 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>The Very Best of Chris Rea</i> 2001 greatest hits album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>The Return of the Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes</i> 2008 studio album by Chris Rea

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).

<i>Hofner Blue Notes</i> 2003 studio album by Chris Rea

Hofner Blue Notes is the nineteenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 2003 by his own record label, Jazzee Blue. The album was part of series of largely instrumental blues and jazz albums released by his label Jazzee Blue and mostly fronted by his band members, of which this album was preceded by Rea's eighteenth studio and instrumental album Blue Street in 2003.

<i>Still So Far to Go: The Best of Chris Rea</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>Santo Spirito Blues</i> 2011 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

<i>Road Songs for Lovers</i> 2017 studio album by Chris Rea

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Chris Rea - The Blue Jukebox". Discogs. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Giuliano Benassi (29 March 2004). "Jenseits der typischen Bluesmelancholie". laut.de (in German). LAUT AG. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Chris Rea, The Blue Jukebox (Jazzee Blue) *****; Eric Clapton, Me And Mr Johnson (Duck/Reprise) ****". The Press . 25 March 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 Jörn Schlüter (3 April 2004). "Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox". Rolling Stone (in German). Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Chris Rea: The Blue Jukebox". The Times . 4 April 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Colm O'Hare (6 April 2004). "Music Review: The Blue Jukebox". Hot Press . Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "Chris Rea: the road to recovery". BBC . 18 March 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  8. ↑ Keith Shadwick (26 March 2004). "Chris Rea: Confessions of a blues survivor". The Independent . Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Rea, Chris - The Blue Jukebox". Music in Belgium (in French). 7 July 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Chris Rea: The Blue Jukebox". The Times . 4 April 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Chris Rea – The Blue Jukebox". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
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