Entertainment For Lively Minds
New Chris Rea box set
What do you think?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Santo-Spirito-Blues-Chris-Rea/dp/B005ADOQTI/ref=...
"Following his sell-out UK & European tour in 2010, and 2009’s UK top ten album Still So Far To Go - The Best Of Chris Rea, one of the UK’s foremost singer-songwriters returns with his first new material in over ten years [wildly inaccurate!]. The elaborate three-CD and two-DVD The Santo Spirito Project will include a brand new studio album, featuring "Dancing My Blues Away", "Never Tie Me Down", "The Chance Of Love", "Rock & Roll Tonight", "Electric Guitar" and "The Last Open Road".
Additionally, The Santo Spirito Project features two bespoke feature films on DVD, written and directed by Chris. The first feature is a raw and brutally honest chronicle on bullfighting, featuring neo-classical and Spanish-themed gypsy music. The second feature follows a man on a search for the truth in the city of Florence, a journey he may or may not wish he began. The music to accompany both films will be contained on two CDs. Here, Chris explains his rationale for such an ambitious project:
"I love creating things and passionately believe artists should be looking to try new ways of bringing what we do to the public. There should be no rules whatsoever and, for God’s sake, there are alternatives to TV talent shows. Sometimes, those who have had extremely good fortune in music allow only X Factor type TV shows to set the musical and cultural agenda of this country by actually doing nothing new or different themselves." "
The films sound like awful impressionistic arty crap. And made by a musician? I do not have high hopes. But for only £15 you get a new album and two, I assume, instrumental soundtrack albums. I'm buying. Better value than U2's new Achtung Baby box set anyway.
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More power to his elbow.
Purely on spec and largely because it was in a sale, I bought the "Blue Guitars" box set a few years back and became a fan. It's generally very high quality and contains some wonderful songs.
Ever since his serious illness, he seems to have taken a "Sod it, I'm going to play the music I love" approach and thrown off the shackles. He's doing what he loves to do and not what he's expected to do.
Thank heavens for people with scope and ambition and endeavour and the courage to try things. I shall certainly get it.
Agree with you, Mark
I like Blue Guitars a lot; The Hofner Bluenotes on the other hand, was pretty average. What I also like is his attitude to pricing. If I remember correctly, Blue Guitars was about £30 when fully priced - 11 CDs and a DVD - a real VFM deal.
This new on is one my Amazon wish list as at now.
Another fan of 'Blue Guitars' here
I like dipping into the set now and again. You get the feeling that the whole thing was done for the right reason. Of course it's not all great, but how could it be? Still, there's much to enjoy; Rea's voice has a gruff, amiable quality. My 4 favourite discs in the set are probably "Louisiana and New Orleans", "Electric Memphis Blues", "Gospel Soul Blues and Motown" and "60's and 70's." I've certainly never regretted the £23 I spent on "Blue Guitars."
A Man of Substance
I never cared for Chris Rea`s pop music output,I didn`t dislike it,it just didn`t `shake my tree`, however a mate lent me the The Blue Jukebox and I liked what I heard,when Chris Rea released Blue guitars I got it and was not disapointed, The fabulous Hofner Bluenotes wasn`t as ground breaking but still ultimately rewarding. Mr. Rea is clearly a man who cares about his music and I do to, good luck to him and I look forward to the Santo Spirito Project.
It was okay.
The album is good (one of the songs, Last Open Road, is a re-recording of a song from 1999).
The two films were unwatchable crap. As expected. I didn't finish them.
The Bull Fight soundtrack was boring, and didn't make it to my iPod. The other soundtrack was good.
Overall okay.