woensdag 6 maart 2013

Mr. Rea in Chicago

Gepubliceerd op 16 jan 2013 Chris Rea - Ticket For Chicago Blue Guitars Album Number Two - Country Blues. Blue Guitars is a Blues album released by Chris Rea on October 14, 2005 consisting of eleven CDs, one DVD and a full colour book, including paintings by the artist, liner notes and song lyrics. The album is an ambitious project with the 137 songs recorded over the course of 1½ years with a work schedule - according to Chris Rea himself - of twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Initially the project was inspired by Bill Wyman's "Blues Odyssey" and can be called an "odyssey" in its own right, for depicting a journey through the various epochs of Blues Music, starting at its African origins and finishing with modern-time Blues from the 60s and 70s. Subsequently the eleven CDs are titled the following: "Beginnings", "Country Blues", "Louisiana & New Orleans", "Electric Memphis Blues", "Texas Blues", "Chicago Blues", "Blues Ballads", "Gospel Soul Blues & Motown", "Celtic & Irish Blues", "Latin Blues" and "60s & 70s". Album Number Two - Country Blues Country Blues was the natural development, the original Blues would go, once it had arrived in the American South: it was a dark time, a time of fear, people had to work hard during slavery, even harder after they had been released, wandering around unemployed, aimlessly. Racism and KKK made the situation even worse, which reflected in the music, instrumentation gradually changed and the lyrics told stories of fear (KKK Blues), aimless wandering (Walkin' Country Blues), alcoholism (Too Much Drinkin'), but also the flight from prevailing conditions, maybe with another perspective for life and the future in the big cities (Ticket for Chicago). But also themes of movement (Steam Train Blues) and the faith in God and Religion (If You've Got A Friend In Jesus) were made topics in the songs, as well as the occasional search for some recreation and a good time (Dance All Night Long). The social and personal problems found their way into the music and started to change the Blues on a profound level. Tracklist: " Walkin' Country Blues - 3.40 " Man Gone Missing - 4.40 " Can't Stay Blues - 4.58 " KKK Blues - 4.56 " Too Much Drinkin' - 4.52 " Catwalk Woman - 4.32 " If You've Got A Friend in Jesus - 4.24 " Head Out On The Highway - 4.32 " Wild Pony - 4.10 " Steam Train Blues - 3.50 " Going Up To Memphis - 4.20 " Somewhere Between Highway 61 & 49 - 6.06 " Ticket For Chicago - 5.16 " Dance All Night Long - 4.31 Now there's a train coming You've got to get on board Now there's a train coming You've got to get on board Don't need no new religion It's not what this train is for Now there's a train coming It come from New Orleans Now there's a train coming It come from New Orleans Well there's some real fine ladies there The best I ever seen Now this train is travelling Up to a city that I know Now this train is travelling Up to a city that I know If you want a dream come true Get a ticket for Chicago Now this train is travelling Up to a city that I know If you want a dream come true Get a ticket for Chicago ....