| CD REVIEW (This review has also been published at www.701.com) |
| Incredibly, this is the prolific singer-songwriter�s 26th CD, in addition to appearances on another 16, including the soundtrack to �Arthur 2 - On the Rock�s�, starring the late Dudley Moore, to whom Chris de Burgh has taken on a striking physical resemblance. He has still got those very powerful, at times emotionally-charged vocals that are instantly recognizable in their individuality. Unfortunately, I can handle only his balladeer�s vocal delivery, as I find his dramatic pop-rock voice irritating after one or two songs. As well, there is not a lot of enhancement provided by his back-up vocalists (Shelley Nelson and Tee Green). Just as Salieri (Mozart�s erstwhile competitor) complained of �too many notes�, I find Mr. De Burgh�s songs to be �too wordy� - too lyrically heavy, with not enough instrumentation. The keyboard (played by Peter Gordeno) is used more for sappy synthesized filling rather than providing another layer of melody. 'Lebanese Night' is the exception, however, and is really the only track with any kind of �oomph� to it and features alternate lead vocals in Arabic by Elissa. It would have been better placed on the second half of the CD to recapture interest that starts waning around the middle of it. Luckily, 'Another Rainbow' converts even the most romantically-challenged listener from absolute boredom, with its softly-crooned lyrics. I would have liked to hear a bit more prominent guitar work here, though, as the composition seems designed for that instrument specifically. Overall, it�s just a lot of non-offensive fluffy love songs, even the �cheating� song, 'Guilty Secret', they are nevertheless catchy in their commercial format, but that�s always been the key to his success. 'The Best That Love Can Be' stands out enough to be considered the 'Lady in Red' hitmaker on this CD, for both its lyrics and production - nice guitar solo here as well, provided by either Phil Palmer and/or James Nisbet (the distinction is not made). This track did remind me a lot of 'All By Myself' (Eric Carmen/C�line Dion). Rick Mitra provides tasteful, but subtle bass, drums and percussion. As mainstream romance goes, it should pass the test of approval, but it certainly does not evoke the same kind of reaction as songs like 'Spanish Train', 'Patricia The Stripper' or even 'Don�t Pay the Ferryman'. |
| TIMING IS EVERYTHING - CHRIS DE BURGH |
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