There are lots of warning signs in pop: many of them can be easily paraphrased as “You Are Now Leaving Pop”. Getting in orchestras, concept albums, sacking the entire band*. But certainly when you find out that your favourite band has made “too much good music to fit on to one album”, you know the words double album are not far away. And there are very few great double albums. At least very few which could not be boiled down to a much better single album.
Now Chris Rea has not been pop for a very long time. But who knew that when leaving pop your compass can go so awry to end up in a truly audacious position. You see Chris’s latest project is so much more than just a double album. It puts The Clash’s Sandinista in the shade, if the individual elements are built into a wall. Chris’s new project : Blue Guitar : is an elevenuble** album. 11CD’s of music. And a DVD in case.
I would say hats off to Mr Rea for such an astonishing production. But I have to get it for my Dad for Christmas.
*Of course like any rule, there are occasions when these have been the best thing ever.
**Not a real word clearly.