Critically acclaimed album by Chris Rea, released in 1989. Musically, the record spotlights Rea's bluesy guitar work and his deep, soulful voice.
Thematically, many of the songs dwell on the collapse or decay of the world -- never more strongly than on the CD's opening tracks, the grim "The Road to Hell (Part I)" and the condemnatory "The Road to Hell (Part II)." Also fitting in with that theme is the weakest track on the album, "You Must Be Evil," a rant about violence on television news.
Rea also produces some more upbeat songs -- particularly the racetrack-inspired "Daytona," the hopeful "Looking for a Rainbow," the loving "I Just Wanna Be with You," and the very-popular-in-the-Lone-Star-State "Texas" -- but even they relate to Rea's theme, because he sings about wanting to go someplace better, where things are more hopeful and less likely to collapse under society's weight.
The album closes with the beautiful but mournful "Tell Me There's a Heaven," in which Rea sings with the painful desperation of someone who has lost all faith -- in God, in humankind, and in himself.
It's a beautiful album. It'll break your heart every time you listen to it, but you'll keep going back for more. I know Rea is a Brit, but he plays the blues like he grew up in the Delta.
Tracklist:
1. The Road to Hell (Part I)
2. The Road to Hell (Part II)
3. You Must Be Evil
4. Texas
5. Looking for a Rainbow
6. Your Warm and Tender Love
7. Daytona
8. That's What They Always Say
9. I Just Wanna Be with You
10. Tell Me There's a Heaven