King of Beach [Import]

Chris Rea | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Atlantic UK
• ASIN: B000050IBB
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,768 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2000 album release for the British singer/songwriter whose sold over 20 million records in his 25 year, 18 album career.The follow-up to the 1998 release, 'The Blue Cafe', features the first single, 'All Summer Long' and one UK exclusive bonus track, 'Mississippi'. 13 tracks in all. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Criminally overlooked, April 25, 2001

By 

giovanni (Greece) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of the Beach (Audio CD)

It's a pitty that people like Chris Rea don't get the credit they dezerve for their work these days.Although the music audience has stopped listening long time ago,he still releases high-quality stuff.With King of the Beach he proves that his talent has nothing but abandoned him,more like grown up and became even more fascinating.It's hard to choose highlights in this great tracklist but i guess you could say that the smooth "The Memory Of A Good Friend" and the relaxing "All Summer Long" kind of stand out.Guitar man with male-throaty voice is back!And he is better than ever.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A seasoned veteran in top form, January 14, 2002

By 

[e-mail] (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King of the Beach (Audio CD)

Sit back. Relax. Put on the latest Chris Rea album and feel the gentle sea breezes wash over you. The musical journey that Chris Rea has travelled since he debuted on the scene over 20 years ago with the Light FM standard "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" has been a long and varied one. Light pop, heavy blues, driving rock, reggae, and anything else you can think of has been thrown into the cauldron of Rea's career. Left to simmer for a few years, his muse has emerged with an album of delicate beauty that merges all of these elements. The tone is quiet, but not boring. The music flows gently from start to finish, but there is an underlying urgency that gives it power. A seasoned veteran in top form.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect album for the summer, August 20, 2005

By 

Javier Navas "Hello amigos" (Milenrama, Madrid) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: King of the Beach (Audio CD)

I bought this CD on Amazon after hearing it in a bar nearby the sea. I was amazed of the perfection and good taste of this music. The low and deep voice from this singer takes you to quiet and silent places full of relax and peace.

The first song, 'King of the Beach', is a perfect opener breaking the silence with a mellow, new agey melody that turns to swinging blues. Speaks about the central theme of the album: the beach as a place for resting and self-discovering.

The next one, 'All Summer Long' is probably the most commercial tune in the album and has a haunting rythm with female chantings, and the deep voice of Rea drawing a lot of summery images. The next song, Sail Away, is an exquisite ballad full of tenderness, told to a woman that has to leave. But for me the probable spotlight in the album is the sixth song, 'Guitar Street', a very bluesy song about a guy that decides to be a guitarist and leaves it all behind. The style and consistency of the song are unique, with a lot of elegance and emotion, this is a song that really uplifts you and I would count it amongst the best I've heard with a Dire Straits / Bruce Springsteen rocky style.

Another gem is the penultimate, 'Tamatave', with a part of the song sung in French. It's not exactly a ballad but a very slow song with loads of atmospheric sounds, a very strange and mysterious song. 'Who do you Love' is elegant and deep, with a very gentle piano driving melody, and the last one, 'Waiting for a Blue Sky' is bluesy again and really optimistic, a nice ending to the album (I don't have the bonus track).

This album is a masterpiece in its genre. Although I don't have anymore from Chris Rea I'll stick to this for a while as I heard it's the best in ten years. The best the smooth rock/blues can get, cleverly composed and with exquisite genuine guitar playing.