Customer Reviews

Spark to a Flame - The Very Best of

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Chris De Burgh is as much a story teller as he is a singer. It's amazing how a song can tell such a powerful story, and this cd is full of such songs, whether they be love songs or dark, creepy songs like "Spanish Train" and "Don't pay the ferryman". Then there's the fun "Patricia the Stripper" and the unique concept on the birth of Jesus on "A Spaceman came calling". Chris De Burgh really does have an amazing knack with lyrics, and he has one of the best voices in pop. This is a fantastic album and highly recommended. 16 page booklet contains all lyrics and a couple of photos of Chris.

Several Chris de Burgh retrospectives have been released over the years, but this "Best of" compilation from 1989 is still the best collection of his work, offering tracks from a good selection of albums. It only covers the seventies and eighties, but those are really the only decades of de Burgh's work worth covering, when he wrote his most memorable songs. It also includes two new releases (at that time): "This Waiting Heart" and "Diamond in the Dark." "Waiting Heart" is especially catchy.
I notice that the song line-up on Spark to a Flame has been changed since its original release. Originally the album The Getaway from 1981 was strongly (perhaps overly) represented with five tracks: "Don't Pay the Ferryman," "Borderline," "The Getaway," "Ship to Shore," and "Where Peaceful Waters Flow." "Getaway" has since been dropped and Spanish Train & Other Stories is now better represented, although I wouldn't have included "Patricia the Stripper" on a greatest hits album. It's a fun, quirky song, but hardly a great song. But of course "Spanish Train" had to be included, and I love the song "A Spaceman Came Travelling."
This is also the only place you can hear the full version of "Borderline" segue into its sequel "Say Goodbye to It All," from Into the Light. That was a novel and brilliant thing Chris did, to have a song sequel years later and sample the closing lines of his earlier song before launching into the new song. "Lady in Red" was an obvious choice for this album - it's still Chris' biggest hit. But two other songs from Into the Light have been trimmed from this edition, namely, "Fire on the Water" and "One Word."
The rousing "High on Emotion" and gentle "Much More Than This" represent the album Man on the Line fairly adequately, though there are other songs from that album that were also worthy of being on a "Best of." Then there are three songs from the very successful Flying Colors album: "Sailing Away," "Missing You" and "Tender Hands."
The albums by Chris that I think are neglected here are Eastern Wind and At the End of a Perfect Day. I just love the song "In a Country Churchyard." It should be on this album. And people might also lament the absence of "Crusader" from the album of the same name. But all in all it's a good representation of Chris de Burgh's work.

Please listen to the lyrics carefully. You will find amazing tastes. If this is the first album you listened to from Chris and if you liked it and want to try more; you should go back and listened to "Spanish Train and other Stories", "Getaway" and "Eastern Wind"... And then "Into the Light". He is great and very talented.

If you have never listened to CdeB before this is an excellent introduction. This album has song from earlier works. These songs are written from the soul. Listen and enjoy.

I've had this CD for a long, long time, but it's only recently that I decided to listen to the whole thing...I had originally bought it only for "The Lady in Red" and "High on Emotion". There's some other good stuff in here; I guess the CD just had to be patient, and wait for me to come around and listen to it.

Chris de Burgh music can be a very good company. I experience this, out of home half a year, hear this album while dinner or rest. It was the only Cd i found in that coast house as i was in it, and dont need more.

One of my favorite albums and singers/songwriters. Must have listened to this one hundreds of times on my way to school on the metro. My favorites include `spaceman came travelling' `sailing away' , borderline always makes me want to tear up.... every song a winner

If you just listen to the music you won't appreciate this guy's talent as much as the lyrics. The lyrics make a very big difference. There's a story to every song.

Great Irish music, good stories and wonderful rhythm. Very easy to relax with the right person.