After a decade skiving to recapture his 1980s dance-pop glory years, Chris Rea finally xx going back to his roots for the stripped-down blues album, Dancing Down The Stony Road. Not only did it re-ignite his career but it also highlighted his considerable prowess as a slide guitar player – something that had all but been forgotten during the, ‘I Can Hear Your Heartbeat’/‘Fool If You Think It’s Over’ days.
The follow-up, not surprisingly follows the same course, delving even deeper into jazz and blues territory than its predecessor. Rarely rising above a slow shuffle throughout its 13 tracks, The Blue Jukebox is decidedly downbeat in approach, evoking late night, smoky jazz clubs of the 1950s. Written and mostly played by Rea it serves as a winning showcase for what has clearly become his true calling.
From the spooky, atmospheric ‘Let It Roll’, with its opening warning, “I am the King of your darkest night” to the acoustic delta blues of ‘Let’s Do It’ and the yearning soul of ‘Baby Don’t Cry’, this is great stuff performed with a spirited authenticity. The reggae-fied boogie of ‘Speed’ takes things up a notch or two while, ‘Somebody Say Amen’ sounds like something Ry Cooder might have written for a horror movie soundtrack.
Despite Rea’s past as a melodic hit-maker of note, the Tom Waits like title-track is the only number here which could be described as accessible and radio-friendly. Rea’s gritty, raspy vocal style might not be a thing of beauty but it strikes just about the right note for the material, while the production is refreshingly rough around the edges.
Welcome back on the road to hell Chris!