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CdeB Mailing List Review
Copyright (c) 1996, Willem de Waal
All rights reserved
Eastern Wind
Chris de Burgh
1980
A&M Records
Eastern Wind ... Chris de Burgh's 5th album, and one decidedly different from anything
he had done before, or since. It features 10 tracks, each totally different to the others.
The album follows successes such as Spanish Train and Other Stories, At the End of a
Perfect Day and Crusader, but should not be compared to those ... It is a collection of
songs that stands out because of the generally cynical tone, and their uncharacteristic
instrumentation. It is just ... well, different.
The album kicks off with "The Traveller": an eerie tale of a horseman racing
along a road, towards an inn. The scene is set beautifully: It is dark, one can imagine
the road with a long line of trees along it, the rider bent forward, cape flying in the
wind, and a lonely, yellow light the traveller's destination.
When he enters the inn, the traveller orders whiskey from the landlord, and it is
obvious that he is a feared man - the other patrons' thoughts being "spoken" by
short lines of backing vocals:
"Maybe he's on the run,
Maybe he's got a gun"
The chorus seems to speed up the song, creating the urgency in a rhythm that reminds of
a galloping horse, warning that there is more to this than just a casual meeting.
The landlord is also afraid: He knows this man from somewhere, and he recalls a murder
that he had witnessed, and realises that this traveller is here to settle a score. He
orders for his horse to be prepared, and leaves with the traveller, accepting his fate ...
" 'This man is gonna take me to the very end',
and they were never seen again ..."
It is also interesting to note that Chris's voice is extremely unemotional throughout
this song: he is simply telling the story, and not involved in any way ...
The next song is one of the weird ones: In "The Record Company Bash" Chris
has a go at record companies. Whether this is because of a particular incident, or because
of his opinion of recording companies in general, I am not sure. But he definitely paint s
them as a decadent, undisciplined crowd without any substance.
He basically just describes a number of characters at a party, referring to each one by
his/her title - no names. And not a single one is described in a positive manner.
"And they're gonna do something obscene
with the video machine"
"Grab a bottle of whisky and a bottle of wine,
It doesn't really matter if its your place or mine"
The rhythm of this song is almost like reggae, with odd little interjections by the
electric guitars and saxophone ... a very Un-CdeB kind of song, yet he does this very
effectively.
This is followed by "Tonight": a very characteristic CdeB ballad, tender,
with feeling. A man talking to his lover, promising her that he loves her, that he wants
her. She has talked of leaving, but he assures her that he wants to work it out.
Its a song in total contrast with the first two on the album, in that it is positive,
harmonious, almost a sweet (!) song, about love and lovers.
Quiet electric guitars, Hammond-like keyboards, and a lovely sax solo at the end.
Next is "Wall of Silence": a very sad song about a young girl who goes to
look for her fortune in Hollywood, is used and abused, and eventually returns home a lot
wiser.
It opens with simple guitar, when she is promised by a "movie man" that she
could be a star. She believes him, and goes to Hollywood ...
"And the Wall of Silence begins"
The second verse is filled out just a tad: Chris's voice backing his own very
effectively. After she had been the belle of the ball, she is thrown out, finds work in a
shop, trying to still make it somewhere, but...
"The Wall of Silence grows"
This is where there is a sudden aggressive change of mood: heavier electric guitars and
strong definite beat - which quickly fades back to the mood set in the beginning.
Now the same woman is older, wiser, after having hidden away at home. But now she can
look back:
"Till the day she smiles and recalls
And the Wall of Silence falls ..."
Another dig at the world of celebrities, show biz, etc?
"Flying Home" is about the band going home, probably after a tour, and
looking forward to seeing their loved ones again. Not a "deep" song, but catchy
tune, with nice harmonies in the chorus. Not one that he will be remembered by, yet fairly
popular, I believe!
"Shadows and Lights" - I often find myself asking what on earth Chris de
Burgh was trying to say with this song. Feel like some Chinese food? Feel like visiting
Chinatown? Then listen to this. A fairly aggressive song, strong distorted guitars ...
Maybe not tonight. Clever play with the lyrics, a little dabbling with stereo effects - a
tune that one will remember, but NOT the romantic Chris here!
The lengthy instrumental close of "Shadows" is closely followed by the
dramatic intro to "Sailor". The gap between the two songs actually seems shorter
than the standard, and I suspect that this is intentional. The contrast is extremely
effective: From t he busy, fast eighths in the baseline of "Shadows" to the
heavy, slow piano and drums of "Sailor".
What has always impressed me of CdeB is his ability to "paint" a picture with
words. "Sailor" is a classic example:
"Underneath a silver moon, the ship is like a ghost
She's been out there for a week, just waiting for the wind to blow"
There is contrast here as well. Although the intro sounds like there is a storm at sea,
he tells us that the vessel is waiting for a wind to set sail to.
The first time I listened to this, I thought that the "sailor" was the
missing loved one. But this is not the case: He begs the sailor to take him along on the
journey so that he can be with his lover. A lovely song, with beautiful piano
accompaniment.
"Some Things Never Change" is a return to the classical CdeB. A slow,
romantic ballad, a general description of what a relationship is like...
"The road is long and it's hard, I don't imagine for a minute it's not,
But I'll keep my loving for you, right down to the end
The fire is blazing bright, we can sit here and talk all night,
And though this wood must burn away, some things never change."
"Like the way that I love you, some things never change ..."
And then we are jerked back to reality by a rolling stereo drum intro, into
"Tourist Attraction". It is an emotive description of what the necessary evil of
tourism does to people. Many people would put this song in the same category as
"Brazil" from the album "At the End of a Perfect Day" - but it's not
quite that bad (!) - In fact, I still chuckle at some of the lyrics:
"And he turns to the Palace, you can almost hear him say
'Your Majesty, why don't you tell them Please go away!"
And of course the effect that tourists have on locals:
"And way over yonder, they hear somebody yell
'I came here for the peace and quiet, y'all go to hell!"
The album closes off with the title track, "Eastern Wind". And personally, a
favourite. An emotional, almost morbid song. I am sure that there are a number of
different interpretations to this. There are a number of obscure references:
"There's a woman, who reads the stars,
She sees Warlords, on the planet Mars.
And she said "Boy, you'd better beware,
That restless wind is getting near."
"In my dream, I saw a crowd
They were burning the palace down,
I saw a mad old man, and I ran to the door,
And then that wind began to roar."
What exactly the Eastern Wind symbolises, I'm not sure. But it is an ominous danger,
steadily approaching, and it's objective is to destroy. There are references to "my
furrows that are "filled with corn", "my country, where I was born and
bred", "I will fight to the very end, before that wind I will never bend" -
and then the ultimate destruction:
"Running away with my life, Eastern Wind
Taking the plough from my hands, Eastern Wind
Taking every bit of my land, Eastern Wind"
A powerful song indeed.
And that is what makes up the album. CdeB uses his (then) standard band, with the
addition of John Anthony Helliwell on saxophones, who appears in quite a number of the
tracks. In many ways the style is reminiscent of the late '70s to early 80's: Distorted
electric guitars, electric organ, Reaggae-ish beat - but still a good album.
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