Spanish Train and Other Stories

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Copyright (c) 1996, Tim Gibbons
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Spanish Train and Other Stories
Chris de Burgh
1975
A&M Records

SPANISH TRAIN AND OTHER STORIES is an album filled with wondrous storytelling accompanied by a musical ensemble of strings, brass, pianos, acoustic guitars and choirs. Add to this a pinch of humor and one has the perfect blend of ingredients for great listening. In this reviewers opinion, no album before nor after has produced such a magical combination.

"All Aboard"!

We begin with Spanish Train, the first song on the album. Here we are introduced for the first time two adversaries, the Lord and the Devil who will meet once again in the song The Devil's Eye on CRUSADER. Chris tells us of "A Spanish train that runs between Guadalquivir and old Seville", that carries as its passengers "the souls of the dead". The song begins with a haunting train like whistle as if the souls of the dead are crying out for help. The Devil convinces the Lord to play a game of poker in a winner take all. As the stakes increase so to does the song build in an orchestrated fashion until we are again led back to where it all began, hearing that ghostly sound of a train whistle. This song as become a staple in his concerts.

Our next stop is a song entitled Lonely Sky. A song of lost love and hope that one day his love will return. Chris sings in a powerful and convincing way that adds life to the words written.

This Song For You and Patricia The Stripper are songs that musically have the flavor of the 20's but lyrically are as different as night and day.

This Song For Your speaks of a young man writing from the battlefield in 1917 to his love not expecting to return home. The song is enhanced by the Ruddy Vallee megaphone effect in the beginning of the song.

Patricia The Stripper on the other hand is a humorous song of a stripper with redeeming features... so to speak. Catchy lyrics and music to "strip" by is enough to make this a concert favorite. You will have this song on repeat on your CD player.

A Spaceman Came Travelling...this song can easily be classified as "a classic" among Chris de Burgh listeners. A song that begins as a whisper and grows to a choir of angels singing from the heavens, (And I bring a message for mankind to hear/And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air....and it went La La....). Simply a beautiful song.

Travelling along we come to I'm Going Home. An upbeat fast paced song of one hoping to find fame and fortune in the "big" city only to be disillusioned and longing to be home.

The Painter, we again find the humorous side of Chris de Burgh in song. A light hearted number with just a twist of revenge.

The eighth song on the album, Old Friend speaks to us of just that, two friends who through time may have gone their separate ways but will always be there for each other in time of need.

The Tower is truly Chris at his best in his storytelling fashion. The song tells the tale of "a great Lord" who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. In the end he is left with only a memory "for the love of a girl". Musically the song has the right mix of instruments (acoustic guitar, piano and strings) to carry us on this 5 minute and 20 second journey.

Our final stop on the SPANISH TRAIN AND OTHER STORIES is Just Another Poor Boy. A story of Mary Magdelene and Jesus Christ put to song. Some my find this a little too religious for their liking others will let the music of Chris de Burgh be the judge. It's still a song worth listening to.

This album can still be found quite easily in the states at any major record store. Put on the headphones...this one's a keeper!