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CdeB Mailing List Review
Copyright (c) 1996, Dave Doohan
All rights reserved
Far Beyond These Castle Walls
Chris de Burgh
1975
A&M Records
Far Beyond These Castle Walls is the first album recorded by Chris de Burgh and this is
an important fact to remember. The album should not be listened to in critical comparison
with later works since this is simply an unfair comparison.. It should be remembered that
few artists today could expect to produce an album that failed commercially in as big a
way as this album did and yet still go on to produce so many more. A&M must have seen
the promise of greater things that in hindsight we know to be true. The album contains 10
tracks, a mixture of the classic story telling, and romantic ballads that we have now come
to expect. Each track will be discussed in turn.
Hold On:
Hold On begins as a lovely, softly sung ballad but develops in to a powerful, evocative
song. A brilliant song to choose as an opener to a debut album and this song is definitely
one of the top two of the album. The Chorus bears the (soon to become) familiar, powerful
style, a trademark of many of Chris' songs. Hold On is all about broken love. We have an
image of two lovers who have separated, perhaps over a silly argument and what they really
want to do is to get back together but each has their own pride preventing them making the
first move. Three sets of lyrics illustrate this point well.
"Sometime, it may be close to morning, She thought she heard him
calling..",
"Hold On, somewhere she's crying for me, Hold On, Someday her smile will call
me.."
"Oh sometime, she's dreaming of her lover, it really can't be over, we've only
just begun.."
The Key:
A story telling song of the type that would not be out of place in the medieval palaces
of Middle England. The instruments on this song are certainly of that period. If I was to
speculate on the subject of this (somewhat odd) song, I can think of just one subject -
marital affairs , and the dangers of having them!
Three verses begin
"Oh Sinner you're losing all that you had"
"Oh Stranger beware the life that you lead"
"Oh Gambler remember the love that you lend"
Where does the title come in to this song? Well in what might pass off as a chorus
(this is an unconventional song without the classic song structure!) we have
"Then your soul flies to Heaven, you reach out for me, but the door will not
open, you've thrown away the key."
My interpretation could well be wrong - but you'll have to listen and make up your own
minds.<g>
Windy Night
Another story tellers song. It conjures up multiple images all based around that
reliable central theme of the weather! The first verse tells of storms big enough to wreck
ships, the second cautions against straying from the safe path in case the storm prevents
you returning, and it is in this verse that the real thrust of the song is realised -
religion runs deep here. There is an image of a soldier, dying from his wounds - a
solitary candle his only company. A passing angel notices the light, and investigates.
Thus the soldier is saved from the clutches of the devil, and helped to his final resting
place. This song closes with the lyrics
"So If you need help on a windy night, be sure to leave a candle burning so a
friend can see the light"
Sin City
Sin City could represent just about any red light district in any city around the
world. Chris tends to shout his way through this one somewhat, taking it seems the role of
"pimp". A stranger is offered all manner of services and I feel it is a matter
of time before the stranger himself is ensnared in the web of vice controlled by the pimp.
Not the best song on the album, but not (quite) the worst.
New Moon
The subject of this song, once again, is relationships between people. This time a man
has a relationship with a woman who is deeply in love with him. So much so she can already
see wedding bells. He, on the other hand would like to surround himself in all the things
that precede weddings - mostly related to bedtime. They both don't appear to have any luck
in satisfying the others desires, he sings
"cos just when I'm starting to burn with desire, my bloods getting hot and the
flame's rising higher, she says "Goodnight" and leaves me on fire…"
Also, our man doesn't like the idea of commitment and he's off the first time she
mentions settling down!
"A New Moon, a new tune, another song is coming soon"
A good song and a pretty good tune too.
Watching The World
A Song very similar in style to Summer Rain on the At The End Of A Perfect Day album,
it's all about a person who seems to have been promised eternal love by someone who has
badly let him down and left. He now wallows in self pity watching the world pass by from
his river bank. You'll either love it or loathe it - I know where my money lies….this
osng is too loud for tis album.
Lonesome Cowboy
A story about the grass NOT being greener put in a wild west setting. A cowboy gets
that feeling that it's time to pack up and make something of himself so he leaves behind
his cows and heads for the big cities. Unfortunately once there, he chooses the wrong girl
to associate with, gets in to a fight and is killed! This song is probably intended to
fill up some space on the vinyl! (When it WAS vinyl - 1975 remember!)
Satin Green Shutters
"Where your love is put your heart, what would you do, if your dreams came
true"
For me, this represent the single best song on the whole album. It simply implores you
to express your love, not hold it inside. Don't take your love for granted because one
day, those dreams that scare you so much about her no longer being there may just come
true.
"Write down the words about how you cried, when you woke up weeping 'cos you
thought that she had died…"
The tune, the lyrics, Chris' voice - all meet in perfect harmony on this song, and
illustrate his future potential superbly. I think that this is the song that rescued the
album and his career. This song also has an orchestral backing - so you see - he was doing
it in '75 too.
Turning Round
I have to be honest - I have absolutely no idea what Chris was trying to say with this
song, but several states of mind are reeled off during the lines. Flying, lying, crying,
dying, sighing & trying are all here. Each is referred to in turn as an ancient art. A
repetitive song - the tune is too heavy and the song lack real substance - but it did come
out SOMEWHERE in the world as a single.
Goodnight
This track means exactly what it says - Goodnight. It's a clever song which
deliberately mentions EVERY other song on the album. Don't believe me? Try this:
"The key is turning round" - Two there!
"Close the shutters" - Another one!
"Why aren't you sleeping" - from Hold On.
If you want more - get the album.
So that's it. I have Tim Gibbons to thank for pressing me in to doing this review of an
album I have always found hard to listen to. However, having listened to it in depth (very
much so - I listen to tracks six or more times and study all the lyrics!) for the purposes
of this review I have to say that overall this is not that bad an album. Discount the
striking quality of his current albums (which are a great illustration of the raw talent
demonstrated on this album) and accept this as his first effort and remember that it was
1975 and you will actually enjoy this album. It might mean listening to it several times,
you certainly won't find yourself liking it immediately , and persevering when it sounds
awful but you should get there in time.
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