4.0 out of 5 stars
Into the.....U.S. market, Feb 10 2001
This review is from: Into The Light (Audio CD)
I'll start this review by saying "Perfect Day" is a 5 star recording, and is easily my favorite by him.
Back to Into the Light. This was DeBurgh's big breakthrough into the American music scene. ... I believe that after the success of Don't Pay the Ferryman, DeBurgh and his record company believed that high energy songs were where Chris would make his bread and butter, at least here in the U.S.
As a result, the first single that was released was the energetic The Spirit of Man, which sounded influenced by St. Elmo's Fire theme, Man in Motion. If memory serves correctly -- and this is 14 years ago, so forgive me if I don't get it exactly -- The Spirit of Man was in its infancy in terms of release when The Lady in Red was released in England to stunning success. I doubt anyone thought it would do as well as it did, moving from 40 - 10 - 2 - 1, knocking off Madonna's Papa Don't Preach (that is correct, by the way). Given this remarkable success, The Lady in Red was released here, but did not enjoy the same success it did across the ocean. I believe it was around one year later that some adult contemporary stations began playing the song again, and it was then re-released in the U.S., where it peaked on Billboard's Hot 100 chart at #3. I was, by this time, a rabid fan of DeBurgh's music, and was sad that it didn't reach #1. Regardless, it was DeBurgh's biggest hit here and a classic that still gets airplay.
There is another one of DeBurgh's "stories" on the album (The Leader, The Vision, What About Me), which attempts to be reminiscent of Crusader, but falls far short. One Word (Straight to the Heart) is one of my least favorite DeBurgh songs ever (as the lyrics contain "straight to the heart -- like a cannonball..." eck).
And then there is "For Rosanna", the song DeBurgh wrote his daughter. I've mentioned before that DeBurgh is strong when he writes of love, and this song is evidence that it's not only romantic love he is in touch with, for even though I wasn't a father then, and am not now, when I listen to that song I *feel* like a father. I see what he sees when he looks into her eyes, I feel everything he writes about. It's DeBurgh's strength as an artist that he can do this so effectively.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Every song is a good one!, Oct 16 2000
This review is from: Into The Light (Audio CD)
These days, it's so rare to find a CD that you can actually play all the way through. This is one of those gems that music listeners rarely find. I admit- I did buy it for "Lady in Red." But there's so much more than that on it. Since then, my favorite part of the CD has become the trilogy at the end: The Leader, The Vision, and What About Me? It really gives one a lot to think about. There's a lot to Chris deBurgh and unfortunately, fans in the U.S. haven't gotten to see much of him.
I'm sure you'll love this CD. If you do, I'd definitely recommend checking out some more of Chris' music, in particular, The Love Songs and Crusader. Some of the imports cost a little more, but wouldn't you rather spend on a CD you can listen to over and over again, than on a CD you only like one or two songs on?
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5.0 out of 5 stars
"Into The Light" - Chris De Burgh - My first!, Feb 24 2000
This review is from: Into The Light (Audio CD)
I bought this album because 'The Lady In Red' is one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard. I had never heard of Chris De Burgh, but "Into The Light:" quickly became one of my favorite albums. The lyrics and music are very thoughtfully written. 'Fire On The Water' . . .sensual, 'Fatal Hesitation' . . .sad and lonely, 'For Rosanna' . . .just beautiful (for his daughter), and 'Ballroom Of Romance' . . .a fiery tale (! ). 'The Spirit of Man' is hopeful, and 'Say Goodbye To It All' is about closure after the war. De Burgh has a beautiful, powerful voice. Harmonies, back-up vocals, and those small but oh so significant touches ("I love you" whispered at the end of 'The Lady In Red') are examples of the care he takes with every song. After all this time (1987) I still love the album and when I hear 'The Lady In Red,' my heart still melts!
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