CHRIS REA - The Road to Hell

"I said Mama I come to the valley of the rich
  Myself to sell
  She said son this is the road to hell"

I guess most people know Chris Rea by his hits: "On the Beach", "Fool (If You Think It’s Over)". Until 1989 he was a pleasant, if non too spectacular, mellow MOR. But 1989 came and so did The Road to Hell. Now, most Bluesists sing about how shitty life is for them (no girlfriend, no money, no job, no big record deal). None of them sings about how shitty life generally IS. Chris Rea takes his mellow bluesy approach to the max with this conscious gem of an album. He tackles problems of modern life which concern us all. Whether environmental ("The Road to Hell"), violence on TV ("You Must be Evil") or on the streets ("Texas"). The album doesn’t really end optimistically ("Tell me there’s a heaven/ Tell me that it’s true/ Tell me there’s a reason/ Why I’m seeing what I do" - "Tell Me there’s a Heaven"), although there is a hope for a better future, there’s still no indication, nothing to hold to.

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