Blue Guitars

Hi, this package is just unbelievable. To get 11CDs and a DVD for the price is well, unbelievable. If like me, you are a fan of Chris Rea then this is a must have.Regards Graham.

I'll leave the music per se aside, because ultimately it all just boils down to personal taste. You can hear samples of the tracks and deside for yourself.What I'd like to review here, is the product as a whole: The project itself is demanding, and I think Chris Rea is delivering. He's done his research, and he put a lot of passion in there, along with quality in the technichal department as well. From rich orchestration/arrangements to fake hiss and clicks on the openings of some tracks for that dated feeling (don't worry, the actual tracks are crystal clear). I will agree that a few guest leading vocals here and there (let's say two per album?) would help to make the experience even better and break the illusion that you hear a single 50min long song in each CD.The case/book is a collector's dream: 28,5 x 28,5 cm, hardcover, 72 pages, excellent quality print, a delight to look at and touch! All the lyrics, one interview, a few words introducing each CD (making us have a bit better understanding of the evolution of the genre), close-ups of all 30 paintings, a brief presentation of all the organs, amps and mics used in the recording sessions, and some photos of the musicians themselves. Also, I had no problem with CDs falling out of their slip cases as mentioned in other reviews.That leaves me to the DVD, wich is an interesting documentary, and my only complaint is the absense of subtitlles (just english would do), as it would be a great enhancement of the enjoyment of non-native english speakers like me.Oh, and the price is fair! (31 quid at time of purchase)

Absolutelty stunning. Chris says himself that he could have done 50 albums - well if he ever does more like this I'd buy them without question. Chris Rea has a superb voice for all types of Blues, and all types are indeed represented here, and more. The brilliant use of authentic instruments and styles is stunning. These albums are "not supposed to educate", but have certainly made me more interested in finding out about the origins of some styles of music.Chris Rea's style has changed gradually over the years (I think I own nearly all of his albums, and have appreciated him since the very early days), but now he has the creative freedom to do exactly what he wants, rather than having to pander to record companies, and "What is commercially viable, and has hit singles on". Having said that, there are some stand out tracks that would not be out of place being released as possible singles, or a possibility of releasing the more commercially viable tracks as maybe a double CD at a later stage.Each disc has a totally different feel to it, with some being more immediate than others. On first listening I loved album 3 - Louisiana & New Orleans, and album 8 - Gospel Soul Blues & Motown immediately, with album 9 - Celtic and Irish Blues possibly being the most accessible to those who prefer Chris's earlier material.Having listened at least once to all the discs I now can't wait to start all over again, and concentrate on the many aspects of songwriting & musicianship that co-exist on these wonderful discs.This is a beautifully packaged set, with Chris's paintings augmenting the music brilliantly. If you have ever liked any tracks or albums by this great artist I would strongly recommend these 11 albums.

Great music

I already have the Walking Down The Stony Road double album set which is ok but not brilliant so I was a bit hesitant about buying Blue Guitars. However the sheer amount of discs for the price persuaded me. I've only played 4 discs so far plus the making of the 'Stony Road' dvd. They carry on in the same vein as Stony Road, with electric slide on nearly every track. Someone should tell Chris the blues is more than slide guitar. Having said that, so far I am impressed by the musicianship shown on the the discs I have played. The dvd is quite interesting too, if a bit late in the day. Worth buying just for the quantity of discs.

There really are not enough ways of describing how fabulous this 'album' is to do it any kind of justice. I am so late in finding this I can't believe that it passed me by. Released in 2005, I've missed out for 11 years. One hundred and thirty seven tracks, eleven discs. That is some album. I've just finished listening to all of the tracks, all of the discs. If Chris had released one of the discs each year at a cost of £10 each no one could have been disappointed, at £30 for all eleven (£2.72 per disc) this is a steal. Each disc is wonderful, every track superb. I found I liked almost every single track, out of the one hundred and thirty seven tracks, two or three I thought were only 'alright', the rest really were excellent. Every Chris Rea fan should own this album, anyone who likes great music should own it.

this item I fancied when it first came out...hearing contradictary comments put it on 'back burner'.Then spotted it on Amazon at this price so as a 65th birthday presie asked the missus to buy it. I am very, very impressed with the presentation and the effort put into the notes. The cds are well put together, although some background crackle appears on a couple this has added to the bluesy atmosphere.The first cd with an African roots is an excellent fusion of blues,jazz with hypnotic rhythms. I am not sure about the way the cds have been grouped but if you have a leaning to the bluesy side of Chris Rhea give it a try.Not had chance to watch the dvd yet too busy playing the cds. As on avid all round blues fan I did not expect this to be of true blues material and I was right but it is more than welcome in my collection.