New CD and tour by Chris Rea
Chris Rea — a man as relaxed as his music. In fact, the 49 year-old Middlesborough, England native is the picture of composure. In discussing his latest musical effort, The Road to Hell Part II, Rea admits the CD is the weakest work in his 20-year career. “Let’s just think of it as an attempt,” smiles the crooner, “an attempt to bring my music into the new millennium.” Rea blames the rather strange album, a mix of the artist’s New Ager guitar work with contemporary hip hop and dance strains, on his daughter. “She’s always got rap and dance tunes going in her bedroom,” explains Rea. “I finally sat down with her and really listened, and I thought: ‘Hey, this isn’t so bad!’ So I integrated those sounds into my style.” The melding was not especially successful — on that point the critics are in agreement — but at least the raspy-voiced singer is trying for innovation. He assures, however, that his concert tour, which begins in early 2000, will include the “oldies.” “You’ll all be able to hear the songs that made you love me: Josephine, On the Beach and I Can Hear Your Heartbeat. To be honest, that is the kind of music I really like. I am a hopeless anachronism.” And it is because of this tried and true sound that Rea has sold more than 18 million records in the past two decades.