Sunday, April 13, 2014

THE CASE FOR : CHRIS DE BURGH



OK, bit of a high hurdle here. Who, many be be asking, necessitating in me biting down hard on my tongue, hissing out, you know, that Lady in Red song, between blood and teeth. I gather it got to number 3 in the US, as well as having a ghastly and lingering saccharine permanence in the UK. Anyhow, put that thought from your mind, if you can, and the tale of it being the song he sang to his daughters nanny. Before bedding her. Or something like that. I may have muddled some aspects of the detail, but he has developed a somewhat odious reputation on this side of the ocean. Apart from his legion of fans, to whom he is a straighter Barry Manilow. (I have to be very careful here, with Wiki telling me Mr DeB is a prodigious litigator against perceived slights.)

A Spaceman Came Travelling

Buy it!

This refers to a much more innocent time, when, newly married, I was compiling the first of many subsequent tapes, made to celebrate our first Christmas together. I was also a member of my local public library, which had the novelty of a record (that's vinyl!) section, the last centurys version of illegal downloading, and came across a Chris de Burgh compilation, from which I purloined my titular song*. And I won't hear a thing against it. I still think it stands up, both as a song and as part of the ""Was-God-an-Astronaut" school of divinity. The fact I was a hefty fan of Erich von Daniken in my teens may explain this lapse from likelihood.
So what of his later stuff? Largely unlistenable tosh, but I dare say other opinions are available.
*For the reassurances of this readership, not to say Mr DeB, for fear of seeming to promote such lawlessness, please be encouraged that I have now downloaded this song from the source quoted. Or have every good intention to.

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