CHRIS REA Presents: THE RETURN OF THE FABULOUS HOFNER BLUENOTES

Описание

Chris Rea-
- CHRIS REA Presents: THE RETURN OF THE FABULOUS HOFNER BLUENOTES: Super Deluxe earBOOKS Edition-
- 2LP & 3CD- 2008- Jazzee Blue/Edel Records/earBOOKS- 9783940004505 / ISBN 978-3-940004-50-5 – 3500 grn
THE RETURN OF THE FABULOUS HOFNER BLUENOTES is the twenty-second studio album by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released on 11th February 2008 by his own record label, Jazzee Blue. It comprises three CDs and double 10" vinyl records in an 80 page hardback book. It is the second album of his project, the Hofner Blue Notes. The project narrates the history of The Delmonts, an imaginary guitar instrumental band from the late 1950s, who in early 1960s evolved into blues band The Hofner Bluenotes. It also gives a brief history of the Hofner guitar, and its importance in the development of music in Britain. The book is lavishly illustrated with period photos and mocked up posters and newspaper cuttings about the band, together with some of Rea's paintings, and photos of Hofner guitars. Book, telling the fictive story of how The Delmonts became The Hofner Blue Notes, is a wonderful piece of art for itself. But musically... well, if you like his stuff from Dancing Down The Stony Road onwards, it's rather in the same vein, and it's better than Santo Spirito Blues, but not as good as The Blue Jukebox and surely not coming close to the best of Blue Guitars.
PERSONNEL: Chris Rea – vocals, guitars; Robert Ahwai – guitars; Neil Drinkwater – keyboards, acoustic piano; Colin Hodgkinson – bass; Martin Ditcham – drums, percussion.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… it’s THE RETURN OF THE FABULOUS HOFNER BLUENOTES. Wait a minute, isn’t that Chris Rea standing in the middle playing guitar and singing in a voice that sounds like a well used ashtray? Yes, it is, and The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes is the name given to a band that Rea has put together to present his latest take on the music that has inspired him to become the artist he is today. Ever ambitious and determined to be true to his musical roots, Rea wanted to present his take on two eras of music that formed a central part of his development – the early heroes of the electric guitar from the early 1960s and a more serious homage to the blues heroes of the late 60s and early 70s. The recorded result is something special to behold and extremely desirable, coming in the form of another earBOOK like Blue Guitars and containing 3 CD’s packaged within a sumptuous book full of 60s iconography. The really authentic touch however is the inclusion of a 12″ heavy vinyl version of each of the CDs, bringing back all the nostalgia of owning vinyl albums that the digital generation has so effectively diluted. The Delmonts open the show with nine instrumental numbers, featuring Robert Ahwai on lead guitar with all the requisite twanginess expected of the genre. It’s forty minutes of pure fun, but it is soon the turn of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes. The sound of Chris Rea’s harmonica a crunchy blues riff and that voice are more certain indicators that we’re moving on into familiar territory, and The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes take us through some of the new material along with choice pieces from Blue Guitars and Dancing Down The Stony Road. So three shows in one really, and the listeners certainly seem to appreciate that they get their money’s worth. After his well-documented health crisis, Chris decided that it was no longer creative or fun enough to release yet another single CD, finding it much better for both him and his new expanding audience to create something more special to enjoy. THE RETURN OF THE FABULOUS HOFNER BLUENOTES is Chris Rea's tribute to the Hofner guitar.
2LP And 3CD Are Housed In Individual Cardboard Sleeves Within A 80 Page Hardback Book (285 mm X 285 mm X 20 mm) With Hype Sticker On Front Cover And Full Of Beautiful Black And White Photos.
MADE IN GERMANY.