Spanish Train And Other Stories

This is a pop/rock album that sounds dated. "Spanish Train", "Patricia the Stripper" and "A Spaceman Came Travelling" are ok. The ballads ("Lonely Sky", "This Song For You", "The Tower") are over the top and not to my liking. The other songs are boring. I never knew Chris de Burgh apart from "Lady in Red", but don't think I've missed much.

I’m a big fan of “Don’t Pay The Ferryman” and its storytelling style. This album takes us back to near the beginning of his career. I knew the song “A Spaceman Came Traveling” from various Christmas playlists over the years, but the rest was new. Certainly can see that Chris DeBurgh’s storytelling is core to his style - these songs all have that going for them. I liked this album quite a bit and enjoyed hearing some early DeBurgh.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Spanish train, Lonely sky, A spaceman came travelling, Just another poor boy

This wasn't too bad, it certainly wasn't offensive, but it was somehow both theatrical and a bit boring at the same time. I lost interest in it to the point it had finished and I'd been sitting in silence for at least a few minutes before I realised. Again, not a bad album but absolutely nothing stuck out. Like a c-tier Elton John, I guess. 3/5.

Didn’t love it didn’t hate it. 70s storytelling rock about as straightforward as it gets

Although I have limited tolerance for overly melodramatic or theatrical pop music, there's something to be said for the sheer earnestness of a 70s pop vocal. Chris de Burgh's expressive, almost old timey vocal style and knack for storytelling make this an interesting listen. Quality varies from song to song, but this was a refreshing break from the usual fare on here. Fave Songs: Lonely Sky, A Spaceman Came Travelling, I'm Going Home, Spanish Train, Old Friend

Real strange vibe on this one. The music was peasant enough but the lyrical delivery - bordering on cabaret throughout and sometimes falling firmly into it - never quite won me over. Seemed like an oddity more than anything. I appreciate the unabashed wierdness though.

It's all very quaint, isn't it? Some nice "stories" once in a while, like the title track, "The Painter" or "The Tower". And I just love how the album goes from the kinky, tongue-in-cheek, roaring twenties yarn "Patricia The Stripper" to the synth-enhanced Christmas song "A Spaceman Came Traveling" -- it's quite a vast scope, lyrically speaking, ha ha. And also musically, I readily admit it. The story in closer "Just Another Poor Boy" doesn't quite work for instance, but that song is a gem harmonically speaking -- the two different key changes between the verses and the memorable chorus do wonders. And speaking of memorable choruses, "I'm Going Home" is a very nice cut as well. Unfortunately the rest of the songs -- around half of the album, going from lachrymose ballads to a few more kitschy novelty pieces -- is instantly forgettable. Plus, as a vocalist, Chris De Burgh often goes to an overkill mode that's quite laughable -- fitting to the tunes' lyrical contents, admittedly, but still a little grating to listen to at times. Also browsed through the man's eighties output, by the way: terrible, terrible pop drivel. But this shouldn't bear upon my assessment of this particular seventies LP, of course. What did give *Spanish Train And Other Stories* a bonus half-point however, is the fact that its original version was banned in South Africa at the time of its release, because of the supposedly blasphemous contents of its title-track. You have to give it to fascist morons: they can turn a somewhat inoffensive pop rock album with Christian undertones into the most subversive piece of art. Good for Chris De Burgh's legacy, I guess. 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 3. 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2.5) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 12 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 16 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 28 (including this one).

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