Name: Shamrock Diaries
Brand: East West Records UK Ltd
SKU: 100938
Price: 9.88 GBP
Availability: InStock

Shamrock Diaries

Rating

Album: Shamrock Diaries
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Steel River	More Info...	0:06
2)	Stainsby Girls	More Info...	0:04
3)	Chisel Hill	More Info...	0:04
4)	Josephine	More Info...	0:04
5)	One Golden Rule	More Info...	0:04
6)	All Summer Long	More Info...	0:04
7)	Stone	More Info...	0:04
8)	Shamrock Diaries	More Info...	0:05
9)	Love Turns to Lies	More Info...	0:04
10)	Hired Gun	More Info...	0:08

Tracks

1. Steel River

2. Stainsby Girls

3. Chisel Hill

4. Josephine

5. One Golden Rule

6. All Summer Long

7. Stone

8. Shamrock Diaries

9. Love Turns To Lies

10. Hired Gun

Performer Notes

This release from Irish rock artist Chris Rea includes "Steel River" and "Chisel Hill."
Personnel: Chris Rea (vocals, guitar, slide guitar, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals); Robert Ahwry (guitar); Annie Whitehead (trombone); Kevin Leach, Max Middleton (keyboards); Dave Mattacks (drums); Martin Ditcham (percussion).
Recording information: Bray & Chipping Norton Studios (12/1984).
Unknown Contributor Role: Adrian Rea.
After seven albums, Chris Rea was finally beginning to get the hang of what makes a commercial success. He had not changed his style throughout the 1980s, but now it was 1985 and the synth pop sounds and new romantics were both long gone -- and in their place were stadium-filling anthemic rock or power ballads. Shamrock Diaries was a mix of soft ballads like "Chisel Hill" and "One Golden Rule" along with saxophone-led uptempo numbers such as the title track and the feel-good song of the summer, "All Summer Long," which would have made an ideal single had Magnet decided to release it. Shamrock Diaries was written very much with family in mind, particularly considering the two singles released: "Stainsby Girls" was a tribute to his wife, Joan, who had attended Stainsby Secondary Modern School; and "Josephine" was written for his eldest daughter. The opening track, "Steel River," was rather hard to define, being a soft piano-led ballad until the first chorus kicked in and the song revealed gospel roots, but by the time the second chorus came along it had become a jazz jam. This was followed by "Stainsby Girls," easily the most like Bruce Springsteen that Rea had ever sounded -- and it became his first Top 30 single since "Fool If You Think It's Over" from the late '70s. However, Chris Rea saved the best track until the end: the slow-building "Hired Gun," over eight minutes of brooding menace. ~ Sharon Mawer