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I have never been a fan of AOR, and for the most part, the '80s rock albums that have given me instant crush feelings can truly be counted on one hand, for one reason or another, at least before stumbling upon Chris De Burgh's "The Getaway." This Anglo-Irishman with a globe-trotting childhood following his diplomatic father is one of the many cases where I struggle to find a convincing explanation for the relatively modest commercial success despite immense potential. First and foremost, one of the most beautiful rock voices I have ever had the chance to listen to, melodic, powerful, versatile, and charismatic, then excellent songwriting and intelligent musicality, varied and open to many influences. "The Getaway" from 1982 is the epitome of all these qualities, a high-class arena rock that integrates both synth and folk elements; a work of great creativity, balance, and wisdom that literally outshines the hillbilly, big-haired rock of Bon Jovi as well as the artificial, sickly sweet pop of Duran Duran. The best characteristics of AOR are all encapsulated in these three-quarters of an hour of music; Al Stewart probably wished to propose this type of music after "24 Carrots," but he lacked the spark, the overall vision, and the perfect organization that make this album great.
In "The Getaway," many great contrasts harmoniously coexist: synthesizers and guitars, water and fire, war and peace, anthems from grand stages and relaxed, Mediterranean sounds; with a "sensible" approach, good taste, care, and professionalism, nothing is impossible. The impact with "Don't Pay The Ferryman" is unforgettable, a very cinematic keyboard riff, pulsating bass, an overwhelming crescendo refrain, the right arrangement, and a great voice, and here you have the archetype of a perfect song, which wonderfully pairs with a sumptuous and passionate ballad like "Crying & Laughing", boasting perfect use of synths and another memorable refrain, the most successful slow track of the album without detracting from other excellent performances like the bitter "I'm Counting On You" and an intense "Borderline," which highlights De Burgh's particular attention to themes related to war, not surprising given his cultural background. The great hidden gem of the more rock side of "The Getaway" is the combination of "Revolution"/"Light A Fire", in fact, a single musical discourse composed of a fascinating acoustic intro that seems straight out of a Blackmore's Night album fifteen years early, followed by what is a de facto short but beautiful and intense "synthesized" version of "16th Century Greensleeves," in which the singing also echoes Ronnie James Dio's a lot, that is when citation becomes art. Two practically synth-pop episodes (with a voice that finds no even distant comparisons in the field) enliven and color the album, also serving as a bridge between the two main great souls of the work, namely the brilliant and critical title track "The Getaway", imbued with revolutionary ferment and a desire to take on the world, and the lighter and more carefree "Ship To Shore", shamelessly pop and danceable, but still perfectly integrating into the context.
A great distinctive and strongly characterizing feature of "The Getaway" is undoubtedly the massive presence of semi-acoustic folk sounds, a calm, relaxed folk of strongly Mediterranean ascendancy, the sweet and graceful sirtaki of "All The Love I Have Inside", a picturesque and sunny life fresco like "Living On The Island", embellished by a nice sax solo, and "Where Peaceful Waters Flow", a small masterpiece strengthened by a wonderful vocal performance, the sweet acoustic arpeggio, and the graceful and not gaudy choral of a well-supported refrain by an appropriate flute arrangement. A magnificent trio of feel-good songs, slightly less successful the concluding "Liberty," which stretches slightly into overly pompous orchestration, weighing down a composition that would have been absolutely perfect as a short outro, but it's an absolutely venial error, an excess of self-confidence that barely gets noticed in the context of a truly perfect, highly inspired album free of weak points, as far as I'm concerned, a milestone in its genre, highly recommended because it is an album practically for everyone but created with a class truly for the few, a beautiful piece of fine craftsmanship in a field that is anything but easy.
Chris De Burgh was probably like an independent merchant found fighting against a major supermarket chain, quoting Hubert Humphrey about his defeat to John Kennedy in the 1960 primaries, and also for this, he has earned my full and total endorsement.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Don't Pay the Ferryman (03:50)
It was late at night on the open road
Speeding like a man on the run
A lifetime spent preparing for the journey
He is closer now and the search is on
Reading from a map in the mind
Yes there's the ragged hill
And there's the boat on the river
And when the rain came down
He heard a wild dog howl
There were voices in the night (Don't do it)
Voices out of sight (Don't do it)
Too many men have failed before
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
In the rolling mist
Then he gets on board
Now there'll be no turning back
Beware that hooded old man
At the rudder
And then the lightning flashed
And the thunder roared
And people calling out his name
And dancing bones that jabbered
And a moaned on the water
And then the ferryman said
"There is trouble ahead
So you must pay me now" (Don't do it)
"You must pay me now" (Don't do it)
And still that voice came from beyond
Whatever you do
Don't pay the ferryman
Don't even fix a price
Don't pay the ferryman
Until he gets you to the other side
05 The Getaway (03:52)
The moon is on the bright side
But we've thought of everything
Send the word to the prisoners
Tonight, we get away
When you hear the signs of confusion
Come drifting through the door
Get your belongings together
Don't leave nothing behind
And hey boys tonight we get away, to the other side
Head for the wall and get away
We're sick and tired of hearing
That the world is gonna blow
So there's something we'll do to the leaders
Before we go
Let's stick-'em in a room together
Yeah-
And make them fight it out
Until they see, nothing from nothing
Will leave nothing at all
And hey boys tonight we get away, to the other side
Head for the wall and get away
Open the door--open the door--
let me out--I wanna go--
Das ist auch unzere welt
This is our world too
Oui c'est notre monde aussi
Hey boys tonight we get away, to the other side
Head for the wall and get away
"We'll give you anything you say"
Hey boys tonight we get away, to the other side
Head for the wall and get away
"We'll miss you more than we can say"
06 Ship to Shore (03:50)
Ship to shore
Do you read me anymore?
This line is bad, I'm fading
Ship to shore
Answer my call
Send me a signal
A beacon to bring me home
I have been to see the world
Tasted life at every turn
But all the time your face
Came back to haunt me
Day by day the feeling grew
I know I'm still in love with you
The further I go the more I know it
I wanna show it
Ship to shore
Do you read me anymore?
This line is bad, I'm fading
Ship to shore
Answer my call
Send me a signal
A beacon to bring me home
Moving fast all systems go
You and I had time to grow
Until there was a breakdown in transmission
How I wish that we could turn the clock back
To the times when we were lovers
In the true sense of the meaning
You must believe me
Ship to shore
Do you read me anymore?
This line is bad, I'm drowning
Ship to shore
Answer my call
Send me a signal
A beacon to bring me home
Ship to shore
Ship to shore
I cannot believe my eyes
But I'm beginning to see it now
Ship to shore
Ship to shore
You are everything
I've always wanted in my life
08 Borderline (04:39)
I`m standing in the station
I am waiting for a train
To take me to the border
And my loved one far away
I watched a bunch of soldiers heading for the war
I could hardly even bear to see them go
Rolling through the countryside
Tears are in my eyes
We`re coming to the borderline
I`m ready with my lies
And in the early morning rain, I see her there
And I know I`ll have to say goodbye again
And it`s breaking my heart, I know what I must do
I hear my country call me but I want to be with you
I`m taking my side, one of us will lose
Don`t let go, I want to know
That you will wait for me until the day,
There`s no borderline,no borderline
Walking past the border guards
Reaching for her hand
Showing no emotion
I want to break into a run
But these are only boys, and I will never know
How men can see the wisdom in a war ....
And it`s breaking my heart, I know what I must do
I hear my country call me, but I want to be with you
I`m taking my side, one of us will loose,
Don`t let go, I want to know
That you will wait for me until the day,
There`s no borderline, no borderline
No borderline ,......
09 Where Peaceful Waters Flow (03:55)
Restless heart, it has been a long time
Out here on the journey, for a glimpse of paradise
It's getting hard to find a place to go
Where peaceful waters flow.
I took a walk past the old saxon well
Down by the cathedral, I heard the chapel bell
And joined the people singing for a way to go
Where peaceful waters flow.
And if you don't know by now, you never will
Only love can find the door
If you could see it now, it's in your hands
Only love can reach the shore, to heaven
Always, she is standing by my side
She's my inspiration, and she's my battle-cry
And in her arms is the only place I know
Where peaceful waters flow.
And if you don't know by now, you never will
Only love can find the door
If you could see it now, it's in your hands
Only love can reach the shore, to heaven
10 The Revolution (03:54)
Wake up boys, there's a light at the window,
I can hear someone knocking on the door,
There are voices in the street,
And the sound of running feet,
And they whisper the word-
"Revolution!"
There are men coming down from the valleys,
There are tall ships lying off the coast,
And they carry the light,
In the dark of the night,
Like a whisper in the wind-
"Revolution!"
Bring my gun and a handful of silver,
By the sea we will gather for the fight,
It's been so many years, so many tears,
We have lost once before,
Now we'll settle the score,
When our cannons will roar-
"Revolution!"
12 Liberty (05:01)
Liberty
Roll away the dawn,
Roll away the dawn, and let me see,
The land of the free,
Has anything changed at all;
Sweet liberty,
Sweet liberty is in our hands,
It's part of the plan,
Or is it a state of mind?
Horses and men,
Horses and men are on the field,
They didn't yield,
Many have fallen here;
Never forget,
Never forget what they have done,
The time will come,
When it will change again,
Never forget!
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