Chris Rea - The Best Of Chris Rea - New Light Through Old Windows (2025)
Artist: Chris Rea
Title: The Best Of Chris Rea - New Light Through Old Windows
Year Of Release: 1988 / 2025
Label: Magnet – 5021732657503 / CD, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered
Genre: Blues Rock, Soft Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue,log artwork)
Total Time: 1:00:48
Total Size: 459 Mb
WebSite: Album Preview
Tracklist: Title: The Best Of Chris Rea - New Light Through Old Windows
Year Of Release: 1988 / 2025
Label: Magnet – 5021732657503 / CD, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered
Genre: Blues Rock, Soft Rock, Singer-Songwriter
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue,log artwork)
Total Time: 1:00:48
Total Size: 459 Mb
WebSite: Album Preview
01. Let’s Dance (4:17)
02. Working On It (4:27)
03. Ace Of Hearts (4:55)
04. Josephine (4:37)
05. Candles (4:45)
06. On The Beach (6:53)
07. Fool (If You Think It’s Over) (4:07)
08. I Can Hear Your Heartbeat (3:27)
09. Shamrock Diaries (4:16)
10. Stainsby Girls (4:09)
11. Windy Town (4:07)
12. Driving Home For Christmas (4:03)
13. Steel River (6:49)
Chris Rea's first ever compilation New Light Through Old Windows has been remastered onto recycled 2LP and 1CD for the first time on vinyl since its original release in 1988.
Chris re-recorded all the original versions including hits such as "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," "On The Beach," and "Driving Home for Christmas." The album also features one new song "Working On It," which went on to top the US mainstream rock charts, Chris’ only song to do so.
As a British musician nevertheless beholden to the sounds of the States, Chris Rea has always managed to assert his own style and set himself apart from his contemporaries. Simply put, he’s always loved one thing above all: telling stories over a blues theme. Stories shaped by a life well lived with a sharp eye kept out on the world. This has quite naturally drawn a fairly consistent fan base around him. But for newcomers, figuring out where to start can be tricky. Thankfully, the singer stepped in himself as early as the late 1980s with the release of New Light Through Old Windows. Not a typical greatest hits compilation, but rather a rejuvenation project: Chris Rea re-recorded his biggest hits for the occasion, which, it turns out, take up most of the album.
Though many fans were skeptical at the time, this refresher turned out to be a great idea. The 1980s production aesthetic gives the older songs a new aura; one of the singer’s biggest hits, "Let’s Dance," gains a much more open and airy sound. It’s warmer and groovier. Why should a song no longer be allowed to evolve just because it’s been recorded once? Listening to the 1988 version of "On the Beach," it’s clear that Chris Rea asked himself just that. He manages to surpass the original by accentuating the track’s dreamlike quality. The same goes for the new "Josephine," which is even more charming than the first version. And then there’s Chris Rea’s ultimate hit, "Driving Home for Christmas": until the release of New Light…, this now-iconic holiday tune lived a quiet life as a B-side. It took the new version for it to finally take off to worldwide fame.
Chris re-recorded all the original versions including hits such as "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," "On The Beach," and "Driving Home for Christmas." The album also features one new song "Working On It," which went on to top the US mainstream rock charts, Chris’ only song to do so.
As a British musician nevertheless beholden to the sounds of the States, Chris Rea has always managed to assert his own style and set himself apart from his contemporaries. Simply put, he’s always loved one thing above all: telling stories over a blues theme. Stories shaped by a life well lived with a sharp eye kept out on the world. This has quite naturally drawn a fairly consistent fan base around him. But for newcomers, figuring out where to start can be tricky. Thankfully, the singer stepped in himself as early as the late 1980s with the release of New Light Through Old Windows. Not a typical greatest hits compilation, but rather a rejuvenation project: Chris Rea re-recorded his biggest hits for the occasion, which, it turns out, take up most of the album.
Though many fans were skeptical at the time, this refresher turned out to be a great idea. The 1980s production aesthetic gives the older songs a new aura; one of the singer’s biggest hits, "Let’s Dance," gains a much more open and airy sound. It’s warmer and groovier. Why should a song no longer be allowed to evolve just because it’s been recorded once? Listening to the 1988 version of "On the Beach," it’s clear that Chris Rea asked himself just that. He manages to surpass the original by accentuating the track’s dreamlike quality. The same goes for the new "Josephine," which is even more charming than the first version. And then there’s Chris Rea’s ultimate hit, "Driving Home for Christmas": until the release of New Light…, this now-iconic holiday tune lived a quiet life as a B-side. It took the new version for it to finally take off to worldwide fame.
