Chris Rea

If only the U.S. division of Warner Brothers Records had the foresight the European Union's had. While both continents have seen major labels offering repackaged two-fers by all sorts of big selling artists, few have gone to second- and third-tier artists. Chris Rea is big news in Europe and has been for decades. He is considered a "classic rock" artist though his biggest hits were in the 1980s. This two-fer slaps together his two best albums for a budget price. What's more, these are 20-bit remasters and sound terrific. Now it may be true that Warner is simply trying to unload inventory from its shelves, but it's also true that virtually anyone remotely interested in Rea on either side of the Atlantic who doesn't already have them will be enticed by this package. There are no better examples of his diversity as an artist or his appeal to large audiences -- he nailed it in the MTV era as well -- than On the Beach and The Road to Hell. Punters should hit the net or their local stores and snap this set up before these become separate titles again. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide