Johannes Schult

I’m going to see Chris de Burgh live today in Trier. There’s not really a new album to promote, although I suspect that Footsteps 2 will be featured to a certain degree. Anyway, I just jotted down my dream setlist – simply for fun. I tried to make it somewhat realistic, knowing very well that he won’t play most of the songs. I mean, he just has too many great songs in his back catalogue.

1. The Storyman Theme (Intro)
2. Don’t Pay the Ferryman
3. Waiting for the Hurricane
4. Eastern Wind
5. Lonely Sky
6. In a Country Churchyard
7. We Can Work It Out
8. People of the World
9. The Revolution
10. Light a Fire
11. Liberty
12. Borderline
13. Say Goodbye to It All
14. Love and Time
15. There’s a New Star Up in Heaven Tonight
16. The Lady in Red
17. Africa
18. Timing Is Everything
19. Don’t Look Back
20. The Storm
21. Where Peaceful Waters Flow
22. High on Emotion
23. Read My Name
24. Crusader (Encore 1)
25. Transmission Ends (Encore 2)

Hier klicken!

(Quelle)

This song is part of Edric Haleen’s Songwriting Cycle #3. I like the challenges Spencer Sokol gave me. I don’t like how I struggled to create a proper story. At some point I had this glorious idea of the first verse being as it is, but then the couple ends up at his brother’s house, only to find that his brother, who had wanted to go to the beach, did end up at Grandma’s place. The final verse saw Grandma happy at the beach. Anyway, I ran out of time and ideas. There was no brilliant insight at the eleventh hour, so I present you this littly ditty. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found the time to listen to the other entries, but I’m sure they’re far better than mine!

Yesterday we took our car to drive to grandma’s house
I sat behind the steering wheel right next to my spouse

She was really confident we didn’t need a map
But I had just installed a new direction finding app
So five miles down the dusty road
My smart phone said: “turn right”
My wife protested: “no, no, no
Turn left by the traffic light”
I didn’t know just what to do
So I kept driving straight ahead
My phone said: “calculating new route”
While my wife was getting mad

After three such incidents things getting tense
My phone said we were getting there, ignoring some dead ends
But ten miles down the dusty road
It said: “please turn around”
My wife protested: “no, no, no
We should be westward bound”
I didn’t know just what to do
So I kept driving straight ahead
My phone said: “calculating new route”
While my wife was getting mad
My wife was getting mad

Maybe the most impressive feature of the concert in Bamberg (29th August 2012) was the sound. Live concerts tend to be loud and more often than not individual voices are lost in the mix. Not so here. The sound was crystal clear, yet warm and chiming. No pounding drums, no thundering bass, no screeching guitars, no dominant keyboards – just music. The venue was filled with melodies and, of course, Chris de Burgh‘s strong voice. He appeared on stage shortly after 8 pm and received a lot of applause. The first two songs – “First Steps” and “Fatal Hesitation” – seemed to me a bit like a warming up. It was the next song, “Sailing Away”, that really grabbed me, possibly because it was pretty much the first de Burgh song I consciously heard, back in 1990 as a 10 year old boy when my parents watched the Live in Dublin VHS tape.

The solo versions of the songs lacked extensive solo parts – which was a good thing, if you ask me. There were no excessive sing along parts, no fancy song intros; we got “pure” Chris de Burgh. There were a lot of ballads on the setlist, which was fine with me. “Love and Time” worked very well in the new arrangement and “Carry Me (Like a Fire in Your Heart)” was just soo beautiful. There were a couple of songs I found less engaging, like “It’s Such a Long Way Home” and “Oh My Brave Hearts”. The latter one is just rehashing “The Revolution” in my opinion. Thankfully, “The Revolution / Light a Fire” was played, eventually. I had seen some of the previous setlists online, so I wasn’t completely surprised by the setlist. Still, the songs that were requested specifically in Bamberg (e.g. “In Love Forever”) were pleasant surprises. I’m so glad this tour takes place, because as much as a “regular” concert can be entertaining, the “immediateness”, the anything-goes aspect made this evening unique. Chris also told us that he had learned a new phrase in German: “Die Küche ist geschlossen.”

He was in a good mood and had no trouble at all entertaining 1200 people for about 2.5 hours straight. It was clear that he couldn’t play all requests; and personally I would have liked to hear any other song from Moonfleet (great album) than the two he played (“Pure Joy”, “Everywhere I Go”). But I’m not complaining. There were so many great songs (“The Road to Freedom”, “In a Country Churchyard”, “Where Peaceful Waters Flow”, “Waiting for the Hurricane”, “The Girl With April in Her Eyes”) from almost all albums, I rarely stopped smiling. A particular highlight this time around (itwas only my second Chris de Burgh concert after Trier 2009) was “Say Goodbye to It All”. It was preceded by “Borderline”, which sounded good, but cheesier than necessary due to the e-piano-strings. The all piano version of “Say Goodbye to It All” gave the song a fresh feeling, made it less repetitive and, well, I enjoyed it immensely. I was surprised how well “A Woman’s Heart” worked as a dancing song. The funniest part of the evening was probably when he sang the line “the perfect man” and hinted at himself with a grin.

The performance was spot on and certainly not something you get to see every day (or even every year). I don’t think it resembled the early days of Chris’ career, when he had to struggle with sound, lighting and (Supertramp) stage managers. Still, it showed the essence of the music as well as the charming personality of the man way better than any fancy stadium show could ever do. My seat in row 2 had cost more than 80 Euros, which was quite expensive in my opinion. Then again, there were hardly any empty seats in the room, so it all comes down to supply and demand. And this evening wasn’t about economics, but all about music and stories. And I had a great evening!

1. First Steps
2. Fatal Hesitation
3. Sailing Away
4. Missing You
5. Here Is Your Paradise
6. It’s Such a Long Way Home
7. In Love Forever
8. Tender Hands
9. Songbird
10. Pure Joy
11. Borderline
12. Say Goodbye to It All
13. The Road to Freedom
14. Sailor
15. Oh My Brave Hearts
16. Waiting for the Hurricane
17. In the Ghetto
18. Love and Time
19. Carry Me (Like a Fire in Your Heart)
20. The Girl With April in Her Eyes
21. Spirit
22. In a Country Churchyard
23. The Lady in Red
24. The Revolution / Light a Fire
25. Everywhere I Go
26. A Woman’s Heart
27. Where Peaceful Waters Flow
28. Don’t Pay the Ferryman
29. High on Emotion
30. Those Were the Days
31. The Snows of New York
32. Goodnight

Just three months after I had seen Dr. Frank in Baltimore, he came to Europe for a string of acoustic gigs. The last show of the tour took place at the Autonomes Zentrum in Aachen, a former bunker located beneath the train station. There were about 40 people, few enough to allow Kepi Ghoulie play the first couple of songs unplugged. His music combined classic Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones vibes with a vivid punk rock spirit. His performance was certainly entertaining and enjoyable.

I usually prefer artists who don’t stick to a static setlist during a tour. Now last night was very much a dynamic event. It helped that the concert felt a bit like a living room show due to its size. Consequently, Dr. Frank’s set was filled with surprises and requests. (I got to hear “Will You Still Love Me When I Don’t Love You?”!) All those great rocking songs from the Mr. T Experience worked very well in an acoustic setting. For once, you could hear all the lyrics perfectly. Did anyone ever award some prize to Dr. Frank for the most clever and wry punk rock lyrics? Why not? What do you mean, there’s no Nobel Punk Prize? Anyway, the show was great and the mood was relaxed. There were so many amazing songs! I feel compelled to list some titles, because they remind me of the fun I had during the gig: “You’re the Only One”, “Swiss Army Girlfriend”, “Jill”, “Sackcloth and Ashes”, “Swallow Everything”! The lack of recognition from mainstream music fans breaks my heart. And yet I’m totally happy that I got to experience this concert close up. The next time Dr. Frank comes to town (or as in my case to a town that’s a three-hour drive away) you better go see him!

1. How’d the Date End
2. I Wrote a Book About Rock and Roll
3. You Today
4. My Name Is Morgan (But It Ain’t J.P.)
5. More Than Toast
6. Mr. Ramones
7. You’re the Only One
8. Swiss Army Girlfriend
9. ???
10. Fucked Up on Life
11. Now That You Are Gone
12. Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend
13. Jill
14. Will You Still Love Me When I Don’t Love You?
15. Sackcloth and Ashes
16. She Turned Out to Be Crazy
17. Swallow Everything

Thursday, June 28th, found me attending the seventh music event on the eighth day of my vacation. I had strolled the streets of Manhattan earlier that day and ate a delicious veggie burger at Earthmatters (177 Ludlow St New York, NY 10011). My feet got tired, eventually, and it was still rather hot outside, so I went to the Rockwood Music Hall in time to catch a couple of songs by the first artist playing there that evening. Matt Dorien sounded quite nice, playing some sort of mellow but not really mellow country folk songs (a bit Paul Simon-y in terms of the vocals) with a neat backing band. The sound man provided a good, balanced mix throughout the evening; my tortured ears were thankful. There were eight people in the audience (including me). I could write a whole post about this alone, because it shows a) that playing in NYC isn’t necessarily as glamorous as it sounds and b) despite the meagre attendance, the musicians gave it all and earned if not money at least valuable respect and experience.

Next came Emily Elbert, a jazzy singer who accompanied herself on acoustic guitar. She actually tore one of the strings towards the end, because her playing was quite energetic, yet still artistic. Her command of her talent was impressive, however, I’m not a fan of such daring tonalities. The crowd (about 25 by now!) liked her quite a bit, though. Daniel and the Lion played laid back folk songs, but they had an aweful lot of very somber, soft songs. My attention drifted time and again as I failed to connect to the songs. The duo (piano and guitar/vocals) had come from Wisconsin to find about 30 people listening (which made the venue half-empty/half-full). Again, I doubt any artist can achieve sustainable success without this sort of commitment. Still, even then it comes down to whether the front row is swinging in the groove or not. People seemed to enjoy the show and were listening attentively during the quiet parts, even though they had chatted loudly just a few minutes earlier. This certainly helped to make the performers feel good.

Around 9 pm it was time for Sophie Madeleine, the reason I had come to the venue. She’s one half of Rocky & Balls whom I first found out about through Tom of the Boffo Yux Dudes. Some of her songs are way too “fluffy” for my taste. Still, she has produced a few gems – and admission was free, after all! When Sophie (together with Timothy on guitar and harmony vocals) entered the stage, I was skeptical, because there was a ton of gear. Miraculously, the change over didn’t take too long and everything worked. When the show began with pre-recorded loop samples, I was afraid that the gig would turn into a karaoke session. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. Most songs were played 100% live – and for some songs, the loops were recorded on location, which was quite fascinating. Sophie did play my favourite song of hers, “Little One“, so I was happy. She also premiered a new song that was possibly the most introverted of the songs she played. The audience (still 30 noses) was once again attentive yet a bit reserved. I found it quite impressive to see such a flawless performance close-up in this small room right there in the middle of the big city.

I was tempted to stay longer because all artists had been quite skilled and four more were to play. (The venue has hourly slots for artists every day of the week.) But my hotel bed beckoned and I wanted to end my week-long music adventure with a positive memory – and Sophie Madeleine had just provided one.

1. Song to Fall in Love to
2. The Rhythm You Started
3. Little One
4. Stars
5. Butterfly Child
6. Beautiful Lie (new song, not sure about the title)
7. Come Follow Me

It was Thursday, June 21st. I had arrived in Philadelphia coming from Zürich and drove south into the heat of Maryland (104° Fahrenheit). Not the most relaxing way to start one’s vacation but I didn’t want to miss the rare opportunity to see some one of the most underrated punk musicians coming out of retirement. After three hours of sleep in the hotel I got up and drove to the Ottobar. I got there half an hour before midnight local time. Mikey Erg was still on stage and sang some pop punk songs on his own with just an electric guitar (sounding excellent). His songs were pretty cool and he was obviously enjoying the gig. The audience – maybe 200 people – was in a good mood, too, albeit a bit exhausted, because the event (Insubordination Fest) was already rolling since 6 pm.

Dr. Frank hit the stage after a really quick change over. His backing band that night were the Mixtapes, who delivered a powerful, passionate performance. Dr. Frank himself wasn’t completely sober and kept on drinking throughout the show. I guess a proper punk rock concert was a nice change for him compared to his usual book reading events that take place during the day and have young adult readers in the audience. I had no idea what kind of setlist to expect. Needless to say I was thrilled when “Sackcloth and Ashes” was played as opener. A barrage of MTX classics followed (“Here She Comes”! “Semi-OK”! “I Love You, but You’re Standing on My Foot”!). I loved every minute of it! The 30-second song “Told You Once” (off the “Short Music for Short People” compilation) was played three times in a row before the other musicians left Dr. Frank alone on stage for a couple of softer songs (mainly about alcohol and romance).

The mood during this part of the show was especially relaxed. It was cool to see several other artists standing by the side of the stage and singing along every word by heart. After a formidable version of “Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend”, the House Boat guys joined Dr. Frank for a couple of songs. Finally, two of the best songs (“Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba” and “Dumb Little Band”) from the best MTX album “Love Is Dead” concluded the set and the audience went wild one last time. There were stagedivers and happy faces and all was good despite the Baltimore heat at 1 am.

I hesitate to lament the lack of public interest in the event. It was great to see this style of music played in such a small place. No way a stadium gig could feel as imminent. It all reminded me of the MTX concert I attended back in 2001 in Stuttgart, Germany. Maybe it’s even a good thing that shows like these have become scarce. We’re all getting older and punk rock nostalgia is one of the ugliest forms of nostalgia if you ask me. Still, on that sweaty Thursday night Love might have been dead, but Punk certainly wasn’t.

1. Sackcloth and Ashes
2. Last Time I Listened to You
3. Danny Partridge Got Busted
4. Here She Comes
5. She’s No Rocket Scientist
6. I Love You, but You’re Standing on My Foot
7. Semi-OK
8. I Wrote a Book About Rock and Roll
9. Told You Once
10. Told You Once
11. Told You Once
12. Now That You Are Gone
13. She Runs Out When the Money Does
14. Two Martinis From Now
15. Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend
16. Gilman Street
17. More Than Toast
18. Somebody Who Cares
19. Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba
20. Dumb Little Band
21. How’d the Date End?

PS: I’ll leave you with the wise words of Ben Weasel, who wrote on February 1st, 2004: In the meantime it’s worth the price of admission and then some to see [the Mr. T Experience] play. Whatever one of those American Pie bands might be worth, the MTX is worth double, and I’m being kind to the AP bands. Buy their CDs. See them play. Be one of those few people who vote with their dollars for substance over posturing; for quality over marketing magic. Because twenty-five years from now, do you really wanna be the person who decided to see Journey when you could’ve seen AC/DC with Bon Scott? Of course you don’t.

Last month, Barney McKenna died. He was the last surviving founding member of the Dubliners. His banjo playing on tunes like “Farewell to Ireland” helped make me discover and cherish Irish folk music in the first place. I’m certainly not the person to write a thorough history of the band. Instead, I have a remark and a song list.

The Dubliners are one of the few established bands whose studio albums have not been (re-)released on CD. There is only a vast number of compilations. A few contain full albums, but most feature what are supposed the greatest hits. I’ve begun collecting the original albums a while ago. The early works contain some of the famous songs, but I find myself liking the albums from the 70s better. Especially “Now” is a wonderful album. If you are looking for a decent compilation of Dubliners songs, I recommend you look for “20 Greatest Hits Vol. I” and “20 Greatest Hits Vol. II” as they contain most of the popular tunes as well as most of the really good songs. Some songs on there are edited, though, for unknown reasons.

Below is the list of my personal favourite songs – very subjective and somewhat intentionally leaving out the more rowdy drinking songs. Also, “The Parting Glass” (1968, from “Drinkin’ & Courtin'”) would be an equally touching closing number, but since “Louse House” is the last song on “20 Greatest Hits Vol. II” I somehow consider it the best closing track.

1. The Rocky Road to Dublin (1964, from “The Dubliners”)
2. Farewell to Carlingford (1975, from “Now”)
3. The Mero (1979, from “Together Again”)
4. The Lifeboat Mona (1975, from “Now”)
5. The Town I Loved So Well (1973, from “Plain and Simple”)
6. The Irish Rover (with the Pogues) (1987, from the single “The Irish Rover”)
7. Lord of the Dance (1975, from “Now”)
8. The Sick Note (live 1983) (1985, from “Live in Carré)
9. The Lark in the Morning (1975, from “Now”)
10. Donnegal Danny (1973, from “Plain and Simple”)
11. Louse House at Kilkenny (1972, from “Double Dubliners”)

This list is not only very subjective but also restricted to guitarists which I have seen live on stage. Eliciting a general state of awe in me (and fellow concert goers) is the main criterion for being on this list. So here are the names of some guitar players – not the fastest, not the most influential ones, but to me the most outstanding ones.

Ritchie Blackmore – a clever player, an iconic song writer, and maybe most of all a charismatic character both loved and feared. He earned his chops playing on a whole lot of singles that were produced by Joe Meek. Early on in the history of Deep Purple he co-wrote the breathtakingly beautiful chamber classic-pop hybrid “April” and contributed terrific yet tastefull licks to the final part of the trilogy. Next on, he was instrumental in inventing hard rock (as in “Speed King”, “Highway Star”, “Fireball” etc.), followed by a period of excellent albums with Rainbow. The Deep Purple reunion album “Perfect Strangers” is a personal favourite of mine that has Ritchie’s unique guitar playing all over it. And just when his career seemed to get lost in further reunions und breakups, he re-invented himself as a modern folk bard with Blackmore’s Night. I saw him live three times now, and each time has been a fest of melodies and feelings. Sure, he appears to be a moody person, but he’s also supposed to be a cunning prankster who loves to vacuum.

Mark Reale – perhaps the most underrated guitarist in heavy metal history. From inventing speed metal back in the mid 70s to the last Riot album “Immortal Soul”, his playing was always spot-on, yet in a way soulful. Sure, the man could shred. But most often he was after creating catchy hooks and awesome twin lead harmonies. His partner in crime, Mike Flyntz, is a very talented player himself, make no mistake. Still, Mark wrote so many fantastic metal songs that I’ll never get tired listening to. I saw him live twice, two spotless and kind of laid back performances.

Dave Murray – my favourite Iron Maiden guitarist. I love his tone, I love his solos, and I love almost all the songs he co-wrote. Given the dominant role of Steve Harris in the band’s song writing, a Murray writing credit always indicates an original twist on the classic maiden sound. As for Iron Maiden – they were my first metal concert and boy did they rock the Schleyerhalle back in 1993!

Yves Passarell – at least when he was with Viper. (Capital Inicial leaves me cold, sorry.) His role in the band mirrors that of Dave Murray in Maiden. His song writing contributions provided a nice change to his brother’s ideas. Most importantly, however, he is one of those few metal guitar players who really make their instrument sing. His solos were never really showing off but integral parts of the songs. The first Viper album “Soldiers of Sunrise” already contains some terrific guitar playing. Still, the real highlight came in 1992 with the song “Wasted”, which contains one of the five most impressive guitar solos I’ve ever heard in terms of passion, melody, and – yes – shredding.

Felipe Machado – might have played the solo in “Wasted”. I don’t know which of Viper’s guitarists played the solo. When I saw the band live in 1993 (Rockfabrik Ludwigsburg) both were soooo active on stage, enjoying the heck out of the gig. Their show left a lasting impression on me with its raw energy and positive drive.

Frank Aresti – Fates Warning sound so much better with him. Jim Matheos writes most of the songs and is an excellent guitarist. Still, I adore Frank’s playing with its inventive take on leads and note mapping on the fretboard. His playing never looks/feels crude or athletic, just astheticly pleasing. His work on the “Parallels” and “Inside Out” songs is simply stellar, if you ask me.

Alan Morse – who sometimes wears very colourful clothes. Spock’s Beard is the perfect band for him to exploit his talent. I’ve seen the band live six times by now, and yes, there were one or two gigs where he had a “mediocre” day. Then again, he completely blew out my brain (or at least my auditory and visual cortex) during the 2000 concert in Ludwigsburg (Scala). Playing without a pick, he wasn’t so much playing his instrument, but toying around with it, extracting weird sounds, strong melodies and tasty solos. I’m sure he could play the songs 100% like they are on the albums. But I suspect he just enjoys messing around with them. His passion for his instrument appears to be limitless. Too bad his solo album contained too much shredding and not enough hooks.

Mike Oldfield – a master on his own right. Few guitarists can claim to have a unique sound. Mike Oldfield not only has his personal sound, but also a number of original styles he pioneered and/or refined over the past 40 years. He’s a genius with his elaborate instrumental epics and he also wrote some of the most beautiful pop songs (“Moonlight Shadow”, “Crime of Passion”, “To France” etc.), always with some tasteful guitar leads thrown in for good measure. I also love his acoustic work, in particular the folky “Voyager” album and his most recent (all orchestral) work “Music of the Spheres”.

Brendt Allman – Shadow Gallery‘s main guitarist who can shred like hell. Here, seeing him live during the band’s first tour in 2010 (18 years after their debut album!) made all the difference. Such a blast of energy! Brendt was quite sick at the gig in Essen. Still, he gave 100% and delivered a phenomenal performance.

Gary Wehrkamp – Shadow Gallery’s other guitarist (and keyboard player and part-time drummer and producer and all-around good guy). I wasn’t sure what to expect from Gary, but – as with Brendt Allman – seeing him live on stage made clear that this man has pure music flowing through his veins. His passion was obvious and his playing immaculate. I couldn’t help but feel joy at the wonderful sight of Gary juggling guitar, keyboard and singing duties with deceptive ease. I’m usually impressed when I see someone like John Petrucci on stage (first time in 1995), but Gary (and Shadow Gallery) left a deeper, more emotional mark on me.

Ron Jarzombek – a sick shredding guitarist on most of his recent releases. BUT: When he was playing with WatchTower, his technical abilities were just a skill that was used in a bigger picture. “Control and Resistance” is a masterpiece – and live on stage the band was just going crazy. I saw them back in 2000 and then again in 2010. Both times they blew my mind with their weird stage acting frency and their complex yet somehow supercool prog metal songs.

Mark Knopfler – a unique player. It’s hard not to recognize his playing whenever a Dire Straits song come on the radio. It’s something we don’t hear that often these days: a guitar that sounds like it’s being caressed, like it’s been glittering in the starlight, like it has the main role and the vocals are just some minor addition. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mark‘s singing. And he wrong a whole lot of great songs. Still, this list is about guitars, and there’s no one like Mark Knopfler. It usually takes me less than three notes to identify him.

Richard Shindell – a bit controversial. I love his songs and his voice is so intense that it’s difficult to shift my focus on his guitar skills. Said skills are impressive. Richard‘s playing often is sort of an understatement. It’s there to drive the respective song. Still, watching his fingers swirl and hearing the groove of “Stray Cow Blues”, the beauty of “Wisteria”, or his electric guitar solo take on “Reunion Hill” (on “Live at Randolph”!) just takes my breath away. Stunning!

What’s your favourite Chris de Burgh song of all time?

I fed the responses into Stata, removed duplicate entries and cleaned up typos etc. – and here is the final list:

                             SONG TITLE |  VOTES
----------------------------------------+-------
                        the lady in red |    138
----------------------------------------+-------
                             borderline |     62
----------------------------------------+-------
                          spanish train |     44
----------------------------------------+-------
                in a country churchyard |     32
----------------------------------------+-------
   carry me (like a fire in your heart) |     26
                 don't pay the ferryman |     26
----------------------------------------+-------
             a spaceman came travelling |     25
                            missing you |     25
----------------------------------------+-------
                  the snows of new york |     23
----------------------------------------+-------
                  patricia the stripper |     20
----------------------------------------+-------
             where peaceful waters flow |     19
----------------------------------------+-------
                                 sailor |     17
                           the same sun |     17
----------------------------------------+-------
                               crusader |     15
----------------------------------------+-------
           go where your heart believes |     14
----------------------------------------+-------
                             lonely sky |     13
                        separate tables |     13
                   the words i love you |     13
----------------------------------------+-------
                   satin green shutters |     12
----------------------------------------+-------
                        a woman's heart |     11
                            for rosanna |     11
                 the head and the heart |     11
----------------------------------------+-------
                        high on emotion |     10
                             revolution |     10
                              the tower |     10
                      transmission ends |     10
----------------------------------------+-------
                    diamond in the dark |      9
                       fatal hesitation |      9
        the girl with april in her eyes |      9
                      up here in heaven |      9
----------------------------------------+-------
                  say goodbye to it all |      8
                  the last time i cried |      8
----------------------------------------+-------
                           sailing away |      7
                    the road to freedom |      7
                          the traveller |      7
----------------------------------------+-------
                  here is your paradise |      6
                       just a word away |      6
                         lebanese night |      6
                          natasha dance |      6
                    people of the world |      6
                          ship to shore |      6
                             the leader |      6
----------------------------------------+-------
                               carry on |      5
                            forevermore |      5
                 i'm not scared anymore |      5
                    leather on my shoes |      5
               love of the heart divine |      5
                               songbird |      5
                            the journey |      5
----------------------------------------+-------
                 a rainy night in paris |      4
                              discovery |      4
                           eastern wind |      4
                        everywhere i go |      4
                      fire on the water |      4
                           here for you |      4
                                hold on |      4
                           so beautiful |      4
                            the getaway |      4
                       the simple truth |      4
                   why mona lisa smiled |      4
----------------------------------------+-------
                      always on my mind |      3
                           broken wings |      3
                                 flying |      3
                    i'm counting on you |      3
                             last night |      3
                   living on the island |      3
                    moonlight and vodka |      3
                            perfect day |      3
                           raging storm |      3
                           read my name |      3
                   something else again |      3
                 the mirror of the soul |      3
                           the storyman |      3
----------------------------------------+-------
                           brother john |      2
                     every drop of rain |      2
                              footsteps |      2
                            have a care |      2
                      heart of darkness |      2
                       i love the night |      2
                         i'm going home |      2
            it's me and i'm ready to go |      2
                  just another poor boy |      2
                              leningrad |      2
                    love is my decision |      2
                        man on the line |      2
                          moonfleet bay |      2
                   my heart's surrender |      2
                             old friend |      2
                    one more mile to go |      2
                              one world |      2
                               pure joy |      2
                     saint peter's gate |      2
                          seven bridges |      2
                          suddenly love |      2
                           tender hands |      2
                the ballroom of romance |      2
                        the devil's eye |      2
                 the son and the father |      2
                    when i think of you |      2
                 where we will be going |      2
                you'll never walk alone |      2
----------------------------------------+-------
                                 africa |      1
             all the love i have inside |      1
                        another rainbow |      1
                                 brazil |      1
                             by my side |      1
                    crying and laughing |      1
                              danny boy |      1
                        don't look back |      1
                  every step of the way |      1
                              goodnight |      1
                       hotel california |      1
                i'm not crying over you |      1
                        in love forever |      1
                              let it be |      1
                    much more than this |      1
                       my father's eyes |      1
                     oh my brave hearts |      1
                   old-fashioned people |      1
                      once upon in time |      1
       one word (straight to the heart) |      1
                    riding on a rainbow |      1
                        rose of england |      1
                      shadows and light |      1
             she means everything to me |      1
                               shine on |      1
                               sin city |      1
                        snow is falling |      1
                                    sos |      1
                                 spirit |      1
                   taking it to the top |      1
                  the grace of a dancer |      1
                            the painter |      1
                     the storyman theme |      1
there's a new star up in heaven tonight |      1
     there's room in this heart tonight |      1
                      this song for you |      1
                   timing is everything |      1
               two sides to every story |      1
              waiting for the hurricane |      1
what's a nice guy like you doing in a...|      1
----------------------------------------+-------
                                  Total |    956

That’s 142 different songs! I’m surprised – in a very pleasant way – about the variety of choices: old, new, hits, epics, ballads, love, stories, history, loss, war, peace, family. I’m also surprised that “The Lady in Red” is such a clear winner. On the other end of the list you find my favourite song – or at least my favourite song title as I have never heard “What’s a Nice Guy Like You Doing in a Face Like That?” – of course, I’m glad that other fans mentioned almost all my semi-favourite songs (“Transmission Ends”! “Crusader”! “The Last Time I Cried”! “A Spaceman Came Travelling”! “The Same Sun”!).

Notes: When multiple songs were mentioned I took the first one (unless another one was clearly labelled as favourite). I deleted a couple of songs that didn’t sound like anything Chris de Burgh every performed. Another 23 people indicated that they couldn’t or wouldn’t make a decision. This list is based in the responses I could see with my account; no idea if that’s all. Oh, and here’s the album statistics:

                        album |   votes    no. of songs
------------------------------+---------------------
               into the light |      208          10
                  the getaway |      135          10
                spanish train |      120          10
               flying colours |       61           9
          the road to freedom |       40           9
                 the storyman |       17           9
              man on the line |       40           8
                    moonfleet |       36           8
             the power of ten |       24           8
  at the end of a perfect day |       47           6
             quiet revolution |       43           6
                     crusader |       35           6
far beyond these castle walls |       21           5
                  this way up |       39           4
                 eastern wind |       29           4
         timing is everything |        9           4
             beautiful dreams |        7           4
                  footsteps 2 |        5           4
                    footsteps |        3           2
------------------------------+-----------------------
              (single tracks) |       10           5
               the love songs |       11           3
           (unreleased songs) |        3           3
                   best moves |        3           2
             spark to a flame |        9           1
        notes to planet earth |        1           1