Live in Dortmund

by Greg Prato Depending on who you ask, Chris de Burgh either specializes in pretentious, bombastic art rock disguised as pop or is a master of penning soaring and majestic compositions. Either way, both camps will remain stuck to their beliefs after listening to de Burgh's 2005 double-disc live set, Live in Dortmund. Although he seemingly fell from sight in the U.S. -- after scoring the early MTV hits "Don't Pay the Ferryman" and the ballad "The Lady in Red" (the latter used to great effect in the grisly movie American Psycho) -- de Burgh retains a large cult following in other areas of the world. Dortmund, Germany, must be one such place where de Burgh still rules supreme, as evidenced by all the applause and singalongs he receives throughout this set. His two aforementioned hits remain his best songs (in fact, with a few added power chords, "Don't Pay the Ferryman" would be a perfect track for the Darkness to cover), but other de Burgh favorites are featured as well -- "Sailing Away," "Where Peaceful Waters Flow," "Tender Hands," etc. Newcomers should stick with one of de Burgh's many "best-of" compilations (2004's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection is a solid and affordable intro), but the already converted looking for a sampling of some live de Burgh won't be let down.