I want to see the bright lights...

[laughingcrow]

Anybody on here a fan of Richard Thompson, in solo guise, with Linda or with Fairport Convention?

I think he's great....Im a big fan of traditional british folk, and R&LT produced some of the most hearfelt and emotional music I've ever heard. I think he's a great lyricist too.

Anyone agree?

[BlueChair]

I have Fairport Convention's 'Unhalfbricking.' Excellent album, and it contains one of the best Dylan covers ever. Their version of "Percy's Song"

I also enjoy Richard's contributions to Nick Drake's material.

I still need to further my education in Richard Thompsonology.

[pip_52]

I really like EC's covers of Richard Thompson songs: "The End of the Rainbow" and "Withered and Died".

But I also dont have very extensive knowledge of Richard Thompson himself . . .

[laughingcrow]

I would urge everyone who doesn't have any R & LT to buy the new retrospective of Richard and Linda Thompson..called 'The End of the Rainbow'...in america it's called 'The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years'.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 51-7432727

It has nearly everything off of 'I want to see the bright lights tonight' their best album (an album that will seriously change your life), and good tracks off of Pour down like silver, Hokey Pokey and others...It's quite a good way to get into them. It can be very very very very depressing though, they were producing sheer emotion before and around the time they became suffi muslims.

RT's solo stuff is a lot more upbeat...can't reccomend his newest album 'The old kit bag' highly enough.

[Jackson Doofster]

I have 'Rumour and Sigh' and 'Daring Adventures'. Love them both and they contain some truly great songs.

I may well take up your rec regarding the RT/LT retrospective...sounds great

[selfmademug]

I'm definitely a R & LT fan, though my collection is spotty. IWTSTBLT is just fantastic, and I love the RT record HAND OF KINDNESS, among others. Somewhere in my poor buried vinyl collection is a copy of STRICT TEMPO which I suspect you know, Crow? Hugely fun.

[ice nine]

Ever since I joined this little 'club' we have here, my CD collection has broaden (broadened???) I now have in my collection Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Lucinda Williams, and Mr. Thompson. I have Action Packed: The Best of the Capitol Years. I especially like 'Waltzing's For Dreamers' and 'I Misunderstood'

[laughingcrow]

SMM, I don't have Strict Tempo unfortunately...it's a solely instrumental one isn't it?

Here's some current tour dates that Ive just seen...though I might be away on the dates he's in Edinburgh or Aberdeen Blasted luck!

Thu, 11 March 2004 Charlotte, NC Neighborhood Theatre (704) 358-9298
Neighborhood Theatre

Fri, 12 March 2004 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse (404) 524-7354
Variety Playhouse
Opening: Julian Coryell

Sat, 13 March 2004 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall (828) 232-5800
Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
Opening: Julian Coryell

Mon, 15 March 2004 Carrboro, NC Carrboro Arts Center (919) 929-2787
Arts Center
Etix.com
Opening: Julian Coryell

Tue, 16 March 2004 Charlottesville, VA Starr Hill Music Hall (800) 594-TIXX
Starr Hill Music Hall
Opening: Julian Coryell

Thu, 18 March 2004 Annapolis, MD Rams Head Tavern (410) 268-4545
Rams Head Tavern
Opening: Julian Coryell

Fri, 19 March 2004 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse (203) 438-4519
Ridgefield Playhouse

Sat, 20 March 2004 Manchester, NH Palace Theatre (603) 668-5588
Palace Theatre
Opening: Julian Coryell

Sun, 21 March 2004 Albany, NY Hart Theatre/The Egg (518) 473-1845
The Egg
Opening: Julian Coryell

Tue, 23 March 2004 Winooski, VT Higher Ground (866) 468-7619
Higher Ground

Wed, 24 March 2004 Middlebury, VT Middlebury United Methodist Church (802) 388-0216
After Dark Music Series
Opening: Julian Coryell

Thu, 25 March 2004 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall (914) 248-8823
TwinCloud.com
Opening: Julian Coryell

Fri, 26 March 2004 Cambridge, MA Sanders Theater (617) 496-2222
Sanders Theater
with Peter Mulvey, Mark Erelli
& Texas Swing Band, Halali

Wed, 7 April 2004 Brisbane The Tivoli (07 ) 3852 1711
The Tivoli

Fri, 9 April 2004 Byron East Coast Blues & Root Festival (02 ) 6685 8310
BluesFest

Sat, 10 April 2004 Byron East Coast Blues & Root Festival (02 ) 6685 8310
BluesFest

Tue, 13 April 2004 Canberra Tilleys (02 ) 6247 7753
Tilleys

Wed, 14 April 2004 Canberra Tilleys (02 ) 6247 7753
Tilleys

Thu, 15 April 2004 Sydney Enmore Theatre (02 ) 9550 3666
Enmore Theatre

Sat, 17 April 2004 Adelaide Governor Hindmarsh (08 ) 8340 0744
The Gov

Sun, 18 April 2004 Melbourne Concert Hall (03 ) 9281 8000
Concert Hall

Tue, 20 April 2004 Perth Fly By Night (08 ) 9430 5976

Fri, 14 May 2004 UK TOUR DATES ALL TICKETS ON SALE

27 FEBRUARY Manchester Tickets Available Now!

Sat, 15 May 2004 London Hackney Empire 0208 985 2424
Hackney Empire
Guest: Jim Moray

Sun, 16 May 2004 Coventry Warwick Arts Centre 02476 652 4524
Warwick Arts Centre
Guest: Jim Moray

Mon, 17 May 2004 Cambridge Corn Exchange 0122 335 7851
Corn Exchange
Guest: Jim Moray

Tue, 18 May 2004 Aberdeen Music Hall 01224 641122
Music Hall
Guest: Jim Moray

Wed, 19 May 2004 Edinburgh Usher Hall 0131 228 1155
Usher Hall
Guest: Jim Moray

Fri, 21 May 2004 Basingstoke Anvil 01256 844 244
Anvil
Guest: Jim Moray

Sat, 22 May 2004 Watford Colosseum 01923 44 5000
Colosseum
Guest: Jim Moray

Mon, 24 May 2004 Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall 01892 530613
Assembly Hall
Guest: Jim Moray

Wed, 26 May 2004 Buxton Opera House 0845 1272 190
Opera House
Guest: Jim Moray

Thu, 27 May 2004 York Opera House 0870 606 3595
Opera House
Guest: Jim Moray

Fri, 28 May 2004 Manchester Bridgewater Hall 0161 907 9000
Bridgewater Hall
Guest JIM MORAY

Sun, 30 May 2004 Exeter Riverside Centre 01392 221771
Riverside Centre
Guest JIM MORAY

Tue, 1 June 2004 Salisbury Festival 01722 327676
Salisbury Festival
Guest: JIM MORAY

Wed, 2 June 2004 Derby Assembly Rooms 01332 255 800
Assembly Rooms
Guest: Jim Moray

[Poppet]

ooooh! thanks for posting that!!!

i like what i've heard of richard thompson. i have one cd, _Across a crowded room_, and should get more.

will check into getting a ticket for the gig in cambridge ma.

yay!

[Mr. Average]

Well, when Richard Thompsons "Rumour and Sigh" was released I liked it very much. But after repeated playing, I absolutely grew to love it, and it remains one of my all time favorite records. Incredible songwriting, wit, balance...all of the stuff that makes the recordings of Elvis Costello so noteworthy. I particularly like the song "Mystery Wind".

I was less enthusiastic about RT's "Mirror Blue", but it is still better than most of the crap that gets released each year.

My favorite recording is RT's "you? me? us?". It is a brilliant two cd collection that has a sharper edged disc...more acerbic wit and rock (called the 'voltage enhanced' disc) and a more austere disc illustrating the minstrel side of RT (called 'naked').. I swear the guy followed me around for a year, got inside of my head, looked around, and wrote these songs about what he saw. It was a particulary weird period in my life when this was released, and it was so very cosmic that the songs seemed to be written around and through my lifes experiences. And it isn't really a happy record. Brilliant.

I picked up "Old Kit Bag" last year in London, and it is also a fantastic piece of work. There are many parallels between Thompson and Costello, most noteable the ability to write lyrics with all of the subtlty of a flying mallet. But "Old Kit Bag" sounds very much like other RT records to me. I like it a lot, but it doesn't break new ground. On the other hand, if it were the first RT album I had ever purchaed, and my official introduction to his music, methinks that I may have the same regard for it as I do "Romour and Sigh" and "you? me? us?".

[laughingcrow]

you?me?us? is great Mr A...Dark hand over my heart and Razordance are two of my favourite RT tracks!

I love Inside of the outside off the new record....I saw him in Glasgow last year, and he said someone had said they thought it was a bit pretentious...but I think it's great!

Anyone heard Beat the Retreat.....it is an ace tribute CD, with amongst others, Graham Parker doing a cracking version of The madness of love!!

[selfmademug]

Anyone heard Beat the Retreat.....it is an ace tribute CD, with amongst others, Graham Parker doing a cracking version of The madness of love!!

I have that 'un. There is also a nice RT compilation that includes a bunch of live stuff, called SMALL TOWN ROMANCE. Wouldn't be such a bad place to start, though as I mentioned I love HAND OF KINDNESS...

[HungupStrungup]

Beat the Retreat is reet neat, I always say (or until it becomes awfully repetitive and too boring for words). I bought it basically for Graham's track and David Byrne's "Just the Motion," but it's chock full of goodies, like Bonnie Raitt's "When the Spell Is Broken" with the amazing Blind Boys of Alabama.

I think this album is out of print. Capitol released it when RT was on the label but deleted it at some point when he left the label, or was dropped. Did he fall or was he pushed?

[laughingcrow]

Didn't know it was out of print

Maddy Prior sings The Great Valerio and something else on it...but her voice aint as haunting as Linda's...and it has changed since her 'all around my hat' days!!!!

[crash8_durham]

ice nine

good call on Lucinda Williams. Her stuff is really good

[laughingcrow]

http://www.richardthompsonforcompletists.com/

Hey...here's a link to this great book a fine fellow called Dave Smith has written about the lyrics and literary/musical influences of RT! It is actually a very well written and informed work, and best of all is FREE on the web (is 330 MSWord pages long, zipped up into 4 quick and easy winzip files).

EC gets a couple of mentions...

ON 'WITHERED AND DIED': Thoughts that perhaps lie too deep for human tears. Words, certainly, that Richard Thompson could not put in his own mouth. Linda is therefore used as a mouthpiece, ostensibly performing a song of love lost, but a song that nevertheless treats with Richard Thompson’s own deepest fears. “Silver moon sail up and silver moon shine” is as much a prayer for inspiration from the muse as a trite protestation by one forsaken in love. Elvis Costello’s cracked and embittered version of the song on Out Of Our Idiot gives some idea of what this might have sounded like if Richard Thompson had ever sung it".

Seriously, this is a great piece of writing, and I reccomend it to everyone.

[selfmademug]

I agree; it was one I added to the mising Elvis-songs-that-saved-my-life list.

[Mr. Average]

Laughingcrow:

I would like to append to my earlier comments in this thread where I position Old Kit Bag as inferior to Rumour and Sigh and you me us. I have been listening to it and I have a new found respect for its depth and quality. I still like the others more, but Old Kit Bag is indeed a strong offering from RT.

Thanks for stimulating me to give it a closer listen.

[laughingcrow]

I really love Outside of the Inside and Pearly Jim off of that record...essential!

I just got a live recording the other week off of RT's website that Ive been meaning to get for ages, called 1000 years of popular music. It is a collection of songs spanning from medieval england to today. It's really interesting stuff, mostly really good (though I don't really dig the Gilbert and Sullivan stuff)...there is a great Italian track called So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo, and RT also covers Squeeze, ABBA, The Who, The Beatles, Prince and Britney Spears!

Here's a link if anyone's interested...

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/ca ... asp?id=117

[bambooneedle]

Every time Richard Thompson comes up on the site, I'm amazed that nobody mentions 1952 VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING -- that's a great song.

I got that Action Packed: The Best Of The Capitol Years, a while back, as well.

[laughingcrow]

Yeah, that is such a great song...Beeswing as well, genius.

I think that contains one of the most beautiful lines ever written..

She was a rare thing,
as fine as a bee's wing,
so fine a breath of wind might blow her away.

[Mr. Average]

1952 VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING is the song on Rumour and Sigh that 'hooks' most first time Richard Thompson listeners. I wish I had a cut on the distribution of Rumour and Sigh, because I remain an ardent fan of the whole ball of wax.

Many tell me their first listen was uneventful, but the "kind of liked the motorcycle song". I give 'em about a month before they are completely hooked on the record.

Appreciation for that record starts slow, with 1952 Vincent as the epicenter. However, in almost all cases, the fever spreads and the album becomes a favorite.

[laughingcrow]

I heard it was the most played or requested song on US independant radio stations or something like that....

[alexv]

Ok Laughing Crow, at your urging I have relocated to the Annex and your RT thread. Thanks for the info on the RT book. I will check it out.

I saw RT last Friday in Ridgefield, Ct. where he did his solo show before a sold out crowd in a small, intimate club. I had not seen him since the late 80s when I saw him do a New Year's gig I think at the old Ritz in NYC. I was wary about seeing him do a solo gig but boy was I wrong. He played for about 2 hours with just his plugged in guitar and he tore the roof off the place. He mixed some old stuff (even doing a Fairport Convention song) with some new ones, and had the crowd doing sing-a-longs. He had the very conservative, older crowd eating out of his hand. Did some great novelty songs: one about Alexander Graham Bell had the crowd in stitches; he had the same effect on a witty song about fundamentalist religious fanatics (he prefaced the song by saying that if there were any Al Queda members in the crowd this would be a good time for them to leave); and he did an extremely funny song about Janet Jackson and her breast baring at the Super Bowl (the chorus was something like: titties are nice to play with but babies need them too). For me the highlight was his guitar playing which was as good as I remembered. One guy with just his guitar and the place rocked. At show's end, you could hear middle aged couples saying things like "we should do things like this more often". There was one incident that I found hilarious because it showed how different the English and American sensibilities still are: when about to do the FC song, he mentioned the co-writer, got applause and then added with a sheepish grin that the fellow was in England "with emphysema poor chap"; there was a sympathetic groan from the crowd which clearly expected RT to say something sensitive in return. RT's response (still smiling mind you): "you can e-mail him if you like, but no jokes please, none of that (still smiling)". There was another collective groan from the crowd, only this one was a decidedly uncomfortable one. My friend and I looked at each other and said: "You gotta love the English".

[laughingcrow]

Thanks Alex...sounds great! Good to have another RT and EC enthusiast aboard!

The 'al qaeda' song he played was 'Outside of the inside' off of the cracking new(ish) album The Old Kit Bag.

Can't wait till he comes to the Uk.