Richard Thompson

[A Lark Ascending]

Here's a man who used to frequently get a mention on the old BNBB. John Martyn has his own thread and he's not really been creatively active for a long time; how about a bit of time for someone who is still creating new material.

My favourite songwriter over the last 30+ years and a great guitar player to boot.

He's recently issued a new CD in the UK - 'The Old Kit Bag' - which, along with the previous release 'Mock Tudor', strikes me as his most consistent recording since the early 90s.

If you want to sample just try and hear 'Outside of the Inside', a great Thompson song and performance. How can you fail to be intrigued by an opening line like 'God never listened to Charlie Parker...'

Any thoughts on RT?

Edited April 5, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[jlhoots]

Shoot Out The Lights

[BFrank]

I think we covered him pretty well on the "old" board, but I don't recall anyone mentioning his playing on Sandy Denny's "North Star Grassman and the Ravens" album (which he co-produced with Sandy).

[A Lark Ascending]

I think we covered him pretty well on the "old" board, but I don't recall anyone mentioning his playing on Sandy Denny's "North Star Grassman and the Ravens" album (which he co-produced with Sandy).

We 'covered' most people pretty well on the old board; I'm not sure that means that discussion is exhausted. There are also people here who were not there!

I agree with you entirely about his play on The North Star Grassman, one of my favourite records. His short solo on 'The Sea Captain' is a model of taste and restraint - quite beautiful. (There's a similarly magical short solo on 'Withered and Died' on I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight')

I'm glad you mentioned TNG&TR. There are a number of recordings from that era, that source that typify for me how I like records to sound. There's a plainess in the recording - also true of 'Full House', 'Angel Delight', 'Fotheringay', 'Henry the Human Fly' - that suits this music down to the ground.

You really notice the change on Sandy Denny's follow up, 'Sandy.' Much more glitzy, too many musicians piled on. Sadly each subsequent Denny release went further in that direction.

I suspect the loss of that 'Witchseason' sound has as much to do with the rapid improvements in studio technology and the natural desire of musicians to explore them as it has to do with any specific artistic decision.

Thompson's subsequent catalogue seems to vary between the extremes. The Mitchell Froom years in particular saw an unnecessary studio production feel with some pretty nasty keyboards. I favour the plainer sounds of recordings like 'Hand of Kindness' or his last two.

[BFrank]

I guess I didn't mean that we shouldn't cover Richard here. I meant that I wouldn't start out repeating myself, since we both were over there. My bad ...

Anyway...........I agree about the overproduced glitz. It definitely takes away from enjoyment of the music. As for TNG&TR, "John The Gun" is a pretty striking tune and it also shows up on Fairport's live "Moveable Feast".

...and, BTW, Richard Thompson ROCKS!

[A Lark Ascending]

I understood what you were saying, BFrank, and didn't take it amiss.

I suspect we all repeat ourselves constantly in writing about our favourite performers...a bit like we repeat ourselves constantly when chatting in pubs (or bars!). I can cope with repetition if a person's enthusiasm for an artist shines through.

Yes, 'John the Gun'...a great tune and lyric. I also love the dual guitar interplay on 'Late November' with Jerry Donahue. To say nothing of the sheer haunting mystery of the title track.

[A Lark Ascending]

I've just this week received two of the 'official Bootlegs' from the RT site.

'Celtschmertz' is solo RT from 1998, a marvellous disc of 'greatest hits' done acoustically.

'Semi-Detached Mock Tudor' is a 1999 band record (RT, Teddy Thompson, Danny Thompson, Michael Jerome, Pete Zorn) and is blistering! Some outstanding guitar and a general high-octane performance. It really brings some of the 'Mock Tudor' tunes alight.

Also recommended - 'Two Letter Words' - an acoustic and band 2CD from 1994 with Dave Mattacks, Pete Zorn and Danny Thompson.

RT afficianados should not miss these - available through:

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/

[BFrank]

'Semi-Detached Mock Tudor' sure looks like it's gotta be a good album.

I just picked up the newly remastered "Leige & Leif" which I haven't heard in MANY years. It still sounds great.

Edited April 13, 2003 by BFrank

[A Lark Ascending]

I think I must play 'Liege and Lief' about two or three times a year - not bad for a record I first bought in 1972!

All the new remasters of the early Fairport catalogue are excellent - they've finally got all the odds and sods that were scattered across various singles and compilations into the core packages. The reissue of 'Full House' is especially rich in this respect.

[BFrank]

How about the "French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson" albums?

I have "Live, Love, Larf & Loaf", but haven't listened to THAT one in many years, either. Time to drag it out and give it a spin.

[A Lark Ascending]

Definitely a very odd record...and an indication of why Thompson is one of those rare musicians from the rock-ish area who has remained creative for so long. His willingness to fly off at tangents.

There was a second FFKT album called 'Invisible Means' that I like even more - it includes a grade A Thompson song called 'Killing Jar'. And a wonderful, wonderful rocking version of Loch Lomond (a Maxine Sullivan connection there, perhaps...Fairport's first single was a Sullivan cover).

One of the intriguing things about the recent TV documentary on Thompson was how completely un-rock and roll he was. He's always played up, in an ironic way, his 'suburban' nature. But he really does seem to live a pleasant middle class existence in California, dreaming of England. He even works a 9 to 5 day writing his songs and working on his music!

And then it all comes out wierd!

I'm hoping that some earlier live material gets out now that the internet has made limited interest CDs viable. I work with a chap who was the keyboard player in the Albion Band in the late 70s/early 80s and he has a tape of a Richard and Linda tour during their initial Muslim phase - the guitar playing is apparently extraordinary.

[A Lark Ascending]

Try this link to hear a solo Thompson session broadcast this evening (Fri April 25):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/world/andykershaw.shtml

Click on 'Listen to the latest programme' - it will be up for about a week.

It's a 75 minute programme of world, blues, country and folk music with Richard doing five songs - 4 from the new album and 'Wall of Death'. There's also short bit of interview in each section.

He comes on first about 15 mins in and again about 40 minutes in.

Well worth a listen.

Edited April 25, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[BFrank]

"The Old Kit Bag" is now available on EMusic for anyone interested. I just downloaded it tonight. Can't wait to give it a "spin".

[A Lark Ascending]

Probably my favourite Thompson song!

***********

There seems to be a fair bit more Thompson CD action happening, though how you get hold of these is still a bit vague:

A live 1988 recording:

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch..._day.asp?id=116

And what looks like a fascinating little project:

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

Maybe freeing Thompson from the major record company straightjacket will allow us to hear more.

*************

Oh, and can I gush further about 'Semi-Detached Mock Tudor' - a tremendous live album. I've played it to death in the last month.

Edited May 9, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[BFrank]

I'm going to try and go see him tonight at the Fillmore. He probably won't be hitting the stage until after 10pm unfortunately, which is a little "past my bedtime".

[A Lark Ascending]

Hope you enjoy it.

I'm booked to see him in Birmingham (UK) in July.

There's an article on the Richard and Linda Thompson years in this month's Mojo magazine.

[BFrank]

Just back from the 2 1/2 hour - double encore sold out RT show.

Tour de force!

He played music from all eras including "I Want To See The Bright Lights" to "Shoot Out The Lights" to "Tear Stained Letter" to "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo" (from '1000 Years of Popular Music') to "I'll Tag Along".

For the second and final encore he brought out Henry Kaiser and they did staggering versions of "Crawl Back" and "Season of the Witch". The last tune featured an extended jam that rivaled anything from Trane's late period.

The band was quite tight, too. Pete Zorn - multi-instrumentalist, Paul Harvey - drums and a bass player who's name I don't remember (not Danny Thompson, though).

A show everyone should treat themselves to.

[A Lark Ascending]

Sounds great. I've not seen Thompson since about 1997 and am really looking forward to this one.

You might find the details of the band here, a very useful site for news of RT:

http://people.zeelandnet.nl/flipfeij/news.htm

[jlhoots]

Unhalfbricking

[A Lark Ascending]

Interesting comment from Joe Boyd in the above mentioned Mojo article. The paragraph is talking about the influence of Thompson's Scottish roots and Boyd is quoted:

"He's one of the few guitarists I've heard who has never compromised his whiteness. Almost all guitarists steal from the blues - knowingly or otherwise. But he is absolutely a product of his upbringing."

[BFrank]

Bev - thanks for that link. It's Rory McFarlane on bass. I suppose the drummer was Earl Harvin, too.

I'll have to have my ears checked soon.

[A Lark Ascending]

Has he just sneezed? Bass man looks a bit worried. SARS?

[A Lark Ascending]

One to listen to - Thompson talking through 'My Life in CD' on BBC Radio 6:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/presenters/tracey_macleod/

Goes out 6 pm UK time on Sunday, 6th July. Will be archived for a time afterwards.

There's a Linda Thompson programme already there to access.

Edited July 1, 2003 by Bev Stapleton

[BFrank]

Just picked up "Mock Tudor" and "Industry" (w/Danny Thompson). Both interesting and very different from each other.

[A Lark Ascending]

Mock Tudor really grows on you. At first I wasn't too taken by it but I've come to really love it - especially 'Cooksferry Queen.' I strongly recommend the 'Semi-Detached Mock Tudor' CD available from the Thompson website which really gets this material moving.

Industry I'm not so keen on - there are one or two good songs there but the instrumentals seem a bit tame. I saw him tour this in the mid-90s and it was a bit cold. 'Last Shift' is a goody, however.

Saw Thompson last Friday with a great band - his current drummer is superb. Wonderful playing all round. One thing I did find was that I was most excited by the newer material. When he did 'I want to see the Bright Lights' or 'Wall of Death' it was almost a walk-through-by-numbers. I suppose someone seeing him for the first time would have been delighted by these.

Picked up the two new privately issued discs there. 'More Guitar' is a tremendous 1988 live show - some very good performances of tunes that suffered from overproduction on the Froom era albums. I've not listened to '1000 Years of Popular Music' yet (though the item he played in the concert - a 16thC Italian tune - bodes well). Everything from Medieval songs to 'Oops I did it again!'

As if that isn't enough he's putting out a live disc of the current tour in the next few weeks (again on the private label) - his fourth release this year! And we're only half way through!