Black Cat Bone

Based on my appreciation as a technically ignorant listener, Richard Thompson is the finest living guitarist I've heard. And he's a great songwriter (and sometimes captivating singer). My favorite album is I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, but I feel more of a need to stump for my second-favorite, Mock Tudor. It's probably one of my five or so favorite albums of the last ten years. As much as I love his music, just about every Thompson album has a track or two that doesn't work, that's strained or awkward at least lyrically. Mock Tudor is 100% solid, and the production isn't as flat as his mid-80s stuff, or as cluttered as his late 80s-mid 90s Mitchell Froom records. If you have it and don't think it one of his best, I urge you to listen again. It's loaded with force, grace, wit, wistfulness, and immediate and gratifying songcraft. This is stuff to hum, grin at, chant along to. It's immensely involving music.

Favorite Album - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Favorite Song - "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight'

Pretty much agreed here - he's one of the most engaging live perfromers I've seen. And his songbook is remarkable.

Song: Shoot Out The Lights (or maybe Hope You Like The New Me)
Album: Mock Tudor (fantastic collection of songs)

song---calvary cross

not sure about album.As the only 1 i have is introduction to.

Favorite Album - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Favorite Song - "Devonside"

Rather than say what a great guitar player he is- I figure anybody that doesn't realize it hasn't heard him- I will acknowledge that he is far from a perfect songwriter. Up 'til 1980 or so- great. Since then, most records are spotty. Songs like the heart-wrenching "How Will I Ever Be Simple Again" and the fragile beauty that is "Beeswing" will butt heads with smarmy crap like "Bone in her Nose," or bombastic ones that feature Thompson as a rather unconvincing rocker, like the inexplicably beloved "Turning of the Tide." Though of course the guitar solos are always great.

Actually, I probably prefer his side projects- like the 1,000 years of music one, or his occasional session appearances (best of which recently is Phil Pickett's The Bones of All Men) to his original records of late. But on Geoff's advice, I will give MT another try.

Album - Solo - Henry the Human Fly. With Linda, three-way tie between Bright Lights, Pour Down Like Silver and Shoot Out the Lights

Song - Oh, man- there's so many. Solo (pre-Capitol years) - Roll Over, Vaughn Williams; (post-Capitol years) - How Will I Ever Be Simple Again. With Linda - When I Get to the Border.

toomanyhatz wrote:...or bombastic ones that feature Thompson as a rather unconvincing rocker, like the inexplicably beloved "Turning of the Tide."

All these years later, you are still stuck on that? It's a fine song.

Favorite Album - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Favorite Song - Withered and Died

Album - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Track - When I get To The Border

Album - Hand Of Kindness

Song - When the Spell is Broken

toomanyhatz wrote:...or bombastic ones that feature Thompson as a rather unconvincing rocker, like the inexplicably beloved "Turning of the Tide."

Lyrically its brilliant - it paints the picture of its subject to perfection.


Anyway, this is an impossible task, so here goes the answer for this 5 minutes only....

Albums
Early - Hokey Pokey
Linda - Shoot out the lights
80's - Rumour and Sigh
Newer stuff - Old Kit Bag
Official Bootleg - More Guitar

It must be said that the 'official Bootlegs' are compete treasure troves of fantastic materiel.

Song
1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Al Bowleys in Heaven
Genesis Hall - mit Fairport
Beeswing
Outside of the Inside
Shoot out the Lights
Hokey Pokey - Its really about sex you know....

geoffcowgill wrote:Mock Tudor is 100% solid, and the production isn't as flat as his mid-80s stuff, or as cluttered as his late 80s-mid 90s Mitchell Froom records. If you have it and don't think it one of his best, I urge you to listen again. It's loaded with force, grace, wit, wistfulness, and immediate and gratifying songcraft. This is stuff to hum, grin at, chant along to. It's immensely involving music.

Have you heard the live 'semi detatched Mock Tudor'? Its fab.

album Shoot Out The Lights

song Backstreet Slide

Corporate Whore wrote:

geoffcowgill wrote:Mock Tudor is 100% solid, and the production isn't as flat as his mid-80s stuff, or as cluttered as his late 80s-mid 90s Mitchell Froom records. If you have it and don't think it one of his best, I urge you to listen again. It's loaded with force, grace, wit, wistfulness, and immediate and gratifying songcraft. This is stuff to hum, grin at, chant along to. It's immensely involving music.

Have you heard the live 'semi detatched Mock Tudor'? Its fab.

Yes I have. Some kind soul made sure that I did and I'm continually grateful.

I explored some Fairport and liked it, especially Liege and Lief.

I heard I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and immediately loved it.

I had heard good things about Shoot Out the Lights, so I got that and was totally underwhelmed.

After a few scattered attempts at other albums, except for the occasional spin of Liege and Lief, Unhalfbricking, or I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, I don't really think of putting on any Thompson-related material any more. I'm almost scared to. Thompson, when he's great, is so great, but when he's not ... it's almost like curdled milk. It's something so wrong, it puts you off the stuff altogether. What should I do?


Album: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.
Song: Any number of songs on that album: "Withered and Died", "Has He Got a Friend for Me", "End of the Rainbow" -- such incredible, heartbreaking stuff

ablum: gotta say "Mock Tudor" I often find the track sequence on his albums frustrating. I'll eventually put the box set on the computer and never have this worry again. for now, I think 'Mock Tudor' is very strong from beginning to end.

song: "Hand of Kindness" the solo makes me stand up straight whenever I hear it and it really is one hell of a song.

Somewhat surprised to find so few replies to this thread, seeing as how respected RT is around these parts. Brilliant guitarist, songwriter, and wit!

Album: Mock Tudor

Song: Drowned Dog, Black Night (French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson)