Entertainment For Lively Minds
Any Richard Thompson fans here?
Posted by Seamus on 24 January 2009 - 1:39pm.
He's done a Black Cab session. You can find it here
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Where To Start
My brother asked me the other day if I had any Richard Thompson albums and I don't. I'd like to, but not sure where to start really. Any suggestions welcome please.
3 suggestions
There are quite a few people who are better qualified than me to answer this question, but for what its worth I would recommend:
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (with Linda Thompson) (my first RT album, bought on the strength of the title track after I heard it for the first time in Peel's 1976 Festive 50).
Guitar,Vocal (a mix of Fairport, solo and with Linda tracks. It's all live, rare or previously unreleased stuff with no barrel scraping).
Rumour And Sigh (the one with 1952 Vincent Black Lightning-see below).
Thanks for introducing me
to Black Cab sessions - truly fantastic. Check out the Langhorne Slim session with Johnny flynn as special guest - saw Langhorne in Austin last year and I am amazed he is not a bigger name. The Calexico and Felice Brothers sessions are also great.
Now regarding RT - would also recommend Amnesia and Daring Adventures - two of his earlier solo albums which are amongst his better ones.
As it happens...
...I was introduced to the Black Cab sessions by a certain Mr Valparaiso on this very blog.
You Need:
I know we've been here before but I can't find the thread. I'll repeat what I said that time -
From the Fairport era you need Unhalfbricking and Liege and Lief; From the Richard and Linda years, Pour Down Like Silver, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights; my picks of the solo years would be Amnesia and Mock Tudor, but both are available in offical bootleg form from http://www.richardthompson-music.com/Merch.asp (the Amnesia tour is the More Guitar CD, and Mock Tudor is Semi-Detached Mock Tudor). The electric guitar on these boots is the very peak of what Thompson can do IMO.
There are decent comilations of the R+L Island years and the Richard solo Capitol Records years too (The island Records Years and Action Packed respectively).
If you're just starting out I envy you the wonderful discoveries ahead.
is this it?
RT top five
Difficult to select just 5 from a 40 year career of course but here goes:
Fairport years:
Either Unhalfbricking or Liege and Lief (I would pick the former)
Richard and Linda:
Either I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight or Pour Down Like Silver (I would pick the latter, though some would see this as an eccentric choice)
Shoot Out the Lights
Richard Solo:
Amnesia
Either More Guitar or Semi-Detached Mock Tudor (you'll need to go to the RT website for the last one - http://www.richardthompson-music.com/Merch.asp - but it really is worth it to here Richard's astonishing live guitar playing.)
* reply
Gatz | 2 November 2008 - 1:54pm
Any Richard Thompson fans Here ?
Any people who breath oxygen here ? anyone want free money ?
haven't laughed as much in ages
I started with
Rumor and Sigh, (I seem to have proceeded to 50+ RT (and RT + LT) albums). It's a good a place to jump on as any, as it has fine songs, covers a range of styles and very little filler - dare I say it's his most accessible to those with rock leanings? For Fairport, I'd recommend "What we did on our holidays" (Skip track 2 "Mr Lacey" and wallow in Sandy Denny's lovely vocals, and then "House Full", the live album which has some insane guitar/violin interplay.
For the R & L period, "Pour Down Like Silver" would be my pick. My favourite is probably "Henry the Human Fly", though it's probably not for the casual listener :-)
Strict Tempo
is pretty amazing too, if rather single minded.
Can't let this one go by
without putting in a recommendation for my personal favourite, 'The Old Kit Bag' (about three solo albums ago).
Too soon to start proclaiming it some kind of all-time classic, but there's 'Gethsemane', 'One Door Opens', 'A Love You Can't Survive'...
If you like The Old Kit Bag,
you should try Ducknapped, the live album that features nine of Kit Bag's twelve songs, together with five from elsewhere. Incendiary. Available on RT's own Beeswing label via his website.
Sorry, Nigelthebald -
Only just seen this - thanks. But yes! - I bought 'Ducknapped' at an RT gig when he was touring 'Sweet Warrior', and it is absolutely mind-blowing.
I love the live CDs he puts out on the side, have three now ('More Guitar' and 'Semi-Detached Mock Tudor' being the others). It's very difficult when faced with the merchandise stand on his tours to resist blowing huge amounts of cash on the lot.
(I hope he releases the latest '1000 Years' set - what a gig.)