I love pretty much everything I've heard by him. What I admire is the self-confidence and reach of the man. His voice, the lyrics, the guitar, all bespeak someone who knows he has something to impart and does so with certainty.
The live version of "Calvary Cross" is just overwhelmingly powerful.
― anagram, Monday, 17 May 2010 21:07 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah there is stuff on the live "calvary cross" on Watching the Dark that is mindsplitting every time I hear it.
― tylerw, Monday, 17 May 2010 21:14 (fourteen years ago) link
'Calvary Cross' in general is pretty devastating.
― ImprovSpirit, Monday, 17 May 2010 21:24 (fourteen years ago) link
The one on Watching The Dark is the best I have heard but there are some other pretty sweet ones out there too, e.g. the one which is a bonus on most recent Bright Lights remaster.
― Felix Frankfurter, Man Of Justice (Jon Lewis), Monday, 17 May 2010 22:02 (fourteen years ago) link
so which one is on the "Live More Or Less" double LP? should I be seeking out this WITD version?
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 00:52 (fourteen years ago) link
Watching the Dark version is early 80s? Post-Linda, anyway. The one Jon mentioned from the Bright Lights remaster is (i think!) the same version that's on Guitar, Vocal (mid 70s). Is that the same thing as Live More Or less?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 02:21 (fourteen years ago) link
The only live version of CC I know is the one on The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Years. This is apparently the same version as on Guitar, Vocal. The guitar solo at the end of that is what made me a fan. I never knew the guitar could sing so beautifully until I heard that.
― anagram, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 07:41 (fourteen years ago) link
The only one I'm intimate with is the one on 'I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.' How that figures into these anthologies I'm not sure. The guitar solo at the beginning of the song is a righteous mindscrew on that one.
― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:10 (fourteen years ago) link
ok, i'm gonna put together a comp of the live calvary crosses. stay tuned!
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:12 (fourteen years ago) link
If there is one on the RT: Life and Music Of Richard Thompson box set, I can supply you with that (I can't remember if there's one on there).
― Felix Frankfurter, Man Of Justice (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:58 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, there is! don't know when it's from though ... how come he doesn't play this song live more often? kind of seems like it would be his "marquee moon" or something ... but I've never seen him do it.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:02 (fourteen years ago) link
When I saw him last, 'Hard On Me' was his solo-for-10-minutes song.
― Felix Frankfurter, Man Of Justice (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:03 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, that was the same for me as well.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 16:09 (fourteen years ago) link
OK the version I have from Live! (more or less) is from Oct 27 1975, Oxford Polytechnic, 13:24 in length.
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 19:18 (fourteen years ago) link
pretty sure that's the same one from guitar, vocal and live 1975
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 19:21 (fourteen years ago) link
So... Guitar, Vocal one = the bonus one on Bright Lights remaster = the one on Best Of Richard And Linda?
― Felix Frankfurter, Man Of Justice (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:41 (fourteen years ago) link
Check each album listed here for details, I think it should help:http://www.richardthompson-music.com/song_o_matic.asp?id=45
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:42 (fourteen years ago) link
Bright Lights Bonus Track: live at The Roundhouse, London, September 7, 1975 guitar, vocal/live more or less/best of/in concert 1975: Recorded live at Oxford Polytechnic on November 27, 1975 Doom & Gloom/Watching the Dark: 1983 live recording in New York CityLife & Music: Live 1986
i don't think i have the roundhouse version ...
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:47 (fourteen years ago) link
excellent work there, tylerw
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:53 (fourteen years ago) link
So do you need the Life And Music one from me?
― Felix Frankfurter, Man Of Justice (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:54 (fourteen years ago) link
thread plz note that tyler also corrected my typo of October with the proper month
― bug holocaust (sleeve), Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:55 (fourteen years ago) link
ha, i just got it from the song-o-matic thing gerald posted ... a hnday resource. nope, i've got the life and music box set, I just never bought the most recent Bright Lights reissue with the Roundhouse Calvary Cross.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:56 (fourteen years ago) link
*handy* resource
― tylerw, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 20:57 (fourteen years ago) link
hmm, just heard about this, looks like it could be good. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E64qCmnOL._SS500_.jpgUK four disc (three CDs + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) collection containing the very best radio and TV performances by Richard and Linda Thompson and Richard Thompson solo recorded for the BBC between January 1974 and 2009. These are the first ever collection of BBC recordings sanctioned by Richard Thompson. Over 80 previously unreleased recordings; 18 songs never before on CD, four brand new songs and three unreleased traditional songs. Features acoustic sessions and completely different arrangements of some of his best known recordings including the rarely performed Fairport favorite 'Meet On The Ledge'. The 36-page booklet contains sleeve notes by Uncut's Mick Houghton, author of the acclaimed book, Becoming Elektra.
― tylerw, Friday, 24 June 2011 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
Tyler, did you pick that up? I finally heard it and there's some STUNNING voice-and-guitar performances (disc 3) on it as well as some blistering band renditions (disc 2). I must admit the Linda tracks on disc 1 sort of paled in comparison - RT's ability to convey so much emotion with his vocals has always been the hook for me.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 12 January 2012 20:01 (twelve years ago) link
I need to hear this.
Did pick up the Rhino Handmade 2-disc Shoot Out The Lights when they had it on sale for a day. Amazing stuff.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 12 January 2012 21:08 (twelve years ago) link
been trying to catch up on post 70s thompson stuff on spotify
started with Rumor and Sigh, which i remember hearing was a high point
there are some good and great songs on this. but goddamn, mitchell froom's bloodless fussy late 80s modern rock production style is probably one of my least favorite aesthetics in the history of recorded music. wish this had been recorded 15 years earlier or 15 years later
― the 500 gats of bartholomew thuggins (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 12 January 2012 21:48 (twelve years ago) link
otm, although i do think there was a falloff in the songwriting too
― buzza, Thursday, 12 January 2012 21:49 (twelve years ago) link
yeah i mean it's not fucking with bright lights or shoot out (or even hand of kindness)...but goddamn i hate that 88/89/90/91 era sounds SOOO much...at least the "80s" production ppl claim is tacky or dated is a real definable style and was sort of an audacious way to do things, like big phil collins drums and don henley sequencers and shit, by 88ish it got so fucking "tasteful" but not actually good tasteful like vintage 60s/70s recordings
― the 500 gats of bartholomew thuggins (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 12 January 2012 21:52 (twelve years ago) link
goddamn
http://youtu.be/vA5Q-IUK1p0
― JoeStork, Thursday, 23 February 2012 08:40 (twelve years ago) link
bah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA5Q-IUK1p0
― JoeStork, Thursday, 23 February 2012 08:41 (twelve years ago) link
Search cold kisses. Also, can anyone explain what he means by a "a bit of a wet?" (this one's a poet/a bit of a wet/a bit of a gypsy/a bit of a threat)
― emilys., Saturday, 18 August 2012 01:59 (eleven years ago) link
believe it means 'bit of a drunk'
― one dis leads to another (ian), Saturday, 18 August 2012 02:08 (eleven years ago) link
could mean that but I think it's more likely to mean that the guy is wet i.e. a wimp, not a strongman type.
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Saturday, 18 August 2012 17:36 (eleven years ago) link
British informal showing a lack of forcefulness or strength of character; feeble:
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 August 2012 17:37 (eleven years ago) link
whenever i've heard him play stuff from you me us live, i think it's great, but i never want to listen to that album. production is too froomy (and i'm not even a total froom hater). "the ghost of you walks" is awesome too.
― tylerw, Sunday, 19 August 2012 21:35 (eleven years ago) link
I'm with you, that was when I jumped the RT ship. At this point I love almost everything through the "Watching The Dark" box, though I picked up the BBC box and it's revelatory for his recent stuff.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Monday, 20 August 2012 01:07 (eleven years ago) link
You know, it's weird - I generally like Froom and love Thompson but that is where I hopped off both trains, too. Yet it's really not that eccentric a Froom production, or that mediocre a Thompson record. Maybe it was just too much of that at once? The irony is that "Mock Tudor" and especially "The Old Kit Bag" are great, and "Industry" with Danny Thompson was pretty strong, too. I think the peace I found was just recognizing Richard Thompson as a genius and leaving it at that.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 02:25 (eleven years ago) link
I mean, gosh, this song is so incredible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPxy0HJFZHE
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 02:27 (eleven years ago) link
been trying to catch up on post 70s thompson stuff on spotifystarted with Rumor and Sigh, which i remember hearing was a high pointthere are some good and great songs on this. but goddamn, mitchell froom's bloodless fussy late 80s modern rock production style is probably one of my least favorite aesthetics in the history of recorded music. wish this had been recorded 15 years earlier or 15 years later
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 20 August 2012 03:12 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, i thought mirror blue & mock tudor were horrible *jumped off the bus*
tbh the whole post-linda period isn't especially strong but there were moments that cut through the dogy production of froom and others, but after rumor and sigh it isn't really worth the slog imo
― buzza, Monday, 20 August 2012 03:28 (eleven years ago) link
His singing got worse, post-Linda, I thought.
& I don't generally appreciate his later taste for jokey tunes
― Euler, Monday, 20 August 2012 10:50 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYAshqJlvsI
― Three Word Username, Monday, 20 August 2012 11:57 (eleven years ago) link
Man, if you want to dive into that weirdness...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkSF3wAdts
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 13:00 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA_91AeL-Ms
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 13:03 (eleven years ago) link
but after rumor and sigh it isn't really worth the slog imoi dunno, i think there's solid stuff on every album i've heard -- maybe he hasn't made a super classic record in a while, but he's always worth checking out. also worht checking out -- the website-only live albums he's been putting out over the years. http://www.theconnextion.com/richardthompson/richardthompson_cat.cfm?CatID=178 haven't head all of em, but the ones I have heard are great.
― tylerw, Monday, 20 August 2012 15:28 (eleven years ago) link
Those self-released live discs are totally essential for appreciation of the Froom-era songs if (like a lot of ppl on this thread!) you just hate the production on those records.
― Lewis Apparition (Jon Lewis), Monday, 20 August 2012 17:20 (eleven years ago) link
yeah exactly -- they are basically live companions to the various albums and they often surpass the studio versions. on you me us, there's just something so wrong about the mix of the electric tracks, like you can hear that the performance itself sounded GREAT when the musicians were playing, but it comes across all boxy and muted on CD. weird approach, wonder what thompson thinks about those records now.
― tylerw, Monday, 20 August 2012 17:23 (eleven years ago) link
I bet he thinks, hmm, those Froom-produced CDs probably sold more than the rest of my catalog combined.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 August 2012 23:01 (eleven years ago) link
This slays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW-w0KgE-8s
― Three Word Username, Friday, 24 August 2012 11:37 (eleven years ago) link