Richard & Linda Thompson | ||
| Allmusic Biography : This husband-and-wife folk/rock duo began performing together officially in 1972 although their association dated from the previous year. When Richard Thompson (b. 3 April 1949, Notting Hill Gate, London, England; guitar/vocals) left Fairport Convention, he pursued a generally low-key path, performing in folk clubs and on various sessions, including Rock On, a collection of rock ‘n’ roll favourites which featured several Fairport acolytes. ‘When Will I Be Loved?’ was marked by a duet between Sandy Denny and Linda Peters (b. Hackney, London, England), the latter of whom then provided vocals on Thompson’s Henry The Human Fly. Richard and Linda then began a professional, and personal, relationship, introduced on I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. This excellent album contained several of Richard’s best-known compositions, including the title track, ‘Calvary Cross’ and the despondent ‘The End Of The Rainbow’: ‘Life seems so rosy in the cradle, but I’ll be a friend, I’ll tell you what’s in store/There’s nothing at the end of the rainbow/There’s nothing to grow up for anymore’. The Thompsons toured with former-Fairport guitarist Simon Nicol as Hokey Pokey, which in turn evolved into a larger, more emphatic unit, Sour Grapes. The former group inspired the title of a second enthralling album which blended humour with social comment. Its release was the prelude to a frenetic period which culminated in Pour Down Like Silver, the Thompsons’ second album within 12 months. It reflected the couple’s growing interest in the Sufi faith, but despite a sombre reputation, the set included several excellent compositions. A three-year hiatus in the Thompsons’ career ensued, broken only in 1977 by a series of live performances accompanied by fellow converts Ian Whiteman, Roger Powell and Mick Evans, all previously with Mighty Baby. Now signed to the Chrysalis Records label, First Light provided a welcome return and many commentators rate this album as the duo’s finest. The follow-up release Sunnyvista was, in comparison, a disappointment, despite the inclusion of the satiric title track and the angry and passionate ‘You’re Going To Need Somebody’. However, it led to the duo’s departure from their record label. This second, if enforced, break ended with the superb Shoot Out The Lights, nominated by Rolling Stone magazine as the best album of 1982. Indeed such a response suggested the Thompsons would now secure widespread success and they embarked on a US tour to consolidate this newly won recognition. Despite this, the couple’s marriage was breaking up and in June 1982 the duo made their final appearance together at Sheffield’s South Yorkshire Folk Festival. Richard Thompson then resumed his critically acclaimed solo career, while Linda went on to record One Clear Moment in 1985. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 8 Title: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight Released: 1974-04 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 When I Get to the Border (03:27) 2 The Calvary Cross (03:53) 3 Withered and Died (03:26) 4 I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (03:08) 5 Down Where the Drunkards Roll (04:05) 6 We Sing Hallelujah (02:52) 7 Has He Got a Friend for Me (03:33) 8 The Little Beggar Girl (03:25) 9 The End of the Rainbow (03:57) 10 The Great Valerio (05:22) |
| I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight : Allmusic album Review : In 1974, Richard Thompson and the former Linda Peters released their first album together, and I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight was nothing short of a masterpiece, the starkly beautiful refinement of the promise of Thompsons solo debut, Henry the Human Fly. In Linda Thompson, Richard found a superb collaborator and a world-class vocalist; Linda possessed a voice as clear and rich as Sandy Dennys, but with a strength that could easily support Richards often weighty material, and she proved capable of tackling anything presented to her, from the delicately mournful "Has He Got a Friend for Me" to the gleeful cynicism of "The Little Beggar Girl." And while Richard had already made clear that he was a songwriter to be reckoned with, on I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight he went from strength to strength. While the albums mood is decidedly darker than anything hed recorded before, the sorrow of "Withered and Died," "The End of the Rainbow," and "The Great Valerio" spoke not of self-pity but of the contemplation of lifes cruelties by a man who, at 25, had already been witness to more than his share. And though Thompson didnt give himself a guitar showcase quite like "Roll Over Vaughn Williams" on Henry the Human Fly, the brilliant solos that punctuated many of the songs were manna from heaven for any guitar enthusiast. While I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight may be the darkest music of Richard & Linda Thompsons career, in this chronicle of pain and longing they were able to forge music of striking and unmistakable beauty; if the lyrics often ponder the high stakes of our fate in this life, the music offered a glimpse of the joys that make the struggle worthwhile. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 8 Title: Hokey Pokey Released: 1975-02 Tracks: 15 Duration: 52:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song) (03:23) 2 Ill Regret It All in the Morning (03:36) 3 Smiffys Glass Eye (02:55) 4 The Egypt Room (03:54) 5 Never Again (03:09) 6 Georgie on a Spree (03:41) 7 Old Man Inside a Young Man (04:27) 8 The Sun Never Shines on the Poor (03:41) 9 A Heart Needs a Home (03:49) 10 Mole in a Hole (03:26) 11 Wishing (BBC Session) (02:13) 12 Im Turning Off a Memory (BBC Session) (02:31) 13 A Heart Needs a Home (BBC Session) (03:46) 14 Hokey Pokey (live) (03:39) 15 Itll Be Me (live) (04:26) |
| Hokey Pokey : Allmusic album Review : With the release of their classic 1974 debut, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Richard and Linda Thompson set an unbelievably high standard for themselves. Although containing many of the same attributes, their follow-up, Hokey Pokey, doesnt quite reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, but then again not many records do. The Thompsons, from the opening Irish fiddle derivation of a Chuck Berry riff, through Lindas exquisite performance of "A Heart Needs a Home," to their cover of Mike Watersons "Mole in a Hole" which closes the record, once again create a timeless amalgam of folk and rock. Recorded at the time of the Thompsons conversion to Islam, Hokey Pokey comes across a bit lighter than Bright Lights. Songs such as the playfully suggestive title track, the jaunty "Georgie on a Spree" and the quirky tale of "Smiffys Glass Eye" make Hokey Pokey seem downright cheery for Richard Thompson, although even at its sunniest, themes of sex, cruelty and avarice linger just below the surface. For those more accustomed to the usual straightforward doom and gloom from the Thompsons, theres the rueful "Ill Regret It All in the Morning," the sullen, traditional tone of "The Sun Never Shines on the Poor" and the mournful ballad "Never Again." Hokey Pokey is an often overlooked gem in the Thompsons luminous catalog. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 8 Title: Pour Down Like Silver Released: 1975-11 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Streets of Paradise (04:15) 2 For Shame of Doing Wrong (04:43) 3 The Poor Boy is Taken Away (03:35) 4 Night Comes In (08:06) 5 Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair (02:47) 6 Beat the Retreat (05:50) 7 Hard Luck Stories (03:50) 8 Dimming of the Day / Dargai (07:14) |
| Pour Down Like Silver : Allmusic album Review : Pour Down Like Silver was the last album Richard & Linda Thompson would release before beginning a self-imposed three-year retirement in order to join a communal Sufi Muslim sect. The cover photographs show the Thompsons dressed in traditional Muslim garb, and while lyrically the album offers few clear signs of the Thompsons new spiritual direction, the stark asceticism of the music marked a real change from the alcohol-fueled mood swings of I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Hokey Pokey. The horns, accordion, and ancient instruments that had dotted Richard and Lindas previous albums were used far more sparingly on Pour Down Like Silver, and even Thompsons usually astounding electric guitar solos were pared down in favor of an emotionally intimate, bare-wired approach that sounds alternately like a confession and a plea for guidance. Pour Down Like Silver is downbeat even by Richard Thompsons less than joyful standards, but it also features some of his most beautiful and compelling songs -- the ravaged plea for salvation of "Streets of Paradise," the mysterious and mesmerizing "Night Comes In," the mournful romantic meditations "Beat the Retreat" and "For Shame of Doing Wrong," and the spare but heartfelt love song "Dimming of the Day." And Linda (usually the more pragmatic of the two) breaks the mood near the end of side two with the cynically witty "Hard Luck Stories." Pour Down Like Silver is the most severe of the Richard & Linda Thompson albums, but those brave enough to look past its dark surface will find a startlingly beautiful album; its not an easy album to listen to, but it greatly rewards the effort. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 8 Title: First Light Released: 1978 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Restless Highway (03:58) 2 Sweet Surrender (04:52) 3 Dont Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart (04:44) 4 The Choice Wife (02:29) 5 Died For Love (06:38) 6 Strange Affair (03:08) 7 Layla (04:26) 8 Pavanne (05:08) 9 House Of Cards (03:30) 10 First Light (04:20) |
| First Light : Allmusic album Review : After three years spent deeply pursuing their involvement in the Sufi Muslim faith, Richard & Linda Thompson returned to the recording studio in 1978 with First Light, and several of the songs clearly dealt with the couples spiritual quest, most notably "Sweet Surrender," "Layla" (no, not the Eric Clapton hit), and the title song. However, Richard Thompsons grasp of worldly matters wasnt quite as sure as his perspective on Allah at this juncture, and the opening track, "Restless Highway," is one of the few songs in his catalog that sounds like a throwaway. The rest of the albums material was a good bit better, but one senses that Richard was still getting back on his feet in the studio; Lindas vocals are a lot stronger on this set, and Richards usually fleet-footed guitar work is unusually subdued. Just as significantly, for First Light the Thompsons usual band of British folk all-stars was augmented by Willie Weeks on bass and Andy Newmark on drums, a pair of first-call Los Angeles session heavyweights, and though they play with their usual effortless skill, their attempt to inject a country-rock undertow into Richard Thompsons very British melodies ends up pushing many of the performances into a strange middle ground that isnt especially interesting. The performances on First Light generally lack fire and personality, and several fine songs (most notably "Pavanne," "Died for Love," and "Dont Let a Thief Steal Into Your Heart") never really connect here as a result. Only on the penultimate track, "House of Cards," does this album really come alive; First Light is a long way from bad, but its easily the least essential release in Richard & Linda Thompsons catalog. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 8 Title: Sunnyvista Released: 1979 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Civilisation (05:01) 2 Borrowed Time (05:36) 3 Saturday Rolling Around (03:25) 4 You’re Going to Need Somebody (03:46) 5 Why Do You Turn Your Back? (05:10) 6 Sunnyvista (04:26) 7 Lonely Hearts (05:07) 8 Sisters (04:50) 9 Justice in the Streets (04:03) 10 Traces of My Love (04:08) 11 Georgie on a Spree (03:27) |
 | Album: 6 of 8 Title: Shoot Out the Lights Released: 1982 Tracks: 8 Duration: 38:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Man in Need (03:36) 2 Walking on a Wire (05:28) 3 Don’t Renege on Our Love (04:19) 4 Just the Motion (06:19) 5 Shoot Out the Lights (05:24) 6 Back Street Slide (04:33) 7 Did She Jump or Was She Pushed? (04:52) 8 Wall of Death (03:42) |
| Shoot Out the Lights : Allmusic album Review : Richard & Linda Thompsons marriage was crumbling as they were recording Shoot Out the Lights in 1982, and many critics have read the album as a chronicle of the couples divorce. In truth, most of the albums songs had been written two years earlier (when the Thompsons were getting along fine) for an abandoned project produced by Gerry Rafferty, and tales of busted relationships and domestic discord were always prominent in their songbook. But there is a palpable tension to Shoot Out The Lights which gives songs like "Dont Renege On Our Love" and "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed" an edgy bite different from the Thompsons other albums together; theres a subtle, unmistakable undertow of anger and dread in this music that cuts straight down to the bone. Joe Boyds clean, uncluttered production was the ideal match for these songs and their Spartan arrangements, and Richard Thompsons wiry guitar work was remarkable, displaying a blazing technical skill that never interfered with his melodic sensibilities. Individually, all eight of the albums songs are striking (especially the sonic fireworks of the title cut, the beautiful drift of "Just The Motion," and the bitter reminiscence of "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed"), and as a whole they were far more than the sum of their parts, a meditation on love and loss in which beauty, passion, and heady joy can still be found in defeat. Its ironic that Richard & Linda Thompson enjoyed their breakthrough in the United States with the album that ended their career together, but Shoot Out The Lights found them rallying their strengths to the bitter end; its often been cited as Richard Thompsons greatest work, and its difficult for anyone who has heard his body of work to argue the point. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 8 Title: The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Records Years Released: 2000 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:17:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Roll Over Vaughn Williams (04:14) 2 The Poor Ditching Boy (03:04) 3 When I Get to the Border (03:27) 4 Withered and Died (03:26) 5 I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (03:09) 6 Down Where the Drunkards Roll (04:05) 7 The End of the Rainbow (03:57) 8 The Great Valerio (05:22) 9 Hokey Pokey (03:22) 10 Never Again (03:09) 11 A Heart Needs a Home (04:04) 12 For Shame of Doing Wrong (04:43) 13 Night Comes In (08:08) 14 Beat the Retreat (05:50) 15 Dimming of the Day (03:52) 16 Calvary Cross (live) (13:24) |
 | Album: 8 of 8 Title: In Concert, November 1975 Released: 2007 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:17:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (03:15) 2 Hard Luck Stories (03:51) 3 Night Comes In (10:48) 4 Morris Medley: Old Woman Tossed Up in a Blanket / Shepherds Hey / Bean Setting / Shooting (05:20) 5 A Heart Needs a Home (04:20) 6 Why Dont You Love Me? (02:40) 7 Now Be Thankful (02:57) 8 Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair (02:56) 9 Streets of Paradise (04:27) 10 For Shame of Doing Wrong (08:16) 11 Calvary Cross (14:01) 12 Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song) (04:13) 13 Things You Gave Me (02:33) 14 Itll Be Me (04:51) 15 Together Again (03:23) |
| In Concert, November 1975 : Allmusic album Review : Thirty-two years after the fact, this live album presents a full-length version of the shows performed by Richard & Linda Thompson to promote their 1975 album Pour Down Like Silver, their third LP, following Hokey Pokey released earlier in 1975, and 1974s I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. They are accompanied by John Kirkpatrick on accordion and concertina, Dave Pegg on bass, and Dave Mattacks on drums. The recordings have not been released previously, except for "Calvary Cross" and "Itll Be Me," which were included on Richard Thompsons 1976 compilation Guitar, Vocal, but which have been remixed for this album. The selections come mostly from the Thompsons three albums, of course, with special emphasis on Pour Down Like Silver, and the performances are often stretched out with lengthy guitar solos. A nod to Richard Thompsons tenure in Fairport Convention is made with a version of "Now Be Thankful," and since the instrumental lineup mirrors that found on the album of traditional music Morris On, the players give Linda Thompson a break and perform a set of instrumental reels. The cover songs are all American country and country-rock numbers, Hank Williams "Why Dont You Love Me" (with Linda Thompson on lead vocals), "Things You Gave Me" (learned from a Rick Nelson album), the Jerry Lee Lewis hit "Itll Be Me," and Buck Owens "Together Again." This was a recording worth excavating from the vault, and it confirms Richard & Linda Thompsons reputation as a major folk-rock act of the ‘70s, making it all the more regrettable that they broke up, professionally and romantically, in the early ‘80s. | ||