Intro to Richard Thompson

[rachelmanija]

I was recently surprised to hear that a friend-of-a-friend who loves Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, and other great singer-songwriters had never heard of the great singer-songwriter-guitarist Richard Thompson. I promised to send him some samples to remedy that situation. Now, before you all start arguing, be aware that I haven't downloaded all his albums to my hard drive, so this selection is based merely on what I have downloaded, not on his entire oevre.

Good as he is on record, he is phenomenal live. If he's ever playing in your area, drop everything to see him.

These links will only be up for seven days. Go get 'em!

When the Spell is Broken

Shoot Out the Lights

1952 Vincent Black Lightning (live)

Beeswing

I Feel So Good (live)

Burns Supper

Put it There Pal

Cold Kisses

Don't Renege on our Love

Meet on the Ledge (live)

Comments

[gfjames.livejournal.com]

Equally impresive and often overlooked by those who claim to like singer/songwriters is Richard's ex-wife, Linda.

And if some of these fine folks (of only a few) aren't on your singer/songwriter list, you should give them a listen:

Lucinda Williams

Catie Curtis

Dar Williams

Jeb Loy Nichols

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendations-- I haven't heard the ones whose last name isn't Williams.

I like Linda Thompson as a singer, but I don't think she's in the first rank of songwriters.

[gfjames.livejournal.com]

I'd start with Catie Curtis, My Shirt Looks Good On You CD. Listen to, "Kiss that Counted."

Nichols is harder to find, especially now that he's stopped touring for a while. He lives in the same town as Richard Thompson, even though he's an America from Missouri (Nichols, that is)...

If you like singer/songwriter music a lot, try listening online to www.WXPN.org more (in fact it's almost all) music than KCRW, especially the morning show and the World Cafe in late afternoon east coast time.

In a week you'll hear more singer/songwriter music than you'd hear in a month anyplace else.

[larryhammer]

Crunchy. I need to explore more Thompson.

---L.

[larryhammer]

Oddly, that version of "Don't Renege on Our Love" has less energy than Lucy Kaplansky's (who has wonderful virtues as a singer/songwriter, but energetic is not the first adjective that comes to mind when I think of her).

---L.

[gfjames.livejournal.com]

As a solo, Kaplansky is more energetic (or at least she seemed so to me when I saw her at an intimate--400 people--concert last year) than when she performed with, Cry, Cry, Cry.

[larryhammer]

Solo, Kaplansky was one of the best two or three concerts I've ever seen. This was at a 250-person venue, last year. But her recordings -- you can tell without much difficulty which are the covers, by how energetic (though not how intense) the song is.

---L.

[kate_nepveu]

If you've read and liked Emma Bull's _Finder_, you want "1952 Vincent Black Lightning." Really.

[megancrane.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much-- these are great!