Um, I thought Sufi's were supposed to be all mystical and peaceful and whatnot, or is this a condemnation of the Taliban point of view.

Musically, and I know this is apostasy, but I have listened long and hard to Richard Thompson, and while I love a few songs and can appreciate his skill, his nasal voice gets on my nerves and he has too few really memorable melodies to be in my top tier. I'm a freak

I love Shoot Out The Lights (as much for Linda's contributions as her soon-to-be-ex) and also appreciate Thompson's first solo follow-up, Hand of Kindness. After that, it's more touch-and-go: some strong songs intersperced with much too draggy acoustic folk. I've never quite "gotten" where Thompson was in terms of radical Muslim, but it hasn't interfered with my appreciation of his music.

Heard an interview with him on "Fresh Air," where he discussed a show he was doing of pop music throughout the ages (he even sang an acoustic version of "Oops, I Did It Again.") Does some of that material make it onto Kit Bag?

First, Thompson is not writing songs to "take a stand" or that kind of low level of thinking. I can't imagine him writing a "peace anthem" or a "patriotic" anthem.

He's certainly not pro-Taliban. Being a long time Muslim, he's enough from that world to have a better understanding than most Westerners of Muslim thinking.

No, no Britney covers on the new album. I've heard him talking about this pop music of the world idea. I'm not sure what kind of progress he's making into turning it into an album.

Eric Olsen, however, may have to be sent to a re-education camp for his godless heresies against Thompson's art. He's a pretty good singer, but that's not particularly his strong suit. Saying that he lacks memorable melodies is wrong and wicked, however, and may result in SEVERE punishment. You've been warned.

Some of his songs are naturally going to be more interesting than others over thirty something years and dozens of albums. Also, there are different styles across that time, some of them more like catchy three minute pop songs, some longer artier excursions that take a little more effort to follow. Some are more rock, some are more of the British folk style from which he made his name with Fairport convention.

I think I'ma put together another post with a specially engineered Richard Thompson Pop Mastermix for the more casual pop fan.

You get on that, Information Minister

i'm not sure which i like more: Richard Thompson's original "Beeswing"....or the live version i once heard Mary Lou Lord do at the park st. stop of the T in boston.

dang that guy can play guitar.

I heard Outside of the Inside on his DVD from Providence. I was mezmerized. One immediately recognizes the arab type music. Played it over and over. It does sound even better on the record. And loved the lyrics. How anyone can say "love a FEW songs" is beyond me. I didnt know of RT untill I read a commentory of another singer and his name was menetioned. Yup took me 75 years before I heard the man. What a treasure.

Shoot Out The Lights was inspired by the systematic killing by the Russians of religious leaders in Afghanistan. You could say that this was a 'shooting out of the lights'. Perhaps the song can best be approached by imagining it to be sung from the point of view of a Russian soldier describing his enemy.