CD Review: 5-CD Set RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson

Richard Thompson is one of the great musicians and songwriters of the last 40 years. He's not nearly as well-known and as popular as many of his contemporaries (who include everyone from Eric Clapton and Neil Young to Beck and Jack White — yes, he has longevity on his side), but his influence on other musicians and on contemporary folk and rock music is immeasurable. He may not be a big mainstream hit, but every musician and critic worth his or her weight owns at least a half-dozen Richard Thompson works and relishes a chance to see RT perform live (a great experience, by the way - -highly recommended). He's an incredible songwriter, able to craft characters and phrases almost effortlessly; he's also one of the best guitarists you're likely to hear, with a keen ear for adapting his guitar prowess to the tone and theme of each song he performs. While much has been made of his dark and often morbid lyrics and his penchant for dwelling on the bitterness of love and loss, his music is equally about hope, survival, and the very real balance that we must all negotiate between good times and bad. His oeuvre is indeed a rich, complex tapestry of emotions, characters, stories, and passions.

Back in 1993, the 3-CD retrospective Watching the Dark was released. It was a wonderful release, filled both with Thompson’s major works (many in alternate or live forms) and with tons of unreleased or rare recordings. It told RT's story with all its complexity — his early years with Fairport Convention, the seminal British folk rock act (where he wrote some of his greatest songs, like "Genesis Hall", "Tale in Hard Time", and "Now Be Thankful"); his collaboration with then-wife Linda Thompson (including Shoot Out the Lights, one of the great albums of all time); and his major-label works from the 80s and 90s (which feature some of his greatest songs, like "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "Hand of Kindness", "I Feel So Good", and "I Misunderstood"). It showcased RT's storytelling ability ("Al Bowlly's in Heaven"), his love songs ("Valerie"), and his awesome live performances (highlights are "Can't Win" and "The Calvary Cross"). And I haven't even mentioned the great essay by Greil Marcus in the liner notes, where he crystallizes RT's music and legacy in a way no one else ever has! In sum, Watching the Dark is a great set--and I recommend that you get it (in case you don't have it yet).

But guess what? It's nothing compared to RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson, a mammoth 5-CD boxed set just released on Free Reed Records. While initiates to Thompson might be advised to get Watching first, the rest of us — those of you out there who didn't need me to explain RT's impact and influence on music because you already knew it — will be listening to and studying and celebrating RT for years to come with the same ferocity and intensity that Joyceans (like myself) study and celebrate and dissect Ulysses (or, if you want a more popular analogy, the way Trekkies study every scene in every Star Trek episode/film ever made).

Article Author: Michael Heumann

Michael Heumann received a Ph.D in English from the University of California, Riverside. He has taught college-level English at various colleges and universities for over ten years. He is currently the Distance Education Coordinator at a small community college east of San Diego. …

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