TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

There's the story here: http://blurt-online.com/news/view/1926/

Looks like a Best Of, rather than a rarities set.

Tracklisting below:

Walking On A Wire: Richard Thompson (1968-2009)
Distributed by Sony BMG
Release Date: June 30
Selection No.: 826663-11087
Suggested List Price: $59.98

Disc One:
1. Time Will Show The Wiser - Fairport Convention Fairport Convention
2. Meet On The Ledge - Fairport Convention What We Did On Our Holidays (U.K.), Fairport Convention (U.S.)
3. Genesis Hall - Fairport Convention Unhalfbricking
4. Crazy Man Michael - Fairport Convention Liege & Lief
5. Sloth - Fairport Convention Full House
6. Roll Over Vaughn Williams Starring As Henry The Human Fly
7. The Poor Ditching Boy Starring As Henry The Human Fly
8. The Angels Took My Racehorse Away Starring As Henry The Human Fly
9. The Great Valerio - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
10. When I Get To The Border - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
11. Withered And Died - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
12. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
13. Down Where The Drunkards Roll - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
14. The Calvary Cross - Richard & Linda Thompson I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
15. I'll Regret It All In The Morning - Richard & Linda Thompson Hokey Pokey
16. Old Man Inside A Young Man - Richard & Linda Thompson Hokey Pokey
17. For Shame Of Doing Wrong - Richard & Linda Thompson Pour Down Like Silver
18. Night Comes In - Richard & Linda Thompson Pour Down Like Silver

Disc Two:
1. Dimming Of The Day/Dargai - Richard & Linda Thompson Pour Down Like Silver
2. A Heart Needs A Home - Richard & Linda Thompson (guitar, vocal) (U.K.), Live! (More Or Less) (U.S.)
3. Don't Let A Thief Steal Into Your Heart - Richard & Linda Thompson First Light
4. Strange Affair -Richard & Linda Thompson First Light
5. Sunnyvista - Richard & Linda Thompson Sunnyvista
6. Sisters - Richard & Linda Thompson Sunnyvista
7. Rockin' In Rhythm Strict Tempo!
8. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed - Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights
9. Man In Need - Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights
10. Shoot Out The Lights - Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights
11. Wall Of Death - Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights
12. Walking On A Wire - Richard & Linda Thompson Shoot Out The Lights
13. Tear Stained Letter Hand Of Kindness
14. How I Wanted To Hand Of Kindness
15. Hand Of Kindness Hand Of Kindness
16. Beat The Retreat (Live) Small Town Romance (Live/Solo In New York, 1982)
17. I Ain't Going To Drag My Feet No More Across A Crowded Room

Disc Three:
1. Little Blue Number Across A Crowded Room
2. She Twists The Knife Again Across A Crowded Room
3. Valerie Daring Adventures
4. Turning Of The Tide Amnesia
5. I Still Dream Amnesia
6. Waltzing's For Dreamers Amnesia
7. Read About Love Rumor And Sigh
8. I Feel So Good Rumor And Sigh
9. I Misunderstood Rumor And Sigh
10. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning Rumor And Sigh
11. Put Your Trust In Me Sweet Talker (Original Soundtrack)
12. From Galway To Graceland (Live) Watching The Dark
13. I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life Mirror Blue
14. MGB-GT Mirror Blue
15. Mingus Eyes Mirror Blue
16. Beeswing Mirror Blue
17. Taking My Business Elsewhere Mirror Blue
18. King Of Bohemia Mirror Blue
19. Don't Roll Those Bloodshot Eyes At Me (Live) - Richard Thompson with Danny Thompson Live At Crawley 1993 - Richard
Thompson with Danny Thompson
20. Razor Dance (Voltage Enhanced) you? me? us?

Disc Four:
1. Hide It Away (Voltage Enhanced) you? me? us?
2. Last Shift - Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson Industry Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson
3. Big Chimney - Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson Industry - Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson
4. Lotteryland - Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson Industry - Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson
5. Persuasion (Live) - Richard Thompson Celtschmerz (Live UK '98)
6. Cooksferry Queen Mock Tudor
7. Bathsheba Smiles Mock Tudor
8. Hard On Me (Live) Semi-Detached Mock Tudor
9. Gethsemane The Old Kit Bag
10. A Love You Can't Survive The Old Kit Bag
11. A Legal Matter (Live) 1000 Years Of Popular Music
12. Main Title From Grizzly Man Grizzly Man (Original Soundtrack)
13. Al Bowlly's In Heaven (Live) Live From Austin TX
14. I'll Never Give It Up Sweet Warrior
15. Dad's Gonna Kill Me Sweet Warrior
16. She Sang Angels To Rest Sweet Warrior

Not a bad broad brush introduction - Nothing new on it though.

Me and my Richard friends who have both "Watching..." and the Free Reed box might recommend this "Best of...no rarities" only to very new converts.

My thoughts exactly.  I was all set to be excited, but I think I'm gonna have to pass.

Jules

same here, i was going to bang on about being unwaged, but i can rip that mother myself

Indeed and my track selection would be a bit different (no Ghosts In The Wind from Live At Crawley???  :o) I do wonder though whether the inclusion of tracks from Sunnyvista and First Light indicates any movement on the re-release of those albums? I thought the masters were lost. perhaps they are just taking them from the Hannibal CD versions from 15 or so years ago.

A few little hard to get bits and pieces on there for newbies. Strict Tempo, Live At Crawley and Celtschmerz are all currently unavailable I think.

Strict Tempo is due for a reissue very soon I believe.

Good point about First Light and Sunnyvista, though Gub.  Here's hoping you're onto something there!

By the way - what does "GubGub" come from? - I've been meaning to ask.

Jules

Well, in terms of it being my nickname, it came from my brother when I was about 8 years old.

As for the origin, I'm not sure I want to admit to it. It is not very flattering. ;D It is a literary/filmic reference. Big clue - think Rex Harrison or (if you must) Eddie Murphy.

Aha!  Got it!  Well you know it's one thing for your brother to call you that - it's quite another for you to call yourself that!  lol

Jules

Mmm...reissues of First Light and Sunnyvista would be welcome to replace my vinyls. I feel like I'm in the minority when I mention how much I like these two albums, especially First Light. Not sure about some of the selections on this new RT set either, some of my faves are missing (bet everyone thinks that as well). Anyone know who compiled it ?

I dig it lots too.  Especially House Of Cards - great song!

Jules

I hated it for years but in the end I decided to embrace it and take ownership of it so that it wouldn't bother me anymore. I like it now. Most people don't know the origin and it is a pretty distinctive nickname! ;D

Back on topic. I love First Light. There are 3 or 4 indisputable classics on there and I love the spirituality of it.

Yes, me too.  Side 2 in particular is just terrific.  Though I do much prefer Richard's demo version of Died For Love which turned up on one of the Doom & Gloom releases.

Jules

Cheers guys...good to know I'm not alone. Maybe these albums tend to get overlooked a bit as RT doesn't seem to perform material from this period very often (I'm sure he has a good reason)

Apart from one or two selections in an acoustic show every now and again, he very rarely plays any pre-SOTL material live anymore does he, especially with a band?

He tends to play his more recent (Capitol era onwards) material, and will always take an opportunity to plug his latest album (fair enough). His shows tend to be more of the "this is who I am now" variety, rather than the more nostalgic "this is who I was then" type. But this tendency never stops him pulling the odd surprise out of the bag occasionally - I've seen him play The Poor Ditching Boy recently, and his acoustic rendition of WKWTTG (not even his song) on the Sweet Warrior tour was unexpected and moving.

RT has said in the past that he doesn't rate those 2 albums very highly.

I mean, no, they don't stand up to the other R&L albums, but they don't stink either!

Jules

I asked RT "Are you still unable to locate the masters for both “First Light” and “Sunnyvista”? Would be great to finally have them in my collection again, especially as you own them! Also, is there much unreleased stuff from those sessions, and if so would you happily have released? I know you were not too keen on the bonus tracks on the Island CD’s."

RT replied "Still looking, Jamie. As far as I know, there were no extra tracks on those albums, and outtakes were probably just breakdowns."

On the not playing much old material front, certainly over this side, most RT fans are familiar with the Rumor and Sigh work onwards only (aside from Bright Lights), so that a song like Hokey Pokey brings whoops of joy from long term fans, but nothing like the acclaim that say Vincent is greeted with. Accordingly I suspect RT tailors his set to the material with which most of the audience will be familair with..

We saw him Sunday and Monday at the University of Texas in Austin. He pulled out the following pre-SOTL gems:  WKWTTG; Bright Lights; The Great Valerio; Smiffy's Glass Eye; Hokey Pokey; Dimming of the Day; and Down Where the Drunkards Roll. It was the first time I heard him play WKWTTG and DOTD; tres kewl.

Thanks for that info, Jamie!

Jules

I've seen him at least 20 times and your right,he rarely plays anthing pre-SOTL.It's a pity,it's some of his best work.
I always figured that, in the U.S. at least,most people never really heard or bought any of his stuff before SOTL.

A dissapointing box set :( nothing new , waste of money IMO
The booklet is far from complete IMO  ,  
Only a selected album discography,  for example no songs from the "front parlour ballads" album , the album isn't mentioned.
Ugh !

I saw RT solo at the Lowry a few years ago, I think it was the tour after 'Old Kit Bag', and towards the end he was asking for requests.

I called out 'Dimming Of The Day' and he played it !

Not for a newbie though.  It'd be a neat way to get you RT baptism, I think.

Jules

Would a newbie necessarily go for a forty quid boxed set to start off with though?

I am confused at which market he is aiming for, the rabid fan will already have all this, a newbie will be put off by the price, I think he is going for the I want an instant Thompson collection without having to buy another CD people.

Yes, because I told them to, so they did!  ;D

Hmmm - I don't think he's actually put this out - rather, licenced it out to a company that wanted to market a box set.....if they're willing to pay, and it's all previously-released material, I know my thinking would be 'why not, nothing to lose, and everything to gain'

I think you're right, he gained a lot already given the publicity this set got and all (extremely) positive at that.
So it will be even easier than it was to sell tickets to his shows, where, as RT himself stated, the real money is.

The box set got a 5 star review in this Saturday's Vancouver Sun..that's the first time I recall any mention of RT in the Sun.

The RT box set was reviewed in the UK Sun a couple of Fridays ago in their surprisingly, nay, shockingly eclectic Friday music and film reviews section

It should have included some of the rarity releases found on the hokey pokey compilations:  Time To Ring Some Changes, May Day Psalter, I Swear........not just for posterity, but because they are great tunes and will likely be otherwise forgotten.

I don't know about those comps.  Enlighten me!

Are they the same as the Doom & Gloom tapes, or different?

Jules

All you want to know here:
http://www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/~zierke/folk/records/circledance.html

Those look great.  I bet they're all hard to find now, right?

Jules

Jules,

Sorry for the late reply - I was away for a few days.  Both "Changes" and "I Swear" appeared on the compilation: Hard Cash.  I didn't see that one on the link provided above.

Definitely worth checking out, along with CIrcle Dance!   :)

Pat

Which is also hard to find these days, isn't it?

Thanks, Pat.  Detective work needed for these methinks....

Jules

Several copies available reasonably inexpensively on Amazon Marketplace Jules. Well worth getting. Not a bad track on it.

Of which title?  Hard Cash?

Jules

Yep.

Thanks Gub!

Jules