Where to start for Richard Thompson virgins

[Jack O Diamonds]

Vinyl copy of "What We Did On Our Holidays" - listen to "I'll Keep It With Mine", particularly the guitar playing at the end... Also "Night Comes In" on the "Guitar Vocal" collection... "Cooksferry Queen" is a gas too...

[xjrcrunch]

For what its worth, my introduction to RT was through "Vincent Black Lightning" on a compilation tape sent me by a friend.  Which, considering how much cash I've spent on the great man since just goes to prove that the odd bit of low level piracy can be a positive boon for artists!

Anyway, that prompted me to buy "Action Packed" which was a good buy if you still aren't sure, and then "the "Island Years".  These two compilations cover the best of the old and the new and can be had for under a tenner for the pair if you shop around.

But I have to agree with the other poster about the official bootlegs.

If I could only keep two RT albums they would be "Semi-detached Mock Tudor" and "More Guitar".

The box set is for afficienados only!



Crunch

[Ian Mobley]

See..... I went out and bought Mock Tudor, like you recommended, and now I have to go and buy a whole load more!

Thankfully the dreaded HMV have all the reissues of the Richard & Linda Thompson catalogue at half price, so I picked up 4 remastered and repackaged CDs for £5 each.  Looking forward to listening to those when I get the chance.  Bought the Ray Lemantagne (spelt it right?) CD for £7.00 on MVC too, which sounds really good too, and also two Elvis compilations, which are excllent too. I particularly enjoyed 'That's alright' where you can hear that it's just 4 blokes sitting around a mic, playing live - one take only - no overdubs, and having a really good time.  Is it 30 years this year since he died - that's gone quickly.

IM

[Pam]

Go here:

http://www.rtlist.net/

for listening purposes.

If you're initially more drawn to:

--Keep Your Distance, then go to Rumor and Sigh, Shoot Out the Lights, and Action Packed.

--1952 Vincent Black Lightning, then go to Henry the Human Fly, Amnesia, and Old Kit Bag.

--Hard on Me, then go to Across a Crowded Room, guitar,vocal, and Mock Tudor.

Oh, hell, I pretty much made that up, but I think I might be on to something

[Pat Helms]

See..... I went out and bought Mock Tudor, like you recommended, and now I have to go and buy a whole load more!
IM

I've always considered Mirror Blue a good companion to Mock Tudor.  The album they sandwich, You?Me?Us?, is a little more challenging.

[johnthegonne]

I see that no-one has mentioned Amnesia yet. I know this was a different kind of album, with Mitch Froom producing, but it does have some of RT's best songs from the American adventure. I remember lots of these being huge favourites at the Croppers of the time. "Turning of the Tide", "Gypsy Love Songs", "Waltzings for Dreamers" "Pharaoh"  (June Tabor sang this at one Cropredy) and the mighty "Can't Win". Look out for the live electric version of "Can't Win" for some of his epic guitar work. Vic and Bob also used the intro to "I Still Dream" on one of their shows. This is a much under-rated album, even allowing for the bizarre cover.

[Pat Helms]

Upon its release, Amnesia was his strongest, most consistant album since Hand of Kindness - no doubt - perhaps even SOTL.

[sliprigilio (Al)]

I see that no-one has mentioned Amnesia yet. I know this was a different kind of album, with Mitch Froom producing, but it does have some of RT's best songs from the American adventure. I remember lots of these being huge favourites at the Croppers of the time. "Turning of the Tide", "Gypsy Love Songs", "Waltzings for Dreamers" "Pharaoh"  (June Tabor sang this at one Cropredy) and the mighty "Can't Win". Look out for the live electric version of "Can't Win" for some of his epic guitar work. Vic and Bob also used the intro to "I Still Dream" on one of their shows. This is a much under-rated album, even allowing for the bizarre cover.

The Live version of 'Can't Win' has some of the most incediary electric guitar playing I've heard - it's on the box set that was issued in the late 90s??

[Sir Martin]

I see that no-one has mentioned Amnesia yet. I know this was a different kind of album, with Mitch Froom producing, but it does have some of RT's best songs from the American adventure. I remember lots of these being huge favourites at the Croppers of the time. "Turning of the Tide", "Gypsy Love Songs", "Waltzings for Dreamers" "Pharaoh"  (June Tabor sang this at one Cropredy) and the mighty "Can't Win". Look out for the live electric version of "Can't Win" for some of his epic guitar work. Vic and Bob also used the intro to "I Still Dream" on one of their shows. This is a much under-rated album, even allowing for the bizarre cover.

Probably my favourite RT 'official' album, but not for the faint hearted - its a little 'dense' for beginners.

[Shane (Skirky)]

[I've always considered Mirror Blue a good companion to Mock Tudor. 

Conversely, it's the only one I won't have in the house. Not for beginners. I'm just saying.

[AdrianDenning]

I would start at the start, with 'Henry The Human Fly', it's a terrific record.

[Pat Helms]

[I've always considered Mirror Blue a good companion to Mock Tudor. 

Conversely, it's the only one I won't have in the house. Not for beginners. I'm just saying.

Perhaps.  I guess it depends on what we mean by beginners, eh?

-Beginners who like Fairport -- Bright Lights
-Beginners who like Wainwright -- Amnesia
-Beginners who like Britney -- 1000 Years of Popular Music
-Beginner who are refugees from the Seraphim -- Mirror Blue 

[Bertil B]

He did a great acoustic live album together with bass player Danny Thomson some ten years ago. It is one of my favourites.
Bertil B

[Neil]

Mirror Blue is a very odd album all round but well worth the effort if only for the wonderful Shane and Dixie.
Now you, me, us is a truly difficult album to get into. The live versions of the songs stand out though.

[Chris]

Taken at the Wickham festival last Friday....

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[xjrcrunch]

I see that no-one has mentioned Amnesia yet. I know this was a different kind of album, with Mitch Froom producing, but it does have some of RT's best songs from the American adventure. I remember lots of these being huge favourites at the Croppers of the time. "Turning of the Tide", "Gypsy Love Songs", "Waltzings for Dreamers" "Pharaoh"  (June Tabor sang this at one Cropredy) and the mighty "Can't Win". Look out for the live electric version of "Can't Win" for some of his epic guitar work. Vic and Bob also used the intro to "I Still Dream" on one of their shows. This is a much under-rated album, even allowing for the bizarre cover.

The Live version of 'Can't Win' has some of the most incediary electric guitar playing I've heard - it's on the box set that was issued in the late 90s??

Live versions of "Can't win" are on "Watching the Dark", "More Guitar" and "Ducknapped".  I'm particularly fond of the "Ducknapped" version 'cos I was there when it was recorded 

That's me you can hear clapping at the end ...........

[Neil Morrell]

I know it's only been mentioned once, but "Rumour and Sigh" is a very accessible album.  Shoot out the Lights is pretty good too. 

[CarolR]

Ahh I feel like that sometimes - like everyone knows everything about music and I know nothing.
I was at that point where I had compilations and what have you but didn't know where any of my favourite tracks came from or any kind of chronology so I've borrowed Mock Tudor, Rumor and Sigh and Across a Crowded Room as recommended by a friend.

Do we think these are good recommendations?

[Shane (Skirky)]

A pretty good best three to start with. Although I've always had a soft spot for Hand of Kindness....and....

[CarolR]

Cool, what's on that one then? Any I might know? I do feel I ought to buy some of the man's work rather than just borrowing.
There was an awful lot of stuff he played at Cropredy last year that I didn't know. This is definitely not allowed to happen again.