RT in the Telegraph

[Jules Gray]

I'd probably go for guitarist - he undeniably has written some great songs, but I can think of many others who also do that. I can't think of many (any?) people who play guitar like him.

Likewise, guitarist - one of the best.

Great songwriter too, but where he'd probably be in mosts top 20 guitarists, fewer would probably have him in their top 20 songwriters overall.

I don't dispute that he's one of the best guitar players, but you could just as easily argue that nobody writes songs like Richard does either.  I'd have thought anyone who knew their stuff would have him in a top 20 songwriters list.  I'd argue that very good guitar players are much more of a common occurrence than truly gifted writers.

Jules

[davidmjs]

He's a unique guitarist (as unique sounding on electric as he is on acoustic - 15 seconds of either and you know categorically who you're listening to) and a unique songwriter.

To me, he's in a club of two in that regard...him from this side of the pond, and Neil from t'other.

[Jules Gray]

He's a unique guitarist (as unique sounding on electric as he is on acoustic - 15 seconds of either and you know categorically who you're listening to) and a unique songwriter.

To me, he's in a club of two in that regard...him from this side of the pond, and Neil from t'other.

Agreed.  And of the two, Richard is doing better at maintaining his songwriting standards in the 21st Century.

Jules

[davidmjs]

He's a unique guitarist (as unique sounding on electric as he is on acoustic - 15 seconds of either and you know categorically who you're listening to) and a unique songwriter.

To me, he's in a club of two in that regard...him from this side of the pond, and Neil from t'other.

Agreed.  And of the two, Richard is doing better at maintaining his songwriting standards in the 21st Century.

Jules

Personally I think they've both slipped at a similar (and unsurprisingly so) rate, but I guess the evidence probably just about supports your point...  

I probably won't make myself very popular by saying this, but at times in the last half a dozen albums or so, it's sounded like 'RT by numbers'.  Neil tends to try and go all experimental and ends up being rubbish.  Personally I'm more in favour of 'having a go and failing' than of doing the same thing again and again...  

[Dan O.]

He's a unique guitarist (as unique sounding on electric as he is on acoustic - 15 seconds of either and you know categorically who you're listening to) and a unique songwriter.

To me, he's in a club of two in that regard...him from this side of the pond, and Neil from t'other.

Agreed.  And of the two, Richard is doing better at maintaining his songwriting standards in the 21st Century.

Jules

Personally I think they've both slipped at a similar (and unsurprisingly so) rate, but I guess the evidence probably just about supports your point...  

I probably won't make myself very popular by saying this, but at times in the last half a dozen albums or so, it's sounded like 'RT by numbers'.  Neil tends to try and go all experimental and ends up being rubbish.  Personally I'm more in favour of 'having a go and failing' than of doing the same thing again and again...  

Agree with this to some extent - for instance, I think overall the songs are better on Dream Attic than Electric, but then Sweet Warrior contains the stunningly good Guns Are The Tongues.
However, he's certainly had a go at doing things differently in his own way : for Dream Attic presenting demos to the band, rehearsing the songs, recording them live, choosing the best takes for the album, following this by recording Electric in the producer's home studio...

[GubGub (Al)]

Agree with this to some extent - for instance, I think overall the songs are better on Dream Attic than Electric, but then Sweet Warrior contains the stunningly good Guns Are The Tongues.
However, he's certainly had a go at doing things differently in his own way : for Dream Attic presenting demos to the band, rehearsing the songs, recording them live, choosing the best takes for the album, following this by recording Electric in the producer's home studio...

I would agree with all of that. He does get away with stuff sometimes. RTs qualities as a player and band leader occasionally obscure the fact that the material is not up to his usual high standards. Electric and Front Parlour Ballads have been examples of that. Electric in particular was over praised imho. It sounds like a fantastic album but it doesn't actually stay with you so there is some sleight of hand at play. I have never really managed to warm to it.

It is holding RT to an impossibly high standard of his own making but in songwriting terms, although there have been many gems along the way in the interim, his last completely consistent album (once again imho) was The Old Kit Bag or perhaps even Mock Tudor

[Gouty (Gary)]

I sense a whole other thread or two on the horizon...  

[ColinB]

I would agree with all of that. He does get away with stuff sometimes. RTs qualities as a player and band leader occasionally obscure the fact that the material is not up to his usual high standards. Electric and Front Parlour Ballads have been examples of that. Electric in particular was over praised imho. It sounds like a fantastic album but it doesn't actually stay with you so there is some sleight of hand at play. I have never really managed to warm to it.

It is holding RT to an impossibly high standard of his own making but in songwriting terms, although there have been many gems along the way in the interim, his last completely consistent album (once again imho) was The Old Kit Bag or perhaps even Mock Tudor

I would agree with you up to a point but there is the fact that some albums grow on you over time. FPB is a case in point. Songs like Let It Blow, Miss Patsy and A Solitary Life grabbed my attention from the first listen but it has only been after a number of listens that I've come to appreciate the album as a whole.

As far as Sweet Warrior and Dream Attic go I agree with Dan that SW has some of his best songs including Guns..., Dad's Gonna Kill Me and Johnny's Far Away whereas for me DA doesn't really have any stand-out tracks though Here Comes Geordie always makes me smile. I don't care what RT says - it must be about Sting.  

As for a top 15, here's one for today starting with Electric and working backwards -

Saving The Good Stuff For You
Here Comes Geordie
Guns Are The Tongues
A Solitary Life
Happy Days and Old Lang Syne
Walking The Long Miles Home
Train Don't Leave
Easy There Steady Now
God Loves a Drunk
Can't Win
How Will I Ever Be Simple Again
When The Spell Is Broken
Beat The Retreat
A Heart Needs A Home
The End of the Rainbow