New RT album !

[Dan O.]

RT announces new album "Still" to be released June 29th 2015. Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, this could be excellent ! Tour dates too... :

http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/richard-thompson-announces-new-jeff-tweedy-produced-album-tour-dates-68065

[Jules Gray]

This could indeed be a major work.  Hope so.

Jules

[Chris]

The London date goes on sale Friday (Thursday for members), so possibly all dates do.

[Dan O.]

A taster from the album "Beatnik Walking" :

http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2015/04/28/richard-thompson-beatnik-walking/

[Shankly (Peter)]

The London date goes on sale Friday (Thursday for members), so possibly all dates do.

Liverpool is Friday too

[PaulT]

and Bristol (Colston Hall).  Like that sample track!  Very subtle backing vocals.  

[davidmjs]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.  Sadly this taster sits in that pile for me at the moment.

[GubGub (Al)]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.  Sadly this taster sits in that pile for me at the moment.

I haven't listened to it yet but I can't help thinking that to those who know and love RT's music, he is probably noy going to do anything surprising at this point. Which is not to say that the standard/quality will not be high. It always is but the style and sound is likely to be familiar.

I was listening to Steve Earle's Washington Square Serenade a couple of days ago, an album on which he subtly deployed loops and what I would describe as break beats (old terminology). It was a slight but successful shift away from his usual sound and style and worked well. It would be interesting to hear RT experiment a little but in a way that does not detract from his core strengths.

[Alan2]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.  Sadly this taster sits in that pile for me at the moment.

I feel this way sometimes too. An exception is Robin Williamson's last album, which is one of his best ever, of so many. I think perhaps we build ourselves up for these things too much.

[Jules Gray]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.

I feel this way sometimes too.

Same.  Sometimes it's because they are past their peak and just coasting on the long downhill slide.  Sometimes it's because I've reached saturation point and need to move onto fresh pastures for a while.

And sometimes it's because the new stuff is just simply s***e.  

Jules

[Shankly (Peter)]

I find that even 'uninteresting' RT is better than most stuff around these days! Even if the new material isn't up to the standard of his older stuff, he's still a force to be reckoned with live.

[davidmjs]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.

I feel this way sometimes too.

Same.  Sometimes it's because they are past their peak and just coasting on the long downhill slide.  Sometimes it's because I've reached saturation point and need to move onto fresh pastures for a while.

And sometimes it's because the new stuff is just simply s***e.  

Jules

Don't put yourself down.  Your response to that rubbish Stills track suggests your ears are far less 'half empty' than mine are  

[Jules Gray]

Don't put yourself down.  Your response to that rubbish Stills track suggests your ears are far less 'half empty' than mine are  

Maybe I'm just less discerning!  I do tend to hope against hope with Stills, and that may influence my judgement.  I'm relieved when he doesn't suck, really.  

Jules

[davidmjs]

I'm relieved when he doesn't suck, really.  

Lol.  Been that way with me since I bought Right By You.

Thomo's not in the same ball park at all, but that track - as incisive and cutting as the lyrics are - sounds exactly like at least a dozen other Thomo tracks from the last quarter of a century.  It's a good track, but there's only so many times I want to hear it.  But, as I say, my old black dog's barking a bit at the moment so it may well be my state of mind...!

[Jules Gray]

But, as I say, my old black dog's barking a bit at the moment so it may well be my state of mind...!

I hear ya.  I may only get troubled by a mid-brown coloured mutt, but he's sure making his presence known to me today.

I'm holding off having an opinion on the new RT until I've heard more.  The idea of him working with Tweedy excites me, and I'm still optimistic that some of it (at least) is going to kick some bottom.

Jules

[Martin F]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.  Sadly this taster sits in that pile for me at the moment.

It could be that you're subconsciously hoping for more of what they played when you got into them, but they've moved on.

[Sir Martin]

Personally Ithought Electric was a massive return to form, so I'm looking forward to this way more then I have anticipated an RT album for many a year.

[davidmjs]

I think it must be my current mindset, but I keep hearing new music by artists I adore...and finding it really really uninteresting.  Sadly this taster sits in that pile for me at the moment.

It could be that you're subconsciously hoping for more of what they played when you got into them, but they've moved on.

I'm sure there's more than a hint of truth in that.  Remember, the wooden ships were just a hippie dream...  

[samnitzberg (Sam)]

I find that even 'uninteresting' RT is better than most stuff around these days! Even if the new material isn't up to the standard of his older stuff, he's still a force to be reckoned with live.

I feel the same about the recent material as what most of you have written. And have even gone to live shows with the same mindset. But I saw him this past Saturday, solo acoustic, expecting to be entertained but not blown away. Wrong. Blown away. The new material was top-notch, songwriting-wise and instrumentally. His playing has maybe never been better. His singing has gotten more expressive and subtle.
As an aside -- the facility where he was playing has two old theaters next to each other, and Jeff Beck was playing next door. I know Simon Tassano, RT's sound man, so I emailed him before the show to see if there was any chance of them playing together. When I saw Simon at the show he said, "Not a chance. They've never even met." When RT came on stage, one of the first things he said to the audience was, "Well, you had your choice of guitar heroes tonight. This is guitar lite."

[Shankly (Peter)]

Got my ticket for Liverpool Phil on 8th September - I wonder who the 'special guests' (ie support act) are?