Can’t get enough Richard Thompson?
So here’s some more, for your viewing and listening pleasure.
For those of you who play guitar, you might want to study how it is that he makes the difficult seem so easy. Nice closeups of Thompson’s hands and face. He often sings with closed eyes; his concentration is very deep.
When I wrote about Thompson here, I noted:
In person, he emanates a deceptive stillness that contains within it a coiled tension. He moves hardly at all when he plays and sings; all that energy is focused on his hands, face, and mouth. Every now and then a leg kicks out in a small karate-like action, potential energy transformed to kinetic.
You can see some fine examples of that irrepressible kick from about minute 2:00 to 2:15:
Lyrics here.
Thank you for posting this, Neo.
I saved it, the only way I could, by piping it to my DVD recorder. I wish youtube was not set up so you have to reload it when you revisit the site (on a dial-up connection, it’s an exercise in masochism).
I really love Thompson’s relaxed, nothing special style of playing.
There are a number of artists who operate in that mode: Fred Astaire dancing, Frank Sinatra singing, Stephen King writing (at least in his “direct” mode as used in “The Mist”), and James Garner acting.
The style is so straightforward and easy-going that it doesn’t appear as if he’s really doing much of anything. Makes it look as if anyone could do it (until they try). That’s a mark of a real artist.
Richard Thompson’s playing seems to fall into that catagory; deceptively easy, but just try to do as well.
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Thompson is a fabulous guitar player (and a fine singer/songwriter). But the man’s music is so resolutely depressing I have never found it enjoyable.
As someone who has done a lot of writing and recording (and playing with some incredibly talented musicians) I can certainly appreciate his artistry. But I gotta tell you Neo – his bass player steals this number.
Never heard of him before. Was he in Question Mark and the Mysterians?
He’s very good. I prefer Bruce Cockburn.
…his bass player steals this number.
Yeah, the bass caught my attention right up front.
Always liked his stuff. “Shoot out the lights” is such a great album I still play it, although now in its varied electronic formats rather than the original vinyl.
The bass is indeed terrific, but so is the full trio, instrumentally.
Why is it so many skilled musicians are considered “songwriters” when their lyrics are simply so stupid? I’d prefer the unadorned instrumentals to crap lyrics as here, about Brando, and Mingus eyes.
Ah, another Richard Thompson fan.
We all crop up in the most mysterious places, eh wot?
For my money, RT is the best electric guitarist alive today. “Slow Hand?” I fart in his general direction. Feh!
Richard Thompson is the greatest! One of those hidden (to most people) treasures.
I’ve said it here before: 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
He’s very good. I prefer Bruce Cockburn.
To prefer the execrable Bruce Cockburn puts RT in his proper place. He’s OK, that’s all.
You guys have got to be kidding: Bruce Cockburn doesn’t even carry hod for a guitarist/songwriter like RT. No one else can put that kind of poignantcy and wit into a song. Devonside, 1952 VBL, Beeswing, Dimming of the Day, I feel so Good, and on and on. Perhaps you weren’t really listening.