The last time we reviewed a Richard Thompson compilation one response we got was ‘oh, not another one.’ There’s been over 10 collections so far, including 2011’s expansive CD and DVD live at the BBC collection which we reviewed, so it’s easy to see why fatigue may have set in among his fans.
So here we are with another, but this time the focus is not on creating a large collection like the BBC release, this time the premise is simple and works a treat; just Thompson belting out many of his key tracks with an acoustic guitar.
The premise behind this was to collect the feeling of his acoustic shows that run parallel to his full band and electric guitar focused concerts. With Thompson, who is a master of both electric and acoustic guitar, this feels like a release that is worth doing, with solid versions of some of his most well known songs such as Valerie and Wall of Death. There’s a good pacing too here that showcases his skill at a number of styles. While Valerie is churned out at speed like he’s strumming on a street corner, Shout Out the Lights shows off his more intricate guitar style.
For hardcore Thompson fans it’s a nice addition to the collection but is not essential. There’s no version that feels like a radical departure from any full band versions. For those new to Thompson though this may actually be a good place to start as it showcases some of his most important tracks and sounds like he’s having fun playing them in this intimate way.
7/10
by Joe Lepper
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