Guitar / Vocal

Richard Thompson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hannibal
• ASIN: B000000640
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,660 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Time Will Show The Wiser

2. Throwaway Street Puzzle

3. Mr. Lacey

4. The Ballard Of Easy Rider

5. Poor Will And The Jolly Hangman

6. Sweet Little Rock N' Roller

7. A Heart Needs A Home

8. The Dark End Of The Street

9. It'll Be Me

10. Flee As A Bird

11. Night Comes In

12. The Pitfall/The Excursion

13. Calvary Cross

Editorial Reviews

Japanese only SHM paper sleeve pressing. Includes four bonus tracks. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Universal. 2010. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really quite wonderful, August 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Guitar / Vocal (Audio CD)

While not very cohesive, this odds-and-ends '70s compilation is a terrific snapshot of Richard Thompson's diverse artistry, and is a better listen than the more recent "Watching the Dark" box set.

The towering gems of this album are the live versions of "Calvary Cross" and "Night Comes In," both just staggering in their stark intensity and mind-blowing guitar from RT (live is where he cuts loose).

Linda Thompson has her moments here too, especially on the live "Dark End of the Street" and the alternate take of "A Heart Needs a Home," which is much nicer than the version on "Hokey Pokey."

The Fairport Convention tracks at the start are real guitar showcases that were a bit of a revelation to this FC skeptic. Richard absolutely rips on all of them, playing some sustain-heavy, bluesy Les Paul leads quite unlike his later shimmery Stratocaster playing.

Then there's some nice acoustic pieces that offset the heavier doses of electric playing than we're used to on RT albums.

All in all, a really fine set that will convince you there's nothing that RT can't do, and do well.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thompson's Peak Performance: A Must-Have for Fans, September 21, 2005

By 

Chris Ward (Costa Rica) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Guitar / Vocal (Audio CD)

As others below note, the stand-outs here are the two extended live tracks from the early 70s: "Night Comes In" & "Calvary Cross." As one who bought Thompson's first album the week it came out more than 30 years ago, I've followed his brilliant career for more than half my life, and these two live cuts are the best things he's released. I've seen him many times live, and he attains remarkable heights of lyricism in concert, but it's seldom caught and recorded as it is here. These two cuts are simply radiant and transcendent, expressing the Sufi spirituality for which he was living at the time. These two songs are, quite simply, the best of Richard Thompson.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thompson fan essential, casual fan talisman., August 3, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Helena, Montana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guitar / Vocal (Audio CD)

"guitar/vocal" has been characterized as the "ultimate drool for Thompson fans", and truer words have never been spoken. The opening track, "Time Will Show the Wiser", was the first single from his first band, Fairport Convention, and hearing this instance of primal Thompson is worth the price of admission. Other standout tracks - live versions of "Night Comes In" (probably the most tender music Thompson has ever done), and "Calvary Cross" (where his solo travels to the heart of darkness in this song, then simply blows the whole thing apart). The covers here present a short-hand view of his influences - country ("The Dark End of the Street), rock n' roll ("Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller"), and English folk ("The Pitfall/The Excursion"). Fairport fans get a taste of "Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman", inexplicably left off of "Full House", and a gentle take of the Dylan staple! "The Ballad of Easy Rider". Finally, fans of Linda Thompson's gorgeous gossamer voice get some choice vocals on "A Heart Needs a Home", and "Dark End of the Street". Even if you own "Watching the Dark", lots of goodies make this a worthwhile purchase. More casual fans will have many paths to choose from if they enjoy "guitar/vocal".