Customer Reviews

Hand of Kindness

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Everything Richard Thompson touched from '82-85 turned to gold (except on the charts, unfortunately), as this superb album demonstrates. As many have pointed out, it's a logical continuation of the classic Richard & Linda "farewell" album "Shoot Out The Lights."

Any album that opens with the forget-the-pain-let's-rock "Tear Stained Letter" (capped by long, stinging solo by RT) has to be good. And indeed track after brilliant track follows. "How I Wanted To" is a lump-in-the-throat song of regret with a crystalline guitar solo that says as much as the lyrics. "Both Ends Burning" (not included on the Amazon track list) lightens the mood with a rollicking tale about horse racing. The stomping "A Poisoned Heart and Twisted Memory" is the opposite side of "How I Wanted To"--a bitter "good riddance" song perfect to wash away those moments of self-pity after a breakup. "The Wrong Heartbeat" is a wry pop song that should have been a hit (and is a holdover from the Linda era). "Hand of Kindness" is a long, tense track with more sterling guitar. "Devonside" is a beautiful, haunting folk-style ballad. The album concludes with "Two Left Feet," a lighthearted polka that unfortunately Richard played to death in concert over the years...but it sounded pretty fresh when the album was new.

The quality of "Hand of Kindness" became more evident as Richard's albums became choppy and inconsistent after this one. Make no mistake, this is a great one and should be a cornerstone of any Thompson collection.

With Joe Boyd producing, and the same personnel, this sonically picks up where the masterpiece Shoot Out the Lights leaves off. Of course Linda's voice is gone but it is not a loss as the album is so forthwright that Richard can anchor the disc. Unlike later Thompson efforts, the song quality is consistent. The spare production and instrumentation puts craft in the fore front, not buried under Mitchel Froom's keyboards. Many point to Rumour and Sigh as his best solo effort, but among some gems a quarter of those songs are busts. This is a tight, singular piece of work, a great flipside to 'Lights.

Richard Thompson's first post-Linda release, on which the sardonic songwriter and guitar virtuoso seems to be adjusting nicely to life as a single man. (Historical note: he's remarried since then.) A wrenching ballad like "How I Wanted To" might reasonably be read as an expression of conjugal remorse. Otherwise, though, the guy's in rollicking form, banging out Sherwood-Forest-style reggae on "The Wrong Heartbeat" and an irresistible polka on "Two Left Feet." Thompson has never written a lovelier piece than "Devonside," which sounds like it's been aging in the barrel for the last three hundred years. And the title cut features not only a fine electric guitar blowout but some stealth background vocals from the likes of John Hiatt and Bobby King.

The sound of this album is very similar to`Shoot Out the Lights`, only now Thompson has added a brass band and other zydeco touches. The songs are generally top-notch, and while many deliver the gloom and/or vitriol we`ve come to expect from Thompson, there a couple of lighter moments, including `Two Left Feet`. Like on `Shoot out the Lights`, the electric guitar playing is mesmerising. This was his last great album with producer Joe Boyd- the next, Àcross a Crowded Room` has its moments, but it also has less enjoyable moments. And, for those who for whatever reason hate Michell Froom`s production work on later RT albums, the production style here will likely be more to their liking.

For me, RT is better off with out Linda. Why am I saying this now? Because he made this after the split, and the fact that he can make an album like Hand of Kindness after breaking up one of folk's greatest duos shows he could have carried it on by himself the whole time. Sorry guys.

As a guitar player, he shines the most on this album, and as a singer, even more. Each song is one good one after the other, and if you enjoy it as much as I do, you keep listening to it, day after day. Besides Richard, the production is fabulous, and it helps RT's talents shine even more.

Buy this album if you're a fan, or a new comer!

Coming from any other artist, this would certainly be rated 5 by most listeners. It's my favorite RT solo album. I think it's the closest to a live sound of any of his studio recordings. RT's humor slips through the gloomy facade that he cloaks himself in. At least give the songs a listen. You might like it too.

Hand of Kindness is a fine collection of British-folk rock: heavy on the folk, and light on the rock. Why Richard Thompson isn't recognized as a prominent guitar master is beyond me. One listen to his aching English love ballad `Devonside' about "the girl with the shiver in her eyes" should be convincing enough. Richard's melodic embellishments and improvisation are elegant. As usual, Richard takes a less than enthusiastic view of love. `How I Wanted To' is filled with regrets of not being able to call an end to the end. In the blues-rocker `A Poisoned Heart And A Twisted Memory,' he not only loses his love, but also forfeits his pride and dignity. `Hand of Kindness' is a mystical composition about seeking the comfort of a stranger. I'm not enthusiastic with the heavy use of saxophone and accordion on this CD. The shuffle `Tear Stained Letter' races ahead at what seems like 100 miles per hour. And despite the clever lyrics, I have little use for the polka (Two Left Feet). Overall, Hand of Kindness has a touches of levity (Both Ends Burning, Two Left Feet) and compelling love songs (How I Wanted To, Devonside) all imprinted with Richard's dazzling guitar.

In terms of his post SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS output, HAND OF KINDNESS is one of his best, yet most underrated efforts. RUMOR & SIGH deserves all it's praise, & though not as flashy, this ranks as one of his most consistantly engaging efforts.

If SHOOT was the "divorce album", 1983's KINDNESS is the new fangled bachelor who's sense of freedom seems shackled by doubt and regret.

The toe-tapping exuberence of "Tear Stained Letter" & "Poisoned Heart" are deceptive. Jaunty as they are both have their fair share of acid wit with lines like, "when I die of shame, I won't know who to thank".

In terms of the ballads, "Devonside" is the major standout. One of his finest & yet oddly least well known. Elsewhere, Thompson lets his characteristic guard down for the regretful & haunting, "How I Wanted To".

With it's dark solos & snarling vocal, the title track would have easily been at home on SHOOT. A plea for the mercy of a kind hand, coming from a man with a rope around his neck. In the end, he leaves you dangling with, "you stretch out your hand and I'll stretch out mine".

Another stand out is, "Where the Wind Don't Whine". What starts off as a reckless joy ride with an underage hitchhiker turns out to be a good old fashioned ghost story.

Whether he's laying his throat bare to the dagger or driving it into another's back, Thompson is in fine form here. Aided and abetted by a tight backing band and guitar playing that is expressive but never induldgent, HAND OF KINDNESS is at the very least, one of the best, if not THE best record he put out in the '80's.

This was the album that introduced Richard Thompson to me. It is still my favorite Thompson album. Is this just sentimentality creeping in, clouding the fact that maybe he's made more compelling albums since? I don't think so.

The album starts off in fine form with "Tear-Stained Letter," and at once you get an idea of just how phenomenal a guitar player this guy is. His solo at the end of the song is wildly infectious.

Same as well to the pain he elicits from his axe during "Poison Heart and a Twisted Memory." Even his chords are interesting--listen to the mysterious mood created in the title cut.

The whole thing ends with "Two Left Feet," a hilarious and all-out stompin' polka. A great album, front to back.

This disc has "Hand of Kindness" ... it is as good of a song as ANY that Thompson has done ... it has to be heard. I'm not crazy about all the songs on this disc, ... but "Hand of Kindness" is brilliant. "The Wrong Heartbeat" and "How I Wanted To" are excellent, too. When someone hasn't heard of Thompson before, and there are far too many who haven't, play them "Hand of Kindness" ... it's deeply tense with outrageous guitar ... Richard at his best. This is also the only place you'll find it.