Customer Reviews

Mirror Blue

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Richard Thompson caught some flack for the unorthodox production and instrumentation of this album, but I for the life of me can't figure out what anyone can find to complain about here. Perhaps it's just that most folks who love Thompson find him to be such a genius that anything not 100% to their liking strikes them as not being up to snuff on HIS part. Too bad for them. Rejecting the new and interesting things Thompson tries on this stellar album is a classic case of faulting the talent for stretching his wings.

"For the Sake of Mary" kicks things off with a more-bitter-than-sweet indictment of Catholocism--Thompson mines a rich vein of his Irish Catholic upbringing here and comes up with great stuff. "I can't Wake Up to Save My Life" has little hints of U2-like shimmering, almost metallic guitar work and a propulsive chorus that makes hilarious work of a bad dream about love gone wrong.

The faintly Indian flavor of "MGB-GT" may or may not be on purpose, but whatever--it works as an unabashed love song to a car. "Easy There, Steady Now" has some of the creepiest lyrics I've ever seen--it's just elliptical and abstract enough that you can't really be sure, but it has the crimson whiff of a murder about it. The arrangement of the varied instruments (some of which sound like things I've never heard before) beautifully follows the back-and-forth zig-zagging of the story Thompson is trying to tell here--it reminds me, curiously enough, of Handel's clever winding music for the "All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray" section of "Messiah"--the music wanders around just like a flock of sheep might, and Thompson accomplishes the same type of musical illustration here. He goes for the same effect in the dreamlike "I Ride in Your Slipstream," which bobs along to a hypnotic trainlike beat.

"Shane and Dixie" follows down the hallowed path of all star-crossed-lover songs and is a lot of fun to listen to, mindless as it is. It's about the only mindless song on the album though--it's obvious that Thompson puts a great deal of thought and heart into every song he writes.

Richard Thompson had been writing and performing---in bands, as a husband-and-wife team with Linda, and as a solo artist---for over 25 years by the time of this 1994 disc. The long shadow cast by the high-quality standards of his previous work is the main reason that anyone finds much fault with this excellent mid-90's release---for any other singer/songwriter/guitarist in his mid-40's (as Thompson was at the time of this release), this disc would qualify as the pinnacle of artistic achievement. Even by Thompson standards, it features many more stellar songs and highlights than filler.

Thompson (and producer Mitchell Froom) decided that for this disc no reverb should be used and that a standard drum kit for percussion was also to be avoided. The result is a 'dry' sound and, on the faster songs, the presence of lots of various thumps, bangs and bumps as who-knows-what-all is struck by drummer Pete Thomas in lieu of the familiar. If you're open to something different, these sounds will interest you, but it can seem distracting at times and probably results in some of the production complaints levied at this disc.

As a songwriter, Richard Thompson can pretty much leave any of his competition in the dust, and there are several instant classics in this very strong line-up of songs. "The Way That It Shows" mines his familiar vein of straying lovers while providing a string-bending guitar workout on the fade. "Mascara Tears" is a bile-filled putdown song with more soaring guitar work. "Beeswing", with simple accoutic guitar accompanyment, continues Thompson's knack of combining traditional English folk song structure with a more contemporary tale of a love who can't be tied down. "I Ride In Your Slipstream" and "Easy There, Steady Now" both employ dreamy passages to accompany lyrics touching on the effect a lover has on the narrator. The disc's closer, "Taking My Business Elsewhere" is simultaneously strikingly original and extremely evocative of smoky, after hours, slow jazz standards that would not have seemed out of place being mournfully crooned by the likes of Frank Sinatra. This title has a double meaning: moving on to someone else by ending a relationship, and leaving the restaurant in which our narrator has been stood up for "some friendlier place". This song should become a standard for the cocktail combos of the world that need a slow, sad one to quiet the crowd near the end of the night, and this song alone is worth the whole CD to get.

There are some songs that indicate that Thompson may not have been as stringent as usual in the quality control department: "Fast Food" is obvious and cloying, "Shane and Dixie" seems too light and gleeful to be a tale of murder-suicide, and MGB-GT makes a good case against using a 15th century folk tune to back a car song. The British never have been leaders in the car song trade---car songs, like "409" or "Little GTO", seem to call out for less intricate melodies and less nuts-and-bolts restoration details than Thompson's song contains. Then again, the MGB-GT is a British car, so that may have been his point.

Nonetheless, "Mirror Blue" ranks among the finest CD's of Thomson's solo career and is recommended for the rabid fan and casual listener alike based on the strength and depth of the majority of the disc's material. Most established artists would likely make Faustian pacts with the Prince of Darkness in order to be able to come up with so many strong melodies and strikingly original lyrical and musical passages so many years into a career as Thompson seems to be able to do without really breaking a sweat. He continually sets the bar of quality extremely high for himself, and "Mirror Blue", while not leaping over this bar, at least makes a strong jump and comes close to equalling the previous high.

Richard Thompson's voluminous output for Capitol (from roughly 1988-1999) deserves a rebirth. Most of it suffers from an unjustified out of print status (were sales that bad?). "Mirror Blue" from 1994 was by no means the best from this bag, but it contains many notable songs.

Why does this album have such a retched reputation? It really only pales in comparison to its predecessor "Rumor and Sigh" (one of Thompson's best Capitol albums). Maybe the general public wanted another "I Feel So Good" and didn't get it? Thompson rarely if ever repeats himself and this album didn't carbon copy "Rumor and Sigh" whatsoever. Whatever the reason this album doesn't deserve to be spat at. "I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life" almost pays for admission alone, but add to that at least two more incredible songs, the medieval madrigal "King of Bohemia" and folksy "Beeswing", and something undeniably great emerges. Of course these songs appear on Capitol's compacted compliation "Action Packed". But that collection leaves out other greats such as Thompson's ode to his "MGB-GT"; the heavy and unforgettable "The Way That it Shows"; the rousing tale of fame and immortality "Shane and Dixie"; and the laid back defiance of "Taking My Business Elsewhere". All great stuff and all out of print at the time of this typing.

Thompson survived his Capitol woes and still tours and releases great albums. An all-acoustic album is apparently planned for late 2004 early 2005, and right now he's on a scaled down "1000 Years of Popular Music" tour. Everyone should see this show (I saw the October 13th show in St. Paul). Thompson continues to age gracefully, and "Mirror Blue" represents one step along the way. An underrated and underappreciated step, but a good one nonetheless.

Mitchell Froom's inventive production (surely a personal best) gives each of these songs a delightfully individual feel. Mr. Thompson matches it with his best collection of songs ever, nearly every one a classic. How could anyone give this marvelous CD less than five stars? One of the all time great disks.

This album has such a pervasive rep as a dud that I stayed away from it for a good long while -- took me 10 years to give it a listen. It has quickly become one of my favorite Thompson albums. The big knock on it has been Mitch Froom's production, which many find heavy-handed. As for me, I think it's high time Thompson's fans stopped pining away for old Joe Boyd and acquainted themselves with the 21st, or even 20th, century. Many will have to be dragged kicking and screaming, but it'll be good for them.

As usual, Thompson throws himself into his songs, never content to settle for pretty or clever, always asking more from each song, asking it to do something no other song has ever quite done. Fate is playing strange tricks on Thompson, blessing him with a nearly unrivaled talent but keeping him in obscurity. What can I say, it's his cross to bear. The way he deals with it is what will define him.

This is actually my favorite Richard Thompson album of the 1990s. Why? The SONGS. "I Can't Wake Up to Save My Life" is arguably the best of his woman-as-succubus songs. "MGB-GT" has a riff that rivals "Back Street Slide" and a delicious sense of loneliness buried under its nerdy, infectuous enthusiasm for a car. "The Way that It Shows" attacks the subject of false love from a wholly original angle, brought to life with an astonishingly off-kilter but inevitable chord sequence. Even "Shane and Dixie" is a good deal deeper and creepier than people seem to recognize.

The tragic character sketch of "Beeswing" is one of the finest lyrics ever written by RT or anyone else. When the girl says "You may be lord of half the world, you'll not own me as well"... that's just when we sense the knife. He stabs it straight in your heart with the last verse, "Maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse". Incredible.

A lot of people dislike Mitch Froom's production, and it IS quirky (I happen to like it), but don't let that get in the way of enjoying these gorgeous songs!

This cd has a heartbeat that can be felt every stop of the way. I love it. Many songs give a nod to Celtic folk songs and many have an ineluctable influence from early American rhythm and blues. But the best parts sound like a wonderful mix of American and English folk. Richard's signature woozy guitar is always a comforting aspect of these songs. His singing, for some reason, feels like a friendly slap on the back. This music is so real, so heartfelt, it leaves an indelible mark. Look out for the gorgeous classic, "Beeswing", and the strange distorted waltz about his car, "MGB-GT".

For all its faults, it's still a very good record. Some songs are so brilliant I can't even explain it (the gorgeous folk acoustic Beeswing ; King of Bohemia - which on general admission he wrote for his eldest daughter ; Mascara tears ; Taking my business elsewhere ; The way that it shows - wonder why the latter escaped his 2001 Best of Action packed ?!)
As to the other ones .. it's true, as another reviewer stated, that Mirror Blue contains some of his dumbest efforts to date (Fast food or Shane & Dixie). That said, they are not really bad. I mean, if you listened to them as if they were somebody else's, I am not sure you wouldn't find them good.
As to the production, I can't see what's flawed with it. It's certainly very different from, let's say, Mock Tudor, but I find it good, insofar as it doesn't give the songs a mainstream treatment, you have to make an effort to get into them (sure, Mirror Blue isn't for everybody !)
If you're looking for ill-produced RT albums, then go for First light or even Shoot out the lights (I am sure many people would kill me for saying that, but I'm ready to argue the point)
If I was asked to introduce somebody to RT solo work, I would probably choose Mirror Blue, after I grabbed Action packed and Mock Tudor.

Richard Thompson is an artist of phenomenal talent, but inconsistent quality. If you're looking for great writing, go get Rumor and Sigh and listen to "1952 Vincent Black Lightening" (many fans rave about his Shoot Out the Lights album, but I found it a bit pedestrian). If you're looking for the guitarist in peek form, get Guitar/Vocal and listen to "Calvary Cross" and "Night Comes In." However, if you're looking for some truly creative and sonically interesting music, check this album out. This is RT at his dark best-- taking sounds and musical phrases that don't seem to belong together and making them work. Rock, Folk, Celtic, Arabic, Blues, Jazz-- they all come together in this album cohesively and satisfyingly.

Great Album, we saw this tour in 94 at the Boston Orpheum Theater. What a show, we were in the second row and were mesmorized by Mr. Thompson's story book singing and classic guitar playing. I will never forget their performance of Beeswing and Vincent Black Lightning....