Customer Reviews

The Old Kit Bag

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A prefatory disclaimer: I'm wholly in the tank for Richard Thompson. Have been for 20 years. I have everything he's done but the fan club stuff and the most obscure sides as a supporting player (and wouldn't rate anything at less than 3 stars). I have heard most of these songs over the past 9 months in three live performances and am in the position - not unusual, but unusual for me - of knowing, and loving, a body of music before I'd heard the artist's recordings of his own work. I am not an impartial witness.

And I love this album. In its variety, spareness, emotional intensity, and simple beauty, it rivals any single album Thompson has done since the fabled Shoot Out the Lights. I have seen some reviews that describe The RT Band of this recording as a "power trio" a la Cream or Mountain (sic) (I know - a quartet). If one had only heard the second track, the scalding "Jealous Words," one might credibly carry this point. But Thompson here displays all his influences - Celtic, Scottish, Middle Eastern, American (jazz, blues, rock, pop) Caribbean - in brilliantly realized, lapidary tracks. And The Old Kit Bag also has Thompson's obligatory shot - two very good ones, actually -at a commercial single (the haunting "Gethsemene" and the rousing "She Said It Was Destiny").

Fans expecting guitar pyrotechnics - Thompson's signature wheeling, careering, soaring, jagged figures and explorations - are unlikely to be disappointed, but little here would qualify as fiery and, throughout, Thompson exhibits an extraordinary, albeit dense and imaginative, restraint. This I must attribute to the spare format and the tasteful production of John Chelew (Los Lobos, Blind Boys of Alabama), who put Thompson's boundless good musical taste on excellent display with the minimum take sessions. This recording also marks Thompson's first outing on an Indie label, Cooking Vinyl/spinArt, and he is well served by the connection (the packaging is attractive and useful),

A few other tracks require special citation: the chilling "Outside of the Inside" might be heard either as lambasting of Islamic extremism or, oddly, as an attempt to render the Taliban perspective sympathetically - Thompson is a convert to Sufi Islam. In light of his own comments on the extremists, however, the former perspective is the accurate one. In the disarming "One Door Opens," Thompson bounces along (in duetto with Judith Owen, another of his madrigal-clear accompanying voices) in a lively theme, but the lyrics are typically, acerbically Thompsonesque - it's tripping, exceedingly tuneful performance that will stay in your head. Long time collaborator, acoustic-bassist Danny Thompson (no relation) gives a lovely account of his art (the production here is particularly good - you can hear the resonant wood, and on several tracks - particularly "A Love You Can't Survive" - DT plays arco most movingly).

The US release of The Old Kit Bag also has a "bonus CD" that includes two tracks from Thompson's "1000 Years of Popular Song" roadshow, which he has recently committed to CD (at a nearly prohibitive price) and a Quicktime short clip from a BBC documentary, "A Solitary Life." This is marketing, true, but one of these sides, "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo," from late Medieval-early Renaissance Italy, features bravura Thompson lute work (on guitar); the other song is Prince's "Kiss" (a hoot). (He also performs Brittney's "Whoops" on the full CD).

This is mature, densely concentrated, tannic, and long-finishing Richard Thompson. Devotees will be thrilled. Newcomers will be stunned. "Imagine encountering," wrote Kurt Loder in Rolling Stone 20 years ago in a review that sent me straight to the record shop, "here in the Eighties, someone who had never heard of Jimi Hendrix, who had never been moved by the great singers and session groups of golden-age Motown, or who, by whatever unimaginable means, had managed to remain incognizant of the collected musical masterworks of Lennon and McCartney...And yet, how many Americans remain unaware of the work of Richard Thompson, the richly gifted guitarist, songwriter and singer." Spot on, but, alas, this statement still stands. Brilliant songwriter. The most distinctive and imaginative guitarist on record. A singer of power and emotional subtlety.

Earlier this week I heard Richard Thompson in Washington D.C., in a refurbished theater - Club 9:30, the city's premier alternative venue - off U Street, in the heart of Ellington Country. All I kept thinking of in that context was Ellington's famous superlative: "beyond category." So it is. The Old Kit Bag is another Richard Thompson gem.

OLD KIT BAG may not be the most groundbreaking record of Richard Thompson's career but "Gethsemane" is strong start to a vital album. The song might just prove to be another Thompson classic, the kind of thing that can bring down the house live.

Unlike previous releases, the production does it's best to keep out of the way. The sparseness of it all allowing for Thompson's signature guitar to play howling wind round the gallows humor of his lyrics.

"Jealous Words" is vintage "oil" & vineger Thompson while passionately brooding epics like "A Love You Can't Survive" are likely to send a shiver down your spine. For fans of Thompson's folksier side, OLD KIT BAG could be considered a return to form. The dulcimer driven, "One Door Opens" being a highlight. "I've Got No Right To Have It All" is as gorgeous as it gets and the gleefully ominous, "Pearly Jim" conjures up the glories of Thompson's FULL HOUSE days. The world weary closer, "Happy days & Auld Lang Syne" gives "Waltzing's For Dreamers" a run for it's money, ending the album on a dutifully maudlin note.

So, OLD KIT BAG may not be the most ambitious record of his career, but he sticks to his guns. As uncomprimising as ever, Thompson delievers the goods on this one. Long time fans will be far from disappointed.

Richard Thompson is so far ahead of the game when it comes to songwriting, guitar-playing and general musicianship it can seem downright unfair. For those of us who have been listening to him for years, it also sets the bar extraordinarily high any time he embarks on a new project because our expectations are inevitably sky-high. It took a few listens for me to become truly enthused by this album, but at this point I can say my initial wariness was merely a symptom of the material's complexity and consistent ambition. Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen and I'll Tag Along were the songs I found most accessible; Jealous Words and Outside of the Inside the ones I had to work a bit to love, not just admire. Now I'm a fan of them all. The production on this album is even more pared down than its immediate predecessor, Mock Tudor, but just as fresh and uncluttered; it buzzes with much of the energy of Thompson's legendary live performances. Judith Owen's backup vocals are particularly welcome; I'm one who thinks Thompson's voice can do with a bit of leavening from time to time, and he hasn't duetted this serenely since the Linda era.

Quite a few reviewers here have wrestled with the question of where this album ranks in the Thompson oeuvre. But honestly, who cares? This is gorgeous stuff, dense, layered, immensely satisfying, like a bottle of wine from the Arabian Nights you can keep drinking and never exhaust. One of the pleasures of Thompson's broad grasp of music and musical history is that he can sound groundbreaking for 2003, or groundbreaking circa 1596, or even -- strange, but true -- both of these at the same time. Richard Thompson is truly a minstrel in rocker's clothing, and Old Kit Bag, like so much of his work, is both playful and dark, as sweet as it is weighed down by the accumulated melancholy of centuries. Oops, he hath done it again.

...as brilliant and biting as ever, and no disappointment for the longtime Thompson fan. I had the good luck of picking this one up in England when it was released at the beginning of February, and I can say conclusively that The Old Kit Bag truly stands with Thompson's best albums (e.g. Bright Lights, Shoot Out the Lights, Rumor and Sigh). It is a very stripped down work--just a trio, with the occasional backing vocals--but with all of the intensity of the aforementioned albums. "A Love You Can't Survive" is my favorite track--RT howls in despair while cutting you to the marrow with his stinging Strat leads. While I understand the American version and the Japanese release contain (or will contain) bonus tracks, I can't imagine what else would be necessary to make this album worth every penny you pay for it. Get it *yesterday*.

Admittedly, I am a huge Richard Thompson fan, so I am clearly biased towards anything that he releases. However, if you've ever seen him live you could not possibly come away a non-fan. Anyhow, while I would rate almost any of his previous albums at least 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 stars, 'The Old Kit Bag' is definitely a 5-star effort, perhaps his best ever. And why shouldn't it be? He keeps getting better with age. His baritone voice and his unique guitar style is on fine display on every track, and with Danny Thompson on string bass, Michael Jerome on drums and Judith Owen on occasional background vocals, it's amazing the fullness and variety of musicality they manage to produce. What I've always enjoyed about his guitar soloing style is how he covers the whole fretboard but seems to focus more on the lower notes than other guitarists yielding a richness in tone that helps give his style its fingerprint. From the full-tilt rockers to the more acoustic-textured songs, you can listen to this over and over and discover something new each time. Everybody should hear this recording. And don't forget the two 'cover' tracks on the Bonus disk that are also excellent.

While "Mock Tudor" before was stunning and probably (as with RT everyone has a different opinion) his best album to date, "Old Kit Bag" might just be the "Best Album" ever made to date.

For a man that has been part of over 20 4-5 star albums either solo, duo or group this is just another chapter in his storied career. He sings better as each album comes out and the song-writing is unparalleled in music, especially from anyone that has put out 25+ albums. How does he keep getting better.

Buy this album, buy "Mock Tudor" just spread the word RT is unmatched in music today and for all time. That he is not the most famous musician in the world is a cruel injustice.

Richard and Danny have sharpened the axes and slain the infidels and pretenders with precision and gusto. How dare you claim to be a singer-songwriter! What insolence to assert your pedigree in folklore! Off with your head, pull out your teeth, pulverize your appendices. All hail the return of King Richard! This is a GREAT, let me make that clear, GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Richard Thompson disc. The songs are as always, cutting, devastating, heartbraking. This man offers the human soul no quarter and his lyrics encapsulate the plight of Western man with as thorough a skewering as you're ever likely to find. Elvis Costello is downright prim and polite by comparison. And forget the Clapton is God nonsense. Richard, particularly in the company of Danny, Thompson is the absolutely greatest British guitarist ever. Point is, there are bloody few guitarists anywhere on his level (Cockburn, Beer, Howe, Metheny, and I'm not sure who else).
This is a remarkable collection of songs: starting with "Gethsemane" and winding up with "Auld Lang Syne", Thompson dissects the human condition with a cold eye and nasty precision. "A Love You Can't Survive" seems to harken back to his own failed marriage, but who knows, I can't imagine living with his imagination...... There is never any redemption. This disc is loaded with incredible melodies that twist, turn, snarl, resolve in ways that serve the lyrical themes as few other writers manage.
What knocks you out altogether is the incredible dynamics that he & Danny generate. They have a number of collaboratiosn that showcase how strongly they work together, but especially on this disc, their incredible telepathy and support is a wonder to listen to. The drumming is spot on and as solid as Jim Keltner was for George Harrison. Judith Owen jumps in for some harmonies that are absoluetly perfect, and she is certainly one of his most complimentary singers in his long line of incredible associations.
If you pick this up with the second disc, you get a CDROM interview via the BBC and 2 selections from covers excerpted from his recent tour, and soon to be released CD, "1,000 Years of Popular Song." The titles are an Italian Carole and Prince's "Kiss." If you were lucky enough to catch this tour, it featured basically the same line up as "KIT", and through the shows, Thompson would feature some truly showstopping renditions of an unlikley repertoire. For example, he takes on Britney Spears' "Ooops I Did It Again," and brings a level of lust, lechery, and lasciviousness to it that might make R. Kelly seem quite like Pat Boone. The full CD of this material will be released via his website... and as these 2 previews indicate, it is an odd but essential survey of the past 1,000 years of western song. If you're on to his twisted sense of humour, you'll be tickled pink by this web-site only CD.
A Richard Thompson release is always worth investigating, and when in the company of his colleague Danny Thompson, you can bet it is simply brilliant music making of the very finest calibre. This is a must have for any fan, and a great point to jump in if you're just finding out.

Although this album is perhaps not as consistent a listening experience as the previous Mock Tudor, it cuts much deeper. OKB features some of RT's most profound songwriting in years [as well as his best singing EVER], from the bittersweet reflections on life's unfulfilled promise in the opening Gethsemane to the hairraising yet disturbingly compelling portrait of fundamentalism in Outside of the Inside. For songs as strong as these or as the haunting Word Unspoken or the oddly moroccan [or is that 16th c Italian?] flavored trad sound of One Door Opens, one would have to go back to RT's best writing of the 70s. There's a sincere spirituality and earnest emotion evinced in many of these songs that seems more mature, more profound than RT's more usual ironic posturings [even when those postures are ingenius, as in Feels So Good or Vincent Black Lightning]. Even the fluffier, slighter tracks have something going on, whether it's the cleanlined pop chordwork of Destiny or the fantastic guitar soloing on I'll Tag Along, the minorkeyed pathos of Happy Days and Auld Lang Syne, or the should-be-a-jazz-standard classy spareness of Got No Right To Have it All. The stripped back sound of the trio, with the fantastic bass work of Danny Thompson and the innovative drumming of Michael Jerome, as well as Judith Owen's lovely, bluesy backing vocals, are spot on perfect and complement RT's always extraordinary guitar work without getting in its way. Finally, too, thanks to John Chelew, we have a spare production that doesn't clutter the musical sound, making this the cleanest, brightest studio recording since Pour Down Like Silver. All in all, I'm happy to say we finally have an RT studio album that's nearly as good as hearing him live. If you're looking for a cd as an introduction to RT's music, for yourself or for someone else, this is an excellent place to begin.

Richard Thompson is probably my favorite musician. I've seen him live 8 times, and (counting his Fairport output and side projects) I've got over 30 of his albums. As his first studio album in four years, I'm predisposed to love this CD, and I've been listening to it a lot over the last month and a half, trying to do just that. But I keep coming to the same conclusion: this is one of RT's weaker albums, definitely good but well below his usual transcendant level. I like it just fine, but I don't love it.

Thompson is one of the world's best songwriters, but though his lyrics are as strong as usual here, the music isn't. RT has never repeated himself so much musically. The verse of "A Love You Can't Survive" sounds like "Woods of Darney", the verse of "Outside of the Inside" sounds like "Cold Kisses", the overlong "First Breath" is a slowed-down "Mingus Eyes" crossed with "Ghosts in the Wind", and so on. The album rocks less than RT usually does, and any rock intensity has been drained out by John Chelew's tepid production and Michael Jerome's lackluster drumming. (Listen to a random minute of this CD and "Mock Tudor" and the difference in intensity jumps out at you.) Throughout the album, the rhythm guitar parts are mixed louder than the drums, vocals, or even guitar solos. On the two most rocking songs, "Pearly Jim" and "I'll Tag Along", the drums are mixed LOWER than on the other tracks. Those who prefer Thompson's folk side may like this album BECAUSE it has less rock. There are no saxes, shawms, or Mitchell Froom keyboards here; instead RT plays multiple guitar tracks.

While there are no standout tracks here (nothing remotely on the order of "Bathsheba Smiles"), there is also nothing really bad. "Gethsemane" is the best track, charting the journey from happy youth to the desperation of middle age. "I'll Tag Along" and "Pearly Jim" are good rockers that will probably sound great live. "One Door Opens" has a happy Celtic feel with RT playing mandolin and dulcimer. You get the usual RT brokenhearted lover ("I've Got No Right to Have It All") and the usual brokenhearted lover hopeful to try again ("Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen"). It should be noted that over the last 20 years, Thompson has developed into a pretty good singer; his wails at the end of "A Love You Can't Survive" are the best part of the song. For a limited time, there is a 2nd CD included with two live tracks from RT's "1000 Years of Popular Music" show: the 16-century Italian song "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo" is very good, while a cover of Prince's "Kiss" is only a curiosity. This is a 3-1/2 star album; many musicians will never make an album this good, but for Thompson it's one of his lesser works.

(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)

There is simply no-one in the British music scene (and very few outside it) with the capacity to produce such an exciting and powerful record after so many years. He has never made a bad record, but this has to be one of his very best. A very important contribution is made here by the wonderful Judith Owens, whose highly distinctive voice is a perfect compliment to Thompson's own. I've had this CD for nearly two years now, and still frequently give it my undivided attention. Music just doesn't get much better than this.