Customer Reviews

Versatile Heart

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Five years after her last 2002's warmly received Fashionably Late -- which arrived after an 11-year silence -- this album is no less effective in reminding us of Thompson's still impressive songwriting and vocal talents.
Time Magazine has said "Linda Thompson may be rock's best woman singer", and anybody with an interest in contemporary music would expect that description to be expanded to include folk music.
Like the turnout for Rufus Wainwright's Release the Stars, the gang is all here for this rare and lovely album by Linda Thompson - even Richard Thompson, in spirit, who contributed "the idea" for the verses on "Blue & Gold"(that song was actually written by Linda and their son, Teddy Thompson).
Linda has long recovered from the rare throat condition that silenced her at the peak of her career.
"Versatile Heart", her third album is a relaxed batch of folk ballads. The pure, fragile beauty of her voice hasn't deserted her on this one, time has only increased the emotional quality of her singing.
Ably assisted by son Teddy Thompson, who's becoming a star in his own right, dark themes and tales of love gone bad dominate.
The brilliant "Day After Tomorrow", written by Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, is an anti-war song to rival her ex-husband Richard Thompson's recent "Dad's Gonna Kill Me".
Her gorgeous voice also does wonders with the traditional "Katy Cruel", though it's lots sweeter than Karen Dalton's definitive version.
The amazing Antony Hegarty adds vocals to "Beauty", a gift of a song by Rufus Wainwright.
Little touches, such as the Salvation Army Band brass that begins the title song, enhance the mood. The disc may not match the greatness of Thompson's long-ago partnership with Richard, but what could?
This CD is a revelation and a triumph : so many styles and yet such consistency and quality.
It is a beautiful,important album.
Deeply lovely stuff, by one of popular music's most expressive, emotive singers.

Sweet Warrior
Up Front and Down Low
Release the Stars

Linda Thompson's extraordinary "Versatile Heart" is exactly what its title implies - it's versatile and full of heart. This opus finds Thompson moving a little further a field from her comeback album of five years ago (has it been that long?) "Fashionably Late." The risks taken here pay off primarily due to Thompson's haunting, plaintive and somewhat melancholy voice and because of a sense of vision and determination that she displays.
Her son, Teddy Thompson, plays a huge role in this recording and its obvious, as it was on "Fashionably Late", that he is her number one fan!

Every track here is a gem. The title song, which opens and closes with a wonderful horn band, is a catchy piece with some rather cutting remarks ("Stay on the road you two faced fool, that way we'll never come to blows") about someone who uses their versatile heart to the detriment of another. Jenni Muldaur lends a lovely harmony on this track. With a voice sounding like a cross between her mother, Maria Muldaur, and Dolly Parton she pushes the song up a notch by being a nice contrast to Thompson's vocals.

Thompson takes a winning stab at country and honky-tonk with "Do Your Best For Rock And Roll" and "Give Me A Sad Song" - tracks that sound very much like they could have come right out of Nashville. She also moves into a cabaret/chanteuse like mode for Rufus Wainwright's "Beauty" and she successfully treads into the indie folk arena with her daughter Kamila Thompson's "Nice Cars" - probably the most unusual track on the CD.

And then there's "Katy Cruel" and "Blue and Gold" - the first an old song and the second a new song that sounds like an old song - which finds Thompson on familiar ground. Blue and Gold's chorus has an especially subtle hook to it that I could listen to over and over, and is what gives it it's more modern edge.

Lastly, there are the ballads, and no one sings a sad song like Linda Thompson. "The Way I Love You", with Martha Wainwright singing background vocals, and the devastating "Go Home" are the kinds of performances that make Linda Thompson such a treasure. And its her stark performance of Tom Waits' and Kathleen Brennan's "The Day After Tomorrow" that is probably the pinnacle of the album. Recorded live with her daughter Kamila, if any listener has a dry eye after hearing that performance, well, then they don't have much of a soul. (It's interesting how wonderfully some women artists have taken on Waits' material and made truly distinguished performances of it. Valerie Carter's "Whistle Down The Wind", Carol Noonan's "Tom Traubert's Blues" and Christine Collister's "Dirt In The Ground" come to mind.)

I would be amiss not to mention the very English "Whiskey, Bob Copper, and Me" (an ode of sorts to the legendary Copper Family), penned by Linda and featuring Martin & Eliza Carthy and Susan McKeown, as well as the lovely instrumental "bookends" written by Teddy titled "Stay Bright".

It's very sweet to see how many of Teddy and Kamila's friends (most children of Linda's musical contemporaries from the early seventies) turn up on this recording. It's truly a testament to the endearing quality of Linda Thompson. So, pick yourself up a copy of "Versatile Heart" and discover that endearing quality, because it's a rare find indeed!

Linda Thompson's singing - powerful, spare, devoid of tricks or unecessary ornamentation - stands in stark contrast to the fashions of today; it is showcased perfectly on this album. Her collaboration with her children and family friends (Rufus Wainwright composed one of the standout tracks, and Martha Wainwright and Antony provide vocals)has produced an album that is hugely satisfying and hard to classify (iTunes lists it as alternative). There is the British folk influence on tracks such as Katy Cruel, but overall Versatile Heart has a quite contemporary feel. Beauty, composed by Rufus Wainwright, is a haunting chamber piece, Nice Cars is dark and edgy, and Thompson's reading of Day After Tomorrow makes it a protest song that feels right for today.

This is an exceptional recording where the arrangements, song choices and performances combine perfectly. Let's all hope that Ms Thompson doesn't make us wait too long for her next piece of work.

"Versatile Heart" is Linda Thompson's very worthy follow-up to her "comeback album" of five years ago, "Fashionably Late." For the most part, it follows the pattern established by that album, but it is a bit more relaxed in feel and shows more of Linda's range as a vocalist/performer.

A few of the songs, including the upbeat title track, consciously invoke the style of Linda's first collaboration with her ex-husband Richard, the classic "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight". That early album established Linda as a first-rate interpreter of "dramatic" song material, and "Versatile Heart" shows that Linda is still doing these types of dry and pristine takes on traditional English folk music better than anyone with the possible exception of June Tabor. The best example of this on the album is Rufus Wainright's lovely "Beauty", similar in feel (and title) to "Paint and Powder Beauty" from "Fashionably Late".

"Beauty", pretty sounding as it is, also contains what I believe is the only significant flaw in this album--a clumsy, warbling counterharmony sung by Antony, of Antony and the Johnsons. Linda and Antony's vocals don't mesh very well, and they each seem to be consciously trying to get out of each other's way. It's as if she was dueting with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead--an interesting, but unsuccessful experiment, and the only drawback to a most enjoyable album.

What a pleasure to have a new Linda Thompson recording! The more I listen, the more there is to enjoy. Standout tracks for me are Katy Cruel, Day after Tomorrow, Blue and Gold and of course, Beauty.

Inteligent, charming and tasteful, a real treat.

Though it was recorded in a variety of locations this album places itself firmly in a genre of its own.It is, in recording terms, as is noted elsewhere, often sparsely instrumented, though none the worse for that as it allows Thompson'r pristine voice to be the main element of all the tracks.
There are three other elements that make it a 'must have' album. Firstly there is the support that she receives from a range of English and Irish musicians who have been a part of the tradition that she has come from. John Kirkpatrick's anglo concertina part on "The way I love you" is almost understated but an integral part of the whole, as are John Doyle,John Joe Kelly, and Martin and Elza Carthy where they contribute.
She is also well served by some stunning guitar work from Larry Campbell and especially Teddy Thompson. The brass and string arrangements also contribute to the sum of the whole without ever being intrusive, and it's evident that there has been a great deal of thought put into the constituent parts of the whole recording process.
The sleeve notes are also full of her slightly self deprecating humour (sorry that's an English spelling there!)in which she describes a song which she "worked up from an idea by Richard Thompson a little known but extremely useful guitarist".
The album sits well as a whole but my current favourites are the aforementioned "The way I love you", "Nice Cars" ( 'A white girls jelly roll song. I blame the mother') and the fabulous "Go Home", but it's not really an album to pick tracks from, but one which you ought to allow to wash over you in its full stunning glory.
Hyperbole? Nah I don't think so,get it and try it, it is "an eclectically sparse gem"

There are some really nice pieces on this CD. Thompson is a professional that knows her style and delivers it expertly.

After many years of not putting out any new material, Linda Thompson has come back with an album worthy of her earlier work. In Versatile Heart, she has found her voice again with haunting and beautiful lyrics. While not as dark as some of her prior work, this album has an underlying seriousness that I love. Highly recommended as Linda's voice should be heard by all.

Nice production, and a nice return of a familiar voice with new material. It should probably carry Teddy Thompson's name in equal measure but it makes for a polished family project. My only surprise is that there was no obvious contribution from Richard Thompson on this one. No worries - Teddy's matured into a full artist in his own right, and his mother shines in the spotlight. Her voice is still bright and vibrant - the phrasing just right, and burnished like the sound of an old friend's hello. This is not a fickle purchase for one of a versatile heart.

I have to confess I love Linda Thompson's voice and her music. As a personality, she has considerable charm.
This music is versatile in style and every other way. Good writing and good musicians add to the allure. The list of songs I love is so inclusive I won't type them all.