Customer Reviews

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

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3 star:		(1)
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Back in 2000 when Island released the Richard & Linda Thompson Best of The Island Years Collection, I was looking to whittle down the number of discs I owned and it seemed to be an ideal opportunity in regards to my Richard & Linda Thompson library: highlights from albums I didn't own were represented, material I was always curious about was there, and, in the case of I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight, 7 of the 10 cuts were included. I figured, hey, pick this up and I can get rid of IWTSTBLT as well as Pour Down Like Silver.

Yeah, I know: I also feel like I should be made to sit in the corner wearing a "Dunce" cap.

The Best of IS a superbly constructed compilation - heck, the songs that are on it are even in the same sequence as on this release, so what's the problem?

That this is an ALBUM, in the classic sense. It has an intention, as well as a beginning, a middle, and an end. The songs that are missing aren't the albums highlights, true, but that's only because all the other material is just so superb. "We Sing Halelujah" (not on the greatest hits) is a wonderful song, and "Has He Got a Friend For Me?" and "The Little Beggar Girl" are...well, y'know something, some of these songs are the albums highlights...(damn!)

The rest of the material is some of Thompson's - heck, the WORLD'S - darkest: "Down Where the Drunkards Roll", "Withered and Died", "The End of the Rainbow"...the titles say it all. But they're balanced by the drive and ...hope(?) in other songs like "When I Get to The Border", "Calvary Cross", and the title track. For all of their hope and desire, the songs remain wise and world-weary.

Individually, these all remain great songs, but in the context of this album is where they really make sense. Thompson's guitar work remains a unique talent, and Linda's voice is just superb (I have yet to find a solo Richard album this satisfying, because with his penchant for such dark, unflinching material, a voice as beautiful as Linda's provides excellent counterpoint).

Oh...and a word of warning: I picked this up after I'd gotten Shoot Out the Lights and wanted more of the same: this album is much more folky from songstyle to instrumentation and arrangemtents. It took a while for this album to sink in, but, boy did it ever...

Selling this album (and Pour Down Like Silver)...wow, I can be a real [dunce] sometimes...

I feel that this is the best single album of one of the finest overall songwriters of the modern era. Where to begin? At the end...the final two songs, "End of the Rainbow" and "The Great Valerio" are a beautiful, dark, ending to this album, possibly the most perfect ending to any album. The music is stripped of frills, reflecting despair without entering into self-pity. There is a feeling of being alone and without purpose, with no hope for this to change; this is our condition, not some malleable situation. How perfect is this: "Life seems so rosy in the cradle/But take a look outside your nursery door/There's nothing at the end of the rainbow/There's nothing to grow up for anymore" It is the realization of the tragedy that our lives must be if there is nothing beyond it. It is the conviction of a man who cannot see beyond the horrors of his own life.

There are MANY other great songs on this disk: "Calvary Cross", "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" and the title track all spring to mind. There is not a dud in the collection. Richard shows himself a superlative songwriter and an excellent guitarist, and Linda's haunting vocals are beautifully suited to his work (although Richard's vocals on "End of the Rainbow" are also perfect). I have never heard a 'perfect' album, but this album has certain strengths that make it something sui generis.

A marvelous album from 1974 chocked full of Richard Thompson's wry observations on life's outsiders . The ten songs are amongst Richard Thompson's best work , and they're enhanced further by the imaginative choice of instruments that are played . The use of the Dulcimer , Anglo Concertina , Krummhorn and Accordion gives this cd a dark quasi-English medieval ambiance that fits hand in glove with the almost Gothic imagery and dark language of the songs . As usual Richard Thompson's guitar playing is inspired , and the underrated Linda Thompson has one of her finest moments on the magnificent " Withered and Died " , surely one of the great songs on " lost love " out there !

I've had this record for twenty years now , and it still keeps getting better , because from time to time I still discover hidden nuances that not only enhances the record but also highlights the depth of this stunning music . Essential !

...

Richard Thompson had left the seminal British folk group Fairport Convention in 1970 and had foundered around for a couple of years when he was introduced to Linda Peters by Fairport's vocalist Sandy Denny. Sparks flew between the two and they were married. The coupling spurred Mr. Thompson into the studio to create his stirring debut. Originally released in 1974, the album never caught on in the US and wasn't released until 1976. The album showcases his understated grace as a guitarist. Adept at flicking off lines on the electric guitar, his real genius flows from the acoustic guitar. The title track is an amazing piece of music, with Ms. Thompson assuming the pose of a street walker. The song is foreboding and yet uplifting at the same time. "Down Where The Drunkards Roll" is a folky triumph that is full of Celtic doom. I Want To See The Bright Lights was and never has been a commercial success, but f you are looking for something new and different, give it a listen.

for 'the calvary cross', listen to the rest afterwards, and you will thank me later --

When I first listened to this, I thought : "How come I NEVER heard of those two earlier ?". I mean, not all songs are masterpieces, but four of them certainly are. Withered and died is one of the most moving ballad I've ever heard - Linda's voice sounds very much like heaven to me. Down where the drunkards roll is great too. The Great Valerio is terrifying. The very bleak "the end of the rainbow" is one on the only RT vocals from this period that I really like. The song seems to cast a spell on the listener.
The little beggar girl & Has he got a friend for me may be the two weak tracks on the record, and still .. they are not bad at all....

This work has to be a classic. It is the updating of English Folk Music but still holding strong to its traditions namely in the use of traditional instruments, modes and songs.

On first hearing, the album can be inpenetrable as there is so much going on and one wonders why one has shelled out for it in the first place. After a few listenings, however, a new world of music opens up like a flower. The most powerful song has to be "Calvary Cross" which is sung with a sublime spirtual passion that is not often repeated on modern records.

The album is quirky and left-field and defies modern convention.

Give your ears a revolution and check out this album

If there is a better folk-rock album out there, I haven't heard it. Richard's songwriting is at a peak, and both he and Linda are in fine voice as well. The last two tracks ("End of the Rainbow" and "The Great Valerio") are just magnificent.

Richard Thompson is one of the greatest guitar players of all time. On this album, he and then wife Linda Thompson give rock a good name, on classic folk rock like, "When I Get To The Border," spare blues like, "The Calvary Cross," and sweet folk like, "Down Where the Drunkards Roll." Linda steals some songs, like the title track, but Thompson reigns supreme. Essential.

If you arent that familiar with Richard Thompson buy this CD, if you are you probably already have it. It is one of the best Albums around. Holds up very very well. This is an overlooked album, should be up there with Pet Sounds, Layla, and Exile on Main Street, dont believe me, buy it and see.