Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want To Poll the Bright Lights Tonight

Xpost and DT later recorded with Richard and became buds with Linda

The SPIN Alternative Guide gave this a full 10/10 in 1994.

"Withered and Died." Haven't played it for a while, but I'd put it right alongside Jackson C. Frank's "Blues Run the Game" as maybe the most depressing song I can think of.

Josh - there were actually two! both made it, Shoot was higher iirc, I read that issue a zillion times and in many cases (like in the case of these) had never heard the albums and wouldn't for years

just want to say that I love the cover of this album. and I especially like how, on first look it's quite horrifying cos it looks like blood daubed on a wall. but when you look closer and at the back cover, it's clearly fingerprints on a rainy window and it's kind of romantic

xxxp - Or is "When I Get to the Border" another death metaphor like "Meet on the Ledge" or "Wall of Death"?

Voted "Drunkards," with "Border" second.

I have to confess that although I love Calvary Cross, I have no idea what it's about.

border is a death metaphor, yes: "if you see a box of pine, with a body looks like mine" etc

first LP i owned was a secondhand copy of pour down like silver which i still own, purchased early 80s: not sure when i first *heard* of RT but i'm guessing the "illustrated nme book of rock", which viewed him very favourably -- the illustration was a little thumbnail of "bright lights", which is maybe even more evocative that size (the glimpses of cheer thru the fingerwriting on a steamy window: out of the cold and dark into the warm)

don't recall any discussion much in the UK music papers of 76-79 but from round about 80 -- when their focus switched away for a while from rock ordinaire to other kinds of sounds -- he definitely became a minor touchstone (as someone who had broken with orthodoxy before it was popular or profitable, i guess) (ditto fripp)

minor touchstone

minor but quite intense: as in, he had done very important work in the past that you shd seek out, even if his current work fell below that mark (viz sunnvista, 1979) didn't really match it -- i recall its reviews being iffy and disappointed) (not sure i've ever actually heard it)

I picked up Sunnyvista earlier this year. It's got a couple of great songs but it's otherwise unremarkable. Nothing on it matches the intensity of their best work.

Yes, I think I first became aware of RT around the time of Sunnyvista, and dimly (and v possibly inaccurately) recall that some of the music press (by which I mean the NME) were critical not only of that alb, but also of RT's conversion to Islam.

yes, dimly (very VERY dimly) recall a difficult nme interview round that time (possibly with graham lock)?

if i think abt it i've *always* associated R< w/feeling bad on L's behalf :(

lol R< = R & LT

a high school friend tipped my to "live more or less," so i was in pretty early. i saw richard thompson's big comeback show at the bottom line in 1982 (possibly his first solo show ever in the states?), and i saw a couple of the richard and linda thompson shows later that year. one was in glen cove long island, where i believe they opened for robert hunter. i'd brought my album jacket. when we got to the venue, we saw richard and linda arguing outside. i interrupted them, and they very graciously and politely signed my album. then they went back to arguing.

at a subsequent show at the bottom line, linda introduced "don't renege on our love" as "don't ronald reagan our love." they were not on good terms with one another at that show either. notwithstanding, it was marvelous.

tipped *me*

There's one story about them playing at Lupo's in Providence during that tour and getting into a fight backstage right after leaving the stage. Linda allegedly hit Richard in the head with a bottle, and he came back out to play the encore solo with blooding dripping from his head.

Just saw another story where it said she actually kicked him in the shins in the middle of that performance. Who knows.

Sunnyvista - Love the 5 upbeat tracks on side 1. The 5 more low key songs on side 2 aren't as good--unfortunate since that's where most of Linda's lead vocals are.

Are the Chrysalis R&L lps OOP, at least in the UK? Would have thought somebody would have been trying to keep everything in print.
I think there was a Dekuxe version of Shoot oUt The LIghts a couple of years ago. Was that a limited thing Rhino Handmade or something.

Band I was in used to play Calvary Cross, so that: those big chords were such fun to crash out. We stopped playing it because people used to tell us how it was our best song......

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Are the Chrysalis R&L lps OOP, at least in the UK?

I think Richard has asked the rights holders to keep them OOP. FWIW the art direction on the Sunnyvista sleeve is A+.

Voted "When I Get to the Border."

Which makes me feel good, since I voted for the title track and that was my alternate.

New Mojo has an R + R&L buying guide wit Bright Lights at #1, Pour #2, Shoot #4.

Give us the rest of their top 10 (assuming it also encompasses rt solo)

I too am curious. Presuming Rumor & Sigh or Mirror Blue at #3?

Amnesia?

(Which, amusingly, I forgot about). Amnesia > Rumor > Mirror, I think.

No 3 was Mock Tudor.
I just looked at the new issue on the racks of the Newsagent so don't have a copy at hand for the next few days.

I can support mock Tudor in its live album guise as semi detached mock Tudor. The songs are great but I don't quite get on with their studio recordings

Okay, Mock Tudor is fine & good but I believe that Rumor & Sigh is superior to it.

Which album has "Valerie" on it?

Apparently Daring Adventures (I don't think I've ever heard it)

Pour Down Like Silver is so amazing.
I probably have it Pour>Shoot>Bright>Hokey

Daring Adventures is the first of the Frooms, right? It's got "Al Bowlly's in Heaven."

In general none of the frooms hang together as a full listen for me. They all have some songs on them that are all-time though.

I think they all have one or two or three all timers on them at least, some of them are mostly awesome. His past few are perhaps more consistent, but fewer future canon standouts.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Well, every track got a vote, that tells you something.

I will also stan for "Amnesia", definitely in my top 4, the drumming on that album is really monstrous, love it.

Amnesia is pretty fab, and the subsequent albums have too much flimFroomery and CD-era bloat but from which anybody could have burned an an excellent CD-R back in the day.

oooooh wow, tough tie!

Guess I'm not surprised but CC is so dire. Appreciate the feeling but Border and the title track just have more life.

Yeah, I've never loved "The Calvary Cross" either. That opening guitar bit is so captivating that it's always a let down when the song itself turns out to be something considerably more plodding and normal.

I assembled an RT list in February.

Well, every track got a vote, that tells you something.

Well done.

Ah, last post was meant to reply to Alfred.

Lovely results. Good to see this tie and that every track got a vote

"Daring Adventures is the first of the Frooms, right? It's got "Al Bowlly's in Heaven.""

and 'How Will I ever be Simple Again'