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

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'

good results -- yeah, i think the only song i don't realllllly like here is "little beggar girl."
thompson-related -- the rhino handmade Shoot Out The Lights is on spotify. the live bonus disc has some insanely great stuff on it.

haha I didn't vote because I couldn't choose, could've made the difference

i like this rarity (from around the time of henry the human fly / bright lights, i think)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swrii8xO3dA

This is where I confess I've never been able to really get into any of the other Thompson albums, either solo or with Linda.

Same!

He is definitley best appreciated live.

surprised that anyone who digs bright lights wouldn't find plenty to love on henry the human fly, hokey pokey and pour down like silver — they're all of a piece to me.

yah seeing him live was pretty eye opening/mind blowing

i got a few of Richard's mid-80's albums in a remainder box in new york earlier this year, before i heard Bright Lights for the first time - they were ok, but i have to revisit them having heard this. one of them had a bunch of clocks on the cover

surprised that anyone who digs bright lights wouldn't find plenty to love on henry the human fly, hokey pokey and pour down like silver — they're all of a piece to me

I've never heard "Henry the Human Fly"! But, yes, those first three R & L albums are very much a set.

yah seeing him live was pretty eye opening/mind blowing

He's very funny and engaging. Plus he's just the best guitarist. I've never seen anyone play like that in person.

yeah after seeing him live i gained more of an appreciation for his post-linda years which i always thought were kinda cheezy

(xp) OTM. Also he can't half belt out a song, his singing is so much more powerful than you might expect.

xp kinda cheezy! can't believe you think that.
https://resources.tidal.com/images/cc75bbd5/de97/4229/ba12/b6805c5a1b16/1280x1280.jpg

Great interview with Linda.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/apr/12/they-said-i-was-worse-than-the-sex-pistols-folk-legend-linda-thompson-on-trashing-dressing-rooms-and-losing-her-voice