What Are You Listening To Right This Very Second?

[andrew in philadelphia]

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

That new Mike Watt is awesome.

[Paul DeLouisiana]

Anyone else here into Richard and Linda Thompson? I've been listening to them a lot lately.

[dcgut]

Anyone else here into Richard and Linda Thompson? I've been listening to them a lot lately.

Yes! I think Linda Thompson is a great song writer and singer and Richard Thompson is an underrated guitar god. When it comes to modern day pastoral type music people usually bring up the Kinks, but I think Richard and Linda Thompson are just as influential.

[cavorting with nudists]

In my book, Richard Thompson's work up through Hand of Kindness in 1983 qualifies him as one of the all-time greats, but for some reason, after that he lost me all but completely.  He's obviously still a guitar god (though I saw him live, at my gf's insistence, within the last year and frankly I thought he was phoning it in a bit by this point), but something big went out of his songwriting for me. Spiritual intensity, or conviction,  or something. He just never seems to have written any songs since then that really feel like they needed to have been written. (And aaaggh, I know how his cult loves that motorcycle song, but I don't.)

Because Thompson's early work seems so inspired, this analogy comes to mind: Bob Dylan once said that after some years in limbo, he had to figure out how to do consciously what he had been able to do unconsciously.  I think RT forgot how to do the latter and never managed to do the former.

So, hmmm, he goes from smash to trash one album after dumping Linda, and half the songs on that one are about her.  Coincidence?  I've always suspected that she may have been not only a great singer, but the best muse/critic/quality control he ever had.

[Pidgeon]

I love The Sundays so, so much. I wish I could find someone else who does.

[Martin]

[masterofsparks]

In my book, Richard Thompson's work up through Hand of Kindness in 1983 qualifies him as one of the all-time greats, but for some reason, after that he lost me all but completely.  He's obviously still a guitar god (though I saw him live, at my gf's insistence, within the last year and frankly I thought he was phoning it in a bit by this point), but something big went out of his songwriting for me. Spiritual intensity, or conviction,  or something. He just never seems to have written any songs since then that really feel like they needed to have been written. (And aaaggh, I know how his cult loves that motorcycle song, but I don't.)

I agree that his best work was with Linda, but I rather like The Old Kit Bag.

[Steve of Bloomington]

I love The Sundays so, so much. I wish I could find someone else who does.

I love The Sundays, but they're a band I played and played and played when their records first came out, and I don't listen to them as much lately. But now I'll go grab one of their CDs off the shelf and give it another listen.

[dave from knoxville]

In my book, Richard Thompson's work up through Hand of Kindness in 1983 qualifies him as one of the all-time greats, but for some reason, after that he lost me all but completely.  He's obviously still a guitar god (though I saw him live, at my gf's insistence, within the last year and frankly I thought he was phoning it in a bit by this point), but something big went out of his songwriting for me. Spiritual intensity, or conviction,  or something. He just never seems to have written any songs since then that really feel like they needed to have been written. (And aaaggh, I know how his cult loves that motorcycle song, but I don't.)

Because Thompson's early work seems so inspired, this analogy comes to mind: Bob Dylan once said that after some years in limbo, he had to figure out how to do consciously what he had been able to do unconsciously.  I think RT forgot how to do the latter and never managed to do the former.

So, hmmm, he goes from smash to trash one album after dumping Linda, and half the songs on that one are about her.  Coincidence?  I've always suspected that she may have been not only a great singer, but the best muse/critic/quality control he ever had.

I love that motorcycle song. And Beeswing. And everything on Amnesia.

You're the guy that pushed Tom over the edge with your posts about Preston Sturges, right?

[Matt]

LOVE Richard and Linda Thompson. Some of the best songs I've ever heard..."The Calvary Cross", "Has He Got a Friend For Me", "Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair", etc. They also do my favorite version of "Dark End of the Street":

Richard and Linda Thompson Dark end of the street (Live)

I'm sad to say the only post-Linda Richard Thompson song I've heard is the one where he trashes Kenny G. Not his best.

[cavorting with nudists]

You know, that kind of hurts, Dave. When I was feeling the sting of being singled out for derision on the air by Tom, I remember thinking "I bet Dave from Knoxville would understand me. Dave from Knoxville would understand anything."

[Sarah]

Listening to last week's show.

[dave from knoxville]

You know, that kind of hurts, Dave. When I was feeling the sting of being singled out for derision on the air by Tom, I remember thinking "I bet Dave from Knoxville would understand me. Dave from Knoxville would understand anything."

I don't mean to hurt.

[dave from knoxville]

You know, that kind of hurts, Dave. When I was feeling the sting of being singled out for derision on the air by Tom, I remember thinking "I bet Dave from Knoxville would understand me. Dave from Knoxville would understand anything."

I did not mean for it to hurt. But aren't you the one?