Richard Thompson 2 CD Lot & Gift Of A 2CD Live Rare Set

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

BOTH DISCS HERE ARE USED IN VERY GOOD CONDITIONPLEASE NOTE THAT THE BUYER WILL RECEIVE A GIFT - COPIES ON CD, FRONT & BACK ART + A 2-CD JEWEL CASE - OF A LIVE, RARE ITALIAN IMPORT SET DESCRIBED BELOWFROM RICHARD THOMPSON"FRONT PARLOUR BALLADS" :1 Let It Blow 2 For Whose Sake? 3 Miss Patsy 4 Old Thames Side 5 How Does Your Garden Grow? 6 My Soul, My Soul 7 Cressida 8 Row, Boys, Row 9 The Boys of Mutton Street 10 Precious One 11 A Solitary Life 12 Should I Betray? 13 When We Were Boys at School As a live performer, Richard Thompson has become nearly as well known for his dazzling solo acoustic performances as he has for his blazing full-band electric sets, but he hasn't displayed nearly as much enthusiasm for the acoustic guitar in the studio, usually limiting himself to one or two non-electric tunes on each of his albums (though 1996's You? Me? Us? features one disc of electric performances and another of acoustic material). Front Parlour Ballads marks Thompson 's first full studio album of acoustic-oriented material since 1981's Strict Tempo! , and unlike that album, which was dominated by traditional material, this set features a bakers' dozen Thompson songs. Thompson also recorded and produced this set all by his lonesome in his home studio, and while the man has always shown good taste in collaborators, Front Parlour Ballads reveals how bright he can shine on his own. With the possible exception of the jaunty opener "Let It Blow" and the bitter "A Solitary Life," these elegantly constructed songs sound as if they would gain no aural advantage through bigger and louder arrangements, and the spare production allows the beauty of the melodies to shine through unfettered. While there's less flash in Thompson 's guitar work on Front Parlour Ballads than on many of his albums, this restraint makes for a very powerful beauty of its own, especially in the counterpoint of the overdubbed guitars, and Thompson 's vocals here are as effective as anything he's ever recorded as he allows his Britishness to run free in his lyrics. Front Parlor Ballads is built from modest stuff, but the finished product is as strong as anything Thompson has recorded in the past ten years; while this album supposedly began as an experiment as Thompson tested out some new recording gear, the results make it clear he shouldn't be afraid to spend a bit more time there, as this is a low-key triumph. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi "MIRROR BLUE" :1 For the Sake of Mary 2 I Can't Wake up to Save My Life 3 MGB-GT 4 The Way That It Shows 5 Easy There, Steady Now 6 King of Bohemia 7 Shane and Dixie 8 Mingus Eyes 9 I Ride in Your Slipstream 10 Beeswing 11 Fast Food 12 Mascara Tears 13 Taking My Business Elsewhere 1991's Rumor and Sigh was among Richard Thompson 's best-selling and most warmly received albums, even gaining a bit of radio and MTV exposure which introduced Thompson to a wider audience than ever before. But while Thompson has often expressed his desire to reach a greater number of listeners, he's (thankfully) unwilling to dumb his music down, and it's probably no coincidence that he followed up his most user-friendly album with the more difficult Mirror Blue . Mirror Blue was constructed on a more modest scale, with the arrangements scaled down and the mix putting the instruments in greater relief. While Mitchell Froom 's production added both polish and punch to Rumor and Sigh , his work on Mirror Blue marked the point where he began to interfere more than he helped; the tinny, crashing sound he imposes on Thompson 's guitar and Pete Thomas ' drums soon wears out its welcome, and Froom 's washes of retro-styled keyboards are more prominent than they need to be. And while song for song Mirror Blue boasts material just as strong as Rumor and Sigh (if not stronger), the tone is more dour, with the few rockers decidedly less friendly ( "Mascara Tears" sounds downright mean) and the ballads more mournful (though "King Of Bohemia" and "Beeswing" are beautiful and affecting if you don't mind a g... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.