(British Folk-Rock, Singer-Songwriter) [CD] Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (remastered, expanded reissue) - 2004, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

01. When I Get to the Border 03:27
02. The Calvary Cross 03:53
03. Withered and Died 03:27
04. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight 03:10
05. Down Where the Drunkards Roll 04:07
06. We Sing Hallelujah 02:52
07. Has He Got a Friend for Me 03:34
08. The Little Beggar Girl 03:26
09. The End of the Rainbow 03:57
10. The Great Valerio 05:27
11. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Live) [bonus track] 03:16
12. Together Again (Live) [bonus track] 02:51
13. The Calvary Cross (Live) [bonus track] 09:56
All songs composed by Richard Thompson, except for #12 (by Buck Owens)

Imagine encountering, here in the Eighties, someone who had never heard of Jimi Hendrix, who had never been moved by the great singers and session groups of golden-age Motown, or who, by whatever unimaginable means, had managed to remain incognizant of the collected musical masterworks of Lennon and McCartney. Apart from chance encounters with the deaf, the dead and the Pennsylvania Dutch, the actual existence of such a person is well-nigh inconceivable.
And yet, how many Americans remain unaware of the work of Richard Thompson, the richly gifted guitarist, songwriter and singer, and his erstwhile wife, Linda, considered in some quarters to be the finest white female vocalist in pop music? From 1974, when the Thompsons first joined their names on an album called I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, to 1982, when they severed both their marital and artistic ties following the release of the critically acclaimed Shoot Out the Lights, this extraordinary English duo issued six superb LPs. But for various reasons—radio’s inability to slot their music, Richard’s low regard for the rock-star role—word about the Thompsons didn’t spread very far. One of their best records, Sunnyvista, was never even released in this country; and until recently, all of their albums, save the last, were out of print.
Now, however, this dismaying situation has been addressed by tiny Carthage Records, a subsidiary of Hannibal, the label run by former Fairport Convention producer Joe Boyd. Using both mail-order and more conventional modes of distribution, Carthage is putting the Thompsons’ entire oeuvre back on the market in fresh, audiophile-quality pressings.
The first batch of reissues contains at least one timeless masterpiece, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. One of those rare LPs with not a single track that’s less than luminous, it captures the Thompsons at the top of their artistic form: rooted in Celtic folk, reveling in the possibilities of rock and pop and radiant in the spiritual obsessions that characterize so much of their best work. Every guitar player should own this album, if only to hear Richard’s skirling Stratocaster intro to “Calvary Cross,” and his compact, utterly unpredictable solos on such songs as “When I Get to the Border.”
Singers will be wonder-struck by Linda’s stunning readings of “Withered and Died” and the sublime “Down Where the Drunkards Roll,” not to mention the rollicking title track, a pure-pop pinnacle for the pair. And enemies of sentiment can savor Richard’s hard-nosed lyrical stance, most striking on “The End of the Rainbow,” a chilling lullaby in which he advises the dozing infant: “There’s nothing at the end of the rainbow / There’s nothing to grow up for anymore.” Recorded a decade ago, Bright Lights still holds up as an album of incandescent artistry.
Pour Down like Silver, the Thompsons’ third LP, doesn’t quite match the seamless brilliance of Bright Lights, but is nonetheless essential for the lovely “Dimming of the Day” and its extended acoustic-guitar coda, “Dargai”; the stirring “Streets of Paradise,” featuring one of Richard’s grittiest vocals; and the breathtaking “Night Comes In,” which blends the Thompsons’ then-ascendant Sufi fatalism and their irrepressible joy in music into one of the truly unforgettable songs of the Seventies.
Like Pour Down, Sunnyvista, released in 1979, seems merely excellent when compared to Bright Lights. It is distinguished by some of the most emphatic rock & roll the Thompsons ever recorded, most notably “Civilisation” (with John Kirkpatrick’s giddy accordion punctuations), the throbbing “Borrowed Time” and the exhilarating “You’re Going to Need Somebody.” Equally striking are “Why Do You Turn Your Back?” and the lilting “Lonely Hearts,” the latter now a staple of Richard’s live performances. Unjustly obscure until now, Sunnyvista is another gem in the Thompsons’ jewel-heavy crown.
Hokey Pokey, their second album, originally released in 1975, and Henry the Human Fly, Richard’s 1972 solo debut (featuring his soon-to-be spouse, Linda Peters, on vocals), both seem, in retrospect, slightly tentative. However, both also abound with superlative songs. The standouts on Hokey Pokey include Richard’s rueful “Old Man inside a Young Man,” Linda’s glowing “A Heart Needs a Home” and the quietly frightening drinking ode, “I’ll Regret It All in the Morning.” Henry will endear itself to first-timers with the spritely “The Angels Took My Racehorse Away,” the haunting “Roll Over Vaughn Williams” and a heart-tugging rendition of “The Old Changing Way” that’s delicately illuminated by David Snell’s Celtic-harp playing.
These five records offer Americans a second chance to savor two of the most marvelous musical talents ever to arise out of British rock. Paeans are also due for the sparklingly sympathetic musical accompaniment that graces each album (kudos, in particular, to drummer Dave Mattacks, bassist Dave Pegg and guitarist Simon Nicol, who, like Richard, are all former Fairporters) and the vivid sound of these new pressings. Also recommended are two other Carthage releases: Strict Tempo!, Richard’s 1981 instrumental LP, and Morris On, a collection of mostly traditional English dance music that features his virtuoso playing. (Kurt Loder, “Henry the Human Fly,” Rolling Stone, published 29.03.1984) https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/henry-the-human-fly-188132/

For years, Richard Thompson resided in relative obscurity, while at the same time garnering vast critical praise for his magnificent guitar work and the dark wit and richness of his extraordinary songwriting. A founding member of the seminal British folk-rock group Fairport Convention, he remained with the band for five studio albums—Fairport Convention (1968), What We Did on Our Holiday (released as Fairport Convention in the U.S.) (1968), Unhalfbricking (1969), Liege and Lief (1969), and Full House (1970)—and one live recording (Live at the L.A. Troubadour [recorded in September 1970, released 1976], reissued as House Full [1986]). In early 1971, Thompson, feeling that the material he had been writing at the time was not right for the band, decided to leave for a solo career. In between sessions and dates supporting former Fairport mates Sandy Denny and Ian Matthews, he entered the studio to record his first record, Henry the Human Fly (1972), which was a more idiosyncratic version of the British traditional rock & roll mix that he had begun with his old band. During this time, he also contributed to the rock & roll homage The Bunch (1972) as well as the traditional Morris On (1972), both of which featured various members, past and present, of Fairport Convention and their offshoots. None of these did anything to change the general public’s view of Thompson, to the point where Henry the Human Fly gained the notable distinction of being the worst-selling album in the history of Warner Bros. Records.
Following tours of the U.S. (his last for ten years) and the U.K., with Sandy Denny, Thompson ended 1972 by performing dates with singer Linda Peters, who had appeared on both Henry and The Bunch. Richard and Linda got married, and in 1973 they began work on their first recording together, the now classic I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (April 1974). The Thompsons went on to release five more records, including Hokey Pokey (March 1975), Pour Down Like Silver (November 1975), First Light (November 1978), Sunnyvista (1979), and Shoot Out the Lights (February 1982). Between 1975 and 1978, however, Richard and Linda all but dropped out of the music scene when they moved into a Muslim community outside of London. During this period, Guitar, Vocal (1976), a collection of outtakes and live recordings from Richard’s career, was released to fill the void. It would also be his final release for Island Records, his U.K. home since 1968. Returning to the music business in 1978, the Thompsons recorded First Light for Chrysalis Records, which showed a definite Islamic and North African influence, along with their characteristic British folk-rock. Sunnyvista followed to more public indifference, and they were dropped by the label.
The early ’80s would prove to be a period of major ups and downs, both professionally and personally, for Richard and Linda. Without a record contract, the pair demoed eight songs in the summer of 1980 before going into the studio for their next project, with singer/songwriter Gerry Rafferty producing. Rafferty had gained a great deal of success during the latter part of the ’70s, and being a huge fan, was looking to bring the Thompsons’ music to a larger audience. The subsequent tracks were dumped due to Richard’s dissatisfaction with the outcome. In the meantime, Richard went back to work by himself in 1981, recording a collection of instrumental tunes entitled Strict Tempo!, which he released independently on his own Elixir label. Richard and Linda eventually ended up back in the studio, with former Fairport manager and producer Joe Boyd, to re-record some of the material from the Rafferty sessions, as well as three new songs. The finished product, Shoot Out the Lights, was the most powerful album in the Thompsons’ oeuvre, as well as their first real breakthrough. Released by Boyd’s own Hannibal Records, it not only received universally glowing reviews, but was also their biggest seller to date. It also marked the end of their marriage, and following a tumultuous tour of America, their musical partnership as well.
Richard remained with Hannibal for 1983’s Hand of Kindness, before leaving for a major-label deal with Polydor the following year. Cajun artist Jo-El Sonnier scored a Top 20 country hit in 1988 with his cover of Thompson’s “Tear-Stained Letter” from that album. A live, solo acoustic set taken from shows recorded in New York City in 1982 entitled Small Town Romance (1984) was released just prior to his departure from Hannibal. With Joe Boyd once again producing, Across a Crowded Room (February 1985) came one year later for Polydor. The record was a success by Thompson’s standards, if not the label’s, and after a disappointing showing by the follow-up, Daring Adventures (October 1986), he was released. A concert video from the Across a Crowded Room tour was issued in 1985.
Once again between labels, Thompson found various side projects to keep him busy, including a soundtrack for the BBC’s The Marksman and a record (Live, Love, Larf & Loaf, 1987) with former Magic Band drummer John French and avant-garde musicians Fred Frith (Henry Cow) and Henry Kaiser. The quartet, called simply French Frith Kaiser Thompson, recorded a second album, Invisible Means, in 1990. Thompson then struck a deal with Capitol Records and released Amnesia (October 1988) with producer Mitchell Froom at the helm for the second of what would be a string of five records. His first release for the label, Amnesia, kept Thompson’s career in a bit of a holding pattern, but it was Rumor and Sigh (May 1991), though not exactly making him a household name, that took him to another level commercially. And though his sound and approach had been picking up more of an American flavor, he continued to retain ties to his traditional roots, from the use of accordion, hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, and various medieval instruments, to songs such as the folk ballad “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” and “Don’t Sit on My Jimmy Shands.”
Throughout the ’90s, Thompson maintained his fervent cult following and recorded three more solo albums for Capitol, including Mirror Blue (1994), the double-disc you? me? us? (1996), and Mock Tudor (1999), as well as working on Hard Cash (1990), a collection of songs inspired by a BBC documentary about the British working class, a soundtrack for the film Sweet Talker (1992), and a concept album about the industrial age (Industry, 1997) with bassist Danny Thompson. Hannibal, which had been purchased by Rykodisc, issued a three-CD retrospective of Thompson’s career in the spring of 1993, entitled Watching the Dark, while also continuing to keep Thompson’s (solo and with Linda) pre-1984 catalog in print. Capitol dropped Thompson from its roster in 2001, shortly after the release of the compilation Action Packed: The Best of the Capitol Years, and in 2003 he returned to the ranks of the independent recording artists with his album The Old Kit Bag, released by Cooking Vinyl in the U.K. and Spinart in the United States. Thompson continued to follow the indie path with his next release, 2005’s Front Parlour Ballads, a primarily acoustic effort that Thompson recorded in his own garage studio.
In 2000, Island Records released the single-disc The Best of Richard & Linda Thompson: The Island Years, culled from Richard and Linda’s time with the label. As a testament to Richard Thompson’s reputation as one of the era’s finest songwriters, as well as a guitarist nonpareil, two tribute albums were released: The World Is a Wonderful Place (1993) (Victoria Williams, Christine Collister, Tom Robinson, Plainsong, and others) and Beat the Retreat (October 1994) (R.E.M., Bob Mould, X, June Tabor, Bonnie Raitt, Dinosaur Jr., Martin Carthy, and others). The former also includes a previously unreleased song/recording of Richard and Linda’s. In 2006, Free Reed released RT: The Life and Music of Richard Thompson, a five-disc set of outtakes, live recordings, and album cuts, many of which were pulled from Thompson’s personal collection. A new studio album, Sweet Warrior, arrived in 2007, followed by another collection of brand-new songs (performed live) called Dream Attic in 2010.
Over the next few years, Thompson continued to tour regularly and in 2012 he headed into Buddy Miller’s home studio in Nashville to record a new album. Released early in 2013, the resulting record was called Electric and, appropriately enough, showcased Thompson’s electric guitar skills. He also appeared on his ex-wife Linda’s fourth studio album, Won’t Be Long Now, on the track “Love’s for Babies and Fools” later that year. In July 2014, he released an acoustic collection of his well-known songs entitled Acoustic Classics. For his 2015 album Still, Thompson traveled to Chicago, where Jeff Tweedy of Wilco served as producer for the sessions; Tweedy also added musical accents to several songs, recorded at Wilco’s private recording studio, the Loft. Following up his 2014 acoustic release, Thompson issued Acoustic Classics II in 2017, offering more stripped-down and reimagined versions of songs from his back catalog. (Brett Hartenbach, AllMusic)

In 1974, Richard Thompson and the former Linda Peters released their first album together, and I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight was nothing short of a masterpiece, the starkly beautiful refinement of the promise of Thompson’s solo debut, Henry the Human Fly. In Linda Thompson, Richard found a superb collaborator and a world-class vocalist; Linda possessed a voice as clear and rich as Sandy Denny’s, but with a strength that could easily support Richard’s often weighty material, and she proved capable of tackling anything presented to her, from the delicately mournful “Has He Got a Friend for Me” to the gleeful cynicism of “The Little Beggar Girl.” And while Richard had already made clear that he was a songwriter to be reckoned with, on I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight he went from strength to strength. While the album’s mood is decidedly darker than anything he’d recorded before, the sorrow of “Withered and Died,” “The End of the Rainbow,” and “The Great Valerio” spoke not of self-pity but of the contemplation of life’s cruelties by a man who, at 25, had already been witness to more than his share. And though Thompson didn’t give himself a guitar showcase quite like “Roll Over Vaughn Williams” on Henry the Human Fly, the brilliant solos that punctuated many of the songs were manna from heaven for any guitar enthusiast. While I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight may be the darkest music of Richard & Linda Thompson’s career, in this chronicle of pain and longing they were able to forge music of striking and unmistakable beauty; if the lyrics often ponder the high stakes of our fate in this life, the music offered a glimpse of the joys that make the struggle worthwhile. (Mark Deming, AllMusic)

Richard Thompson: vocal, guitar
Linda Thompson: vocal
Simon Nicol: dulcimer
Timi Donald: drums
Pat Donaldson: bass
John Kirkpatrick: Anglo concertina and accordion
Brian Gulland: krummhorn
Richard Harvey: krummhorn
Royston Wood & Trevor Lukas: backing vocals
CWS (Manchester) Silver Band
Produced by Richard Thompson and John Wood