TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Hi,

just found the MP3 "Dad´s Gonna Kill me" from GOD´s upcoming new album Sweet Warrior (to be realised in May).

FANTASTIC

http://www.richardthompson-music.com

For whatever reason that hyperlink just goes back to talkawhile...

This one should work

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/

Thank you, David.
Why does the link not work  ???

The http:// implies an external link, Ulla.

I guess the software likes members to be explicit - which I am, of course, happy to see.

Not sure!  But I'm so glad to hear that wonderful new track...thanks for posting that...although hearing that and the new Fairport track on the same day leaves me with an even stronger sense of dispair about where my favourite British band currently find themselves.  Oh well.... Now be Thankful for all that has gone before  :(

Anyway.... nice spot, Ulla!!   Sounds great, I'm going to see him on Feb. 25, can't wait!!  My birthday is the day is the day before, what a gift to me.

Rock on, Richard baby!
Annette    ;D

Yabb posted elsewhere recently about this Ulla but I can't find it at the moment. Maybe he'll be along in a mo to explain.

I don't think its the http bit tho Keith as I've recently posted links without the http and they worked fine.  ???

And swerving back on topic the song is excellent and just shows that age doesn't have to diminish the creative juices.

Great stuff, blew the cobwebs of a dull day away. Like it lots  ;D

On the website I also noticed this UK date which I don't think has been there for long..

Fri, 20 July 2007 Conkers, Bath Lane, Moira, Leicestershire The Waterside Centre Box office: 01676 540219
National Forest Folk Club and Festival
RT Solo

Excellent track - he played it at Cambridge Folk Festival I recall. The 'current event'song is fairly new to RT's repetoir I think, were there any prior to 'Outside on the Inside'?

(I will probably think of loads as soon as I hit enter).

He played it at the gig I attended last Nov. Interestingly, he relates a story on his website about how some guy in New Jersey got outraged by the song and made a noisy exit from the venue.

Well, Genesis Hall was a current event song in its day...  ;)

Cheers

Nick

Off the top of me 'ead

Dear Janet Jackson
I Agree With Pat Metheny
Madonna's Wedding

Cheers for the link....its brilliant!!!

Cheers Ulla

Just what I needed after a lenghty detour off the M6 through the moors around Blackburn & Bolton after the nitric acid spillage.

No idea where I've been but there were some seriously rural roads.

Now back safe in the flat lands.

WW

Well spotted.

Thanks for the link.

Think he played this in Newark last year ?

Definitely heard it before - must have been at aforementioned gig. Look forward to the album !!  :) :) :)

Was for a while a comrade on the M6 could have almost changed my name to Stationary M6 Traveller!

Brothers in arms queues !

 ;D :)

Was listening to Highway Blues by his Royness in the car as I was goingover the top so to speak!

Catchy!!

May be mistaken, Mike - ever since the last upgrade, you now need to put the 'http://' in weblinks between the brackets....



That's been there since before Christmas. I understand dates are being finalised for June / July / August at the moment.

What an absolutely brilliant track. Is this sensational band going to be with RT at Croppers?

Errrr....no.

Well, very unlikely. The drummer, yes, otherwise it's likely to be Danny Thompson & Pete Zorn, plus AN Other. But keep an eye on RTs website for the heads-up.

Ah, it becomes clearer. We're both right I think Chris. When I post a link I rarely if ever use the button [and hence the brackets] above the message pane. And I certainly haven't used the button since the upgrade. I simply cut and paste the link directly into the message. When you do this you don't need the http bit. I 'll accept you're right about the brackets as I presume you've checked.

Curious why leaving out the http brings you back to the talkawhile page though.  ???

To answer the last question first - the board appends the link to the board's front-page URL. You end up trying to go to http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/www.fairportconvention.com for example.

Typing in a link, like www.fairportconvention.com does seem to work now - or seems to with this address, but put it between the brackets and it now seems to ned the 'http://' extension....http://www.fairportconvention.com

There is now a limited edition booklet that comes with it if you pre-order

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=734

Bloody good spot, young man.  That's a limited AUTOGRAPHED booklet!  I love the current exchange rate  ;D ;D

Yeah, I guess you order from newburycomics.com rather than Rt's site.

You do indeed....  ;D

20 dollars with european postage
not bad and the cd isnt too shabby either

Order placed ...
Well, it is my birthday ... :)

It's only limited-edition becausde the CD Booklet is autographed - it is the same booklet that comes with all copies. Just thought I'd clear up any possible misunderstanding.

David - you refer regularly to a price comparison website - could you post a link again please. I'm not bothered about the autograph!

Here you are, Chris http://www.find-cd.co.uk/cds/B000OZ29SC-richard-thompson-sweet-warrior.htm

I've ordered two copies of the autographed version... which works out at 17.96 of your English Pounds.  8.98 a copy.  I call that a billy bargain  ;D

Want to hear some of the new album? Click here - http://www.abc.net.au/rn/weekendplanet/stories/2007/1914493.htm
Fantastic!

Not quite accurate - I've just ordered it from Play.com at £8.95....but it's not listed on the link above.

Incomplete rather than inaccurate, if we're being totally pedantic about it  :)

Hmmm - totally pedanticly, if they say they quote from every UK seller and they don't, that is also inaccurate,

Play is listed....it just doesn't have a price attached to it.  ;D

Quite - it's inaccurate!

its £8.99 at amazon, so anything less that that is a bargain
ive heard it all and its bang on form as per usual

Can't wait to get into Banbury today and pick up my pre-ordered copy!

Amazon e-mail said mine was despatched on saturday so just waiting for the postman. Hope the neighbours have got their earplugs ready ;D

rachel

Waiting for mine to arrive from Play.com. Sent on Friday.

Come on Mr Postman !!

todays a bank holday, no post

had a listen yesterday..................a fine album most enjoyable

I was hoping it would arrive last Sat. It didn't. Now the earliest it could arrive will be tomorrow as there is no mail delivery today  >:(

Of course, this also means I don't have to go to work today, so there is a silver lining  :)

What a quality album.if you aint got it yet, your missing out! :P

No 3 in the Amazon bestseller list.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/music/ref=sv_m_h__5/203-0550865-3601528

No 1.

Must be because I just ordered it!!!

Over clicking the mouse impatiently again! ;D

Well done Postman Pat - arrived today. Hurrah

Indeed. I ordered Joni's Blue, and CSNY's Deja Vu as well to push it over the £15 and get the free postage. They saw me coming.

Must have ben PLW because it's down to No 3 again.....

Great, in parts sublime, especially the guitar. But not perfect. Is some of the sex war stuff a bit adolescent, a bit sub-Costello? Provokes... and withdraws!

Listened to it yesterday.

Not bad and I enjoyed the music. Haven't had a chance to reflect on the lyrics yet so the jury is still out but the prospects of a positive verdict are good.

I'm still waiting for my autographed copy to arrive from Newbury Comics, but ....
It's just shown up on Rhapsody!! ;D
You'll never guess what I'm listening to right now  ;)

Have to agree  ;)

touches of lyrical genius....

"You're someone I can't help betray
Because you built me up that way"

"She charmed me from my cocoon
She eclipsed the sun and the moon
All that summer my feet never walked on the Earth"

and best of all

"As they’re turning hard-a-port in the Bahamas
He’s turning her right out of her pyjamas"

Great stuff!

Hmm, if that line had been written by, say Gary Barlow of Take That, would it still be lyrical genius or a fairly poor search for a rhyme?

RT is quite clever with words, he has done similar rhymes before.
it makes a song a little twee but none the worse for that
just as long as they are not all similar

Good point.

I need only point to,

"And fiery demons all dance when you walk through that door
Don't say you're easy on me you're about as easy as a nuclear war "

I bet if RT had written this, we would have remembered it fondly.

Bought it today. £9.99 in Borders. A great price for what seems like a great album so far. I can't wait to hear Take Care the Road You Choose live, especially at Cropredy. mmmmm.......nice.  O0

there are some specially recorded video recordings of the new album here (http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=746)

I've listened to it twice so far and it grabbed me straight away. Miles better than the last two and may be as good as Mock Tudor in time. I wouldn't quibble about the odd fey lyric, try being a Jethro Tull fan, they haven't released anything decent since 1987, although we live in hope.

Actually, the more I listen to it, the more that song has a WKWTTG feel and quality

I took the same approach but I went with Psychedelic Soul by The Temptations & The Best of Sly & The Family Stone, along with the Pathfinder book of walks in Perthshire, Argyle & Fife! Should all arrive today of tomorrow so combined with The Who, Magic Numbers & Shack live in Southampton tomorrow it should be a great weekend of music. I'm especially looking forward to RT though.  :)

It arrived this morning with Sense of Occasion   8)
Both are sat on a velvet cushion awaiting, well, the right occasion. I don't want to associate hearing them for the first time with being stuck in front of a PC. Also need to wait for the neighbours to go out ;D

As for lyrical genius, I've had the phrase Novelty Dancer from Penge going around in my head for days, enough said.

That's the same one where her mother came speedin from distant Dunedin...

Maybe, but you can take anything out of context and make it seem ridiculous.

Album waited in the mailbox when I arrived home today. Signed, sealed, delivered.  ;D ;D ;D
Must say I'm impressed with newburycomics. Swift handling and the cost, postage included from the states, cheaper than anything I've found in £.
Can't wait!
Staffan

my autographed copy arrived from the states this morning as well
less than a tenner and all, cant complain about that

Me too - yesterday actually... very pleased  :)

The $/£ exchange rate is so nice.

There is a review in this months guitar and bass magazine. They feel the songs on the album album are patchy, but this is made up for by the standard of guitar playing.

Paul

Yes, but these reviewers half the time wouldn't know a well written song if it bit them on the bum!!

Only went in to Borders to get my Mum a birthday card....and heard a familiar bell-like twang over the ceiling speakers.

"Move to CD racks and out with debit card" says internal RT detection circuitry.

Brilliant, it's been in the car cd ever since.

 

Finally managed to listen to it yesterday.....and fell asleep! Sorry. I was very tired.

Will have a another try tonight. What I heard was very good.  :-[

Btw - Album has debuted at number 39 on the charts.  :)

I feel that is almost fair. having listened to it several times now there is possibly only a couple of songs that will stand the test of time and certainly no new classics. Having said that I am enjoying this album immensely and will be playing it for some time to come.
wish i could play like that!!

Ok I've had it awhile I've listened to it a number of times and have to admit I prefer Front Parlour Ballads.

It just seems a little RT by numbers music is very nice but not as immediate as earlier albums maybe it will grow on me.

A patchy album after  the last two/three great ones though can be forgiven but it is no Mock Tudor.

Oddly, I have never warmed to Front Parlour Ballads, apart from Let It Blow. But I agree, from what I have heard it does not seem as immediate as The Old Kit Bag. Another Mock Tudor might be too much to hope for though.

I've played it a few times now, and it fails to grab me.  There are too many ideas inthere musically that remind me of other songs that he's done.  Disappointing, really, but that's because we are usually spoiled by Mr Thompson.

Lacks a certain starkness as well.

Is it me, or is there a lot more mandolin on this album compared to previous ones (sorry, don't have much recent back catalouge)?

Also, am I the only one who doesn't like the Saxaphone on the two tracks that it features on (Bad Monkey and another)?

I agree with all that's said above....  still better than 95% of everything else released this year of course....just not as great as we might have hoped...

Funny how opinions can be so sharply divided: a friend who is a real RT nut sold Mock Tudor within days of acquiring it and it adamant this is the worst RT album ever!!

Sounds alright to me so far- need more time to listen to it though. Incidentally, if buying it in B....rs chain music book and music store for a tenner, look out for a "double" of Springsteen's "Nebraska" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" for £6.99 for the packaged-together pair. It was in their Norwich branch yesterday, anyway.

That seems a bit bizarre. I can't see how, if they like Amnesia or Daring Adventures for example, they would not like Mock Tudor. But each to their own I guess.

Well, Mock Tudor is my fav RT album, with my fav RT song (Cooksferry Queen). I think Kit Bag is kind of ok in parts, FPB is very weak, and SW is brilliant. I'd dispute that it was RT by numbers, sure, it has the same style as previous albums but that's only to be expected.
Trawling the net for other opinions I've found someone who likes Mock Tudor but complains the drumming is 'too simple'. One person's simple another's subtle, one man's meat etc.
I've got a lot of friends who like RT but aren't committed fans, and to a man and woman their fav is Hand of kindness, covered in Sax.

Some of you might be interest in this, three live RT performances - the video quality is piss poor but the sound is good - Man, can that guy play and sing.

http://www.richardthompson-music.com/catch_of_the_day.asp?id=746

current view: musically excellent, lyrically slight patchy: "Tin Pan Alley" in "Too late.."?
the suicide terrorist in "Guns.." who would have jumped free but was worried about scraping his knees? But RT's patches are worth most people's highlights.

Why so great? My example "Poppy Red": by most people, this would simply  be a lament for a dead lover. RT's slightly sinister delivery gives you the option of inferring that the protagonist might have been involved in the demise.

Probably my favourite track too - Unfortunatley I have not had much opportunity to really get into the CD yet, but on first couple of listenings it appears to be good but not great.

More to the point, how can someone prefer Mirror Blue to Mock Tudor??  Anyway, I have learnt over the years that conventional wisdom goes out the window with music tastes.  Must get round to listening to SW - copy arrived yesterday with autographed cover booklet..nice..

Having now taken a proper listen I think I concur with that. I'm not sure why it is. The whole thing sounds right but some of the songs are just not that memorable. I had the same sensation with the new Ian Hunter album a couple of weeks ago. There are some honourable exceptions though, chief amongst them Dad's Gonna Kill Me which reminds me of Rolling Thunder era Dylan and Guns Are The Tongues in which I can hear echoes of the late, great Warren Zevon. I suspect the album will grow on me but it is not in the top rank of his RT's work.



I know where you are coming from here. I found Mirror Blue quite hard work when it first came out but it has grown on me a great deal over the years and in Mascara Tears & Mingus Eyes contains two of my very favourite RT songs.

THe first thing that struck me is that the songs are all of a similar tempo...

Which one? ISTM the tempos are all different on SW.

Maybe I'm easy to please, but SW grabbed me from the start and has steadily grown on me since the first listen.
Yes, the point could be made that certain tracks are "too" reminiscent of tracks from earlier albums, but couldn't the same be said about individual tracks from those earlier albums? I prefer to think that he's building on what came before, rather than accuse him of recycling.

Some friends of me went to an 'instore' at Amoeba Records in LA last night - Thompson/Thompson/Jerome/Zorn, 7 tracks all from the new album, and ir went down great. I suspect that the new stuff may sound better with a bit of live 'muscle' behind it.

One of them works for the US record company, apparently SW sold 7000 copies in the first week (in the US), which I'm told is good going.

Just checked Radio 1 Album chart and it is in with a bullet at number 39

Er, because they like the songs better? Mirror Blue is easily my favourite RT album - but then not everyone will agree. Song by song, Beeswing, Mingus Eyes, Mascara Tears, The Way that it Shows, King of Bohemia, it's as good as anything he's done.

I think I've read that in another thread on this board this year.....! Maybe the problem is catching?



Strange - Billboard quotes sales of 6,500 in the first week....

This could be rounding error - 'slightly bellow 7000' = 6500 depending on how you round.

Number 21 in Norway this week. His best ever position here by a mile, I think. Haven't grown accustomed to it yet, myself. Haven't played it enough yet. I find RT albums take their time to find their place these last ten years.

But I can't believe anyone would call Mirror Blue his worst album. "The way that it shows", "King of Bohemia", "Beeswing", "Mascara tears" and "Taking my business elsewhere" are all amongst my RT favourites. And I like "MGB-GT", "Easy there, steady now" and "Mingus eyes" a lot, too.

T-R

I didn't say Mirror Blue was his worst album, for what its worth, just that I was surprised by my RT loving friend preferring Mirror Blue over Mock Tudor to the extent that he sold his copy of Mock Tudor to a second hand shop within days of acquiring it!  That said, Mirror is not my favourite album and I suspect the reason is that it tries to replicate too closely the successful formula for Rumour and Sigh; I have enjoyed seeing the songs performed live, but the studio versions do not excite me..But there we are, I'm sure everyone on this board has different views as to the best RT album..  

I know. It was your friend I was referring to. I see your point about replicating R&S, but I just love them both. Mock Tudor is the only RT album to really excite me since Mirror Blue. But this is probably because RT's quality past has become his own competition, in a sense. He's spoilt me, I suppose.

I am still working on the new one, but I can already say I like it better than FPB and TOKB. I was quite disappointed with the last two and I now hardly ever play any of 'em. But I'm very unsure whether I'll be able to say SW is a return to form. No individual track has grabbed me yet. Which in itself is no big thing, cos RT albums tend to grow on you in time. But most previous albums have had something that just shook me immediately. Even TOKB ("Word unspoken, sight unseen" - although I prefer it acoustically live. The song tends to be obscured by the electric studio set-up, I think).

T-R

Astonishing. Who's number one in Norway at the moment?

Linkin Park. Oh, well...could be worse, I suppose.

http://allcharts.org/music/norway/albums.htm

Thanks for proving my last point about opinions: for me, TOKB is the best RT album since Rumour and Sigh!  

Try this for the Top 40, to actually see RT himself on 21. I rare do these things, so sorry if I mess up. But worth i try. So here goes:

http://lista.vg.no/show_list.php?ListsOp=showWeek&listID=2

Gethsemane - essential ... IMO 'course

http://arts.independent.co.uk/music/features/article2615238.ece

Day in the Life of RT. Interesting read

Having listened to Sweet Warrior all the way (and back) on a tedious drive to Northampton from sunny Bournemouth, I think that it is a fantastic record. I love 'Johnny's far away', with its juxtaposition of traditional and modern themes, 'I'll never give it up' makes me want to pogo, and 'Poppy-red' with its ambiguous lyrics. I don't understand you fine folks who think that it is by the numbers lyrically: "By and by they get back to the job of man and wife, back to the comfort of the old missionary life" is a fantastic line!

I thought FPB was extremely dull, and You?Me?Us? is my absolute fave, mainly due to the stark, raw bleakness of the final three songs (Cold Kisses, Sam Jones, Woods of Darney) - perfection!

I also like the happy stuff as well!! ;D

Cheers

Adam

RT wirtes Happy stuff  ??? ???  ;)

He certainly does. 1952.... (name that tune) MY Daddy is a .... (name that tune) etc etc

Slightly off point, but I am reading Peter Robinson's "Piece of MY Heart": there is a scene in 1969 where a police officer goes to interview a mechanic and admires a motorbike in the shop..its Vincent Black Lightning 1952.  As Robinson is a fan of RT (previous novel was "Strange Affair"), I thought it was a neat tip of the hat to Mr. T (RT that is, not the idiot from the A-Team).

Was in Borders today. No 4 in their album chart.

Having had a couple of listens at home I put SW on shuffle on the iPod for the journey home on the tube this evening. It is definitely quite strange listening to Mr T surrounded by people heading home on a Friday evening - one wonders what stories they have that could turn up in a Thompson song. The other thing is that this album is really growing on me and I find myself wondering which songs we will get at Cropredy. I hesitate to match it against other albums as they have gained an aura of familiarity - and I think this one will turn out to be a match for all the others. Naturally we all have our favourites (albums and songs), that's the great thing about music.

Off at a slight tangent - I am sure he played Johnny's Far Away at the Barbican last year - can anyone coroborate this?

No, but I can confirm he played it at the Fall River gig I attended last Nov.

The Barbican show was earlier in the year so it seems very likely my ears weren't deceiving me. Thanks.

Re-Cropredy, I'd like to think that he would do "Johnny's Far Away" (one of my favourite tracks on the album) as he has done it before the album. I'd also like "Dad's Gonna Kill Me", "Take Care the Road You Chose", "Needle and Thread", "Poppy-Red" and "Too Late Too Come Fishing". Does he still do early material (R<) live?

Yes, I remember it from the Barbican. But Judith Owen, and Michael Jerome and the violinist add so much more: hope they're all coming to Cropredy!

I think my favorite has to be 'Francesca' - great to see mr RT doing some reggae/ska! Tho i didn't like this album as much as Old kit bag to begin with, since having it on solidly in my car last week, i have decided it is great! Love it, not a bad track on there. Thanks again RT for another amazing cd....i wouldn't have expected anything different!

Interesting how tastes differ because Francesca has to be my least favourite track on the album!

Nothing beats driving round Stratford in the sun with the windows wound down with that track on! as with most things, CDs, tracks - I will have a different fave all the time. at the mo that is it tho - could be because it is something different, a new experiment for RT.

Got it yesterday, listened to it all afternoon. Top stuff.

There's only one track that I can't get on with 'Sneaky Boy' The rest I love. Favourites at the moment are 'Francesca' and 'Johnny's Far away' but this will likely change. Just caved in and bought tickets to see RT a couple of days before Cropredy ;D

rachel

RTs touring band is RT, Michael Jeronme, Danny Thompson & Pete Zorn.

No doubt there might be guests at Cropredy from the FC contingent (past & present), but I very much doubt you'll see Judith Owen.

Here's a very recent set list, so expect something similar....

Bad Monkey
Needle and Thread
Take Care of The Road You Choose
Dad's Gonna Kill Me
I Still Dream
Wrong Heartbeat
Al Bowlly
Sun Never Shines on the Poor
One Door Opens
Never Give It Up
Hard on Me
Mingulay Boat Song (from Rogue's Gallery)
Man In Need
Hard Luck Stories
Too Late to Come Fishing
Wall of Death
Read About Love

Encore 1
Sunset Song
Mister Stupid
I want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Encore 2
White Rabbit (as requested by an impetuous audience member while RT tuned)
Gypsy Love Songs
Tear Stained Letter

Thompson and Chris While duetting "Bright Lights" would be nice at Cropredy.

Thompson and Linda would be even nicer  ;)

I've had quite a few listens to this now and while it might not be some of his best work
I love it!!
I can't get too late to come fishing out of my head.

I think there must be something wrong with me. I can't properly get any of it in to my head. I had the same problem with Front Parlour Ballads.  :(

I was pleased to read this snippet  (http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2099985,00.html) in the Guardian today.  

Also pleased to read it - but why on earth is he described as a "pixie"?!

It is a testiment to the quality of the band that a meistro like Danny T is my least favourite musician in it! I am constantly in awe of Zorns ability to get a tune out of anything, and Jeromes drumming is outstandind - one of the few drummers who confound all the old jokes.

Mr Cat, I agree with you whole-heartedly. R&S was the first RT album I bought and it remains my favourite but TOKB blew me away. I was having some stress-related problems in 2003 and Gethsemane summed up how I was feeling at that time. But the whole album is top quality all the way through to ...Auld Lang Syne.

As for the new album I've only just bought it so have just listened to it once but recognised Johnny's Far Away from the tour last year. Am off to give it another listen now!

... and I've got to say that the stand-out track is Guns Are The Tongues. Very powerful song with some atmospheric mandolin and fiddle playing.

Dad's Gonna Kill Me, Poppy-Red and Bad Monkey also get a big thumbs up along with Johnny's Far Away, and Sunset Song is great end to the album. Could be the best closing song since Taking My Business Elsewhere.

Having more musicians on the album gives things a fresh sound, especially Michael Hays on guitar and Sara Watkins on fiddle. Some nice vocal harmonies too, so all in all another essential RT purchase!

Haven't bought it yet, but sat in HMV yesterday and listened to most of it...sounds brilliant! Can't wait till I have enough money to buy it.

I don't know if this has been posted or not, but there's a new interview with RT on this site:-

http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/richard_thompson

Jules

last time i saw the RTB he hed Ruari MacFarlane on the bass thingies
he is a class act as well

Just got it, and the only tracks that really grab me are Needle & Thread, Johnny's Far Away and Guns Are The Tongues. But then I've always felt that RT albums, just like FC albums, are curate's eggs. And I always prefer to hear him playing solo than with a band.

 :o

I've seen him solo, with Danny and with the full band. All of them great gigs apart from once when for some strange reason he was booked to play solo at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. It's the main classical concert hall so it's kinda difficult for one guitarist to fill the place, even one as talented as RT.

But he did play Crazy Man Michael that night. One of the very few (possibly only) times I've heard him play a Fairport number.

What's the prob? I think he plays much more interesting material when he's solo, or just has DT with him, but then I prefer RT's folky side to his bluesy-rocky side. After all, the mark of a truly great song is that it can be stripped down to a singer and one accompanying instrument and still work.

Haven't seen him very often?
Solo, he plays at least one FC number 90% of the time.

I've seen him fairly regularly since 1992 - 8 times in Edinburgh and twice here in the NW of Engerland. Admittedly the first 2 or 3 times I saw him I didn't know any Fairport albums so it's possible he played some FC numbers.

But he might alter his sets when playing north of the border. I was having a conversation with the friend I went to see Swarb with last night. He was surprised I had never seen Fairport but I told him that they rarely seem to play in Scotland whereas RT regularly plays Edinburgh and occasionally Glasgow. I compared FC to Runrig who regularly tour England and they sing some of their songs in Gaelic!

But I'm much more of an RT fan than Fairport. The only post-Full House albums I've got are live ones featuring RT.  :)

Genesis Hall was played pretty much continously on his last UK tour, which was solo. From what I've seen of the recent band set lists, there isn't an FC number present, but as I said, he usually does when playing solo.

He has also played MOTL & Who Knows recently too.

I kinda agree.  In the 80's, I preferred RTB to solo, but that's changed over the years.  While I still enjoy seeing him electric, a couple of things have pushed me the other way.

1. I prefer the larger band setup - Kirkpatrick, Clive, Christine, Rory/Donaldson.  Lots more 'umph'.  I miss the electric bass and the accordian.  I Miss Christine!  The setup he's used since Mirror Blue is nice, but just doesn't have the same firepower.

2. I miss his old Strat!  I might be wrong, but I just don't think he can ignite those cluster bombs he did so well in the 80's with that mutant Tele axe he's been using since the 90's.  Example:  Pull out your Providence RI DVD and see what happens when he straps on that Strat.  His playing raises to a whole new level!

3. He just keeps getting better and better as an acoustic musician.  Every year, I see him do something totally new, which makes it worth the ticket.  I haven't been really surprised at an electric show for many moons.

The greatest show I ever saw was RTB in '86.  Calvary Cross, Race Horse, the whole nine yards blew me away!  But those days are gone for good.

Still love it though!

I only have mock tudor, so i dont have much to compare it to but....WOW

Just finished my first listen, I think it will be sitting in my CD player for a while  :)

That was about the first time I saw RT, albeit solo acoustic. For me though, having seen various incarnations. nothing beats his guest slots at Cropredy, those years when he would guest half way through the set and the band would rip up half a dozen Thompson songs were just magical. Tear Stained Letter was one track I particularly associate with those years, along with Wall of Death and Fire in the Engine Room. Awesome stuff

Yeah, seeing him do When I Get to the Border with Fairport was a wonderful thing!  

Sorry I missed the Night Comes In year.  I would have had a hard time trying to breath during that one!

Hope he does it again this year

Didn't FC revive Border live a few years back?

I've listened to Sweet Warrior a few times now. I think it's wonderful. Like a lot of his stuff, it starts to pay off on the third or fourth listen. Traks 11-14 just carry me along. The old boy just gets better and better.

Now available on vinyl (but I can't remember the link, duh!)

https://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=LDIV011-2
haven't found a uk site yet though :'(

Don't think there will be one, Olly....unless the UK beekeeper gets some in. Ask at the merch table if you catch him on the road....

According to his Wikipedia entry:

"By the time of his exit from Fairport Thompson was playing a late 1960s Stratocaster. This was soon changed for an earlier 1950's model. He was closely associated with this guitar for many years. This particular Stratocaster is not currently servicable."

Certainly, I could be wrong about it being THE same, actual guitar, but it sure looks and sounds like the old one.  He pulled the Strat out in Lexington (KY) to do one song.  Wonderful tone!  8)

Sweet Vinyl Warrior

The site Olly mentions states it as an import from the U.K. based Diverse Records
Find out more here, you can pre-order this double lp there too:
http://www.diverserecords.com/forthcoming.php?id=16

The release date is 15 aug.

I saw RT solo in Nuremberg last Sunday.
Yes, it was raining cats and dogs  ;)

The gig was brilliant. A friend of mine, who saw RT for the first time, said: "There MUST be another guitarist somewhere. Nobody can play like this!" I said: "As you see, God can play like this."

He opened with "Bathsheba Smiles", followed by "I Crawl Back". The audience joined in the chorus and RT seemed to be surprised.
From the new album he played "Dad's Gonna Kill Me", "Needle and Threat", "The Sunset Song" and "Johnny's Far Away".

He played for 1 1/2 hour, what was far to short for me.
But next week I will see him often enough  {:-)

Just back from seeing RT. Absolutely brilliant, all the band playing out of their skins 'Hard on Me' must have lasted 15 minutes. The new stuff sounded great. Really looking forward to Friday. Slightly deaf in one ear as the volume was not set on low but hopefully hearing will have come back by then

rachel

I was there in Sheffield too Rachel. RT was indeed brilliant, and looked really relaxed and played some stuff that I didn't expect, like Gypsy Love Songs. The band played really well together, as usual. Appetite really whetted for the weekend now!

Nicely back OT, the album is much better live.

...and to prove that, Rt will be releasing a Live CD(s) of the recent band tour  ;D ;D

Is that going to be a 'proper' live CD or one of his self-released jobs?

From the RT Q&A's

We have recorded a lot of the shows, and will certainly release a CD. Realistically, this would not be released until some time next year.

Wht do you as? What difference does that make, except for its availability possibly?

Yep.  That would be the difference.

From gigs & website then....not exactly difficult.

Glad to see you are all speaking welsh  ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Hmm...From gigs, difficult if you can't get to the gig, from the website with shipping it can sometimes cost as much as buying it in the store, depending where you are, so whether it is an official release is to me, a valid question! I have one of the unofficial double live Cd's-Live Words, bought at a gig, but other than Cropredy, and 1000 Years, there hasn't been a proper official live RT in years, so I think its about time! And DVD's don't count!!!

Yes, so?......it's available.....

I know that means its available, but, believe it or not, some of us actually like buying things in a store! I'll hunt my rarities down online, but new albums I expect to find in a store. Of course in the states since Tower Records went out of business, its getting harder to find a lot of stuff.

I know the feeling when the majority leave one very much in the minority....