RICHARD THOMPSON – Acoustic Classics (Beeswing BSW14)

richard_acousticcover__110133Whenever I hear Richard Thompson in solo concert I miss those long guitar solos. Of course, whenever I hear him with a band I miss the more intimate moments. Rarely does he mix the styles and the Electric tour was something of an exception. Even less often does he record a live acoustic show – the last was Small Town Romance and that was thirty years ago.

One can understand his point of view. Alone on stage there really is nowhere to hide, no glaring at the drummer when you play a wrong note and what may pass in the excitement of a gig may not bear constant repetition on a CD player. Of course, Acoustic Classics isn’t a live album. Richard has re-recorded fourteen songs with voice and acoustic guitar; some are obvious fan favourites and some are clearly his own choice.

His acoustic guitar playing is as complex and dynamic as his electric and there isn’t any space wasted in what are sometimes revamped arrangements. The inclusion of a Scottish melody in ‘Down Where The Drunkards Roll’ gives a different feel from the urban darkness of the original. He’s even made some small changes to ‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning’, just enough to unsettle the listener who knows the song well and who therefore pays renewed attention. Three songs are taken from Shoot Out The Lights, an album that cries out for an acoustic reinterpretation but the less obvious ones are arguably the more interesting choices: ‘I Misunderstood’, ‘Valerie’, ‘When The Spell Is Broken’, ‘One Door Opens’. They all work but Richard hasn’t done anything radical apart from playing an impossible number of notes on one guitar, of course.

The real problem is that everyone hearing the album will be able to pick fourteen more songs they would like to hear given the same treatment. I’ll offer ‘A Love You Can’t Survive’, ‘King Of Bohemia’ and ‘Devonside’ to start off with. But it would be churlish to criticise Acoustic Classics for not being my choice or yours. Listen to the pain in the final, ‘Dimming Of The Day’ and tell me that this is not a magnificent record.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: http://richardthompson-music.com/

This version of ‘Valerie’ was filmed in 2012: