Thompson, Richard - The Old Kit Bag 2 x CDs (special!)
SKU
02-SPART126
Since leaving Capitol Records, Richard seems to be reinvigorated as a performer (or, maybe I just prefer him in lower-budget mode). In any event, this is a good one that isn't over-produced as so many of his 90s albums were.
"A smoky album of narrative songs, recorded as a trio with minimal overdubs, & allowing him to show off his guitar playing. Includes a free bonus disc with 2 exclusive audio tracks 'So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo' & 'Kiss' (Prince) plus a 2 minute 40 second Quicktime clip taken from the BBC documentary on Richard entitled 'A Solitary Life'."
"Cut in a straightforward and stripped-down manner, with just bassist Danny Thompson, drummer Michael Jerome, and harmony vocalist Judith Owen along for company, The Old Kit Bag captures Thompson in spare but sympathetic circumstances; the performances are strong and confident, without a note or gesture wasted, and Thompson's interplay with his rhythm section is nothing short of superb. While Thompson eases back on the "wow, listen to that!" solos on The Old Kit Bag, his playing is fluid and superbly tasteful throughout, and his subtle overdubs show he's as good an accompanist as a bandleader. And Thompson's songwriting chops are still in superb shape; "A Love You Can't Survive" and "I'll Tag Along" are further meditations on Thompson's favorite theme -- love and life gone wrong -- and "Outside of the Inside" (which Thompson introduced on tour as "a song about how the Taliban see the West") is a chilling look inside a man blinded by his culture and his faith (and a bit of a surprise coming from a devout Muslim). The Old Kit Bag is Richard Thompson's leanest and most unadorned album since Shoot Out the Lights, and while it isn't an immediate masterpiece like that album, it confirms that this man's work is best-presented at its simplest, and the result is a modest triumph."-Mark Deming/All Music Guide
- LabelSpin Art/Cooking Vinyl