Richard Thompson - Electric

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 26 / 3 / 2013

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Review

'Electric' is only Richard Thompson's fourteenth studio album under his own name. He originally cut his teeth with Fairport Convention, joining that then newly formed band in 1967 at the age of eighteen and appearing on their first five albums. He has his not stopped recording and playing live since then. He released his first album under his own name, 'Henry the Human Fly', back in 1972, and after leaving Fairport Convention he found time to play on solo albums by Sandy Denny and Nick Drake as well. 'Stony Ground', which opnes up 'Electric', has an almost Dire Straits quality, and he provides on it a true masterclass with his guitar playing. 'Salford Sunday' is a tribute to his days in Salford with Fairport Convention, where they had a strong fan base. Here the guitar is more stripped down, played in a picking style, while the vocal is much more mellow and soul searching but naked in its maturity. 'Sally B' has a mean, funky edge, and concludes in a Cream-style jam. Richard's vocal is distorted on it and has a true anger. On 'Stuck on the Treadmill', another funky number, Richard's vocal has a husky quality, which is a thing listeners will like or dislike in equal measure, but he is a solid songsmith and here he delivers well. 'My Enemy' has a self-confessional vocal, while the solo is beyond beautiful. 'Good Things Happen to Bad People' is reminiscent of George Harrison in its softly delivered vocals, while 'Where's Home?'is a nostalgic number which has Richard reflecting on the summers of his younger years. 'Another Small Thing in Her Favour' is another self-confessional track, and on it the guitar shadows the vocal perfectly. 'Straight and Narrow' has a psychedelic feel, but the vocal hold it all together, producing one of the album's highlights. 'The Snow Goose' is acoustic and laid back, and recalls Nick Drake. The closer 'Saving the Good Stuff for You' is an Irish sing-a-long song, and a great way to end this fourteenth album.

Track Listing:-

1 Stony Ground
2 Salford Sunday
3 Sally B
4 Stuck On The Treadmill
5 My Enemy
6 Good Things Happen To Bad People
7 Where's Home
8 Another Small Thing In Her Favour
9 Straight And Narrow
10 The Snow Goose
11 Saving The Good Stuff For You
12 Will You Dance, Charlie Boy
13 I Found A Stray
14 The Rival
15 The Tic-Tac Man
16 Auldie Riggs
17 Auldie Riggs Dance
18 So Ben Mi Ch'a Bon Tempo

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/RichardThomps
http://www.richardthompson-music.com/
https://twitter.com/RthompsonMusic

Label Links:-

http://www.proper-records.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/ProperRecords
https://twitter.com/ProperRecords
https://www.youtube.com/user/propertv
http://www.properdistribution.com/
http://instagram.com/properblog