Richard Thompson Band

"two letter words" FLYCD 006, 1996

  1. I Ride In Your Slipstream (R Thompson) 4:41
  2. From Galway To Graceland (R Thompson) 4:10
  3. Easy There, Steady Now (R Thompson) 5:32
  4. Waltzing's For Dreamers (R Thompson) 3:57
  5. I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life (R Thompson) 3:27
  6. MGB-GT (R Thompson) 4:06
  7. The Way That It Shows (R Thompson) 7:29
  8. Al Bowlly's In Heaven (R Thompson) 6:29
  9. Now Be Thankful (D Swarbrick/R Thompson) 3:43
  10. Mascara Tears (R Thompson) 3:36
  11. Tear Stained Letter (R Thompson) 9:19
  1. Dimming Of The Day (R Thompson) 3:27
  2. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (R Thompson) 5:04
  3. Beeswing (R Thompson) 5:57
  4. Mingus Eyes (R Thompson) 4:50
  5. Killerman Gold Posse (R Thompson) 3:09
  6. Shoot Out The Lights (R Thompson) 6:28
  7. Valerie (R Thompson) 3:36
  8. Wall Of Death (R Thompson) 3:43
  9. I Feel So Good (R Thompson) 4:06
  10. Hokey Pokey (R Thompson) 5:50
  11. Ghosts In The Wind (R Thompson) 6:53
  12. Back Street Slide (R Thompson) 4:27
  13. Read About Love (R Thompson) 5:06

The Musicians

Richard Thompson acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synthesizer and vocals
Danny Thompson double bass
Dave Mattacks drums, percussion
Pete Zorn alto and soprano sax, mandolin, acoustic guitar, penny whistle and vocals

The Crew

Simon Tassano tour manager, house engineer
Jim Croce production manager, backline technician
Tom Dubé monitor engineer
Mark Griffin system technician
Recorded live in America, April 16 - May 1, 1994
Produced and engineered by Tom Dubé
Executive producers: Frank Kornelussen and Edward Haber
Album compiled and mixed at Playtime Music, Boston MA
Mastering: Jonathan Wyner at M. Works, Cambridge MA

Album cover art: Inge Milde and DAVYDe
Snapshots: Tom Dubé
Booking Agent: Elizabeth Rush

This CD is available in Australia from
FoF Music by Mail
PO Box 321
Alexandria NSW 2015
+61 2 9313 4995

In spite of his record company, Capitols Records, constantly complaining that his sales are too modest, Richard Thompson is so adored by his all-consuming fans that there are currently 18 bootleg versions of his live concerts available in the United States and U.K.

In order to stem this tide of poorly recorded, non-income generating recordings, he has agreed to release a double CD through his fan club. It's a smart move. The chosen performance dates from 1994 when Thompson was touring with the great Danny Thompson (ex-Pentangle) on double bass and Dave Mattacks (ex-Fairport Convention) on drums and percussion.

The material ranges widely accross Thompson's career and includes a wonderfully nostalgic version of Now Be Thankful (a song he originally recorded with Fairport Convention in 1970), Shoot Out The Lights from the 1986 album of the same name, as well as recent material from both Rumor And Sigh (1991) and Mirror Blue (1994).

There is not a bad track on this recording and Thompson's live versions open up new levels of meaning to songs which already resonate with his peculiar combination of hard-edged realism and folk-rock lyricism.

Particularly striking are 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, a song about a bikie which intermingles Matty Groves, Frankie and Johnny and Leaders of the Pack, and the romantic and delicate Beeswing, about the nature and price of personal freedom. With his typical anti-commercial impulses, Thompson insists: "This recording is not intended for review or broadcast" Too bad! This CD is just too good to be ignored.

(Five Stars out of 5)

Bruce Elder, The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 3rd February, 1997