I began listening to Richard and Linda Thompson in September 2024 after listening to Richard's earlier band Fairport Convention. Because of Richard's strong reputation as a songwriter and guitarist, I went into their albums with high hopes, especially because it's been quite awhile since I had done an extended discography like this. Unfortunately, I found Richard and Linda's albums to be pretty uneven until their final two, which I unexpectedly enjoyed. Shoot Out the Lights of course has received a lot of critical acclaim since its release but I wasn't expecting much by the time I got to it.
Richard Thompson: Henry the Human Fly (1972): B-
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974): B
Hokey Pokey (1975): B
Pour Down Like Silver (1975): C+
First Light (1978): C+
Sunnyvista (1979): B+
Shoot Out the Lights (1982): B+
Richard Thompson: Henry the Human Fly (1972):
Given that it was Richard Thompson's electric guitar that firmly placed Fairport Convention's traditional re-workings in the contemporary, it's only makes sense that his first solo studio album would attempt an even more daring amalgamation of old and new influences. Not that it exactly pans out. The instrumentation can be unnecessarily stuffy, his voice hasn't found itself, and his eccentricities need to be dialed in (starting with his taste for cover art). B-
I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974):
Whatever was the cause of Thompson's strange solo entrance, it's good that he's found his footing with Linda Thompson, who gets equal billing on his sophomore album. With a sexy and confident voice, Linda proves to be such an excellent vessel for Richard's lyrics that it's easy to fantasize about her taking all the vocals on the album. While the music tastes of Richard's folk background and rocks with the colors of the contemporary singer-songwriter scene, Thompson's favor for lyrical despair can hurt the final product. He's a clever writer and he'll add some last minute optimism if he can, but this lane is difficult to pull off song after song, which is why only the excellent "Withered and Died" stands out amongst his downers. The other highlights make by when the narrators take a rebellious and survivalist attitude towards the bleak backdrop Thompson puts them in: the title track, which sees the narrator escaping (perhaps destructively so) her mundane weekday schedule, and "The Little Beggar Girl," which utilizes upbeat music and the charming viewpoint of the young narrator to effectively make light of her hard existence. B
Hokey Pokey (1975):
As the light becomes a larger portion (though not the majority) of Richard Thompson's songwriting, this fairly consistent batch of songs struggles to coalesce into a set that make sense together. Although they ultimately share the same downtrodden undertones, the songs that pair cheeky, childish narratives with buoyant melodies like the title track, "Georgie on a Spree," and "Mole in a Hole" are never reconciled with classic Thompson downers that pair depressed, apathetic adult narrators with music that slowly plods along. The song transitions can be jarring. Ambitious works like "The Egypt Room" feel like cheap genre taste-tests. There's also nothing as good as "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight." B
Pour Down Like Silver (1975):
Where the despondent lyrics of Richard Thompson occasionally marred otherwise strong songwriting on he and Linda's two previous releases, their second release in 1975 significantly lacks any interesting ideas to begin with. The overall sound of the project is ultimately uniform but the slow slow slow melodies simply stink and even the sole upbeat song "Hard Luck Stories" has languid vocal takes from Richard and Linda, who these days are more often than not singing together. Although the husband-wife duo aren't bad harmonizers, it's a shame Linda doesn't get a single song to herself. C+
First Light (1978):
Although Richard and Linda's extended vacation from their music careers means they do come back to recording with a fresh squeeze of color (occasionally via a guitar synthesizer from Richard), the time away has also given their songwriting a smear of banality. The vocals on the choruses have such little spirit that it's a wonder they were able to find the commitment to finish the record. C+
Sunnyvista (1979):
While the cheaply crafted cover art of an idealistic California beach family made Sunnyvista destined to collect dust on the bargain shelf next to dozens of Rod Stewart records, this suprisingly upbeat and energetic album from the iconically dreary husband and wife team matches up to the duo's best releases I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Hokey Pokey. True, the cover can do more damage than dissuade potential buyers. Instead of further suggesting the musical transition is a cheap joke meant to disguise the cynical overtones, it just reinforces the original fear that the entire album--not just the cover--was an afterthought. But with a stacked list of session musicians that craft a convincing and professional project, the upbeat sound really is a pleasure to consume and does actually sell the occasional downer even better. Think of it as Richard and Linda Thompson do Steely Dan with surprising success. B+
Shoot Out the Lights (1982):
Richard Thompson's signature desolation finally finds a convincing home in lost love. That these lyrics are almost surely rooted in he and Linda's crumbling marriage makes them all the more persuasive and sympathetic. Even songs that fall outside of the scope of lost love like the title track (where the narrator's bleak outlook isn't necessarily rooted in sour romance) and the final cut "Wall of Death" (a sardonic chuckle from Richard who simply enjoys that carnival ride the most), the narrators possess the same survivalism highlighted in the duo's greatest song "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight." Beyond Richard's lyrical execution finally aligning, this early 1980s product stands above their others by being their first that plays like the product of a simple rock band lineup, which more than ever allows Thompson to shine as an excellent lead guitarist who frequently plays catchy hooks and lets loose on outstanding solos. His passionate vocal takes also spotlight a singer who's come a long way. Linda, who has always seems to go underused, doesn't have her greatest showing but is ultimately still welcome whenever she shows up. She certainly gets closer than Richard ever could to salvaging the only throwaway "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed," a piece of songwriting which doesn't exactly get any more forgivable as a tribute to the late Sandy Denny. B+
