RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON

RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON
THE END OF THE RAINBOW, AN INTRODUCTION TO (2000)
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Richard Thompson earned the respect of fans for his guitar playing with Fairport Convention in the late 1960s. But it was the albums he made with his then-wife Linda in the early 1970s that gained him the reputation as one the premier songwriters to emerge from the British folk-rock scene. The songs on this 16-song collection are taken from the couple's first four albums together: Henry the Human Fly (actually a Richard Thompson solo record with Linda's background vocals), the classic I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Hokey Pokey, and Pour Down Like Silver. Linda's slightly husky alto inspired some of Richard's sweetest melodies, such as "Dimming of the Day," "For Shame of Doing Wrong," and "Down Where the Drunkards Roll," even as their sometimes rocky relationship caused him to write some of his gloomiest lyrics. The words may sometimes paint a bleak view of human relations, but the beauty of Linda's voice and the perfection of Richard's guitar lines do an excellent job of lightening the heavy mood.

1. Roll Over Vaughn Williams
2. Poor Ditching Boy
3. When I Get To The Border
4. Withered And Died
5. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
6. Down Where The Drunkards Roll
7. The End Of The Rainbow
8. The Great Valerio
9. Hokey Pokey
10. Never Again
11. A Heart Needs A Home
12. For Shame Of Doing Wrong
13. Night Comes In
14. Beat The Retreat
15. Dimming Of The Day/Dargai
16. Calvary Cross