Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Richard Thompson is one of the great survivors of Rock and Folk, a man who is the epitome of great song writing and who, even after nearly 40 years of recording and touring has the ability to make each new song sound as though it was plucked from a new born rose and the thought of the aroma of the intoxicating future promised one of great mystery and satisfaction.
Such a bloom, the caress of a London rose, is to be found in Richard Thompson’s latest studio album Still. The dichotomy, the overwhelming sweeping gesture of anti-ism between album name and what the listener finds tucked away between the notes and the sweet pounding lyrics is at odds and it makes for the interest discussion of what makes an album come alive, what makes it jump out at the music lover enough to delve between the thoughts and musings of talented individual?
What does jump straight out of the furnace, the innocent being tossed out of the pit and captivating all with humour and pathos, as well as the huge dollop of introspection and self-deprecation, is the wit of a musician leading life astray and down a path to which life personified clings on to his arm and begs that he dare not put down the guitar for the fear of the void life will feel.
From start to finish, the album is impossible to ignore, impossible to shelve into the collection for the fear of the unobtainable never being reached again. It sings with humanity and crisp thought, the imagery placed before the listener is never once diluted or taken for granted and the end result is one of beauty and welcoming friendship.
Tracks such as Broken Doll, the excellent Josephine, Long John Silver, Pony in the Stable and the consenting appraisal of time and introspection attached to Guitar Heroes, the honour bound dedication as he plays in various styles and muses to the allusion that life brings when listening over and over again to how a hero played in a certain fashion, and just how that fashion has never left the ears of all who have heard it, all are captured with sincerity and an abundance of flair.
There is never a way to hold back the likes of Richard Thompson, why would you want to even try and keep him Still? A terrific album and one in which to relish in every possible way!
Ian D. Hall