This week I'm going to avail myself of Neoneocon's work in gathering three versions of this great Richard Thompson song: the original Richard and Linda recording, one by Loudon and Rufus Wainwright, and one by RT with a bit of help from Loudon Wainwright and, I think but am not sure, Martha Wainwright. Rufus and Martha are Loudon's children. I'll add a comment to this one saying which one I prefer.
I like the Richard and Linda version best. If you read the comments at Neoneocon’s, you saw my confession that I have never really cared much for RT’s singing, though I think he’s one of the finest songwriters and guitarists around. I can’t really explain why. A lot of people, like Neo, think it’s wonderful.
I confess on the other hand that I like his voice and his singing.
I like the R&L version best too. I’ve seen RT live three times, and love his live shows. I’m not all that big on his recordings, however. The albums to me always seem like a pretty mixed bag.
Btw, the new Sigur Ros disc came out a couple weeks back and it’s a killer. Easily the best thing since Takk.
Thanks!
Theoretically, I approve of his voice. It’s the kind of not-pretty-but-expressive voice I usually like. But somehow it just doesn’t work out that way for me.
I’d say the same (mixed bag) for the RT solo albums I know, which isn’t that many. But the best stuff is extremely good. And any song with a guitar solo is worth hearing.
I’m just now getting around to Sigur Ros’s last, which I rather like.
Oh by the way, Grumpy, how is Pius?
Actually, the original version features Trevor Lucas on backing vocals and Richard also playing keyboards…
Pius is still with us. I have begun a novena to Fulton Sheen for him. I was at St John Cantius in Chicago this morning (Sunday), and went to confession and for the penance the priest gave me a card and told me to pray to Fulton Sheen. I have heard of him as a 1950s apologist, but that’s the sum of my knowledge. So I am making a novena for Pius to Fulton Sheen. It would be quite funny if he were cured and it counted as a miracle for Sheen’s beatification!
He had an ultrascan while I was in Europe which showed signs which could be lymphonic cancer. The next step should have been a cell exam. But when I took him in for it, I had a complete misunderstanding with the technician, which led to his being given a second ultrascan (which showed the same signs). I am going to a different vet tomorrow for a cell exam.
The first vet put him on steroids, which Pius really hates taking. On the other hand he is eating much better since we began this medication. He has eaten today about four handfuls of minced beef and a quarter of a large pork chop. I can’t get him to eat any cat food, so he’s not getting any carbs at all. He’s not drinking as much milk as usual. I know vets say milk is not good for them, but I cannot believe that cats would have been drinking milk for centuries unless they recognized it as being good for them.
I just realized that Richard Thompson is on the bill for the Bob Dylan concert I’m going to at Toyota Part on Friday. I thought, well, if I have to live in the USA I may as well go to a Bob Dylan concert!
RT may very well be the best part of that show. I mean, Dylan does a good concert these days (well, actually, I guess it’s close to 10 years since I saw him), but I don’t think he’s really as vital an artist as RT. I read a review of one stop on this tour that just raved about Thompson. Kinda made me wish I had gone, although it’s 3 hours away. Unfortunately his set is apparently shorter than some of the
others.
I’m glad to hear Pius is doing better. It would be pretty cool if Sheen’s intercession did the trick. And I agree about cats and milk.
Dave P, are you saying that’s not the original?
Thompson may well be the best. Dylan in a way one just wants to see, like one wants to read a classic, so one can say one has done it.
I just bought all kinds of holistic medicines for Pius – hope I can get them into him somehow!
Mac, I take it you mean Valtari, the one that came out last year. It’s interesting in that some reviewers have seen the last two albums as a sort of diptych, with Valtari being expressive of one side of the band (quiet) and Kveikur the other (loud). One reviewer said that they could have even been put together as a two-CD set, while another thought that Valtari served as a sort of “appetizer” for Kveikur’s more substantial fare.
Yes, that’s the one I meant. I was surprised to see another coming out so soon. When I first saw ads for Kveikur I supposed it was something other than a new studio album. I hate to admit it but I still haven’t really listened to Takk. So much music, so little time.
Don’t know if you’ve seen this yet but it’s pretty darn good. The song didn’t grab me at first, but I’ve grown to really like it.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/sigur-ros-rock-kveikur-on-leno-20130525
No, I haven’t. Will watch/listen later.
Dave P, are you saying that’s not the original?
Oops. That was meant for the other blog. It is indeed the original, but Richard does only the instruments on this track. Not only does he play excellent guitar, but he also plays accordion, mandolin, banjo, harmonium, and keyboards.
Didn’t know he played keyboards, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Talent is distributed quite unfairly.
I’m just now listening to that Sigur Ros song, Rob. Sounds pretty good. And it looks like they have Amiina with them again.
Yes, I think you’re right. Plus a couple horn players to boot. That track is fairly typical of the album as a whole, although there is one somewhat “experimental” track, and then a closing quiet one with piano and what sounds like a pump organ.
Was searching around on Amazon last evening and stumbled on the new CD by Sarah Brightman. Not too surprising until I glanced at the track list: she does a cover of ‘Glosoli.’ Didn’t get to listen to the clip, but I must admit to being strangely intrigued, and also a little scared…
Got a chance to watch the video of the Sarah Brightman “Glosoli” cover last night. Surprisingly enough, it isn’t bad. She put English words to it, which are a tad vapid, but she manages to maintain the feel of the song pretty well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYAKQoev2K8
I’m not sure who Sarah Brightman is, but on the face of it it sounds like a very misguided undertaking. I can’t imagine what that sounds like other than as performed by SR. About to find out…
She’s an operatic soprano, sort of a pop-classical crossover. She was married to Andrew Lloyd Webber and played Christine in the original cast of Phantom of the Opera.
She’s done this sort of thing before, but nothing this…unusual?
Not bad at all. I like that first comment: “This girl has…” 🙂 Indeed. The words aren’t so bad, apart from that last bit about the whales.
I like that first comment: “This girl has…”
Yeah, me too!
What will be kinda funny is the Sarah fans tracking down the SR version, in order to hear the original. I can almost hear the variety of “What the …?” comments.
I hope they see the video.
Speaking of interesting covers, do you know this one? It’s a great version of the closing tune from the first Cars album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQSUIRDs6VE
Nice, although I don’t know the song and so am not appreciating the cover-ness of it.
There is a really nice cover of The Cars’ “Drive” on an album I have by a sort of electronica/trip-hop-ish group…that I cannot at the moment remember the name of. It’ll come to me later.
Do you know Red House Painters, and their follow-up band Sun Kil Moon? I don’t like all their stuff, but their better stuff is very good.
Blu Mar Ten.
No, I don’t, even though [blush] I have two of their albums, obtained from eMusic back when it was all but free. I’ve heard good things about them (which is why I got those two).
Light On Dark Water 
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