After being given his walking papers by Capitol Records in 2000, Richard Thompson has taken a modest approach to his subsequent studio releases, 2003's The Old Kit Bag (a purposefully spare trio set) and 2005's Front Parlour Ballads (an acoustic collection recorded in Thompson's home studio). But Thompson seems to have relaxed a bit with 2007's Sweet Warrior, which boasts a more expansive sound and ambitious reach than those two albums. Produced by Thompson with his longtime aide de camp Simon Tassano, Sweet Warrior more clearly recalls 1991's Rumor and Sigh than any of Thompson's other albums; it lacks the high gloss of Mitchell Froom's production on that disc, but the broad dynamic between upbeat and dour numbers and the thematic sweep of these 14 songs certainly suggest Thompson was thinking big while making this album, and it suits him. Thompson is able to play his traditional theme of romance on the rocks for laughs on this set with the witty "Needle and Thread" and the droll but pointed "Mr. Stupid," while the sax-infused "Bad Monkey" is downright rollicking and the ska-influenced offbeat of "Francesca" is slinky and sensual. At the same time, Thompson digs deep into more serious themes, especially on the striking "Dad's Gonna Kill Me," a tense first-person tale of a soldier on patrol in Iraq, and while a very different sort of combat frames "Guns Are the Tongues," its story of a dull-witted boy turned against his own interests is equally compelling; both songs show Thompson's narrative skill and gift for wordplay are as strong as ever. Producer Thompson gives guitarist Thompson just the right amount of room to show off his estimable skills on these sessions, and the core band -- bassists Danny Thompson and Taras Prodaniuk, drummer Michael Jerome, and rhythm guitarist Michael Hays -- is as strong and versatile as one could hope for. At 68 minutes, Sweet Warrior feels just a bit overstuffed, especially given the simplicity of its immediate predecessors, but there's a hefty portion of fine songs and masterful playing here, and no one who has ever succumbed to Richard Thompson's magic should pass this up.
It'd be easy to ignore another record by Richard Thompson, because he's so dependably excellent. That would be a mistake though, because no one is better at what he does, a sort of celtic-based but kitchen sink-influenced brand of passionate folk rock...as bitterly sardonic as anything you'll hear. Thompson has a new album called "Sweet Warrior" out, and it's a real sleeper. Here's one of th...
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Check out "Dad's Gonna Kill Me" off Richard Thompson's Sweet Warrior.
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So, Richard Thompson has a new album out, called Sweet Warrior. Thompson has been around playing and writing music since before the days of the Vietnam war, so you can bet there's an anti-war tune on this record. Here's the thing...this man is a genuis musician...by his peers he's considered one of the most accomplished guitarists...evah. He played with Nick Drake and was a founding member of ...
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On May 29, "Shout! Factory":SF will release Richard Thompson's ??Sweet Warrior??. The Album is his first work of all-new material since 2005’s ??Front Parlour Ballads?? (Cooking Vinyl) and his first electric disc since 2003’s ??The Old Kit Bag?? (Beeswing). Thompson was first recorded in 1967. Although most his work has maintained critical acclaim, he has yet to become a household name - with
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Needle and Thread |
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| 2 I'll Never Give It Up |
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| 3 Take Care the Road You Choose |
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| 4 Mr. Stupid |
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| 5 Dad's Gonna Kill Me |
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| 6 Poppy-Red |
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| 7 Bad Monkey |
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| 8 Francesca |
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| 9 Too Late to Come Fishing |
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| 10 Sneaky Boy |
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| 11 She Sang Angels to Rest |
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| 12 Johnny's Far Away |
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| 13 Guns Are the Tongues |
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| 14 Sunset Song |
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 "Sweet Warrior")
