Product Description

The world's most underrated songwriter, although Thompson must tire of hearing it so often. Together with his ex-wife Linda they made a series of quite brilliant albums that garnered heaps of praise and minimal sales. This is another sliceof perfection that veers from whimsical fun in 'Wall Of Death' to desperate emotions in 'Shoot Out the Lights', which features the definitive Thompson guitar solo. Critics have often been accused of hyping artists, but try as they may, they can't do it with this one. Time will tell but this album should be in many more homes.

Track Listing

1. Don't Renege On Our Love
2. Walking On A Wire
3. Man In Need
4. Just The Motion
5. Shoot Out The Lights
6. Back Street Slide
7. Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed
8. Wall Of Death

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25929 in Music
• Released on: 2002-04-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Real life intruded on Richard and Linda Thompson and turned Shoot Out the Lights into a harrowing masterpiece. The collection was difficult to create. Tracks from an aborted first attempt to record the album ended up on the Richard Thompson anthology Watching the Dark and the history of Linda Thompson, Dreams Fly Away. It also became their final record together, lending extra poignance to such classically grim Richard Thompson titles as "Did She Jump or Was She Pushed" and "Wall of Death". The combination of Richard's inventive guitar work; his ragged vocals and Linda's fragile, beautiful singing, all suffocatingly emotional, backed for the most part by long-time Thompson associates from Fairport Convention, make Shoot Out the Lights essential listening. --David Wolf

Customer Reviews

shoot out the lights.
Not a review as such, but was not First light the final Richard and Linda Thompson album. It was also a very good one, as I am sure this one is.

Listen when happy and sure of yourself
Richard Thompson is one of the great guitarists of the last 50 years but his misanthropic take on life as well his superb playing is fully demonstrated on this album accompanied by his then wife Linda.

At the time their marriage was breaking up due to RT's infidelity and you can hear the pain anguish and bitterness in the vocals and especially of Linda. This is therefore an album for grown ups and for those who are happy as it is not an album to listen to when upset as it will only add to your melancholia.

If you look at the musicians it is almost a complete Fairport line up

Their finest hour
This is probably the best of Richard and Linda Thompson's albums.
Each song is perfectly crafted and performed, with Linda's voice at its finest on tracks such as "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?" and Richard's guitar playing at its most visceral on the title track.
I had searched for some Richard Thompson albums after hearing a REM cover of "Wall of Death" (the last track on this CD). I was floored by the perfect structure of the song and delighted by the clever, effective lyrics. When I listened to Thompson's own work and the work produced with Linda Thompson I found that that consistently high level of craft, guile and subtlety was common throughout. A visciously sharp wit is revealed on occasion too.
If you've heard good reports on Richard & Linda Thomson and you're looking for a place to start, look no further. For Richard on his own, try Rumour and Sigh.