Product Description

Though much of MIRROR BLUE was recorded live in the studio,producer/keyboardist Mitchell Froom's trademark processed sounds might make you think otherwise, as he tarts up Thompson's folk-rock arrangements with some exotic electronic flavouring. Though Froom's production puts too much icing on the cake for Thompson traditionalists, it never obscures the twoessential elements of this or any other Thompson recording;blistering guitar solos and ace songwriting. The former is displayed proudly on tunes like "Mascara Tears" and "The WayThat it Shows". The latter is virtually a given, but particular highlights are the delicate acoustic ballad "King of Bohemia" and the "set-'em-up-Joe" scenario of the misery-drenched rumination "Taking My Business Elsewhere".

Track Listing

1. For The Sake Of Mary
2. I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life
3. MGB GT
4. Way That It Shows
5. Easy There Steady Now
6. King Of Bohemia
7. Shane And Dixie
8. Brando Mumble Mingus Eyes
9. I Ride In Your Slipstream
10. Beeswing
11. Fastfood
12. Mascara Tears
13. Taking My Business Elsewhere

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33695 in Music
• Released on: 1994-01-17
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Mixed bag, but .......
Variable quality - but shot through with brilliance e.g "Beeswing" - worth the price of admission on its own. Sounds like he was being pulled away from his natural path, but only temporarily.

Outliving the reviewers
Mirror Blue initially got fairly weak reviews (though only by Thompson's stellar standards) when released: time has proved the critics wrong. Adventurous, erudite and challenging. Full of great songs, Beeswing is the most famous, but King of Bohemia and Taking My Business Elsewhere are other highlights.

A good Introduction......
Before I purchased this album I had only heard 'I want to see the Bright lights tonight' and so I was expecting a lot! I was hoping for that mix of happy\sad folk music, what I got was a whole lot more. The first thing that strikes when you listen through this album is Richard Thompsons musical diversity, he can rock really hard - Mascara Tears is a great example. Yet, on other tracks - most notably Bees Wing - he displays an incredibly tender side of his persona.

The music throughout is good - if occasionally overproduced. I found it took about 5 listens to get into, but when it does it knocks you for six! The guitar work is especially good, not just the electric stuff, but also the Folk guitar work as well, which is particularly tender (the last song is amazing).

In conclusion, this is a good solid album with plenty to love in it. Like Neil Young (his Canadian counterpart in my opinion), Richard Thompson is an artist to watch, when each album has so much in it for you to discover, you really would be a fool to miss any out!