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Richard ThompsonFront Parlour Ballads Cooking Vinyl/Shock 'Front Parlour Ballads' is Richard Thompson's first commercially available CD since 2003's 'The Old Kit Bag', though there have been a number of Internet-only live releases and a couple of DVDs in the meantime. This set differs from anything he has done for quite a while in that it is practically all-acoustic: touches of electric guitar appear on a couple of tracks but the set is otherwise dominated by acoustic instruments, all played by Thompson (although Debra Dobkin provides effective but subtle percussion on a couple of tracks). A succinct summary therefore would be to say the CD is, for all intents and purposes, his first solo acoustic recording since the early 1980s. It's safe to assume it sounds exactly as its maker intended, being all-original songs recorded at Thompson's own home studio at his own pace, co-produced with long-time engineer Simon Tassano. Life away from major labels seems to be suiting RT just fine. In fact, look beneath the nautical surface of the song Row Boys Row and perhaps you can sense his feelings about how musicians are treated by the music business, with lines like "Hear the bo'sun beat the drum and row, boys, row / Slavery 'til Kingdom Come and row, boys, row". However, it's probably best not to assume that the intentions behind Thompson's songs are clear-cut: his talent for writing lyrics with layers of meaning remains undiminished, and maybe part of the fun is to find one's own interpretations. That, and just admiring the sheer poetry of it all, with tracks like the catchy opener Let It Blow, the traditional-sounding Miss Patsy and the ode to low expectations A Solitary Life. Fortunately, all lyrics are included in the well-designed booklet. Thompson sounds very confident on this CD; he is obviously comfortable with how he is singing and his ability to project or hold back as the song demands. Cressida and Precious One illustrate this point well. These are among the quieter ballads on the album - and are also among those that will probably take a few listens to really register fully - and the mix of emotive vocals with a beguiling melody form an important part of the reason this CD works so well. Also, those who have wanted to hear Thompson play a greater variety of instruments will be glad to hear his upfront use of mandolin and accordion, along with exemplary playing on various acoustic guitars, of course. 'Front Parlour Ballads' is a work anyone would be proud of, and therefore is a comfortable addition to Richard Thompson's extensive discography.  |
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