Notes

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Richard Thompson / Action Packed: The Best of the Capitol Years

This compilation (c)2001 by Capitol Records, Inc

01 - Turning of the Tide
from Amnesia (1988)
02 - Waltzing's for Dreamers
from Amnesia (1988)
03 - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
from Rumor And Sigh (1991)
04 - I Misunderstood
from Rumor And Sigh (1991)
05 - I Feel So Good
from Rumor And Sigh (1991)
06 - Keep Your Distance
from Rumor And Sigh (1991)
07 - King of Bohemia
from Mirror Blue (1994)
08 - I Can't Wake Up To Save My Life
from Mirror Blue (1994)
09 - Beeswing
from Mirror Blue (1994)
10 - The Ghost Of You Walks
from You? Me? Us? (1996)
11 - Razor Dance (Voltage Enhanced)
from You? Me? Us? (1996)
12 - Cold Kisses
from You? Me? Us? (1996)
13 - Bathsheba Smiles
from Mock Tudor (1999)
14 - Cooksferry Queen
from Mock Tudor (1999)
15 - Uninhabited Man
from Mock Tudor (1999)
16 - Walking The Long Miles Home
from Mock Tudor (1999)
17 - Persuasion (featuring Teddy Thompson)
previously unreleased
18 - Mr. Rebound
previously unavailable on CD
19 - Fully Qualified to Be Your Man
previously unavailable on CD

Also in this package:
Promotional bonus disc for Borders

01 - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
Live at the Ventura Theater, Ventura CA - 9/7/91
02 - Bathsheba Smiles
Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica CA - 1/23/93
03 - Shoot Out the Lights
Live at Mountain Stage - 1999

Richard Thompson has been the archetypal critics' favorite since his days with Fairport Convention in the late '60s and early '70s, a guitarist of obvious skill and originality who brings the fingerpicking prowess of folk to electric rock and, increasingly, a literate songwriter whose songs, by turns droll and dour, are sung with authority, but he is also a man seemingly incapable of making any sort of peace with broad commercial appeal. But then, why should he, when record companies have lined up to release his work, even if they ultimately cut him loose after failing to get his account into the black? Thompson has successively signed to large independents Island and Chrysalis (when they were independents), then to major imprints Polydor and Capitol. Beginning in 1988, his Capitol sojourn has been the longest, spanning more than ten years and five regular studio albums, three of which actually nudged into the lower reaches of the charts. Publicity materials for this compilation of that material do not spell out whether he is still signed to Capitol, but the label does seem to be putting some effort into promotion. Certainly, Action Packed is not your typical best-of kiss-off, but rather a well-considered collection drawing on some of the most impressive recordings of Thompson's later career as well as including rarities (the new-to-CD tracks "Mr. Rebound" and "Fully Qualified to Be Your Man" and a previously unreleased live duet between Thompson and his son Teddy on "Persuasion," a lovely song Thompson co-wrote with Tim Finn). Thompson's Capitol catalog has been uneven occasionally, especially because of the inappropriate production style of Mitchell Froom on some of it, but by gathering together the best of each of his albums, Capitol here demonstrates that, especially as a songwriter, he has frequently matched the uncompromising style of his early work, particularly on "Turning of the Tide," "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," "I Misunderstood," "I Feel So Good," and "Beeswing," songs imbued with his dark, folk-informed sensibility, yet buoyed up by his stirring guitar work. If Action Packed marks the end of Thompson's latest label affiliation, it makes a good tombstone; if it is only an interim report, it demonstrates that his talents are undiminished.