Watching The Dark History Of

Product Details

Artist : Richard Thompson
Format : Best of, Box set
Binding : Audio CD
EAN : 0031257530323
Label : EMI Music Canada
Number of Discs : 3
Product Group : Music
Release Date : 2005-06-14
UPC : 031257530323

ASIN : B00000064O

Track Listings for

Disc-1
1. Man in Need - Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson, The Watersons
2. Can't Win [Live] - Kenny Aronoff, Christine Collister, Pat Donaldson, Clive Gregson, John Kirkpatrick, Richard Thompson
3. Waltzing's for Dreamers - Aly Bain, Mitchell Froom, Richard Thompson
4. Crash the Party [Live][#] - Kenny Aronoff, Christine Collister, Pat Donaldson, Clive Gregson, John Kirkpatrick, Richard Thompson
5. I Still Dream - Tony Goddard, David Horn, Frances Kelly, John Kirkpatrick, Ian Peters, Brian Taylor, Richard Thompson
6. Bird in God's Garden/Lost and Found - French Frith Kaiser Thompson
7. Now Be Thankful - Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson
8. Sailor's Life [#] - Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson
9. Genesis Hall - Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson
10. Knife Edge - Dave Mattacks, Richard Thompson
11. Walking on a Wire - Clive Gregson, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
12. Small Town Romance [Live] - Richard Thompson
13. Shepherd's March/Maggie Cameron [Live][#] - Richard Thompson
14. Wall of Death - Clive Gregson, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn

Disc-2
1. For Shame of Doing Wrong [#] - Betsy Cook, Liam Genockey, John Kirkpatrick, Simon Nicol, Phil Pickett, Philip Pickett, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
2. Back Street Slide [#] - Betsy Cook, John Kirkpatrick, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Phil Pickett, Philip Pickett, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
3. Strange Affair - Neil Larsen, Neil Larson, Andy Newmark, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Willie Weeks
4. Wrong Heartbeat [#] - Betsy Cook, Liam Genockey, Simon Nicol, Frank Ricotti, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
5. Borrowed Time - Lit, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Michael Spencer-Arscott, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Glenn Tilbrook, Pete Wingfield
6. From Galway to Graceland [Live][#] - Richard Thompson
7. Tear-Stained Letter [Live][#] - Shawn Colvin, David Derge, Pat Donaldson, John Sherman, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
8. Keep Your Distance - Christine Collister, Mickey Curry, Mitchell Froom, Clive Gregson, Simon Nicol, Jerry Scheff, Richard Thompson
9. Bogie's Bonnie Belle [#] - Richard Thompson
10. Poor Wee Jockey Clarke [#] - Richard Thompson
11. Jet Plane in a Rocking Chair - Aly Bain, Nic Jones, John Kirkpatrick, Clare Lowther, Henry Lowther, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson, Ian Whiteman
12. Dimming of the Day - Jack Brymer, Pat Donaldson, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
13. Old Man Inside a Young Man - Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
14. Never Again - Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
15. Hokey Pokey - Aly Bain, Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Simon Nicol, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
16. Heart Needs a Home [Live][#] - Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
17. Beat the Retreat - Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Richard Thompson, Ian Whiteman

Disc-3
1. Al Bowlly's in Heaven [Live][#] - Christine Collister, Gerry Conway, Clive Gregson, John Kirkpatrick, Ruari McFarlane, Richard Thompson
2. Walking Through a Wasted Land - David Bitelli, Christine Collister, Alan Dunn, Bruce Lynch, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Pete Thomas, Richard Thompson
3. When the Spell Is Broken [Live][#] - Christine Collister, Gerry Conway, Clive Gregson, John Kirkpatrick, Ruari McFarlane, Richard Thompson
4. Devonside [Live][#] - Richard Thompson
5. Little Blue Number [Live][#] - Gerry Conway, Clive Gregson, Ruari McFarlane, Richard Thompson
6. I Ain't Going to Drag My Feet No More [Live][#] - Christine Collister, Gerry Conway, Clive Gregson, Ruari McFarlane, Richard Thompson
7. Withered and Died - Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, John Kirkpatrick, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
8. Nobody's Wedding - Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, Sue Draheim, Barry Dransfield, John Kirkpatrick, Richard Thompson
9. Poor Ditching Boy - Sue Draheim, Andy Roberts, Richard Thompson
10. Great Valerio - Pat Donaldson, Linda Thompson, Richard Thompson
11. Twisted - Timi Donald, Pat Donaldson, David Snell, Richard Thompson
12. Calvary Cross [Live] - Gerry Conway, Pat Donaldson, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson
13. Jennie [Live] - Richard Thompson
14. Hand of Kindness - John Hiatt, , Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Richard Thompson
15. Two Left Feet - John Hiatt, , John Kirkpatrick, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Pete Thomas, Richard Thompson, Pete Zorn
16. Shoot Out the Lights [Live][#] - Gerry Conway, Pat Donaldson, Alan Dunn, Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson

Editorial Reviews

From Amazon.co.uk

Richard Thompson did not achieve overnight his now-acknowledged status as a pillar of British folk-rock, as a towering guitarist and as a songwriter as distinctive and thematically provocative as any of his contemporaries. As late as 1980, when Thompson already had a formidable dossier of wonderful recordings with Fairport Convention as well as with his then-wife Linda, the would-be folk god was more cult artist than recognizable entity. This superb three-disc retrospective provides an intelligent overview of his evolution, avoiding the conventions of a "hits first" approach (silly in this case) or a completist's preoccupation with chronology and minutiae (dreary move, that). Instead, the discs shuttle back and forth across different periods in Thompson's career, swap excellent live performances, alternate takes for certain tracks and let the music dictate the flow. That makes Watching the Dark as engaging for life-long Thompson fans as it will surely be for new recruits. --Sam Sutherland

Amazon.com essential recording

Richard Thompson did not achieve overnight his now-acknowledged status as a pillar of British folk-rock, as a towering guitarist, and as a songwriter as distinctive and thematically provocative as any of his contemporaries. As late as 1980 when Thompson already had a formidable dossier of wonderful recordings with Fairport Convention as well as with his then-wife Linda, the would-be folk god was more cult artist than recognizable entity. This superb three-disc retrospective provides an intelligent overview of his evolution, avoiding the conventions of a "hits first" approach (silly in this case) or a completist's preoccupation with chronology and minutiae (dreary move, that). Instead, the discs shuttle back and forth across different period's in Thompson's career, swap excellent live performances and alternate takes for certain tracks, and let the music dictate the flow. That makes Watching the Dark as engaging for life-long Thompson fans as it will surely be for new recruits. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Music to Break Your Bitter Heart (2004-02-03)

Richard Thompson can write as sublimely as he plays. Though his themes are tragic, the intensity of his narratives, the sharpness of his wit, and the beauty of his solos are transcendent and uplifting. I have many of Richard's other CDs, and I've seen him play in Seattle several times, but only this set captures the breadth of his work in a variety of settings. It's full of delightful and moving surprises.

If this is your first RT purchase, you'll want to go on and pick up later CDs like "Old Kit Bag" and "Mock Tudor," classics like "Rumour and Sigh," his duets with Linda, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" and "Shoot Out the Lights," and early work with Fairport Convention. But this is a fine place to start.

The only RT record I almost never play .. (2003-01-20)

I hate to say it, but I may be the only RT (+ LT) fan who do not like this box set too much. I can enjoy a few live versions, or RT having fun with experimental tracks such as Bird in God's garden (a French, Frith, Kaiser & Thompson collaboration). I love, too, the booklet - it's well done and very informative - a wonderful document to his contribution. But on the whole, this box set does not really work. First of all, the sequencing is very weird, not to say dumb. Whoever did it probably wanted to be original, but he didn't think of the listener. It's almost impossible to listen to the tracks one after another .. which is a shame, since there are great songs here, but they are not at their best advantage. The main reason for that is that they are mixed up with much weaker tracks. In fact, many of what I now consider as his less shining efforts are included here. For instance, the Fairport material isn't so great (though I suspect the problem comes more from the vocals than from the music itself, especially on Now be thankful). Anyway, it's a pity since the band did come up with good songs at the time. Saddly enough, too, there isn't much material from Rumor and sigh & Amnesia - how come songs like The turning of the tide or I misunderstood have escaped such a retrospective ? What's more, there are plenty of songs from 1983-1985 .. and I usually don't think much of his work from this period - it's far too desolate to my taste and something is sorely missing ( Linda's voice, I think).I'm afraid the focus for Watching the Dark was more on the rarity of the tracks than on their quality ... and rarity isn't necessarily the best criterion to judge a song !Having said that, WTD isn't a bad release, of course. It's just that it could have been much better.I wouldn't recommend it to people who 've never heard a single RT track. They'll be much better with the end of the rainbow : an introduction .. (for his work with Linda) or Action Packed (for his solo work). Those two compilations are 100 % great.

52 Pick-Up (2002-09-11)

With his back catalogue becoming increasing rare(awaiting reissue treatment), WATCHING THE DARK is becoming more essential than it should be. As an overview of Thompson's career you can't top it. The live versions of "Calgary Cross" and "Shoot Out The Lights" are stunning to say the least. His live renditions of "Can't Win" and "When The Spell Is Broken" surpass the studio versions. Then there's a treasure trove of rarities from the manic, "Crash The Party" to the breathtaking woe of "Galway To Graceland". So there's certainly alot for fans to chew on and the packaging and lengthy booklet only enhance it's value.

So why 4 out of 5 stars? Well, I'm not going to quibble and say they should have put "this" on there instead of "that". It's all great. The only draw back to this grandiose offering is the song order. I know the folks at Ryko may have been going for an impressionistic approach but it all comes off more like 52 Pick-Up than a shuffle of the cards. One minute your in 60's Fairport territory. The next, you're in the 80's dealing with bits of SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS, interspersed between the odd live performance. Then all of a sudden you're back in 1975. The whole thing could give you whiplash. Perhaps they meant to highlight Thompson's versitility. The end result however, is more hodge-podge than collage. It might seem a lot less random if they'd taken a more conservative route. As it stands, the whole thing is far more overwhelming than it needs to be. With 3 discs at over 70 minutes apiece, you're likely to be glutted rather than sated by this feast.

All that being said, if you're drooling for rare tracks like, "Poor Wee Jockey Clarke" and "Bogie Bonnie Belle" my 2-bit criticism won't disuade you. Believe me, they're well worth the buck. I just can't help thinking how better things would be if they thought the sequencing through a bit more. Though a must for fans, those seeking an introduction are better off with THE ISLAND YEARS over this gem.

GREAT PLACE TO START!! (2002-07-17)

This box set is a great place to start for those of you that aren't familiar with Richard Thompson.There's something for everyone,if it's folk,ballads or rock.It does have rare tracks from the "Shoot Out the Lights" sessions,live cuts and an unreleased song,"From Galway to Graceland".Check out the guitar solos on Shoot out the lights,calvary cross and Can't Win,just to name a few.Why this guy isn't as popluar as he should be is still a mystery after all these years....

I love this box set!! (2002-07-17)

I've been a big fan of Richard Thompson since the early 80's and have everything the man has put out! The reason why I love this box set is because it has live tracks,as well as rare tracks that you can't find anywhere else.If I had to nickpick,it would be not to include tracks from Rumor and Sigh cd,since it came out the same year.I think.Other than that,it's a great introduction to the newcomers out there that have never heard of him.You want to listen mindblowing guitar solos?Then,check out Can't Win,Shoot Out the Lights,Calvary Cross,just to name a few.Where the guy comes up with those improv solos,I'll never know.The guy should be more popular than most of the current crop out there now...Check it out!!!

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