Richard
Thompson jekyll and hydes between his intense electric guitar maestro epics,
and touching acoustic guitar ballads, often devoting a whole album to one type.
He excels at both.
His extensive
back catalogue starts with the seminal Fairport Convention in the 1960s, sublime
duets with wife Linda in the 1970s, and since the 1980s a regular flow of top
notch solo albums.
Although I
love the variety of his work, it is the tender storytelling ballads that appeal
the most. Highlights such as "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" or
"Galway to Graceland" can encapsulate
a whole engrossing fable within five minutes, comparable to any novel or a
movie.
"Beewsing"
is set in the 1960s, but as he so seamlessly taps into the traditional folk
style, it could be from any century. A
lament of love for a free spirited woman lost to excesses. Loosely based on Anne
Briggs, an influential folk singer from the 1960s, he recalls only meeting her
twice, but she was drunk both times.
In the this story,
he is bewitched by a beautiful laundry girl, a wild child ("an animal in her eyes"), but vulnerable
too ("Fine as a beeswing").
Soon they are enjoying a transient life
together, with old style references to fruit picking, busking and tinkering. Overcome,
he makes the fateful suggestion of settling down together, and she replies with
the cutting ("You might be lord of half the world / You'll not own me as
well"). They parted after an alcohol fuelled argument.
He hears
later that she briefly married, but now is haggard and wasted ("But maybe
that's just the price you pay / For the chains you refuse"). He bitterly
regrets letting her go, but also concedes she could never be tamed into a
conventional relationship.
In keeping
with the folk roots, it adopts an attractive melodic reel, featuring finger-picking his acoustic guitar, pipes and fiddle. I remember in concert, it was even more
stark and beautiful.
A sad tale from the traditions of folk music, by an excellent and versatile modern artist.
.
Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsKEMZW8VmE
Hear Next -
" Watching the Dark: The History of Richard Thompson" is a
comprehensive three CD collection from his entire career.
No comments:
Post a Comment