Richard Thompson

The Old Kit Bag - Cooking Vinyl 2003

Tracks: 1. Gethsemane / 2. Jealous Words / 3. I'll Tag Along / 4. A Love You Can't Survive / 5. One Door Opens / 6. First Breath / 7. She Said It Was Destiny / 8. I've Got No Right To Have It All / 9. Pearly Jim / 10. Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen / 11. Outside Of The Inside / 12. Happy Days And Auld Lang Syne

Comments:

"The Old Kit Bag" from 2003 was Thompson's first studio album after leaving Capitol Records. This switch should prove to be a good idea, as the album, released on Cooking Vinyl Records, was to become his best-selling for several years.

Musically, however, Thompson is predominantly in familiar territory; on the borderland between folk and rock. With Judith Owen - on backing vocals, a few tracks even provide memories of the time with Linda Thompson.

The album opens strongly with “Gethsemane”, which is a solid rocker with a catchy riff and overall great guitar playing from Thompson; one of the longer tracks that, however, never feels longwinded. A nice guitar riff is also there on the upbeat "I'll Tag Along", which is one of the more easily accessible songs. Also striking is "She Said it was Destiny", which is another song you will quickly recognize. A favorite is "Word Upspoken, Sight Unseen", which is a fine melodic song, and one of those that easily leads the mind towards the duo of Linda & Richard Thompson.

Most often on Thompson's albums there is a dark undertone on several tracks, but musically the album is definitely uplifting, and it belongs up there among his other many great albums.

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