Richard Thompson
Mirror Blue

THE REVIEW

Every time I look at the front and back cover of this album, I'm struck by a slight sadness. In fact, while the main image depicts a statue (presumably plaster) of R Thompson with the guitar surrounded by mirrors, the back instead shows the same statue broken in multiple places (head, torso, legs, and the end part of the guitar) next to a plaque (placed under the sculpture of a head) with the inscription: Elvis 1935-1977. Personally, I interpreted the meaning of these images as a deep reference to music. From a certain point of view (especially when listening), music remains so to speak "perfect" over time in all its facets (mirrors), yet at the same time, it is laden with internal wounds never fully healed, like the untimely death of Elvis...

Thompson (b. 1949 GB) is the founder of Fairport Convention and is undoubtedly a skilled and meticulous guitarist with an original vocal tone and considerable songwriting abilities. He stayed with the FC until 1971, then decided to continue his career alongside Linda Peters (his wife), producing a series of albums based on a certain type of electric Folk-Rock-Country. In the '80s, the couple separated both artistically and personally, and while Thompson continued to release albums, despite the critical period for English Folk, Linda quickly disappeared from the scene. Richard's collaborations with artists engaged in various musical genres are countless.

The CD consists of thirteen songs with a total duration of about fifty-five minutes. Perhaps, the only flaw of this work is the tone that is at times slightly "heavy", but which nonetheless becomes a negligible aspect after a good series of listens. You can find both relaxing tracks like "The Way That It Shows," "King Of Bohemia," and "Beeswing,” as well as almost enigmatic tracks like "Mingus Eyes," "Taking My Business Elsewhere" (a small and moving masterpiece), and "Easy There, Steady Now," but also more properly Rock songs like "Shane And Dixie," "Mascara Tears," and "Ride in Your Slipstream." Throughout the album, there is a certain inner tension and a particular almost "metallic" sound, perhaps due to the production by M Froom, which I personally enjoy.

Worth mentioning is the excellent guitar work by Thompson, not for the technical aspect, but for the originality and almost "rigorous" dedication of the instrumental passages, with sophisticated and never trivial sounds. However, the album requires a few listens to be fully appreciated. The booklet is also excellent as it (for once) contains the lyrics of the songs and a series of amusing photographs where the (small) statue of Thompson is placed in the most unlikely places like: a small garden next to fake animals, in a box, in front of a round mirror, on a carpet together with other "knick-knacks" presumably for sale. Album rating 4.3 out of 5 (figurines).