Hard Luck Stories 1972 To 1982

A lot of reviewers are quibbling about the package design or in one case, that they got a defective copy. I understand the defective issue, so take that as a warning. As for the package design, I've never been that anal. Its not why I bought this. I came here for the music. Richard & Linda's catalogue has been in and out of print over the years with different mastering jobs. This not only collects the entire warts and all catalogue but masters it all brilliantly from the original tapes. As for the extras, they are everything a fan could hope for.Disc 1: Sometimes It Happens (1972-1973) is worth the price of admission. Completely unheard rarities that even tops The Life & Music of Richard Thompson box set from a few years back. Not only in the unheard material department but in sound and quality as well. (Though I would still recommend Life & Music for the die hard fan owing to some truly mind blowing live material). Speaking of live material, Disc 5: Madness of Love (Live 1975-1977) is just stunning. A mix of classics and rarities with some truly mind blowing guitar playing.As for the studio albums, there's no getting around it, there are peaks and valleys. Shoot Out The Lights is the apex and it sounds amazing here. Up till this point the Ryko issue was the only decent master on the market. This way surpasses it. Which is a major reason to pick this up if you're a real fan. Richard's guitar work is just lighting between your ears in this master. Far superior to any previous vinyl or cd issue.Of course, the other peaks are I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight and Pour Down Like Silver. Island issued a remaster a few years ago and these are pretty much the same as those. In other words, they sound amazing. I suppose what sweetens the deal here are the extras. Among them, Mother & Son is the most darkly twisted, while things like Wanted Man will leave you wondering why these tracks were never issued before. And while Hokey Pokey isn't as highly regarded as the aforementioned, it has a lot to commend it. True, its the Thompsons at their most self-consciously cutesy but those moments are pretty much outnumbered by classics such as Never Again and Old Man Inside A Young Man. Then there are deep cuts like I'll Regret It In The Morning and The Sun Never Shines On The Poor.As for the valleys, I'd say both First Light and Sunnyvista aren't this duo at their most exemplary. But that's not to say any of it is bad, just a lot of fair to middling with some gems scattered around. The overly sincere First Light lacks the the biting sarcasm that tends to make Sunnyvista the least likeable album in their catalogue. Again, its the spell binding extras that enhance these slightly underwhelming efforts. The demos of First Light in particular reveal it wasn't the material but the production that was at fault. The acoustic version of Layla is a case in point along with the haunting title track. That said, studio tracks like Pavanne House of Cards still shine through the overproduction. As for Sunnyvista, Borrowed Time is Richard and Linda at their most fierce and rocking. A track that hints at what to come with Shoot Out The Lights.As for the packaging, the discs are not in individual sleeves but placed in two near vinyl sized booklets. As for the hard cover liner notes, the photos and text are both enlightening. One thing that jumps out at you other than the fact Richard used to have a full head of hair is how remarkably photogenic Linda is. Man, does the camera ever love her. As for the text, it puts a lot of things into perspective. Particularly as to why the Thompsons have less of a household and more of a cult appeal. One also gains more of an appreciation of lesser works like, First Light and Sunnyvista.One thing is clear on this set, Linda Thompson is up there with her friend, Sandy Denny in terms of being one of the most formidable vocalists to come out of the 70's Brit Folk scene. Yet, despite their friendship and association with Fairport, both were unique in their own right. Where Denny's tragic early death helped catapult her into revered status, Linda's long silence seems to led her to be all too easily forgotten. But one listen to her here and she is truly unforgettable. What a voice. Clarian, unique and refreshingly devoid of fashionable affectation. The kind of voice that gets through to your blood and bones.The same can be said of Richard's playing and songwriting. (Well, I also love his singing voice). As a guitarist, this is all the proof you need that he's up there with Peter Green, Clapton and Jimmy Page. I'd even venture to suggest he's stylistically more versatile. His repertoire wasn't just limited to the Blues but also Folk, Jazz and Classical. He also had them beat in the songwriting department. Unlike a lot his contemporaries, Thompson's influences were not only Chuck Berry and James Burton but Django Reinhart and Davy Graham. And perhaps, Thompson's idiosyncratic Britishness led to some limitations in terms of marketability. But its clear from his work here, the breath of his influences are eclectic and vast. Like Davy Graham, Thompson's a musical melting pot whose sound reaches beyond Folk and Rock to more world influences.While a pricey place to start, I can't think of a better intro to the world of Richard & Linda than this set. But Shoot or Bright Lights are probably the most economically friendly places to get your feet wet. As for the die hard fan who is weary of falling for the oldest marketing ploy in the business, I understand your trepidation. I too am sick and tired of buying the same damn records over and over again. But take it from this all too easily jaded fan---this is bloody well worth it.

It appears Universal has set up a program to replace faulty discs, so I’ll talk about the content here.I’m not an audiophile but the music has never sounded better to me. The producer Andy Batt is known (by me at least) for remastering work that shows attention to detail and preserves the dynamics of the original master, and that serves the material well here. When it comes to the material included, there’s a strong editorial voice. I’m sure others will disagree, but I am relieved that this isn’t a project where each disc is an exhausting 80 minutes with 24 tracks. This approach gives the new discoveries room to breathe. My favorite at the moment is the alternate “End of the Rainbow” with Linda on vocals. A real treat.(I should add that the judicious track list will not surprise anyone who reads quotes from RT included in the hardcover book. He is a sharp critic of his own work. I’m sure everyone who worked on this set has some stories to tell about back & forth struggles with Richard & Linda when it came time to form a track list. Those are some stories I would love to hear.)I am no fan of the CD sleeves, but otherwise the presentation of the music is excellent. The real highlights are the gorgeous photos. Some will be familiar but they’ve never looked better. Comprehensive notes on each tracks are very welcome, given the revolving door of backing musicians here.All in all, this is exactly what I wanted in a collection of Richard & Linda’s music: a definitive statement that argues for the many reasons why they were great together. I only had both Lights albums prior to buying this box, and I’m glad I chose to dive in. This is probably your best chance to own their best work, and it’s been put together in a way that really shines for me.

Let me say first of all that I don't care about ripping these discs onto my computer. I'm an old man who just wants to put the discs into a player and listen to the music. Realizing that there are a LOT of defective copies of this set, I gambled and won. All 8 discs are without technical flaws, and sound great. Again, I haven't tried to rip them. As I understand it, there will not be a second pressing, so I bought it knowing that I might have to deal with the manufacturer as far as replacement discs. Bottom line, I feel bad for the long-time fans who will miss out when this sells outLike, I assume, many who bought this box, I already owned all the studio albums on CD (and vinyl prior to that). I am absolutely thrilled with everything about the recordings. Really well mastered. The extras are out of this world. I know, a bunch of them are available elsewhere. But those that aren't (good God, the live Layla!), are essential for fanatics like me.The packaging is beautiful. Yes, the discs could have been packaged better, but it isn't a disaster. The slipcase, the book, and the folders that contain the discs are a labor of love.

As was the case with several other reviewers, I found that several of the CDs were unplayable--5 of the 8 could not be imported to my computer library, nor would they play on my CD player. Furthermore, the accompanying booklet was rife with typos and shoddy production. I regard the Thompsons' work during this decade to be a crucial contribution to contemporary popular music--I can't imagine what my life would be like without these albums!--and I looked forward to both the remastered albums themselves, and to the bonus material. But I have spent over a hundred dollars to receive a holy mess, and I feel cheated. Island UK should either reimburse those of us who purchased this set, or offer us a download at no cost. This set is a travesty, both for two remarkable artists and consumers who have been graced by their careers.