was there ever a baritone country cover of "I Do It For Your Love" by Paul Simon?

I have a couple versions by Bill Evans. Which doesn't answer your question. Sorry, but I have no useful info for you. Perhaps you have some for me, though: what's up TNBT? It's all recycled stuff lately. Off-season? Extended hiatus? Show in trouble? You can email the answer if you don't want to talk in public. I want my lexicographical activism radio damn it!

Saw Richard & Danny Thompson at Town Hall last night. Apparently the Times referred to DT as RT's son, which was a running joke (the former is a decade older than the latter & they aren't related.) They're collaboration Industry is one of the few official releases missing from my RT collection, but I have and enjoy Danny's Whatever's Best. My friend George is a Richard Thompson fan but he's also a bassist & Danny was the draw for him. Sorry to say that he was somewhat disappointed. I'm sorry to say that I can't remember his exact reasons, but it had to do with DT's set-up being wrong for the venue. I'll defer to him on the technical aspect, but I do agree that the sound didn't really suit the hall. It would have been nice to hear them in a small club instead of a mid-sized concert hall. That said his playing was excellent.

Richard's playing is always excellent. He's an amazing guitarist with lots of room for error so the wildcards when seeing him are song selection and vocals. He's a great songwriter with a very deep catalog from which to draw. Unfortunately his best days are seemingly behind him, and when he leans heavily on recent material it's usually the worst part of the show. (This was less of a problem last time I saw him. I didn't much care for The Old Kit Bag but that was a full band show, and one should never underestimate his ability to transform mediocre material with killer guitar. He's great on acoustic, too, but it's harder to overcome subpar material at a solo show.) He's an adequate vocalist who is unlikely to inspire but isn't a major distraction unless he keeps singing songs that should be sung by Linda (including many written long after they broke up but would be much improved by her singing.)

Last night was pretty light on his most recent albums, Front Parlor Ballads and The Old Kit Bag, had nothing from the album prior to that (Mock Tudor, his only studio album I've completely dug since Rumor and Sigh, partly because I was so happy that the Mitchell Froom days were over), and cherrypicked the best (duo/acoustic-friendly) songs from his albums dating back to Daring Adventures -- the one that first made me want to smack Froom silly : "Al Bowlly's In Heaven," "Waltzing's For Dreamers," "1952 Vincent Black Lightning," "I Feel So Good," "Beeswing".

He also played a number of songs familiar from other shows and live albums: "From Galway to Graceland," "Hots for the Smarts," and "Alexander Graham Bell". ("This started as a song for children, but it's too good for kids. [pause] It's not good enough for adults. You're my target audience."

There was one weird guy screaming barely comprehensible requests. RT: "I didn't catch a word of that. The acoustics here are designed to go out. [gestures toward audience]" Weird guy with heavy accent: "Scupper the ship!" RT: "Scupper the ship? [looks at DT then back to audience] There's no drain in the stage." Weird guy: "I'll have you shot! Twice!" RT: "Uh... right. [tunes guitar, ignores weird guy]" I guess the guy wanted to hear "Hand of Kindness," which has the line, "well, I scuppered the ship," but threatening to shoot the performer didn't work for him. Go figure.

Best part was the encore, which consisted of "From Galway to Graceland," "Don't Sit on My Jimmy Shands" (preceded by a couple anecdotes about JS), and "Ghosts in the Wind". I rarely request songs, especially when I'm near the back of the venue, and any chance (continued...)

( continues...) that I'd change my policy went out the window when Mr. NRA chimed in. But I had been tempted to request "Ghosts in the Wind" since halfway through the show. He had been working his way back through his discography, and when Rumor and Sigh was followed by Amnesia was followed by Daring Adventures I started hoping that was the song he would play. It's less likely to pop up at one of his shows than "When the Spell Is Broken" or "Fire in the Engine Room" but they're better suited to electric. "Ghosts," though, seemed like it would adapt very well to acoustic guitar and bass, and did it ever! George and I agreed that it was Danny Thompson's highlight, especially his arco work. Don't know if I had some good karma going or was just on RT's wavelength yesterday but I'm really happy I stayed to the end. It was one of the highlights of the many times I've seen him over the last twenty years. He probably played it the first time I saw him, too, since it was the Across a Crowded Room tour. And I was wearing the RT-designed sweatshirt I bought at that show a few years later when I got to go backstage and meet Himself (George was in charge of concerts at Haverford), who deadpanned, "Nice shirt."

"This started as a song for children, but it's too good for kids. [pause] It's not good enough for adults. You're my target audience."

He made the same joke in Somerville Monday night. The set list looks pretty similar too. Did he do "Wall of Death"? He did it here and it was very strange hearing it with just his vocal.

He made the same joke in Somerville Monday night.

Probably wasn't an ad lib then either, but it's still a good joke. Saw the punchline coming a mile away but I liked the set up enough that I didn't mind.

The set list looks pretty similar too.

That reminds me of my other (mild) complaint. I saw him on consecutive nights in 1988, plus a friend taped the simulcast early show on the second night. I think there was one song (I think it was "When the Spell Is Broken," but it might have been "Can't Win," which would make sense since it was the Amnesia tour) that was on all three set lists & no more than three or four song overlap between any two sets. Even more than that sort of variety, what I really miss is how he'd pull a cover out of left field at every show the first dozen or so shows I saw him: "Flying Saucers Rock and Roll," "Substitute" (a favorite of his), Ellington instrumentals, songs from Iran and Afghanistan, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (used for a final encore). The man was a human jukebox. His bands tend to be different configurations of people with whom he has played for decades so there aren't many constraints on him, but even those disappear when he's solo. The only thing holding him back is whether he can figure out how to distill a full band arrangement down to his guitar. I don't know if the 1000 years of popular song shows put him off covers for a while but I missed hearing him pull out some surprise.

Yes, he did "Wall of Death". He plays it pretty often (or I've just hit a buncha shows where he played it), both with a band and solo. It worked pretty well as a two piece. Was he with Danny Thompson on Monday?

I love seeing him, but Linda's the one I really want to see again. One of his websites (RT for completists, I think) said she's working on a new album, and that both of them are on son Teddy's upcoming one. Maybe she'll tour with him again.

"Substitute" (a favorite of his)

Someone kept yelling for this, which got RT riffing on how, yes, he was a substitute -- for the real RT. He was, in fact, an RT tribute band.

Was he with Danny Thompson on Monday?

Yes. And for the second half, he also had a drummer, whose name escapes me, but who lives in Marblehead, MA (!). [edit: Dave Mattacks]

Dave Mattacks

The great Fairport Convention drummer.

[edit: Dave Mattacks]

Color me envious! Dave Mattacks is one of RT's decades-long collaborators, dating back to Fairport Convention. Or as Thompson once quipped, "This song is so old that Frank Sinatra had hair. And so did I." He was the drummer on much of Richard's material from the late seventies to mid-eighties, including Shoot Out the Lights. Had Mattacks joined them at Town Hall I might have had to grit my teeth and join the obnoxious insane guy in yelling for "Hand of Kindness" as it is my favorite Mattacks performance.

By coincidence Mattacks also has a credit on Still Crazy After All These Years, though my guess is that he couldn't answer erinaceous's question about country covers. I think Steve Gadd (yay Rochester!) was the main drummer on the album. He plays the famous intro to "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."

David, Christgau was underwhelmed by the Arthur Kane film. Then again, since he was writing about them before they were signed, and knew about and perhaps even saw them before David Jo was in the band, what's old news & shoddy execution for him could be fun new stuff for me, so I'll probably see it anyway.

You're Invited

Who: tina f. Where: Chicago When: tonight What: my pity-party

::sob::

It looks like I am most likely going to miss tonight's Hold Steady show because of crazy-roommate drama and having to move and having to do it tonight. SUCKS. I sold my tickets to a co-worker and I doubt the show will sell out - but I also doubt it will be possible for me to make it there.

Everyone can feel sorry for me now.

In Best of 2005 news: Lou Barlow's EMOH was an album that has snuck back into my heavy rotation that may just make it on the Top Ten list yet. I got the new Wolf Parade last week and the reviews I've read got it right: at first it does sound a bit like a Modest Mouse ripoff (it was produced by Isaac Brock) but further listens reveal a unique sound, great lyrics and a beginning-to-end good album. Not sure it's Top Ten material though.

Two-second album reviews:

M. Ward Transistor Radio: love it

Robbie Fulks Georgia Hard: annoyed now

Many sympathies, Tina. Feel free to vent if you need to.

It looks like I am most likely going to miss tonight's Hold Steady show

Well supposedly they're going to be on an upcoming episode of Lost if that's any consolation...(sorry about the roommate drama! I hope you have smooth housing sailing from here on out.)