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Thompson co-released possibly my favorite LP of all time, “I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight.” It was recorded with his lovely and talented then-wife Linda in 1974 and is all about falling away from God (“Hallelujah”), falling into some fellow drunkard’s arms (“Down Where The Drunkards Roll,” the title track), and falling into the pit (“The End of The Rainbow.”) Nick Hornby called it “the most British album ever released.” Though It came out in the early 70s, it will still scare your lady-friend and start a fist-fight with your soft-bearded mates at the campfire. I wouldn’t hear it for years though after being introduced to the couple in the critical hype-heat for “Shoot Out The Lights.” That latter album was their divorce papers to each other and people often prefer it over the initial brawl from ’74. I say buy them both with a big old bottle of bourbon.
Some casual fans may wonder what the brave hearted beret-wearer is doing covering a lovely little Joni Mitchell tie-in number. I did too at first. Well, besides making it “golden,” it has always been a strange guilty pleasure for me personally: A song really of its time, tied to an event I don’t care much about (the counter culture becoming a soggy come down), yet Mitchell’s brilliance is all through it, with its haunting melody and romantic imagery somehow transcending beards starting to dread and the candy-headed LSD come down.
Thompson could have easily snuck this between his versions of “Shenandoah” and Squeeze’s “Tempted,” just two other very noteworthy songs that go beyond easy critical judgment. (Fits well between his versions of “Java Jive” and “Oops I Did It Again,” as well, for similar reasons. Etc.) No one can explain why a song meant for its very precise moment in time is the song that still touches hearts years later — oh wait, Thompson can, by actually playing it for us.
– Chris Estey is a long time and well respected Seattle music writer. A complete recent bio, including high iPod rotation songs, can be found here.
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