Richard Thompson did not achieve overnight his now-acknowledged status as a pillar of British folk-rock, as a towering guitarist, and as a songwriter as distinctive and thematically provocative as any of his contemporaries. As late as 1980 when Thompson already had a formidable dossier of wonderful recordings with Fairport Convention as well as with his then-wife Linda, the would-be folk god was more cult artist than recognizable entity. This superb three-disc retrospective provides an intelligent overview of his evolution, avoiding the conventions of a "hits first" approach (silly in this case) or a completist's preoccupation with chronology and minutiae (dreary move, that). Instead, the discs shuttle back and forth across different period's in Thompson's career, swap excellent live performances and alternate takes for certain tracks, and let the music dictate the flow. That makes Watching the Dark as engaging for life-long Thompson fans as it will surely be for new recruits. --Sam Sutherland

Label:      Hannibal Records – HNCD 5303

Format:     3 x CD, Compilation

Country:    US

Released:   Apr 20, 1993

Genre:      Rock

Style:      Folk Rock

FACTORY SEALED

PLEASE NOTE PRICE MARKED ON FRONT SEAL ONLY

TRACKLIST:

Disc: 1

1     A Man In Need

2     Can't Win(LIVE)

3     Waltzing's For Dreamers

4     Crash The Party(LIVE)

5     I Still Dream

6     Bird In God's Garden / Lost And Found-French, Frith, Kaiser, Thompson

7     Now Be Thankful-  Fairport Convention

8     A Sailor's Life  -Fairport Convention

9     Genesis Hall - Fairport Convention

10    The Knife-Edge

11    Walking On A Wire - Richard & Linda Thompson

12    Small Town Romance(LIVE)

13    Shepherd's March / Maggie Cameron(LIVE)

14    Wall Of Death - Richard & Linda Thompson

Disc: 2

1     For Shame Of Doing Wrong - Richard & Linda Thompson

2     Back Street Slide - Richard & Linda Thompson

3     Strange Affair - Richard & Linda Thompson

4     The Wrong Heartbeat - Richard & Linda Thompson

5     Borrowed Time - Richard & Linda Thompson

6     From Galway To Graceland(LIVE)

7     Tear Stained Letter(LIVE)

8     Keep Your Distance

9     Bogie's Bonnie Belle(LIVE)

10    Poor Wee Jockey Clarke

11    Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair - Richard & Linda Thompson

12    Dimming Of The Day - Richard & Linda Thompson

13    Old Man Inside A Young Man - Richard & Linda Thompson

14    Never Again - Richard & Linda Thompson

15    Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song) - Richard & Linda Thompson

16    A Heart Needs A Home - Richard & Linda Thompson(LIVE)

17    Beat The Retreat

Disc: 3

1     Al Bowlly's In Heaven(LIVE)

2     Walking Through A Wasted Land

3     When The Spell Is Broken

4     Devonside

5     Little Blue Number

6     I Ain't Going To Drag My Feet No More

7     Withered And Died - Richard & Linda Thompson

8     Nobody's Wedding

9     The Poor Ditching Boy

10    The Great Valerio - Richard & Linda Thompson

11    Twisted

12    Calvary Cross

13    Jennie

14    Hand Of Kindness

15    Two Left Feet

16    Shoot Out The Lights