Richard Thompson - Still

The album starts off with the quite beautiful 'She never could resist a winding Road' a story from times of old. This really is traditional Folk at it's best. The art of story telling and emotion from the heart and Richard Thompson is one of the artists that just can do it best, and this is what makes him a legend. 'Beatnik Walking' is a cross between Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles or the Travelling Wilburys.

Telling a story in the old traditional way like your on the road in the country in a cart. This is a very nice 60's song, which sounds like it was recording a very long time ago. The song has very nice acoustic guitar finger work and you feel like the song has been around for a very long time. 'Patty don't you put me Down' has a very Neil Young coming into Country / Americana sound to it. It's a simple song that comes straight out of the swinging 60's, and you can feel a slight touch of rebellion on it and a once of hardship. 

I like the beginning of 'Broken Doll' which sounds like it's taking from a movie, where someone is sneaking around trying to find things out and then finding out that things are a little bad. This is quite a nice song, even though it has many moments of sadness during it. The feelings that Richard is coping with really come out in this song. I quite like the traditional Country vibe on 'All buttoned Up', this is one of my favourite songs on this album. I am quite into the Country vibe at the moment and this is a very nice put together song for this genre. 

Ok! I would like more of a Southern vibe to it the a Norfolk Country sound, but beggars can't be choosers. 'Josphine' is almost like a Medevil Ballad from times of old, you can image Richard sitting on a hill with a instrument of the past. Playing this to a lady who is far away in the distance. In a way some of the lyrics and tune sounds like the recent material of Nik Kershaw, which I really love... so I actually quite like this song.

The pace gets moved up a bit for road song 'Long John Silver', which has a really great and catchy chorus to it. In a way in sounds like Jimmy Nail when he went Country / Folk, it has onces of Dire Straits... but one thing I want to know is why Richard Thompson singing about the pirate Long John Silver. Maybe he wants you to spend your gold buying this record, or maybe he just wants you to walk the plank. I find 'Pony in the Stable' a little annoying, but it keeps the theme of the whole album and what Richard is trying to do on this record. So it really works and does not feel out of place. 'Where's your Heart?' is a very sad song that drags on a little, but the melodies are really nice and the female vocals really work. Also the guitar licks are really nice and make the song far more interesting.

He really speeds it for the brilliant 'No Peace, No End' one of the stand out tracks on the album, it just flows really nicely and you could find yourself listening to this over and over again. I think this song would work really well in his live set. The next song sings about a man with snakes in his shoes, which is a very bizarre picture. Also the title is very weird 'Dungeons for Eyes', are they taking something where Richard Thompson is from... because this song just makes no sense to me.

The album ends with 'Guitar Heroes', which is a song he goes back to basics on. You can hear elements of early Rock 'n' Roll in it, and it's a great closer for the album. Well if you ignore the out of place interlude. I have never been really a fan of Folk and 60's music but I can see this is an album, that really shows off the best of 60's Esq. songwriting and think if you like artists like Neil Young, The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel then you will just simply love 'Still' by Richard Thompson because it delivers the best of this.