No. 479: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Band: Richard and Linda Thompson
Album: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: More interesting than the band's other album on the list, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" has a couple of strong songs.
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: The album is full of annoying voices, overwhelming folk string instruments and mediocre lyrics.
Best song: The title track isn't terrible. "The Calvary Cross" isn't awful.
Worst song: I hate "We Sing Hallelujah."
Is it awesome?: Nope.

I think I voiced my concerns well as to my feelings about Richard and Linda Thompson. "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" is stronger, if only because the album has some interesting guitar sounds.

The arrangements echo some combination of Neil Young's pacing with Donovan's instrumentation. Mandolin and dulcimer dot the drug/spiritual journey of "When I Get to the Border" while "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" features a strong organ.

More often than not, the combination of Richard Thompson's whine and the eccentric folk instruments don't go together. Notable, "We Sing Hallelujah" features a concertina playing off Richard's voice to a point of whining and annoyance.

I'm generally unhappy with this album and I'm not sure how it ended up here? Sorta religious folk music? Really? Instead of any dub, early ska or Mariah Carey (more on her next week)? Really?

No. 333: Shoot Out the Lights

Band: Richard and Linda Thompson
Album: Shoot Out the Lights
Why Rolling Stone gets it right: Um...
Why Rolling Stone gets it wrong: Full of California sound nonsense and AAA-type fake grittiness, "Shoot Out the Lights" sounds like something modern country stations wouldn't even play. The almost-folk stinks and I had trouble listening to the album.
Best song: The title track is listenable.
Worst song: Oh, this album is bad..
Is it awesome?: Nope.

Often, an album on this list pops up and I simply have to ask "huh?" "Shoot Out the Lights" is one of those albums.

I don't know if, in 1982, this type of music was novel (my inclination would be "no" on that note), but nowadays, this record remains in the domain of mediocre country/folk hybrids a la the Eagles, James Taylor and the like.

Certainly, "Shoot Out the Lights" is harder and has some distorted guitar and more upbeat songs, but Richard Thompson's baritone is simple a Cash ripoff and Linda's vocal delivery is Bonne Raitt gone bad.

I'd love to deconstruct the lyrics, but I could not get past the music. Each time I listened, I just wanted the album to go away. It's not as bad as "Hotel California," but this one is up there for "worst album on the list."