ThePhanastasio

Track Listing:
1. Gethsemane (Thompson) - 6:03
2. Jealous Words (Thompson) - 4:17
3. I'll Tag Along (Thompson) - 3:40
4. A Love You Can't Survive (Thompson) - 5:28
5. One Door Opens (Thompson) - 4:19
6. First Breath (Thompson) - 7:16
7. She Said It Was Destiny (Thompson) - 4:23
8. I've Got No Right To Have It All (Thompson) - 4:12
9. Pearly Jim (Thompson) - 4:18
10. Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen (Thompson) - 4:25
11. Outside Of The Inside (Thompson) - 6:24
12. Happy Days And Auld Lang Syne (Thompson) - 3:58

In spite of being declared the #19 guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, Richard Thompson has never exactly been a household name in the states, unlike many of his contemporaries in the top 20. Thompson debuted as a recording artist with folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention for which he lent his guitar-playing talents. In a career spanning nearly forty years, Thompson has released 24 studio albums to date, including 13 as a solo artist.

Thompson is accomplished on both the acoustic and electric guitar, something readily apparent on his 11th solo studio album, the 2003 recording The Old Kit Bag. From the opening track, "Gethsemane", Thompson makes it apparent that he's a talented guitarist and songwriter who can certainly hold his own. The tone in "Gethsemane" is one of longing for a better life, of being told you're unable to accomplish that, but the strong fire within that keeps the dream alive. From the repeated refrain, "Oh be something, be something fine," Thompson adds impact to an already superb track.

Other deep, insightful tracks make the meat of this album, including the dark folk track "Outside of the Inside" on which Thompson (singing as the character within the song) proclaims, "I’m familiar with the cover / I don’t need to read the book / I police the world of action / Inside’s where I never look" after disdain is expressed for Einstein, Shakespeare, and Van Gogh (to name a few).

While "Gethsemane" and "Outside of the Inside" certainly have tragic elements, possibly the most tragic song on the album is the final track, "Happy Days and Auld Lang Syne". Thompson delivers heart-breaking, emotional vocals to his strong lyrical and musical song, making for an absolutely beautiful track.

The album does certainly have its share of darker, slower, more emotive tracks, there are a few solid upbeat numbers on the album. Possibly the highlight of the more uptempo tracks is "Pearly Jim", a song more akin to what one would expect to hear from the former guitarist of Fairport Convention, but with enough of Thompson's own unique individual flavor to make it a true stand-out track.

This is a strong solo album from Thompson, but it doesn't come without its weak points. Songs like "I'll Tag Along" and "She Said It Was Destiny" seem to lack the depth of much of the other material on the album, and feel out of place. The latter is a better song than the former, and has some amazing guitar work, but still feels as though it doesn't quite fit.

Overall, this is a album I certainly enjoy listening to from beginning to end, although the afore-mentioned "I'll Tag Along" and "She Said It Was Destiny" occasionally get skipped over while I'm listening, but it's well worth a download or purchase.