I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

I wanted to like this more than I did. I used to own their follow-up to this and never really warmed up to it, either. The first two tracks were cool, though.

70s folk rock doesn't hit me like it used to. But I can appreciate this and a few decades ago I would have been spinning this all the time.

Melancholy folk with a medieval vibe.

Drone folk

A good, chill time I could listen to on loop.

I quite enjoyed that, especially the first half. I liked the Fairport Convention albums so not surprised that this one is great in a slightly different way. Rating: 3.5

It's a bit boring, even if it's kinda pretty too.

Apart from teaching Hugh Cornwell bass and being in Fairport Convention, I knew nothing about Eitherr Richard or Linda Thompson. Reminds me of a folky Fleetwood Mac

Meh. Nothing special. Neutral.

Richard Thompson is one of the great underappreciated guitarists in any genre, and this record makes that case quietly and consistently. The playing is inventive and expressive without ever drawing attention to itself — exactly the kind of musicianship that rewards close listening without demanding it. The Celtic instrumentation gives the record a specific texture that distinguishes it from more conventional folk-rock, and the horns that surface on one track are a welcome surprise, the kind of unexpected touch that briefly suggests a broader sonic palette. Linda Thompson’s voice is lovely without being transcendent — warm, authentic, and completely unaffected, but lacking the kind of commanding presence that makes you stop what you’re doing. It suits the material without overwhelming it, which is either a strength or a limitation depending on what you’re looking for. Here it lands somewhere in between. The darkness and emotional weight running through the record sit in a lineage that connects British folk-rock to the Americana tradition — you can hear the thread that runs toward music you love most, even if this particular expression of it doesn’t fully claim you. The influences are right, the execution is consistently solid, and the whole thing passes by pleasantly without quite reaching the emotional temperature that earns a four. A genuine three that sits toward the higher end of that tier — liked at times, respected throughout, not quite compelling enough for regular rotation.

Little bit too folky/whimsy in parts - verging on Christian folk. ‘Has he got a friend for me’, ‘the end of the rainbow’, ‘the great Valerio’ are all decent tracks though

Definitely a 70s Americana album.

Apple Music classified this as a rock album and it is a really boring and dull rock album BUT!!!!! It is really cozy, like mom and dad is singing to you, but they are singing really sad songs and an jig about how they don't like being poor. Also, put some respect on Linda's name!!! She carried the album and I LOVED how warm and cozy her voice is.

Country music by way of some slight Scottish/Irish folk influence, it seems like to my ears? Not bad, but kinda bored me a bit.

Partly quite nice but not really my kind of music.

Okayy

70s rock, has some good instrumentals Favorite track: The calvary cross (the live version) other picks: together again (the live version), I want to see the bright lights tonight

Heavy Decemberists vibes with this one.

Linda is a more important part of this imo. Easy listening, not terrible but not that exciting either. I just feel like I have heard everything they do here. Which is not necessarily bad, just folk music sounds very similar. I think the front half of this is good, and the falloff is steep and not much saving. I am not including the live versions in this review either. Title track vocals are ripped from a carpenter's song harddddd. All in all I enjoy the songs I like and not the record as a whole

Will definitely listen again

lowkey got bops

Love the title track so much

It’s kind of a lovely album, but it kind of puts me to sleep which isn’t a bad thing but ya know that matters

Mid, pero está bueno para traerlo de fondo.

vibey

Admittedly this kind of music is not to my taste- his singing combined with the mandolin and ladida fiddle has something of the pogues that triggers me. However, the lyrics are actually excellent- embracing something about time passing, endlessness, being larger than oneself. Some gorgeous harmonies, when it leans more psychedelic it does something for me. There are moments of outstanding beauty on here, unexpectedly. Has some really gorgeous and sensitive, soulful guitar work

idk it's probably pretty good if you're into that sort of thing. pretty samey for me and drifts unpleasantly into the christianity zone.

Random thoughts: * I listened to this a few times passively and it didn't really resonate or break through for me. * Obviously I need to really give it a proper listen sometime. * There were flavors of early indie in here. * But there were also flavors of that folk style that was of medieval style which is ugh. * I can see why this one is on the list. I'll have to give it another try but I didn't hate it.

Why is Linda not included in de artists name? It's on the cover. The album itself was okay

Hit or miss for me. 3/5

I was hoping to like this more than I did. Not a bug fan of RT on his own, but some of this LP was enjoyable. Not an album I'd return to, however.

Pretty ahead-of-its-time sound, with pleasant vocals from both singers. Was sad to read they divorced a decade after making this together :( Make no mistake, this is a pretty good record, just not one I can see myself returning to.

This was unusual- I would spin again as background music. Very evocative of the time it was released.

Some shanties that’d be great to sing with the lads down the tav with tankard in hand.

Good album! Not sure i ever need to return to though. Linda's song are the best on it. Richard songs kinda bring the album down a bit for me.

It’s getting harder to rate some of these albums because it’s not like there bad I just don’t care for them and won’t revisit This albums in that category

Feels A-side heavy this one. Some really good songs, but the more traditional folky ones aren’t for me.

3.5/5

Very good folk album

This was....fine? I didn't hate it but I will also probably forget about it before I finish typing this sente.... Who?

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight has nice songs and mood, easy to listen, but not every track keeps you interested the whole time.

Sounds like a rainy English pub where everyone’s quietly processing their feelings over a lukewarm ale. Beautiful in theory, but emotionally heavy enough that you check your watch between sips. Respect the craft, but I’m not staying for another round.

Not awesome, just not my thing unfortunately

- justice for linda thompson in this album listing - i like the instrumentation - i also like the album cover - i like the trad folk elements - favorites: i want to see the bright lights tonight, withered and died - rating: 3/5

While I’m not a massive fan of this album, I can understand the appreciation for the writing.

24/03/2026 *1. when i get to the border - oooo really liking this immediately! guitars are lovely! looove the instrumental!!! 2. the calvary cross - love the guitar and tambourine at the start... organ is nice! not as fond of the rest of the song, but still nice :) *3. withered and died - her voice is lovely <3 lyrics are fantastic! *4. i want to see the bright lights tonight - liking the guitar and bass more in this one. love when it gets more bluesy.... horns! 5. down where the drunkards roll - nice, don't think i'm in the right mood for slow folk songs tonight though! 6. we sing hallelujah - nice again! *7. has he got a friend for me - reaaallly lovely.... has more of the emotion i've not found in the other songs. 8. the little beggar girl - nice... am wondering if these are their real accents... sounds like a mix of northern and irish, but the wikipedia summary for this album said he was from london? will research. 9. the end of the rainbow - lyrics are fantastic, but the music just doesn't do anything for me! *10. the great valerio - loving the guitar at the start... for whatever reason, this just didn't jump out for me... the lyrics are fantastic but only track seven seemed emotionally resonant for me? loved the woman's vocals (assuming it's linda thompson?) but not as fond on the male, thought the accent sounded a bit affected (not in a good way)? maybe will need a relisten on another day, might be too tired for a slow folk album today lol.

Surprised.

Ok

very good

This is charming, but I lost interest as the album went on.

Another one of those oh so pleasant background music type album that doesn’t really grab me but neither does it offend me!

When I read that Richard Thompson was the guitarist for Fairport Convention I had pretty high expectations, but this didn't really live up to them. Too old-fashioned for my tastes. But it's pretty inoffensive too, just didn't really click with me

fine

Folky music can go one or two ways for me, painfully okay or shoot it into my veins, this was painfully okay to me.

3/5 An indifferent 3/5 because it was painfully fine to me. I guess it was some nice folky music, but nothing that stood out to me.

Really good folkish rock. Never heard of them before today but it was a great listen and I played it through a couple of times. It's relaxing but not too much, great for listening at work.

Liked: Has He Got A Friend For Me, The Great Valerio

UK folk is toch een genre waar ik regelmatig 'gems' in opgraaf, en één van de eerste acts waarbij je die wereld toetreedt is Fairport Convention. Het werk van Sandy Denny en Richard Thompson was mij dus ook bekend. Over deze plaat ben ik altijd gemengd positief. De eerste helft van het album heeft alles wat het genre zo eigenaardig, maar tegelijkertijd zo catchy maakt. Sterker nog, ik denk dat het die catchy pub rock twist (zie ook Lindisfarne) is wat het genre onderscheid van z'n Amerikaanse tegenhanger, naast natuurlijk de Keltische en andere traditionele instrumentatie. De tweede helft klinkt veel meer als classic Fairport Convention, maar verliest ook wel snel aan urgentie. Het mist een beetje Sandy Denny, denk ik. Al met al wel een stevige zeven. 7/10 Highlights: The Calvary Cross I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight The End Of The Rainbow

didn't know at all, and can't yet place it musically

Tuns out, I like folk rock. Very mellow album. Notes of Simon and Garfunkal and also some notes of modern day alternative music.

It was alright. Not quite as interesting as the fairport convention albums

Whimsical

7 / 10

Another perfectly listenable (though not particularly unique) album to close out the week! Not the kind of thing I can see myself returning to on my own time, but I wouldn’t mind it if someone else put it on. There are a few solid highlights I might come back to if I ever get on a big folk kick! Highlights: When I Get to the Border, Withered and Died, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Down Where the Drunkards Roll, The Great Valerio

I found it kind of dull, lacking some of the feeling I want to find in folk music.

No familiarity with this album or artist. I dug the first half more than the second but overall found it to be quite enjoyable and glad that I got to listen to it.

Beautiful voices and masterfully played acoustic guitars (plus a variety of other folky instruments), telling sorrowful stories that still manage to contain a hint of hope somehow. Favorite track: "Down Where the Drunkards Roll"

Nice

3 Bright Lights was the highlight

No surpise that Linda carried this album. Such a nice voice. The folk rock genre isn’t for me these days though

I’m not a fan of Richard Thompson, so at first I was like 😩. But as I listened I was like maybe this isn’t so bad. But as the album went on I was like meh.

Renaissance Fair vibe, but I don't hate it.

6.0/10

This is some Renaissance Faire-type music. Very folksy, mellow, haunting vocals à la Joan Baez. Solid album, but I wouldn't catch myself listening much outside of here.

always fun to encounter something completely new. some great moments and some meh.

The title track ‘Bright Lights’ has been one of my favourite songs ever, I absolutely love it, if I did karaoke, that’s the song I would do. However, I found the rest of the album to be quite low grade English 60s/70’s folk. Is is 3.5 for me

Too slow again for me but would make a good movie soundtrack

ok

Solid folk. Bit of a bummer and some of the songs drag but overall pretty good.

Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

This album was a real vibe. It took me away to a smokey 70s British Pub. The kind of place where you grab a Boddingtons, hang with mates, and listen to some folk. No mad lads in this pub, just some hard working, blue collar Brits looking to unwind after the day

I've always meant to get around to listening to Richard and Linda's work. I'm glad I have now. This is very good stuff. Better than most of the "7 out of 10s", though alas, I'm still going to round down to 3 stars. But it's better than most of the stuff I give three stars. I especially like the British-isles instrumentation (tin whistle, concertina, etc.)

Folksy, calm, border line psycadelic rock. It was fine, something that could be playing and I wouldn't turn it off. There were some decent lyrics that did make an impact.

This is pretty okay.

This was pretty good. Relatively short and sweet. The sound and vibe make sense seeing that it comes from a member of Fairport Convention. Again, another album from an artist we’ve already touched on multiple times in this project. If this project were truly great, it would put a 2 (3 in very special circumstances) album cap on all artists to showcase far more voices and artistic viewpoints.

“I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight” by Richard & Linda Thompson is practically the definition of cultivated boredom. Technically, everything is clean and neat, the production is absolutely professional... but nothing noteworthy happens. Wikipedia says it was “never commercially successful and critically ignored upon its release,” which is not surprising at all. From the perspective of the authors of “1001 Albums...”, it still seems to have a certain relevance, but the best I can say about this recording is that there is really nothing bad or annoying about it. Easiest listening, so to speak.

It was indeed English Folk Rock. Who cannot relate to this genre? I suspect very many people. I'm just having a laugh. Nothing stood out to me until the very last song. It had a moment of musical darkness that felt very expressive. Other than that, I was non-plussed. Maybe I should have actively listened to the whole album.

Pretty good album, first half much better, but nice listen

I'm not sure what's going on here. I can't decide how I feel about this album - one moment I'm getting swept away and the next I find myself cringing. I'm honestly not sure what is going on here... The songs are well written, but the production leaves something to be desired. The vocals are nice, but the instrumentation is boring. I just can't figure out if I like this or not, so I guess it's getting a 3.

Cool

I enjoyed this Thompson + Thompson venture. I found the album to be haunting at times and felt that it captured the English dreariness quite well. I certainly preferred the Linda-heavy tracks and there are some all-time lyrics here (‘cause I love taking money off a snob like you). Doubt this one will make it into the rotation but I’m very glad to have heard it.

It was fine, not really my favourite or that memorable except for those moments when it unexpectedly went a bit sea shanty-esque. Loved the album title

Interesting classic folk

helt greit dette. trodde jeg likte folk bedre enn som så jeg og er så tired of work every day

Thought the first half was superb, and second half a bit of a sleeper. Overall good.

⭐⭐⭐ Intressant men ojämnt album. De bästa låtarna i mitt tycke 'I want to see the bright lights tonight' 'The end of the rainbow' känns som förlagor till mer moderna indie låtar och landar mitt i prick i min musiksmak. Sen är det ett antal låtar som är mer av skipps. Men helheten känns ändå intressant och jag kan nog tänka mig ge det lite mer tid i framtiden, därför får det en trea.

I enjoyed this and would probably enjoy it more with a second listen. It didn’t have the same impact as his work with Fairport Convention but it was a solid album.

Has it’s moments but not memorable.

This was a beautiful and intimate record. I enjoyed the playing especially, and the trading of vocals was very nice.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight is an album that is perfectly fine for what it does. When i first saw this, i thought that it was gonna be a live album but as it turns out, even though there are a few live recordings of some of the songs on the 2004 CD, it was still very much a studio album. As an album itself, like i said, it's perfectly fine. It's your typical folk/country romp with all the things you would expect from this genre. The music as well as both Richard and Linda's voices which were the main highlight of this album. I really can't think of anything all too negative to say but nothing overly positive either. It's a good album and nothing else. Best Song: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight Worst Song: We Sing Hallelujah

Very meh. This was kind of a drag, I wasn't feeling the folky vibes. A very generous 3/5.

First listen. Electro-folk music….kind of liking it. Sounds very very 70s in production, but that’s cool by me. Enjoyed it. Will listen again. 3

Pretty unremarkable 70s music. But I like 70s music generally speaking so it was still enjoyable for me.

6/10 Wow some of these lyrics are bleak. I like the melancholy songs, but overall pretty boring. Highlights: The End of the Rainbow The Calvary Cross

Not bad

Reminds me deeply of The Ballad of Wallis Island, highlighted even more-so by the fact that it's a husband wife pair. That's a lovely movie, so even though this isn't my taste it still evokes comfortable and pleasant feelings.

I’m not naturally predisposed to listen to folk music, but this was quite pleasant. Richard’s voice is lovely (and preferable to Linda’s), so I’d have loved more of his vocals, and less of Linda. I especially loved “The Calvary Cross”.

yeah good

70s male female duet bliss

334/1089 - A bit better than the Liege and Lief album I got some time ago but nothing special. No song really stood out to me since the song forms were all too similar to each-other and the instrumentation wasn't notable enough to differentiate anything. Seems to be more focused on lyrics and not music, which isn't the point of listening to music for me.

Relaxing!

I listened to this 3 times in a row. I have a soft spot for folk music!

A listening experience akin to a melancholy evening of public radio programming. Not a bad experience, but the music sort of faded into the background of my day too often for me to justify rounding up from a 3.5*.

If you’re looking for country/folk/Irish(?) music you still might want to look somewhere else. There’s nothing on here that’s memorable, unfortunately. Even the live extras aren’t worth it, sounding more like karaoke than professional singing, and the longer versions added nothing interesting.

It was fine. I didn't hate it.

Not bad! I was kinda vibing with it from time to time, but for the most part this just still isn't for me.

Cute. Reminds me of Tim Buckley a bit. Not sure if I'll finish the album.

A perfectly fine but not at all exciting listen.

Not a lot of harmonies and folk rock is in my wheelhouse. It was alright. Enjoy a handful of the songs.

It was fine I liked the vocal harmonies. I also like the guy's voice a little more. Their singing style kind of reminds me of how priests sing.

I don’t listen to much folk but this was pretty good, I’ll probably be coming back

I liked the album. the songs were hit or miss. i liked the celt-folk type songs but the contemporary type songs they were just ok. a solid three, where i think it deserves a second listen.

I was expecting better. I like a bunch of there music but this was a little disappointing.

A solid 3.5 for me! Really liked the first half, but found myself zoning out in the second half. I think I'm just in the mood for something livelier, but I'll revisit this when I'm in the mood for slow and sad.

Album 975 of 1089 I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard & Linda Thompson (1974) Rating : 3 / 5 A really nice folk listen for the morning - gentle, steady, and easy to settle into. Nothing here jumped out as a “wow” track for me, but the strength of this album isn’t in big moments anyway. It’s the overall feel: earthy, understated, and quietly emotional without ever getting heavy-handed. Their harmonies blend beautifully, the songwriting is thoughtful, and the production keeps everything simple in the best way. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t try to impress you - it just sits with you, calmly, and lets the mood do the work. A fine way to start the day, and one of those records where the whole is stronger than any individual song.

First time I sat through a Richard and Linda Thompson record. Not a folk rock fan let alone a British folk fan. Pleasantly a surprise. The guitar playing is enjoyable, technically excellent, and each song is served by the quality of the performances. Linda’s vocals are superb and crystal clear. Calvary Cross, the title track and the Great Valerio are well written, interesting and although the subject matter of these songs is a bit bleak, you get a sense of hope lurking in the sadness. I’m not sure I’d revisit this record on my own volition but I would not be opposed to listening to this album again. There are a couple of tracks that don’t work as well (See We Sing Hallelujah) but none are out of place. An interesting detour especially coming after Turbonego’s Apocalypse Dudes. Above average quality record.

I usually dislike folk music. But this was better than most. They had some good harmonies, avoided the ren faire sound that I can’t stand. Lyrics were interesting. I was pleasantly surprised not to hate it.

Alright good folk rock sound. Can't remember anything about it half a day later, but I didn't hate it. Just didn't stand out

It's not really my style but it has its moments

That's actually a good 3. It's cheesy but I love it and the folky rhythms are great. Some Celtic, some Western, I like!

This was better than expected

Surprised by this

Pleasant enough. But it’s pretty . . . low-energy. More variety, please. (And I know they could do that! See 1982’s Shoot Out the Lights.)

Reminded me of the carpenters

A standard folk album, but the balance between the male and female singer was good.

A big discovery for me on this list has been Fairport Convention. Seeing Richard Thompson was a part of that band, this should be up my alley. I enjoyed this, it felt lite a nice mix of folk and country. "I want to see the bright lights tonight" was a stand out song leaning more to country. Another one which had a more folksy touch was "The little Beggar Girl". This album lacks something that The Fairport Convetion has, it's partly the vocals but Linda Thompson does a stellar job too. Maybe it's the arrangments. Lastly, when i saw the album cover I was expecting punk or something metal/horror-rock. Was surprised when it was country. This gets a sold three from me.

Solid folk music. A lot more riffage going on then I would have thought, and each song sounded like two opposing forces trying to compromise. One wanted rock the other wanted folk. I read some reviews before listening, and some were like, hold on to your hats for those first two songs! I held onto my hat and only felt a gentle breeze. But maybe that's on me for expecting a hurricane from folk music

I like Fairport and I like later Richard Thompson… this in-between thing just doesn’t quite work.

not for me. im tired of music from the 70s bruh release me

Ah, another nice and warm sounding recording. Nothing like the ‘70s to envelope you in its analogue methods! I’m only a little bit familiar with Richard Thompson and always heard about his albums with Linda so it was great to finally get a chance to hear one. Having spent some time with the albums of Sandy Denny a few years back this album really put me back in that sort of vibe. Once again I don’t usually gravitate to folk based music but I really enjoyed this one as well. There’s a sort of nostalgic sentiment to these songs in the lyrics, vocals and chord progressions over a lot of slow and steady tempos. I’m guessing that there’s some sort of a British folk sound here in the way the songs are written and performed. Definitely going to check out their other albums and though I’ve heard of Fairport Convention I haven’t spent much time with that band either so here’s hoping there’s one coming in the pipeline but if not I do hope to get there one day as well.

when this first started I wondered how I was going to get through an hour of this, but as the album progressed, I hated it less. Beyond the stereotypical "hippie" sound, there was some Jethro Tull/ Jefferson Airplane light elements to it. great harmonies. PS: I love this album cover.

Guter Folk

love it og folksy 6.5/10

Nice dark knobbly grim drunken 70s angst folk. Richard vocals aren’t good but track 1 has a gauntlet of good guitar riffs n bits. There are some cool medieval vibes with the cromulent crumhorn plus some rom pom pom brass on title track for more old timey feels but it’s mainly the Linda vocals on the songs that she’s on that really lifts them into good territory. Best songs title track and Down Where The Drunkards Roll

Really mellow folk country. Linda has a very beautiful and somewhat haunting voice that lends so nicely to the music. The rhythms flow smoothly in sequence across the record and the production is very well executed. Each track is a pleasure to listen to.

A pleasant but unremarkable folk album.

pretty decent ig

Mira solo he oido una canción, la más famosa y tampoco me dijo demasiado

on first listen, I found this quite annoying, but it grew on me. It's quite emotional in parts and has good lyricism. Linda's voice shines throughout

Nice enough

Some relaxing folk with enjoyable vocals compared to some of of the prior albums

Oh man, I had the title track of this album on one of my seasonal playlists I thought? and I always wondered how old that song was, and now I know, which is great but holy shit you say there's an entire album attached to that title track? And it's good? With timeless album art? I mean that's not the big important thing, but ... heck yeah. Okay so "Little Beggar Girl" feels a wee bit like an irish jig? And on second listen I'm less excited about [gestures] all of this. Alas.

Not my style but I see why critics love this.

I know that this has been a positive surprise and a hidden gem for many of those going through the list of 1001 albums. I’ve listened to the album many times now, but I still haven’t really connected to it. It’s fine, but not amazing by any means

It starts out strong and I was liking it, but then in the middle it kinda loses steam for me but then circles back at the end to being good again.

01) When I Get to the Border - 7,0 02) The Calvary Cross - 7,0 03) Withered and Died - 6,0 04) I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight - 7,5 05) Down Where the Drunkards Roll - 6,0 06) We Sing Hallelujah - 6,5 07) Has He Got a Friend for Me - 6,5 08) The Little Beggar Girl - 6,0 09) The End of the Rainbow - 6,0 10) The Great Valerio - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,50 (65/100) Current ranking: 478/687

This was better than I expected. The title track is especially good.

Au début j’avoue m’être dit « oh non, encore un truc de folk rock country américain… » mais finalement c’était pas si mal que ça

I didn’t have any expectations going into this and found myself really enjoying this. A really solid collection of songs. I don’t think I’d listen again but I’m pleased that I’ve heard this. A solid 3.5 stars for me.

It was enjoyable to listen to.

Переважно доволі нудний альбом, але дві пісні мені дуже сподобались - The Calvary Cross і остання The Great Valerio.

A nice folky album but didn’t blow me away.

Big fan of a few songs, but it all started to sound the same. Not a huge fan of their voices, although I do like some of his stuff.

I like the instrumentation on this record. Production is raw and gritty in a good way. Songwriting is wry and bleak. It’s definitely a pretty mellow sounding, slow-paced album. Probably not gonna get your blood pumping, but not everything has to. Linda’s voice is the heart of this record—very pleasant and classic. The use of various instruments and vocal ranges to create varied and interesting textures is really the standout of this album. Makes it standout from just a standard folk-rock album. There are lowlights; some songs are a little cheesy and some tracks just get lost with uninteresting melodies and rhythm. I am glad I hear it 6.5-7/10 Standouts: Down Where the Drunkards Roll The Great Valerio

Looks like my newfound patience has run out already, cause I found this pretty boring. Album cover is mid as well. The songs were okay, nothing stood out to me but it was decent enough for me to give it a standard 3. I liked Withered And Died, We Sing Hallelujah, The Little Beggar Girl, and The End Of The Rainbow

Ich kann nicht sagen, ob ich es mag oder nicht, seltsames Album :D

sounds like farm

Good

It sounds almost like something I would like but not quite there.

It had some promise at the outset, the first few songs were a mixture of electric rock and folk with cool arrangements and lyrics, but then it all went downhill and devolved into standard acoustic folk music. 3/5, mainly on the strength of the first three songs.

Oh man, “When I Get To The Border” is such an amazing song, and one that I think I want played at my funeral. I listened to it on repeat for awhile before moving on to the rest of the album because I was so enthralled with it. Unfortunately, the rest of the album was a bit of a letdown. The title track and “We Sing Hallelujah” were pretty good, and there wasn’t anything that stood out negatively, but nothing held a candle to the brilliance of “When I Get To The Border.” I wish I could rate this a 3.5, but despite how much I loved the opening track, I have to round down.

Lots of nice guitar and plenty of haunting minor harmonies and dark melodies in the Celtic folk tradition. Favorites: cavalry cross, bright lights, rainbow

I’ve only heard the title track before, and if the rest of the album had been as good as that song, it would be an easy 5. Unfortunately the other songs aren’t that good. It’s still a fine album, but it really only has one stellar standout track

Top heavy, with great folk rock tunes in the first half and dorky ren faire ballads lumped together at the end

nice, calm and folksy, good vocals and good song chemistry, enjoyed it overall

I wanted to love this. His deep sonorous english voice and their folk ethos steeped in story telling. I thought it was good but didnt spot its greatness over 2 listens. Maybe like the rest if the world i'll take time to get into it

The credit on the generator seems to be an error. This is a co-production with Linda Thompson. They were an important sing-writing folk power duo. The music is fine and was influential. But modern British bar ballads are not my thing. It’s a 3.

Not generally a fan of folk, but I liked this.

I liked this one. Although, I must admit I found it a little disorienting. "We Sing Hallelujah" sounds like a medieval folk song being sung at a hog roast and then "Has He Got a Friend For Me" starts with a reference to a silent Saturday night doorbell. It felt like involuntary time travelling. That aside, enjoyable if a little samsey.

Nice singing with the male and female alternating and harmonizing sometimes. Really easy listen that just flew by. The guitar tones were all really nice. Quite a high 3

Definitely had a folksy vibe to it. The title track kinda reminded me of Fleetwood Mac. Not really something I'll probably come back to but it was pleasant enough.

Rating: 6/10 Pretty good country album, no standouts but consistently good throughout.

Pretty good album. Don’t think it’s anything special. But at least a decent listen

Irish folk rock. Very chill, cool combinations of folk instruments and core rock band stuff

Could've been the day for me but besides thinking this sounded nice I couldn't find a ton to grab into. Clearly singing of what they knew and did a good job with it. That's about all I could note.

Enjoyable folk music.

Very good

It’s a good album. I doubt I’ll replay it much. The best song was the first on the album, “When I get to the Border”

Enjoyed.

3⭐️/5 [07.27.2025] 01.12.2026

Loved the album cover, not something I usually notice. As expected the guitar playing on this is fanstastic. Didn't care so much for the songs, strayed about too folk/country for my tastes but lots of this was great.

Two Fairport Connections albums in the last 100 and now some solo work. I was pretty excited after the first couple songs here. When I Cross the Border and The Cavalry Cross are both great. I especially like dueling instruments at the end of the opener. The rest is ok, some nice duets between Richard and his wife Linda, but nothing crazy memorable. I also liked The Great Valerio.

Very folky.

at first i thought it was a generic folk album, but the songs grow on you and i dont think ive really listened to something like it before. Very simple songs but not much like it.

Interesting

Like it 3/5

Definitely a vibe record that can fit a rainy day, however not something I found particularly enjoyable.

Definitely very solid, with some nice vocals and soft instrumentals. Still it doesn't leave much of a mark on me personally, though I can appreciate quite some of it.

prefer shoot out the lights but still pretty good

2 1/2 Stars: This album sounds like the color beige.

I liked it. I could see myself listening to a couple of these tracks again but will most likely forget. 3.2 stars

Not entiley my thing some aspect with the array of instruments was fantastic and the tempo and voices are good. It just has that combine harvester wurzles feel about it that niggles me a bit.

Don’t predict I’ll return but really enjoyed this. 3.5

★★★½

There's some really fun upbeat songs on here and a bunch of really melancholy singer/songwriter stuff. I prefer the former as the latter lulled me to sleep.

Can't say I'm a fan of the folk genre and this album didn't do much to sway my opinion. But there were some songs that I did enjoy hearing. The first half of the album was the better portion and included some of the songs I thought were pretty good. When I Get to the Border, The Calvary Cross and I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight were the songs I liked the best. The album started to lose me in the 2nd half, but for the most part, I thought it was decent. I generally rip these folksy albums and I can't say I would come back and revisit, but this one was alright. 3

3 Apparently this is the lead guitarist and songwriter of Fairport Convention with his wife. I’ve liked some of the Fairport Convention stuff we’ve heard on this list, but I think their music is carried heavily by singer Sandy Denny. Not that Richard (or his wife) are bad singers, but their voices certainly don’t captivate me like hers does - nor does really any of their music here. Still, I found most of this decent, though there’s not really anything that’s particularly great or standout either. It also has that ren faire-esque sort of quality to it that a lot of British folk groups from this era seem to have that I’m not overly fond of. In this particular instance, there’s a certain charm to the alternating male/female vocals, and the songwriting borders on catchy at times with When I Get To the Border and the title track, but overall it ultimately seems to boil down to a same-y amalgamation of Richard’s past work with FC and their contemporaries. Not bad, but probably not the kind of thing I would go out of my way to revisit. While I’ve certainly heard worse versions of this kind of sound, I’ve certainly also heard better. That said, I feel like this could be a vibe if heard live in a British pub. Hell, I may have that opportunity soon.

Mixed feelings about this one. Some songs are too singer-songwriter folksy for me and some have a more fun Irish-sound. Could’ve fallen on either side of the 2-3 line for me.

It's a pleasant album to put into background, and I can understand why someone would find it much nicer, but I think it's very much depending on someone's personal preferences a 3-5. It can always be not enough, or your favourite album.

honestly this was a lot more compelling than i was expecting from a 70s folk married duo. the title track is good!

Nice little Folk-Album, had never heard of it, before. I think „mostly harmless“ describes it pretty good. Fav: The Little Beggar Girl

Charming British folk featuring lovely arrangements, textures, and vocal interplay.

I do not know these two but this was good. I really liked a couple of them.

Okay

Once again, i would like this a lot more were it an instrumental album.

Kinda boring, but not bad.

Schöni Stimme, 70er-Jahr lönd grüesse😂. Sehr ruhigi, fascht ächli Depri-Musig.

when i get to the border ischmer glaub chli zu schleppend, d flöte und so und s akkordeon sind no cool sehr irish. ou es hat gelöscht. find die erste 3 songs etz eeehner lame, sehr low tempo und hett chli meh erwartet vomne album wo es meisterwerk gnennt wird. de title track het etz zum erste mol sehr cooli gitarreparts und groovt chli ernsthaft. au seeehr schöni background gsäng. ok s album isch easy isch e 3. aber wirdi nie meh lose glaub? chöntmer zwor au vorstelle dasis suuuuper geil wür finde nochem 3. mol lose.

find er het sehr e beruhigendi stimm und z zweite töneds super hmm s solo am schluss hani vhli wack gfunde ohh the cavalry ross het seehr e schöni atmosphäre mite gitarre und de sanfte stimm leider passiert aber trz chli wenig ohhh sie chan au sehr schön singe!! we sing hallelujah findi megaaaa scheisse hahahahaha hmm au little beggar girl isch nöd so min jam joaaah es paar lieder findi sehrsehr schön, reduziert und beruhigend, anderi hani denn defur ener langwilig gfunde. guets 3

Was enjoyable.

Nice revival English folk

Country like

This was okay! I like folk, but nothing here really caught my attention. Linda has a lovely voice.

A bit too much renaissance fair energy for me.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of folk music, and Richard and Linda Thompson's album didn't change my mind. I unfortunately found myself bored too often. But I will be honest: this mellow album was flow-y and was quite beautiful. While I enjoyed both Richard and Linda's harmonizing vocals, I liked Linda's vocals much more. The inclusion of horns or Celtic music gave this folk music some spice. For that, I'll round up my 2.5.

This band and album were completely new to me. Very folky, and at certain points it seemed a bit more modern than 1974. Additionally, I was intrigued that they seemed to bounce between a more American folk sound and English folk sound -- that's not something you hear everyday from folk artists. Individually, Richard and Linda both tackle lead vocals nicely, and when singing together, there was some nice harmony between them. I didn't love this album, but I did like it. As it started, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but it kind of won me over by about halfway through! I can appreciate an album that is capable of doing that.

A rather generic but pleasant record. Can’t like them all - and I didn’t hate it - it’s just that a blend of country, sea shanties and Irish songs is not entirely up my street no matter how good it might be.

Kind of an English take on country, neat! Might have to listen again but I didn’t really grab my attention. I certainly appreciate what it’s trying to do.

Good music. Catchy. May listen to more.

Listened to this and quite enjoyed it. British folk often overshadowed by American folk.

Pleasant enough in places. I would say The Thompson Twins probably edge the Thompson spouses for me.

I am partial to a bit of British folk, and the story telling style of the songs. Some of it was too dull but other songs especially the duets hit the spot.

Nice vocals

6.5/10

I like their mixture of folk and country. It's kind of a dated sound, but not bad.

when I get to the border- 5 or 6 Calvary cross- 5 withered and died- 5 I want to see the bright lights- 5 down where the drunkards roll- 5 we sing hallelujah- 5 or 6 has he got a friend for me- 5 the little beggar girl- 5 the end of the rainbow- 5 the great valerio- 5

Not really my thing but pretty good songs.

Thought the closing 3 live tracks were the strongest part of the album. The rest (other than the title track) didn’t do much for me. 2.7

It's albums like this where I wish we had 1/2 stars. For me there are some fantastic tracks - Withered and Died is an all time favorite, but I only knew a modern cover (Kate Rusby). The original is marvelous as are a number of other of Linda's songs. That said, I get a little underwhelmed by Richard Thompson's solo songs. In the end, I'm at a 3, but I wish I could give that extra half star up to 3.5 just for Withered and Died on it's own.

It's a decent enough album. Musically, it sounds pretty similar to a lot of British Folk. Everything I read says that it's the lyrics that are most groundbreaking for British Folk, and I'll agree it's more down to earth and less ye olde greene forest faerie, but it didn't pull me in. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it, doubt I'd seek it out again. Favorite tracks: the title track (more rocking than folk), Down Where the Drunkards Roll, The Little Beggar Girl.

not exceptional but full of humanity

Had never heard of this prior, it’s not bad. Title track is the only real memorable song once all is said and done though.

Þegar ég hlustaði á þessa plötu sá ég fyrir mér írskan pöbb. Það er langt liðið á kvöldið, búið að kveikja ljósin og flestir sofnaðir fram á borðið með hálffull bjórglös nema tvö pör sem dansa drukkinn vangadans við síðasta lag húsbandsins á pöbbnum. Öll þessi plata hljómaði eins og síðasta lag kvöldsins á írskum pöbb. Ekki slæm. Bara ekki stemmningin sem mig langar að hlusta á

I really like the two most popular songs on the album but everything else is lackluster

It’s average. Theres nothing special about it, though there’s nothing bad about it. Love the fact that it goes from male vocals to female vocals every other track.

Ciekawy ten album pod kątem, że tworzył go mąż z żoną. Silny, lekko celtycki folk, czasami zakrawający o religijno-oazowe nastroje. Nie porywa, ale relaksuje. 6.5/10

I like the bit where they turn Irish.

Couple makes folk rock Feels like light in the darkness That’s lovely, moody

This has some decent songs but just doesn't compare to the Canadian folk music I grew up listening to. 3 stars or C-.

Nothing stands out, neither good or bad. Background music. 5.5/10

Ok. Bitvis lite vackert men det är en typ av musik som inte lyfter så högt. Det är väldigt mellanmjölk.

Börjar riktigt bra, framförallt med The cavalry cross som är en riktig höjdare. Tyvärr blir det inte så mycket mer spännande därefter utan puttrar på runt en stabil trea. Gillar hans sång mer än hennes. Blir en stark trea totalt sett pga inledningen.

Ok my knee-jerk reaction to the first few seconds of the first song was to think that he sounds a bit like Jimmy Fallons impression of Barry Gibb LOL. Looking beyond that, there’s some substance here. Lots, actually. “Down Where The Drunkards Roll” paints a really vivid picture, and is probably my highlight of the record. “Has He Got A Friend For Me” is one of a few examples of this album having some actually unique things to say, some songs about stuff you probably didn’t hear much about at the time. The closing live track, “The Calvary Cross” is a pretty exceptional live jam. I think this one just comes down to personal preference, I won’t be going back to it. There’s a lot of substance here like I said, maybe just not a lot of impact or memorable delivery of it all. And that’s ok, I can see there being a time and place for this album!

The guitar in the background is good but honestly it just sounds the same as every other generic country album. Linda’s voice did give this album a good sound.

It had its moments, but this just seemed a little too Middle Earth for me

this was pleasing to the ear. i rather enjoyed this.

5/10 Nice enough. 2-20-2025

Irish rock

I thought this was good. It’s not typically the type of music I would choose to listen to, but I can tell it’s well made. The lyrics were interesting. Favorite songs were The Calvary Cross, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, and The Little Beggar Girl.

Quite impressed in hindsight that these were original songs, sounded like they would be rerecorded classic folk. In that sense they nail the sound. As an assumed bunch of classic songs it sounded like the sort of thing that would be good in a old fashioned pub and worked well enough as background music. Nothing in there made me want to go back for a second listen though. 2.5.

The End of the Rainbow and The Great Valerio were absolutely excellent, but the rest of the album wasn't. Shame I had to wait until the end to enjoy it. 2.5

Thought this was pretty good mostly. Think the first half was better, got a bit flowery and weird in some of the latter half. The opening 4 tracks were all good though. 3.5, but likely won't be back!

Not a favorite of mine but it has its moments. I particularly enjoyed The Cavalry Cross and The End of the Rainbow

Good folk that passes by like a fart in the wind.

I like folk music, but this isn't landing in my all time favs

Es ist ein herausragendes Beispiel für britischen Folk-Rock. Das Album zeigt die Talente der Interpreten auf eine Weise, die sowohl Fans des Folk-Rocks als auch des traditionellen Country anspricht. Die Lieder sind durchzogen von einer melancholischen Stimmung, die sich in den Texten und Melodien Die Texte sind poetisch und oft voller emotionaler Tiefe. Songs wie „The End of the Rainbow“ und „Withered and Died“ sind bewegende Erzählungen von Verzweiflung und Hoffnung. Die klare und ausdrucksstarke Stimme harmoniert perfekt mit dem Gitarrenspiel, insbesondere in Titeln wie „Has He Got a Friend for Me“. Für mich wurde die durchgängige Melancholie als eintönig empfunden. Das Album könnte von einer größeren Vielfalt in Tempo und Stimmung profitieren. Also insgesamt ganz ok.

Bit slow. Worth revisit

Neat and more engaging than I expected. Also, given the tear it was made it felt like the production was pretty nice as well.

The only married news team in the whatever the rest of that stolen joke is. Never heard of this which is a good thing. I despise the album cover but have no idea how this will sound. Maybe they’re brother and sister? Who knows. Oh nice. This is actually really quite good. Folk-y and weird at points. Capable vocals. This was sick. A small let-down but still not bad. Now we’re getting the female vocals. I have to assume this is Richard. I don’t see gender. Gentle song. Not bad. Very old style country. Me too sister. I hate working. That’s why I spend it writing these godawful reviews. What station? An effective public transit infrastructure? No way. Catchy, folk influenced. Very good. I have now googled these people and of course they were part of Fairport Convention. And yes, they are divorced. The circle of life. Decent track. I’m a complete sucker for folk music. Sound like you’re in a bar on a Nova Scotia port and I scream and throw my sleep apnea mask on the stage. It’s a sign of affection. Anyway. “Banger.” It’s a little silly, but I do indeed like it. The mix of American and Celtic/Maritime folk is interesting. The female vocals seems to give more of a country feel or at least be on songs that are more country influenced. This song isn’t doing it for me. This one is the worst thus far. Boring, slow and not particularly vibrant in any way. I don’t hate it, but it’s a down moment on what’s been a solid release thus far. The Great Valerio was alright. Not terrible. I like to picture a bootleg zorro despite me never seeing the real zorro. I am just vaguely aware that he existed. In with a bang, out with, well, less of a bang. This folk/rock/country album was very interesting and very good all things considered. An album I will engage with again but not one that is sparking me to engage in a string of attempted wordplay. I suppose that’s for the real freakishly bad or good albums in this collection. A good album that could improve with repeated listens makes for an enjoyable Tuesday. Sorry to hear about the divorce. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: When I Get to The Border, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, We Sing Hallelujah

I have an odd sort of relationship with folk. I start listening thinking that it will not be my cup of herbal tea, then something in it hooks me in. With this album, the mix of traditional instruments and electric guitars builds on Richard Thompson’s work with Fairport Convention but it’s the lyrics about the grubby, despairing state of Britain in the 1970s that really hit home for me. No jobs, no hope, except for a brief escape into a boozy night out.

I don’t know if there’s much to say about I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight. It’s pretty good ‘70s folk with touches of traditional elements throughout, Richard and Linda are both great vocalists, and there’s a handful of really solid tracks on here. But while it’s consistently good, the peaks are less frequent than the plains. That’s its issue, honestly. It’s a bit plain. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it strikes me as nothing particularly special. Maybe I’m missing a ton of context, but even its best moments are a bit unimportant in the grand scheme of my musical life. Good, but not good enough for me.

Pretty nice.

Some good songs on this album, soft, slower songs with a lot of feeling to them. While I don't get why this albus is considered a masterpiece its definitely good. Songs to play in the background when you want this particular kind of mood to be your backdrop.

Nice 70’s guitar folksy stuff. Good background, not so foreground

Quite surprised by this, better than I thought it would be

Uessentiel men lyder godt

This is pretty solid as a laid-back, largely inoffensive folk record. It sounds nice, the vocal harmonies are good (and better than the sum of their parts), and the acoustic guitar playing is pretty. But excluding the opening and titles tracks, there isn't much to get excited about. Absent is the juxtaposition between textural highs and lows that really makes some of the top-tier albums stand out from the pack. There are definitely memorable moments, but those stand out for being odd rather than necessarily high-energy. Take the questionable inclusion The Little Beggar Girl. A catchy track, to be sure, and one that pays homage to the adjacent genre of Celtic folk – but I was engaged for its really weird vocal delivery and lyrics rather than for any kind of "wow" factor. Many (most) tracks are "lull" songs, including Has He Got A Friend For Me, The Great Valerio, The End Of The Rainbow, Withered And Died, and so on. The multipart mini-epic The Calvary Cross and infectious Bright Lights Tonight (title track) are the album's saving grace from getting a 2. Folk music, having one of the longest lifetimes of any musical genre, is incredibly oversaturated, and I don't see how this is any more deserving of belonging on the list than just another Mitchell, Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young, Simon/Garfunkel, or Dylan record. Though, at least with those, the records selling widely was part of what made them influential: more people listened to them at the time. But Bright Lights Tonight was "never commercially successful and critically ignored upon its release", according to the album's Wikipedia article – so can you really say with a straight face that it belongs with the 1000 most important records of all time? (I can. I have an excellent poker face.) 3/5 Key tracks: The Calvary Cross, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

I actually liked this quite a bit. Not all the songs are bangers, but I really liked When I Get to the Border, The Title Track, We Sing Hallelujah, The Little Beggar Girl, and The Great Valerio. I thought it was a little funny that Richard and Linda each sang a song about how much the world sucks, but the End Of The Rainbow is a little ridiculous; quit telling that newborn baby its life is going to be miserable, Richard, read the room.

There's an insufferable Renfaire vibe coming from a few of these songs (the worst being "Little Beggar Girl"), but there are a couple of songs on here that grew on me after a few listens. Giving this a 3 because I would consider listening to another Richard & Linda Thompson album. Shoot Out The Lights is the one I hear the most praise for, but I don't think it's in this list

I understand this as an artistic piece and I appreciate it but it did not connect with me. I am not too interested in it musically, but i fuck with it conceptually

7/10 Definitely a record that I feel would have a much deeper impact if I had the context of British history and culture. From what I can gather in the songwriting we get some pretty harrowing and loaded subject matter regarding England’s history, on Linda Thompson’s side especially, and there are some pretty hard hitting images on every one of these songs. However I find the content of the record to maybe be a bit underserved by the instrumentals. They’re quite nice while they’re on but don’t really leave a bigger impact when it comes to the heavier thematics of the record, and I know most of that is due to traditions in English Folk music, but I do wish there was something more symbiotic here to my American tastes. I too would be depressed if I was British.

uhh idk xD

There's a couple good songs on this and some really cool guitar parts, overall I like his voice. I don't really care for her voice except for a song, maybe two. There's a decent mix of blues, folk, country vibes, but nothing that really hooks me. End of The Rainbow is solid, probably best thing on this album.

The Calvary Cross was a good tune. I didn’t care for the girl ballads. If you swapped those for more upbeat stuff, I would’ve liked it more.

Love the mandolin on the opening track. Title track and "End of the Rainbow" are probably my favorite tracks. Some of the songs are a little TOO folky....like you would hear them in the Shire or some shit. 2.5 stars, rounding up.

Although I like folk music and can appreciate the craftsmanship in these songs, the album didn’t set my heart beating any faster. A 3 for Linda Thompson’s voice.

not bad but these folkrock tropes sre nowadays overplayed

Too folksy and slow for my tastes.

Have a hard time seeing why this is on the list.

Het is toch wel zeldzaam dat een hoes zó slecht bij de muziek past als dit. Een griezelige horrorfoto van door een psychopaat op het raam van zijn cel getekende letters, voor wat kabbelende hippiefolk. Geen wonder dat deze plaat destijds voor geen meter verkocht. De muziek is wel aardig, maar dit genre hebben we toch wel eens beter gehoord. Bij Sandy Denny en haar kompanen bijvoorbeeld.

Op het eerste gehoor is dit een typisch product uit de 70s, rustige singer-songwritermuziek. Ik vond het gek dat ik nog nooit van de beste man gehoord heb, blijkbaar heeft hij in Fairport Convention gezeten. Die ken ik ook alleen maar van deze lijst. Wel geinig om zo nieuwe muziek te leren kennen. Zogezegd, is dit een product van de singer-songwriter era. Ik hoor er ook wat Beatlesque invloeden in, nog meer country en folkrock. James Taylor, Carole King, etc. Wel fijn om er een licht elektrisch gitaartje bij te horen, als het allemaal akoestisch zou zijn, zou het wel erg gezapig worden. De twee stemmen maken het ook interessant af en toe. De tierelantijntjes als een toeter of andersoortig gekke geluiden die er soms tussendoor worden geflikkerd, hadden ze wat mij betreft achterwege mogen laten. Al werkte dat bij een band als Chicago uitstekend in dezelfde periode early 70s (totdat Peter Cetera zijn tranentrekkende ballads wilde etaleren een paar jaar later). Maar we beoordelen hier niet Chicago, maar Richard and Linda Thompson. En ze gaan niet in mijn top10 komen qua singer-songwriters ben ik bang. Het is allemaal niet slecht, ik veer alleen te weinig op. Er zitten aardige nummers tussen en daar is ook alles mee gezegd. Ik mis zoals wel vaker een bekend hitje om naar uit te kijken, dus ik ben bang dat het gewoon een vergeetbare 3 wordt.

This one didn't stand out one way or another to me honestly. I've really enjoyed some of the folk I have heard, particularly folk from the UK but for some reason this didn't stand out to me. Not bad though, for sure. Maybe in the folk world this one is more important than I realize but can't help but feel maybe something else should have been here in it's place.

I guess it was okay but kind of found it bland and forgettable

this album is not bad, but it didn't really grab me either. i did like the overall sound, but that is kind of all i have to say about this one. middle of the road for me.

Their voices are entrancing. It’s an album that I think could grow on me with a few more listens, if I give it the chance. At the moment I had sort of mixed feelings toward it.

Soft folk vibe

Very folksy folk. I don't know. Not sure what sets this apart from every other album in the genre.

very chill but nothing too special for me

Nice, folksy, and calm.

Celtic/English tinged folk music set to electric guitars. Some songs have a country western feel to them. Guitar work is very good. I could take or leave Richard's vocals. I think Linda's voice is wonderful. This album was (too?) short even with the bonus live tracks. Good album.