Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson appears at his primary election night party Tuesday, August,14, 2012 in Waukesha, Wis. The GOP Senate primary was held Tuesday with the winner taking on Tammy Baldwin for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Herb Kohl. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
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Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson appears at his primary election night party Tuesday, August,14, 2012 in Waukesha, Wis. The GOP Senate primary was held Tuesday with the winner taking on Tammy Baldwin for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Herb Kohl. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
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Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., left, celebrates during his victory party Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, in Casselberry, Fla., after he defeated first-term U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams for the GOP nomination in the newly drawn 7th Congressional district that runs northeast from Orlando. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Ben Affleck accepts the award for outstanding cast in a motion picture for “Argo” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
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Actor Daniel Day-Lewis arrives at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
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Jennifer Lawrence accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a leading role for “Silver Linings Playbook” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
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Daniel Day-Lewis accepts the awards for outstanding male actor in a leading role for “Lincoln” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
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Jennifer Lawrence, left, and Robert De Niro kiss as she accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a leading role for “Silver Linings Playbook” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
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Anne Hathaway accepts the award for outstanding female actor in a supporting role for “Les Miserables” at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Review: Soaring solos from Thompson on 'Electric'
Richard
Thompson, "Electric" (New West Records)
On "Electric," Richard Thompson plugs in and delivers his most generous helping of guitar solos in many years, perhaps ever. The fretwork is marvelous even by his lofty standards, and some credit for inspiration probably goes to producer Buddy Miller, a fair picker himself.
While Thompson's notes come in a flurry, he has always been prolific as a composer, too, and here he serves up another solid batch of songs. He might get flagged for a late hit on Sarah Palin with "Sally B," but it rocks, as does "Stony Ground," where unrequited love turns bloody. Otherwise, the body count's lower than on most Thompson albums.
He's ably accompanied by his touring mates, drummer Michael Jerome and bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and the arrangements give the guitarist plenty of room to do his thing. Each time Thompson launches into one of his eclectic breaks, "Electric" becomes electrifying.
Tags:
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